Dangerous, toxic, and/or radioactive volatiles are produced from nuclear fission, nuclear decay, and/or as a byproduct from vitrification of radioactive wastes. Such volatiles are treated during and after vitrification of the radioactive waste, to be converted into fixed-chemicals, that are retained in, on, and/or proximate to a cold-cap located vertically above vitrified melt. The cold-cap may have one or more volatile fixing additives (VFAs) for retaining the fixed-chemicals. The VFAs are located in and/or the cold-cap. The vitrification may occur within at least one human-made cavern. The human-made cavern may be located within a deep geologic rock formation. The deep geologic rock formation may be located at least 2,000 feet below a terrestrial surface of the Earth. The human-made cavern may be formed by first drilling a wellbore from the terrestrial surface to the deep geologic rock formation and then underreaming the wellbore into the deep geologic rock formation.

In the United States (U.S.) and other countries across the globe, the nuclear weapons production industry has left a massive and devastating legacy when the nuclear reactors were decommissioned. For example, the weapons manufacturing process left behind about 53 million U.S. gallons (or about 500,000 cubic meters [m3]) of high-level radioactive waste stored within 177 storage tanks. In addition, 25 million cubic feet (ft3) (or about 710,000 cubic meters [m3]) of solid radioactive waste and a resulting contamination zone covering several square miles of contaminated groundwater exists beneath the site. Much of this liquid waste has been leaking into the surrounding earth creating significant health and environmental problems. There is a tremendous safety and environmental need to store and/or dispose of such radioactive materials. Radioactive waste is generally categorized as high-level waste (HLW) or low-level waste (LLW).
In the past, radioactive and/or nuclear materials (such as waste materials) have been stored in barrels, individual capsular containers, as slurry material, in open pits and also within shallow mines which are very close to the surface of the Earth. In the past, it has been challenging, dangerous, and expensive to try to store radioactive and/or nuclear materials (such as waste materials) in underground cavern-like structures.
Many processes have been studied, proposed, and/or implemented in different forms to dispose of, get rid of, and/or contain these dangerous radioactive waste materials. For example, some form of vitrification has been tried in several countries.
Vitrification is a process in which a substance is transformed into a glass. Glass may be defined as a non-crystalline amorphous solid. Glass may also be defined in a broader sense to include solids that are amorphous in structure at the atomic scale and that exhibit a reversible change from a hard and relatively brittle state into a viscous or rubbery state when sufficiently heated. This reversible change point is defined as the glass transition point. Vitrification is usually achieved by heating materials to a liquid state, then cooling the liquid, often rapidly, so that it passes through the glass transition to form a glassy solid.
In practice, vitrification involves melting of waste materials with glass-forming additives, often called "frit," so that the final vitreous product incorporates the waste contaminants macroscopically and microscopically. The vitrified glass material is often referred to as "melt" during the glass-forming process. In the macroscopic glass form, the waste material may be considered encapsulated while in a microscopic form such that the waste forms an integral structural part of the glass material.
The vitrification process may be implemented in two ways: by either a continuous feed operation in which the feed (waste) is introduced in a continuous or momentarily intermittent stream into the melter or by a batch type operation in which measured quanta (volumes/amounts) of waste or feed are introduced into a melter system and melted or vitrified over a period of time. The batch process may be repeated several times. In some embodiments herein the batch type system is contemplated. In the vitrification heating process, complex chemical reactions may occur and gases and other volatiles may be evolved during the chemical interactions between various constituents of the feed material. Some of the volatile products and gases may be dangerously radioactive and long lived with half-lives lasting tens of thousands of years. There is therefore a need to capture or keep these volatiles isolated and controllably removed from entering the environment. In the vitrification process after heating is established, a cold cap which consists of a finite layer of reacting material floating on the surface of the molten material at the top of the vitrification vessel or melter, is initiated and later becomes functional and fully developed. During the continued vitrification process this floating reaction zone or the "cold cap" by virtue of its temperature distribution and physical characteristics and foaming action occurring therein, may allow for complex reactions to occur in which the dangerous or radioactive volatiles which may be produced during the vitrification process may be modified by chemical interactions with chemical reagents which may be introduced into or added to the cold cap zone. The thickness of the cold cap region may vary depending on the ratio of the rate of heat flux generation from the melt zone and the heat loss above the cold cap. Published data indicates that the cold cap thickness may be between at least 2 cm to more than 15 cm depending on the heat generation rates in the melt. It is within this cold cap zone that the necessary reactions which provide the means to manage the volatile materials and products may be implemented by the embodiments taught by this patent application.
Glass has many physical and chemical properties and attributes that make such glass suitable and/or desirable for use in waste disposal, such as, being reliable in immobilizing the waste, being safe for long-term storage, being safer for handling and/or transportation operations. Glass is amorphous. Glass has been shown to be generally insensitive to the effects of radiation and radioactive decay. The finished glass material can chemically and physically incorporate many waste elements and products over wide composition ranges. The basic glassmaking process has been practiced for millennia, it is relatively simple and offers a means for waste disposal in radioactive operations in which massive volumes of HLW, LLW, and/or other dangerous wastes need to be safely disposed. The HLW that has to be disposed of, contains insufficient amount of glass precursors, e.g., silicon, and as such, to produce a long-lived glass product silica and other glass-forming must be added chemically and/or as a glass product called frit to vitrify HLW and/or other similar radioactive wastes.
The vitrification process applied to nuclear waste is attractive; flexible, and applicable to a variety of radioactive elements that may be incorporated in such glasses. In addition, the glass product is minimally leachable, resists corrosion, is durable; and the compactness, volume reduction, and ease of handling of the glass formed waste are all positive attributes. For example, natural analogues of vitrified products include silicate glasses found in the geologic record from volcanic glasses, these records have displayed minimal degradation processes over several million years.
Vitrification is a mature technology and has been used for HLW immobilization in many batch or continuous processes in limited volumes for more than 40 years in France, Germany, Belgium, Russia, the United Kingdom (UK), India, Japan, and in the U.S.
The prevailing and preexisting concepts in vitrification of nuclear waste, focus on the long-held view currently exhibited by the major U.S. companies disposing of nuclear waste. These companies are spending an enormous of money, e.g., up to $37 Billion projected for 2019 to: vitrify the waste in massive plants employing several thousand individual staff; storage of the vitrified products in stainless steel containers; transport of the vitrified products to a disposal location; entombing the vitrified products containers in shallow salt formations; and then waiting and hoping for mother nature to encapsulate the glass bearing containers to be subsumed by the salt encroachment over thousands of years of geologic time before leaching or surface contamination can occur via migration of radionuclides.
The prevailing and preexisting concepts in vitrification of nuclear waste are less than ideal and are in fact seriously problematic. This process has essentially spent billions of dollars to "kick the can down the road." The waste may be temporarily contained but the waste has not been disposed, nor has the waste been sufficiently isolated from nearby ecosystems, environments, and ground waters.
Today (circa 2021), there is a well felt need for a better and more complete solution to the HLW and LLW waste problem.
It is at least one objective of this inventive application to solve the containment and disposal problem as completely as possible.
To this end, this patent application combines some existing prior art elements and introduces additional novel elements to attain a level of disposal and containment that hitherto has not been achieved by providing a subterranean deeply located in-situ vitrification process which may further manage, treat, and/or contain the evolved volatile radioactive constituents (which are dangerous byproducts of the vitrification process) in deeply located geological formations, from which no material can migrate over millions of years of geologic time.
Previously, there has not been any attempt to manage, treat, and/or contain the volatized (radioactive) effluents, from the vitrification, in-situ, in very deep human-made caverns as illustrated in the subject patent application. This may be because: (1) such caverns do not generally naturally exist in rock formations at very great depths; (2) it had been impossible to economically fabricate or produce large diameter caverns or to implement them in deep enough geological formations which are necessary to maintain a level of safety such that there would be no migration of radionuclides from the radioactive materials to the surface over geologic time; (3) the requisite technology to vitrify the waste material though available at the surface has only been tried in shallow surface pits and has not been extended to deep underground systems; (4) the electrical power systems needed to transmit, control and deliver sufficient electric power to deep downhole heaters had not been safely perfected; and/or the like.
The surface process of vitrification is quite simple (at or near the Earth's surface): (1) the waste is dried, then heated to convert the nitrates to oxides; (2) glass-forming additives or frit are added to the waste material and heated again to around 1000 degrees Celsius (° C.); (3) the molten liquid is poured into a suitable containment vessel to cool and form the solid glass; (4) the solidified vitreous product has incorporated the waste materials in its macro- and microstructures, and the hazardous waste constituents are immobilized.
Borosilicate and phosphate glasses are the two main types of glass frit currently used to immobilize nuclear waste in surface vitrification operations. Both of these materials can immobilize large amounts of radioactive products.
The ability to economically provide a human-made cavern, in a deep geologic formation, of sufficient size and volume, for efficient in-situ waste vitrification and also for safe disposal of substantial quantities of vitrified radioactive waste is now feasible today. What is required is more than just the ability to vitrify some small amounts of nuclear waste in a series of surface batch operations, there are real needs for the economic vitrification, disposal and storage of massive quantities of waste in the millions of gallons. To date (2021), the current best available technology at the Hanford site in the U.S. contemplates an expensive, single, stand-alone vitrification unit. If that unit fails, the whole vitrification industry stops; until a better solution is found. This current approach has no failsafe feature since there is only one plant contemplated to dispose of the HLW. A better means is needed.
Elements, systems and/or methods as proposed herein are different than the prior art. Embodiments of the present invention may provide elements, systems and/or methods to significantly multiply and scale these solutions to fit the need and demands. Embodiments of the present invention may run multiple systems in parallel as needed to meet the need and demands. Just like in the oil and gas industry where literally dozens of oil wells can be drilled by individual drilling rigs simultaneously to develop a given field, a plurality of vitrification systems can be implemented simultaneously to provide up to fifty or more simultaneous in-situ vitrification operations at the same location (or different locations). Embodiments of the present invention may provide a measurable economy of scale to resolve this seemingly intractable problem of disposing millions of gallons of waste.
Some of the technical drivers that have allowed the embodiments of present invention herein to be implemented may be as follows: (1) improvements in drilling rigs; (2) improvements to underreaming capabilities/operations using drilling rigs; (3) improvements in electrical power delivery/distribution, management, and/or control; (4) improvements in heating means; and/or the like.
Drilling rig design features have improved. Hydraulic pressure availability downhole in the wellbore at the drill bit has been increased. The available drilling rig horsepower has been increased up to as much as 4,000 hydraulic horsepower. Available pump horsepower has increased. Available rig capacity up to two million (2,000,000) pounds of dead weight lift is available. High downhole drilling fluid pressures can be maintained. Such drilling rig improvements provide for ease of implementation of deeply located human-made caverns for insitu vitrification and for loading or disposing of waste products into such deeply located human-made caverns.
Specific technological improvements that pertain to the drilling underreaming operations and underreaming equipment have allowed successful underreaming needed to make and manage large diameter human-made caverns that may be located with deeply located geological formation(s). Some of these underreaming improvements may include: hydraulically actuated reamer elements expandable and retractable with pump pressure and downhole RFID (radio frequency ID) triggering with injected RFID tags; cutter arms move upward and out simultaneously in the body; fail-safe cutter arm retraction; reverse actuating mechanism maintains that tool is open while drill string weight prohibits tool closure; unrestricted fluid flow through internal diameters of the wellbore tubular goods; roller cone cutters are specifically designed for the Drill Time Under-Reamers and are consistent with downhole diameters; reamer bodies machined from heat-treated steel bar, giving the reamer bodies exceptional strength; jet nozzles near the cutters allow for cutter washing and cooling; a variety of cutting structures are available to facilitate the reaming process; and/or the like.
Additionally, the electric power and applied industries have developed and implemented improved, surface facilities, control mechanisms and power cables which deliver electric power efficiently and controllably to the downhole heater equipment. Power cables have significant improvements and are now capable of transmitting megawatts of power over several thousand feet in a wellbore environment regularly and safely without accident. These computerized systems can minimize power losses in transmission, maximize energy deliverability, allow the types of temperature control needed to optimize the melt process and the annealing and cooling of the melt in the subterranean cavern during vitrification.
Today (2021), the understanding of vitrification processes and operational conditions have improved considerably. The compositions of the waste, the chemical and physical formulation of the frit and other physical descriptors have been studied by investigators across the globe. Additionally, the development and application of computational fluid dynamic modelling platforms for vitrification simulation have provided insights into and preconditions necessary for an optimal vitrification process without the need for hundreds of time consuming and ineffective laboratory or small-scale experiments.
Though most physical test efforts have been on small-scale experiments, it is generally accepted that larger batch operations can be more tolerant to compositional variations than small-scale laboratory tests. Embodiments of the present invention taught in this patent application may be for very large human-made cavern based waste systems in which several tons of waste are controllably vitrified in massive deeply located underground cylindrical human-made cavern(s) with heater(s) electrically powered and controlled from the Earth's surface.
In sum, some embodiments of the present invention may provide elements, devices, apparatus, products, machines, systems, mechanisms, means, and/or methods for the in-situ vitrification and/or disposal of radioactive materials within human-made subterranean caverns that are themselves located within deep geological formation(s); and wherein the dangerous volatiles produced from the vitrification may be managed, treated, and/or contained also within the given deep geological formation(s); in manners that may be safe (for humans and the environment), economically feasible, and efficient.
These and other advantages and features of the present invention are described herein with specificity so as to make the present invention understandable to one of ordinary skill in the art, both with respect to how to practice the present invention and how to make the present invention.
It is to these ends that the present invention has been developed.

Managing volatiles in nuclear waste vitrification


A method of operating a printing system according to a printing path schedule, the printing system including a duplex loop including a plurality of pitches with each pitch of the plurality of pitches operatively arranged to carry one sheet, the method including receiving input data related to one or more images to be printed, preparing a printing path schedule based on the input data, receiving an indication of the delay in the printing system, determining whether the delay is equal to a multiple of a whole pitch of the plurality of pitches, and if the delay is not equal to a multiple of a whole pitch of the plurality of pitches, adjusting the printing path schedule.

To become a duplex print, a sheet enters the marker paper path. Its front side receives an image, it traverses the duplex loop, and its back side receives an image. A timeline for this process may be shown, for example, as follows: f - - - - d; with "f" representing the front side image and "d" representing the back side image. In the example shown above, f and d are separated by the duplex loop time, which is equivalent to the process length of four sheets. Thus, "-" represents one sheet. Each of f, d, and - represent a single "pitch," or a space on the duplex loop in which one whole sheet fits (i.e., a sheet space). As such, in some embodiments, the entire marker paper path may comprise five pitches, e.g., f - - - -, with d beginning the new set of five pitches. In some embodiments, the entire marker paper path may comprise one or more pitches (e.g., seventeen pitches).
A scheduler arranges for a sheet to be delivered to the marker paper path as soon as possible. This typically means that it occupies positions in the marker paper path that are immediately adjacent to the preceding and succeeding sheets. The front f and back d sides of the sheet thus define a timeline for the maximum number of sheets, or pitches, that can be located between them. As an example, the scheduler may deliver five sheets to the marker paper path for a front f image. The five sheets all enter an inverter arranged in the duplex loop, are inverted, and then traverse the duplex loop to receive a back d image. The schedule of such events may be shown, for example, as follows:fffffdddddThus out of a total of five possible pitches (i.e., sheet locations within the marker paper path), five sheets are fed for their front f images, then the scheduler stops delivering additional sheets to the marker paper path until the five sheets traverse the duplex loop to obtain their back d image. Duplex and simplex printing, scheduling of duplex and/or simplex printing, and the concept of pitches is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,696,893 (Fromherz et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 5,504,568 (Saraswat et al.), and U.S. Pat. No. 9,904,493 (Conley), which references are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
Delays may occur that increase the time between sheets (i.e., delay the time that the scheduler delivers a sheet to the marker paper path). For example, from a late print job submission when streaming, a shift between paper feeders, an adjustment to the marker, additional time needed by a finisher or other downstream device, a delay in submission between print jobs, a mix of duplex and simplex jobs, etc. A sheet delayed for a whole number of sheet durations (or a whole number of pitches) will cost only that amount of time because subsequent sheets will fill in the later gaps. For example, a gap created between the first back side d1 and the second back side d2 can be used by the later front side f5. This example may be shown as:f1 X f2 f3 f4 d1 f5 d2 d3 d4 f6 d5 with "X" being a delay that represents one full pitch.
If the delay is not a whole multiple of the sheet time or pitch, lost time will proliferate through the schedule. In this example, the timeline between the front and back of the third sheet, which is delayed, is out of phase with the timeline of the previous sheet by a half sheet. This example may be shown as:f1 f2 X f3 d1 d2 X x d3 with "X" representing one whole sheet space or pitch and "x" representing a fraction of one whole sheet space or pitch (e.g., a half sheet space or pitch).
Since sheets are scheduled to enter the marker paper path as soon as possible, sheet four, the next sheet, will follow the earlier timeline through the duplex path. However, its timeline contains the delayed back side of sheet three, which is out of phase. This example, which is combined with the above example, may be shown as:f1 f2 X x f3 x d1 d2 f4 x d3 X X x d4 This example may also be shown as:f1 f2 1.5  f3 0.5 d1 d2 f4 0.5 d3 2.5 d4 with the values between sheets expressing time in numbers of sheets or pitches. The next sheet five will follow the timeline of sheet three, but includes the out-of-phase back side of sheet four:f1 f2 X x f3 x d1 d2 f4 x d3 f5 X x d4 X x d5 This example may also be shown as:f1 f2 1.5 f3 0.5 d1 d2 f4 0.5 d3 f5 1.5 d4 1.5 d4 1.5 d5 with the values between sheets expressing time in numbers of sheets or pitches. As long as successive timelines are out of phase, the utilization of one sheet space or pitch is lost on each loop through the duplex path. The above example(s) exhibits full burst duplex scheduling, where the maximum number of front f sides are followed by the back d sides. Thus, the maximum number of sheets that will fit within the marker paper path is delivered thereto with each sheet receiving a front f image, and the scheduler does not deliver any additional sheets until each of the sheets already delivered to the marker paper path receives a back d image. This may be shown as:f1 . . . f2 . . . f3 . . . f4 . . .f5 . . . d1 . . . d2 . . . d3 . . . d4 . . . d5
In another example, the scheduler alternates single front f sides and back d sides. Sheets are scheduled to enter the marker paper path for a front f side image separated by a one-sheet (or one-pitch) gap, which gap is intended for a back d side image. This may be shown as:f1 _ f2 _ f3 d1 f4 d2 f5 d3 with "_" indicating a purposeful full-sheet or full-pitch gap (i.e., the scheduler delivered the gap _ intentionally). Notice should be given to the fact that back sides d1 and d2 fill the gaps left in the marker paper path.
Entry delays impose persistent gaps in the alternating mode similar to that of the full burst mode, as the following example shows:f1 _ x f2 _ x d1 _ x d2 with "_" indicating a purposeful full sheet space/pitch gap and "x" indicating a fraction of a sheet space/pitch delay (e.g., a half sheet space/pitch). The above example with the addition of sheet three is shown below:f1 _ x f2 _ x d1 f3 x d2 _ _ x d3 The above example with the addition of sheet four is shown below:f1 _ x f2 _ x d1 f3 x d2 f4 _ x d3 _ x d4 After the fractional delay of sheet two, the time for one sheet is lost on each subsequent loop of the duplex path.
As noted above, delays can happen between sheets belonging to different jobs. The scheduler could let the marker paper path clear out before running the second job, which might be effective overall if the job is long enough. However, numerous unpredictable delays can occur within a job due to interactions between the printer and the scheduler. Running out the marker paper path for each of these would lead to unacceptable productivity.
Additionally, such a problem with delays does not exist when the marker paper path is synchronized with a photoreceptor belt, since sheets will be separated by a multiple of the image frame size. Absent a photoreceptor, the scheduler could impose a layout on the marker paper path as though synchronizing with one. However, this assumes that the time between a front and back side is a whole multiple of the sheet time, which is not always the case.
Thus, there is a long felt need for a system and method for reducing the impact of delays in duplex printing path schedules by adjusting the schedule such that the delay represents a whole sheet space or pitch rather than a fraction of a sheet space or pitch.

System, apparatus, and method for minimizing the impact of delays in printing path schedules


The present disclosure relates to a telescopable sliding beam comprising a sliding beam box and at least one first and one second sliding beam, which are telescopable into each other, the first sliding beam being mounted in the sliding beam box such that it can be telescoped out, where at first the first sliding beam can be telescoped out, and after the same has telescoped out to a desired point, the second sliding beam can be telescoped out, whereas during backward retraction, the second sliding beam can first be retracted to a desired point and subsequently the first sliding beam can be retracted.

Especially in the field of truck cranes or also excavators there is a multitude of possibilities for hydraulic support, which serve to improve the load bearing capacity and the stability. Simple telescopable sliding beams, dual telescopable sliding beams, collapsible beams or also combinations of collabsible beams and sliding beams are known here, for instance.
Depending on the local conditions and in dependence on the required load bearing capacity, different conditions of extension of the sliding beams laterally extending from the chassis are required for a safe operation, wherein the load input into the sliding beams must be effected via defined load input points for static reasons. In all conditions of extension, it must be possible to reproducibly approach the load input points at any time.
It is already known to provide dual telescopable sliding beams, wherein the systems can be designed differently for telescoping out and retracting the sliding beams. In this case, the provided hydraulic cylinders and rope discharge systems can for instance be combined with each other. Instead of these systems, hydraulic cylinders with chain discharge have already been used. An alternative consists in using two hydraulic cylinders, one for each sliding beam, or to use a single two-stage cylinder.
In the known discharge system with one hydraulic cylinder and one rope or chain discharge, the telescoping operation of the sliding beams is effected as follows:
First of all, the first sliding beam is pushed out by means of a hydraulic cylinder between sliding beam box and sliding beam. The discharge of the second sliding beam is effected synchronously, as the same is mechanically connected with the first sliding beam via a hoist system comprising ropes or chains. In principle, the mechanical connection of the two sliding beams and the fixed length of the ropes or chains provides for a defined, always reproducible telescoping of the sliding beams up to the respective load input points of all conditions of extension.
In a discharge system with two hydraulic cylinders or one two-stage cylinder, the telescoping operation of the sliding beams is effected as follows:
Reference can be made to FIG. 1, which illustrates the basic structure of a corresponding telescopable sliding beam in accordance with the prior art. A sliding beam box 10 accommodates a first sliding beam 12 and a second sliding beam 14. Sliding beam box, first sliding beam and second sliding beam are each connected with each other via two hydraulic cylinders 16 and 18 to be pressurized with hydraulic pressure at the same time or via one two-stage hydraulic cylinder which is not shown here in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2. When the cylinders are pressurized with hydraulic pressure, the sliding beam with the lowest mechanical resistance will start to move first. While telescoping, the resistance in the bearing of the moving sliding beam will be increased. When the mechanical resistance of the moving sliding beam exceeds that of the still stationary sliding beam, the same will stop, and the sliding beam stationary so far will start to move. During a telescoping operation, this change of movement between the two sliding beams is repeatedly performed arbitrarily. Due to the changing mechanical resistances in the bearing of the sliding beam and the accordingly load-dependent telescoping of the sliding beams, a defined telescoping of the sliding beams up to the respective load input points cannot be effected under conditions of reduced extension.
Therefore, it is the object underlying the present disclosure to develop a generic telescopable sliding beam such that it can be telescoped out and retracted reproducibly, wherein in particular predetermined load input points can selectively be approached under conditions of reduced extension.
In accordance with the present disclosure, this object is solved by a telescopable sliding beam with a sliding beam box and at least one first and one second sliding beam, which are telescopable into each other, the first sliding beam being mounted in the sliding beam box such that it can be telescoped out. In accordance with the present disclosure, the first sliding beam can first be telescoped out to a desired point and then the second sliding beam can be telescoped out, whereas during the backward retraction, the second sliding beam can first be retracted to a desired point, and only then can the first sliding beam be retracted. The solution of the present disclosure is not restricted to two sliding beams. According to this solution principle, more than two sliding beams might form the telescopable sliding beam.
Accordingly, hydraulic cylinders are provided for telescoping out or retracting the sliding beams.
Particularly advantageously, a pressure sequence control is provided for the hydraulic cylinders. By means of the same, the first sliding beam in the first hydraulic cylinder is first extended in a controlled way, whereupon the second sliding beam is extended via a second hydraulic cylinder. During retraction, the second sliding beam is first retracted in a controlled way via the second hydraulic cylinder, whereupon the first sliding beam is retracted via the first hydraulic cylinder.
Advantageously, the pressure sequence control can be implemented by corresponding valves provided in the hydraulic conduits used for supplying the hydraulic cylinders.
Particularly advantageously, the telescopable sliding beams can be used in work machines, preferably truck cranes and excavators. Therefore, the present disclosure also relates to corresponding work machines 100 (see FIG. 3), preferably truck cranes and excavators, comprising at least one, but advantageously four corresponding telescopable sliding beams.


A circuit board electrical connector (1) comprises a housing (2) with a front face having a receiving cavity (6) for receiving a mating connector (30). The housing is to be attached to a circuit board such that an opening of the receiving cavity is flush with an edge of the circuit board. A protruded bottom section (2C) is provided on a bottom of the housing and placed in a cutout section of the circuit board such that a front face of the protruded bottom section is substantially flush with the edge of the circuit board. A key groove (5) extends rearwardly from the front face of the protruded bottom section and communicates with the receiving cavity for receiving a key projection (34) of the mating connector.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electrical connectors to be mounted on a circuit board such that the connector receiving opening is flush with an edge of the circuit board.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese patent application Kokai No. 254453/95 discloses an electrical connector of this type. FIG. 2 shows such an electrical connector 50 mounted on a circuit board P. The connector 50 has a housing 51 with a pair of flanges 52 on opposite sides attached to the circuit board P. The front face of the housing 51 is flush with an edge of the circuit board P, and a receiving cavity 53 extends rearwardly from the front face of the housing 51. The receiving cavity 53 receives a plugging section 61 of a mating connector 60 and has a rectangular shape as viewed from front. A plurality of arranging grooves 55 for contact elements 54 are provided at the center of the receiving cavity 53, and a pair of coaxial connectors 56 are provided on opposite sides of the arranging grooves. A key projection 57 is provided so as to project into the receiving cavity 53 and fit into a key groove 62 of the mating connector 60 to prevent plugging errors of the connectors.
When the connector 50 is plugged over the mating connector 60, the contact elements 54 and the coaxial connectors 56 are connected to the corresponding contact elements and coaxial connectors of the mating connector 60.
As electronic equipment becomes compact, there is a demand for compact connectors especially for low-profile connectors. In FIG. 2, the height of a connector from the circuit board is desired to be small, and the height of the receiving cavity 53 must be small.
Under such circumstances, the present of the key projection 57 puts a limit to arrangement of the contact elements. For example, no contact elements are provided on the arranging grooves 55 at an area facing the key projection 57. Thus, the space within the receiving cavity 53 is not fully utilized.
In such a conventional connector, a part of the function in the receiving cavity must be given up, or the height of the connector must be increased by that much.


A transmission fluid cooling system includes a cooler-bypass unit having a banjo bolt relief valve. The banjo bolt relief valve includes a head portion and a body portion. A relief valve is incorporated into the body portion. A valve seat is formed between the head portion and body portion. A ball is biased against the valve seat toward the head portion by a spring within the body portion. When the transmission fluid is cool and viscous, pressure buildup in the head portion overcomes the spring bias of the ball against the valve seat, permitting the flow of transmission fluid through the cooler-bypass unit, bypassing the transmission fluid cooling unit.

This invention relates to a transmission fluid cooling system and more particularly to a cooler-bypass unit having a banjo bolt incorporating a relief valve.
Vehicles are typically equipped with transmissions that provide different speed ratios between the engine and the drive axles. A transmission typically generates a good deal of heat, and thus oil is circulated to cool the transmission components.
The oil in the transmission becomes quite hot during operation of the vehicle. Thus, the oil is typically routed to a cooling unit. The cooling unit cools the oil which is then returned to the transmission.
Typically, the transmission is spaced some distance from the cooling unit. As such, fluid lines, such as conduits or hoses must travel the distance from the transmission to the cooling unit. The oil travels between the transmission and cooling unit through the fluid lines.
When the engine is running, oil is continuously being moved to the cooling unit, and from the cooling unit back to the transmission. When the vehicle is cool, the oil is relatively viscous and does not flow quickly through the cooling unit. This causes back pressure on the supply line leading to the cooling unit. For this reason, some transmission cooling units have incorporated a relief valve for returning a portion of the transmission fluid from the supply line leading to the cooling unit directly back into the return line leading back to the transmission. In the past, the relief valve is installed between a T-connector in the supply line and a T-connector in the return line. The separate components result in an unduly high amount of fluid connections, and also additional parts which require additional assembly time.
The more fluid connections that are created in a transmission cooling system, the more places there are that could potentially leak. A transmission oil leak could be very damaging to the vehicle, and could lead to seizure of the transmission. Thus, the relatively high number of fluid connections is undesirable.

Transmission fluid cooler-bypass unit for a transmission fluid cooling system


A well completion system includes a wellhead, a control line assembly for use in completions that is mounted to the wellhead, and a tubing hanger. The control line assembly includes a cylinder, a main housing assembly, a passage and a metal-to-metal seal. A split lockout ring provides a positive lock to the passage. Control lines enter the tubing hanger and exit via the wellhead. This arrangement on the wellhead provides sufficient height and clearance to allow for the installation of a plurality of control lines.

For many surface and subsea oil and gas wells, a series of pipes, fittings, valves, and gauges are used on a wellhead to control the flow and achieve well completion. A Christmas or production tree is generally attached to the wellhead and the pipes, fittings, valves and gauges are typically routed and connected to the tree. One, or a plurality of, penetrators or stems, may be installed in a Christmas tree to engage components installed within the wellhead, such as a tubing hanger. The penetrators may be horizontal, vertical, or at other angles, and allow downhole control lines, such as electrical and/or hydraulic, to be routed through the tree and tubing hanger sidewalls and be routed down to components below the wellhead.
Subsea horizontal tree tubing hangers generally utilize a sealing arrangement for control lines that rely on the weight of completion tubing to activate the device sealing mechanism. On conventional surface wellhead applications, however, there is insufficient space available on most completions to incorporate this sealing arrangement
Well completions are now using an increasing number of downhole control lines with some operators now requesting up to eleven separate control lines. As explained above, the conventional method of exiting a plurality of control lines through the wellhead usually requires that the control line pass through a tubing hanger in a continuous manner and then exit through the wellhead body. However, large numbers of control lines make this conventional exit arrangement complex and difficult to complete within the limited space available in the wellhead upper bowl area. Fitting multiple control lines in the limited space currently available is difficult and labor intensive, with control lines frequently bent in awkward directions with some having to physically cross over others. Control lines are thus frequently damaged. Thus, little space on this particular completion arrangement is left to provide "spare" length on the control line.
Further, if any problems are encountered during the control line termination phase through the wellhead, it may be necessary to pull the completion, which is an expensive and time-consuming exercise involving significant rig down-time.
A need exists for a technique to allow sufficient clearance for a plurality of downhole control lines at a well.

Metal-to-metal sealing arrangement for control line and method of using same


Apparatus for generating magnetic fields includes a plurality of radiator coils. Driver circuitry drives the coils so as to generate magnetic fields at a plurality of driving frequencies. Each of the coils is driven by a respective current that comprises a basic current at a respective one of the driving frequencies and cancellation currents at one or more of the other driving frequencies, so that each of the radiator coils generates a field substantially only at the respective driving frequency.

The present invention relates generally to apparatus for generating and detecting electromagnetic fields, and specifically to non-contact, electromagnetic methods and devices for tracking the position and orientation of an object.
Non-contact electromagnetic tracking systems are well known in the art, with a wide range of applications.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,054,881, whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes a tracking system using three coils to generate electromagnetic fields in the vicinity of the object. The fields generated by these three coils are distinguished from one another by open loop multiplexing of time or frequency. The signal currents flowing in three orthogonal sensor coils are used to determine the object""s position, based on an iterative method of computation.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,391,199, whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes a system for generating three-dimensional location information regarding a medical probe or catheter. A sensor coil is placed in the catheter and generates signals in response to externally applied magnetic fields. The magnetic fields are generated by three radiator coils, fixed to an external reference frame in known, mutually spaced locations. The amplitudes of the signals generated in response to each of the radiator coil fields are detected and used to compute the location of the sensor coil. Each radiator coil is preferably driven by driver circuitry to generate a field at a known frequency, distinct from that of other radiator coils, so that the signals generated by the sensor coil may be separated by frequency into components corresponding to the different radiator coils.
PCT patent application number PCT/US95/01103 and the corresponding U.S. national phase patent application Ser. No. 08/793,371, whose disclosures are incorporated herein by reference, describe a system that generates six-dimensional position and orientation information regarding the tip of a catheter. This system uses a plurality of non-concentric sensor coils adjacent to a locatable site in the catheter, for example near its distal end, and a plurality of radiator coils fixed in an external reference frame. These coils generate signals in response to magnetic fields generated by the radiator coils, which signals allow for the computation of six location and orientation coordinates. The radiator coils operate simultaneously at different frequencies, for example at 1000, 2000 and 3000 Hz, respectively.
Other position sensing systems use a single coil in the catheter. The signals from the coil are sufficient, in conjunction with multiple field generator coils, to generate three dimensions of position and two dimensions of orientation information. The third dimension of orientation (typically rotation of the catheter about its longitudinal axis) can be inferred if needed from a comparison of the coordinates of two such sensors provided at mutually-spaced locations in the catheter and/or from mechanical information.
The above tracking systems rely on separation of position-responsive signals into frequency components, wherein each such component is assumed to correspond uniquely to a single radiator coil, in a known position, radiating in a narrow, well-defined frequency band. In practice, however, the radiator coils also generate magnetic fields at the frequencies outside the desired bands, for example due to mutual inductance effects. These mutually-induced fields lead to errors in determining the position of the object being tracked.
PCT patent application PCT/IL97/00100 and the above-mentioned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/125,544 describe apparatus for generating magnetic fields with reduced mutual inductance effects. The apparatus includes a plurality of radiator coils and driver circuitry coupled thereto, which drives the coils so as to generate magnetic fields at a plurality of driving frequencies. The radiator coils are configured and controlled so that each of them generates a field substantially only at a single, respective driving frequency. Preferably, circuitry is associated with at least one of the plurality of radiator coils for substantially eliminating magnetic fields generated by the at least one coil in response to fields generated by the other coils.
It is an object of some aspects of the present invention to provide improved electromagnetic radiator coils and driver circuitry therefor, for use in conjunction with object tracking systems in order to increase the accuracy of object tracking.
It is a further object of some aspects of the present invention to provide magnetic field generator coils and associated driver circuitry that generate fields having narrow bandwidths in the frequency domain.
In one aspect of the present invention, narrowed field bandwidth is achieved by canceling out mutual inductance effects among a plurality of coils, which generate magnetic fields at different frequencies.
In preferred embodiments of the present invention, a plurality of radiator coils generate magnetic fields at a plurality of different respective driving frequencies. Driver circuitry associated with the coils generates electrical driver currents therein, wherein for each coil the current comprises a major component at the coil""s respective driving frequency, and minor components at other frequencies. Typically, the minor components are substantially equal in amplitude and frequency and 180xc2x0 out of phase with parasitic currents induced in the coil due to magnetic fields generated by the other radiator coils, so as to substantially cancel the effect of the induced currents.
Preferably, the driver circuitry includes sensing apparatus, which measures the amplitude, frequency and phase of the induced parasitic currents in a the coil. The driver circuitry further includes an adaptive variable current supply, which generates the out-of-phase minor current components responsive to the amplitude, frequency and phase data measured by the sensing apparatus, so as to substantially cancel the effect of the induced parasitic currents. Most preferably, the process of measuring the parasitic currents and adjusting the minor current components is repeated iteratively until the amplitude of the parasitic components is reduced to below a predetermined threshold level.
There is therefore provided, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, apparatus for generating magnetic fields, including:
a plurality of radiator coils; and
driver circuitry, coupled thereto, which drives the coils so as to generate magnetic fields at a plurality of driving frequencies, such that each of the coils is driven by a respective current that includes a basic current at a respective one of the driving frequencies and cancellation currents at one or more of the other driving frequencies, so that each of the radiator coils generates a field substantially only at the respective driving frequency.
Preferably, the cancellation currents are determined so as to substantially cancel parasitic magnetic fields generated by each of the coils in response to the magnetic fields generated by the other coils at the respective driving frequencies of the other coils. Most preferably, the cancellation currents are generated by the driver circuitry so as to be, in each of the coils, approximately equal in amplitude and opposite in phase to parasitic currents generated in the coil due to the magnetic fields generated by the other coils at the respective driving frequencies of the other coils.
In a preferred embodiment, the driver circuitry includes a current analyzer, which is coupled to measure parasitic currents flowing in each of the coils at the respective driving frequencies of the other coils, and wherein the driver circuitry is adapted to generate the cancellation currents responsive to the measured parasitic currents. Preferably, the driver circuitry includes an adaptive current supply, which is driven by the current analyzer to generate the cancellation currents. Alternatively or additionally, the driver circuitry includes a memory, which is adapted to store, for each of the coils, data indicative of a waveform of the respective current with which the coil is to be driven, and wherein the data are modified responsive to the measured parasitic currents. Most preferably, the driver circuitry is adapted to adjust the generated respective current in each coil so as to minimize the parasitic electrical current measured therein.
There is also provided, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a method for generating a magnetic field having a desired narrow frequency band, including:
driving a radiator coil with an electrical current at a frequency in the desired narrow frequency band;
analyzing the current flowing in the coil to measure induced current components at one or more undesired frequencies; and
adjusting the current driving the coil so as to include correction current components at the one or more undesired frequencies, responsive to the measured induced current components, so that the coil generates a field substantially only at the respective driving frequency.
There is additionally provided, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a method for tracking an object, including:
driving a plurality of radiator coils with electrical currents at respective driving frequencies so as to generate a plurality of magnetic fields at the frequencies in a vicinity of an object being tracked;
analyzing the currents flowing in the coils so as to measure, in each of the coils, induced current components at one or more of the frequencies of the other coils;
adaptively adjusting the current driving each of the coils so as to include correction current components at the frequencies of the other coils, responsive to the measured induced current components, so that each of the coils generates a field substantially only at the respective driving frequency;
placing one or more sensor coils at a locatable site on the object; receiving signals generated by the sensor coils in response to the magnetic fields; and
analyzing the signals to determine position and orientation coordinates of the object.
There is further provided, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an object tracking system, including:
a plurality of radiator coils; and
driver circuitry, coupled to drive the coils to generate magnetic fields at a plurality of driving frequencies, such that each of the coils is driven by a respective current that includes a basic current at a respective one of the driving frequencies and cancellation currents at one or more of the other driving frequencies, so that each of the coils generates a field substantially only at the respective driving frequency;
one or more sensor coils, fixed to the object; and
processing circuitry, coupled to receive and analyze currents induced in the sensor coils due to the magnetic fields, so as to determine coordinates of the object. The present invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments thereof, taken together with the drawings in which:

Mutual crosstalk elimination in medical systems using radiator coils and magnetic fields


A substrate protection and transport system and method for transitioning a substrate from atmospheric pressure to vacuum in a lithography tool. The system includes one or more removable substrate transport cassettes that support a substrate. The cassette can include a base portion and top portion, and can include a seal. Each cassette has at least one vent and at least one filter. The system further includes a box having a base and lid. The box holds one or more cassette-substrate arrangements. A storage rack having shelves for holding the box-cassette-substrate arrangement is also provided. Further, an entry-exit module having a loadlock is provided for transitioning the cassette-substrate arrangement from atmospheric pressure to vacuum. The entry-exit module can include a shuttle and/or elevator for transporting the cassette-substrate arrangement. During transitioning, the filter(s) and vent(s) restrict particles within the loadlock from entering the cassette-substrate arrangement and reaching a surface of the substrate.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to lithography, and more specifically to the protection of lithographic reticles.
2. Related Art
Lithography is a process used to create features on the surface of targets. Such targets can include substrates used in the manufacture of flat panel displays, circuit boards, various integrated circuits, and the like. A semiconductor wafer, for example, can be used as a substrate to fabricate an integrated circuit.
During lithography, a reticle, which is another exemplary substrate, is used to transfer a desired pattern onto the desired target. The reticle is formed of a material transparent to the lithographic wavelength being used. For example, in the case of visible light, the reticle would be formed of glass. The reticle has an image printed on it. The size of the reticle is chosen for the specific system in which it is used. During lithography, a wafer, which is supported by a wafer stage, is exposed to an image projected onto the surface of the wafer corresponding to the image printed on the reticle.
The projected image produces changes in the characteristics of a layer, for example photoresist, deposited on the surface of the wafer. These changes correspond to the features projected onto the wafer during exposure. After exposure, the layer can be etched to produce a patterned layer. The pattern corresponds to those features projected onto the wafer during exposure. This patterned layer is then used to remove exposed portions of underlying structural layers within the wafer, such as conductive, semiconductive, or insulative layers. This process is then repeated, together with other steps, until the desired features have been formed on the surface of the wafer. As should be clear from the above discussion, the accurate location and size of features produced through lithography is directly related to the precision and accuracy of the image projected onto the wafer.
In addition to the transmissive reticles just described, reflective reticles are also used in the art. For example, reflective reticles are used for short wavelength light that would otherwise be absorbed by a transmissive glass reticle.
In an effort to keep contamination of the reticle surface to a minimum, lithography processing is performed in a "clean room." A clean room is an enclosure having a specified controlled particle concentration. In order to maintain the specified controlled particle concentration, gaseous materials are provided to and removed from the enclosure. A considerable amount of expense is associated with maintaining a clean room. This expense is related, in part, to the size of the clean room and the equipment needed to maintain it. For example, as reticles are transported from one stage in a lithographic process to another, they are susceptible to contamination due to particles found within the processing area. To minimize the potential for contamination, the entire room in which the reticle is transported is usually maintained in a clean state. Thus, there is an incentive to reduce the environment that must be maintained in the clean state. A further incentive for reducing the size of the clean room is safety. In some cases, clean rooms are oxygen deficient and therefore unfit for human occupancy. If the clean room can be isolated to a smaller environment, then the surrounding area can be maintained for safe use and occupancy by humans.
In general, reticles arrive to and leave from lithography tools, including EUV lithography tools, in a closed box or "pod". Vibration, pressure shock, and turbulent air flow can result from opening the box and may stir up particles that are initially resting on the internal surfaces of the box, such as the top-side of the base or the inner walls and ceiling of the lid. Particles can become detached from the surfaces and then move freely and randomly within the gas volume inside the box. Some particles can eventually re-deposit on the exposed surfaces of an unprotected reticle within the box.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,239,863 (incorporated by reference herein in its entirety), issued to Catey et al., May 29, 2001, and commonly assigned to Silicon Valley Group, Inc., now ASML US, Inc., discloses a removable cover for protecting a reticle used in a lithography system. The removable cover includes a frame and a membrane supported by the frame. The removable cover can further include at least one reticle fastener that applies force to the reticle, thereby preventing movement of the removable cover relative to the reticle when the removable cover is in place. However, the use of the reticle fastener presents an opportunity for contamination from the contact between the reticle and the reticle fastener.
Reticles are typically stored in an atmospheric environment. In preparation for exposure, the reticles are transported from the atmospheric environment to a high vacuum environment. Of prime concern in EUV lithography, is how to transition reticles from the atmospheric pressure environment to the high vacuum environment without adding particles to critical areas of the reticle henceforth, the "reticle pattern" or the "patterned areas" during transient confusion. Transient confusion refers to the stirring up of the particles in the loadlock of the EUV lithography tool by the turbulent air currents resulting from having to remove the air from the loadlock. This is a new problem in the context of lithography tools, since the EUV tool is the first tool to expose the reticle in vacuum and without a protective pellicle.
A similar problem has been encountered before by those who design the tools that write masks, henceforth "mask writer tools". Mask writer tools use one or more electron beams to write mask blanks directly from the design data, a few pixels at a time, which takes a long time (as opposed to copying a pattern from the mask to the wafer in one quick pass with light as lithography tools do). Electron beams in mask writers have always required the reticle to be exposed in high vacuum and have precluded the use of pellicles, similarly to EUV light in lithography.
In the paper titled "New Mask Blank Handling System for the Advanced Electron Beam Writer" (published in the proceedings of the 19th Annual BACUS Symposium on Photomask Technology, September 1999, SPIE Vol. 3873, ref # 0277-786/99) Yoshitake et al. describe their solution to the problem. In summary, Yoshitake found that if during the transition between atmospheric pressure and vacuum, the mask blank is maintained inside a box having membrane filters (the Clean Filter Pod or CFP), many fewer particles tend to settle on the mask blank. Hence, Yoshitake's solution was to put the mask blank inside a permeable-to-gas-only box, place the box inside the loadlock, transition the loadlock between atmospheric pressure and vacuum, open the box, and remove the mask blank from the box and the loadlock.
The Yoshitake solution, however, introduces additional problems to be solved. First, in the example where the masks are contained in a closed box or pod, the masks are unprotected. Consequently, there is a potential for contamination of the masks when the closed box or pod is opened. Second, in the example where the masks are contained in a box having filters, the same device is used to remove the mask blanks from the box. This creates the potential for cross-contamination.
Briefly stated, there is a need for a way of further reducing the potential for reticle contamination during transport. Likewise, there is also a need to reduce the potential for reticle contamination while it is transitioning between atmospheric pressure and vacuum.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

System and method for reticle protection and transport


The present invention provides a method for testing strength of a metal roofing material, the metal roofing material comprising: a front substrate made of a metal sheet; a back substrate arranged on the back side of the front substrate; and a core material filled between the front substrate and the back substrate, the method comprising the steps of: tightening the metal roofing material 1 to a base 50; and applying a load 52L for uplifting an end portion 1E of the metal roofing material 1 tightened to the base 50 to the end portion 1E and measuring an uplift amount of the end portion 1E corresponding to the load 52L.

For example, a roofing material for forming roofs of buildings such as houses can include a ceramic roofing material as disclosed in Patent Document 1 and the like described below. Strength of such a ceramic roofing material is tested by a method defined in the Japanese Industrial Standard A 1408. That is, the strength test of the ceramic roofing material is carried out by cutting out a test piece having predetermined dimensions from the ceramic roofing material, and then placing the test piece on a pair of supports arranged at a predetermined interval and applying a load to the test piece from an upper part of a central position of the support, and measuring the load when the test piece is broken.
On the other hand, the above ceramic roofing material has a problem that it is relatively heavy, for example. Therefore, the present inventors have attempted implementation of a metal roofing material as disclosed in the following Patent Document 2, i.e., a metal roofing material including a metal front substrate; a back substrate disposed on the back side of the front substrate; and a core material filled between the front substrate and the back substrate.

Strength test method for metal roofing material, strength test equipment, and virtual strength test program


Hybrid tea rose plant having bright red flowers having a lighter color on the reverse of the petals; dark reen, glossy foliage; high-centered buds; and long cutting stems.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of rose plant of the hybrid tea class which was originated by me by crossing POULman (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,264) with the variety JACpico (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 3,997).
The primary objective of this breeding was to produce a new rose variety having a high-centered flower form, large foliage and long buds of the female parent combined with the bright red flower color and glossy foliage of the male parent. The objective was substantially achieved, along with other desirable improvements, as evidenced by the following unique combination of characteristics that are outstanding in the new variety and that distinguish it from its parents, as well as from all other varieties of which I am aware:
1. Bright red flower;
2. Lighter in color on petal reverse;
3. Dark green, glossy foliage;
4. High-centered bud; and
5. Long cutting stems.
Asexual reproduction of this new variety by budding, as performed at Wasco, Calif., shows that the foregoing and all other characteristics and distinctions come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations.

Hybrid tea rose plant named xe2x80x98JACinberxe2x80x99


A manufacturing method in which laser welding is used to weld multiple posts of a protection structure with multiple splits of the silicon steel sheet assembly of a stator module. The manufacturing method has high welding precision and excellent sealing effect. Also, the welding time is shortened and the thermal deformation is reduced.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a manufacturing method of a stator module, and more particularly to a stator module with protection structure and a manufacturing method of a fan of the stator module.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known that various fans are widely applied to all kinds of devices or sites, for example, personal computers, servers, storage devices, communication apparatuses, power supplies, vehicle industries, industrial control instruments, medical equipments, shipping equipments, air-conditioners and other industrial apparatuses.
A conventional fan stator includes a silicon steel sheet assembly, multiple windings, a circuit board and other electronic components. These components are exposed to air in contact with the vapor or dust in the air. Therefore, short-circuit may take place to these components to cause damage thereof due to humidity. In some more serious cases, these components may burn out and fail. This will affect the operation of the electronic device.
Therefore, when applied to various devices and sites, it is necessary to prevent the stator and other electronic components in the fan from humidity and salty fog. Currently, there are four ways to protect the stator and other electronic components as follows:    1. Cover body protection. A cover body is used to enclose and seal the stator so as to prevent the stator structure from direction contact with air. In this case, the stator is isolated from humidity and salty fog. However, in practice, such protection has some shortcomings. The cover body is disposed between the stator and the rotor around the stator. This leads to increase of the distance between the stator and the rotor. That is, the gap between the silicon steel sheet assembly of the stator and the magnet of the rotor is increased. As a result, the magnetization and induction performance will be reduced to affect rotational power of the fan. Furthermore, the stator is sealedly enclosed in the cover body by means of adhesive dispensing or O-ring press fit. The adhesive dispensing process costs long time and it is hard to control the amount of the adhesive so that the adhesive is likely to spill. The lifetime of the O-ring is short. After a period of use, the O-ring tends to crack. Under such circumstance, the humidity and salty fog are easy to infiltrate into the cover body.    2. Cover body and sealing adhesive protection. In order to solve the above problem of the cover body and enhance the sealing performance of the cover body, a sealing adhesive is filled into the cover body to seal the stator and electronic components. However, in practice, such protection still has some shortcomings. The magnetization and induction performance will be still reduced to affect rotational power of the fan. Moreover, it takes long time to wait for solidification of the sealing adhesive. In addition, during solidification process, the adhesive will apply a stress to the electronic components due to thermal change. This is likely to cause malfunction of the electronic components. It is necessary to pay great attention to the surface mount technology (SMT) strength between the electronic components and the circuit board. Moreover, the cover body is positioned in the outermost position. After the sealing adhesive is filled into the cover body, it is impossible to check the condition of the sealing adhesive inside the cover body. In the case of improper filling, bubbles will exist in the adhesive. This leads to probability of infiltration. Moreover, after sealed by the adhesive, the heat dissipation effect of the windings and the silicon steel sheets and electronic components of the stator will be deteriorated. This will cause rise of temperature of the stator.    3. Sealing adhesive protection. Along with the advance of the sealing adhesive, the stator can be sealed without using any cover body. After the stator is covered by a mold, the adhesive is directly filled or injected into the mold to seal the entire stator. After the adhesive is solidified, the mold is removed, whereby the stator is sealedly enclosed in the adhesive body. However, in practice, such protection still has some shortcomings. There are still the above problems existing in the sealing adhesive. Moreover, the affection of the injection pressure and injection temperature onto the electronic components must be taken into consideration. In addition, after injected, it is impossible to check whether the components are displaced due to the injection pressure.    4. Coating protection. By means of coating or vacuum coating, the adhesive is uniformly coated on the outer surfaces of the stator and other electronic components so as to achieve moistureproof and waterproof effect. However, in practice, such protection still has some shortcomings. The coating coated on the stator and other electronic components is quite thin and is likely to be damaged by alien article in the manufacturing process or during transfer. Moreover, the material of the stator and other electronic components will affect the surface adhesion of the coating or deteriorate the adhesion effect thereof. At high temperature, the coating may blister and damage.

Manufacturing method of a stator module of a fan


A method and system for controlling image quality in processing radiographic photothermographic sheet media. A cassette removably contains radiographic photothermographic sheet media and also has an information member. The information member stores information including size of the sheet media stored in the cassette and calibrated conditions for processing the sheet media. A thermal media processor processes an exposed sheet media in accordance with the calibrated processing conditions.

Sheet media imaging systems include radiographic imaging systems which produce radiographic images on photosensitive sheet media such as film or paper. The photosensitive media is typically contained in a light tight cassette to facilitate handling and to shield the photosensitive media from exposure to external light. In film-screen analog radiography, the cassette includes one or two fluorescent screens which sandwich the photosensitive film in the openable, cassette. The cassette is positioned in back of the body part of a patient to be x-rayed. An x-ray source projects x-rays through the body part to irradiate the fluorescent screen(s) which emit a light image to produce a latent radiographic image of the body part in the photosensitive media. The media is then processed to produce in the media a visual radiographic image of the body part for observation and diagnosis.
Health imaging professionals require that diagnostic radiographic images be controlled within a narrow range of contrast and density to be acceptable. Because analog imaging uses direct x-ray exposures through a patient, retaking an image to get a correct exposure is undesirable, since it is expensive and time consuming and since it would expose the patient to more x-radiation. Where the radiographic sheet media is chemically processable, there is greater consistency in both the manufacture of the sheet media as well as the processing conditions of the media. Dry photothermographic media tends to be more variable in its manufacture and also tends to be more sensitive to the environment in which it is stored prior to use. These factors mean that the media density and contrast may vary unacceptably for the user. Laser imaged media can control its output simply by adjusting the intensity of the laser. In contrast, analog media is exposed from a variety of x-ray sources that cannot be easily controlled in an automated fashion. Thus, the image quality of dry photothermographic film may vary unacceptably unless a solution is found to reduce that variability. Sources of variability include manufacturing variability, media storage conditions such as humidity and temperature, age of the media, and ambient conditions at the time of processing the media.
The key to a successful processing system for heat processable photothermographic media is to ensure consistent output quality of the media, while not imposing additional workload on the users of the system. Adjusting the processing cycle allows the density and contrast of the media to be adjusted. One problem is determining what processing cycle to give each sheet of media. Since the sheets of media presented to the processor system may have multiple sizes, may come from multiple manufacturing lots, may be of different ages and have seen different storage conditions, each media sheet may need a different processing cycle.
Sheet media imaging systems also include laser imaging systems which produce medical images on photosensitive sheet film from digital medical images generated by diagnostic imaging systems (MRI, CT, US, PET), computed radiography (CR) systems, medical image digitizers, digital or analog medical image archives, direct digital radiography or the like. The sheet film can be packaged in optically opaque packaging which is removed under dark room conditions and loaded into a film supply of a laser imager. Dark room film loading is eliminated by the resealable film cartridge disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,473,400 (Lemberger). The disclosed cartridge allows for daylight loading and can be reused and removed from the laser imager. U.S. Pat. No. 5,229,585 (Lemberger) discloses a bar code system which uses this resealable cartridge to control a laser imaging system. The cartridge has attached to it an optical bar code with a unique cartridge ID, film size, film type information and film sensitometric information. The laser imager has a bar code scanner which reads information from the bar code as the cartridge is opened. An imager management system controls the laser imager as a function of the input data and the information read from the bar code. A film processor develops the film as a function of film type information read from the bar code. The laser imager stores information relating to film usage of the cartridge.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,481,657, issued Jan. 2, 1996 (inventors Schubert et al.), discloses a multi-user digital laser imaging system wherein a calibration process is used including laser exposing a calibration film to a range of density patches, processing the film, measuring the density patches with a densitometer, comparing the measured densities with expected density values of a stored film model for the film, and modifying the film model if any discrepancies are noted.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,710,891 B1, issued Mar. 23, 2004, inventors Vraa et al., discloses a sheet media imaging system including a laser imager configured to operate with a resealable media cartridge having an RFID transponder storing relevant digital data that communicates with a laser imager transceiver.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,023,285, issued Feb. 8, 2000, inventors Kocher et al., discloses a photothermographic laser imaging system including a laser printer for exposing photothermographic media to digital data, a thermal processor for thermally developing the exposed photothermnographic media to render a visual image of the digital data and a densitometer for reading the density of the visual image. A method for establishing calibration of the system includes reading optimum thermal processing parameters including processor temperature from a bar code associated with unexposed photothermographic media; setting the thermal processor to operate at the read parameters; exposing a multiple step gray scale pattern calibration media by the laser printer; reading with the densitometer the densities of the multiple step gray scale pattern from the developed calibration media; and adjusting the temperature of the thermal processor if the measured densities are not within desired limits. (See also: U.S. Pat. No. 6,020,909, issued Feb. 1, 2000, inventors Kocher et al., and U.S. No. Pat. 6,223,585 B1, issued May 1, 2001, inventor Krogstad.)
U.S. Pat. No. 5,757,021, issued May 26, 1998, inventor Dewaele, is of interest in disclosing an identification system for use in the field of digital radiography including a cassette carrying a photostimulable phosphor screen which has an RF tag provided on the cassette. Patient identification data and examination type are stored in the RF tag by a health care provider and after the screen is exposed to an x-ray image, the RF tag and phosphor screen are read out and the radiation image is digitally processed in accordance with image processing parameters associated with the examination type and stored in the readout device. The RF tag is then erased.
Although the foregoing patents disclose systems that may have been useful for the purposes for which they were intended, none of them solve the problems discussed above relating to controlling image quality in processing x-ray exposed radiographic media, especially heat processable photothermographic media.
There is thus a need in a sheet media imaging system for a system for controlling image quality in processing x-ray exposed radiographic media, especially heat processable photothermographic film, which ensures consistent quality output of the media, while imposing minimal workload on the users of the system.

System for controlling image quality in processing radiographic photothermographic sheet media


A human eye is detected in a video image by identifying potential eye candidates using horizontal and vertical projection filtering on a specified portion of the image, coupled with rudimentary appearance-based testing. The identified eye candidates are clustered and winning eye candidates are selected based on appearance, spatial-geometric and anthropomorphic considerations. The winning eye candidates are subjected to additional appearance-based testing, and high confidence eye candidates are accepted if they favorably compare with identified eye candidates from previous video image frames.

Vision systems frequently entail detecting and tracking a subject's eyes in an image generated by a video camera. In the motor vehicle environment, for example, a camera can be used to generate an image of the driver's face, and portions of the image corresponding to the driver's eyes can be analyzed to assess drive gaze or drowsiness. See, for example, the U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,795,306; 5,878,156; 5,926,251; 6,097,295; 6,130,617; 6,243,015; 6,304,187; and 6,571,002, incorporated herein by reference.
While eye detection and tracking algorithms can work reasonably well in a controlled environment, they tend to perform poorly under real world imaging conditions where the lighting produces shadows and the subject's eyes can be occluded by eyeglasses, sunglasses or makeup. As a result, pixel clusters associated with the eyes tend to be grouped together with non-eye features and discarded when subjected to appearance-based testing. This problem occurs both in eye-detection routines that initially identify the subject's eyes, and in eye-tracking routines that track the eye location from one image frame to the next. Another problem concerns limitations on the processing throughput of the vision system as the detection and tracking routines increase in complexity. Accordingly, what is needed is an efficiently executed method of a processing a video image for reliably locating a subject's eyes under various lighting and occlusion conditions.

Method of locating a human eye in a video image


An ultrasound imaging system and method includes acquiring ultrasound image data of an object while translating the ultrasound probe, where the ultrasound probe includes a scanning surface. The ultrasound imaging system and method includes displaying an acquisition view during the process of acquiring the panoramic ultrasound data. The ultrasound imaging system and method includes automatically determining acoustic contact of the scanning surface with the object while acquiring the panoramic ultrasound data and displaying a color-coded indicator at the same time as the acquisition view, where the color-coded indicator represents the acoustic contact of the scanning surface in real-time during the process of acquiring the panoramic ultrasound data.

Ultrasound imaging is an imaging modality capable of acquiring ultrasound data that may be viewed in real-time or stored and reviewed at times subsequent to the acquisition. During the acquisition of ultrasound data, it is important to have acoustic contact between the ultrasound probe and the object being scanned. The two biggest contributors to poor acoustic contact are having an inadequate amount of coupling gel on the ultrasound probe and having too little pressure while scanning. Poor acoustic contact while acquiring ultrasound data will result in ultrasound images with artifacts and/or regions that are missing in the resulting ultrasound images.
Experienced clinicians are more likely to maintain acoustic contact while acquiring ultrasound data, but even experienced clinicians may have trouble maintaining acoustic contact during more-involved procedures, such as acquiring panoramic ultrasound data wile translating the ultrasound probe. After acquiring panoramic ultrasound data, the ultrasound imaging system displays the panoramic ultrasound data as a panoramic view comprising a plurality of videos. If any portions of the panoramic ultrasound data were acquired with poor acoustic contact, the videos in the panoramic view will contain artifacts. Displaying a panoramic view based on panoramic ultrasound data including artifacts is distracting to the clinician and may make it difficult or impossible to make an accurate diagnosis based on the panoramic view. For at least these reasons, there is a need for an improved ultrasound imaging system and method for determining and indicating acoustic contact while acquiring panoramic ultrasound data.

Ultrasound imaging system and method for determining acoustic contact


This invention relates to an engine knocking detector for determining knocking intensity from the oscillation waveform of the cylinder internal pressure. The total amount of heat generated in the combustion chamber during one revolution of the crankshaft is computed from the pressure waveform from which high frequency components have been eliminated, and from the running state of the engine. Also, the knocking start point during one revolution of the crankshaft is determined by comparing high frequency components extracted from the waveform and a predetermined reference value, and the amount of heat due to knocking is computed. A knocking intensity is then determined by comparing these two amounts of heat. By detecting knocking based on this comparison of amounts of heat generated in the combustion chamber, the knocking can be detected with high precision by means of a common logic irrespective of engine differences, installation positions of cylinder internal pressure sensors and individual sensor differences.

Since electronic control technology has come to be used widely for controlling vehicles and vehicle engines, many methods have been proposed for dealing with knocking. In addition to improving the shape of the combustion chamber, improving gas flow and prevention of knocking by increasing the octane value of the fuel, knocking control techniques which aim to provide optimum fuel cost performance or dynamic performance for each running condition irrespective of differences in the nature of the fuel and time-dependent variations of the octane value required by the engine, are coming to be applied to mass-produced vehicles by advancing the ignition period to a limit at which knocking can hardly be heard by the human ear. Some of these techniques are now being applied to each cylinder of six cylinder engines.
The detection and quantization of knocking are important factors in onboard knocking control techniques using electronics. The knocking control devices installed in an automobile might for example use cylinder internal pressure, engine vibration, combustion light, knocking noise and ion current in the cylinder as possible knocking detection parameters.
One such detector is disclosed in Vol. 40, No. 11 of Jidosha Gijutsu ("Automobile Technology") published in Japan in 1986. This detector comprises an cylinder internal pressure sensor mounted on the spark plug for detecting the pressure in the combustion chamber, extracting high frequency components in the region of the knocking frequency from the waveform pattern of the cylinder internal pressure found from the output of this pressure sensor, converting the vibration intensity to a number, and using statistical processing to determine a knocking level.
However, in the aforesaid knocking detector, the detection results are easily influenced by the position and specification of the cylinder internal pressure sensor, or according to the cylinder in which the knocking detection is performed. To eliminate this influence the knocking detection logic had to be optimized for each type of engine which increased the number of operations and cost involved, and knocking detection precision was impaired if the logic was not properly optimized.
Further, although the cylinder internal pressure sensor mounted on the spark plug has the advantage that no special modification of the engine is required, it also picks up mechanical vibrations of the engine in addition to the combustion pressure. If high frequency signal components of the sensor output waveform are used, it is difficult to separate frequencies due to noise, and it was therefore difficult to increase the detection precision of knocking components. In particular, as high frequency vibrations increase when the engine is running at high speed, the detection of knocking components if rendered extremely difficult.

Device for determining engine knocking intensity from detected variations in engine cylinder internal pressure


A stator of an electrical machine provides a sensor carrier having a spring element that presses the sensor element against one of the coils.

A stator of an electrical machine is discussed in European Patent Application EP 2 066 008 A1 that has electrical coils and a temperature sensor for recording the temperature at one of the electrical coils, the temperature sensor being provided in the area between two coils on a sensor carrier, and including a sensor element and at least one sensor cable that is connected to the sensor element. It is disadvantageous, however, that the sensor element of the temperature sensor does not make reliable contact with the coils. Consequently, it is not certain that the highest temperature of the coil is being measured, so that, by the time the electrical machine is stepped down to lower power levels in response to an overheating, it could be too late. Therefore, the temperature measurement is not reliable.
Thus, stators of an electrical machine are understood that have electrical coils and a temperature sensor for recording the temperature at one of the electrical coils, the temperature sensor being provided in the area between two coils on a sensor carrier and having a sensor element and at least one sensor cable that is connected to the sensor element. It is disadvantageous that the sensor element of the temperature sensor does not make reliable contact with the coils. Consequently, it is not certain that it is the temperature of the coil that is measured. Rather, in certain circumstances, it is the temperature in the gap between the coils that is measured. Therefore, the temperature measurement is not reliable.


A posterior fixation system includes a saddle member, an anchoring member, an occipital plate, an occipital rod, and a cross-link connector. The anchoring member anchors the saddle member to bone. The saddle member includes a pair of upright portions that define a channel. The channel is adapted to receive an orthopedic rod, and the saddle member can include a hole to receive the anchoring member. The saddle member and the anchoring member can be coupled so as to allow multi-axial movement of the members. The anchoring member in one embodiment is a screw coupled to the hole of the saddle, and in another embodiment, the anchoring member is a hook. The offset member may be coupled to the saddle member to allow for offset connection of rods. Connection of individual rods can be accomplished by connecting the rods with the cross-link connector. The cross-link connector has an integrally formed cylindrical member that couples a pair of coupling portions together. The cylindrical member can be bent along multiple axes. The occipital plate secures the rods to the occipital bone of the skull. The occipital plate has a cross-shaped plate with a plurality of apertures defined in the plate and at least one saddle member coupled to the plate. Alternatively, the occipital rod can be secured to the occipital bone.

The present invention generally relates to orthopedic implants used for correction of spinal injuries or deformities, and more specifically, but not exclusively, concerns apparatuses for fixing a portion of the spine, such as the cervical spine, to allow correction or healing thereof.
In the realm of orthopedic surgery, it is well known to use implants to fix the position of bones. In this way, the healing of a broken bone can be promoted, and malformations or other injuries can be corrected. For example, in the field of spinal surgery, it is well known to place such implants into vertebrae for a number of reasons, including (a) correcting an abnormal curvature of the spine, including a scoliotic curvature, (b) to maintain appropriate spacing and provide support to broken or otherwise injured vertebrae, and (c) perform other therapies on the spinal column.
Typical implant systems include several pieces, which commonly are useful and may be associated with only specific other pieces. Bone screws, hooks, and clamps are well know as fixation devices, which are connected or adjoined to a particular bone as a connection between the remainder of the implant and the bone. Specially formed plates or rods are commonly used as stabilization and support members. Thus, in a common spinal implant system, a spinal plate is implanted along one or more vertebrae by driving a bone screw through the plate and into each of two vertebrae. The vertebrae are thus supported and kept in a particular position by the plate, so as to promote healing. One example of such an instrumentation system is U.S. Pat. No. 5,735,853 to Olerud.
Alternatively, a rod can be used as the support and stabilizing member. In such an implant, a series of two or more screws are inserted into two or more vertebrae to be instrumented. A rod is then placed within or coupled to the heads of the screws, or is placed within a connecting device that links the rod and a screw head, and the connections are tightened. In this way, a rigid supporting structure is fixed to the vertebrae, with the rod providing the support that promotes correction of the vertebral malformation or injury.
Many varieties of bone fixation devices (e.g. screws and hooks) are monoaxial in construction. That is, such devices are connected to the rod or plate such that a longitudinal axis through the rod or plate and a longitudinal axis through the fixation device are capable of only a single position with respect to each other. While useful in certain circumstances, in many therapeutic situations the degree of precision required to use such an inflexible device is impractical, or can lead to a longer duration of surgery, potentially awkward angles for the surgeon and for the patient, with the potential for attendant complications such as pain and/or extended rehabilitation.
More recently, bone fixation devices having multi-axial capability have been introduced. Examples of such constructs are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,797,911, 5,954,725, and 5,810,818. These devices help to reduce the required precision of placement of the fixation device, since a head portion of the fixation device is multi-axially positionable around the bone-threaded or hook portion. The head can thus be positioned so as to easily receive the rod, limiting or removing much of the positioning difficulty inherent in prior devices.
Most such devices are designed for spinal fixation at the thoracic and lumbar levels. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a comprehensive multi-axial spinal implant system, and particularly one that is useful in the cervical region of the spine.


One embodiment of the present invention provides a database server for securing database event notifications. The server includes a session key creation mechanism configured to create a session key when a client registers for an event, a storage mechanism configured to store the session key on the database server, a data accessing mechanism configured to access registration metadata to obtain the session key when the event occurs, a connection mechanism configured to establish a communication channel between the database server and the client, a mutual authenticating mechanism configured to using the session key to mutually authenticate the client and the database server during event notification, and an event notifying mechanism configured to send the event notification to the client.

1. Field
The present disclosure relates to database event notifications. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to securing database event notifications using mutual authentication between database server and client.
2. Related Art
In a database, events can include changes made to database table entries and user account activities, such as creating a new user account or logging into an existing user account. A database management system (DBMS) provides infrastructure to allow a client to register for events of interest, and to allow a database server to send notifications to the client when those events occur in the database.
Once an event occurs in a database, the database server opens communication channels to clients, which may have been disconnected from the database, and sends event notifications via these communication channels. On the client side, while waiting, the client spawns a listener process to accept communication channels from the database server and to receive event notifications on these communication channels.
Currently, there is no mutual authentication between the database server that sends out event notifications and the client listener. The client is listening on an open port waiting for event notifications. Because the client does not authenticate communication channels for receiving event notifications from a database server, the client is vulnerable to buffer-overflow attacks from malicious users. Such attacks can crash the client or engage it in denial-of-service attacks, thus preventing notification delivery to legitimate registrations at the client. In addition, the client may also suffer from replay attacks. On the other hand, because the database server does not authenticate a client who is receiving event notifications, it is possible for a malicious user to pose as a legitimate client to receive unauthorized notifications.
Some database management systems, such as the Oracle relational DBMS (RDBMS), provide security options (e.g., Oracle Advanced Security Options (ASO)) to address these security concerns. However, many database client/server installations do not support ASO and still use conventional event notifications, such as Oracle Call Interface (OCI) notifications or Java Database Connectivity (JDBC) notifications. What is needed is a method that can provide an acceptable level of security for event notifications for database client/server installations that do not have these security options.