Disclosed herein is a method of estimating the start of combustion (SOC) in a diesel engine using a difference between an in-cylinder combustion pressure and a motoring pressure so as to effectively control the combustion in a combustion chamber. The method of the present invention features that it comprises the steps of: detecting a DP value defined as a difference pressure between an in-cylinder combustion pressure and a motoring pressure; detecting a crank angle (CADPxx) at a point where the detected DP value equals a specific pressure; defining an angle difference between the start of combustion (SOC) and the crank angle (CADPxx) as a detected delay angle (ΔCADD) and determining the detected delay angle (ΔCADD) through an experiment of measuring the start of combustion (SOC) and the crank angle (CADPxx); and detecting the SOC using the following Equation: SOC=CADPxx−ΔCADD, whereby the SOC can be estimated simply and accurately, and that the detected delay angle (ΔCADD) is defined as a simple function for the engine speed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of detecting a start of combustion (SOC) in a diesel engine using a pressure inside a combustion chamber (hereinafter, referred to as "in-cylinder pressure"), and more particularly to a method of estimating the start of combustion (SOC) in the diesel engine using a difference between an in-cylinder combustion pressure and a motoring pressure (i.e., a pressure inside a cylinder at a cycle where combustion does not occur) so as to effectively control the combustion in a combustion chamber.
2. Background of the Related Art
FIG. 1 is a graph illustrating a change in injection command, injection rate and rate of heat release (ROHR) in a combustion chamber over time in a diesel engine according to the prior art.
As shown in FIG. 1, a start of energizing (hereinafter, referred to as "SOE") is obtained by defining a point of time when a command is issued to a solenoid of an injector or a piezo-actuator from an engine management system (EMS) on the basis of a crank angle.
Also, a start of injection (hereinafter, referred to as "SOI") is obtained by defining a point of time when a nozzle of the injector is actually opened to inject fuel into a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine on the basis of a crank angle, and the start of combustion (SOC) is obtained by defining a point of time when the quantity of heat corresponding to 1% of the total amount of heat released is released on the basis of a crank angle.
In this case, the time interval between the SOE and the SOI is defined as an injection delay, and the time interval between the SOI and the SOC is defined as an ignition delay.
In this regard, fuel injected is vaporized and mixed with air during the ignition delay time interval so as to be decomposed into a new chemical component that induces self-ignition.
Therefore, the SOC is determined by the relation of SOC, SOE, injection delay and ignition delay.
The SOC is generally known as having an effect on the overall performance of the engine.
That is, in case where the combustion early starts prior to a top dead center (TDC) position of a piston in the engine cylinder, the combustion pressure sharply increases to thereby prevent the piston from upwardly moving to the TDC position, which results in a deterioration of combustion efficiency and an increase of the engine operating sound generated.
In this case, the combustion must be completed before an exhaust valve is opened for the purpose of improvement of combustion efficiency and reduction of toxic exhaust emissions.
FIG. 2 is a graph illustrating the relationship between a variation of the SOC and the amount of NOx/HC emissions of a diesel engine.
As shown in FIG. 2, in case where the timing of the SOC is advanced, the maximum combustion temperature increases to increase the amount of NOx emissions into the atmosphere, whereas in case where the timing of the SOC is retarded, the combustion is not completed prior to the opening of the exhaust valve. As a result, a large quantity of unburned hydrocarbon (UHC) is produced.
In addition, since a mixing quality of the air-fuel mixture depends on the SOC, it affects the generation of soot as a byproduct of incomplete combustion.
As such, since the amount of HC and NOx emissions has a tendency of being inversely proportional to each other depending on the timing of the SOC, an optimal SOC value for all the operating conditions must be maintained in order to concurrently reduce the amount of HC and NOx emissions under all the operating conditions.
Almost all the mass-produced diesel engine fuel injection systems, which are controlled under a feed-forward SOC control scheme, are generally designed to perform a basic control strategy in which combustion efficiency and engine power increase in a full load condition and the amount of toxic exhaust emissions decreases in a part load condition.
However, since the existing diesel engine fuel injection systems do not measure an actual SOC, the SOC is controlled indirectly through the control of the SOE, but not controlled directly. Thus, although an appropriate SOE is determined upon the mass-production of the fuel injection systems, when an unexpected change occurs in the injection delay time and the ignition delay time, the timing of the SOC is not controlled at a desired point of time.
Since the injection delay time varies depending on a production tolerance of an injector, a rail pressure, etc., and the ignition delay time varies depending on the amount of diesel fuel used, the temperature of intake air introduced into each individual combustion chamber, compression ratio, etc., a look-up table is mainly used to compensate for the variations of the injection delay time and the ignition delay time and numerous experiments are required to write the look-up table.
Further, in such a feed-forward control, viscosity of fuel injected or design tolerance, aging of the engine and injector components, etc., cause a variation in the SOI or the SOC, resulting in making it impossible to further accurately control the SOC by using a fixed SOE look-up table.
Nevertheless, the range of permissible tolerances can be controlled strictly to alleviate the above problem upon the production of the injector, but a precise production process is required and hence the production efficiency decreases and the manufacturing cost increase. Moreover, the feed-forward SOC control cannot compensate for cylinder-by-cylinder and cycle-by-cycle variations in the injection delay time and the ignition delay time.
Accordingly, a variation in the both delay times must always be compensated for an accurate fuel injection system. To this end, a feedback SOC control and an accurate SOC measurement or estimation is needed.
In this regard, there have been proposed various methods of detecting the SOC in a diesel engine.
The SOI shown in the graph of FIG. 1 can be identified by measuring a lift displacement of an injector needle. However, this method entails a problem in that the manufacturing cost and complexity of the injection system increases to cause a deterioration of durability. Also, since such a method is aimed at detecting the SOI, but not detecting the SOC directly associated with the performance and exhaust emission quality of the actual engine.
Alternatively, in order to directly detect the SOC, there have been proposed and used an optical combustion timing sensor for detecting the SOC using the intensity of light of a flame burnt, an SOC sensor for detecting the SOC based on an ionization technique, i.e., a method of detecting the SOC using the strength of ionization current generated during the combustion, etc.
However, the direct detection method of the SOC using the optical combustion timing sensor and the SOC sensor based on the ionization technique embraces problems in that sampling performance and durability of the sensors are deteriorated due to contaminants such as soot generated in the diesel engine, thereby decreasing accuracy of the sensors in long-term use of the sensors. Furthermore, the both sensing methods also have a problem in that a sampling area is restricted around the tip of the sensors, so that all the areas within the combustion chamber of the diesel engine cannot be covered.
In the meantime, there is proposed a method of directly estimating the SOC through information on the pressure inside the combustion chamber or the cylinder, such as analysis of released heat as an alternative method of estimating the SOC.
But, since the heat release analysis based on a law of thermodynamics is very complicated mathematically as well as employs a very low reference value level (1%), it is susceptible to a noise. In order to compensate for this, the analysis of the heat release employs an average value of pressure signals generated during several tens of cycles, and hence has a slow response speed.
In order to improve the response speed estimated in such a method, there is proposed a method of defining the SOC as a point of time when 50% of mass of a mixture of fuel and air is burnt on the basis of a crank angle.
Such a method is robust to a noise so that a response speed is relatively high as compared to the SOC estimation method using the heat release analysis, but has a problem in that a calculation process is still complicated and the relationship is not consistent between the SOC and a crank angle corresponding to the combustion of 50% of mass of a mixture of fuel and air, so that there exists a difference between an actual SOC and an estimated SOC.
In addition, as another alternative approach of estimating the SOC, a research has been conducted on an SOC estimation method using the location of the center of gravity (CG) of a difference pressure (hereinafter, referred to as "DP"). Here, the DP is defined as a difference between the in-cylinder combustion pressure and the motoring pressure.
However, the above SOC estimation method using the coordinates of the center of gravity (CG) of the DP is used for the purpose of on-board diagnosis (OBD) but not control since a deviation of the estimated SOC is considerably large.
There is therefore a need for a method in which the SOC is practically estimated more accurately and simply and a response speed is sufficiently high enough to be applicable in real time.
However, the above-mentioned conventional techniques such as the measurement of the SOC using the optical combustion timing sensor or the ionization current SOC sensor, the estimation of the SOC using the heat release analysis encounter a problem in that sufficient accuracy and speed cannot be obtained for the purpose of the feedback control in the detection of the SOC.

Method of detecting start of combustion in diesel engines using in-cylinder pressure

IUCF-HYU (Industry-University Cooperation Foundation Hanyang University)


This invention provides a process for producing of a silicone compound which includes a synthesis reaction of a silicone compound represented by the following formulas (a) and/or (a′),

Conventionally, as monomers which provide polymers used for ophthalmic lenses, compounds having a silicon group have been known.

As one of such compounds, those shown in the above-mentioned formula (c) or (c′) are known (for example, patent reference 1). This compound has a feature to be easily compatible with a hydrophilic monomer since it has a hydroxyl group in its molecule, and there is a well-known synthetic method thereof (patent reference 1). However, by the method described in the patent reference 1, even if various reaction conditions are tested, purity can be increased to only from 85% to about 89%, but a higher purity has been desired.
Patent reference 1: JP-A-S56-22325, Example 4

Silicone compound and process for producing the same

Abstract: by reacting a carboxylic acid represented by the following formula (a2)

Abstract: to an epoxy silane represented by the following formula (a1)

Abstract: in presence of a metal salt of the carboxylic acid represented by the general formula (a2), characterized in that the reaction is carried out in presence of 0.05 wt % or more water in said reaction system. Here, A denotes siloxanyl group. R1 denotes a substitutent with 1 to 20 carbons having a polymerizable group. R2 to R4 respectively and independently denote hydrogen, a substituted or unsubstituted substitutent with 1 to 20 carbons, or —X-A. X denotes a substituted or unsubstituted divalent substitutent with 1 to 20 carbons.


A semiconductor device includes a first conductor; a first insulator thereover; a first oxide thereover; a second oxide thereover; a second conductor and a third conductor that are separate from each other thereover; a third oxide over the first insulator, the second oxide, the second conductor, and the third conductor; a second insulator thereover; a fourth conductor thereover; and a third insulator over the first insulator, the second insulator, and the fourth conductor. The second oxide includes a region where the energy of the conduction band minimum of an energy band is low and a region where the energy of the conduction band minimum of the energy band is high. The energy of the conduction band minimum of the third oxide is higher than that of the region of the second oxide where the energy of the conduction band minimum is low. Side surfaces of the first oxide and the second oxide are covered with the third oxide.

A technique in which a transistor is formed using a semiconductor thin film has attracted attention. Such a transistor is applied to a wide range of electronic devices such as an integrated circuit (IC) and an image display device (also simply referred to as a display device). A silicon-based semiconductor material is widely known as a material for a semiconductor thin film applicable to a transistor. As another material, an oxide semiconductor has been attracting attention.
For example, a technique in which a display device is formed using a transistor including an oxide semiconductor (a zinc oxide or an In—Ga—Zn-based oxide) as an active layer is disclosed (see Patent Documents 1 and 2).
Moreover, in recent years, a technique in which an integrated circuit of a memory device is fabricated using a transistor including an oxide semiconductor has been disclosed (see Patent Document 3). In addition, not only the memory device but also an arithmetic device or other devices have been fabricated using a transistor including an oxide semiconductor.
However, it is known that a transistor including an oxide semiconductor as an active layer has a problem in that the electrical characteristics are easily changed by impurities and oxygen vacancies in the oxide semiconductor and thus the reliability is low. For example, the threshold voltage of the transistor is changed in some cases after a bias temperature stress test (BT test).

Semiconductor device and method for manufacturing semiconductor device

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.


A beam measuring and reporting method adapted for a user equipment for a multibeam wireless communication system is provided. The method includes the following. A beam configuration for a plurality of first candidate beams is received. A channel measurement for each of the first candidate beams is performed in response to receiving the beam configuration. Beam information of at least one selected beam of the first candidate beams is reported in response to receiving the beam configuration.

Since the next-generation communication system (e.g., the 5G system) needs to offer better performance, some aspects of the next-generation communication system may require significant refinement. High-frequency millimeter waves (mmWave) may provide a greater wireless capacity and a higher speed for the next-generation wireless communication system. The mmWave system operates at a higher carrier frequency, and therefore the electromagnetic waves may suffer from a more significant path loss during propagation. For example, the attenuation of the electromagnetic waves around the frequency range of mmWaves is more significant than the attenuation of those around the frequency range of microwaves. Therefore, beamforming is required for transmission of the mmWave within the frequency range thereof.
To concentrate the radiation energy in a specific direction, beams in the mmWave wireless communication system has a narrower field-of-view (FoV) coverage. Therefore, to have a more complete coverage, a multi-input multi-output (MIMO) system may be adopted. As shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a coverage of beams of a multibeam wireless communication system. A base station (BS) 110 shown in FIG. 1 has a plurality of mmWave beams 100, and each of the mmWave beams 100 has a different coverage. The coverage of each of the mmWave beams 100 is relatively narrow. Thus, as a user equipment (UE) 130 moves, the BS 110 needs to adaptively switch transmission and/or reception beams to communicate with the UE 130. As shown in FIG. 1, among the respective mmWave beams 100 of the BS 110, energy of beams 104 and 105 are concentrated in a direction in which the UE is located. Therefore, compared with other beams, the beams 104 and 105 may render a relatively desirable communication quality.
To find out a beam with a desirable quality, the beams are measured, and measurement results are reported. In FIG. 1, the UE 130 may respectively perform beam measurements for the beams 100 of the BS 110 and report measurement results to the BS 110. Specifically, the UE 130 may respectively receive the respective beams 100 and perform the beam (or channel) measurements for the respective beams 100 to obtain the measurement results corresponding to the respective beams 100. Then, among the beams 100, the UE 130 chooses one or more beams whose measurement results are more desirable to be selected beams, and reports beam identifiers (ID) and the measurement results of the selected beams to the BS 110 through a payload in a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), for example. Accordingly, the BS 110 may schedule transmission resources for the selected beams selected by the UE 130.
In general, the number of the selected beams selected by the UE may variable, so the data size of the measurement results reported by the UE is also variable. For example, the UE 130 may only report the measurement result of the beam 105 to the BS 110 and may suggest the BS 110 that the beam 105 may be selected to communicate with the UE 130. Alternatively, the UE 130 may report the measurement results of the beams 104 and 105 together to the BS 110 and may recommend the BS 110 that at least one of the beams 104 and 105 may be selected to communicate with the UE 130. Since the maximum payload size of an uplink channel (e.g., PUCCH) may be fixed, the measurement results of the selected beams that the UE needs to report may exceed the maximum payload size of the PUCCH, making the UE unable to completely report the selected beam information to the BS through a single PUCCH.
Therefore, the beam measuring and reporting method needs to deal with the variable data size of the beam measurement result reported by the UE.

Beam measuring and reporting method and base station and user equipment using the same

Industrial Technology Research Institute


The present invention relates to an illumination device comprising a number of light sources arranged in at least a first group of light sources and in a second group of light sources, where said first group of light sources and said second group of light sources are individually controllable. First and second optical means collect light from the first and second group of light sources and convert the collected light into a number of first and second light beams. The illumination device comprises further first and second zoom optics adapted to change the beam diverges and/or width of respectively the first and second light beams and the illumination device is capable of controlling the first and second zoom optics individually. The present invention relates further to a method of controlling such illumination device.

In order to create various light effects and mood lighting in connection with concerts, live shows, TV shows, sport events or as a part on architectural installation, light fixtures creating various effects are getting more and more used in the entertainment industry. Typically entertainment light fixtures create a light beam having a beam width and a divergence and can for instance be wash/flood fixtures creating a relatively wide light beam with a uniform light distribution or it can be profile fixtures adapted to project image onto a target surface.
Light emitting diodes (LED) are, due to their relatively low energy consumption or high efficiency, long lifetime, and capability of electronic dimming, becoming more and more used in connection with lighting applications. LEDs are used in lighting applications for general illumination such as wash/flood lights illuminating a wide area or for generating wide light beams e.g. for the entertainment industry and/or architectural installations. For instance like in products like MAC101™, MAC301™, MAC401™, MAC Aura™, Stagebar2™, Easypix™, Extube™, Tripix™, Exterior 400™ series provided by the applicant, Martin Professional A/S. Further LEDs are also being integrated into projecting systems where an image is created and projected towards a target surface, for instance like in the products MAC 350 Entour™ or Exterior 400 Image Projector™ also provided by the applicant, Martin Professional A/S.
WO 2006/113745 discloses a lighting apparatus comprises a light panel having a panel frame, and a plurality of LEDs or other light elements secured to the panel frame. Lenses and/or filters are adjusted in distance from the light elements, by for example moving the lenses/filters into different slot positions of the frame, to alter characteristics of the emitted light. Focal lenses, diffusion lenses, and color filters may be used individually or in combination. A compound lens includes lens elements having different focusing characteristics arranged in a pattern can be arranged in front of the LEDs and movement of the compound lens results in synchronously movement of the different lens elements in respect to the LED. AS a consequence the focal or spread of the light changed by the different lens elements will change simultaneously. Through groupwise control of the intensity of the light elements, the different characteristics are emphasized or de-emphasized.
WO 2007/049176 discloses a plurality of light emitting diode dies (LED) with associated secondary optics, which produce different light distribution patterns, are combined to produce an efficient light source having a desired illumination pattern. By way of example, a first LED may include a lens that produces a light distribution pattern with a maximum intensity at the center while a second LED may use a lens that produces a light distribution pattern with a maximum intensity that surrounds the maximum intensity of the pattern produced by the first LED. The light from the LEDs can then be combined to produce a desired illumination pattern. Additional LEDs and lenses, e.g., having different light distribution patterns may be used if desired. Moreover, a variable current driver may be used to vary the amount of current to the different LEDs, such that the combined illumination pattern may be varied as desired.
WO 2010/084187 discloses a spotlight comprising light emitting diode modules wherein each LED module comprises at least two light emitting diodes with different light emission spectra and a light mixer, wherein each light mixer is arranged at one side of the light mixer in cooperation with an assigned LED module and each light mixer is configured to mix the different light emission spectra of the at least two LEDs of the assigned LED module to form a light beam, and wherein exit surfaces at the other side of the light mixers are arranged next to each other in a matrix with its light beams of the light mixers form a common light beam and a focusing optics for focusing the common light beam.
It is common to incorporate midair light effects into light shows. Midair effects are created by creating a well-defined light beam which is partially scattered by haze or smoke particle in the air whereby the audience can see the light beam in the air. The midair light beams are often created in the head of a moving head light fixture where the head is rotatable connected to a yoke which is rotatable connected to a base and the light beam can as a consequence be moved around in the air. Typically midair light effects are created by profile moving heads comprising projecting systems as these created a bright well defined light beam or by a hybrid of a projecting and a wash system often called beam systems. Typically beam systems has focusing properties like a projecting system, however the focusing in beam systems is not as sharp as dedicated projecting systems and the beams systems creates a more narrow light beam compared to wash lights. There is today a number of different products (e.g. The MAC 250 Beam™ or the MAC 2000 Beam™ provided by Martin Professional A/S) which is cable of providing such light beams and many of these can create light beams with variable beam diverges and/or collimated light beams having variable beam diameter's. In beam systems, the light beam can be split into multiple numbers of light beams by incorporating prisms having a number of facets into the optical system or by incorporating gobos having a number of smaller apertures. As a consequence the multiple light beams are substantially identical. Further Beam systems are based on traditional light sources as discharge lamps as midair effect requires very bright light beams having relatively narrow beam properties and LEDs have not previously by used when creating beam systems. Yet another fact is that light designers and producers continuously try to create and use new and interesting light effects in the light shows.

Illumination device with multi-colored light beam


A time-of-flight detection pixel includes a photosensitive area and at least two assemblies. Each assembly includes: a charge storage area; a transfer transistor configured to control charge transfer from the photosensitive area to the charge storage area; and readout circuit configured to non-destructively measure a quantity of charges stored in the charge storage area.

In a TOF sensor, a light source emits light towards a scene. A time-of-flight detection pixel, or TOF pixel, receives the light reflected by a point of the scene conjugated with this pixel. The measurement of the time of flight, that is, of the time taken by light to travel from the light source to the point of the scene having the pixel conjugated therewith, and from this point back to the pixel, enables to calculate the distance separating the pixel from this point.
In the case where a three-dimensional image of a scene is desired to be obtained, the TOF sensor comprises an array of TOF pixels for measuring the distance separating each pixel from the point of the scene having the pixel conjugated therewith. This provides a mapping of the distances separating the sensor from the different points of the scene having the pixels conjugated therewith, and a three-dimensional image of the scene can then be reconstructed. A problem which is posed in such a sensor results from the fact that a pixel conjugated with a point of the scene close to the sensor receives more light than a pixel conjugated with a point of the scene remote from the sensor. As a result, for a given sensor illumination time (integration time), the quantity of light received by the sensor and thus the quantity of generated charges may be insufficient to determine the distance between the sensor and a point remote from the sensor. Points remote from the sensor can then be poorly distinguished in the reconstructed image.
To avoid this disadvantage, long integration times have to be provided, which is a problem, particularly in the case of the analysis of mobile objects.
It is desirable, however, to avoid providing systematically long integration times.


A cable rack suitable for underground service is made from at least one plastic molded stanchion and a cross-arm. A height of the rack may be adjusted by stacking the stanchions lengthwise, in tandem, and by trimming the stanchions as desired. The best places in the stanchion for trimming are indicated with molded-in visual indicators. The cross-arms, which may be used to span two stanchions, are designed so that a user receives a visual indication from the stanchion when the cross-arm is fully seated and ready to receive a load of communications cables, power cables, or both. In a preferred embodiment, each stanchion has an aperture for attaching to a wall near a top of the stanchion. Plastic cable ties may be used to secure small cables to the stanchions without a cross arm, and may also be used to lock cross arms into the stanchions.

Cables for electric power and for communication lines are run underground in order to protect them from above-ground elements and from the interference and damage they would suffer when installed above the ground or on poles or structures. The underground environment may be less hostile in some ways, but the history of underground cables suggests that the underground environment is not to be considered benign. The environment in underground power and communications manholes is indeed harsh.
While there may be fewer ultraviolet rays and less severe weather underground, and the temperature is more constant, moisture and humidity are always a consideration. There are other considerations, such as the constant and higher danger from flooding, and underground pests that consider electrical insulation, and even steel, a tasty treat. Manholes may fill with water that is often contaminated with sewage, fertilizer runoff, tree roots, and chemicals, including caustic materials. Very harsh sea or salt water sometimes fills manholes. Many manholes are completely or partially filled with such contaminated water all of the time, except when pumped out for maintenance. Others fill periodically but are hot and have extremely high humidity, while still others fill and empty with ocean tides.
Thus, at a minimum, communication and power cables must be kept off the ground, organized, and protected to the greatest extent possible. Cables are thus typically supported underground by racks that elevate cabling and keep the cabling off the ground, thus shielding the cables from at least some of the worst underground dangers. Once the decision is made to go underground, the underground environment must then be faced. Racks for supporting cables must be able to withstand both heat and cold, all conceivable temperatures and humidities in every combination. In addition, the racks must be able to support very heavy and steady loads from power and communication cables. The racks themselves are preferably supported, e.g., attached to a wall, rather than free-standing structures. Thus, the racks will have penetrations, or stress concentrators, to deal with, in these hot, humid, and stressful environments, along with the high loads expected from supporting cabling. The walls themselves will also have penetrations, supporting the bolts or other fasteners used to secure the racks in place. The walls, such as concrete walls or other structures, will also be in intimate contact with the racks, adding their chemical potential for corrosion to the racks.
All these stresses combine to make the underground a challenging environment for cable racks. In the past and still today, many underground cable racks and fasteners are made from hot dipped galvanized steel. The steel arms and posts are bonded together and grounded in an attempt to prevent galvanic corrosion. Galvanic corrosion is caused by a difference in the electrical potential between the galvanized steel and the surroundings, including the manhole and any water in the manhole. Eventually, the galvanized coating is consumed and the steel racks may oxidize or corrode away, leaving the power and communications cables without support.
What is needed are cable racks better able to withstand the environment, and better able to tailor themselves to a greater variety of situations, for fewer stresses, and for longer service.

Cable rack for power and communication cables


An image processing apparatus comprises: shape obtaining means for obtaining information indicating a surface shape of a target object; discrimination means for discriminating a contact portion and a noncontact portion between the target object and an imaging surface of an ultrasonic probe which captures an ultrasonic image of the target object; position and orientation obtaining means for obtaining information indicating a position and orientation of the ultrasonic probe at the time of imaging; and alignment means for estimating deformation of the target object based on information indicating the surface shape, a discrimination result obtained by the discrimination means, and information indicating the position and orientation, and aligning the surface shape with the ultrasonic image.

In the medical field, a doctor displays the medical images obtained by imaging a patient on a monitor, interprets the displayed medical images, and observes the state of a morbid portion and temporal changes in it. Apparatuses which generate this type of medical images include, for example, an X-ray imaging apparatus, X-ray computed tomography apparatus (X-ray CT), magnetic resonance imaging apparatus (MRI), nuclear medicine diagnostic apparatus (SPECT or PET), and ultrasonic image diagnostic apparatus (US). In image diagnosis in which a doctor diagnoses a patient by using the images obtained from such apparatuses which generate medical images, the doctor selects proper apparatuses depending on the region or disease to be diagnosed in consideration of the differences in characteristic between the apparatuses. In some case, a doctor performs diagnosis by using a plurality of images obtained from a plurality of apparatuses in order to improve the accuracy of the diagnosis. For example, it is possible to obtain information more effective for diagnosis by imaging the same object using both an ultrasonic image diagnostic apparatus and an MRI and using a combination of the captured images.
When performing diagnosis using a combination of ultrasonic images and MRI images, it is effective to perform diagnosis upon associating corresponding regions between two images. For this purpose, it is necessary to perform alignment between the two images. In order to implement this, there are several problems to be solved. The first problem is that since a doctor or technician images an object to be examined while holding an imaging probe (to be referred to as a "probe" hereinafter) and freely moving it, the correspondence between a position in a space with reference to the object and a captured image is not clear. The second problem is that an image captured as an ultrasonic image is generally a two-dimensional tomogram of the inside of an object to be examined, and hence differs in the spatial dimension of information which can be obtained from an MRI image obtained by capturing three-dimensional information.
One of the approaches to these problems is a method of measuring the position and orientation of a probe by using an external sensor. Japanese Patent No. 03871747 discloses a technique of obtaining a slice image corresponding to a region imaged by an ultrasonic image diagnostic apparatus from a three-dimensional medical image, captured in advance, in accordance with the measurement value from a device for measuring a position and orientation which is mounted on the probe, and displaying the images side by side. This technique allows to observe an ultrasonic image of a two-dimensional slice in association with three-dimensional information obtained by another modality.
Studies have been made to align these two modalities by using the image information of an ultrasonic image and three-dimensional medical image. The technique disclosed in W. Wein, B. Roper, and N. Navab, "Automatic registration and fusion of ultrasound with CT to radiotherapy", Proc. MICCAI 2005, vol. 2, pp. 303-311, 2005 generates an ultrasonic simulation image based on a three-dimensional medical image obtained in advance. This technique associates an ultrasonic image actually captured by an ultrasonic image diagnostic apparatus with a simulation image based on image information.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2010-131269 discloses a technique of improving the processing efficiency by obtaining a surface shape of an object from a three-dimensional medical image, and limiting a search range for association by associating images under conditions that make the positions of the surface shape and the imaging surface of a probe match, based on the positions of the surface shape and imaging surface of the probe.
According to the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 03871747, it is difficult to accurately align an ultrasonic image with a three-dimensional medical image when the accuracy of a sensor is insufficient. In addition, even with the use of a high-accuracy position and orientation sensor, if an imaging region deforms due to the body movement of an object or the pressing force of the probe, it is also difficult to accurately perform alignment. On the other hand, the technique disclosed in W. Wein, B. Roper, and N. Navab, "Automatic registration and fusion of ultrasound with CT to radiotherapy", Proc. MICCAI 2005, vol. 2, pp. 303-311, 2005 can perform accurate alignment including the correction of the above deformation by performing alignment processing between an ultrasonic image and an MRI image based on image information. However, since this technique requires a very large amount of calculation, it is difficult to perform alignment at high speed. This impairs the synchronization between imaging and observation. In addition, since the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2010-131269 performs processing on the assumption that the overall imaging surface of the probe is in contact with an object, when the probe is in contact with only part of the object, the accuracy of an alignment result deteriorates.

Image processing apparatus, method of controlling the same and storage medium


Geometric objects including points, lines, curves, surfaces and solids are defined and constructed in a system which retains and utilizes relationships and dependencies between objects in a directed graph (digraph) data structure. The primary advantage is automatic updating of the model, preserving dependencies, when an underlying object is changed. Multiple types of parametric curves and surfaces and multiple levels of dependency are easily supported through a recursive program structure. Difficulties of surface-surface intersection and trimming are largely avoided by provision of novel entities which permit construction of accurate and durable joins between surface objects.

Geometric definition is an essential element in the design of practically any object to be manufactured. Until recently, geometric definition was performed primarily by drafting scale drawings of the object. In the last two decades, computer-aided geometric design (CAGD) has largely supplanted drafting. In CAGD, mathematical representations of an object's geometry are stored in computer memory and manipulated by the computer user. Sometimes the product of a CAGD design is scale drawings produced on a plotting device; in other cases a CAGD representation of the object is transmitted to numerical-control (NC) machinery for automated production of the object. The CAGD representation may also serve as a basis for analysis and evaluation of the design aside from visual aspects, e.g. finite-element stress analysis.
One well-known example of a CAGD program is AutoCAD (R), produced by AutoDesk, Inc. of Sausalito, Calif. Initially a two-dimensional environment simulating the drafting process on paper, AutoCAD now provides a three-dimensional environment in which many types of geometric entities including points, lines, curves, surfaces and solids can be defined, positioned, and edited to build up extremely precise definitions of highly complex objects. There are otherCAGD programs which are much less general than AutoCAD, but are better adapted to specialized purposes; e.g. FAIRLINE (R) by AeroHydro, Inc., which is adapted to the special task of creating fair surfaces for ship hull design. CAGD programs for workstation and mainframe computers, for example IGDS (R) by Intergraph Corp., Huntsville, Ala., provide more flexible surface and solid modeling entities, such as nonuniform rational B-spline (NURBS) surfaces.
In a CAGD program, each object springs into existence at the time when it is created, either by execution of a user command, or as a result of reading data from a file. In most circumstances the new object is positioned, oriented or constructed in some deliberate relationship to one or more objects already in existence. For example, line B may be created in such a way that one of its endpoints is one end of a previously existing line A. However, the relationship which was clearly in the mind of the user at the time line B was created is not retained by the CAGD program; so if in some later revision of the geometry line A is displaced, then line B will stay where it is and no longer join line A. A conventional CAGD representation of geometry therefore consists of a large number of essentially independent simple objects, whose relationships are incidental to the manner and order in which they were created, but are not known to the program.
If design always proceeded in a forward direction, the loss of relationship information would not be a problem. One would start a project, add objects until the design is complete, and save the results. However, it is well known that engineering design is only rarely a simple forward process. It is far more commonly an iterative process: design is carried forward to some stage, then analyzed and evaluated; problems are identified; then the designer has to back up to some earlier stage and work forward again. It is typical that many iterative cycles are required, depending on the skills of the designer, the difficulty of the design specifications, and any optimization objectives that may be present. In each forward stage, the designer will have to repeat many operations he previously performed (updating), in order to restore relationships that were disrupted by the revision of other design elements. For example, he may have to move the end of line B so it once more joins line A; he may have to do this many times in the course of the design. CAGD systems typically provide extensive editing functions to facilitate these updates.
Revision of a previously existing design to meet new requirements is a common situation where similar problems are encountered. A change that alters an early stage of the design process requires at least one forward pass through all the subsequent design stages to restore disrupted relationships. Particularly if the relationships, and the sequence of design stages to achieve them, have been lost (and they are not normally retained in a way accessible to the user), the updating process can be very difficult, error-prone and time-consuming.
Some partial solutions to this problem are known. In some CAGD programs including AutoCAD, lines A and B can be created together as part of a "polyline" entity; then their connectivity will be automatically maintained if any of their endpoints, including their common point, are moved. Christensen (U.S. Pat. No. 4,663,616) has disclosed the concept of a "sticky" attribute which causes selected lines to remain connected to objects they are deliberately attached to. Draney (U.S. Pat. No. 4,829,446) has disclosed the concept of giving points in two dimensions serial numbers, and locating another point in two dimensions (a "Relative Point") by its relationship (x,y coordinate offsets) to a numbered point. Oosterholt (U.S. Pat. No. 4,868,766) has disclosed the concept of giving all geometric objects names, and locating each object in relationship to at most one other object, in a tree structure of dependency. Ota et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,003,498) have disclosed a CAGD system in which some objects have names, and are used by name in the construction of other more complex objects. Saxton (U.S. Pat. No. 4,912,657) discloses a system of "modular parametric design" in which design elements can be stored and conveniently recreated with different leading dimensions.
As mentioned above, many CAGD surface modeling systems support only a single type of surface, e.g. the FAIRLINE (R) surface, which is created from explicit cubic splines lofted through a set of B-spline "Master Curves". Although this surface can be molded into a wide variety of shapes useful in its own domain of ship hull design, there are many shapes it cannot make; e.g. it cannot form either an exact circular cross section or a completely round nose, both common features of submarine hulls. CAGD programs suited to mechanical design, such as AutoCAD, frequently support several simple surface types such as ruled surfaces and surfaces of revolution, but do not support more complex free-form surfaces such as B-spline parametric surfaces. Although it is widely appreciated that there would be large advantages in supporting a broader set of curve and surface types within a single CAGD environment, this has heretofore been possible only in workstation and mainframe CAGD systems, presumably because of the complexity of the programming required.
One known partial solution to this problem is to support only a single surface type, which has sufficient degrees of flexibility to encompass a useful set of simpler surfaces as special cases. Nonuniform rational B-spline (NURBS) surfaces have been proposed to fill this role, since by special choice of knots and coefficients the NURBS curve can accurately represent arcs of circles, ellipses, and other useful conic section curves. Disadvantages of this approach include the obscure relationship between the selection of knots and coefficients to achieve a desired curve; the large quantity of data required to define even a simple surface such as a circular cylinder; nonuniformity of resulting parameterizations; and the general unsuitability of NURBS surfaces for interactive design of surfaces having special requirements such as fairness or developability.
In CAGD surface modeling systems, intersections between surfaces often account for much of the complexity in both the program and the user interface. In a typical application, surface Y is constructed, then surface Z is constructed in such a way that it intersects surface Y. The next step is often to find the curve of intersection of Y and Z; then portions of Y and/or Z which extend beyond that curve may be discarded (trimmed). The problem of intersection of two surfaces is inherently difficult, for several reasons. The two surfaces may not intersect at all. Finding any single point of intersection requires solution of three simultaneous, usually nonlinear, equations. These equations will be ill-conditioned if the intersection is at a low angle. The intersection may be a single point, a simple arc, a closed curve, a self-intersecting curve, or multiple combinations of these elements. The surfaces might actually coincide over some finite area. Once a curve of intersection is found, it is often difficult to indicate correctly which portion of which surface is to be discarded. After trimming, a parametric surface patch may no longer be topologically quadrilateral, so it can no longer be conveniently parameterized.

System of relational entities for object-oriented computer-aided geometric design


Dentifrices, including toothpastes or dental creams, gels and tooth powders, incorporating alkali metal pyrophosphate salts and sodium bicarbonate in amounts effective to inhibit calculus formation on teeth. The sodium bicarbonate improves the calculus inhibiting properties of the pyrophosphate salts, permits the use of smaller quantities of pyrophosphate than required in the absence of the bicarbonate adjuvant, allows the formulation of pyrophosphate containing dentifrices without the need to use unpleasant tasting potassium pyrophosphates to prevent grittiness, and salts-out the pyrophosphate as undissolved tetrasodium pyrophosphate decahydrate in the form of relatively small particles which do not impart a gritty mouth feel upon use of the dentifrice.

Calculus, or tartar as it is also referred to, is the solid, hard mass of calcified material deposited on and adherent to the surfaces of the teeth. Calculus is composed of inorganic salts, organic matter and water. The inorganic salts which make the calculus hard and resistant are, as shown by chemical analysis, calcium phosphates, mainly calcium hydroxyapatite, with varying, but small, amounts of other inorganic salts. Although not entirely understood, the general concept is that deposits, mostly plaque, a sticky film of oral bacteria and their products, become calcified with the ultimate formation of teeth of a hard mineral consisting of calcium hydroxyapatite (HAP).
Methods for chemically reducing or preventing calculus formation have been directed at affecting the process at any of several stages in its development. One approach is to develop agents which inhibit the formation of the crystalline calcium phosphate or hydroxyapatite. A chemical agent which would interfere with the crystal growth of hydroxyapatite would be an effective anticalculus agent.
It is well known that dissolved pyrophosphate ions are effective agents in inhibiting the crystal growth of hydroxyapatite. Even at extremely low concentrations, dissolved pyrophosphate is an effective inhibitor of hydroxyapatite formation from its amorphous phases. Draus et al (Arch Oral Biol. 15: 893-896, 1970) demonstrated that natural pyrophosphate in saliva inhibits the conversion of amorphous calcium phosphate into hydroxyapatite. Their studies, carried out in vitro. suggested that the attachment of pyrophosphate ions to calcium results in a calciumpyrophosphate complex which causes an inhibition of crystal growth to hydroxyapatite. Draus et al were also aware of the presence of pyrophosphatase in the saliva of subjects who were calculus formers and pointed out that pyrophosphate ions or complexes can be hydrolyzed by the enzyme to form orthophosphate ions or calcium orthophosphate which are inactive as inhibitors of hydroxyapatite formations. They suggested that dissolved pyrophosphate ions would inhibit calculus formation if the pyrophosphate could be protected from pyrophosphatase-induced hydrolysis. (For example, it has been known for some time that fluoride ion is a pyrophosphatase inhibitor. Rapp et al, J. Dent. Res. 39: 372-376, 1960; Vogel et al, Archs. Oral Biol. 12: 159-163, 1967. )
Briner et al (W. W. Briner, M. D. Francis, "In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluation of Anti-Calculus Agents". Calc. Tiss. Res. 11:10-22 (1973)) demonstrated the in vitro and in vivo anticalculus effects of dissolved pyrophosphate ions and showed that 1% solutions applied to the teeth of rats could reduce calculus severity by 38.2% and incidence by 11.7%.
In the light of these disclosures, Parran et al, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,515,772, 4,590,066, 4,684,518, 4,806,339, 4,885,155 and 4,999,184 have proposed anticalculus agents dentifrices and mouthwashes containing mixtures of various alkali metal pyrophosphate salts and soluble fluorides. Parran et al claimed that those compositions capable of providing at least 1.5% of dissolved P.sub.2 O.sub.7.sup.-4 ions were effected in reducing calculus.
The efficacy of dentifrices containing pyrophosphate ions and sodium fluoride in preventing calculus deposits has been confirmed in many published clinical studies. For example, Lobene (Clinical Preventive Dentistry 8(3):5-7, 1986) showed that the use of a dentifrice theoretically containing 3.3% pyrophosphate ion (from 5.0% tetrasodium pyrophosphate) and 0.243% sodium fluoride resulted in a 44.2% reduction in calculus deposits after three months when compared to a placebo dentifrice containing 0.243% sodium fluoride without pyrophosphate ions. Using a dentifrice containing a similar concentration of pyrophosphate ion, Schiff (Clinical Preventative Dentistry 9(2) 13-16 (1987)) obtained a 35.5% reduction after three months and a 45.95% reduction after six months.
It has been found, however, that dentifrice compositions containing high proportions of tetrasodium pyrophosphate as the anticalculus agent, especially in the amounts used above, e.g., 5% tetrasodium pyrophosphate by weight, are gritty, and that the solid gritty particles are composed of undissolved tetrasodium pyrophosphate species. While the gritty particles in such dentifrices can be avoided by employing a predominant portion of the pyrophosphate in the form of the tetrapotassium salt, see, for example, Gaffar et al, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,806,340 and 4,931,273, problems still exist with these compositions due to the objectionable taste of the tetrapotassium salts when used in large amounts.
It has also been proposed to add synthetic anionic polymeric polycarboxylate salts to pyrophosphate/fluoridecontaining anticalculus dentifrices to further inhibit phosphatase-induced hydrolysis of pyrophosphate ions or the calcium-pyrophosphate complex formed therefrom. Thus, Gaffar et al U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,627,977, 4,806,342 and 4,869,898 disclose such formulations containing as little as 0.1% pyrophosphate, but exemplifying only formulations containing 3%, 6% and 7% by weight of tetrasodium pyrophosphate. Gaffar et al U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,806,340, 4,906,456, 4,925,654, 4,931,273 and 4,966,777 disclose the use of from 4.3% to 7% of alkali metal pyrophosphate as an anticalculus agent, at least 4.3% of which is tetrapotassium pyrophosphate and up to 2.7% of which is tetrasodium pyrophosphate. Finally, Gaffar et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,712 discloses the use of pyrophosphate ion in amounts below 3% by weight when it is admixed with the polycarboxylate salt in proportions of from about 0.3:1 to about 2.5:1.
The anticalculus efficacy of dentifrices containing low levels of pyrophosphate in combination with polymeric polycarboxylate was confirmed by Singh et al. (J. Clin. Dent. 2:53-55, 1990) and by Schiff et al. (J. Clin. Dent. 2:48-52, 1990). In these clinical studies the effect on calculus deposits of dentifrices theoretically containing 1.3% pyrophosphate ion (from 2.0% tetrasodium pyrophosphate), either alone or in admixture with 1.5% of a copolymer of methoxyethylene and maleic acid, was studied. It was found that the dentifrices containing both the soluble pyrophosphate and the carboxylate copolymer additive significantly reduced supragingival calculus formation after an initial oral prophylaxis, to the extent of about 29% to 36% in excess of the results obtained by use of placebo dentifrices absent such materials. On the other hand, it was concluded that dentifrices containing 1.3% soluble pyrophosphate but no carboxylate copolymer did not significantly reduce supragingival calculus formation.
One problem with the addition of carboxylate copolymers to dentifrices, however, is that many people find the slick feeling on the teeth and in the mouth, due to the presence of polymer residue after brushing, to be unpleasant.
Accordingly, in spite of the many disclosures dealing with the use of pyrophosphates as oral anticalculus agents, the need for improved anticalculus dentifrices still exists.
It is among the objects of this invention, therefore, to provide improved anticalculus dentifrices which will not be subject to one or more of the above problems and disadvantages.
Other objects and advantages will appear as the description proceeds.


An electric submersible pump (ESP) monitoring system is described herein. The ESP monitoring system includes a base monitoring unit and a discharge monitoring unit that are communicably coupled via a ground path. The discharge monitoring unit is hydraulically coupled to the pump discharge and is configured to measure a discharge parameter relating to the pump discharge and transmit data corresponding to the discharge parameter to the base monitoring unit via the ground path. The base monitoring unit is electrically connected to the motor of the ESP system and is configured to measure a base parameter relating to the motor and/or the pump intake, receive the transmitted data corresponding to the discharge parameter from the discharge monitoring unit, combine the data corresponding to the discharge parameter and the data corresponding to the base parameter, and transmit the combined data to an ESP surface unit via an ESP power cable.

This section is intended to introduce various aspects of the art, which may be associated with embodiments of the present techniques. This discussion is believed to assist in providing a framework to facilitate a better understanding of particular aspects of the present techniques. Accordingly, it should be understood that this section should be read in this light, and not necessarily as admissions of prior art.
Artificial lift includes a number of methods for transporting produced hydrocarbon fluids within a wellbore to the surface when reservoir pressure alone is not sufficient. While many hydrocarbon wells initially have sufficient reservoir pressure to force hydrocarbon fluids from the reservoir to the surface, the reservoir pressure declines as production continues. As a result, more than 60% of hydrocarbon wells require the use of one or more artificial lift methods to boost production.
One common artificial lift method involves using electric submersible pump (ESP) systems to lift hydrocarbon fluids to the surface. More than 15% of hydrocarbon wells worldwide utilize some form of ESP system to aid with production. In fact, ESP systems are the fastest-growing form of artificial lift pumping technology. ESP systems are very versatile and are capable of operating in high-volume, high-depth environments. For example, a typical ESP system can handle flow rates in excess of 30,000 barrels per day (bpd) and can provide more than 15,000 feet of lift.
However, ESP systems have relatively short run lives. Specifically, an average ESP system has a run life of 2-3 years, with a run life in excess of 5 years being uncommon. The run life of an ESP system is generally determined by the environment in which it operates, as well as by the manner in which it is operated. Moreover, because ESP systems are typically attached to the production tubing and installed with a rig, ESP installation and replacement workovers can be relatively expensive. Therefore, ESP operators spend considerable time on ESP reliability initiatives, since each additional day of run time improves the overall project economics.
ESP operators typically monitor ESP system performance using monitoring units that are installed below the ESP motor, i.e., via electrical connection to the motor wye point. Such monitoring units include sensors that provide for the direct measurement of key parameters relating to the ESP motor and the pump intake, such as, for example, downhole vibration, motor oil temperature, motor winding temperature, intake pressure, intake temperature, water ingress, current leakage, wye voltage, and the like. These measurements are communicated to an ESP surface unit via the ESP power cable.
The ESP operator then uses the information provided by these measurements for ESP surveillance, troubleshooting, and optimization. For example, the ESP operator may use the information to proactively intervene when the performance of the ESP system is gradually declining. In this manner, such information can be used to extend the run life of the ESP system, as well as boost production from the hydrocarbon well. In addition, in some cases, such information can provide helpful insight into the characteristics of the reservoir, which may be used to further improve production.
The discharge pressure of the pump is one important parameter that is not directly measured by a typical ESP monitoring unit. The discharge pressure can be used to calculate the differential pressure across the pump to evaluate its performance and to quickly identify a potential deadhead condition. In addition, the discharge pressure can be used to determine the hydrostatic pressure gradient in the production tubing above the ESP system.
According to current techniques, ESP monitoring units can be configured to determine the pump discharge pressure by using a hydraulic line to attach the monitoring unit to a pump discharge sub installed above the pump discharge. This enables the monitoring unit to measure the discharge pressure applied to the hydraulic line by the pump. The hydraulic line is typically 0.25 to 0.375 inches in diameter and is banded to the outside of the pump, protector, and motor of the ESP system. In addition, the hydraulic line may be more than 100 feet long, depending on the distance from the monitoring unit to the pump discharge. As a result, this technique for measuring the discharge pressure increases the overall outer diameter of the ESP system. Therefore, this solution may not be an option when the inner diameter of the casing is limited, such as, for example, when heavy-walled casing is used. Moreover, while slim-line and tight-clearance ESP systems do exist, such systems are less reliable than standard-sized ESP systems and often have production and horsepower limitations.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,388,812 B2, entitled "Wireless Sensor System for Electric Submersible Pump," provides a wired or wireless remote unit for measuring pump discharge pressure. However, the wired solution relies on the use of a wired interface between the remote unit and the base unit. If small wires are used for this purpose, the wires may not survive the ESP installation process. Moreover, if large wires are used for this purpose, the ESP system would suffer from the same issue that is encountered when using a hydraulic line to connect the two units. i.e., the increase in the overall outer diameter. Furthermore, the wireless solution suffers from intrinsic unreliability due to the unknown composition of the downhole transmission medium, i.e., the gas and liquid between the ESP system and the casing annulus. Therefore, there exists a need for reliable techniques for measuring pump discharge pressures without increasing the overall outer diameters of ESP systems.

System and method for measuring discharge parameters relating to an electric submersible pump


A method of designing a ferritic iron-base alloy having excellent characteristics according not to the conventional trial-and-error technique but to a theoretical method, and a ferritic heat-resistant steel for use as the material of turbines and boilers usable even in an ultrasupercritical pressure power plant. Specifically, the d-electron orbital energy level (Md) and the bond order (Bo) with respect to iron (Fe) of each alloying element of a body-centered cubic iron-base alloy are determined by the Dv-X.alpha. cluster method, and the type and quantity of each element to be added to the alloy are determined in such a manner that the average Bo value and average Md value represented respectively by the following equations: EQU average Bo value=.SIGMA.Xi.(Bo)i 1 EQU average Md value=.SIGMA.Xi.(Md)i 2. coincide with particular values conforming to the characteristics required of the alloy; wherein Xi represents atomic fraction of an alloying element i, and (Bo)i and (Md)i represent respectively the Bo value and Md value of the element i. Preferably, the average Bo value and average Md value are, respectively, in the ranges of 1.805 to 1.817 and 0.8520 to 0.8628.

Although heat resistant steels are used in various areas, materials of turbines and boilers are the typical uses of the ferritic heat resistant steels. Therefore, the heat resistant steels of this invention will be specified in terms of turbine and boiler materials hereinafter.
Most of conventional heat resistant steels hitherto developed for use in boiler and turbine materials contained 9 to 12% chromium as well as one or more of carbon, silicon, manganese, nickel, molybdenum, tungsten, vanadium, niobium, titanium, boron, nitrogen and copper, in amounts of 0.04 to 2.0%, respectively. It should be noted that "percent (%)" means "mass %" herein unless any explanatory note is given.
Compositions of typical heat resistant steels for materials of turbines and boilers are listed in Table 1 and Table 2 (refer to "Compositions, Structures and Creep Characteristics of Heat Resistant Alloys" distributed as a brief at the 78th conference held under co-sponsorship of Japan Metal Society and Kyushu branch of Japan Iron and Steel Institute . . . Reference 1). All these steels have been developed by many experiments wherein various elements of various amounts were alloyed in turn. The action and function of each said alloying element has come to be known by such trial-and-error experiments and can be roughly summarized as follows.
Chromium:
Chromium improves corrosion and heat resistance of the steel. Chromium content should be increased as the service temperature of the steel is elevated.
Tungsten, Molybdenum:
These elements improve high temperature strength of the steel due to their function for bringing about solid solution hardening and precipitation hardening in the structure of the steel. However, as contents of these elements are increased, the ductile-brittle transition temperature (DBTT) of the resultant steel is elevated. In order to suppress the embrittlement of the steel, the molybdenum equivalent Mo+(1/2)W! is necessarily lowered below 1.5%. In accordance with this instruction, the molybdenum equivalent of most of the conventional alloys is around 1.5%.
Vanadium, Niobium:
These elements will bring about strengthening of a steel due to formation of carbo-nitrides through precipitation hardening. The solid solubility of vanadium in a steel is 0.2%, whereas that of niobium is 0.03%, when the steel is annealed at a temperature of 1050.degree. C. If the amount of vanadium and that of niobium exceed their respective solid solubility, the excess amount of vanadium and that of niobium will form their carbides and nitrides in the steel matrix during annealing. Results of experimental work obtained up to the present, in particular that of creep rupture tests, show that the optimum vanadium and niobium contents are 0.2% and 0.05%, respectively. The niobium content "0.05%" in the steel exceeds its solid solubility, and the excess niobium forms NbC which is effective to suppress coarsening of austenitic crystal grains during annealing heat treatment.
Copper:
As copper is one of the austenite stabilizing elements, it suppresses formation of the .delta.-ferrite as well as precipitation of iron carbides. Copper in the steel exhibits a weak action of lowering the Ac.sub.1 point and improves hardenability of the steel. Copper suppresses forming a softened layer in a heat affected zone (hereinafter designated as HAZ). However, addition of more than 1% copper to a steel decreases its reduction of area upon creep rupture.
Carbon, Nitrogen:
These elements are effective to control structure and strength of the steel. Concerning creep properties of the steel, the optimum carbon and nitrogen amounts for creep rupture strength depend on contents of vanadium, niobium or the like carbide and/or nitride forming elements in the steel.
Boron:
About 0.005% of boron in a steel improves its hardenability. It is said that boron is further effective to make the steel structure fine and thereby to improve strength and toughness.
Silicon, Phosphorus, Sulphur, Manganese:
In order to suppress embrittlement of the steel by making it super-clean, these elements are desired to be as low as possible. However, silicon has an effect of suppressing oxidizing attack of water vapor on the steel. So it is said that some amount of silicon should be kept in the boiler steel.
The action and function of each alloying element are clarified to some extent in accordance with the conventional alloy developing method, as mentioned above. However, a great deal of experimental work will be required before obtaining a novel sort of steel with desirable chemical and physical properties. For example, in a steel containing five alloying elements, if the content of each element is changed in three content levels, 3.sup.5 combinations could be produced and such huge numbers of alloys have to be melted, cast and formed into various test specimens, followed by a great deal of experimentations.
As shown in Tables 1 and 2, most of the heat resistant steels recently developed contain more than ten alloying elements. Development of new steels like the steels in Tables 1 and 2 in accordance with the conventional trial-and-error method requires a great deal of labor, time and cost.
We, the inventors, already developed a method of designing novel metallic materials on the basis of a molecular orbital theory. An outline of the method is disclosed in "Journal of Metal Institute of Japan, Vol.31, No.7(1992), pp 599-603" (Reference 2) and "Altopia. September 1991, pp. 23-31" (Reference 3). Meanwhile, we filed a Japanese Patent Application relating to "A Method of Producing Nickel Base Alloys and Austenitic Ferrous Alloys" refer to Japanese Patent No.1,831,647 (Japanese Patent Publication No.5-40806) corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,824,637!.
It is certain that, in view of the above-mentioned references and patent documents, the novel alloy designing method is applicable to produce aluminum base alloys, titanium base alloys, nickel base alloys and the like nonferrous alloys, intermelallic compound alloys and austenitic iron-base alloys. However, it has not been certain that the novel alloy designing system can be applicable to produce ferritic heat resistant steels.
This invention has been accomplished to provide a novel alloy designing system for producing iron base alloys, particularly ferritic heat resistant steels, without the need of troublesome trial-and-error experimentation.
Therefore, an object of this invention is to provide a method of producing with high efficiency ferritic iron base alloys excellent in high temperature strength on the basis of theoretical predicting system.
Another object of this invention is to provide ferritic heat resistant steels which are excellent in various physical and chemical properties such as high temperature strength, as compared with the conventional ferritic heat resistant steel and therefore are well applicable to turbine and boiler materials which are durable even for a severe water vapor environment of 246-351 kgf/cm.sup.2 g pressure and 538.degree.-649.degree. C. temperature.

Method of producing ferritic iron-base alloys and ferritic heat resistant steels


An input device may include various sensor electrodes that define various sensor pixels. The input device may further include a processing system coupled to the sensor electrodes. The processing system may obtain a first resulting signal and a second resulting signal from the sensor electrodes. The processing system may determine, using the first resulting signal, an in-phase estimate of a phase delay at a sensor pixel among the sensor pixels. The processing system may determine, using the second resulting signal, a quadrature estimate of the phase delay at the sensor pixel. The processing system may determine, based at least in part on the in-phase estimate and the quadrature estimate, a phase baseline estimate of the sensor pixels.

Input devices, including proximity sensor devices (also commonly called touchpads or touch sensor devices), are widely used in a variety of electronic systems. A proximity sensor device typically includes a sensing region, often demarked by a surface, in which the proximity sensor device determines the presence, location and/or motion of one or more input objects. Proximity sensor devices may be used to provide interfaces for the electronic system. For example, proximity sensor devices are often used as input devices for larger computing systems (such as opaque touchpads integrated in, or peripheral to, notebook or desktop computers). Proximity sensor devices are also often used in smaller computing systems (such as touch screens integrated in cellular phones).
Moreover, some proximity sensor devices use capacitive sensing with various sensor electrodes for scanning a sensing region. However, sensor electrodes include various electrical properties that may contribute delay in passing electrical signals through the sensor electrodes. Accordingly, many proximity sensing techniques may obtain proximity information without accounting and/or correcting for this delay caused within the sensor electrodes.

Method and system for measuring a phase baseline estimate of an input device


A driving force control apparatus for moving a vehicle by a desired distance includes an input section for input a desired move distance, a throttle controller section for setting a throttle actuator of the vehicle at an opening degree, an actual moved distance detecting section for detecting an actual moved distance of the vehicle, and a braking section for stopping the vehicle by braking when the vehicle moved the desired distance. Therefore, a slight movement of the vehicle is simplified and therefore the load to a vehicle driver is decreased.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for moving a vehicle by a desired distance by controlling a throttle actuator and a braking system of the vehicle.
A variety of methods for automatically driving an automotive vehicle have been developed and proposed in order to further improve a reliability of vehicles. Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 6-2576 discloses an electronic throttle control apparatus where a throttle actuator and an accelerator pedal are electrically connected for electronically changing the relationship between the opening degrees of the throttle and the accelerator pedal. That is, by changing the relationship between the opening degree of the throttle actuator and the depression degree of the accelerator pedal according to the driving condition of the vehicle so that a driver can easily drive the vehicle without noticing the change of the driving condition.
However, such a throttle control system is not useful in a case that the vehicle is moving in a multi-level parking building so as to get over a vehicle stopper while being precisely stopped at a predetermined position. That is, percise acceleration-work and timely braking are required by a driver during such a vehicle position adjusting operation.

Driving force control apparatus for moving vehicle by desired distance


A method for use in ply compaction in forming a composite structure. The method includes positioning a ply of material on a forming tool having a web surface and at least one flange surface extending from the web surface, positioning a chassis at a first location along a length dimension of the forming tool, selectively rotating a flange forming device, that is coupled to the chassis, about a yaw axis based on a relative orientation of the flange forming device to the at least one flange surface, applying, with the flange forming device, the ply of material onto the forming tool, moving the chassis relative to the forming tool to position the chassis at a second location along the length dimension of the forming tool, and repeating the selective rotation and the application steps at the second location.

Formed composite structures are commonly used in applications, such as aircraft and vehicles, where light weight and high strength are desired. These applications typically utilize complex contoured parts or channels which must be formed and then cured. Historically, the formation of complex contoured composite structures has included extensive hand labor prior to curing. Typically, pre-impregnated composite fiber plies ("pre-pregs") such as epoxy impregnated carbon fiber laminates are laid by hand over a shaped form or mandrel. Then the part is cured, often by heat curing. This results in a contoured part that matches the shape of the mandrel. However, manual lay-up of pre-preg plies or dry fabric is a time-consuming and laborious task. For example, in the manufacture of relatively large composite structures, a technician may be required to retrieve individual plies from a ply cutting station and then physically walk the plies along the mandrel to manually locate the plies thereon.
Some known composite manufacturing processes use a process known as drape forming, which uses vacuum bagging to form the composite structures. Drape forming has been used successfully to form composite structures where the structures being formed have a limited amount of pre-preg plies. This method includes heating a flat laminate pre-preg composite blank or charge and forcing it around a mandrel with the use of a vacuum bag. However, this method has has limited success on very thick laminates or those with more complex shapes. In addition, uncontrolled compression of the composite blanks when forced around the mandrel can result in buckling or wrinkling of the plies within a composite structure.
In some known methods, a compactor may be used to compress the composite blanks against a tool surface during the fabrication of contoured composite structures. In some cases, the tool surface may be contoured along one or more planes. Consequently, where the structure is contoured in more than one plane, the tool surface has relatively complex geometries that require the compaction process to be supplemented manually by hand. As noted above, manual lay-up of pre-preg plies or dry fabric is a time-consuming and laborious task. Also, the human factor involved in manual layup may introduce process variations that lead to undesired inconsistencies in the finished structures.

System, method, and apparatus for use in ply compaction in forming a composite structure


A promoter for use in producing proteins in filamentous fungal host cells is provided. In one embodiment, the promoter comprises SEQ ID NO:1, or a variant or a truncated form thereof that has promoter activity in a host cell. Also provided are recombinant nucleic acids, vectors containing the promoter and host cells containing a recombinant nucleic acid or vector. Methods of producing a protein using the host cells are also provided.

Molecular biotechnology is a discipline that is based on the ability of researchers to transfer specific units of genetic information from one organism to another with the goal of producing commercially relevant amounts of useful products. One of the goals of this cloning process is to achieve maximum expression of the cloned gene. Recombinant production of a product encoded by a gene is accomplished by constructing expression vectors suitable for use in a host cell in which the nucleic acid coding for a desired product is placed under the expression control of a promoter. The expression vector is introduced into a host cell by various techniques, such as transformation, and production of the desired product is then achieved by culturing the transformed host cell under suitable conditions necessary for the functioning of the promoter included in the expression vector.


In slicing a crystal bar into silicon wafers, an average about 40% of silicon would be loss due to the widths of slicing wires themselves. The fact that the silicon slurry is discarded as sludge or discarded after recovering silicon carbide particles causes a large waste of cost. If the silicon slurry (40% of silicon) could be recovered as the raw material for growing silicon crystal bars, the production cost would be lowered. The recovery method of silicon slurry according to the present invention could effectively obtain silicon raw material after removing impurities, which could recover the raw material used in solar crystals, further capable of increasing the silicon crystal production and lowering the cost.

Accompanying with an increasing focus on renewable energy in recent years, the solar industry has grown and developed rapidly. Particularly in Taiwan, it is extremely possible that Taiwan would become the world's first photovoltaic site followed by the semiconductor, panel and diode industries through vertical integration of upstream and downstream supply. During these two years, the need for solar cells has risen considerably since renewable energy policies were motivated in every country, especially in Germany. The shipping quantity of 2005 exceeds 1 GW in a single year so that the lack of silicon raw material causes its high-rising price (above 100$/Kg at present), and this also directly impacts the development of the solar industry. Therefore, low-cost raw materials and recovery of consumed materials would play a key role in positive development of the industry and cost reduction of solar power generation. Additionally, more and more firms joined the solar industry these years in Taiwan, such that the supply of silicon raw material is unable to meet the demand.
After completing the growth of a solar silicon crystal, its crown and tail would be cut first, followed by using a diamond wheel to perform external grinding till its diameter meets the wanted size. The silicon crystal bar is fixed in the crystallographic direction through its flat, then sliced into wafers by a metal slicing wire, followed by steps of edge profiling, lapping, polishing and the like to give the required silicon wafers for IC manufacturing process. In the above process, the most easily consumable step is the slicing step, wherein an average about 40% of silicon would be loss due to the widths of slicing wires themselves (kerf loss). The silicon slurry caused by slicing is discarded as sludge, and in view of economics and costs, this would be an incredible waste. Even though diamond wheels have been replaced by wire saws to slice crystal ingots in industry, but the kerf loss is still unavoidable due to their wire width of about 150 μm. A wafer slice would approximately get one lost.
It consumes a large amount of cutting fluids and abrasive fluids in lapping and polishing a wafer. The main compositions of these cutting/abrasive slurries are water, silicon carbide abrasive particles (5-30 μm), further containing lubricating oil with chemical composition, resins for fixing crystal bars and the consumed metal of slicing wires (iron and brass as the basis). The function of water is to dilute the abrasive particles and carry away the heat generated by cutting and lapping. The key roles, which cause the cutting/abrasive action, are silicon carbide particles suspended in the slurry. The reason for selecting silicon carbide is owing to its high hardness and low price. In spite of the cheapness of silicon carbide, most people still put emphasis on recovering the silicon carbide from wasted abrasive slurry because it is used in a high volume and takes the most fraction of wasted silicon slurry. Since a large amount of abrasive fluids are utilized in lapping wafers and they cannot be recycled in order to maintain good wafer quality as well as the most portion of these abrasive fluids is silicon carbide and the silicon content is relatively low, thus the recovery of silicon carbide is more simple and beneficial than that of silicon. Moreover, in comparison with silicon powder, some silicon carbide particles have small particle sizes (about 1 micron or less) due to the particle crush by lapping. This would lead to the difficulty of separation. Additionally, the purity required for silicon raw material is very high (6-nine to 7-nine) with allowable impurity levels below 1 ppm. Therefore, the separation of silicon from silicon carbide is quite difficult in terms of technology.


The invention relates to a method and a device for the preparation and bottling of liquids enriched with oxygen or with an oxygen/gas mixture. The method includes filling one or more containers with a gas enriched liquid; and sealing the containers pressure-tight, whereby the gas enriched liquid is kept under a nitrogen atmosphere at least part of the time during the bottling process. The process includes a filling device having one or more filling elements including a liquid valve, at least one gas valve, and a nitrogen-filled chamber; a flow connection for flushing and/or prepressurizing a container with nitrogen; and a sealing device configured to seal the containers pressure-tight using a closure. The instant abstract is neither intended to define the invention disclosed in this specification nor intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method and a device for the preparation and bottling of liquids, in particular, to a method and a device for the preparation and bottling of liquids enriched with oxygen or with an oxygen/gas mixture.
2. Discussion of Background Information
Methods and devices for preparing highly oxygen-enriched liquids, in particular beverages, are known from the European patent EP 0 847 959 B 1 and the German published, unexamined application DE 101 04 207 A1.
In these methods, the oxygen-enriched liquid is kept in a pure oxygen atmosphere or an oxygen/gas mixture from impregnation until it is bottled in containers. Prior to introduction of the liquid into a container, the container is prepressurized with oxygen or an oxygen/gas mixture in a filling machine. It is necessary to accept a not inconsiderable loss of oxygen in the process as a whole. Not only is pure oxygen expensive, but its handling is not uncritical on account of its reactivity.
In contrast, an aspect of the invention is to disclose an improved method and a device for the preparation and bottling of oxygen-enriched liquids, as well as a beverage container obtainable therewith.

Method and device for the production and bottling of liquids enriched with oxygen


Systems and methods of retrieving and presenting partial (skipped) document content are provided. A typical system includes a document parsing stage, a device request for content stage and a delivery of requested content stage. A target device can include a device presentation of the requested content stage. The system parses the content of an electronic document and generates a document object model (DOM) representation of the electronic document, where each source and destination target is assigned a document object model identifier (DOM ID). In some instances, upon completion of parsing, the document object model is then paginated in computer memory into segments of a certain size called chunks; in such instances the pagination operation can update each DOM ID with an additional information attribute containing the chunk index with the purpose of establishing a relationship between a document object model identifier and the corresponding chunk index. Thus, when a device requests specific content corresponding to the DOM ID the chunk index value indicates the correct chunk to be returned to the device. The device initiates a document viewing experience by requesting, parsing and displaying an initial chunk of document content as delivered by the corresponding server. The device can, upon parsing the data chunk, record navigational information provided in the form of link information containing corresponding DOM ID and Chunk Index information. The link information can in certain instances be presented visually by a dotted underline.

This application relates generally to content delivery of documents, and specifically to retrieving partial document content to be displayed on a limited memory and/or bandwidth device and indicating the skipped content from the original document to the user.
Electronic documents are produced using various computer programs, such as word processors, spreadsheet programs, financial software, and presentation software. In addition to textual information, documents can contain navigational information in the form of table of content, bookmarks and hyperlinks. This navigational information allows the user of the computer programs the ability to quickly move to relevant sections of the document by clicking on a navigational link as defined by a table of content or hyperlink pointing to a bookmark. By using a navigational link the computer program will immediately reposition the content in the document to the desired section of the document and thereby eliminate the need for the user to traverse the document on a sequential page-by-page basis until the desired section of content is found.
When the user of a mobile communication device, or other limited memory and/or bandwidth device, wishes to access an electronic document which resides on a remote computer, and view the document on the mobile communication device, the entire electronic document is typically transmitted over a potentially bandwidth-constrained wireless network to the mobile communication device. For example, if a user wishes to view only the one-page terms and conditions section at page 100 of a 400-page document, the preceding 99 pages must first be transmitted to the device, which is costly and time consuming from a network limitation perspective. Yet, the user only views one page on the mobile device (i.e. page 100).
Once on the device, the electronic document is viewed using the mobile communication device's user interface, which typically differs from the user interface used to create and view the document on a personal computer. For example, while the user interface on a personal computer used to create an electronic document may include a large, color display and a pointing device such as a mouse, the mobile communication device may have a small, non-color screen, and may not have a mouse. In addition, the mobile communication device typically has greater processing power and memory limitations than a computer used to view the electronic document, which may be very large in size.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

System and method of retrieving and presenting partial (skipped) document content


A system for supplying an evaporated and/or superheated hydrocarbon or hydrocarbon/water mixture to at least two components of a gas generation system of a fuel cell system, in particular to at least two stages of a multi-stage reforming process. In one embodiment, the system contains at least two heat exchangers, each of which contains a media-side area and an area that serves to input thermal energy. Furthermore, each of the heat exchangers is connected to least one of the components of the gas generation system and the two heat exchangers are connected to each other. In an alternate embodiment, the system contains one heat exchanger, the media-side area of which is connected to a valve device, which distributes the evaporated and/or superheated mixture to at least two conduits, each of which leads to one of the two components of the gas generation system.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention is generally directed to a system for supplying a superheated hydrocarbon or hydrocarbon/water mixture to at least two components of a gas generation system of a fuel cell system, in particular to at least two stages of a multi-stage reforming process.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generation systems for producing hydrogen-containing gases for use in fuel cell systems, in particular for use in mobile applications such as motor vehicles, comprise several components. In addition to the components that are usually connected in series, such as a reformer, a purification stage or similar elements, the operating state of the fuel cell system may make it necessary to supply an evaporated and/or superheated hydrocarbon or hydrocarbon/water mixture to at least two components of the gas generation system in parallel. For this purpose, two separate systems to evaporate or superheat the hydrocarbon or the hydrocarbon/water mixture are typically employed.
For example, DE 196 39 150 C2 describes a system that provides the thermal energy needed for the evaporation and/or superheating of the hydrocarbon or hydrocarbon/water mixture by means of a central heating device. A fuel and an oxygen-containing gas are catalytically oxidized in the central heating device and the thermal energy generated is then supplied to the individual system components of the gas generation system by means of a heat transfer medium. This distribution of thermal energy requires appropriate pipe elements, which connect the heat-transfer medium side of the central heating device with the individual system components. However, these transfer areas and pipe elements are subject to significant heat losses, which lower the overall efficiency of the system.
Another disadvantage of a system that uses a heat transfer medium to distribute generated thermal energy, is that is does not possess the dynamic response characteristics required for mobile applications, such as motor vehicles. A further disadvantage of such a system is that the heat transfer medium and the components that are to be supplied must be heated to an appropriate operating temperature by the central heating device before the entire system is able to provide gas generation operations proportionate with the load requirements put on a fuel cell of the fuel cell system.
Accordingly there remains a need for a system for supplying a superheated hydrocarbon or hydrocarbon/water mixture to components of a gas generation system that overcomes the disadvantages associated with a system that uses a heat transfer medium to distribute the generated thermal energy. The present invention fulfills one or more of these needs, and provides further related advantages.

System to supply at least two components of a gas generation system


A micromachined ultrasonic transducer (MUT) array includes a printed circuit board, an alignment plate formed on the printed circuit board, the alignment plate having a plurality of cavities formed therein and a plurality of protruding portions respectively formed between neighboring cavities of the plurality of cavities, and a plurality of MUT modules formed on the plurality of the cavities and the plurality of the protruding portions of the alignment plate. In the MUT array, each of the plurality of MUT modules includes an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) arranged on the alignment plate and an MUT arranged on the ASIC.

1. Field
The present disclosure relates to a micromachined ultrasonic transducer array, and more particularly, to a micromachined ultrasonic transducer array in which a dead zone is reduced during tiling of micromachined ultrasonic transducer modules so that uniformity in irradiation of an ultrasonic wave is improved.
2. Description of the Related Art
Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducers (MUTs) are devices for converting electrical signals to ultrasonic signals or vice versa. MUTs may be classified into a piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducer (PMUT), a capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT), a magnetic micromachined ultrasonic transducer (MMUT), etc., according to the type of a conversion method implemented by the MUT. The MUT is coupled with an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) including a drive circuit, forming an MUT module. An MUT array includes a plurality of MUT modules arranged in an array on a printed circuit board and is used in a medical diagnostic imaging system or a sensor.
In an MUT array, when MUT modules are arranged on the same plane, uniformity in irradiation of an ultrasonic wave may be reduced due to a dead zone between neighboring MUT modules and thus sensitivity in measuring an ultrasonic wave may be reduced.

Micromachined ultrasonic transducer array


Computer-implemented systems and computer-implemented methods include the following. A request is received to perform a search for solutions corresponding to a topic. The request includes the topic and a context associated with the topic for which solutions are to be searched. The context is associated with a current state of an application in use by a user. The search is performed using the context and the topic. Results of the search are provided for presentation to the user. The results are presented in an application of the application without requiring the user to exit the application.

When errors occur during the use of an application, conventional systems can display an error message to a user of the application. The error message can indicate a reason for the error, such as an error in a value entered by the user or a missing value (needing entry by the user). Some conventional systems can also display help topics or make help available in another way. If the user is unable to find a solution based on the conventional information that is available, the user can open a new window and perform a search. The user may enter the name of the error or an error number, for example, as search criteria for performing the search.