If an interturn short-circuit occurs in a stator coil winding of a permanent magnet excited electric machine, a short-circuit current is produced there that results in an electrically induced magnetic alternating flux which corresponds in its value to the permanent magnetic alternating flux flowing through the respective winding and which is opposite in phase. Such a sort-circuit current could lead to burn-off of the turn due to its considerable strength and the loss associated therewith. To prevent this, the invention suggests in case of detection of an interturn short-circuit, to entirely short-circuit at least the coil affected by the short-circuit or to apply thereto a corresponding in-phase current and to reduce the excessive short-circuit current in the individual turn or in the individual turn section by way of this overall short-circuit current in the coil. It is thus possible to prevent burn-off of the respective turn part.

The invention relates to a permanent magnet excited electric machine, comprising:
a rotor having one or more permanent magnets;
a stator having one or more coil windings; and
an electronic switching means for coupling current into the coils and/or for coupling out current from the coils.
Such machines are generally known. Usually, the rotor is the exciting part carrying permanent magnets, which is arranged in a predetermined position so as to be rotatable in relation to the stator. With the aid of the electronic switching means, energy is coupled into the coils, for example, from a direct voltage intermediate circuit so as to operate the machine as a motor. In the generator-mode of operation, the electrical energy generated in the individual coil windings by rotation of the rotor is coupled out via the electric switching means.
According to Faraday""s law of induction, a voltage is induced in the individual coil turns, and the sum of the individual turn voltages is present at the terminals of the coil windings.
If, with the machine running, a short circuit occurs in a turn or in or across several turns of a stator winding, the magnetic alternating flux flowing through the coil windings causes a short-circuit current in the shorted turn or turns.
In accordance with Lenz""s law, the short-circuit current has a strength according to which the permanent magnetic alternating flux is eliminated. The magnetic alternating flux induced by the short-circuit current thus has the same value as the alternating flux caused by the permanent magnets and is of opposite phase in relation to the latter.
The short-circuit currents flowing in one or more or across several short-circuited turns are in excess of the nominal coil currents by a multiple, and there are thus arising considerable thermal losses. As a rule, the stator windings then cannot be cooled sufficiently, thus causing burning off of the particular turn or turn portion in the stator winding.
It is the object of the invention to develop a permanent magnet excited electric machine of the type mentioned in such a manner that, in case of an interturn short-circuit, destruction of the turn or turn section affected by the short-circuit can be prevented.
In addition thereto, a method of operating a permanent magnet excited electric machine is to be indicated through which, in the event of an interturn short-circuit, destruction of the shorted turn is avoided.
To meet the object indicated hereinbefore, the electric machine according to the invention is provided with
a short-circuit detection means for detecting a short-circuit in one or more turns of a coil, and
a compensation means for effecting a compensation current flow in at least that coil that contains the short-circuited turn.
In a method of operating a permanent magnet excited electric machine having the features indicated at the outset, the invention provides for the following steps:
monitoring each coil so as to detect a possible interturn short-circuit in the coil, and
in the event of a short-circuit, effecting a compensation current flow in at least that coil that contains the short-circuited turn.
The invention is based on the finding that, in the event of an interturn short-circuit, it is indeed not possible to prevent the generation of a short-circuit current resulting in an electrically induced magnetic alternating flux corresponding in value to the permanent magnetic alternating flux, but that this short-circuit current may be distributed also to such turns that are not affected by the short-circuit, but are magnetically coupled with the turn affected by the short-circuit.
In an embodiment of the invention, upon detection of a short-circuit in a turn or a turn section of a coil winding, the coil concerned is short-circuited at the terminals thereof, so that a short-circuit current arises in the entire coil that results in an electrically induced magnetic alternating flux corresponding in its value to the permanent magnetic alternating flux and being of opposite phase relative to the same. Due to this process, the turn affected by the short-circuit is relieved. The short-circuit current of the affected turn is reduced considerably, so that the losses caused by the xe2x80x9cdistributedxe2x80x9d short-circuit current can be compensated by the coolants provided so as to thus prevent burn-off of the affected turn.
Especially with electric machines having a stator composed of individual coils that are linked to each other in weakly magnetic manner only, the short-circuit current flowing through the entire coil corresponds approximately to the maximum operating current flowing through the coil winding during normal operation. Thus, the cooling provided for the normal operating current is sufficient also in the event of an interturn short-circuit for compensating the thermal losses due to the short-circuit current flowing in the affected turn as well as the short-circuit current flowing in the remainder of the coil winding.
In the event of a short-circuit, the machine can be brought to a standstill either rapidly and in uncontrolled manner or slowly and in controlled mannerxe2x80x94depending on the particular application. In case of an electric machine with individual coils, it is possible in the event of an interturn short-circuit that the affected coil is short-circuited, but the remaining coils can be controlled as in normal operation, i.e. controlled deceleration of the motor can be achieved. However, it is also possible that one or more additional coils are short-circuited, up to the extreme case that all coils are short-circuited. In that event, extremely rapid stopping of the machine takes place which, however, is indeed tolerable in some cases.
The initiation of a compensation current flow, i.e. of a short-circuit current in the part of one or more coils not affected by the interturn short-circuit, can be realized in terms of circuit technology preferably by a switching means between the terminals of the coil winding. With the aid of a relay or a contactor, the short-circuit of the stator winding containing the turn part affected by the short-circuit then takes place. In this respect, it is particularly advantageous that the then flowing short-circuit current automatically has the correct phase with respect to the short-circuit current in the affected turn.
As an alternative to the switching means between the terminals of the coil winding or also as a supplementation of such a switching means, the compensation means may also be constituted by the electronic switching means that is present anyway and controls coupling in and coupling out of the currents into the coil winding and from the coil winding, respectively. The electric machine usually comprisesxe2x80x94both as motor and as generatorxe2x80x94an electronic control means that feeds the coil winding from a direct voltage intermediate circuit or couples energy from the coil winding into a direct voltage intermediate circuit at the appropriate time. In the event of a short-circuit, this electronic switching or control means then is set in particular to continuous current passage. The current flow in the electronic control means then corresponds approximately to the maximum nominal operating current in normal operation of the machine. If there is provided a separate switching means, e.g. a relay or contactor, for short-circuiting the stator, the control means is opened after closing of this switch for short-circuiting the stator winding.
If the compensation current flow is effected or initiated with the aid of the electronic control means, the latter may feed actively controlled current into the coil inflicted with the short-circuit, with the current direction then being set such that the current flows in-phase with respect to the short-circuit in the affected winding. The electronic switching or control means not belonging to the short-circuited coils, or also part of these means, then operate as if the machine were operating in the normal mode.
As mentioned hereinbefore, it is possible specifically with an electric machine with individual coils that one, several or all individual coils are short-circuited or have a compensation current applied thereto in case a coil is affected by an interturn short-circuit. The application of a compensation current to all coils results in deceleration of the machine with the highest possible braking moment. This may have to be tolerated or even be desired in some cases, but may lead to dangerous situations in other cases, for example when the electric machine is used as a drive for a vehicle. In that case, it is to be preferred to act only on the coil affected by the interturn short-circuitxe2x80x94and, if applicable, on one or several additional coilsxe2x80x94whereas the remaining coils of the machine are controlled so as to achieve controlled deceleration of the machine.
While the above statements relating to the invention and specific and preferred embodiments of the invention are concerned with the generation of compensation current flows in the event of an interturn short-circuit, the recognition or detection of an interturn short-circuit shall be discussed in more detail in the following. As short-circuit detection means, it is possible to provide e.g. a temperature sensor for each coil winding. Due to the fact that an interturn short-circuit leads to a short-circuit current with correspondingly rapid generation of dissipated heat, this dissipated heat can be utilized as indication for an interturn short-circuit. This measure in particular has the advantage that temperature sensors possibly may be provided anyway for the normal operation of the machine, i.e. that already existing temperature sensors may be used for recognizing or detecting interturn short-circuits. The output signals of the temperature sensors are detected by a short-circuit detector/compensation control and converted to control signals for causing short-circuit currents, e.g. by closing the afore-mentioned switches between the terminals of the coil windings or by through-control of the electronic switching valves belonging to the affected coil winding.
In a modified embodiment, the short-circuit detection means comprises an inductance measuring means for detecting the respective coil inductance. In the event of an interturn short-circuit, the current curve or flow in the connecting lines connected to the coil winding changes. With the aid of current sensors coupled to these lines, the current in the lines can be detected. By differentiating the current flow and comparing the derivative value for the current thus obtained with a threshold value, it is possible to ascertain current curve edges that have become steeper. Extremely steep edges in the current curve indicate a reduction of the coil inductancexe2x80x94which is due to an interturn short-circuit. The evaluation of the coil currents for detecting inductance losses in the individual coils may take place in a central short-circuit detector/compensation control, but preferably evaluation and short-circuit generation take place directly in the electronic control means of the coil concerned.
As already mentioned hereinbefore, particularly simple and uncomplicated compensation in case of interturn short-circuits can be achieved when the stator is composed of individual coils. The outputs of the coils may be electrically linked together and may be operated correspondingly by the electronic switching means. However, it is particularly preferred to use the invention in case of such machines in which the stator is composed of mutually independent individual coils. Each coil has a single-phase inverter separately associated therewith. The detection of short-circuits and initiation of compensation currents take place separately in the branch of the affected coil. This can take place either in completely independent manner of the remaining parts of the stator, or it is possible to provide for coordinated measures with the aid of a central means.

Permanent magnet induced electric machine and method for operating such a machine

Magnet-Motor Gesellschaft fur Magnetmotorische Technik MBH


A single step wet oxidation process for treating wastewaters containing organic species, with or without heteroatoms, and anions of strong acids, e.g. sulfate or phosphate ion, or cations of strong bases, e.g., sodium, potassium or calcium ions, and which may contain ammonium ion and/or nitrate ion in addition to added ammonium ion and/or nitrate ion was developed which on thermal treatment near the critical temperature of water removes substantially all the COD and nitrogen through conversion to water, carbon dioxide or carbonate species, nitrogen gas and small amounts of nitrous oxide. Key to the success of the process is the balancing of all reducing species with an equivalent amount of oxidizing species and the balancing of all strong acid anions with strong base cations. The former ensures good removal of organic species, ammonium ion and nitrate ion. The latter ensures maintaining the pH in the range of from 1.5 to 8 thus avoiding severe corrosion problems and regions of pH where rate of reaction of the oxidizing species with reducing species is slow.

Wet air oxidation is a well known treatment process for the removal of COD and BOD from industrial and municipal wastewater streams. The processes involve contacting a wastewater with an oxidizing source, such as oxygen, ammonium nitrate and nitric acid at elevated temperatures and pressures to oxidize pollutants. Most carbonaceous material is converted to carbon dioxide. The nitrogen present either from organo-nitrogen compounds or other sources are converted to nitrogen.
The following references illustrate wet oxidation processes:
Proesmans, Luan and Buelow of Los Alamos National Laboratory (Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 1997, 36 1559-1566) report on a high temperature and pressure (500.degree. C./345 bar) hydrothermal oxidation process to remove organic compounds from a waste stream using ammonium nitrate as the oxidizing agent. In the oxidation of methanol and phenol, the authors report that unless an excess of oxidizable carbon is present, NOx in the effluent may become a problem. To avoid NOx production and reduce carbon components to carbon dioxide, a polishing step using hydrogen peroxide is suggested.
GB 1,375,259 discloses the wet oxidation of carbon and nitrogen containing materials to gaseous reaction products using HNO3 and/or a nitrate as oxidizing agent, at temperatures of between 150.degree. C. and the critical temperature of water. The preferred oxidizing agent is NH4NO3, which disappears completely from the reaction medium. Example VII shows the treating of a waste stream of caprolactam, the sodium salt of aminocaproic acid and sodium sulfate with nitric acid at a temperature of 300.degree. C. at 15 bars. The patentees report that slow heating of the reaction mixture resulted in reduced corrosiveness of the reactant mixture.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,654,194 discloses the use of a noble metal catalyst supported on a titania carrier in a wet oxidation process to decompose ammonium nitrate at 250.degree. C. for 60 minutes. Approximately from 50-99% decomposition of both ammonium nitrate and nitrite is achieved without air present. Further examples show wet oxidation of phenol with 0.2 times the required amount of oxygen.
JP 60-98297, JP 61 257,292 and JP 61 257,291, discloses the catalytic wet oxidation of ammonium nitrate wastewaters with 1.0 to 1.5 times the stoichiometric oxygen required for ammonia decomposition, at a pH of 3-11.5 at a temperature from 100 to 370.degree. C. with a supported noble metal catalyst.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,118,447 discloses a process for the thermochemical nitrate destruction where an aqueous solution of nitrate or nitrite is contacted with a stoichiometric amount of formic acid or formate salt, depending upon the pH. Wet oxidation is effected by heating to 200 to 600.degree. C. in the liquid phase to form elemental nitrogen and carbon dioxide. The reaction may be carried out over a pH range of 0-14.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,221,486 discloses a denitrification process where the types of nitrogen compounds present in a waste stream are identified and quantified. The oxidized and reduced forms of nitrogen are balanced and, then, an appropriate nitrogen containing reactant, such as ammonia or a nitrite or nitrate compound, is added and the mixture is heated to 300 to 600.degree. C. under pressure to effect denitrification.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,641,413 discloses the two stage wet oxidation of wastewater containing a carbonaceous and nitrogen species. In the first stage the COD is removed by wet oxidation at a temperature of less than 373.degree. C. and a pressure sufficient to maintain a liquid water phase. The remaining nitrogen compounds are converted to nitrogen in the second stage by adding sufficient inorganic nitrogen-containing compound to the oxidized wastewater to produce essentially equal concentrations of ammonia-nitrogen, nitrite-nitrogen plus nitrate-nitrogen and a waste stream of reduced COD. Mineral acid is added to the oxidized wastewater to produce a pH between 4 and 7. Optionally, a transition metal salt is added, to catalyze a thermal denitrification step. The last step is conducted at 100.degree. to 300.degree. C. to decompose the nitrogen compounds.

Treatment of water containing organic wastes with ammonium nitrate


An uninterruptible power operating apparatus includes an energy storage element, a charging circuit, a DC/DC converting circuit, a first DC/AC converting circuit, a driving circuit and a switching element. The DC/DC converting circuit is electrically connected with the energy storage element to convert its first DC energy to a second DC energy. The first DC/AC converting circuit is electrically connected with the DC/DC converting circuit. The driving circuit is electrically connected between an AC power source and a load. The switching element is electrically connected between the DC/DC converting circuit and the driving circuit. When the AC power source outputs power normally, the switching element is turned off, and the driving circuit receives energy from AC power source. When the power outputted from the AC power source is interrupted or abnormal, the switching element is turned on, and the driving circuit receives the second DC energy through the switching element.

Most of the precise electronic instruments and equipment rely on high quality and stable power to maintain a normal operation. An uninterruptible power operating apparatus not only ensures the reliability of the power supply source, but also offers a high quality power waveform. Consequently, the uninterruptible power operating apparatus provides the best solution which ensures the reliability of power supply and supplies high quality electric power. For example, in case that the uninterruptible power operating apparatus is applied to an elevator, the elevator works stably and continuously when the utility power is interrupted or abnormal. The uninterruptible power operating apparatus ensures the safety of people.
FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an uninterruptible power operating apparatus according to a prior art. As shown in FIG. 1, two ends of the uninterruptible power operating apparatus 1 are electrically connected with a load L1 and an AC power source P1, respectively. The AC power source P1 is, for example, the utility power. The uninterruptible power operating apparatus 1 provides backup power to the load L1 for maintaining the operation of the load L1 when the power outputted from the AC power source P1 is interrupted or abnormal. The load L1 is, for example, an elevator. The uninterruptible power operating apparatus 1 includes a charging circuit 11, an energy storage element such as a rechargeable battery 12, a DC/DC converting circuit 13, a DC/AC converting circuit 14, a triple ends switch element 15 and a driving circuit 16. When the AC power source P1 outputs power normally, the charging circuit 11 converts the electric energy outputted from the AC power source P1 to the backup electric energy to be stored in the rechargeable battery 12. When the power outputted from the AC power source P1 is interrupted or abnormal, the backup electric energy stored in the rechargeable battery 12 is discharged and been converted by the DC/DC converting circuit 13 and the DC/AC converting circuit 14 in sequence. Consequently, an AC electric energy is converted and outputted by the DC/AC converting circuit 14. The triple ends switch element 15 is used to switch the paths according to the power supplying status of the AC power source P1. When the AC power source P1 outputs power normally, the triple ends switch element 15 is switched to be electrically connected between the AC power source P1 and the driving circuit 16 directly. When the power outputted from the AC power source P1 is interrupted or abnormal, the triple ends switch element 15 is switched to be electrically connected between the DC/AC converting circuit 14 and the driving circuit 16. Namely, according to the power supplying status of the AC power source P1, the driving circuit 16 selectively receives the electric energy outputted from the AC power source P1 or the AC electric energy outputted from the DC/AC converting circuit 14 through the triple ends switch element 15 so as to drive a motor L11 within the load L1.
However, when the power outputted from the AC power source P1 is interrupted or abnormal, the driving circuit 16 of the uninterruptible power operating apparatus 1 receives the AC electric energy outputted from the DC/AC converting circuit 14 by switching the triple ends switch element 15. At this stage, time delay occurs during the switching operation of the triple ends switch element 15, which results in that the driving circuit 16 fails to receive the AC electric energy outputted from the DC/AC converting circuit 14 by switching the triple ends switch element 15 immediately when the power outputted from the AC power source P1 is interrupted or abnormal. Under this circumstance, the driving circuit 16 drives the motor L11 within the load L1 by using the residual power energy. Therefore, the motor L11 within the load L1 decreases the efficiency or interrupts the operation at the moment when the power outputted from the AC power source P1 is interrupted or abnormal. Moreover, the backup electric energy stored in the rechargeable battery 12 of the uninterruptible power operating apparatus 1 is discharged and processed by the DC/DC converting circuit 13, the DC/AC converting circuit 14 and the driving circuit 16, and then provided to the motor L11 of the load L1. Hence, the operations of the three stage circuit including the DC/DC converting circuit 13, the DC/AC converting circuit 14 and the driving circuit 16 may cause energy loss during power conversion of the backup electric energy.
FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an uninterruptible power operating apparatus according to another prior art. As shown in FIG. 2, two ends of the uninterruptible power operating apparatus 2 are electrically connected with a load L2 and an AC power source P2, respectively. The AC power source P2 is, for example, the utility power. The uninterruptible power operating apparatus 2 provides backup power to the load L2 for maintaining the operation of the load L2 when the power outputted from the AC power source P2 is interrupted or abnormal. The load L2 is, for example, an elevator. The uninterruptible power operating apparatus 2 includes a charging circuit 21, an energy storage element such as a rechargeable battery 22, a DC/DC converting circuit 23, a DC/AC converting circuit 24, a first switch element 251, a second switch element 252, a triple ends switch element 253 and a driving circuit 26. When the AC power source P2 outputs power normally, the charging circuit 21 converts the electric energy outputted from the AC power source P2 to the backup electric energy to be stored in the rechargeable battery 22. When the power outputted from the AC power source P2 is interrupted or abnormal, the backup electric energy stored in the rechargeable battery 22 is discharged and converted by the DC/DC converting circuit 23 and the DC/AC converting circuit 24. Consequently, an AC electric energy is converted and outputted by the DC/AC converting circuit 24. The first switch element 251 and the second switch element 252 are turned on or turned off according to the power supplying status of the AC power source P2. When the AC power source P2 outputs power normally, the first switch element 251 is turned on to be electrically connected between the AC power source P2 and the driving circuit 26, and the second switch element 252 is turned off. Under this circumstance, the driving circuit 26 receives the electric energy outputted from the AC power source P2 through the first switch element 251 to drive the motor L21 within the load L2 directly. When the power outputted from the AC power source P2 is interrupted or abnormal, the second switch element 252 is turned on to be electrically connected between the rechargeable battery 22 and the driving circuit 26, and the first switch element 251 is turned off. Meanwhile, the backup electric energy stored in the rechargeable battery 22 is discharged and provided to the driving circuit 26. The voltage of the rechargeable battery 22 is relative low, so that the driving circuit 26 fails to operate or to work effectively by utilizing the low voltage backup electric energy discharged from the rechargeable battery 22. Hence, the driving circuit 26 needs to install an EPS (emergency power supply) port electrically connected with the DC/AC converting circuit 24. The EPS port receives the AC electric energy outputted by the DC/AC converting circuit 24 to drive the driving circuit 26, so that the driving circuit 26 receives and converts the backup electric energy discharged from the rechargeable battery 22 through the second switch element 252 to drive the motor L21 within the load L2. The triple ends switch element 253 includes a triple ends switch and is used to switch the paths according to the power supplying status of the AC power source P2. When the AC power source P2 outputs power normally, the triple ends switch element 253 is switched to be electrically connected between the AC power source P2 and the load L2 through the first switch element 251 turned on. When the power outputted from the AC power source P2 is interrupted or abnormal, the triple ends switch element 253 is switched to be electrically connected between the DC/AC converting circuit 24 and the load L2.
From above descriptions, the driving circuit 26 of the uninterruptible power operating apparatus 2 needs to employ the EPS port additionally. Hence, the uninterruptible power operating apparatus 2 costs higher. Moreover, because the voltage of the rechargeable battery 22 is relative low, the current conveyed through the wire, which is used to transfer the backup electric energy discharged from the rechargeable battery 22 to the driving circuit 26, is relative high. Hence, thicker wires are need, and the uninterruptible power operating apparatus 2 costs higher.
Therefore, there is a need of providing an uninterruptible power operating apparatus to obviate the drawbacks encountered from the prior arts.

Uninterruptible power operating apparatus


One example discloses a network system for managing a print job. The network system can comprise a printing system. The printing system can comprise a memory for storing computer executable instructions and a processing unit for accessing the memory and executing the computer executable instructions. The computer executable instructions can comprise a printer server to generate a print job for a printer based on a received print email message. The print job can be generated based on an email decoration in the print email message. The email decoration can include a request specifying printing parameters for the print job.

Cloud computing is location-independent computing, whereby shared servers provide resources, software, and data to computers and other devices on demand. The term "cloud" is used as a metaphor for the Internet, based on the cloud drawing often used to represent computer networks. Cloud computing describes a supplement, consumption, and delivery model for information technologies services based on the Internet, and can involves over-the-Internet provision of dynamically scalable and often virtualized resources. One key characteristic of cloud computing is that the computing is "in the cloud" e.g. the processing (and the related data) is not in a specified, known or static place(s). Details are abstracted from consumers, who no longer have need for expertise in, or control over, the technology infrastructure "in the cloud" that supports them. This is in contrast to a model in which the processing takes place in one or more specific servers that are known.
In some examples of cloud computing, one or more of the aforementioned resources can include a printer, which can be referred to as a cloud printer. In such a situation, nearly any computing device connected to the computing cloud can print to the cloud printer.

Systems and methods for managing a print job

HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.


This invention relates to an improved portable air pump and in particular to one that utilizes a compressing rod, a cylinder and a base to pump air in the object that requires air. By pressing the compressing rod down, air will be forced to flow through a one way valve into an air duct and blow out of an air outlet. The spring will return the compressing rod to its original position because of its elastic force. A force block shall cause the cylinder to move forward so that a squeezer may squeeze a rubber fixture to eliminate an air gap so that air will not flow toward other directions but air nozzle as desired.

Prior art air pumps may be generally placed into one of two categories, i.e. electrically operated air pumps, and manually operated air pumps. The subject improved compact air pump is directed to manually operated air pumps. In general, manual air pumps are in themselves categorized into two different types. In one type of prior art air pump the operator must have a foot stabilization member and the pumping of air is accomplished by compressively displacing air within an air cylinder using both hands and standing on the foot stabilizing member to maintain positional placement and stabilization of the air pump. In the other type of air pump known to Applicant, actuation is by foot displacement of the user. However, in both types of manual air pumps, such are direct themselves to a singular function. Further, air pumps of the prior art have specialized functions and may only be applicable to specific tasks such as air pumps for filling tennis balls and such pumps are not usable for other objectives and purposes.
The subject Patent Application is directed to an improved compact air pump which is multi-functional and portable.


An environmentally acceptable and effective method for thermal destruction of Spent Potliner (SPL) by Fluidized Bed Combustion (FBC) has been established. This method has overcome problems associated with ash agglomeration, ash leachate character and emission control, the primary obstacles for applying FBC to the disposal of SPL and like solid fuels. Specifically, "recipes" of appropriate additives (fuel blends) are proposed. A mixture of lignite, limestone and SPL in an appropriate proportion has proven to notably increase the agglomeration temperature of the ash, allowing this low-melting waste to be destroyed continuously by FBC. Ash leachate character is modified by control of ash chemistry to ensure that fluoride anions and metallic cations are at or below acceptable limits.

Sound management of Spent Potliner (waste from the production of primary aluminum by the electrolytic process known as the Hall-Heroult process) has been an issue of concern for governmental regulatory agencies and industry alike. Spent Potliner is known to be contaminated with large amounts of harzardous materials (cyanide and fluorine). Heating value for this waste varies from 3000 to 5000 BTU per pound. The quantity of Spent Potliner generated and discarded annually in the United States alone, has exceeded 200 thousand tons. In addition, over 1,200 thounsand tons are presently found in recoverable storage, awaiting a final destiny, and much more yet festering in landfills. Because of its high concentrations of fluorine and cyanide, Spent Potliner was recently listed as "hazardous" (EPA hazardous waste # K088, Sep. 13, 1988).
Several management alternatives to land-based disposal of Spent Potliner have been suggested. Among them, some are considered "disposal techniques" such as using Spent Potliner as a fluorspar substitute in iron-melting and steel making, or as fuel in cement manufacture or fluidized bed combustion. Others have "recovery techniques" such as recovery of cryolite, molten salt recovery of chemical and energy values, pyrohydrolysis, and pyrosulfolysis. However, the complexity, cost disposal of residuals, and engineering problems of most of these processes make them economically unacceptable. Accordingly, landfilling and stockpiling are still the only practical and feasible alternative.
The most promising solution to management of this waste stream is fluidized bed combustion. During the last decade, fluidized bed combustion has been widely adopted for burning high-sulfur fuel and has gained commercial acceptance for the disposal of a growing number of hazardous materials. The advantages of this process are well established: high turbulence and residence time of the waste in the combustion chamber allow complete combustion at a moderate temperature (850.degree. C).
A number of attempts at incinerating Spent Potliner by fluidized bed combustion have been made. However, those systems exhibited extreme operating difficulties primarily due to the formation of clinkers and agglomeration of the ash, off-gas (HF) emission control, ash-fluoride leachate control, and heavy metal leachate control. Agglomeration causes segregation and defluidization, consequently shutdown of the process. Emission and leachate control directly influence the short and long-term environmental consequences from the process and therefore the overall process feasibility.
Management of Spent Potliner has been subject to U.S. Pat. #2,858,198 published in Oct. 28, 1958. This invention involves recovery of fluorine from Spent Potliner by distillation. In that disclosure, coarse pieces of Spent Potliner are heated in a furnace to over 1000.degree. C. under sub-atmospheric pressure, thereby volatilizing fluorides. Processes involving fluidized beds have also been subject to many U.S. patents, e.g. combustion of sulfur-containing fuel by Pat. #4,103,646 and #4,579,070; recovery of sulfur from native ores by volatilization of the free sulfur from the ore (U.S. Pat. No. 3,102,792); desublimation of gaseous aluminum chloride to solid form (patents #3,930,800 and #4,334,898); sublimation of phosphoric acid anhydride (U.S. Pat. No. 3,077,382). None of these processes disclose an application of fluidized bed combustion technology to Spent Potliner, nor the introduction of property additives to control agglomeration. U.S. Pat. No. 4,763,585 does address the fluidized bed combustion of Spent Potliner. In that disclosure a physical coating is applied to the Spent Potliner in order to reduce the stickiness of the particle at operating temperatures. That is achieved exclusively by physical means by coating tacky particles with any of various inert fine powders to reduce the stickiness; almost any dirt will serve.
In the process revealed by this application, ash chemistry is regulated--with additive--for three purposes: 1. To chemically create a non-sticky compound, within and on the surface of Spent Potliner and ash particles, that does not display an adhesive tendency and form agglomerates. 2. To reduce to a minimum the leachate conscentration of fluoride anion and metal cations from ash samples removed from the process and subjected to standard leach procedures. 3. To minimize hydrogen fluoride emissions in-situ prior to subsequent off-gas treatment by chemically reacting HF out of the gas stream.
The primary cause of agglomerate formation while firing fuel blends that include Spent Potliner is due to the composition of Spent Potliner itself. Alkali-halide compounds in Spent Potliner--thought of as impurities--form a low-melting eutectic at fluidized bed combustion temperatures that behaves as a glue and causes a tendency for the ash to agglomerate.
In addition to the problem of agglomeration, control of both off-gas emissions and residual-ash leachate concentrations must be achieved to satisfy regulatory constraints.
A significant contribution to the art would be a complete systems-approach Spent Potliner management alternative, that would be a safe, economical, technically feasible, and an environmentally acceptable process. Such a process is provided by this invention.

Fluidized bed combustion of aluminum smelting waste


A modular arrangement for containing a heat exchanger module comprises a base frame and four vertical truss members slidably mounted to the base frame at one end of the members. Each vertical truss member is positioned a distance apart from another vertical truss member across the base frame to define a front, a back, and two sides. The heat exchanger unit is contained within the base frame and the vertical truss members. Intermediate tie steel is supported by the four vertical truss members. At least two different levels, each level having a junction fixed to each vertical truss member, are provided. A horizontal side truss member is rotatably attached to the junctions of adjacent vertical truss members and a diagonal truss member extends between and is removably attached to the junctions between adjacent levels. The base frame, the intermediate tie steel, the vertical truss members, and the heat exchanger unit contained therein define a module for transportation and assembly.

The present invention relates in general to heat exchangers and in particular to a new and useful modular arrangement for the shipment and assembly of heat exchanger units.
In recent years, Heat Recovery Steam Generators (HRSG's) have usually consisted of a vertically oriented heat exchanger comprising spirally-finned tubes located inside an externally supported box type structure. High temperature turbine exhaust gas passes through the box and over the tubes in order to recover the heat from the gas.
For economic reasons, it has been common practice to incorporate a modular type design which utilizes a shop fabricated and shop assembled heating surface arrangement. Larger HRSG's are generally two or more modules wide.
Known modular arrangements typically comprise a finned tube heating surface that is bundled complete with top and bottom headers. For ease of handling, these modular shop assembled packages are assembled with an integral shipping truss assembly built of commercially available structural steel shapes.
The finned tube heating surface is shipped in a horizontal position and rotated at the erection site to a vertical orientation. When in its final position, support for the heating surface is normally provided by base frame steel which comprises a part of the shipping truss assembly.
The known box type structure designs comprise internally insulated and lined casing panels which incorporate a cold casing design. These panels can be either a part of the shipping module or they can be installed after the HRSG pressure part modules have been placed in their final position. Column steel attached to these panels provides the overall strength and stability for the total HRSG structure by providing side to side as well as fore and aft restraint against potential loadings which could occur as a result of wind and seismic conditions.
After the modules are rotated into a vertical position and set side by side, the temporary shipping frames between the modules are removed and the pressure parts are left free-standing. Where the shipping steel has been removed, spaces or gas lanes are formed between adjacent modules and between the sidewall casing and the pressure parts. In order to maintain the boiler operating efficiency, it is necessary to block these lanes in order to force the gas through the spirally finned tubes of the heat exchanger by using plates which function as gas barriers.
Support attachments for these gas barriers on most known designs are limited to welds between the finned surface of the heat exchanger and the barrier plates. In addition, intermediate horizontal tie steel, which is used to restrain and support the module load during shipment and to prevent buckling and excessive vibrations during boiler operation, is often directly attached to the spirally finned surface by attachment welds.
However, a major problem exists in that by supporting loads through weld attachments made to the finned surface of the heat exchanger, there is not a high degree of reliability. Because the fins are typically thin (0.06 inches), it is difficult to obtain an effective strength weld attachment. Because the spirally finned tubes are either water or steam cooled, they expand thermally at a different rate than the barrier plates or tie steel which are exposed to the hot turbine exhaust gas. Thus, the rigid welded connections between the pressure parts and the tie or barrier steel are found to result in reduced flexibility at the weld attachment to the fin. This reduced flexibility has often led to attachment failure.

Modular arrangement for heat exchanger units


Synchronized access to a shared surface from multiple rendering contexts is provided. Only one rendering context is allowed to access a shared surface at a given time to read from and write to the surface. Other non-owning rendering contexts are prevented from accessing and rendering to the shared surface while the surface is currently owned by another rendering context. A non-owning rendering context makes an acquire call and waits for the surface to be released. When the currently owning rendering context finishes rendering to the shared surface, it release the surface. The rendering context that made the acquire call then acquires access and renders to the shared surface.

A variety of different graphics/presentation application programming interfaces (APIs) have been developed for handling tasks related to rendering graphics in computing systems. The graphics/presentation APIs generally facilitate the ability to render objects (e.g., triangles, polygons, etc.) for presentation. Each of the graphics/presentation APIs have different strengths and weaknesses relative to one another. For example, some graphics/presentation APIs may be optimized for rendering complex, three-dimensional graphics for gaming and other multimedia applications. However, such APIs may be very complex and not well-suited for rendering simpler graphics such as text. Alternatively, other graphics/presentation APIs may be simpler and optimized for rendering text but are not well-suited for handling more complex graphics. Given the available graphics/presentation APIs, when developing applications, application developers may wish to leverage the particular strengths of each graphics/presentation API depending on the type of graphics to be rendered for their applications.

Synchronizing queued data access between multiple GPU rendering contexts


The present invention discloses aliphatic polyester compound having highly branched structure for polyvinylchloride plasticizer and polyvinylchloride blend containing the same. Aliphatic polyester compound having highly branched structure for polyvinylchloride plasticizer according to the present invention is formed by self-condensation polymerization of monomer having one carboxy functional group and two hydroxy functional groups. Since such aliphatic polyester having highly branched structure has superior compatibility with polyvinylchloride and never flows out contrary to the conventional liquid plasticizer having low molecular weight of phthalate, etc., the problems such as the disturbance of endocrine system of human body and the destruction of ecosystem due to the efflux of plasticizer is not caused and since the same has superior efficiency of plasticization, it is possible to give polyvinylchloride sufficient flexibility.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a plasticizer of polyvinylchloride(PVC, hereinafter) and flexible PVC blend, and more particularly, aliphatic polyester having highly branched structure and flexible PVC blend containing the same, allowing to overcome problems such as the disturbance of endocrine system of human body and the destruction of ecosystem due to the efflux of plasticizer and having superior compatibility with polyvinylchloride and superior efficiency to plasticize, thereby giving polyvinylchloride sufficient flexibility.
(b) Description of the Related Art
PVC is a typical polymer widely used for manufacturing plumbing pipes, food packing material, goods for infants such as baby bottles and toys, fiber for textile, articles for interior decoration, receptacles for blood storage, etc. Such PVC has rigid property since the same has peculiar hierarchy structure inside molecule and microcrystallite functioning as physical crosslinks to allow the molecular movement to be restricted. Accordingly, flexibility should be given through the plasticization process to use PVC for the products requiring flexibility such as film for packing food. Flexible PVC is generally manufactured by adding plasticizer to PVC. Adding plasticizer improves the molecular movement of PVC to give flexibility to PVC.
There may be mentioned as plasticizer widely used for manufacturing flexible PVC, di[2-ethylhexyl]phthalate(DOP, hereinafter), dibutyl phthalate, dibenzyl phthalate, di[2-ethylhexyl] adipate, etc. They are all liquid plasticizer having low molecular weight. The reasons why such low molecular weight plasticizer has superior plasticization efficiency are as follows.
First, low molecular weight plasticizer accelerates the chain-end motion by increasing the number of end-group in a fixed volume to improve the molecular movement of PVC.
Second, low molecular weight plasticizer accelerates the main-chain motion by widening distance between the chains of PVC and deteriorating the interactivity therebetween to improve the molecular movement of PVC.
Third, the molecular movement of compound of PVC and plasticizer is improved since the chain of low molecular weight plasticizer is short to have good molecular movement.
By reason as described above, low molecular weight plasticizer is very useful for manufacturing flexible PVC. However, since low molecular weight plasticizer is liquid material, the same tends to volatilize into the air or to transfer to the outside through the contact with liquid or solid substance. When the plasticizer flowing out like this flows into the human""s body, the animal, or the plant, the same strikes a fatal blow by hindering the normal activity of the endocrine system, which is directly concerned with the life activity or stirring the abnormal reaction. For this reason, the related organizations and the environmental protection organizations of all the countries of the world specifies the most of low molecular weight plasticizers for PVC as hindrance material to the endocrine system(also known as environmental hormone) and restricts or permits only temporarily the use of them.
Accordingly, the researches to develop plasticizer for PVC to substitute the low molecular weight plasticizer and not to flow out are progressed. Such researches are mostly about plasticizer formed of linear polymer, which does not flow out from the PVC goods.
For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,385,974, there is disclosed PVC plasticizer formed of vinyl acetate, ethylene oxide, and caprolactone copolymer having 1,500xcx9c1,000,000 of molecular weight. When such linear polymer is used as plasticizer of PVC, the problem of efflux of plasticizer as in case of the low molecular weight plasticizer does not occur. However, since the number of end-group of linear polymer is small, the improvement of the molecular movement due to the accelaration of chain-end motion is impossible. In addition, since chain entanglement occurs because of the property of linear polymer, the molecular movement is restrained. Accordingly, the plasticization efficiency is not good enough and therefore, the required flexibility is not sufficiently given to PVC.
It is an object of the present invention is to overcome the above-mentioned problems and to provide aliphatic polyester compound for PVC plasticizer, having highly branched structure, allowing to overcome problems such as the disturbance of endocrine system and the destruction of ecosystem due to the efflux of plasticizer and having superior compatibility with PVC and superior efficiency to plasticize, thereby giving PVC sufficient flexibility.
To achieve the above object, the present invention provides aliphatic polyester compound having highly branched structure formed by the self-condensation polymerization of xcex1-carboxy-xcfx89-2,2-[bis(hydroxymethyl)propanoate]polyester indicated in following chemical formula 1.
In the above chemical formula 1, m is an integer of 3 to 15 and the degree of polymerization n is an integer of 5 to 100.
In addition, to achieve the above object, the present invention provides aliphatic polyester compound having highly branched structure formed by the self-condensation polymerization of 2,2-bis(xcfx89-hydroxy polyestermethyl)propionic acid indicated in following chemical formula 2.
In the above chemical formula 2, m is an integer of 3 to 15 and the degree of polymerization n is an integer of 5 to 100.
Aliphatic polyester compound having highly branched structure according to the present invention is formed by the self-condensation polymerization of monomer having one carboxy functional group and two hydroxy functional groups. Aliphatic polyester compound having highly branched structure according to the present invention has superior compatibility with PVC, does not flow out, and is not restrained in the molecular movement since the same has a large number of branches, so little chain entanglement occurs in comparison with linear polymer. In addition, since the inventive compound has a large number of terminal groups, the same has superior molecular movement. Further, since aliphatic polyester compound having highly branched structure according to the present invention has a three-dimensional semi-globular cubic molecular structure, the chain entanglement of PVC chain is prevented on blending with PVC, thereby improving the molecular movement of PVC. Accordingly, aliphatic polyester compound having highly branched structure according to the present invention gives PVC sufficient flexibility without flowing out.
Number average molecular weight of aliphatic polyester compound having highly branched structure according to the present invention is preferably 1,000xcx9c1,000,000.
It is another object of the present invention to provide flexible PVC blend harmless to humans, that can be used for manufacturing food and medical supplies packing material, goods for infants such as baby bottles and toys, receptacles for blood storage, etc.
To achieve another object, the present invention provides flexible PVC blend formed of 5xcx9c50 weight % of the aliphatic polyester compound having highly branched structure and 95xcx9c50 weight % of PVC.

Aliphatic polyester compounds having highly branched structure as a plasticizer of polyvinylchloride and flexible polyvinylchloride blend containing the same


A conveyed article sorting device is provided, which has: a conveyor which conveys articles; a track configured such that the articles conveyed by the conveyor can be transferred onto the track from the conveyor; and a rotary gate which can come into contact with the articles on the conveyor; wherein, when an article to be sampled is conveyed by the conveyor, the rotary gate moves the article to be sampled from the conveyor onto the track.

For example, when manufacturing pharmaceutical products or food products, such pharmaceutical products and food products may be freeze dried. Before a freeze dry process, the pharmaceutical products or the food products are put in containers such as vials. The containers, in which the pharmaceutical products or the food products are put, are halfway closed by caps, and are placed in a freeze dry oven. When the freeze dry process is completed, the containers are completely closed by caps in the freeze dry oven, and air in the containers is isolated from outside of the containers. Accordingly, cleanness in the containers is ensured. After the containers have been closed by caps, the containers are conveyed out of the freeze dry oven and are sent to the next process.
Typically, in the freeze dry oven, a number of containers are arranged in an arrayed pattern. Therefore, if temperature distribution and pressure distribution in the freeze dry oven are uneven, processing conditions for contents of the containers may fluctuate due to the arrangement in the freeze dry oven, so that the quality of the contents after the process may fluctuate. Therefore, there is a case where some containers containing a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, or the like instead of the contents such as pharmaceutical products or food products are placed in the freeze dry oven together with the containers containing such contents to monitor a temperature or a pressure during the freeze dry process. The containers thus containing the sensors or the like other than the contents are made recognizable by, for example, differentiating in color of the caps from a normal color.
Before the freeze dry process, the containers are inspected in terms of presence or absence of the caps, positions of the halfway closed caps, an amount of the contents, and the like. For example, containers with no cap, containers with the halfway closed caps at inadequate positions, and containers having an inadequate amount of content are eliminated so as not to proceed to the freeze dry process. After the freeze dry, the containers are inspected in terms of the presence or absence of the caps, the positions of the closed caps, the colors of the caps, a state of a freeze-dried cake, and so on. For example, containers with no cap, containers with the closed caps at inadequate positions, containers indicating that a sensor is placed therein for monitoring by the color of the cap, containers containing the freeze-dried cakes in states which do not meet a standard are eliminated from a manufacture line so as not to proceed to a next process. Such sorting may be effected by human, and by a device (for example, see Patent Literatures 1 and 2). There is also a case where containers are sampled at random for snap inspection.


A method of making a structure having an optimized sterical shape of a material 4 comprises the steps of forming a pre-form 1 of the structure of the material 4, setting geometric boundary conditions for the material 4 being in a state in which it is able to rearrange under the influence of internal tensions in the volume of the pre-form 1 so that the material rearranges itself into the structure in a self-organized way, and transferring the rearranged material 4 into a state in which the rearrangement of the material 4 is conserved.

A method of making a microstructure of a ceramic material is known from Weber, Tomandel, 1998: "Porous Al2O3 Ceramics with uniform Capillaries", cfi/Berichte DKG 075 (1998), p. 22-24. For producing structured components of a ceramic material, inter alia for actuator applications, a potential-based method is applied. The actuator components may, for example, be used as broad band high frequency transformers, the material being a PZT-ceramic. The method is based on the principle of an ionotropic formation of capillaries, in which uniformly distributed pore channels running in parallel to each other are formed in a ceramic matrix due to cross-linking of organic polymer brines comprising bivalent or trivalent metal cations. The common starting material of this method is a homogeneous mixture of PZT-suspension and alginalsol. The structured pre-shapes are dried after ion exchange and exchanging the water for solvent, and sintered afterwards. Starting from the wet gel up to the sintered structure a shrinking in volume of over 99% occurs. Presently, PZT-ceramic structures can be produced which have a diameter of about 2 mm and a height of 0.5 to 1 mm, the single capillaries having a diameter of about 10 μm. Although the diameter and density of the capillaries can be modified by varying the process parameters, their actual arrangement, however, is mainly based on a random process. With a random determination of the sterical shape of a structure, however, no high performance structures can be made, which have to have a sterical shape optimized for a particular application.
In the production of microstructures of ceramic materials according to classic ceramic methods, in which first a green body is made of a ceramic raw mixture and sintered afterwards, general problems occur in the formation of sterical microstructures with thin walls. The internal stresses due to shrinkage processes occurring upon sintering have the result that cracks readily occur in the area of thin walls. Thus, it is impossible to considerably get below a magnitude of 1 mm with the wall thickness of sterical structures. This applies, even if the volume shrinking upon sintering is reduced by an optimized ceramic raw mixture.
In the field of quality enhancing surface treatment, it is known to heat up an element made of a metallic material locally at its surface by means of a laser to such an extent that the melting temperature of the metal is exceeded. Thus, the metal can rearrange itself under the influence of its surface tension at the surface of the element, to form a smoothened surface. This smoothened surface is conserved upon cooling the material again below its melting temperature.
There is a need of a method of forming a structure having an optimized sterical shape from a material, in which the desired sterical shape is unerringly achieved and in which problems with inner tensions due to shrinkage of the material are avoided.

Method of making a structure having an optimized three-dimensional shape

Deutsches Zentrum fur Luft-und Raumfahrt E.V


An image forming apparatus and a color correction method, and a host apparatus to correct the color of an output image using the color correction method. The image forming apparatus can include a table correction unit to correct the color conversion table based on monitor information, and a color conversion unit to convert the input image into the output image using the corrected color conversion table. Accordingly, the color of a displayed image can match that of a print output regardless of the status of the display apparatus.

1. Field of the Invention
The present general inventive concept relates to an image forming apparatus and a color correcting method thereof, and a host apparatus to correct the color of an output image using the same, and more particularly, to an image forming apparatus to correct a color conversion table based on monitor information and a color correcting method thereof, and a host apparatus to correct the color of an output image using the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to print a red, green, blue (RGB) image, a printing apparatus requires a process of converting the RGB image into a cyan, magenta, yellow, black (CMYK) image. Most of the printing apparatuses use a pre-stored color conversion table to covert a RGB image into a CMYK image.
A user can check the color of a RGB image to be printed by viewing the RGB image displayed on a monitor. A conventional technique of converting a RGB image into a CMYK image uses a color conversion table, which is pre-stored for the purpose of converting standard RGB (sRGB), which is based on the characteristic of a cathode ray tube (CRT) monitor, into CMYK, and achieves correct color matching between the monitor and the printing apparatus. That is, in the case of a CRT monitor, a RGB image displayed on the CRT monitor matches a CMYK image output through the printing apparatus.
However, in recent years, a liquid crystal display (LCD) monitor is being used more than the CRT monitor. Therefore, when the conventional technique of converting a RGB image into a CMYK image is applied to the LCD monitor, correct color matching between the LCD monitor and the printing apparatus cannot be achieved.
FIG. 1 is a view illustrating a color gamut in the CIExy chromaticity coordinates according to a type of monitor.
Referring to FIG. 1, a monitor expressed by sRGB has the characteristic of a CRT monitor, which has a brightness of 80 cd/m2 and a white point chromaticity of a light source D65 (Daylight, 6,500K).
As illustrated in FIG. 1, the color gamut of a CRT monitor is different from that of a LCD monitor, such as a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) LCD 1, CCFL LCD 2, and a light emitting diode (LED) LCD. Also, the LCD monitors show different color gamuts depending on their types. This means that the CRT monitor and the LCD monitor displays different colors for the same image.
Since a conventional printing apparatus uses a color conversion table which is prepared to match the color with the color of the CRT monitor, the conventional printing apparatus cannot reproduce the color which matches the color of an image displayed on the LCD monitor when converting a RGB image into a CMYK image. That is, since the conventional printing apparatus uses a color conversion table for converting sRGB into CMYK, it cannot reproduce the color which matches the color of an image displayed on the LCD monitor.
Also, since the setting environment such as contrast, color temperature, and brightness of the monitor may be changed according to user's preference, a problem of mismatching between the RGB image displayed on the monitor and the CMYK image printed by the printing apparatus becomes more serious.

Image forming apparatus and color correcting method thereof, and host apparatus to correct the color of an output image using the same


Systems and methods for processing measurement data in an electric power system include acquiring the measurement data by a phasor measurement unit (PMU) coupled to a line of the electric power system, and inputting a plurality of the measurement data within a predetermined time window into a K-nearest neighbor (KNN) for identifying bad data among the plurality of the measurement data, wherein when one of the plurality of measurement data contains a bad datum, the machine learning module sends the bad datum to a denoising autoencoder module for correcting the bad datum, wherein the denoising autoencoder module outputs a corrected part corresponding to the bad datum, and when one of the plurality of measurement data contains no bad datum, the machine learning module bypasses the denoising autoencoder module and outputs the one of the plurality of measurement data as an untouched part.

The wide area measurement system (WAMS) based on phasor measurement units (PMUs) is widely recognized as one of the key enabling technologies of smart grids. With increasing deployment of PMUs and the resulting explosion in data volume, it becomes quite challenging to design an efficient communication and computing infrastructure to maintain system resilience against bad data and malicious attacks. Synchrophasor-based state estimation, linear state estimation (LSE) as an example, is a key application designed for such purpose (A G Phadke, J S Thorp, R F Nuqui, and M Zhou, "Recent developments in state estimation with phasor measurements" in 2009 IEEE/PES Power Systems Conference and Exposition, pages 1-7. IEEE, 2009). LSE yields high time-resolution estimations of system states in a non-iterative way by leveraging high reporting rate of PMUs (Arun G Phadke and John Samuel Thorp, "Synchronized phasor measurements and their applications", volume 1, Springer, 2008). However, these types of non-iterative methods, although fast, are unavoidably sensitive to bad data. Latest research reveals that certain types of bad data are even undetectable to state estimation (X. Wang, D. Shi, J. Wang, Z. Yu, and Z. Wang, "Online identification and data recovery for PMU data manipulation attack", IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid, 10(6):5889-5898, 2019, and S. Pal, B. Sikdar, and J. H. Chow, "Classification and detection of PMU data manipulation attacks using transmission line parameters", IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid, 9(5):5057-5066, 2018). The consequential estimation results can deviate from the actual states and lead to undesired responses to upper-level situational awareness and system control algorithms. Therefore, it is in great need to develop approaches that can identify and in the meantime recover bad data in synchrophasor measurements.
Recent years have witnessed an increasing number of reports on various PMU data quality issues. For instance, CAISO claims that the bad data ratio in their system can be as high as 17% (California-ISO. Five year synchrophasor plan, https://www.caiso.com/Documents/FiveYearSynchrophasorPlan.pdf, last accessed Sep. 18, 2019). In practice, bad data can be caused by malfunction of the PMU instrumentation channel, interference during the communication, or external malicious data attacks. Some of them can be easily identified through simple plausibility check, e.g., zero or negative voltage magnitude, measurements with several orders of difference in magnitude from expected values, etc. However, as their occurrences and patterns tend to be random in certain degree, most of them are not obvious and can be difficult to identify.
The exiting schemes of bad data detection and identification can be categorized into statistical approaches and feature-based ones (A. Monticelli, "Electric power system state estimation", Proceedings of the IEEE, 88(2):262-282, 2000). They can also be classified into pre-estimation and post-estimation filtering processes depending upon their positions in the state estimation chain. Most statistical methods deal with residuals of state estimation and therefore belong to the post-estimation filtering process (Jun Zhu and Ali Abur, "Bad data identification when using phasor measurements", IEEE Lausanne Power Tech, pages 1676-1681. IEEE, 2007). This type of methods require measurement redundancy and removes bad data in a recursive manner (B M Zhang, S Y Wang, and ND Xiang, "A linear recursive bad data identification method with real-time application to power system state estimation", IEEE transactions on power systems, 7(3):1378-1385, 1992). Authors of L. Vanfretti, J. H. Chow, S. Sarawgi, and B. Fardanesh, "A phasor-data-based state estimator incorporating phase bias correction", IEEE Transactions on Power Systems, 26(1):111-119, 2011 propose an approach for identifying and correcting bias errors in phase angle measurements using an iterative least squares approach. Papers, M. Zhou, V. A. Centeno, J. S. Thorp, and A. G. Phadke, "An alternative for including phasor measurements in state estimators", IEEE Transactions on Power Systems, 21(4):1930-1937, 2006, L. Zhang, A. Bose, A. Jampala, V. Madani, and J. Giri, "Design, testing, and implementation of a linear state estimator in a real power system" IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid, 8(4):1782-1789, 2017, and Aleksandar Jovicic and Gabriela Hug, "Linear state estimation and bad data detection for power systems with RTU and PMU measurements", 01 2020, present bad data identification algorithms by checking the normalized residuals using statistical tests, chi-square test as an example, within LSE using iterations. In general, statistical approaches suffer from two drawbacks. First, certain types of bad data, e.g., ones on critical measurements, are unidentifiable. Second, as the number of bad data grows, multiple iterations are needed which leads to increased computation time and undermines the non-iterative merit of LSE. Therefore, statistical methods alone are not enough to be used for online LSE considering their disadvantages.
A Kalman filter based pre-estimation approach is proposed in M. Pignati, L. Zanni, S. Sarri, R. Cherkaoui, J. Le Boudec, and M. Paolone, "A pre-estimation filtering process of bad data for linear power systems state estimators using PMUs", Power Systems Computation Conference, pages 1-8, 2014 for bad data identification by detecting abrupt changes among consecutive measurements. However, such methods depend on internal model assumption and can sometimes cause delay in real-time application. Feature-based methods originate from simple logical approaches based on observed patterns (Chulin Wan, Haoyong Chen, Manlan Guo, and Zipeng Liang, "Wrong data identification and correction for WAMs", IEEE PES Asia-Pacific Power and Energy Engineering Conference (APPEEC), pages 1903-1907. IEEE, 2016). The efficiency of such methods is generally higher than statistical ones, but the feature selection process heavily relies on human observation, which has limited capability in identifying random and complex patterns. Hui Li, "A method of bad data identification based on wavelet analysis in power system", IEEE International Conference on Computer Science and Automation Engineering (CSAE), volume 3, pages 146-150. IEEE, 2012 presents a wavelet transformation based approach which aims to relieve human efforts. Recognizing the low-rank feature of synchrophasors from adjacent channels. Mang Liao, Di Shi, Zhe Yu, Wendong Zhu, Zhiwei Wang, and Yingmeng Xiang, "Estimate the lost phasor measurement unit data using alternating direction multipliers method", IEEE/PES Transmission and Distribution Conference and Exposition (T&D), pages 1-9. IEEE, 2018 proposes a matrix recovering technique which can be utilized to identify and recover bad data. Authors in X. Deng, D. Bian, D. Shi, W. Yao, L. Wu, and Y. Liu, "Impact of low data quality on disturbance triangulation application using high-density PMU measurements" IEEE Access, 7:105054-105061, 2019 present a low-pass filter for removing spikes in the measurements, which is less effective for other types of bad data. The aforementioned methods either only work for bad data whose patterns are determined a priori or are too computationally intensive to be applied in real time to work with LSE.
As such, it is desired to develop approaches that can adaptively learn and identify patterns of bad data and then efficiently correct the bad data.

Systems and methods of bad data identification and recovery for electric power systems

Global Energy Interconnection Research Institute Co. Ltd

State Grid Jiangsu Electric Power Co., Ltd.

State Grid Shanxi Electric Power Company


Blocks with a casing composed of upper and lower parts are produced by inserting the upper and lower parts in an inserting device above and below pushing elements between upper and lower pressing dies of a press, displacing by the pushing elements the lower part in a chamber of a mold towards the lower pressing die and the upper part towards the upper pressing die with self-releasable holding on the latter, withdrawing the inserting device from a pressing region between the upper and lower pressing dies, and cyclically repeating these steps in synchronism with a working stroke of the press.

The present invention relates to a method of and an arrangement for manufacturing enclosed blocks. More particularly, it relates to a method of and an arrangement for manufacturing blocks having a casing assembled from upper and lower parts, wherein the lower part is inserted into a mold chamber, the mold is filled with a filling material to be pressed, the upper part is applied, and the block is subjected to pressure between upper and lower pressing dies that engage the upper and lower parts of the block casing.
The thus manufactured refractory blocks, in which the filling material is predominantly a ceramic mass, are used for lining converters in which steel is melted from crude iron, such as Bessemer or Thomas converters. It has been recognized in the Steel industry that the casing of the individual blocks significantly increases the service life of the converter lining composed of these blocks. In accordance with a known method of manufacturing, a blockmaking press is utilized, for example as described in the German Offenlegungsschrift No. 2,741,800; it has vertical upper and lower pressing dies arranged opposite one another, and a mold table that is axially movable relative to the pressing die and supports a mold with a mold chamber through which the pressing dies can move. During a working stroke of the press, in which the mold chamber is closed from below by an upper surface of the lower pressing die, the lower part of the block casing is inserted by hand into the mold chamber, then a filling slider which is downwardly open and contains the filling material displaces during a further working stroke to a region above an upper surface of the mold so that the filling material falls into the mold chamber, and finally the upper part of the block casing is placed by hand onto the filling material and compressed by simultaneous raising of the mold table and the lower pressing die. In connection with this, either the filling material is first somewhat compressed in the mold before application of the upper part of the block casing and only after this the upper part is applied by hand, or the lower surface of the upper pressing die is provided with a holding template in which the upper part can be inserted in a position suitable for its treatment. The thus pressed block is then released by upwardly displacing the lower pressing die so that its pressing surface is flush with the upper surface of the mold, and then removed from the pressing surface by hand.
The above described method utilizes manual labor and therefore is time-consuming and expensive. Moreover, the insertion of the parts of the block casing by a worker requires his high concentration to prevent accidents. The known method is not suitable for manufacturing the blocks in great volumes required by wear-reducing properties of these blocks.

Method of and arrangement for manufacturing enclosed blocks


A method is disclosed for inducing right ventricular (RV) adaptive remodeling in a patient suffering from pulmonary hypertension (PH) due to pressure overload comprising administering a therapeutically effective amount of a carditrophin-1 polypeptide, recombinant protein or a polynucleotide encoding CT-1 polypeptide or full-length protein.

Heart failure occurs when the heart is unable to pump sufficient blood to meet the body's needs. Until relatively recently, research and treatment has focused on left ventricular failure (or left heart failure). In fact, generally the term heart failure has been used when referring to left ventricle dysfunction and/or congestive heart failure. More recently the importance of the right ventricle in heart failure has been recognized; however treatments for right ventricular dysfunction are lacking.
The right ventricle (RV) is structurally different from the left ventricle (LV). For instance, the left ventricle is more muscular, being responsible for receiving oxygenated blood from the left atrium and pumping it through the aorta at relatively high pressures into the systemic circulation, supplying blood to all organs and tissues of the body. In contrast, the right ventricle receives deoxygenated venous blood from all organs and tissues of the body through the right atrium, and pumps the blood, representing the entire cardiac output, to a single organ—the lungs—at remarkably low pressures. In addition, the RV is derived from a different set of precursor cells, has a more complex 3D morphological shape, usually operates at much lower pressures (afterload), and has a distinct contraction pattern. Given the different structure of the right ventricle and that it operates under different hemodynamic conditions, it is not surprising that the RV responds differently to loading conditions, like chronically elevated pressure (afterload). Pressure overload refers to the pathological state of cardiac muscle resulting from having to contract while experiencing an excessive afterload (pressure). The most common causes of RV pressure overload are pulmonary valve stenosis and pulmonary hypertension (PH) from any cause.
Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is characterized by increases in pulmonary arterial pressure and therefore RV systolic pressure (RVSP), and has been classified into 5 groups (the WHO classification) as follows:                Group 1, pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH);        Group 2, PH due to left heart disease and elevated LV filling (venous) pressures;        Group 3, PH due to lung diseases and/or hypoxia;        Group 4, chronic thromboembolic PH; and        Group 5, PH with unclear multifactorial mechanisms.
Cardiac ventricular remodeling refers to changes in size, shape, structure, and physiology of the main pumping chambers of the heart. In response to increased ventricular afterload (myocardial wall tension during systole), individual cardiomyocytes increase in size (i.e. myocyte hypertrophy), the myocardium thickens (myocardial hypertrophy) to normalize ventricular wall tension (therefore afterload), thereby eliminating the initial stress and maintaining normal cardiac output to meet the systemic demands of the body. One aspect of ventricular remodeling, namely ventricular hypertrophy, relates to the thickening of the ventricular walls (pumping chambers) in the heart. These remodeling responses can be either physiological (adaptive/beneficial/compensatory) or pathological (maladaptive/harmful/adverse/noncompensatory) and are associated with distinct structural changes in heart (at the gross morphologic and cellular level), and differences at the molecular level in gene expression and signal transduction pathways.
Pathological (or maladaptive) cardiac remodeling is a progressive form of organ growth, whereby initial contractile improvements are rapidly curtailed by unrestrained enlargement of the myocardium proper. New sarcomeres are added in-parallel with existing sarcomeres (i.e. the cardiomyocytes thicken rather than lengthen) in response to chronic pressure overload. This type of remodeling is also termed concentric remodeling. Thus, the cardiac wall thickens and the chamber volume is initially maintained or reduced. However, the right ventricle cannot sustain long term pressure overload, and RV pathological cardiac remodeling is eventually characterized by an increase in the size of the RV chamber (RV dilation) and reduced contractile function.
Adaptive compensation or physiological cardiac remodeling is a beneficial form of myocardial growth, arising from a compensatory response to conditions that require increased blood volumes such as pregnancy and chronic aerobic exercise training. Dissimilar to pathologic remodeling, physiologic growth of the myocardium is characterized by enhanced cardiac function and modest increases in ventricle dimensions. If the precipitating stress is volume overload (as through aerobic exercise, which increases venous return to the heart through the action of the skeletal-muscle pump), the cardiac muscle responds by adding new sarcomeres in-series with existing sarcomeres (i.e. the cardiomyocytes lengthen more than thicken). This type of growth is also termed eccentric hypertrophy. An essential hallmark of physiologic hypertrophy that distinguishes this form of growth from pathologic hypertrophy is the reversibility of the cell growth, whereby the removal of the stimulus leads to a complete reversion of the adaptation.
Functional limitations and prognosis in PH (regardless of the Group) is determined largely by the degree to which the RV can adapt to increased RV pressure and afterload. If the RV can remodel in a compensatory manner and maintain its systolic function, then even severe PH can be well tolerated. However, if the RV is unable to adapt to increasing afterload, it will undergo noncompensatory remodeling characterized eventually by an increase in the size of the RV chamber (RV dilation) and reduced contractile function. In other words, a decrease in RV function will lead to a lack of oxygen perfusion as the pumping of blood to the lungs with its concurrent oxygenation will decrease (among other problems). This leads to clinical symptoms and signs of right heart failure (RVF or RHF), with progressive limitation in the ability of the right heart to accommodate increases in cardiac output (CO) during exercise (shortness of breath on exertion, SOBOE) and ultimately even at rest (NYHA class IV heart failure). Deteriorating RV function and dropping CO can also lead to a drop in the systemic arterial blood pressure during exercise that results in presyncope and syncope (fainting), a characteristic symptom of advanced PH, and ultimately death. In other words, a progressive right heart failure develops owing to the sustained RV pressure overload. The disease course has been characterized as consisting of an early, "compensated" stage associated with right heart physiological remodeling but normal RV diameter and function, followed by transition to a decompensated state (pathological remodeling) characterized by increasing RV dilatation and worsening contractile function. Therefore, survival of patients with PH is closely related to RV function. In fact RV failure is the cause of at least 70% of deaths attributable to PH.
Despite its importance, until recently the right heart has not received the same degree of research interest as other aspects of PH, and relatively little is known about the mechanisms of right ventricular failure in PH, or the prognostic implications of specific changes in right ventricular structure and function. Pathological right ventricular remodeling has significant prognostic and therapeutic implications to patients with PH. Unfortunately, the pharmacological therapies developed over the last 30 years for the treatment of left heart failure (e.g. congestive heart failure), are not effective in the treatment of RV failure. PAH therapies primarily target the pulmonary vascular abnormalities (primarily vasoconstriction and arterial remodeling), and none of these were designed to directly benefit the right ventricle (RV). In fact, medications for PAH that affect the pulmonary vasculature, may be detrimental to the right heart. Because a patient's functional state and prognosis are largely determined by performance of the RV, there is a need for a treatment for PH which improves the ability of the right ventricle to adapt to increased afterload. Thus, novel therapeutic approaches are urgently needed.
CT-1 expression has recently been associated with an array of cardiac pathologies including: hypertension, myocardial infarction, and heart failure (Jin et al. 1996 Cytokine 10:19-25, Calabro P. et al. 2009 J Mol Cell Cardiol. 46(2):142-8, Schillaci G. et al. 2013 J Hypertens 31 474-76, Lopez B. et al. 2014 Hypertension 63:483-89). Although these disease studies linked CT-1 to a pathologic outcome, the observations were associations rather than true cause and effect experimentation. Indeed, while some studies associate circulating CT-1 levels with cardiac pathologies, other studies could not confirm these findings (Zile M R et al. 2011 Circ Heart Fail 4:246-56).

Treatment of right ventricular dysfunction due to pressure overload


A method for simultaneously forming and filling a container by injecting a pressurized liquid in a preform. The method includes placing the preform in a mold and injecting the pressurized liquid into the preform such that the liquid expands the preform and urges the wall of the preform against the wall of the molding cavity forming the preform into a container and the container is filled with liquid. A swirl imparting element extends in the injection flow and imparts a swirl flow on the pressurized liquid such that the pressurized liquid applies a centrifugal force on the wall of the preform during forming and filling of the preform, thereby promoting a radial expansion of the preform in radial planes substantially perpendicular to the preform axis.

In the field known as "hydroforming", it is known to use a pressurized liquid injected inside a preform placed in a mold to shape a container according to the shape of the mold and fill said shaped container with the liquid at the same time. Advantageously, the injected liquid is the end product contained in the container, i.e. the product which is intended to be provided to a consumer using the container.
For allowing the deformation of the preform into a container, the preform is heated at a temperature greater than the glass transition temperature and lower than the crystallization temperature of the material of the preform such that the preform is placed in a malleable state and is able to expand up to the shape of the container to be produced.
In some application, the liquid injected in the preform is generally injected at a temperature lower than the glass transition temperature of the preform material. The temperature of the injected liquid is for example the ambient temperature, typically from 5° C. up to 50° C. while the glass transition temperature is for example over 75° C. for PET.
The preform is expanded in an axial direction, i.e. along the axis of the preform, and in radial planes, i.e. perpendicularly to the axial direction, according to a bi-orientation ratio, or stretch ratio, which is defined by the following equation:
  BOR  =            D      d        ×          L      l
Wherein BOR is the bi-orientation ratio, D is the mean diameter of the container to be produced, d is the mean diameter of the preform, L is the half developed length of the container to be produced and l is the half developed length of the preform.
In order to obtain a container having good mechanical and gas/liquid barrier properties and presenting a satisfactory shape, the bi-orientation ratio has to be optimized.
In a hydroforming process, the axial expansion of the preform can be assisted by a stretch rod arranged to elongate the preform along its axis, but the radial expansion is promoted only by the injected liquid and can be insufficient in some areas in the preform. The liquid is generally injected in the direction of the preform axis, generally a vertical axis, and reaches the bottom of the preform first. Consequently, the bottom part of the preform is first expanded and the expansion of the preform occurs from bottom to top the container. Since during the liquid injection, the expanding preform cools down, the upper part of the container can be insufficiently expanded at the end of the liquid injection.
In this case, the bi-orientation ratio is not optimized and the shape of the produced container is not satisfactory.
One of the aims of the invention is to improve the radial expansion of the preform in order to optimize the bi-orientation ratio and ensure a better forming of the container.
Far from the above problem of forming performance, document US 2013/0074979 describes an apparatus for filling bottles. The apparatus comprises a liquid valve, a swirl body and a probe determining the fill level of liquid inside the bottle during filling. The swirl body imparts a swirl such that the liquid filling material flows along the inner surface of the container, avoiding a premature wetting of the probe by the liquid filling material before the desired fill level is reached.

Method for forming and filling a container using a liquid having a swirl flow


A projection apparatus is provided. The projection apparatus includes a light-emitting unit array, an optical sensor, and a control unit. The light-emitting unit array is for emitting an image beam. The optical sensor is for detecting electromagnetic waves so as to generate a signal. The control unit is electrically coupled to the light-emitting unit array and the optical sensor for controlling emission of the light-emitting unit array according to the signal from the optical sensor.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a display apparatus, and more particularly to a projection apparatus.
2. Background
In recent years, light emitting diodes (LEDs) have gradually improved the light emitting efficiency and replaced fluorescent lamps and incandescent lamps in some fields, including highly responsive speed lamps for scanners, backlight sources or front light sources for liquid crystal displays (LCDs), light sources for instrument panel of automobiles, traffic signal lamps, light sources for projection devices and even ordinary illumination devices. The light emission of LEDs is typically cold light emission, rather than by heat or discharge, therefore LEDs often have relatively long operating lifetime of up to 100,000 hours, and with no idling time required. LEDs also have such advantages as faster responsive speed (about 10−9 sec), smaller size, lower power consumption, lower contamination, higher reliability, capability for mass production. Accordingly, LEDs are wildly used in many fields.
Typical LEDs are usually semiconductor devices using III-V compounds, such as GaP, GaAs. Since the III-V compound semiconductor materials of the LED have a characteristic of converting electricity into light, when a current is applied to the semiconductor materials, electrons therein would be combined with holes and release excessive energy in a form of light, thereby achieving an effect of luminosity. Besides, the basic structure of an LED device includes a P-type and an N-type epitaxial layer fabricated using a compound of the III-V semiconductors and a light emission layer sandwiched between the two epitaxial layers.
The light emitting efficiency of the aforesaid light emitting diode depends mainly on the quantum efficiency of the light emitting layer and the light extraction efficiency of the entire light emitting diode. The quantum efficiency of the light emitting layer mainly depends on the epitaxy quality and structure of the light emitting layer and the light extraction efficiency mainly depends on the effective utilization of the light produced by the light emission layer (active layer).
Accordingly, how to provide a LED having high light extraction and collimation and how to simply the fabricating process of LED in order to reduce costs of production become important issues in the current LED technology.

Imaging apparatus having an optical sensor

Industrial Technology Research Institute


A content processing apparatus is provided. The content processing apparatus includes an input unit which receives high resolution content, a data processor which generates a video frame by processing the high resolution content, and a controller which, if an output resolution of a display panel, which is to display the video frame, is lower than the resolution of the high resolution content, controls the data processor to form an object corresponding to the high resolution content as an object for low resolution and add the object for low resolution to the video frame.

1. Field
Methods and apparatuses consistent with exemplary embodiments relate to a content processing apparatus and a method thereof, and more particularly, to a content processing apparatus which processes high resolution content and displays an object considering an output resolution, and a method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the development of electronic technologies, various kinds of display apparatuses have been developed and distributed. Televisions (TVs) are examples of display apparatuses.
As the performance of the TV has been improved in recent years, the TV has been developed to the extent that it can display high quality content such as three dimensional (3D) content or high resolution content. In particular, the technology enabling the TV to display ultra high definition (UHD) content has been developed.
UHD content refers to content that has higher definition or resolution than that of full HD content. The number of pixels of UHD content approaches 4000 (4K) (3840×2160)−8000 (8K) levels (7680×4320). Since a screen resolution depends on the number of pixels, 4K UHD is four times clearer than the HD (1920×1080). 8K UHD is 16 times clearer than HD. Also, HD content has a refresh rate of 30 Hz, whereas the UHD has a refresh rate of 60 Hz. The refresh rate refers to the number of frames transmitted per second. That is, UHD content can transmit 60 images per second. Therefore, the user can enjoy a more natural and dynamic image.
Since high resolution content such as UHD content has many pixels, the high resolution content should be displayed on a display apparatus with a large screen. Also, in order to make a user enjoy a more realistic image, as many images as possible should come into a user's view. That is, many images should be seen from a user's wide viewing angle. The modern HD TV provides a viewing angle of 30°, whereas the UHD TV should provide a viewing angle of more than 30°.
Although image content manufacturing technologies have been developed as described above, the HD display apparatus is distributed more than the UHD display apparatus. In order to display high resolution content such as UHD content on a low resolution display apparatus, a video frame should be scaled down.
FIGS. 1 and 2 are views illustrating display states of a high resolution display apparatus and a low resolution display apparatus.
FIG. 1 illustrates UHD content which is displayed on a UHD display apparatus 10 and an HD display apparatus 20. An image frame of the UHD content comprises an object such as a subtitle 11. Since the UHD display apparatus 10 displays the UHD content of a normal size, the subtitle 11 is also large in size so that it can be recognized by a user. On the other hand, since the HD display apparatus 20 scales down the video frame of the UHD content and displays the UHD content, the subtitle 11 is also reduced in size in similar proportion. Specifically, the subtitle 11 is reduced by ¼. Therefore, it is difficult for the user to recognize the subtitle 11.
FIG. 2 illustrates UHD content which is displayed with an object such as a menu 12 being added to a video frame. The video frame may comprise various menus that can be selected to control the reproduction of the UHD content. The menu 12 is also reduced in size by ¼ on the HD display apparatus 20 and thus is difficult to recognize. Therefore, there is a problem in that it is difficult for the user to select the menu 12.
As described above, if high resolution content is reproduced by a low resolution display apparatus, there is a problem in that it is difficult to identify an object such as a subtitle or a menu.

Content processing apparatus for processing high resolution content and method thereof

Gangueung-wonju National University Industry Academy Cooperation Group