A method of and a system for evaluating constraint functions for improving nuclear reactor performance involve generating an operational solution for a nuclear reactor using a constraint to account for a problem with the operation of the nuclear reactor. The problem is based at least in part on channel deformation criteria.

Most problems encountered in engineering design are nonlinear by nature and involve the determination of system parameters that satisfy certain goals for the problem being solved. Such problems can be cast in the form of a mathematical optimization problem where a solution is desired that minimizes a system function or parameter subject to limitations or constraints on the system. Both the system function and constraints are comprised of system inputs (control variables) and system outputs, which may be either discrete or continuous. Furthermore, constraints may be equalities or inequalities. The solution to a given optimization problem has either or both of the following characteristics: 1) minimizes or maximizes a desired condition or conditions, thus satisfying the optimality condition and 2) satisfies the set of constraint equations imposed on the system.
With the above definitions, several categories of optimization problems may be defined. A Free Optimization Problem (FOP) is one for which no constraints exist. A Constraint Optimization Problem (COP) includes both, constraints and a "minimize" (or "maximize") condition(s) requirement. In contrast, a Constraint Satisfaction Problem (CSP) contains only constraints. Solving a CSP means finding feasible solution(s) within the search space that satisfies the constraint conditions. Solving a COP means finding a solution that is both feasible and optimal in the sense that a minimum (or maximum) value for the desired condition(s) is realized.
The solution to such a problem typically involves a mathematical search algorithm, whereby successively improved solutions are obtained over the course of a number of algorithm iterations. Each iteration, which can be thought of as a proposed solution, results in improvement of an objective function. An objective function is a mathematical expression having parameter values of a proposed solution as inputs. The objective function produces a figure of merit for the proposed solution. Comparison of objective function values provides a measure as to the relative strength of one solution versus another. Numerous search algorithms exist and differ in the manner by which the control variables for a particular problem are modified, whether a population of solutions or a single solution is tracked during the improvement process, and the assessment of convergence. However, these search algorithms rely on the results of an objective function in deciding a path of convergence. Examples of optimization algorithms include Genetic Algorithms, Simulated Annealing, and Tabu Search.
Within optimization algorithms, the critical issue of handling constraints for COPs and CSPs must be addressed. Several classes of methods exist for dealing with constraints. The most widespread method is the use of the penalty approach for modifying the objective function, which has the effect of converting a COP or CSP into a FOP. In this method, a penalty function, representing violations in the set of constraint equations, is added to an objective function characterizing the desired optimal condition. When the penalty function is positive, the solution is infeasible. When the penalty function is zero, all constraints are satisfied. Minimizing the modified objective function thus seeks not only optimality but also satisfaction of the constraints.
Objective functions take application specific forms, and therefore, each new problem or modification to a problem requires the construction of a new objective function. Furthermore, the objective function plays the important role of guiding an optimization algorithm to a possible best solution. Presumably, the better the objective function, the better the optimization result and/or the more efficient the optimization operation. Accordingly, a constant demand exists in the field of constraint-based problems for improved objective functions.

Method and apparatus for evaluating a proposed solution to a constraint problem for a nuclear reactor involving channel deformation


A current sensing circuit connected to a power supply terminal and having at least one input terminal and at least one output terminal includes at least one bipolar transistor having a base, emitter and collector, at least one current mirror amplifier connected to the power supply terminal, the current mirror amplifier having an input connected to the collector and having at least one output connected to the emitter, and a DC voltage source connected to the base.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a bipolar current sensing device having increased gain and low input impedance.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional systems utilize current sensing as a circuit technique for receiving signal currents on a highly capacitive bus. In bipolar technology, a very commonly used current sensing circuit is known as a common base configuration, which offers low input impedance at the emitter and high output impedance at the collector. This configuration would be an ideal solution, for example, in a complimentary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS), dynamic random access memory (DRAM) for input/output (I/O) bus sensing. However, in a CMOS designed DRAM, the desired vertical NPN bipolar device, having high gain and low terminal resistances, previously did not exist without additional complexity and cost.
An example of a conventional CMOS circuit of this type is discussed in a paper entitled xe2x80x9cA 1.5V Circuit Technology for 64 Mb DRAM""Sxe2x80x9d presented at the 1990 Symposium on VLSI Circuits, incorporated herein by reference. The CMOS circuit provides the desired advantage of low input impedance and high output impedance, but this is accomplished with undesired higher circuit complexity, higher current consumption and poorer performance.
Therefore, there is a need for a bipolar current sensing device having high gain and low terminal resistances that operates at relatively low power and high performance in the presence of high bus capacitance.
In view of the foregoing and other problems of the conventional methods, it is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a structure for a current sensing circuit connected to a power supply terminal and having at least one input terminal and at least one output terminal. The current sensing circuit includes at least one bipolar transistor having a base, emitter and collector, at least one current mirror amplifier connected to the power supply terminal, the current mirror amplifier having an input connected to the collector and having at least one output connected to the emitter, and a DC voltage source connected to the base.
The input terminal is connected to emitter and the output terminal is connected to the collector. The DC voltage source can be a reference voltage or the power supply terminal. The current mirror amplifier comprises at least two metal oxide semiconductor transistors. The output terminal is adapted to drive a metal oxide semiconductor current mirror current source.
The invention also includes a method of manufacturing a bipolar device in a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) manufacturing process, that includes implanting a first-type dopant in a collector layer in a substrate (the implanting of the first-type dopant in the collector layer is performed simultaneously with implanting the first-type dopant in a trench plate layer in the DRAM manufacturing process), implanting a second-type dopant in a base layer in the substrate, the base layer being above the collector layer (wherein the implanting of the second-type dopant in the base layer is performed simultaneously with implanting the second-type dopant in a surface layer in the DRAM manufacturing process), forming conductive connections to the collector layer and the base layer (wherein the forming of the conductive connections is performed simultaneously with forming support device connections in the DRAM manufacturing process), forming a conductive stud having the first-type impurity above an emitter region in the base layer (wherein the forming of the conductive stud is performed simultaneously with forming a bit line stud in the DRAM manufacturing process), and annealing the structure to diffuse the first-type impurity into the emitter region (wherein the annealing is performed simultaneously with an annealing process in the DRAM manufacturing process).
The forming of the conductive stud comprises forming a mask over the substrate, the mask including an opening over the emitter region and depositing doped polysilicon in the opening. The conductive stud reduces a terminal resistance of the bipolar device. The first-type dopant comprises an N-type dopant, the second-type dopant comprises a P-type dopant and t bipolar device comprises a vertical NPN bipolar device.

International Business Machines Corporation


A pin indicating fuse construction incorporates a protective shield member that isolates an indicator assembly from a main-fuse link. By use of the inventive protective shield, arc-quenching filler may be excluded, resulting in a less-costly, more reliable fuse construction. The main fuse link is arranged within the fuse in such a manner so as to minimize potential interference with the actuator assembly during activation of the indicator assembly.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to fuses generally, and in particular it relates to fuses incorporating an indicating device.
2. Related Art
Fuses incorporating indicating devices are generally known in the art. An existing indicating fuse design 100 is illustrated in FIG. 3A. A fuse body 116 optionally includes an orientation ring 114 that may be disposed on the periphery of the fuse body 116. The orientation ring 114 serves to insure proper installation of the fuse 100. The precise structure and function of such an orientation device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,549,404, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Terminals 118 and 120 are disposed at opposite ends of the fuse. A main fuse element or link 122 is electrically connected to each of the terminals 118, 120. The majority of current passing through the fuse 100 is carried by the main fuse element 122 during normal operating conditions. "Normal operating conditions", or the normal operative state of the fuse is intended to mean a condition wherein the main fuse element 122 is intact, and current can pass from one terminal (118 or 120), through the fuse 100 without substantial interruption, and out of the fuse through the opposite terminal (118 or 120).
A conductor wire 142 is connected at one end to one terminal 118, and to an end of an indicator assembly 144. The indicator assembly includes an indicator pin 146, having a flat or "planished" end 148, a biasing member sleeve 156, and a biasing member 158 that contacts the bottom of the sleeve 156 and the head of the indicator pin 146 thereby tending to urge the indicator pin outward. The conductor wire 142 is attached to the planished end 148 of the indicator pin 146 thereby preventing the indicator pin 146 from being urged outwardly from the fuse by bias member 158 during normal operating conditions.
The fuse 100 normally includes a granular arc-quenching medium 150 in order to suppress and contain arcing during destruction of the main fuse link when the fuse 100 is "blown". The arc-quenching medium is typically a fine granular substance such as sand, terra alba, or mixtures thereof.
In certain lower amperage rated ruses, conductive wire 142 also serves as the main fuse link, thereby enabling omission of a separate main fuse link element 122 from the fuse 100 construction.
During normal operating conditions current is carried through the fuse primarily via main fuse link 122. In the event that the main fuse link 122 is destroyed (e.g., during an overload condition), current is diverted to the conductor wire 142. The capacity of conductor wire 142 to carry current is substantially less than that of main fuse link 122. Therefore, upon the above-mentioned diversion of current, conductor wire 142 is quickly destroyed. The conductor wire 142 is no longer capable of restraining the indicator pin 146, so bias member 158 urges the pin 146 outward from the fuse body 116 thereby indicating a blown fuse condition 112.
Various problems are associated with existing fuse constructions.
Historically, pin-indicator fuses generally require an arc-quenching filler in order to provide adequate performance for fuses rated at approximately 5 Amps or greater. This is particularly true for fuses having a current rating in excess of 15 Amps. However, inclusion of such a filler adds to the manufacturing costs of the fuse. Clearly, the filler adds to the materials cost of the fuse. Also, granular fillers are very destructive to the manufacturing equipment that is used to store, transport, and introduce the filler into the fuse. The filler also tends to adversely impact operation of the fuse indicator assembly by fouling the spring biasing element and otherwise inhibiting proper movement of the indicator assembly components. Moreover, the heat and electrical arcing associated with destruction of the fuse link can cause a reaction with the filler and produce aggregates or globules of filler which further act to prevent proper activation of the indicator assembly and movement of the indicator pin.
Another problem associated with existing designs is that the main fuse link may be deformed when the fuse is "blown" so that it comes into contact with the indicator pin thereby preventing the indicator pin from being pushed outwardly away from the fuse body to clearly indicate the fuse has been "blown".
A related problem is that the main fuse link can at least partially melt upon destruction and become affixed or welded to the conductor wire thereby preventing the indicator pin from properly emerging from the fuse.
Yet another problem associated with the existing designs is that gases produced during destruction of the fuse link can escape the fuse through the hole that the indicator pin passes through.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,023,133 to Knapp, Jr. discloses an indicating fuse having a fuse body containing an arc-quenching filler. A main fuse element connects two terminals. A wire is connected to one terminal and to a pin so as to restrain the pin during normal operation. When the wire melts, or is otherwise destroyed, the pin is urged outwardly and activates a complicated indicator assembly. A cap is provided which surrounds the biased pin actuator. As noted above, the inclusion of a granular filler adds to the cost of the fuse and may adversely affect the operation of the fuse. The indicator assembly is overly complicated and expensive. Moreover, there is no disclosure relating to locating the main fuse link so as to avoid interference with the conductor wire.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,204,182 to Knapp, Jr. discloses a fuse having a body containing an arc-quenching filler. A single fuse element is connected to a terminal at one end, and to a conductor rod at the other end. A partition wall is provided which partially surrounds the conductive rod. A tubular member is also provided at an end of the fuse which partially surrounds the conductive rod. The inclusion of a granular filler adds to the cost of the fuse and may adversely affect the operation of the fuse. The filler must be contained by a partition with a relatively large opening, and by a mass of silicone grease. In addition, there is no separate conductor wire to restrain the indicator pin.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,636,491 to Cameron discloses an indicating fuse that contains an arc-quenching filler. A plurality of fuse elements connect a pair of opposing terminals. A restraining wire is attached to an indicating plunger. A housing member surrounds the indicating plunger. The restraining wire passes through a large opening in the housing member, is connected to the indicating plunger, then exits the opening and is connected to a terminal. The inclusion of a granular filler adds to the cost of the fuse and may adversely affect the operation of the fuse. The indicator assembly appears especially prone to contamination by the filler due to the large opening in the housing member. There is no disclosure of locating the main fuse element(s) so as to minimize possible interference with the conductor wire.


Disclosed herein is a roaming settings service that receives an update to roaming settings specific to a user that is initiated by an instance of an application program provisioned according to a first application mode. Upon receiving a request for the roaming settings specific to the user initiated by an instance of the application program provisioned according to a second application model, the roaming settings service retrieves updated roaming settings that reflect the update to the roaming settings. The settings service transfers the updated roaming settings for delivery to the instance of the application program provisioned according to the second application model.

Application settings allow preferences, states, and other characteristics of an application environment to be stored and applied when the user engages with the application environment. A list of most recently used files, custom dictionaries, and viewing preferences are examples of settings that can be applied upon launching an application, such as a word processing, spreadsheet, email, presentation, social networking, or gaming application.
A wide variety of application models exist by which users may experience application environments and content. For example, applications may be installed and executed locally, hosted by web-based platforms, or streamed over networks for local execution, among other techniques. Countless types of computing devices may be used, such as desktop and laptop computers, tablets, netbooks, ultra-books, e-readers, mobile phones, Internet browsing appliances, and gaming consoles.
Settings can be managed across diverse application experiences in a variety of ways. Some solutions provide client programs that monitor for and intercept settings-related calls between application programs and operating system elements. In this manner, settings established by a user on one device can be communicated to other devices accessed by the same user.
With respect to some shared document environments, settings can be applied globally such that each version of a shared document inherits the same settings as every other version. For example, the last page of a shared document accessed by any user can be presented to every other user upon opening the shared document.
Overview
Provided herein are systems, methods, and software for facilitating a roaming settings service. In particular, user-specific settings may roam between instances of applications provisioned according to differing application models.
In one implementation, a roaming settings service receives an update to roaming settings specific to a user that is initiated by an instance of an application program provisioned according to a first application model. Upon receiving a request for the roaming settings specific to the user initiated by an instance of the application program provisioned according to a second application model, the roaming settings service retrieves updated roaming settings that reflect the update to the roaming settings. The settings service transfers the updated roaming settings for delivery to the instance of the application program provisioned according to the second application model.
This Overview is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Technical Disclosure. It should be understood that this Overview is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.


A handle assembly for brushes, curlers and the like is assembled without adhesives and includes, in a preferred embodiment, an elongate handle core, a bellows, an outer handle and a fastener. Assembly includes sliding the bellows over the core, placing the handle over the core and compressing the bellows to align at least one opening in the handle with at least one opening in the core. The fastener is then inserted. The fastener preferably includes at least one prong or cluster of prongs to pass through the opening of the handle and into the core. In the most preferred embodiment, the fastener prongs are resilient and expand within the core opening to lock the handle assembly together. One disclosed use of the handle is for hair curling brushes. In this embodiment, a cup is formed integrally with the core, the cup including an alignment rib and locking tabs. A first end of a cylindrical, metallic curling brush body is attached to the cup, and a cap is inserted into the second end of the barrel. Accordingly, the entire curling brush may be assembled without using adhesives.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the art of multi-component handles which may be assembled without using adhesives, and more particularly to handles for tools and implements such as hair styling brushes, other brushes such as paint brushes, tools, such as garden tools, and the like. In its illustrated and most preferred form the present invention relates to a handle for hair curling brushes which may be assembled without the use of adhesives and in which one of the handle components is adapted to receive a first end of an elongate, cylindrical, metallic hair curling brush body.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A large number of implements in a large number of art areas include a handle to be grasped by the user. For example, hair styling accessories such as curling irons and brushes, paint brushes, tools, sporting goods, cookware and utensils, industrial equipment and many other devices include grips or handles to make use of the implement safer or more efficient, or to make the implements more attractive.
Exemplary of such prior art devices are hair curling brushes. Prior to the present invention, one popular style of curling brush includes a cylindrical, metallic brush body, brush bristles and a handle, the handle including a core, a bellows and an elastomeric outer covering attached to the core with a liquid adhesive. The bellows has been commonly included in recent brushes for aesthetic reasons and because the "feel" of the handle is improved if a portion of the handle yields under normal grip pressure to conform somewhat with the hand of the user.
Practical and economic problems exist with this design and in its assembly. From a practical standpoint, adhesives can lose their effectiveness over time, allowing components, or portions of the components, to release from one another. This problem is especially pronounced in devices, such as the hair curler described above, which is typically heated by a blow dryer held in the opposite hand by the user. The heat transferred from blower to brush body is detrimental to the adhesive bonding system, resulting in accelerated failure of the adhesive bond. The economic problems are caused by the time required to apply an adhesive during manufacture, equipment costs and, in some cases, by the costs of air pollution control equipment required for plant safety and for compliance with applicable environmental laws, rules and regulations.
Heat is also encountered with a number of other types of implements having handles or grips, such as the heat generated in cleaning devices such as dishwashers, or the heat which can build up during warm weather in storage buildings, such as lawn tool and garden sheds. Moreover, the practical and economical difficulties mentioned above for the curling brush are also present for these other products if a liquid adhesive is used to bond different pieces of a handle together.
To provide an inexpensive, reliable and widely adaptable technique of securing together multiple pieces of a handle for such tools and implements, to avoid the above-referenced and other problems would represent a significant advance in the art.

Handle for implements such as hair curling brushes


A laminate can include a first panel and including a first transparent substrate having a first refractive index. The laminate can further include a second panel and a third panel, each coupled to the first panel. The second panel includes a second transparent substrate having a second refractive index, and the third panel includes a third transparent substrate having a third refractive index. The laminate can further include a fill material disposed within a gap between the second and third panels and having a fill material refractive index. The fill material refractive index is within 0.09 of the second refractive index, the third refractive index, or a value between the second and third refractive indices. Coupling may be direct or may be achieved with an adhesive film. The fill material can help to reduce the likelihood of seeing seams between the second and third panels.

Transparent panels may be fabricated with one or more deposited layers. Many times, the size of the panels are limited by the size of substrates that the deposition equipment can process. Larger panels with deposited layers are desired.
Skilled artisans appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the invention.

Laminate including panels and a fill material between the panels


A system for detecting the profile of an object. The system having a radiation source for generating a radiation pattern. The system also having a detector which has a plurality of pixels and a processor for processing data from the detector when radiation from the radiation source is reflected by an object and detected by the detector. The system also has a synchronization device for interfacing between the detector and the radiation source. The radiation source is designed for operating in pulsed mode and the synchronization device can synchronize the pulses of the radiation source with the sampling of the detector.

There are a large number of applications where knowledge of the 3D profile of an object is relevant. Different techniques exist for scanning the profile of an object. Basically they can be subdivided into radar based systems, ultrasound based systems and optical sensing systems.
Radar based systems have the advantage that they can sense a long range but have the disadvantage that they have a poor angular and depth resolution with regard to certain applications (e.g. for tracking the profile in a road).
Ultrasound based systems can be useful for short range sensing but their narrow bandwidth limits the depth sensitivity and the sampling resolution and the strong absorption in air limits the range to a few meter.
Optical sensing based methods can be subdivided in different types measuring the distance through time of flight measurements or by triangulation.
In time of flight methods the object is illuminated by a light source. From the delay between the emission and the detection the distance travelled by the light can be determined. The time of flight methods can make use of pulsed illumination.
In triangulation based systems, the unknown position of an object is calculated using trigonometry. An example of such a system is the Kinect system of Microsoft described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,320,621. In this system structured infra-red light (e.g. circles) is projected and viewed with a 3D camera. This system, which is primarily intended for indoor gaming and entertainment applications, is not suitable for outdoor use, due to the intensity of the sunlight.
In stereovision the distance to an object is determined from the local shift between corresponding parts in the images obtained by two cameras under different viewing angles or by one stereo camera with two lenses. Stereovision based systems can make use of existing set-ups and algorithms from robot vision, can operate using ambient illumination, and do not require projection. On the other hand stereovision based systems have the disadvantage that calibrated cameras with sufficient distance are required. Furthermore, sufficient structure in the images is required to enable cross correlation for parallax, it is difficult to detect flat surfaces and water, a sufficient number of pixels is required, the depth sensitivity is limited, and the cameras used should have a large dynamic range to cope with various light conditions. The biggest hurdle seems to be that stereovision based systems cannot work if there is insufficient structure in the object being scanned.
Therefore there is still room for improvement of surround sensing scan systems that can be used in outdoor situations scanning the profile of objects over a large range with a high resolution and with a high speed.


The present invention is directed to a manifold for temporarily blocking the air intake of the compressor section of a combustion turbine to facilitate cleaning. A manifold suitable for providing a temporary seal about the air intake of the compressor section and through which a foamed cleaning solution can be pumped is disclosed. The manifold is conveniently provided as a flexible manifold body having an inflatable tubular member along the periphery thereof for sealing with the air intake and a plurality of hose connections through which a foamed cleaning solution can be delivered to the compressor section of the combustion turbine. Particulate films and contaminants adhering to the internal components of the compressor section of a turbine are readily removed by pumping a foamed cleaning solution such as a foamed, aqueous surfactant solution through the manifold and into the compressor section. Contaminants resulting from fuel combustion and deposited in the combustion and turbine sections are removed by pumping a second, foamed cleaning solution through those sections. The second solution typically comprises a foamed, aqueous acid solution optionally including a corrosion inhibitor. The compressor section must be isolated from such acid solutions, e.g. by pumping the foamed surfactant solution through the manifold and compressor section prior to and simultaneously with pumping the foamed acid solution through the combustion section.

I. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an apparatus useful with methods for cleaning combustion turbines. The present invention is useful with methods for cleaning contaminants adhering to the internal surfaces of the compressor, combustion and turbine sections of a combustion turbine by pumping one or more foamed cleaning solutions therethrough. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a manifold for temporarily blocking the air intake opening of the compressor section of a combustion turbine to facilitate such cleaning.
II. Description of the Background
Combustion turbines are used in a multitude of applications, including aviation, shipping, chemical processing and power generation. In combustion turbine power generation facilities, efficiency can be improved by supplementing the electrical power generated directly from the combustion turbine with recovery units designed to capture heat from the exhaust gas generated by the turbine. This heat can be used to produce steam to drive a steam turbine, operate steam driven equipment or provide heat to chemical processing facilities, thus improving the efficiency of the power generation facilities.
As used herein, the term combustion turbine refers to any turbine system having a compressor section, a combustion section and a turbine section. The compressor section is designed to compress the inlet air to a higher pressure. Atomized fuel is injected into the combustion section where it is combined with the compressed inlet air and oxidized. Finally, the energy from the hot gasses produced by oxidation of the fuel is converted to work in the turbine section. While fuels typically comprise natural and synthetic gases (mostly methane), other hydrocarbons, including liquified natural gases (LNG), butane, kerosene, diesel and fuel oils may be employed. The expanding combustion gases power the turbine by turning the rotating blades of the turbine sections as they escape the combustion section. The compressor section is mechanically powered by a rotor comprising a rotor shaft with attached turbine section rotating blades and attached compressor section rotating blades. In power generation facilities, the rotor drives an associated electrical generator. Alternatively, the rotor may be used to power chemical process equipment. While the exhaust gas may merely be discarded, preferably it is recovered as additional heat energy often being used to produce steam in power generation facilities.
The overall efficiency of a combustion turbine engine is heavily dependent on the efficiency of the compressor. The pressure ratio of the compressor, i.e., the ratio of air pressure at the compressor outlet to air pressure at the air inlet, is one of the significant parameters which determines the operating efficiency of the compressor. The higher the pressure ratio at a given rotational speed, the greater the efficiency. The higher the air pressure at the outlet of the compressor, the greater the energy available to drive the turbine downstream of the compressor and hence to generate power or produce thrust.
In axial flow compressors, pressurization of air is accomplished in a multiplicity of compressor stages or sections, each stage being comprised of a rotating multi-bladed rotor and a non-rotating multi-vaned stator. Within each stage, the airflow is accelerated by the rotor blades and decelerated by the stator vanes with a resulting rise in pressure. Each blade and vane has a precisely defined airflow surface configuration or shape whereby the air flowing over the blade or vane is accelerated or decelerated, respectively. The degree of air pressurization achieved across each compressor stage is directly and significantly related to the precise air foil surface shape. Unfortunately, the surfaces of the compressor blades and vanes become coated with contaminants of various types during use. Oil and dirt sucked in through the air intake become adhered to the blade and vane surfaces of the compressor.
Deposits build up on compressor blades during normal operation causing reduced airflow through the compressor section of combustion turbines. Such deposits are often the result of the ingestion of hydrocarbon oils and greases, smoke, dust, dirt and other particulate air pollutants through the air intake of the combustion turbine. Upon formation of a hydrocarbon film upon the internal surfaces, including both the rotating blades and stationary vanes, of the compressor, additional particulates pulled through the compressor become trapped. As the airflow through the compressor section diminishes, the compressor discharge pressure drops, resulting in a reduction in compressor efficiency and power output from the turbine. The resulting inefficiency causes an increase in fuel consumption and a loss in power generation output.
Aluminum and other metal substances erode from other parts, e.g., clearance seals of the engine, and are also deposited on the blades and vanes. Metals contained in the fuel, particularly heavy metals such as magnesium and vanadium, deposit on the combustion and turbine blades and vanes. All of these surface deposits alter the ideal air foil surface shape, disturbing the desired air flow over the blades and vanes. This results in a reduction in the pressure rise across each successive turbine stage and a drop in overall turbine efficiency.
Gas turbine compressors have been periodically cleaned to remove the build up of particulates on internal components. Some of this cleaning has been performed without full shutdown of the combustion turbine, while other cleaning methods have required not only full shutdown, but even disassembly of the turbine. Materials used in such cleaning operations have included water, ground pecan hulls, coke particles and chemical cleaning mixtures which have been sprayed, blown or otherwise injected into the inlet of the combustion turbine after it has been configured for such a cleaning operation.
Removal of contaminants from the blades and vanes of in service compressors is desirable to restore compressor and engine efficiency. Since it is both time consuming and expensive to disassemble the engine, methods capable of removing these contaminants without disassembly of the engine are desirable. Furthermore, any method utilized to remove the contaminants must not interfere with the structural or metallurgical integrity of the components of the engine. Acceptable methods must be capable of removing the contaminating materials without attacking engine components constructed of similar materials. Because many liquid solvents also attack the engine components, the injection of liquid solvents into the engine has often proven to be unacceptable.
Abrasive particles impinging upon the contaminated surfaces will also dislodge contaminants. However, abrasive materials have proven to be unsatisfactory. Such materials are often overly abrasive, not only dislodging contaminants but also destroying the surface smoothness of the blades and vanes. Furthermore, some of these abrasive materials generally remain within the engine. If non-combustible, these materials may clog cooling holes of the turbine components and restrict needed cooling airflow. If combustible, these materials may produce residues which clog the cooling holes.
A general discussion of compressor section cleaning may be found in Scheper, et al. xe2x80x9cMaintaining Gas Turbine Compressors for High Efficiency,xe2x80x9d Power Engineering, August 1978, pages 54-57 and Elser, xe2x80x9cExperience Gained in Cleaning the Compressors of Rolls-Royce Turbine Engines,xe2x80x9d Brennst-Warme-Kraft, Sep. 5, 1973, pages 347-348. Several exemplary prior art cleaning methods are described in more detail below.
Many prior art methods merely sprayed water into the air intake of an operating combustion turbine. U.S. Pat. No. 4,196,020 to Hornak, et al. discloses a wash spray apparatus for use with a combustion turbine engine. The apparatus includes a manifold having a plurality of spray nozzles symmetrically disposed about the air intake of a combustion turbine engine. Water is sprayed under pressure from these nozzles into the inlet of the compressor during operation. The inlet air is used to carry the atomized water mist through the turbine. Some of the deposits, generally those at the front of the compressor, are contacted by the water and washed away, resulting in some improvement in efficiency. A similar system is disclosed by McDermott in U.S. Pat. No. 5,011,540. The McDermott patent discloses a manifold having a plurality of nozzles for mounting in front of the air intake of a combustion turbine. McDermott proposes that a cleaning solution be injected into the air intake as a cloud dispersed in the less turbulent air found at the periphery of the intake. McDermott asserts that dispersal in the less turbulent air improved cleaning. Similar water injection systems are available from turbine manufacturers for installation during construction of the turbine. Alternatively, these systems may be purchased as aftermarket items.
It has been observed, however, that water washes such as those described above only clean the first few rows of compressor blades and vanes. It is believed that this phenomenon is the result of both the high temperature and centrifugal forces generated in the operating compressor. These conditions cause the water to be thrown to the outside of the turbine and to be evaporated before effective cleaning throughout the length of the compressor section can be achieved. Further, water washes provide no benefit with respect to fouling occurring in the combustion and turbine sections of the turbine.
Attempts to improve cleaning efficiency resulted in the development of higher boiling cleaning solutions. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,808,235 to Woodson, et al. discloses cleaning fluids having relatively low freezing points, together with higher boiling points, to improve penetration and cleaning of the back rows of compressor blades. Woodson suggested that cleaning solutions comprising glycol ethers would provide improved cleaning throughout the length of the axial compressor. While addressing the evaporation problem, however, Woodson""s solution did not solve the problem resulting from centrifugal forces developed as the turbine spins during operation.
Other attempts to improve cleaning efficiency were directed to off-line methods. Systems similar to those just described were employed in conjunction with more rigorous off-line chemical cleaning procedures. During these operations, the unit is not fired. Atomized cleaning solutions, typically aqueous surfactant solutions, were drawn through the compressor by spinning the unit at a speed of about 1,000 RPM. While more effective than the previously described on-line cleaning procedures, the unit must be taken out of service, thus, increases costs through loss of output during the cleaning operation.
Some prior art systems employed abrasive particles in off-line cleaning. Unfortunately, non-combustible abrasive particles often clogged small cooling holes in the turbine blades, while combustible particles produced further residues on the blades. In an effort to overcome those deficiencies, U.S. Pat. No. 4,065,322 to Langford suggested that abrasive particles of coke having a carbon content of at least 70 percent-by-weight and a volatile matter content of less than 8 percent-by-weight be entrained in the inlet airstream and directed to impinge upon the contaminated surfaces. While these combustible coke abrasives avoided many of the problems found with prior art abrasive particles, they still did not provide a complete and full cleaning of the internal surfaces.
Accordingly, those skilled in the art have continued to seek improved methods for cleaning combustion turbines. Desirable methods should be capable of cleaning the blades and vanes throughout the length of an axial compressor and also of cleaning the blades and vanes in the combustion and turbine sections of the engine. Further, acceptable methods must not attack the engine components themselves. Thus, there has been a long felt but unfulfilled need for improved and more efficient methods for cleaning contaminants from combustion turbine engines. The present invention solves those needs.
The present invention is directed to a manifold for temporarily blocking the air intake of the compressor section of a combustion turbine to facilitate the cleaning methods of the present invention. The present invention is useful with methods for removing contaminants, including films, particulates, metals and other combustion products deposited in the compressor, combustion and turbine sections of a combustion turbine. In those methods, a foamed cleaning solution is pumped through the air intake of the compressor section of the turbine so that the compressor section is filled with the foamed solution.
The manifold of the present invention provides a means for temporarily blocking the air intake opening of the compressor section of a combustion turbine. In an embodiment designed for use with an axial, bell-shaped air intake, the manifold comprises a bonnet for completely covering the air intake opening of the compressor section of the combustion turbine. The manifold includes means disposed about the periphery of the bonnet for producing a temporary seal with the air intake opening. Finally, the manifold includes at least one connection through the bonnet through which a foamed cleaning solution can be delivered through the air intake to the compressor section.
In the preferred embodiment, the means for producing a seal comprises a resiliently deformable band, preferably an elastic band, most preferably an inflatable tube, disposed about the periphery of the body, which, when inflated, provides an effective seal therewith. In a preferred embodiment, at least a portion of the bonnet is flexible, being comprised of a deformable material, preferably a resiliently deformable, natural or synthetic elastomer. In order to increase the volume of foam input to the compressor, the manifold preferably includes a plurality of symmetrically disposed connections. In the most preferred embodiment, the flexible body is generally circular in shape having an inflatable, tubular ring disposed about the periphery thereof for providing a seal about the bell-shaped air intake opening of an axial compressor.
In an alternative embodiment, a manifold for providing a temporary blockage of a radially outwardly opening air intake or an air intake having a generator driven from the intake end of the turbine is provided. Such a manifold comprises a manifold body having two, substantially parallel sides. The manifold further includes means disposed along each substantially parallel side for sealing with the outwardly opening air intake, together with at least one connection through the manifold body through which a foamed cleaning solution can be delivered through the air intake to the compressor section. The manifold body is generally cylindrical in shape or, alternatively, includes releasable fastening means for forming the body into a cylindrical shape after installation. Again, the means for sealing may comprise resiliently deformable bands, preferably elastic bands, more preferably comprising inflatable tubular members extending along the periphery of the parallel sides of the body. In the methods of the present invention, a foamed cleaning solution is prepared. Because the main contaminants in the compressor section are oils, greases and other hydrocarbons, along with entrapped dirt and dust, ingested with the air, an aqueous solution of a surfactant and a foaming agent, is preferred. The foamed cleaning solution is pumped through the air intake into the compressor section of the combustion turbine. The foamed solution penetrates and fills all of the cavities of the compressor section of the turbine, thus bringing the solution into contact with contaminants covering all of the surface area of the blades and vanes disposed in the compressor section. Accordingly, a more thorough cleaning is obtained. After passing through the compressor section, the foamed cleaning solution passes through the combustion and turbine sections where additional soluble contaminants, are removed. Upon exiting the turbine section, the solution is contacted with an anti-foaming agent to break the foam to a liquid. The liquid is then drained or removed from the turbine by any appropriate means.
In a preferred embodiment of the present method, a second, foamed cleaning solution suitable for removing contaminants produced during the combustion process and deposited on the internal surfaces on the combustion and turbine sections is prepared. These contaminants often include heavy metals and their oxides, together with shellacs, varnishes and other hard combustion residues. Accordingly, preferred cleaning solutions include aqueous solutions of an acid and a foaming agent. Suitable acids include both organic and inorganic acids. Particularly preferred are dilute solutions of the mineral acids. These solutions often include an appropriate corrosion inhibitor. Because the acidic cleaning solutions are typically not needed to remove contaminants from the compressor section and because these stronger solutions may attack and damage the vanes and blades therein, these stronger cleaning solutions should be prevented from entering the compressor section. In a preferred embodiment, this goal is accomplished by initially filling the compressor section with a first, foamed cleaning solution appropriate for cleaning the compressor section and continuing to pump that first solution through the compressor section while pumping the second, stronger cleaning solution through the combustion and turbine sections.
Cleaning may continue until the prepared cleaning solutions are exhausted. However, in a preferred method, the removed liquid is monitored for one or more contaminants, including metal content, to determine the progress of the cleaning. Cleaning is stopped upon reaching a predetermined value in the monitored contaminant.
The prepared foams provide acceptable cleaning results throughout a wide temperature range. While they typically function throughout the full temperature range where the underlying solution is liquid, i.e., from about 32xc2x0 F. to about 212xc2x0 F. for aqueous solutions, they are most often used at temperatures ranging from ambient, i.e., about 40-80xc2x0 F., to about 200xc2x0 F. Because the effectiveness of most cleaning solutions is improved at higher temperatures, most foam solutions are used at a temperature of about 150-180xc2x0 F. for maximum efficiency.
While the pumping rate for the foamed solutions can vary greatly, depending, in part, on the consistency on the foam, preferred pumping rates for most foams are in the range of about 5-50 gallons per minute, more preferably about 10-20 gallons per minute and most preferably about 15 gallons per minute.
While it not necessary to turn the turbine during the cleaning operation, it is believed that penetration of the foam is improved by slow cranking of the turbine. Accordingly, it is preferred that the turbine be turned at a speed not exceeding about 10 RPM, preferably about 5 RPM during the pumping operations.
At the conclusion of the cleaning operation the foamed cleaning solutions remaining within the turbine are easily removed by rinsing the turbine with a foamed water rinse. Finally, the turbine may be dried before being returned to service by spinning at a speed and for a time sufficient to dry the turbine, typically about 500-1500 RPM and preferably about 1,000 RPM for about 10-30 minutes.
When installed, the manifold of the present invention provides a convenient means for pumping a foamed cleaning solution through the compressor section of a combustion turbine to perform the cleaning methods of the present invention. By employing the cleaning methods of the present invention, contaminants in both the compressor section and in the combustion and turbine sections of a combustion turbine are conveniently and effectively removed in order to improve the compressor and turbine discharge pressures and the turbine power output, thus improving the efficiency and economy of the combustion turbine.
Thus, the long felt, but unfulfilled need for improved methods for cleaning combustion turbines has been met. These and other meritorious features and advantages of the present invention will be more fully appreciated from the following description and claims.

Manifold for use in cleaning combustion turbines


A cell identifier is indicated in a signal to be transmitted in a cellular communication system by selecting one of a number, M, of codes, wherein each of the codes has a length N of code symbols, and wherein the selected code is associated with the cell identifier. The selected code is transmitted as a number, N, of reference symbols. The M codes are orthogonal with one another over their length, N, of the code symbols and also over at least one subgroup of length L of the code symbols, wherein L<M. During cell search, whether to use all N reference symbols or one or more subgroups of the reference symbols to construct one of M possible orthogonal codes depends on what type of cell search is being performed.

The present invention relates to methods and apparatuses for identifying cells in a cellular communication system.
In the forthcoming evolution of the mobile cellular standards like the Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) and Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), new transmission techniques like Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) are likely to occur. Furthermore, in order to have a smooth migration from the existing cellular systems to the new high capacity high data rate system in existing radio spectrum, a new system has to be able to utilize a bandwidth of varying size. A proposal for such a new flexible cellular system, called Third Generation Long Term Evolution (3G LTE), can be seen as an evolution of the 3G WCDMA standard. This system will use OFDM as the multiple access technique (called OFDMA) in the downlink and will be able to operate on bandwidths ranging from 1.25 MHz to 20 MHz. Furthermore, data rates up to 100 Mb/s will be supported for the largest bandwidth. However, it is expected that 3G LTE will be used not only for high rate services, but also for low rate services like voice. Since 3G LTE is designed for Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), Voice over IP (VoIP) will likely be the service that carries speech.
The physical layer of a 3G LTE system includes a generic radio frame having a duration of 10 ms. FIG. 1 illustrates one such frame 100. Each frame has 20 slots (numbered 0 through 19), each slot having a duration of 0.5 ms. A sub-frame is made up of two adjacent slots, and therefore has a duration of 1 ms.
One important aspect of LTE is the mobility function. Hence, synchronization symbols and cell search procedures are of major importance in order for the User Equipment (UE) to detect and synchronize with other cells. To facilitate cell search and synchronization procedures, defined signals include primary and secondary synchronization signals (P-SyS and S-SyS, respectively), which are transmitted on a Primary Synchronization Channel (P-SCH) and a Secondary Synchronization Channel (S-SCH), respectively. The P-SySs and S-SySs are each broadcast twice per frame: once in sub-frame 0, and again in sub-frame 5, as shown in FIG. 1.
The currently proposed cell search scheme for LTE is as follows:
1. Detect one out of three possible P-SyS symbols, thereby indicating the 5 ms timing and the cell ID within a currently unknown cell group.
2. Detect frame timing and cell group using the S-SyS. This in combination with the results from step 1 gives an indication of the full cell ID.
3. Use the reference symbols (also called CQI pilots) to verify the cell ID. The interested reader is referred to the document R1-062990, entitled "Outcome of cell search drafting session", TSG-RAN WG1 #46bis, Oct. 9-13, 2006 for more information about this proposal.
4. Read the Broadcast Channel (BCH) to receive cell-specific system information.
The first two steps are well known in the art and are similar to the cell search scheme presently used in WCDMA systems. The third step is also used in WCDMA, where the pilot signal (CPICH) is scrambled with a pseudorandom noise sequence (pn-sequence) that determines the cell ID. By assuming the channel that affects the CPICH over a certain interval (one or two slots in WCDMA) is constant, one can detect the scrambling sequence easily.
The idea in LTE is also to scramble the reference symbols, both with a pn-sequence to discriminate between cells in different cell groups and also with an orthogonal sequence on reference symbols (RSs), the orthogonality being within the cell group. However, unlike WCDMA, LTE does not have strong continuous pilot channels, but instead relies on fewer RSs. These RSs are placed in the first and third from last OFDM symbols in each slot, and are placed on every sixth carrier, hence a distance of 90 kHz between the pilots. This is illustrated in FIG. 2, which depicts the proposed pilot (reference signal) pattern in the frequency (f) and time (t) dimension of a slot for the LTE system. In the figure, the first reference symbols are denoted "R1"; the second reference symbols are denoted "R2"; and data are denoted "D".
A fundamental problem with using pilot symbols that are transmitted on different sub-carriers for scrambling code identification is that the phases for the different sub-carriers are typically affected in different and unknown ways from one another. This means that, unlike in WCDMA systems in which the channel is constant over the one or two slots and hence no phase equalization is needed to perform cell ID detection, in LTE systems coherent alignment of the pilots without equalization is not feasible, making the code detection procedure much harder in an LTE system than in earlier known systems. Some examples of how delay-spread and sampling error affect the channel for different sub-carriers are described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/762,382 to Wilhelmsson and Lindoff entitled "Robust and Low-Complexity Combined Signal Power Estimation" and filed on Jun. 13, 2007.
Furthermore, in order to have coherence gain, the RSs used for cell ID detection will be spread out over a relative long time scale (1 ms) making the cell ID detection also sensitive to frequency errors.
Consequently, there is a need for cell ID detection algorithms that that are capable of performing well under the above-described circumstances.

Adaptive cell ID detection in a cellular communications system


The present invention relates to a method for preparing ZSM-5 zeolite. The present invention can provide a method for preparing ZSM-5 zeolite comprising the steps of: preparing a first solution in a solution state by heating a mixture comprising a silica source, an alumina source, a neutralizing agent and a crystalline ZSM-5 nucleus; preparing a reaction mother liquid by mixing a second solution comprising salts into the first solution; and continuously crystallizing by continuously supplying the reaction mother liquid to a hydrothermal synthesis reactor, wherein formula [1] below is satisfied.0.20≤Wa/Wb≤0.40  Formula [1]

Zeolite has a tri-dimensional specific structure of alumino-silicate, and has larger micropores and better ion exchangeability than other alumino-silicate crystals, and thus, is widely used as a catalyst, an adsorbent, a molecular sieve, an ion exchanger, and the like.
A use of natural zeolite is limited due to the structural restriction thereof, but a use of synthetic zeolite is currently gradually being expanded. In order to diversify the use of zeolite, it is demanded that the crystal size, the particle size distribution, the shape, and the like of zeolite as well as the economical synthetic method thereof are optionally adjusted.
ZSM-5 zeolite forms three-dimensional pores composed of a 10-tetrahedron ring, and has a medium size between zeolite X and Y and zeolite Y. In addition, the ZSM-5 zeolite is a kind of pentasil zeolite which is a shape-selective catalyst representing specific adsorption and diffusion properties, and has a high SiO2/Al2O3 ratio to generally have good thermal stability, have hydrophobicity, and have a large Lewis acid site and a small Bronsted acid site.
A batch reactor was conventionally used in the preparation of ZSM-5 zeolite. That is, a method in which a raw material including a silica source and an alumina source and a reactant slurry including an aqueous alkaline solution are supplied to a batch reactor equipped with stirring blades and saturated steam are introduced to derive a zeolite-forming reaction by contact mixing under pressurization and heating conditions, was used.
However, in the preparation method using a batch reactor, it is impossible to implement the next process before completing a zeolite-forming reaction of a reactant slurry. Therefore, an output is determined by a volume of the batch reactor and overall productivity is deteriorated.
Thus, in order to overcome limitation of the preparation method using the conventional batch reactor, development of a method for preparing ZSM-5 zeolite by continuous synthesis, is demanded.

KOREA RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY


A device for assisting the development of an infant's visual acuity and for transferring the mother's scent to an infantile environment. Supple fabric contacts an area of the mother's body for absorbing a portion of the mother's scent and is thereafter transferred and located in proximity with the infantile environment for venting the transferred scent about the infantile environment. Due to the device's contrasting colors, the training of the infant's visual acuity can be enhanced.

1. Field of the Invention
In the most general sense, the present invention relates to devices that can be assimilated with an infantile environment. An infantile environment can include such objects as incubators, cradles, cribs or bassinets. The invention is useful in hospital wards for newborns and premature babies as well as day care facilities. Due to the device's contrasting colors, the training or stimulation of the infant's visual acuity can be enhanced. In conjunction with the contrasting colors, fabrics or other supple materials which can absorb and thereafter transfer a portion of the scent of the infant's mother to a location apart from the mother create another attribute of the invention. When the device is assimilated into the infantile environment, the mother's scent is vented about the infant's environment such that the infant's olfactory senses can be stimulated by the mother's scent without the mother being present.
2. Description of the Previous Art
a) U.S. Pat. No. 5,423,711—Dorland enables a convertible body garment with odor absorbing properties and process of using the convertible body garment. The Dorland garment is formed from a rectangular piece of fabric (16) which may be made from naturally occurring materials or blends thereof, such as cotton and/or blends with man made materials which absorb perspiration or body secretions. A pair of removable straps (18) are attached to the elongated side (20) of the rectangular shaped garment. Pockets (32) are attached to the inner surface of the garment in proximity to the breasts or axillae. The pockets are defined by a loose weave designed to retain body order absorbing material. After the mother's body odor has been absorbed, the garment (10) is attached to a crib's mattress (50). In another embodiment, the '711 garment is attached to an infant seat, carrier or swing. And Column 4, lines 23-44, teach, "In a preferred application of the invention, the use of body odor absorbing materials attached to the inner surface of the garment enhances the absorbency of odor . . . . A process of promoting bonding between a person and an infant in accordance with the invention includes wearing a garment in contact with at least the person's body, such as the torso, comprising a material which absorbs odor from the body and a fastening means for attaching the garment to the body for a time sufficient to retain the odor; and attaching the worn garment to a garment support with fastening means sufficiently close to the infant so that the infant may smell the retained odor for a time sufficient to promote bonding." By reference, the disclosure of the Dorland patent is specifically incorporated into the current Application, and more particularly, the disclosure therein related to odor absorbing materials and the resultant olfactory bonding between infants and their mothers.
2) U.S. Pat. No. 6,112,749—Hall, et. al., discloses the use of an absorbent pad made of cotton, felt, paper, etc. that has been impregnated with an odor, preferably vanilla, that is pleasing to the infant. Application of moisture activates the odor dot on the baby bottle. In another embodiment, an odor ring rather than a dot is affixed to the baby bottle. The '749 device also enables a methods inducing greater consumption of liquids, as well as, enriching the olfactory environment of the bottle's user.
3) U.S. Pat. No. 4,283,011—Spector enables a scented sticker that can be applied to clothing. The Spector stickers are embedded with a volatile having the odor analogous to the shape of the sticker.
4) U.S. Pat. No. 4,989,285—Troncone, et. al., teaches a security blanket, preferably 35 centimeters by 45 centimeters, constructed to feel like the amnion lining in which the baby resides before birth. The Troncone blanket has one side that is soft brushed flannel and a second side made of charmeuse satin.
5) U.S. Pat. No. 4,582,492—Etter, et. al., enables a behavioral modification method using microencapsulation of odors on a patch. Dominant and subservient odors are microencapsulated onto disks. When the subject's urge becomes so strong that he feels as if he is loosing control, the disk is scratched which releases the subservient odor. After a period of time, the subservient odor fades and the dominant pleasant odor becomes pervasive once again and the subject is rewarded for avoiding the bad habit.
6) U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,866—Maeda describes a bed sheet or a lap robe including a cloth chart for learning characters. A plurality of pieces and kinds of cloth in color are connected in a continuous manner along the circumference of the face of the learning chart so that beautiful feelings for infants and children are formed. Pieces (41), (42), (43), (44) and (45) are respectively red, green, yellow, brown and blue.
7) U.S. Pat. No. 3,570,139—Ladd, et. al., enables an instructional apparatus for use in early child development. The Ladd book includes visual and chemical-odor producing stimuli that allow the child to associate the thing displayed with its aroma. The display sheets (28) include incentive means (14) that are integrated with the story line as well as illustrative material to encourage the student to operate the Ladd, et. al., apparatus. For example, the '139 Patent teaches that the candy canes exemplified therein also smell like peppermint.
8) U.S. Pat. No. 5,199,842—Watt et. al., describes a nursing scarf and enables a method of nursing an infant utilizing the scarf.
9) U.S. Pat. No. 6,247,178—Bilda enables a convertible, scent retaining garment blanket. Bilda utilizes a shirt with detachable sleeves. To practice of the '178 detachable shirt, the parent wears the shirt and then detaches the sleeves from the body of the shirt. Either one of the sleeves or the torso of the shirt is used as a baby blanket.
10) US Published Patent Application No. 20020006455 A1—Levine describes a baby food selection and method. Levine utilizes scratch and sniff technology to incorporate food flavor and food odors onto food containers, cards, game pieces or toys. By smelling or tasting the flavor or scent imparted to the food containers, cards, game pieces or toys, the pre-speaking baby can indicate the preferred food.
11) U.S. Pat. No. 6,626,536 B2—Mesplay enables a device and method for assisting development of an infant's visual acuity and for transferring a mother's scent to an infantile environment. The Mesplay Description of the Preferred Embodiments, in part, reads:                FIG. 1 depicts a black side (32) of supple fabric (30) including an aperture (34) that can be hooked onto a projection of an infantile environment (not shown), thereby attaching supple fabric (30) to the infantile environment. FIG. 2 discloses a neutral white side (38) of supple fabric (30) and aperture (34). FIG. 3 portrays device (30) where aperture (34) has received thread (42). However, those skilled in the art recognize that thread (42) can be sewn directly into supple fabric (30), thereby circumventing use of aperture (34). FIG. 4 exemplifies, device (30) suspended from canopy (44) of bassinet (40) by thread (42). In FIGS. 5-8, linear (FIG. 5) and other geometric black on white patterns (FIG. 6, polka dot; FIG. 7, rectangular or square; FIG. 8, triangular) are depicted. Importantly, those skilled in the art recognized the patterns could just as easily be white on black backgrounds. Moreover, practice of the present invention is not limited to patterns disclosed in FIGS. 5-8, but can easily accommodate other geometric patterns. And still in accordance with the present invention, the sides (not shown) opposite the geometric pattern sides (50, 52, 54 and 56) of supple fabric (30) are neutral, i.e., white, off-white, pastel beige, pastel yellow, pastel gray, pastel blue, pastel pink, to name a few of the plethora of neutral colors available for use. Additionally, opposite sides (not shown) can be composed of a backing separate from supple fabric (30), or it can be composed solely of supple fabric (30).
The '536 patent appears to enable supple fabrics that have either a solid black side and a solid neutral or white side or a geometric black and white pattern on a first side of the fabric and a neutral solid colored second side. In accordance with Mesplay, the colors of the neutral side can be either white, off-white, pastel beige, pastel yellow, pastel gray, pastel blue or pastel pink. Mesplay appears to be silent regarding the use of black and white patterns on both sides of the fabric, a black and white pattern on a first side of the device and a pattern of other colors on the second side of the device or colors other than black and white utilized on each side of the '536 device.
9) The Enfamil® Family of Formulas™ Baby Book© 1997, Mead Johnson & Company. The Mead Johnson soft plastic Baby Book teaches, " . . . black and white patterns are easier for babies to distinguish than colors. While they can see colors, the sharp contrast of black and white holds their attention for longer periods of time." And the soft plastic Baby Book features pages of black patterns on white backgrounds.

Device and method for assisting development of an infant's visual acuity and for transferring a mother's scent to an infantile environment


A drain plug comprising a housing including a body portion, a head portion and a first passage extending through the head portion and into the body portion; a valve seat disposed in the first passage; a movable valve closure member disposed in the first passage; a biasing device, disposed in the first passage, for biasing the valve closure member against the valve seat thereby sealing off the first passage such that fluid cannot pass through the first passage; a moving device for moving the valve closure member away from the valve seat to allow fluid to pass through the first passage, the moving device being positioned transverse to the longitudinal length of the first passage.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a drain plug, and more particularly to a drain plug which is adapted for use as a draining device for removing fluid from a tank. The invention also relates to a method for removing fluid from a tank which uses the drain plug.
b 2. Description of the Related Art
Drain plugs are used in conjunction with a number of different types of fluid holding receptacles, such as engine crankcases, in order to provide a convenient method for removing the fluid contained in the holding receptacle, when required. Conventional drain plugs are typically bolts having a threaded shaft portion and a head portion, which are screwed into a threaded opening in a wall of the fluid holding receptacle. The bolt is tightened via the head until a washer is clamped between the head portion and the wall of the tank, thereby sealing the threaded opening in the tank. When the fluid in the tank needs to be removed, the plug is unscrewed so that the fluid runs from the tank due to gravity.
However, a major disadvantage of the above-described conventional plugs is that as the plug is unscrewed, the fluid typically rushes out of the tank and onto the tool which is being used for unscrewing the bolt, as well as onto the tool operator's hands. This not only results in a great deal of fluid spillage, but can also burn the operator if the fluid being removed is hot, which is often the case.
Furthermore, since the drain plug itself often becomes slippery and hot due to the exiting fluid, the drain plug is often dropped, whereby it is lost or damaged.
Finally, since the drain plug must be screwed and unscrewed each time the fluid is removed, there is an increased chance that cross-threading can take place, which can lead to the destruction of the drain plug threads and the corresponding drain hole threads.
A number of drain plugs have been designed to overcome some the above-mentioned problems. However, many of these conventional plugs have different physical outer dimensions as compared to the original drain plug which they are designed to replace. The increased physical dimensions precludes the use of these plugs in specific close quarter applications.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,951,723 discloses a drain plug consisting of a head, a body, and a bore extending completely through the head and into the body. A spring and a plunger are disposed within the bore such that the spring biases the plunger past ports or openings in the body which are designed to allow fluid from a tank to pass therethrough. However, in order to prevent the fluid from running out of the tank between the plunger and the inner walls of the bore, O-ring seals are provided in the head, thereby containing the fluid between the inner walls of the bore and the plunger. When fluid is to be removed from the tank, a separate plug is forcibly inserted into the bore via the head portion of the drain plug such that it pushes the plunger against the force of the spring. The plunger is moved against the spring force until the ports or openings are no longer covered by the plunger. Fluid from the tank then enters through the ports and flows out of the tank via a central bore in the separate plug while the O-rings prevent fluid from escaping between the inner wall of the bore and the outer wall of the separate plug.
A major disadvantage of U.S. Pat. No. 4,951,723 resides in the fact that the O-ring seals are subject to cracking and erosion due to the constant abrasion between the O-ring seals and the separate plug and the plunger. Thus, replacement of the drain plug is ultimately required.

Drain plug and method for removing fluid from a tank using a drain plug


Pre-formed polymer particles are chemically modified by free radical-initiated surface graft modification. The resulting resin is specifically adapted to provide enhanced chromatographic performance throughout chromatographic separations.

The present invention relates generally to resins for use in chromatography, and more particularly to an improved surface graft modified resin that is specifically adapted to provide enhanced chromatographic performance throughout chromatographic applications.
The use of chromatography in pharmaceutical, biotechnology and environmental research industries is well known. Chromatography is a vital process in these industries as it is applied upon many aspects of their business. For example, chromatography can be used to prepare and analyze drug samples, purify various essential chemicals, and has large-scale applications such as cleansing aqueous solutions of any toxic materials.
Traditionally, the most widely utilized resins have been silica-based. Because silica resins have been so widely employed, methods and chemicals for their modification are well documented in the art and commercially available. In recent years, however, polymer-based resins have gained popularity due to advantageous chromatographic properties over silica-based resins such as high surface area and pH stability.
Most polymer-based resins are formed through co-polymerization of two or more monomers. A monomer is a substance of which each of its molecules can contribute one or more constitutional units in the structure of a macromolecule. In this context, co-polymerization is a chemical reaction that links two or more different monomers together to form a co-polymer.
In these resins, monomers of various desired properties are co-polymerized in the presence of an initiator and a porogenic solvent to start a chain reaction. Depending on a number of factors (e.g., ratio of the monomers used, initiator, porogenic solvent, temperature and the like), the resulting resins will have varying physical structures or morphology, as well as varying chemical properties. Exemplary types of these resins are (poly)styrene-divinylbenzene and (poly)methacrylates. Unfortunately, most of the "off-the-shelf" variants of these resins have a limited range of chemical properties, thus limiting the number of chromatographic applications for which they may be applied.
One approach to alleviating this deficiency is to alter the monomers used during co-polymerization to produce resins with unique chromatographic characteristics. However, such approach is disadvantageous as by altering the co-polymerization conditions (e.g., monomers, temperature, initiators, etc.), the physical structure of the resulting resin may be undesirably changed in a way that is no longer ideal for the intended chromatographic application. As such, forming resins with proper physical and chemical qualities in the above-noted manner can require extensive and grueling research.
Some resins are also produced by using Merryfield Resins and Friedal Crafts reactions. These techniques chemically modify the existing resins at their surfaces. However, Merryfield resins are often undesirable as they require a two-step reaction in order to achieve the suitable derivitized surface, and is thus time-consuming. Moreover, Freidal Crafts reactions require the use of metal catalysts which in many chromatographic techniques can cause unwanted adsorption of metal-chelating compounds. In addition, Freidal Crafts reactions further require strict control over reaction conditions, making consistent reproductions of resins a challenge.
In view of the above-described shortcomings of prior art resins, there exists a need in the art for an improved chemically-modified resin which achieves desired chromatographic properties through a one-step reaction without altering the ideal physical/chemical characteristics thereof. Moreover, there exists a need for an improved chemically-modified resin that can be readily manufactured in a time-efficient manner, while being reproducible on a consistent basis.

Surface graft modified resins and formation thereof


An evaporated fuel processing device (10), in particular for an internal combustion engine of an automotive vehicle, comprises a tank port (12) and an atmospheric port (22); a first adsorbent chamber (14) between the tank port (12) and the atmospheric port (22); and a second adsorbent chamber (18) between the first adsorbent chamber (14) and the atmospheric port (22), the first and second adsorbent chambers (14, 18) being filled with an adsorbent material (16). According to an important aspect of the invention, at least two elongate flow passages (26, 26′) are arranged in parallel between the first adsorbent chamber (14) and the second adsorbent chamber (18).

There are three main sources of polluting gasses from an internal combustion engine: engine exhaust, crankcase, fuel supply systems. In the fuel tank, the hydrocarbons that are continually evaporating from the fuel constitute a significant contributing factor to air pollution.
To control the air pollution resulting from these emissions, governments establish quality standards and perform inspections to ensure that standards are met. Standards have become progressively more stringent, and the equipment necessary to meet them has become more complex. Emissions from the fuel tank are reduced by an evaporated fuel processing device, the heart of which is an evaporative canister of activated carbon capable of holding fuel vapour. In operation, the fuel tank vapours flow from the fuel tank to a liquid-vapour separator that returns the raw fuel to the tank and channels the fuel vapour to the canister. The evaporative canister acts as a storehouse; when the engine is running, the vapours are purged from the evaporative canister through the purge port into the combustion chamber, where they are burnt.
An evaporative canister is e.g. known from US patent application US-A-2002/0007826. The evaporative canister is a typically vertical-placed type integrated canister connected to a fuel tank. Evaporated fuel from the fuel tank is led to the evaporative canister via an evaporated fuel passage and, optionally, a liquid-vapour separator. The latter traps the fuel in a liquid phase. The fuel in the vapour phase only is fed into the canister via a tank port. The air/fuel vapour mixture first flows through a first adsorbent chamber comprising an adsorbent material and then through a second adsorbent chamber also comprising an adsorbent material. As the air/fuel vapour mixture flows through the first and second adsorbent chambers, the fuel component of the mixture is adsorbed by the adsorbent material and purified air exits the canister via an atmospheric port. During operation of the engine, air is drawn through the canister from the atmospheric port, through the second and first adsorbent chambers, and out via a purge port. As the air passes through the second and first adsorbent chambers the air desorbs the fuel component from the adsorbent material, whereby the latter is regenerated. The purge port is connected to the internal combustion engine, where the fuel component is then burnt.
Such evaporative canisters are however not designed to meet new, stricter regulations on fuel evaporating from vehicles.


Backlight correction by the following steps. The location of a dark distribution is determined, and a dark distribution histogram ratio is calculated. Next, the location of a bright distribution is determined, and a high-brightness slice set value is set. A determination is made as to whether or not a subject is in a backlighted state. When the subject is not in a backlighted state, the high-brightness slice set value is used unchanged. On the other hand, when the subject is in a backlighted state, the dark_ratio is normalized so that, for example, backlight correction is carried out so that a high-brightness component limiter value of an integration signal of a peak-value-detected output is decreased.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a camera device for performing a shooting operation by converting, for example, image light from a subject into an electrical signal using an image pickup device. More particularly, the present invention relates a camera device which makes it possible to automatically perform a predetermined backlight correction operation by detecting a backlighted state as a result of determining the ratio between the brightness level of a portion of-an imaging surface of the image pickup device having the lowest brightness level and the brightness level of a portion of the imaging surface of the image pickup device other than that of the portion having the lowest brightness level.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hitherto, a camera device which makes it possible to prevent the taking of underexposed photographs by performing an overexposing correcting operation when it is determined that a subject is in what is called a backlighted state has been known. The technology of such a camera device is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 62-110369. In the invention which is disclosed in this document, the tendency of the main subject being positioned at the center of a screen with high probability is made use of. The imaging screen is divided into the center portion and the portions in the vicinity of the center portion. The brightness level of each portion is obtained in order to adjust the exposure by the ratio between that of the center portion and those of the portions in the vicinity, whereby the main subject at the center of the screen is suitably exposed.
More specifically, in the camera device, when the brightness of the subject at the center area of the imaging screen and the brightness of the subject at the vicinity of the center area are detected, and it is found that the brightness of the subject at the center area is less than the brightness of the subject at the vicinity of the center area by an amount equal to or greater than a predetermined value, a determination is made that the subject at the center area is in a backlighted state, so that an overexposing correcting operation is carried out during the shooting operation. When this is carried out, it is possible to prevent the mistake of taking a photograph in which the subject at the center area is squashed and appears black due to underexposure.
In addition, hitherto, a camera device for increasing an exposure standard value which is incorporated in the inside of the camera in order to perform an overexposing correcting operation when it is determined that the subject is backlighted is known. More specifically, in this camera device, a determination is made as to whether the level of an integration signal which is obtained when an output signal of, for example, an image pickup device (that is, a charge-coupled device (CCD)) passes through an optical detecting circuit (OPD) is smaller than or greater than the exposure standard value which is incorporated inside the camera. If it is greater, an underexposing correcting operation is carried out, whereas, if it is smaller, an overexposuring correcting operation is carried out. In the backlighted state, the exposure standard value is increased to perform the overexposing correcting operation. When this is done, it is possible to prevent the mistake of taking a photograph in which the subject at the center area is squashed and appears black due to underexposure.
Further, in recent years, a camera exposure control device has been disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2-268080. In this device, in order to obtain a proper photometric value, a plurality of high-brightness clip circuits having different clip levels are provided. The device makes use of brightness signals which pass through the high-brightness clip circuits having clip levels in accordance with shooting scenes. According to this device, when a determination is made that the shooting scene is backlighted, the brightness signal of the subject is input through a high-brightness clip circuit having a low clip level in order to determine the photometric value. By adjusting the aperture of the iris diaphragm so that the photometric value is equal to the standard value, the mistake of taking a picture in which the subject at the center area is squashed and appears black due to underexposure is prevented from occurring.
In the method of performing an overexposing correcting operation by increasing the exposure standard value as described above, when, for example, a moving subject, such as an automobile, is to be photographed, the exposure standard value is increased and decreased many times under the environment in which determinations that the subject is backlighted and determinations that the subject is not backlighted are mixed. Therefore, it may be necessary to think of ways to prevent unstable exposure controlling operations, such as by performing a delaying operation.
On the other hand, in the method where the high-brightness component level of an integration signal (which is obtained after the output signal of the image pickup device (CCD) has passed through the optical detecting circuit (OPD)) is continuously previously measured in order to continuously change the high-brightness clip level in accordance with the degree of backlighting, the level of the integration signal of the optical detecting circuit (OPD) becomes smaller the more the clipping operation is performed. Accordingly, as the exposure controlling operation, an overexposing controlling operation is carried out as in the case where a determination that the amount of light incident upon the image pickup device (CCD) is small is made. Here, as shown in FIG. 11, it is not necessary to increase or decrease the exposure standard value, so that the conventional exposure controlling operation can be made use of as it is, making it possible to correspondingly maintain the reliability of the system.
However, in the method where the brightness of the subject at the center area and that of the subject in the vicinity thereof are compared as described above, when the main subject is located at both the center area and the vicinity of the center area of the screen, a difference between the brightness at the center area and that at the vicinity of the center area is decreased. Therefore, exposure correction may not be carried out because it sometimes cannot be determined that the subject is in a backlighted state even if it is in a backlighted state. In that case, the main subject is underexposed.
In addition, the main subject is not always at the center area of the screen. When it is at the vicinity of the center area and is backlighted, the brightness of the subject at the vicinity is lower than the brightness of the subject at the center area. Therefore, exposure correction may not be carried out because it sometimes cannot be determined that the subject is in a backlighted state even if it is in a backlighted state. In that case, the main subject is also underexposed.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A method and a system for transmitting data by means of a first data network (1) have first means for transmitting data in at least one first transmission cycle, the first transmission cycle being subdivided into a first area (4) for transmitting real-time-critical data and a second area (5) for transmitting non-real-time-critical data, and by means of a second data network (2) having second means for transmitting data in at least one second transmission cycle, the second transmission cycle being subdivided into a third area (7) for transmitting real-time-critical data and into a fourth area (8) for transmitting non-real-time-critical data, and with a switching unit (13) for transmitting real-time-critical data of the first area into the third area.

Data networks provide for communication between a number of users by means of networking, i.e., connecting the individual users to one another. Communication in this context means the transmission of data between the users. The data to be transmitted are sent out as data messages, i.e. the data are packed together to form a number of packets (a/k/a "data pockets") and sent in this form to the corresponding receiver via the data network.
The term transmission of data is here used synonymously with the abovementioned transmission of data messages or data packets. The networking itself is achieved, for example in switchable high-performance data networks (e.g., the Ethernet), in that between two users at least one switching unit is connected to both users. Each switching unit however can be connected to more than two users. Each user is connected to at least one switching unit but not directly to another user. Users are, for example, computers, stored-program controls (SPC) or other machines which exchange and/or process electronic data with other machines. In contrast to bus systems in which each user can directly reach any other user of the data network via the data bus, the switchable data networks are exclusively point-to-point connections, i.e. a user can only reach all other users of the switchable data network indirectly by forwarding of the data to be transmitted by means of one or more switching units.
In distributed automation systems, for example in the field of drive technology, particular data must arrive at the intended users thereof at particular times and be processed by the receivers. These are called real-time-critical data or data traffic since an untimely arrival of the data at the destination leads to unwanted results at the user. According to IEC 61491, EN61491 SERCOS interface—Brief technical description (http://www.sercos.de/deutsch/index_deutsch.htm), a successful real-time-critical data traffic of the said type can be guaranteed in distributed automation systems.
Various standardized communication systems, called bus systems, for the exchange of data between two or more electronic assemblies or devices are known in the prior art, and particularly for use in automation systems. Examples of such communication systems are: field bus, profibus, Ethernet, industrial Ethernet, FireWire, or internal PC bus systems (PCI). These bus systems are in each case designed or optimized for different fields of application and allow a decentralized control system to be built up. Process control and monitoring in automated production and especially in the case of digital drive technologies require very fast and reliable communication systems with predictable response times. A very fast and simple communication can be built up between various assemblies by means of parallel bus systems such as, for example, SMP, ISA, PCI or VME. These known bus systems are used particularly in computers and PCs.
Synchronous clocked communication systems having equidistance characteristics are known from automation technology. These are understood to be systems consisting of at least two users which are connected to one another via a data network for the purpose of mutual exchange of data or mutual transmission of data. The data are exchanged cyclically in equidistant communication cycles which are predetermined by the communication clock used by the system. Users are, for example, centralized automation devices, programming, planning or operating devices, peripheral devices such as input/output modules, drive systems, actuators, sensors, stored-program controls (SPC) or other control units, computers or machines which exchange electronic data with other machines, and particularly process data from other machines. In the text which follows, control units are understood to be closed-loop or open-loop control units of any type.
An equidistant deterministic cyclic data exchange in communication systems is based on a common clock or time base of all components involved in the communication. The clock or time base is transmitted from a designated component (master clock) to the other components. In the case of an isochronous real-time Ethernet, the clock or time base is predetermined by a synchronization master by transmitting synchronization messages.
In German patent application 100 58 524.8, not previously published, a system and a method for transmitting data via switchable data networks are disclosed, which allow a mixed operation of real-time-critical and non-real-time-critical data communication particularly data communication, based on the Internet or Intranet.

Method and system for coupling data networks