A method is provided to inject liquid water into the normal stream of fuel, superheated air and superheated steam entering a primary reactor of a fuel processor. The injection location is in the steam supply line where superheated steam vaporizes a majority of the liquid water, preferably prior to injection into the primary reactor. Steam supplied by a vaporizer may temporarily lag desired steam production due to system up-power transients or startup conditions, coupled with vaporizer thermal lag time. Injection of liquid water overcomes this temporary deficit of steam. Additional air is also supplied as needed to improve reactance for a given steam volume/temperature. Injection rate or volume of the liquid water and air may also be based on one or more measured variables of the primary reactor.

This invention relates generally to a method for managing the operation of a fuel processor. More specifically, this invention relates to a method to inject liquid water, in combination with superheated steam and compressed air into the primary reactor of a fuel processor to support transient, startup and semi-continuous operation of the fuel processor.
Hydrogen is used as a fuel in many applications today, including in fuel cells producing electric power. Fuel cells have also been proposed for use in electrical vehicular power plants to replace internal combustion engines.
In certain fuel cells, hydrogen (H2) is the anode reactant, i.e., the fuel, and oxygen is the cathode reactant, i.e., the oxidant. The oxygen can be supplied in either a pure form (O2), or as air (a mixture primarily containing O2 and N2). The hydrogen is typically provided by dissociating a hydrogen rich fuel.
For vehicular applications, it is desirable to use a liquid fuel such as methanol, gasoline, diesel, or the like, as the source of hydrogen for the fuel cell. Such liquid fuels for the vehicle are easy to store on board and there is a nationwide infracture for supplying liquid fuels. Such fuels must first be dissociated to release the hydrogen content thereof for fueling the fuel cell. The dissociation reaction is accomplished within a fuel processor, typically in several steps, including a fuel/air reaction (exothermic), and a fuel/water (as steam) reforming step (endothermic). Both these reactions often occur within the same component, known as an autothermal reformer, and herein as a primary reactor. The primary reactor typically yields a reformate gas comprising primarily of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. The carbon monoxide may then be further reacted with water in a water gas shift reactor and air in a preferential oxidation reactor to produce a reformate stream of sufficiently high quality for use in a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell. Output levels from the primary reactor directly impact all further downstream components. The optimum operating conditions for the primary reactor are dependent on the inlet temperature and steam to carbon ratio (S/C).
A general description of the primary reactor and water gas shift reactor, and the impact of water on their performance, are included below:
CxHy+O2+H2Oxe2x86x92H2+CO+CO2+H2O+CH4xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(1)
CO+H2O⇄CO2+H2xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(2)
CO+H2⇄CH4+H2Oxe2x80x83xe2x80x83(3)
As shown in equation (1), water is used as a source of oxygen (along with the air) for the incomplete oxidation of a hydrocarbon fuel. Water can also be found as a reactant and product in two secondary equilibrium reactions that can occur within the primary reactor. In the first of these secondary reactions (2), when water is used as a reactant (and is consumed within the reaction), decreasing its concentration (lowering the S/C ratio), will slow down the forward reaction, resulting in higher CO concentrations in the primary reactor exhaust. In the second of these secondary reactions (3), when water results as a product, decreasing its concentration (lowering the S/C ratio) will speed up the forward reaction resulting in higher methane (CH4) concentrations in the primary reactor exhaust. Higher methane concentrations can be attributed to losses in efficiency with respect to primary reactor operation.
In a downstream water gas shift reactor (WGSR), steam is used for oxidation of carbon monoxide (CO). Water is used as a source of oxygen for the complete oxidation of CO in the primary reactor exhaust which feeds the WGSR. For the forward reaction, water is used as a reactant. Decreasing its concentration (lowering the S/C ratio) will slow down the forward reaction resulting in higher CO concentrations in the WGSR exhaust. All CO that exits the WGSR is normally fed to a preferential oxidation reactor (PrOx) wherein any remaining CO is oxidized to form CO2. Any CO conversion in the PrOx is less efficient than in the WGSR because hydrogen is a product of CO oxidation in the WGSR, while hydrogen is consumed in the PrOx. Higher exiting CO concentrations can be attributed to losses in efficiency with respect to WGSR operation.
In order to increase efficiency, fuel processors often use heat generated within the process to heat other process streams. In many cases, steam can be generated and superheated by a number of different process streams within a fuel processor sub-system. During transient operations (i.e., where the power level is changing including startup and shutdown) an imbalance in the amount of heat needed with respect to the amount of heat available could be severe enough to create temporary deficiencies in the steam flow entering the primary reactor, where the initial breakdown of the fuel occurs. Steam deficiencies can cause disruptions in the expected product profile exiting the reactor which could further disrupt the balance of the system.
Superheated steam and air are together used to dissociate the raw fuel source in the primary reactor of a fuel processor to produce a reformate gas in a first step in producing the desired hydrogen output product. The steam is normally produced in a vaporizer. Normal variances in steam demand can be supplied by changing the water supply rate and/or heat input to the vaporizer. A deficiency exists, however, in that the vaporizer has a lag time between its steady state output of steam and its output following a system transient. This is due to the material and mass of the vaporizer, as well as its design efficiency of steam production for a given heat input.
During a transient event, the volume of steam in the primary reactor may lag the total volume necessary to maintain an optimum steam to carbon (S/C) ratio, due to a temporary heat imbalance between the existing and new operating levels, largely corresponding to the normal lag of the vaporizer. Accordingly, the vaporizer steam volume rate of change currently limits the rate of change of hydrogen production from the fuel processor during a transient. A method to enhance steam volume available in the primary reactor during transient and startup operation is therefore desirable.
A further system drawback exists during a startup phase. During this phase, system components must be preheated to normal operating temperature. Due to limits of heatup rate and total heat that can be withdrawn from a partially operating system, steam volume supplied by the vaporizer to the primary reactor may also be insufficient. An alternate source of water to supplement the steam for operation of the primary reactor is therefore desirable during the startup phase.
In addition to the above limitations, changing the volume of air supplied to the primary reactor produces differences in the reaction rate, and therefore the heat load developed by this exothermic (partial oxidation) reaction. Oxygen, normally provided by the air flow, is largely consumed in the initial or upstream stage of the primary reactor. Adjusting the air flow rate to the primary reactor at a time when steam volume in the primary reactor is reduced, or when the system is heating up, effects an oxygen to carbon (O/C) ratio. Up to an optimum point, increasing the air flow rate into the primary reactor can react an increased volume of fuel for a given volume of available steam. A method to control the air flow rate, separately or in concert with the steam (or liquid water) flow rate into the primary reactor, is therefore desirable during startup and transient operation of a fuel processor.
A method for managing the operation of a fuel processor to support transient, startup and semi-continuous operations is therefore desirable.
The above deficiencies and drawbacks are overcome by the method of the present invention. The preferred embodiment of the invention provides for injection of liquid water into the normal stream of steam entering the primary reactor of a fuel processor. Liquid water is injected into the steam supply line to overcome a temporary deficit of steam supplied by the vaporizer to the primary reactor. During up-power transients, the volume of steam entering the primary reactor may lag the total volume necessary. To correct the lag in total steam volume during this transient, and therefore to maintain a constant S/C ratio, liquid water from a local water source is injected directly into the steam supply line.
The primary reactor inlet steam temperature is usually in the superheated steam temperature range, and would therefore contain sufficient thermal energy to vaporize and superheat the anticipated volume of liquid water to be injected. The liquid water can be injected in a variety of forms, exemplary forms including water stream, water spray such as through an orifice, or as atomized particles. Liquid water injection provides instantaneous control of the steam volumetric flow, and thus control of the S/C ratio of the primary reactor during those times where steam deficits exist in the system.
In order to control the supplemental water flow rate, knowledge of the desired steam flow rate as well as the steam flow exiting the vaporizer is required. The desired steam flow rate is a constraint of the system in order to maintain a constant S/C ratio. The desired S/C ratio is based on the system design which takes into account many predetermined factors including system pressure, primary reactor operating temperature, water gas shift reactor sizing, fuel properties, humidification requirements, and others. Assuming the predetermined factors are given, the only input required to control the supplemental water flow is the steam flow exiting the vaporizer.
In the preferred version of the invention, a method of operating a primary reactor in a fuel processing system is provided, the method comprising the steps of generating a superheated steam stream; selectively injecting a water stream into said superheated steam stream to form a steam stream mixture; introducing said steam stream mixture to an inlet of a primary reactor; providing a hydrocarbon fuel stream to said inlet of said primary reactor; connecting an air stream to said inlet of said primary reactor; dissociating said steam stream, said fuel stream and said air stream in said primary reactor to form a hydrogen-containing reformate, wherein said water stream is selectively injected into said superheated steam stream based on an operating state of said primary reactor.
When liquid water is added to a stream containing vaporized or superheated water, the temperature of the stream will be lowered due to the sensible heat and latent heat of vaporization of the supplemental water. For a given S/C ratio, there exists a relationship between the inlet mixture temperature and the O/C ratio required to maintain optimum efficiency. Compensation for the inlet mixture temperature decrease can be made by increasing the air flow rate (increasing the O/C ratio) in the inlet flow stream to the primary reactor to maintain a constant outlet temperature. For a given S/C ratio, the outlet temperature has the largest influence over the equilibrium methane concentration exiting the primary reactor, and thus the efficiency.
In a further aspect of the present invention, during those times when steady or continuous liquid water injection is necessary to maintain a constant, or optimum S/C ratio, or a greater volume of liquid water is injected than the superheated flow of steam has the heat capacity to superheat, increasing the heat output of the primary reactor, by its exothermic reaction, can provide additional heat input in the primary reactor to replace heat lost by the continuous injection of relatively colder liquid water. In this aspect, the primary reactor heat load, and the O/C ratio can be controlled by adjusting the air flow rate to the primary reactor. Increasing the air flow rate increases the partial oxidation dissociation rate of the primary reactor, an exothermic reaction, thereby increasing the heat produced by the primary reactor, which can be used to superheat an increased steam volume and further improve reformate gas production.
In this further aspect of the invention, a method of operating a primary reactor in a fuel processing system over a semi-continuous time period to produce a hydrogen-containing reformate from a hydrocarbon fuel is provided, the method comprising the steps of supplying a first stream having a superheated steam to an inlet of the primary reactor; injecting a second stream having liquid water into said first stream; adding a third stream having a preheated fuel to the primary reactor inlet, for dissociation in the primary reactor; introducing a fourth stream having pressurized air to the primary reactor inlet; determining at least one threshold of liquid water volumetric flow above which an increased reaction heat of the primary reactor is required; and controlling a flow rate of the pressurized air to provide the increased reaction heat of the primary reactor.
In yet another aspect of the invention, a superheated air injection rate will be based on the inlet temperature of the primary reactor. Normally, a liquid water injection rate, provided to supplement a transient operation, will decrease gradually over time as the vaporizer heat lag diminishes. If measurement of the primary reactor inlet temperature indicates additional heat input in the primary reactor is required, superheated air can be added to the flowstream upstream of the primary reactor to increase the dissociation rate (an exothermic reaction) of the fuel source, thus increasing the heat load of the primary reactor.
In this aspect of the invention, a method of operating a primary reactor in a fuel processing system to produce a hydrogen containing reformate from a hydrocarbon fuel is provided, the method comprising the steps of supplying a first stream having a superheated steam to an inlet of the primary reactor; injecting a second stream having liquid water into said first stream, during a predetermined operating condition, to vaporize at least a majority of the liquid water in a liquid water/superheated steam mixture prior to the mixture reaching the primary reactor inlet; adding a third stream having a preheated fuel to the primary reactor inlet, for dissociation in the primary reactor; introducing a fourth stream having pressurized air to the primary reactor inlet; measuring an inlet temperature of the primary reactor; and controlling a net flow to the primary reactor, said net flow being a combination of the first, second, third and fourth streams to the primary reactor, based on the measured inlet temperature of the primary reactor.
Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

Primary reactor liquid water and air injection for improved management of a fuel processor


The present invention is a device, method(s) and system for detecting, processing, ranking, prioritizing and presenting potential flight hazards to the pilot and/or operator of an aircraft to improve the safety of flight and assist the pilot in recognizing potential hazards and hazardous conditions while not overwhelming the pilot with unimportant information or low risk hazards not currently germane to the safe and effective operation of the aircraft. In particular, the invention presents a novel and useful device, method(s), and system for determining the potential risks posed by an object(s) and condition(s) in the flight environment and ultimately prioritizing the information presented to the pilot. In certain embodiments, the invention calculates the potential for hazards and hazardous conditions that have not been directly detected but may be inferred to exist based on previous or current calculations or detected conditions and/or objects. In certain embodiments, the invention stores and/or shares the information it has gathered and/or processed for future use by the invention, use by other users of the invention, or use by other parties and for other purposes altogether.

It would be advantageous to have a device and/or system and/or method for warning the operator or pilot or system controlling an aircraft, whether said aircraft is manned or un-manned, of potential hazards in the aircraft's flight environment. Note that the terms operator, pilot and flight control system are used interchangeably in this document. More specifically, it would be desirable to sense potential hazards using real time or near real time sensors and process said data using a computing device to determine the type and/or characteristics of the object(s) that presents a potential hazard. Additionally, it would be desirable to programmatically evaluate and rank the hazards by risk based on several factors, which may include, but not intended to be a limitation, type, characteristics, material, movement, distance, vulnerability, aircraft movement, aircraft maneuverability, environmental conditions, etc. Additionally, in certain instances, it would be desirable to prioritize and/or present to the pilot/flight control system the most critical hazard(s) based on risk assessment. Additionally, in certain instances, it would be desirable to store the sensed and/or processed information and/or to share the sensed and/or processed information with other systems, whether on the aircraft or not, and/or other potential users of the information.

Aerospace hazard detection, recognition, prioritization and warning device, system and associated methods


An apparatus comprising: a memory and processing circuitry coupled to the memory, where the processing circuitry is configured to: associate with a master station, decode a trigger frame or a multi-user request-to-send (MU-RTS) frame from the master station, where the trigger frame or the MU-RTS frame comprises a first duration and a transmitter address, and respond to the trigger frame or the MU-RTS frame if a network allocation vector (NAV) is not set, or if the NAV is set and a saved transmission opportunity (TXOP) holder address for the NAV is the same as the transmitter address of the MU-RTS or trigger frame and the trigger frame or MU-RTS indicates the station is to respond.

Efficient use of the resources of a wireless local-area network (WLAN) is important to provide bandwidth and acceptable response times to the users of the WLAN. Moreover, wireless devices may need to operate with both newer protocols and with legacy device protocols, and may need to operate in range of more than one access point. Additionally, many wireless devices have limited battery power.

Determining a network allocation vector setting and a response to a multi-user transmission opportunity


Apparatus and methods for raising the orbit of a satellite having electric propulsion thrusters, an Earth sensor and an inertial reference sensor such as a gyro. A satellite positioning system generates orbital data and a profile generator generates an ideal electric orbit raising profile of the satellite. The ideal profile is one that the satellite must follow so that the perigee, apogee and inclination of the satellite can be adjusted simultaneously in a mass-efficient manner. A state machine processes the ideal profile and a true anomaly to generate a desired electric orbit raising profile. Steering apparatus generates signals that are used to control the attitude of the satellite to follow the desired profile. The desired profile places the satellite in an Earth-pointed attitude when the satellite is at a predefined point in the orbit, slews the satellite from the Earth-pointed attitude to an ideal orbit raising attitude, steers the satellite according to the ideal profile during orbit raising, and steers the satellite from the desired attitude to the Earth-pointed attitude.

The present invention relates generally to satellites and satellite orbit raising methods, and more particularly, to apparatus and methods for raising the orbit of a satellite using electric propulsion.
Prior art orbit raising techniques are generally known to those skilled in the satellite art. For example, exemplary orbit raising techniques are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,595,360 issued to Spitzer, entitled "Optimal Transfer Orbit Trajectory Using Electric Propulsion," U.S. Pat. No. 6,116,543, issued to Koppel, entitled "Method and a System for Putting a Space Vehicle into Orbit, Using Thrusters of High Specific Impulse," U.S. Pat. No. 6,543,723, issued to Oh, entitled "Electric Orbit Raising with Variable Thrust," and U.S. Pat. No. 7,113,851, issues to Gelon et al., entitled "Practical Orbit Raising System and Method for Geosynchronous Satellites."
The technique described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,595,360 attempts to first adjust the semi-major axis such that the orbit has a period equal to one sidereal day. This implies that the satellite's mean longitude does not change. Thereafter the eccentricity and inclination are adjusted until the desired GEO orbit is reached. This technique is suboptimal from a mass perspective, when compared to the invention disclosed herein. Furthermore, no strategy has been given as to how this method can be automated. Can this method be done effectively without a star tracker? What is the level of operator burden? The disclosed invention addresses these issues.
The technique described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,116,543 attempts to reach the desired orbit in at least a two stage process, when using electric propulsion. In the first stage, the apogee and perigee are adjusted by firing the thruster in a spiral trajectory, while minimizing the inclination. Thereafter in stage two, the apogee and perigee are adjusted independent of each other in a constant predetermined direction while also minimizing the inclination. This two step process is suboptimal when compared to the invention described herein. This technique also has operational challenges, with respect to spacecraft steering profile, power, telemetry monitoring, tracking, and commanding (TT&C) outages and autonomy, and may be of limited practical value.
The technique described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,543,723 requires variable thrust from Hall effect thrusters (SPTs). This patent addresses throttling the SPTs to operate at an optimum specific impulse levels. This patent details computing the optimum specific impulse for launching the satellite into orbit using chemical and electric propulsion devices. This patent addresses a slightly different aspect of Earth orbit raising (EOR) than does the invention described herein.
The technique described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,113,851 outlines a hybrid chemical and electric orbit raising method, and does not focus on the practicalities associated with carrying out such a task. It does not address how the electric orbit raising portion of the mission may be implemented with relative operational ease, nor does it address how such a scheme may be implemented without full 3-axis sensing, such as in the absence of a star tracker. It also does not address how momentum may be managed, without excessive use of chemical thrusters, when electric orbit raising is performed with only a single thruster. Furthermore no details pertaining to autonomy, such as those required during telemetry and command outages are provided. The invention disclosed herein addresses these practical details which are essential for a robust mission and its implementation.
It would be desirable to have apparatus and methods for raising the orbit of a satellite using electric propulsion that overcomes issues with previous techniques.

Satellite orbit raising using electric propulsion


A rigid structure for carrying and supporting an archery bow is disclosed herein. The structure comprises a gripping portion adjoined to an attachment portion or portions so as to form an open L-shape or closed U-shape and a means for connecting the attachment portion or portions to the riser on an archery bow. The structure is adapted to be secured by connecting means to a central region of the riser of an archery bow, such that when normally carried, the archery bow, on either side of the riser, is carried away from and downwardly from the riser. This positioning of the structure lowers the center of gravity below the store to permit the archery bow to maintain balance from side to side and end to end when being carried by an archer.

The present invention relates to a structure for carrying and supporting an archery bow, as well as adding additional structural integrity to the riser.
Handle devices to simplify carrying and holding an archery bow are already known in the art. However, many of these devices are unsatisfactory, in that they do not allow for the archery bow to be easily or efficiently carried by the archer since the handle is often positioned on the inside of the riser. This positioning of the handle causes the bow to be unbalanced when carried and can result in discomfort for the archer and shoulder fatigue, particularly when the bow must be carried for extended periods of time.
Another problem with handles that are positioned in this manner is that the string and power cables have a tendency to come into contact with the archer""s clothing and hands. As well as direct mount arrow quivers and/or high cable guards. This can be an additional source of discomfort to the archer and, over time, will often result in war of the bow finish. Additionally, as the sight and stabilizer are positioned toward the ground when the handle is attached to the inside of the riser, these components of the bow are prone to damage when obstructions are encountered while the bow is being carried by an archer. An example of such a device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,522,376 to Collingsworth, which teaches a handle for an archery bow, which is positioned on the inside of the bow riser.
Other devices have attempted to overcome these difficulties by positioning the handle on the other side of the riser. Examples of such a device are taught in U.S. Pat. No 4,457,287 to Babington, which discloses a universally mounted handle which acts as a handgrip for the archer when shooting an arrow and U.S. Pat. No. 3,834,368 to Geiger, which teaches a combination archery bow and sling shot having a hand grip. Although the handle devices taught in Babington and Geiger are somewhat more successful in preventing the strings of the bow from coming into contact with the hands and doing of the archer, these devices and other similar devices are still rather unsatisfactory, in that they do not permit the bow to remain in a balanced position while being carried by an archer. This is largely due to the fact that such handle devices are typically situated below other components of the bow. As a result, the side to side and end to end balance of the bow is unstable and easily disturbed when the bow is being carried.
A further difficulty with devices such as the ones disclosed in Babington, Collingsworth and Geiger lies in their inability to be used in conjunction with bows that have a low brace height and/or direct mount arrow quivers and/or high cable guard systems. This construction prevents the devices from being easily supported by mounting or hanging devices.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved structure for carrying and supporting an archery bow which will allow a bow to be transported in such a manner that the string and power cables will have minimal contact with the archers clothing and hands. It is a further objective of the present invention to provide a carrying and support structure for a bow which will reduce the amount of wear on the bow finish and protect other components attached to the bow, such as sights and stabilizers, from damage when obstructions are encountered. It is another object of the present invention to provide a structure for carrying and supporting an archer bow which is balanced so as to reduce discomfort to the archer when carrying the bow and help to prevent shoulder fatigue from occurring when the archer must carry the bow for extended periods of time. It is a further objective of the present invention to provide a structure for supporting and carrying an archery bow which can permit an archer to hang his or her bow on a tree branch, or other hanging device and secure the bow to a mounting deice on the ground or on a bench.
As an archery bow has a built in inherent weakness of the riser by design which is located at the grip (throat) it is a further objective of one embodiment of the present invention to alleviate this weakness by incorporating the invention into the riser during manufacturing. This embodiment will substantially contribute additional strength in this area.
These and other objectives are accomplished by providing a structure for carrying and supporting an archery bow, wherein the structure is equipped with a gripping portion which is adjoined to an attachment. A connecting means is provided to be connected to the riser of the archery bow. The form of the structure permits easy and efficient hanging of the bow and allows the bow to be supported within an ancillary mounting device. Additionally, when the structure is secured to the central region of the riser of an archery bow, such that when carried, the archery bow, on either side of the riser, is curved away from and downwardly from the riser and all other bow components rest below the structure, the center of gravity is lowered and the balance from side to side and end to end of the bow can be maintained in order to reduce any discomfort or arm and shoulder fatigue on the part of the archer.
In order to permit other instruments such as a broadhead wrench, a sling or an arrow rest to be attached to the structure and transported or kept with the bow, the structure is provided optionally with one or more apertures. The structure is also adapted to be adjustably attached to the riser of the archer bow by means of an elongated slot which can be angled according to the preference of the archer.


A feeding apparatus has a large turntable mounted rotatably on a tray and two paper cassettes installed on the turntable. The paper cassette are movable in a radial direction of rotation of the turntable. Carriage driving mechanisms for moving the paper cassettes are controlled to move the respective paper cassettes to positions closest to the axis of rotation of the turntable when rotating the turntable so that the space occupied by the paper cassettes is minimized. A 180-degree rotation mechanism for rotating the turntable is controlled to rotate the turntable after the respective paper cassettes are moved to the positions closest to the axis of rotation of the turntable, for interchanging the paper cassette on a feeding side and the paper cassette on a non-feeding side. This enables a reduction in the size of the apparatus, irrespective of the sizes and positions of the paper cassettes on the feeding side and non-feeding side.

For example, a copying machine incorporates a feeding apparatus that supplies paper onto which an image on a document is to be copied. There has been a great demand for paper feeding apparatuses that are capable of supplying paper of various sizes according to the size of a document to be copied and in response to requests for making enlarged and reduced copies.
The following are some examples of conventional paper feeding apparatuses of this type. An apparatus shown in FIGS. 50 and 51 is provided with a plurality of box-shaped paper cassettes 62 which are mounted around a rotatable supporting rod 61. In this feeding apparatus, it is arranged that the feeding direction and axial direction of the supporting rod 61 are parallel and that any of the paper cassettes 62 can be selectively placed in front of the feeding opening 64 of the main body 63 by rotating the supporting rod 61.
As for next example, as illustrated in FIGS. 52 and 53, an apparatus includes a rotatable circular plate 51 on which a plurality of paper guides 52 are mounted. The circular plate 51 and paper guides 52 form a plurality of paper trays 54 for storing paper 53. In this case, by rotating the circular plate 51, the paper 53 is supplied from the respective paper trays 54 to the main body of a copying machine.
Usually, in order to achieve an effective use of space, a paper feeding apparatus is installed, for example, under a copying machine. And to supply various types of paper, such paper feeding apparatuses of reduced heights are installed over a plurality of stages. However, in the case of the paper feeding apparatus shown in FIGS. 50 and 51, the paper cassettes 62 are attached to the supporting rod 61. Therefore, this feeding apparatus when installed under a copying machine prevents an effective use of space. In other words, if such a feeding apparatus is incorporated into a copying machine, it causes an increase in the size of the copying machine overall.
As for the paper feeding apparatus shown in FIGS. 52 and 53, it can be installed under a copying machine so as to achieve an effective use of space. However, the apparatus was developed without considering a decrease in the plane space occupied by the rotatable circular plate 51 during rotation. Thus, similar to the above case, incorporation of the apparatus into a copying machine results in an increase in the size of the copying machine.


A buried transistor particularly suitable for SOI technology, where the transistor is fabricated within a trench in a substrate and the resulting transistor incorporates completely isolated active areas. The resulting substrate has a decreased topography and there is no need for polysilicon (or other) plugs to connect to the transistor, unless desired. With this invention, better control is achieved in processing, particularly of gate length. The substrate having the buried transistor can be silicon oxide bonded to another substrate to form an SOI structure.

Integrated circuits are the key components in most modern electronic products and are interconnected micro-networks of semiconductor-based electrical components. Processing of such devices typically utilizes various techniques, such as layering, doping, masking, and etching, to build electrical components on a silicon substrate. The components are then interconnected (wired) together to define specific electric circuits, such as a computer processor or memory device. The main focus of progress for the future of integrated circuits is driven by the goals of reducing size, lowering power consumption, and increasing operating speed.
The standard technology used in the semiconductor industry for integrated circuitry has been CMOS technology. Silicon-on-insulator (SOI) differs from conventional CMOS fabrication technology by placing a transistor gate channel region over an insulator. The most common insulators used with this technique are silicon nitride and silicon oxide. With SOI technology, a gate area can have minimal capacitance; a measure of ability to store an electrical charge. Any medium that can conduct electricity has some degree of capacitance. Technically, a MOS transistor is regarded as a capacitive circuit. This implies that the MOS circuit must completely charge the capacitance to activate its switching capability. The process of discharging and recharging the transistor requires a relatively long amount of time in contrast to the time required to actually switch the voltage state of the transistor's conductive layer. SOI technology attempts to eliminate this capacitance, since a lower capacitance circuit allows faster transistor speeds.
In SOI technology, as with all other semiconductor technologies, there is always a desire to improve processing techniques to make fabrication less expensive, simpler, and faster. Another consistent desire is to increase the level of integration by making the devices smaller, denser, and more easily integrated.

Buried transistors for silicon on insulator technology


A control method for controlling a yaw angle γz and a roll angle γx of a vertical take-off aircraft comprising at least two drive groups arranged in opposite side regions of the aircraft so as to be spaced apart from a fuselage of the aircraft is presented. Each drive group comprises at least one first drive unit. The first drive unit is arranged so as to be spaced apart from the fuselage to pivot about a pivot angle α into a horizontal flight position and a vertical flight position.

Vertical take-off aircraft are used, inter alia, as drones and in the military field. These aircraft usually comprise two wings arranged on opposite sides of a fuselage, with two drive units being arranged so as to be pivotally mounted on each of the wings in supporting elements, such as gondolas, which are rigidly connected to the wings and are adapted to the intended purpose. Aircraft are also known in which there is no separate fuselage and the wings are formed by two half-wings that are symmetrical along the longitudinal axis, with two drive units being arranged so as to be pivotally mounted on each of the half-wings in supporting elements which are rigidly connected to the half-wings and are adapted to the intended purpose.
In addition, vertical take-off aircraft are known from the prior art in which the drive units are pivotally mounted directly on the wings, for example on a supporting structure extending within the wing. A vertical take-off aircraft of this type is described in WO 2014/016226 A1. In this vertical take-off aircraft, it is provided that, in the horizontal flight position, the first drive unit is arranged on the wing above the wing surface and the second drive unit is arranged on the wing below the wing surface, and that, in the vertical flight position, the first drive unit and the second drive unit are arranged in an approximately horizontal plane. In this way, in the vertical flight phase close to the ground, a uniform ground effect of the first and second drive unit is achieved, such that smoother flight behavior is achieved, in particular in the take-off and landing phase. In the horizontal flight position, the first drive unit and the second drive unit do not flow against one another, and therefore this does not bring about any loss of efficiency.
In order to control the yaw angle and roll angle, in particular of multicopters, control methods are known in which the desired yaw and roll is achieved by suitably actuating the drive units, which are not pivotable on multicopters. In this case, the power provided by the respective drive units is predetermined individually to each drive, in order to generate the yaw and roll by means of the differences in lift and torque that are generated in this way.
An orientation of the aircraft in three-dimensional space is usually described by the roll, pitch and yaw angles. In this case, the different angles describe rotational angles of the aircraft starting from a zero position which may, for example, correspond to the orientation of the aircraft when standing on the ground about a longitudinal, transverse and vertical axis of the aircraft.

Control method for controlling a yaw angle and a roll angle of a vertical take-off aircraft


A paper roll setting structure includes a paper roll receiving section (120), a setting shaft structure (130), and a receiving frame (140). The receiving frame (140) includes a shaft position guide (150). The shaft position guide (150) includes a pair of guide pieces (151) and a loading recess (152). The setting shaft structure (130) includes shaft portions (131) so as to rotatably support a paper roll (200). Viewing the positions of the pair of guide pieces (151) enables an operator to recognize the positions of the shaft portions (131). Using the loading recess (152) enables the operator to insert his/her finger in the paper roll receiving section (120) to a deep side (Z2) in a roll loading direction. As a result, the operator can easily and reliably load the roll (200).

Conventionally, as a form in which a paper roll is received in equipment, there are known a form in which a shaft member inserted through a core tube of the paper roll is supported by support portions of an apparatus main body formed separately from the shaft member, and a form in which structure for supporting the paper roll is provided to an open/close cover pivotably fixed to the apparatus main body.
However, in the former form, at the time of loading operation of the paper roll, it is necessary to perform at least two steps, that is, a step of inserting the shaft member through the core tube of the paper roll, and a step of fixing the shaft member to the support portions of the apparatus main body, and hence there has been a problem in that operability of the loading operation is poor. Further, in the latter form, the entire apparatus does not have a good weight balance under a state in which the paper roll is fitted to the open/close cover, and hence there has been a problem in that stability of the apparatus is more likely to be degraded at the time of the loading operation of the paper roll.
As a method of achieving both the operability of the loading operation and the stability of the apparatus at the time of the loading operation described above, there is known a method of loading the paper roll into the apparatus main body.
Conventionally, as an apparatus having structure for loading the paper roll, there is known a paper roll retaining apparatus including: a pair of guide members for guiding side surfaces of a paper roll, the pair of guide members respectively including guide surfaces which are arranged to be opposed to each other; retaining members for retaining the paper roll, the retaining members being provided respectively in holes of the pair of guide members; and biasing members each for biasing one of the retaining members toward another one of the retaining members so as to protrude the one of the retaining members from one of the guide surfaces (for example, see Patent Literature 1).


The present invention is an improved method for installing a liner to repair a pipeline. The method involves placing a flexible lining hose that is coated with a thermosetting resin into the pipeline. A quick setting resin is also applied to the interior walls of the pipeline wherein the resin has a high contrast pigment agent therein in order to facilitate identification of and reopening of the various service laterals. A calibration hose is introduced into the lining hose and pressurized fluid is injected therein. The fluid presses the lining hose against the interior surface of the pipeline and cures the first and second thermosetting resins. The curing of the resins bonds the lining hose to the pipeline to form a rigid monolithic composite structure having high mechanical strength.

The present invention relates generally to a method for repairing a pipeline, such as a sewer pipe, by installing a liner inside of the pipeline. More specifically, the present invention relates to a process wherein a curable resin system is applied to the inside walls of the pipeline in a two part process where a first resin is spun onto the pipeline wall and a second resin is coated onto a flexible fabric liner that is then installed into the pipeline.
Throughout developed parts of the world, there are numerous pipeline conduits that run underground in order to provide utility services to businesses and residences. These utilities include water lines, sewer pipes, storm water drains, and the like. Since these pipelines are installed underground, they are constantly subjected to numerous environmental pressured that cause the pipeline to deteriorate. For example, the pipeline may deteriorate due to ordinary aging, corrosive action of the fluids being transported in the line, environmental conditions such as groundwater exposure, or other reasons. Over time, all of the wear factors that impact on the pipeline result in holes, cracks, and other defects in the line that must be repaired in order to prevent fluid leakage problems.
In some instances, the concern is that foreign matter, which is initially part of the actual construction of the pipeline, may begin to flake off of the interior surfaces of the damaged pipeline and enter the fluid flow within the pipeline. For example, ductile iron piping has a clay liner surface that upon failure may allow rust to enter the fluid flow. Similarly, transite pipes that contain asbestos reinforcing fibers may release asbestos into the drinking water contained therein as the wall of the pipe begins to deteriorate. Finally, the potential exists for the introduction of substances that flow from the surrounding underground environment into the pipeline or for the water that is being carried through the pipeline conduit to flow outwardly through the cracks leading to a loss of water pressure and other problems.
The traditional approach to repairing the above-identified issues entailed digging up the effected pipeline and replacing it. Given the millions of miles of installed pipeline in the United States alone, this solution would be prohibitively expensive. Further, such pipelines are typically located beneath streets and right of ways where digging would create traffic flow problems and require extensive repaving of roadways as the replacement process was completed. In the case where transite pipelines must be repaired, an additional issue regarding the need to dispose of large quantities of asbestos waste must be addressed.
In an attempt to overcome many of these problems related to the traditional digging methods, a number of methods for renovating existing underground pipelines have been developed. Many of these methods employ the installation of a lining on the interior of the damaged pipeline using a lining hose and a calibration hose. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,714,095 (Müller) discloses a method of salvaging an underground sewer pipe with a lining hose and calibrating hose. The lining hose includes an inner layer, which is treated with a first resin, and an outer layer, which is not treated with a resin. The lining hose is placed into the pipe conduit. A surface region of a calibrating hose, which will contact the inner layer of the lining hose, is coated with a second resin. Then, the calibrating hose is introduced into the lining hose. The resins harden so that the lining hose becomes attached to contact surfaces of the calibration hose.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,770,562 (Müller) discloses another method of salvaging an underground pipe conduit. A lining hose having an inner layer that is saturated with a resin is used. The lining hose includes an outer layer, which is perforated to form flow-through openings for the resin of the inner layer. The lining hose is introduced into the pipe conduit. Then, the lining hose is shaped to conform to the pipe by introducing an auxiliary hose into the lining hose and injecting fluid into the auxiliary hose. The resins harden to form a lining structure in the pipeline. After the curing step, the auxiliary hose can be kept in the lining hose or it can be removed using ropes or cables.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,653,555 (Catallo) discloses a method of lining a pipe conduit using multiple curing resins. A lining hose, which is coated with a high-strength resin, is first positioned inside of the conduit. The lining hose is then expanded into contact with the inside surface of the conduit by inverting a calibration hose. The calibration hose has a layer of corrosion-resistant resin. The high-strength and corrosion-resistant resin layers are cured by the application of a heated fluid. The cured lining hose and calibration hose form a rigid self-supporting structure. The calibration hose is not removed from the liner.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,680,885 (Catallo) discloses a method of rehabilitating a damaged pipe conduit using a lining hose and calibration hose. The inner layer of the lining hose is soaked with an excess volume of resin. The calibration hose contains a resin-absorbent layer. The calibration hose is placed in the lining hose and inverted by the application of heated water. After inversion, the resin-absorbent layer of the calibration hose contacts and adheres to the resin-coated layer of the lining hose. Upon curing, the calibration hose becomes an integral part of the liner.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,706,861 (Wood) discloses a method of lining a section of a pipeline by a "cured in place" system using a lining tube and inflatable bladder. The lining tube is impregnated with a curable synthetic resin and carried into the pipe conduit on an annular inflatable bladder. The bladder is inflated and the lining tube is cured to the pipeline. Then, the bladder is peeled away from the cured lining tube and removed from the pipe conduit by ropes.
Although the above-described conventional methods may be somewhat effective in repairing pipelines, they still suffer from various problems. For example, problems arise concerning the inversion of a felt liner because it is relatively delicate and tends to break or rip during the inversion process. Also, pulling prior art liner tubes around corners is very difficult resulting in fractures in the sealing at such joints. Also, the pipeline joints found at corners and periodically along the length of the pipeline forms voids that cannot be completely filled by the prior art methods. Thus, the prior art methods can do nothing to improve the strength of the pipeline at its joints. Another difficulty is that once a liner has been installed, the identification of lateral supply pipe branches are difficult to identify and clear.
In view of the foregoing, there is a desire for a structural lining process that effectively seals all of the leaks and cracks within a pipeline. It is also desirable to provide a lining process that preserves structural integrity of the liners throughout the length of the pipeline, including tight bend and turn locations within the pipeline. It is also desirable to improve the adhesion between the lining hose inside of the pipeline and the interior walls of the pipeline to ensure integrity of the liner for a permanent installation that does not need periodic repair. It is also desirable to provide a lining system that enhances the installer's ability to identify and clear the various piping laterals along the pipeline system.


A method is provided for adding extended functions to a multiprocessor system, specifically, functions that may be called from programming running on a first processor and executed by a second processor. The function may have an argument that requires a large amount of argument data. Each extended function is associated with a special entry point command, which is in turn, associated with a communications routine that handles the transfer of the large argument data from the first processor to the second processor in bursts.

An important development in computer processing has been systems having more than one processor, each capable of independent action to execute applications programming. Different program tasks may be assigned to different processors, with the result that the execution time of the programming is substantially reduced. One approach to dividing tasks in a multiprocessor system is designating subprograms, which link into a main program running on a first processor, for execution by a second processor.
Where designated subprograms are to be executed by a second processor, a problem with implementing such a division of tasks is that the second processor needs certain information about the subprograms passed to it. Because of the difficulty in programming a solution to this problem, some multiprocessor systems have a second processor whose functions are fixed. The user cannot add new functions and is limited to the functions provided with the processor.
In other multiprocessor systems, a programmer may add functions, but must either create a support routine to permit the second processor to receive the function, or use a nonstandard format when defining the function. For this reason, regardless of whether the programmer wrote his or her own function definitions or obtained pre-written function definitions from another, substantial programming effort is required to ensure that the added function would operate in the multiprocessor system.
Thus, a need exists for a multiprocessor system in which functions are extensible. The programmer should not be limited to using only a set number of functions that the second processor is capable of understanding and should be able to add functions to be executed by the second processor with a minimum of programming effort.
One response to this need has been the use of a "generic entry point" method. A number of entry point commands are provided, each associated with certain characteristics of function arguments and return values, if any. Each entry point command invokes an associated communications routine that handles the transfer, from one processor system to another, of the particular argument format and return requirements of that entry point command. Typically, the communications routine uses a communications buffer accessible by both processors to transfer data. Yet, when the buffer has a fixed size, a need exists to handle situations in which the size of the argument data exceeds the size of the buffer.

First processor for dividing long argument data into packets and storing total packet count and packets in shared buffer for subsequent execution by second processor


Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are provided for optimizing user plane node selection process during a process of handing over user equipment between two communication networks. In one aspect, a method includes receiving, at a network component, a session creation request for handing over the user equipment, the user equipment having a current active communication session within a first communication network with a first node of the first communication network, the session creation request including an identifier of the first node; receiving, at the network component, a list of candidates to serve as a user plane serving gateway for the user equipment in the second communication network; and selecting, by the network component and based on at least the identifier of the first node, the first node from the list of candidates to serve as the user plane serving gateway for the user equipment in the second communication network.

3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) specifies interworking between 4th Generation (4G) communication networks and 5th Generation (5G) communication networks and also provides procedures in 5G Standalone (SA) architecture for enabling a 5G capable user equipment (UE) to handover from 5G New Radio (NR) to 4G Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (EUTRAN) and vice-versa.
When a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session is created on a 5G core for a UE, a User Plane Function (UPF) node is selected by a Session Management Function (SMF) to forward and process the data packets destined for and/or originating from the UE. During a handover of the UE from 5G to 4G EUTRAN, the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) node of the 5G network selects a 4G Mobility Management Entity (MME) node and initiates a context transfer to LTE core of the 4G EUTRAN network. As a part of this process, the MME node selects a Serving Gateway Control Plane (SGW-C) node and the SGW-C node in turn selects a Serving Gateway User Plane (SGW-U) node (in a Control and User Plane Separation of Evolved Packet Core nodes (CUPS) based LTE core). This SGW-C node then communicates with the Packet Gateway Control Plane (PGW-C) component of the SMF node to setup the LTE session.
Due to addition of SGW-U node in data path, the data to/from the UE in the 4G network now has one additional hop to travel (eNodeB→SGW-U→UPF→Data Network (DN) for uplink and DN→UPF→SGW-U→eNodeB for downlink). A typical user plane node can support functionalities of all SGW-U, PGW-U and UPF nodes. However in the currently defined 3GPP procedure for 5G to 4G handover, there is no mechanism for the SGW-C node to know whether the UPF node in the 5G core can also act as a SGW-U node in the 4G network for the UE. Also, SGW-C has no mechanism to know the identity of the UPF node selected by SMF node in 5G core. Hence, a SGW-C node, as of today, cannot guarantee selection of same user plane node to avoid the extra hop in data path as mentioned above. This lack of guarantee of the selection of the same user plane node as the SGW-U results in the above four-hop process, examples of which are visually depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2.
FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a four-hop process after a 5G to 4G handover of a UE. As noted above, the handover process currently specified by 3GPP does not guarantee that the same user plane node 102 used as the UPF node in the 5G network for UE 100 is again selected as the SGW-U for UE 100 when UE 100 is handed over to the 4G network (from the 5G plane to the 4G plane shown in FIG. 1). Instead, SGW-U 104 may have been selected. Therefore, any communication between UE 100 and DN 106 involves UE 100 communicating with eNB 108 (D1), eNB 108 communicating with the selected SGW-U 104 (D2), SGW-U 104 communicating with the old SGW-U+UPF/PGW-U node 102 (D3) and SGW-U+UPF/PGW-U node 102 communicating with DN 106 (D4). Therefore, a data path between UE 100 and DN 106 includes D1→D2→D3→D4.
FIG. 2 illustrates another example of a four-hop process after a 5G to 4G handover of a UE. Similar to FIG. 1, the handover process currently specified by 3GPP does not guarantee that the same user plane node 102 used as the UPF node in the 5G network for UE 100 is again selected as the SGW-U for UE 100 when handed over to the 4G network (from the 5G plane to the 4G plane shown in FIG. 1). Instead, SGW-U 200 may have been selected. Therefore, any communication between UE 100 and DN 106 involves UE 100 communicating with eNB 108 (D1), eNB 108 communicating with the selected SGW-U 200 (D2), SGW-U 200 communicating with the old SGW-U+UPF/PGW-U node 102 (D3) and SGW-U+UPF/PGW-U node 102 communicating with DN 106 (D4). Therefore, a data path between UE 100 and DN 106 includes D1→D2→D3→D4.
This four-hop process in the data path can also add to latency and may impact the low latency requirement for 5G applications.

User plane node selection optimization for handovers between 5G and 4G communication systems


A sliding element, particularly a piston ring for an internal combustion engine, includes a substrate, and a wear-protection layer, obtained by thermal spraying of a powder comprising the element proportions                2-50 percent by weight iron, FE;        5-60 percent by weight tungsten, W;        5-40 percent by weight chrome, Cr;        5-25 percent by weight nickel, Ni;        1-5 percent by weight molybdenum, Mo;        1-10 carbon, C and        0.1-2 percent by weight silicon, Si;and        a running-in layer, obtained by thermal spraying of a powder comprising the element proportions        60-95 percent by weight nickel;        5-40 percent by weight carbon.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a sliding element, particularly a piston ring, with adjustable properties, particularly in relation to wear behaviour, and also a method of producing it.
2. Related Art
Nowadays customer requirements in relation to wear behaviour on the piston ring and the cylinder barrel differ. On the one hand, the least possible wear is required, while on the other hand, engine manufacturers also need higher wear rates, in order to obtain what is from their point of view the best possible running-in performance for the "piston ring/cylinder liner" system. This is becoming an increasingly common problem in the 2-stroke engines sector (ring diameters >430 mm).
Iron-based coatings applied by means of thermal spraying are not yet used on the piston ring. Only iron-based coatings on the cylinder barrel have been known to date in the crank drive sector, said coatings being produced by means of electric arc wire spraying (EP 1 055 351 B2). The production of anti-wear layers by means of the thermal spraying process is a known method. The powder materials used for this currently are Mo, WC, NiCr and Cr3C2.

Sliding element having adjustable properties


A sheet folding apparatus for folding a sheet, includes a first transport path for guiding the sheet from a carry-in portion to a carrying-out portion without folding; a second transport path branching off from the first transport path for folding the sheet; folding rollers to fold the sheet; a driving motor; and a control device for controlling the driving motor. The folding rollers are disposed in between the carry-in roller and the carrying-out roller. The first transport path has a pinch roller and a guide cover for covering the folding. The guide cover shifts between an actuation position in which the sheet does not contact the folding rollers and a non-actuation position in which the sheet engages with the folding rollers. The control device controls the guide cover to shift to the actuation position with the pinch roller separated from a periphery of the one of the rollers.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a sheet folding apparatus for folding a sheet with an image formed thereon, and more particularly, to improve the transport mechanism for selectively performing folding processing on a sheet in a transport path for carrying the sheet from a carry-in portion to a carrying-out portion.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, this type of sheet folding apparatus has been known as an apparatus for folding a sheet with an image formed thereon by an image formation apparatus such as a printing press, printer apparatus and copier in a predetermined fold position to perform finish processing. For example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-018494 proposes an apparatus which is coupled to a sheet discharge outlet of an image formation apparatus, folds a sheet with an image formed for filing, and carries the sheet out to subsequent binding processing.
The sheet folding apparatus for thus folding an image-formed sheet in half or one-third to carryout is configured as an independent apparatus as a post-processing apparatus of the image formation apparatus, or as a unit incorporated into the image formation apparatus or binding processing apparatus. Then, as a folding form, for example, for filing, various folding forms such as ½ folding, ⅓ Z-folding and ⅓ letter-folding are known corresponding to the intended use.
Then, the folding apparatus which is thus coupled to or incorporated into the image formation apparatus, binding apparatus (finisher apparatus, bookbinding apparatus) or the like requires a path (sheet discharge path) for carrying a sheet that is fed to a carry-in entrance (portion) out to a carrying-out exit (portion) without performing the folding processing on the sheet and another path (folding processing path) for carrying a sheet to the carrying-out exit after performing the folding processing on the sheet. Therefore, in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-018494, the sheet discharge path is provided between a carry-in entrance and carrying-out exit formed in an apparatus housing, the folding processing path is disposed below the sheet discharge path, a sheet without undergoing the folding processing is fed to the carrying-out exit from the sheet discharge path, and a sheet to undergo the folding processing is guided to the folding processing path and fed to the carrying-out exit after undergoing the folding processing.
Japanese Patent Gazette No. 4144496 discloses a sheet processing apparatus provided with a similar sheet discharge path and folding processing path. Then, in the folding processing path are disposed folding rollers for performing first folding on a sheet and folding rollers for performing second folding on the first-folded sheet, and the sheet from the carry-in entrance is folded in ½ or ⅓.


A field emission device includes a substrate, a first electrode formed on the substrate in a predetermined pattern, a dielectric layer formed on the substrate to embed the first electrode, a second electrode formed on the dielectric layer in a predetermined pattern, a floating electrode spaced apart a predetermined distance from the second electrode, on the dielectric layer, and a conductive particle layer formed between the second electrode and the floating electrode to electrically connect the second electrode and the floating electrode.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a field emission device and an image display device using the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to find a substitute for the existing cathode ray tube (CRT), there has been vigorous research into development of flat panel displays, and the flat panel displays are being extensively developed to apply the same to a wall television and an image display for a high definition television (HDTV). Such flat panel displays include a liquid crystal device, a plasma display panel and a field emission device. Among those, much attention has been paid to the field emission device due to its brightness and low power consumption.
The conventional field emission device includes a cathode layer formed on a substrate in a predetermined pattern, microtips formed on the cathode layer, an insulation layer formed on the cathode layer to expose the microtips, and a gate electrode having an aperture exposing the microtips on the insulation layer.
If a predetermined voltage is applied between anodes (not shown) installed over the gate electrodes and microtips in a state where the microtips are grounded, electrons are emitted from the microtips. The field emission device has a short life because the microtips are susceptible to damage due to ion collision. Also, much electricity is consumed due to a high voltage for forming an electric field. A large amount of Joule heat is generated during electron emission, which may cause thermal deterioration of the device.
FIG. 1 illustrates an example of an image display device using a field emission device proposed for solving the problems of the conventional art.
As shown in FIG. 1, first and second electrodes 12 and 13 are formed to be spaced a predetermined distance apart from each other on the top surface of a rear substrate 11. Thin layers 14a and 14b formed of PdO are coated on the first and second electrodes 12 and 13, respectively. Also, a transparent front substrate 15 is coupled over the rear substrate 11 to form a free space for electron movement between the same and the rear substrate 11. A phosphor layer 16 and an accelerating electrode layer 17 are sequentially formed on the bottom surface of the front substrate 15.
In the operation of the field emission device 10 constructed as described above, a high voltage is applied to the accelerating electrode layer 17 and a predetermined voltage is applied to the first and second electrodes 12 and 13, so that electrons emitted between the thin layers 14a and 14b coated on the respective electrodes 12 and 13 are accelerated toward the accelerating electrode layer 17 to make the phosphor layer 16 luminesce.
However, the conventional field emission device has disadvantages in that it is difficult to maintain a small distance between thin layers 14a and 14b, for example to 10 nm, and there is a limit in selecting materials for forming thin layers and electrodes. Also, due to a complicated process for forming the thin layers, a large-screen image display device is difficult to fabricate.

Field emission device having floating electrode and conductive particle layer


A harvester thresher includes a chassis, a housing, a threshing mechanism operating in accordance with the principle of a tangential flow, straw shaking means, and a threshing and separating unit located after the straw shaking means in the housing including a rotor and a casing, the threshing and operating unit operating in accordance with the principle of an axial flow and formed as a separate unit which is supported in the housing exchangeably so that it can be exchanged by another structural unit.

The present invention relates generally to a harvester thresher. More particularly, it relates to such a harvester thresher which has a chassis, a housing, a threshing mechanism operating in accordance with the principle of a tangential flow and including a threshing drum and a threshing basket, straw shakers located after the threshing mechanism and provided with a return bottom and a sieve device underneath, and a threshing and separating device located after the straw shakers in the housing, composed of a rotor and a casing and operating in accordance with the principle of axial flow.
Harvester threshers of the above mentioned general type are known in the art. Such harvester threshers are disclosed in some proposals of the applicant. The existing harvester thresher of this type can be further improved as will be explained hereinbelow.


In the various aspects, a virtual machine operating at the machine layer may use power consumption models to partition object code into portions, identify the relative power efficiencies of the mobile device processors for the various code portions, and route the code portions to the mobile device processors that can perform the operations using the least amount of energy. A dynamic binary translator process may translate the object code portions into an instruction set language supported by the hardware component identified as being preferred. The code portions may be executed and the amount of power consumed may be measured, with the measurements used to generate and/or update performance and power consumption models.

Cellular and wireless communication technologies have seen explosive growth over the past several years. This growth has been fueled by better communications, hardware, larger networks and more reliable protocols. Wireless service providers are now able to offer their customers an ever-expanding array of features and services, and provide users with unprecedented levels of access to information, resources and communications. To keep pace with these service enhancements, mobile electronic devices (e.g., cellular phones, tablets, laptops, etc.) have become more powerful than ever. A single mobile device may now include multiple complex processors and system of chips (SOCs), which are commonly used to perform complex and power intensive operations without a wired connection to a power source. As a result, a mobile device's battery life and power consumption characteristics are becoming ever more important considerations for consumers of mobile devices.
Increased battery life maximizes the user's experience by allowing users to do more with a wireless device for longer periods of time. To maximize battery life, mobile devices typically attempt to optimize power consumption using dynamic voltage and frequency scaling techniques. These techniques allow programmable device resources/pipelines to run in a lower power and/or lower performance mode when non-critical applications or low load conditions are detected. For example, a mobile device may be configured to place one or more processors and/or resources in a low power state when idle. While these techniques may improve the overall battery performance, they require that device processors and/or resources be placed in an idle state and cannot improve the power consumption characteristics of individual applications or processes executing on the device. Optimizing applications to reduce the amount of power consumed by mobile device during execution will greatly enhance the user experience.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Power consumption optimized translation of object code partitioned for hardware component based on identified operations


A control circuit for a hydraulic actuator which allows the hydraulic actuator to be operated readily without much skill and at a suitable speed in accordance with a load applied thereto. The control circuit includes a change-over valve provided intermediately of a pilot pipe line communicating with a pilot oil chamber of a hydraulic change-over valve which belongs to one of a pair of hydraulic change-over valve sets of a hydraulic operating circuit for the hydraulic actuator. The change-over valve is normally urged to a position wherein the pilot oil chamber of the hydraulic change-over valve is communicated with a tank, but is changed over, when a hydraulic pressure higher than a predetermined value acts upon a pilot oil chamber of the change-over valve, to another position in which the pilot oil chamber of the hydraulic change-over valve is communicated with the pilot pipe line. A branch pipe line branches from a pipe line for discharge oil under pressure of a hydraulic pump provided for supplying oil under pressure to the other hydraulic change-over valve set and is connected to the pilot oil chamber of the change-over valve.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a control circuit for a hydraulic actuator wherein a pair of hydraulic change-over valves which individually are part of two hydraulic change-over valve sets are operated to cause oil under pressure obtained from them to join each other to operate the hydraulic actuator.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various methods have been conventionally employed for supplying the entire amounts of discharge pressure oil of two hydraulic pumps, in some cases, in a converging relationship to a single hydraulic actuator to raise the operating speed of the hydraulic actuator. Such methods include a method wherein discharge oil under pressure flows from two hydraulic pumps and are introduced to two independent sets of hydraulic change-over valves to change over two hydraulic change-over valves belonging to the individual hydraulic change-over valve sets at a time so as to obtain a converging oil under pressure flow by which a single hydraulic actuator is operated, or another method wherein discharge oil under pressure from a hydraulic pump which is supplied to one of two hydraulic change-over valve sets is supplied simulataneously to a hydraulic change-over valve belonging to the other hydraulic change-over valve set so as to obtain a large capacity to operate a hydraulic actuator with oil under pressure from the hydraulic change-over valve.
FIG. 2 is a hydraulic circuit diagram illustrating the former method where oil under pressure flows from two hydraulic cylinders for an arm of a hydraulic shovel join each other.
Referring to FIG. 2, the hydraulic circuit shown includes first and second hydraulic pumps 2 and 3 and a pilot pump 4 which are all driven by an engine 1 to draw working oil out of a tank 19 and each provide appropriate discharge oil under pressure by action of a relief valve. Thus, the first hydraulic pump 2 supplies discharge oil under pressure to a hydraulic change-over valve set A consisting of hydraulic change-over valves 8, 9, 10 and 11 for an actuator by way of a pipe line 5; the second hydraulic pump 3 supplies discharge oil under pressure to another hydraulic change-over valve set B consisting of hydraulic change-over valves 12, 13, 14 and 15 for operation of an actuator by way of another pipe line 6; and the pilot pump 4 supplies discharge oil under pressure pressure oil to an operation system including a pilot valve 16 by way of a further pipe line 7. If the pilot valve 16 is operated and consequently a pressure signal is generated simulataneously in pilot oil chambers of the hydraulic change-over valves 11 and 15, then the hydraulic change-over valves 11 and 15 are changed over so that discharge oil under pressure of the first hydraulic pump 2 now flows into the hydraulic change-over valve set A by way of the pipe line 5 and then further into a pipe line 20 or 21 by way of a changed over path of the hydraulic change-over valve 11 while discharge oil under pressure of the second hydraulic pump 3 flows into the hydraulic change-over valve set B by way of the pipe line 6 and then into a pipe line 22 or 23 by way of a changed over path of the hydraulic change-over valve 15. Here, the pipe lines 20 and 21 are connected intermediately thereof to the pipe lines 22 and 23 and then to a head side oil chamber and a rod side oil chamber of a hydraulic cylinder 17 for the arm of the hydraulic shovel, respectively. Accordingly, the discharge oil pressure of the first hydraulic pump 2 and the discharge oil under pressure of the second hydraulic pump 3 are added to each other to operate the hydraulic cylinder 17.
As should be understood, change-over valves 8 to 15 are directional control valves with a flow rate regulating function, and valve 8 is a control valve for a hydraulic motor serving as a running actuator. Valve 9 is a control valve for the joining of an actuator for a boom and valve 10 operates as a control valve for an actuator for the swinging motion. Valve 11 is a control valve for an actuator for an arm and valve 12 serves as a control valve for the joining of a hydraulic motor serving as a hydraulic actuator for running operation. Valve 13 is a control valve for the actuator for the boom while valve 14 operates as a control valve for an actuator for a bucket and valve 15 is a control valve for joining of the actuator for the arm.
The arm and the boom are required to have different operating speeds depending upon the kinds of excavating operations being performed. When a high speed is required, oil under pressure from the pump 2 and oil under pressure from the pump 3 are joined together and supplied to the actuators. In FIG. 2, only the actuator 17 for actuating the arm b is shown while the other actuators are omitted. As can be seen from FIG. 2, the change-over valve set B includes, on the upstream side of the control valve 15 for joining of the arm actuator, control valve 13 for the boom actuator and control valve 14 for the bucket actuator, and oil under pressure is supplied from the hydraulic pump 3 commonly to the control valves 13 and 14.
Control valves 11 and 15 are controlled simultaneously by a single signal from a remote control valve 16 of the pilot type.
In the case of operation as seen in FIG. 3, the load is low, but fine operational control is required. In particular, manual operations for moving the arm, boom and bucket simultaneously and slowly are required. Thus, if the pilot remote control valve 16 is manually operated to control the control valves 11 and 15 for the arm actuator to reduce the flow rate of pressurized oil to flow therethrough, then excessive pressurized oil will flow into the control valve 13 for the boom actuator and the control valve 14 for the bucket actuator located on the upstream side of the control valves 11 and 15, while wil change the operating speeds of the boom and the bucket so as to deteriorate or disable fine control of them.
When it is intended to perform an operation by use of the hydraulic cylinder of a converging hydraulic circuit as described above, for example, when it is intended to operate an arm b of such a hydraulic shovel as shown in FIG. 3 to perform a shaping operation of a vertical or inclined surface d or a light excavating operation such as leveling of the ground, an operation lever for operating the arm b must be operated in a delicate manner and at a speed conforming to a speed of movement of a boom a or a bucket c or a turning motion. Accordingly, operability is low, and much skill is required for operation.


The present invention provides: a method for producing a shaped product comprising octacalcium phosphate and having a volume of 2.0 mm3 or more, comprising immersing a precursor ceramic composition containing at least one of Ca and PO4 in composition, having a solubility in H2O higher than that of octacalcium phosphate, and having a volume greater than 2.0 mm3, in a solution containing a component which is not contained in the precursor ceramic composition, among the components Ca, PO4 and H2O, which are components of octacalcium phosphate to allow the precursor ceramic composition to react, thereby converting at least a part of the precursor ceramic composition into octacalcium phosphate; and the like.

Octacalcium phosphate (OCP) is a metastable phase of calcium phosphate preferentially crystallized from a solution thereof under a pH condition of 4 to 7, and is a precursor of an apatite. From the research so far, it has been known that this OCP is useful as a bone regeneration material, an organic molecule adsorbing material, and a catalyst supporting material (see Non Patent Literatures 1 to 3). Further, it is expected that, by imparting a porous structure to this material, bone regeneration reaction, organic molecule adsorption reaction and catalytic effect, all of which are reactions occurring via the surface of the material, are promoted.
OCP is not sinterable, and it is impossible to produce a shaped product with a complicated shape utilizing a curing process of the shaped product over the course of sintering. The known methods such as the drop method by LeGeros and the method using a three-way pipe by Suzuki et al. can produce OCP powder or granule, but the maximum size of OCP that can be formed is not more than 1.0 mm3 (see Patent Literature 1, and Non Patent Literatures 4 and 5).
This conventional OCP shaped product is produced via crystal growing process, and therefore, the granule size is the largest size it can be. When it is used as a bone regeneration material, it is necessary to embed a large number of granules to the bone defect part (see Non Patent Literature 6). Further, the size and shape of voids between granules formed at this moment is not necessarily the optimal shape for the application. Furthermore, there is also a risk that granules flow out due to factors such as blood flow and air flow.
In order to solve such problems, there is a need to make the size of the shaped product 2.0 mm3 or more.

Method for producing octacalcium phosphate shaped product


A paste-type cadmium electrode for use in an alkaline storage cell, comprising a conductive substrate, an active material layer mainly comprising cadmium oxide and formed on a surface of the conductive substrate, and a conductive layer or a nickel body formed on a surface of the active material layer.. The conductive layer either has therein powdered carbon and powdered alkali-resistant metal having a surface area of 0.001 to 0.5 m.sup.2 against 1 g of the active material; comprises powdered carbon, a binder and powdered alkali-resistant metal having an apparent density of 0.2 g/cc or less; or comprises a first conductive layer formed on a surface of the active material layer and comprising powdered alkali-resistant metal and a binder, and a second conductive layer formed on a surface of the first conductive layer and comprising powdered carbon and a binder.. The nickel body is dispersed on a surface of the active material layer, the nickel body comprising fiber-type nickel having an average fiber diameter of 1 .mu.m or less and/or powdered nickel having an average grain size of 1 .mu.m or less.

(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a paste-type cadmium electrode for use in an alkaline storage cell such as a nickel-cadmium cell and its manufacturing method.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
As a cadmium negative electrode for use in an alkaline storage cell like a nickel-cadmium storage cell, a paste-type cadmium non-sintered negative electrode is widely used in the industrial field because it is manufactured easily and at a low cost. This type of cadmium electrode is produced by, for example, kneading an active material such as powdered cadmium oxide or powdered cadmium hydroxide with a binding solution to form a paste, coating the paste on a conductive substrate and drying it. However, this type of cadmium electrode has a problem of low absorption of oxygen gas, and various proposals have been made to solve this problem.
For example, Japanese Patent Publication laid-open Nos. 60-216449 and 61-240576 have proposed forming a conductive layer comprising carbon or an alkali-resistant conductive substance such as nickel on a surface of a paste-type cadmium electrode plate. This method increases the conductivity of the surface of the cadmium electrode plate and promotes formation of metal cadmium on the surface, whereby heightening the oxygen gas absorbing ability of the electrode plate.
However, the above-attained oxygen gas absorbing ability is not enough, and moreover other problems occur when an alkali-resistant substance is used to form a conductive layer.
The reason why the above-attained absorbing ability is not enough will be explained hereinafter. When a conductive layer comprising powdered carbon is formed on the surface of the paste-type cadmium electrode plate, the metal cadmium formation is promoted on an interface between the conductive layer and the active material layer during charging, whereby the oxygen gas absorbing ability is improved. However, the metal cadmium formation is not promoted inside the conductive layer or on its surface, where metal cadmium and oxygen gas are most easily reacted with each other. Therefore, the cadmium electrode plate does not have enough oxygen gas absorbing ability.
When a conductive layer comprising an alkali-resistant substance such as powdered nickel is formed on the surface of the paste-type cadmium electrode plate, the metal cadmium formation is promoted inside and on the surface of the conductive layer during charging due to the high conductivity of the conductive substance. As a result, the oxygen gas absorbing ability of the electrode plate is further improved than when powdered carbon is used. However, this method involves other problems of promotion of hydrogen gas and dendrite generation and decrease of the cell storage characteristic.
Another proposal, which is a combination of the above two, is forming a conductive layer comprising a mixture of powdered carbon and a powdered alkali-resistant metal on the surface of the paste-type cadmium electrode plate. This method cannot solve the above problems either if powdered nickel only or the like is used as the powdered alkali-resistant metal.
Apparently from the above, it is indispensable to modify the conditions of the powdered alkali-resistant metal inside the conductive layer to solve the above problems while maintaining the oxygen gas absorbing ability.
Usually, the apparent density of a powdered alkali-resistant metal is 0.2 g/cc or more (0.5 g/cc in the case of carbonyl nickel). This means it is almost impossible to uniformly disperse the powdered alkali-resistant metal into a slurry comprising powdered carbon and a binder. Accordingly, it is also hardly possible that a conductive layer which is produced by coating the slurry on the surface of the electrode plate and drying it has the powdered alkali-resistant metal uniformly dispersed therein.
Moreover, such alkali-resistant metals as nickel and iron are low in hydrogen overvoltage than a compound such as cadmium oxide acting as an active material. Therefore, if the conductive layer has too high a conductivity, hydrogen gas may be generated on the liquid-solid interface during charging. This means the form and range of amount of nickel should be determined.
If powdered nickel is used as a powdered alkali-resistant metal, each nickel grain is contacted with the active material at a point. Since the metal cadmium produced during charging reaches the surface of the electrode plate, only the nickel existing on the surface of the electrode plate contributes to the improvement of conductivity. If too much nickel is added to utilize as much nickel as possible, the electrode plate has high enough a conductivity to generate hydrogen gas.
If the surface of the paste-type cadmium electrode plate is nickel-plated, the surface is covered with a nickel layer to result in promoting hydrogen gas generation and in preventing electrode reaction.
Adding a fiber-type metal to the conductive layer is effective in forming a network of metal cadmium on the surface of the paste-type cadmium electrode plate. However, since the fiber diameter of fiber-type nickel is as large as several to tens of several micron meters and so the fibers are poor in flexibility, the fibers are pierced into the separator and possibly occur shortcircuiting of the cell.
Usually in producing such a cadmium negative electrode plate, electrochemical formation for conducting reserve charging amount is eliminated and thus simplify the manufacturing procedure by mixing metal cadmium produced by reserve charging to the active material paste including cadmium oxide or the like. However, metal cadmium is low in utilization factor of the active material in general. Japanese Patent Publication laid-open No. 62-243254 has proposed using metal cadmium including indium in order to stimulate the reaction with metal cadmium. Even this method cannot increase the utilization factor enough while solving the above problems.

Paste-type cadmium electrode for use in an alkaline storage cell and its manufacturing method


Portable machine for doing stair climbing exercises which has a base movable between horizontal and upright positions, a wheel mounted on the base for rolling engagement with the floor when the base is in the upright position, a first step movable between an operative position beside the base and a storage position within the base, a second step surmounted on the base, and a post pivotally attached to the base for movement between a supporting position generally perpendicular to the base and a handle position generally parallel to the base.

1. Field of Invention
This invention pertains generally to exercise equipment and, more particularly, to a portable machine for doing stepping or stair climbing exercises.
2. Related Art
In recent years, stepping machines have been a popular way of exercising the lower body or legs and, at the same time, getting a cardiovascular workout. A number of different types of such machines have been provided, including relatively large upright machines having pedals mounted on arms connected to hydraulic cylinders or other resistance elements, with handrails to the sides and in front of the exerciser. In addition to being bulky and difficult to move about, such machines are complex and expensive.
Another type of stepper machine heretofore provided has a pair of pedal arms mounted on a base or frame which rests on the floor. Examples of such machines are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,232,420 and 5,230,674, the latter of which also folds up and serves as a baggage carrier. Such machines are more compact than the upright machines, but they are difficult to use since there are no handrails or other means to stabilize a person exercising on them.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,277,675 and 6,132,338 disclose resilient exercise boards which can be used for doing stepping exercises and a variety of other aerobic exercises. Those boards are light in weight, relatively inexpensive, and readily carried about. Other examples of portable step exercisers are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,176,596 and 5,697,870.


A fuel level gauge includes a measuring pipe configured as a riser pipe that has a fuel inlet opening at one end region defines a measuring distance. The fuel level gauge also includes a fuel level sensor associated with the measuring pipe and disposed the vicinity of the fuel inlet opening and having a measurement-sensitive sensor area for purposes of measuring the fuel filling height in the measuring pipe. A fuel-permeable, thin-walled enveloping element surrounding the measuring pipe tightly so as to seal it in a first area of the measuring pipe and enclosing a second area of the measuring pipe at a predefined distance over a large surface. The second area encompasses at least the fuel inlet opening and the measurement-sensitive area of the fuel level sensor, and forms a large-volume antechamber upstream from the fuel inlet opening in the second area between an inside of the enveloping element and an outside of the measuring pipe.

Fuel level gauges are used to determine the filling height in a fuel tank and from that, in turn, the filling volume of the tank. Such devices are known in a variety of configurations. Fuel level gauges, for instance, for vehicles, are relatively simple in design and have fuel level sensors, for example, in the form of simple float constructions or the like. However, fuel level gauges for applications in aviation are quite complex in design.
This is due to the fact that, among other things, it has to be possible to refuel aircraft—as a function of the type of aircraft and of the scope of its mission—under all kinds of different conditions, a process in which high requirements are made of the precision of the fuel level gauges. Hence, it has to be possible to carry out refueling on the ground, air-to-air refueling (so-called in-flight refueling by means of a tanker aircraft) or, in the case of a rotary-wing aircraft, even so-called hover-in-flight refueling. Hover-in-flight refueling can be done, for example, from a ship above which the rotary-wing aircraft is hovering. Refueling on the ground makes use of so-called gravity refueling, in which the fuel is pumped into the tank through the effect of gravity or at a very low pressure, and also makes use of so-called high-pressure refueling (referred to below in short as pressure refueling), in which the fuel is filled into the tank by means of a pressure refueling device at a pressure of approximately 2 to 10 bar. In-flight refueling and hover-in-flight refueling fundamentally call for the latter modality of refueling, that is to say, high-pressure refueling. The (pressure) refueling of an aircraft is a safety-critical procedure. For this reason, the refueling operation has to be continuously checked. Here, in particular, the current filling level, the filling volume and the filling weight of the tank have to be constantly monitored. This serves for controlling or regulating and monitoring the refueling operation itself as well as for determining and checking important flight-mechanical parameters such as, for example, the fuel weight resulting from the filled fuel volume and, in turn, the maximum permissible take-off weight and flying weight as well as the maximum attainable range and flying time of the aircraft in question. To this end, the (pressure) refueling device and the fuel level gauge can normally be coupled to a fuel management system that, especially on the basis of the measured data acquired by the fuel level gauge, performs the necessary calculations and, if applicable, forwards this data to an on-board computer of the aircraft or to additional control devices.
A prior-art fuel level gauge of an aircraft has a measuring pipe configured as a riser pipe that has a fuel inlet opening at one end and that defines a measuring distance, and it also has a fuel level sensor associated with the measuring pipe in order to measure the fuel filling height in the measuring pipe. Normally speaking, a capacitive sensor is used as the fuel level sensor. This sensor functions according to the following principle: depending on the filling height of the fuel in the measuring pipe and the related degree of wetting of the measuring pipe surface with the fuel, a change occurs in the capacitance that—as a measurable quantity—represents a measure of the fuel filling height in the tank.


The gas to be processed, flowing in through line 10, contains impurities. This gas is contacted in column C1 with a solvent flowing in through line 18. The scrubbed gas is discharged through line 19. The impurity-laden solvent recovered through line 12 is regenerated by expansion, then by distillation in column C2. The invention proposes carrying out expansion by means of two-phase turbines T1 and T2.

Processing of a gas, for example natural gas, synthesis gas, combustion gas, gas from integrated combined cycles, generally involves removal of impurities such as nitrogen (N2), ammonia (NH3), and acid compounds such as carbon dioxide (CO2), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), sulfur dioxide (SO2), COS, CS2 and mercaptans. These impurities are present in various proportions depending on the origin of the gas. In the case of natural gas, CO2 and H2S can be present as traces, some ppm, but they can also represent a quite significant proportion of the raw gas, up to 70% by volume. Other impurities such as COS, CS2 and mercaptans can also be encountered, generally a few thousand ppm.
According to the initial proportions of impurities in the gas to be processed, and also according to the specifications required for the processed gas, various scrubbing processes are used. The most commonly used processes use solvents. These solvents can be of physical or chemical nature. Solvents of physical nature are based on the preferred solubility of the impurities in the solvent, and are therefore favoured by the high partial pressures of the impurities in the gas to be processed. Solvents of chemical nature are ideally used to reach the strictest specifications for the processed gas, by chemical consumption of the species absorbed by reaction with an active agent contained in the absorption solvent. There are also solvents of hybrid nature consisting of a mixture of physical and chemical solvents so as to enjoy the advantages of these two solvents.
Whatever the origin of the gaseous effluent to be processed, the purification loop generally consists of an impurities collection stage using a solvent and of a solvent regeneration stage. The regeneration stage is conditioned by the nature of the solvent used. In the case of a solvent involving a chemical reaction, a thermal regeneration is generally used to obtain a sufficient solvent purity allowing the desired specifications to be reached. Thermal regeneration can be preceded by regeneration by expansion in order to limit the energy required for thermal regeneration. In the case of a solvent of hybrid or physical nature, regeneration is essentially carried out by expansion, possibly completed by a thermal regeneration stage.
The invention proposes improving the regeneration by expansion of a solvent by carrying out an expansion in a two-phase turbine.

Use of a two-phase turbine in a gas treating process