A method of forming porous articles with a varying pore distribution by extrusion from a billet with a varying lubricant distribution. A single-polymer polytetrafluoroethylene is extruded and then stretched and sintered to provide a differential porous PTFE structure composed of fibers and nodes connected to one another by these fibers. The microfibrous structure has a portion within the cross-section that possesses a different pore size, accompanied by a different node and fiber geometry, than adjacent areas within that cross section. In a vascular graft, the pores taper inwardly, providing a fluid-tight lumen wall structure that prevents leakage, yet promotes cellular ingrowth and natural tissue regeneration. A node structure of radially-oriented plates provides flexibility, suture strength, and enhanced protection against collapse.

Many fluoropolymer materials, such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), are thermoplastic polymers. That is, they have the property of softening when heated and of hardening again when cooled. PTFE is generally produced in the form of white powder referred to as resin. It has a higher crystalline melting point (327.degree. C.) and higher viscosity than other thermoplastic polymers, which makes it difficult to fabricate in the same manner as other plastics.
PTFE is a long chain polymer composed of CF.sub.2 groups. The chain length determines molecular weight, while chain orientation dictates crystallinity. The molecular weight and crystallinity of a given resin prior to sintering are controlled by the polymerization process.
Currently, three different types of PTFE resins are available which are formed from two different polymerization processes. The three resins are granular polymer, aqueous dispersions, and coagulated dispersion products.
In the coagulated dispersion of PTFE resin, small diameter (0.1-0.2 micrometer) particles are coagulated under controlled conditions to yield agglomerates ranging in size from 400 to 500 micrometers in diameter. The morphological structure of these agglomerates can be considered as long chains of PTFE that are intermingled in a tangled network.
A known method of forming articles from fluoropolymer resins, such as PTFE, is to blend a resin with an organic lubricant and compress it under relatively low pressure into a preformed billet. Using a ram type extruder, the billet is then extruded through a die in a desired cross-section. Next, the lubricant is removed from the extruded billet by drying or other extraction method. The dried extruded material (extrudate), is then rapidly stretched and/or expanded at elevated temperatures. In the case of PTFE, this results in the material taking on a microstructure characterized by elongated nodes interconnected by fibrils. Typically, the nodes are oriented with their elongated axis perpendicular to the direction of stretch.
After stretching, the porous extrudate is sintered by heating it to a temperature above its crystalline melting point while it is maintained in its stretched condition. This can be considered as an amorphous locking process for permanently "locking-in" the microstructure in its expanded or stretched configuration.
It has been found that the effect caused by stretching PTFE is dependent on extrudate strength, stretch temperature, and stretch rate. According to U.S. Pat. No. 3,953,566 of W.L. Gore, products expanded at high rates of stretch have a more homogenous structure and possess much greater strength. Extrudate strength is more generally a function of the molecular weight and degree of crystallinity of the starting resin and extrusion conditions such as extrusion pressure, lubricant level, and reduction ratio. These parameters also control the degree of alignment that results from extrusion. The degree of alignment, in turn, affects one's ability to homogeneously stretch the extrudate.
Molecular weight and crystallinity affect the stretch characteristics, sinter profile and ultimately the final properties of the processed material. For the initial stages of fabrication, most PTFE fine powders used for ram extrusion and expansion processing are highly crystalline (>90%). as determined by IR spectroscopy, but their molecular weights may differ.
Low molecular weight materials tend to crystallize quickly and become highly crystalline and very brittle. In addition, the intermolecular forces between difluoromethylene groups are very low. Thus, in order to achieve adequate strength, one needs either very high molecular weight, highly crystalline material or one needs some way to disrupt the crystalline order. With a homopolymer, the best way to inhibit crystallization is to increase the viscosity of the molten material to very high values by selecting a polymer with very high molecular weight. In fact, PTFE coagulated dispersion resins that have very high molecular weights with molecular weight distributions have been developed for expanded PTFE processes.
In line with these considerations, the primary function of the "sintering" step is to heat the polymer above its crystalline melt point so that it can be reformed upon cooling to a low enough crystalline content to achieve the sort of mechanical properties required for the current application. To maintain a low crystalline content in the final product, the melt viscosity, corresponding to the molecular weight of the polymer, must be very high.
Most known methods for processing PTFE describe unilateral stretching techniques and stress the importance of stretching the fluoropolymer at rapid rates. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,953,566 and 4,187,390 issued to Gore state that while there is a maximum rate of expansion beyond which fracture of the material occurs, the minimum rate of expansion is of much more practical significance. Indeed, the patents state that at high temperatures within the preferred range for stretching (35.degree. C.-327.degree. C.) only the lower limit of expansion rate has been detected. The patents estimate this rate to be ten percent of the initial length of the starting material per second. The patents go on to note that the lower limit of expansion rates interact with temperature in a roughly logarithmic fashion so that at higher temperatures within the preferred stretching range, higher minimum expansion rates are required.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,973,609 to Browne describes another method for producing porous PTFE products by stretching at a rate of 10% per second. The patent also states that a differential structure is obtained by using an alloy of two different fluoropolymer resins which are characterized by significantly different stretch characteristics. The resins have different molecular weights and/or crystallinities. Accordingly, the final physical properties, such as strength, of PTFE articles formed in such a way are affected by the different molecular weights and/or crystallinities of the starting resins.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,208,745 and 4,713,070 also describe methods for producing porous PTFE products having a variable structure. The processes utilize a sintering step having a differential sintering profile. That is, one surface of an expanded PTFE article is sintered at a temperature which is higher than the sintering temperature of another surface. This results in fibrils being broken and provides an inherently weak material.

Method of making controlled porosity expanded polytetrafluoroethylene products and fabrication


An irrigation system is provided and includes a main irrigation line, one or more lateral driplines, each lateral dripline being divided into zones and including a plurality of emitters at each zone and a plurality of controllable valves disposed along each of the one or more lateral driplines at zone borders. Each one of the plurality of controllable valves is actuatable to activate corresponding emitters in the associated zone in a zone by zone cycle and each one of the plurality of emitters is replaceable to vary an amount of deliverable fluid by the zone by zone cycle.

The present invention relates to an irrigation system and method and, more specifically, to an irrigation system and method in which lateral driplines are divided into zones with a plurality of emitters that are activated in a zone by zone cycle.
Current drip irrigation systems are often equipped with pressure compensated emitters that can deliver a certain amount of water to nearby areas based on the fabrication characteristics of the emitters. Typically, the emitters will have a watering rate of 0.5, 1 or 2 gallons per hour delivery. The amount is set in the fabrication process or they can be set manually in the field. This can present problems, however, because industry frequently demands that drip irrigation systems be able to dynamically adjust the amount of water that is delivered to a specific location based on real time information (satellite imagery, field deployed soil moisture sensor, thermal imagery) of the water absorbed/transpired by canopy and water evaporation from soil or soil water rentention properties.
Current approaches to the problem of using emitters with a predefined watering rate in a drip irrigation system in which dynamic adjustments are required rely on delivery of the same amount of water in every location where the amount of water is defined as the upper amount required by the most water demanding spot. The inherent differences in soil properties and crop characteristics can thus lead to overwatering in many locations based on such uniform water delivery. Potentially, different rate emitters can be installed in different locations but temporal changes in the irrigation schedule does not permit dynamic adjustments over time.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


In an information reproducing apparatus, when a car is travelling, it is inhibited that the image information played back by a DVD reproducing apparatus is displayed on a display device, or the map information outputted from a navigation system is displayed. Further, when the control information for the play back control is recorded in an information medium played back by the DVD reproducing apparatus, even when the car is travelling, the operation state of the DVD reproducing apparatus according to the control information is displayed on the display device by the superimposition display.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information reproducing apparatus, and for example, to an information reproducing apparatus, in which, even when a display of the display information is inhibited or stopped, the play back state or the control information concerning the display information is effectively displayed. Further, the present invention relates to an information reproducing apparatus for use in a car.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, as this kind of an apparatus, a car image display apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Registration No. 15 2654405 is known. This car image display apparatus detects a car travelling state. While the car is stopped, the image display is allowed. While the car is travelling, the image display is inhibited, and thus, safety is improved.
The conventional automobile equipment described above inhibits the display of moving images while the automobile is in motion, allowing the driver to concentrate on the safe operation of the automobile.
However, because the information source becomes diverse, or the information medium which displays the image information in various forms, appears on the market, there is a case in which inconvenience occurs for the driver or a fellow passenger when the image display is merely inhibited during car travelling.
For example, as the information source to provide the image information, a TV tuner, CD (Compact Disc) play back apparatus, DVD (Digital Video Disk or Digital Versatile Disk) play back apparatus, or navigation system which receives the radio wave from the GPS satellite and displays the present travelling position by the map, are combined with each other, and according to this, the high faculty car equipment is structured. For the CD or DVD as the information media, the CD or DVD having the logical data structure by which the interactive editing can be made, becomes many, therefore, the information medium to which the editing or working to display the image information by various display forms is previously made by the producer, is increased.
As described above, because the diversification of the information source and the information medium is promoted, on the display apparatus of the car equipment, the image information is displayed by the various display forms which are intended by the producer side who made the information medium.
As a result, for example, when the driver or the fellow passenger looks the image (movies, or the like) of DVD during the stoppage of travelling, and starts travelling, the DVD apparatus continues the play back operation, however, because the image display by the display apparatus is inhibited, the driver or the fellow passenger can not confirm the state of the play back of the DVD during the inhibited period.
In a more concrete case, when the image display is inhibited during the play back of the moving picture, because the audio play is continued, the driver or the like can confirm that the DVD reproducing apparatus is on play back operation, by listening the sound from the speaker. However, when the still image play back, which was previously edited by the DVD producer, is conducted during the inhibited period of the image display, the audio play back is also stopped.
Accordingly, while the still image is played back, the driver or the like can not easily obtain the judgement information whether the play back operation of the information source (DVD apparatus or the like) is stopped, whether the play back is normally continued, or whether, although the play back is normally continued, because the still image is on the play back, it looks apparently as if the play back operation were stopped, and there is a problem that the situation, in which it can not be easily judged how the driver copes with the inhibition of the image display, is assumed.
The same problem exists in, not limited to the information reproducing apparatus for the car use, but also other uses such as the home use information reproducing apparatus. For example, an AV equipment such as the DVD reproducing apparatus, can be connected to a personal computer, which is rapidly spread, and the diversification such as the case in which, while the movie played back by the DVD reproducing apparatus is displayed on a monitor of the personal computer, the document is simultaneously formed by the personal computer, is advanced.
In such a case, when the display on the image plane is changed to the display of the document formation on the way of watching the movie, the operation state of the DVD reproducing apparatus is not displayed on the monitor. Therefore, there is a problem in which the user is put in the same circumstance as in the car equipment, and can not confirm the operation state and the play back state of the DVD reproducing apparatus, and the inconvenient situation occurs.


A bicycle rack has a wheel stop which has a front and back member which diverge from each other as they extend away from the vertical member, and which are connected at an acute angle to a side member. The effect of this arrangement is to incline the bicycle wheel to move to the sidewardmost position within the wheel stop such that the bicycle tilts toward the vertical member, more securely positioning it within the rack.

The present invention relates to bicycle racks.
When a bicycle is parked and locked to a bicycle rack, it is important that the bicycle remain in an upright condition and correctly oriented with respect to the rack. If the bicycle becomes disturbed from the proper position, even though it may remain securely fastened to the rack, it may interfere with other bicycles on the rack, or may otherwise obstruct the path near the rack and be less than optimally stored while its user is away.
A common bicycle rack employs some type of upright post or member to which the bicycle is fastened, and a lower looped wheel stop which has parallel front and back members joined by a perpendicular side member. A wheel of the bicycle extends downwardly into the wheel stop to prevent forward and rearward displacement of the wheel. There is space for sideward movement of the wheel, to allow the bicycle to be leaned at an angle towards the upright member. However, this option for variation in placement of the wheel means that it is possible for the user to place the bicycle in a nearly vertical condition against the upright member, which can be unstable, resulting in the bicycle falling over.
What is needed is a bicycle rack which is conducive to secure upright storage.


A ligating instrument is provided, including an elongate member, such as a tube, having a lumen, the elongate member extending from a proximal actuator member to a distal ligating band dispenser. A pull line may extend through the lumen of the elongate member, with a proximal end of the pull line connected to the actuator member and a distal end of the pull line connected to the ligating band dispenser, wherein actuation of the actuator member draws the pull line in a proximal direction through the elongate member to deploy the ligating bands. The ligating band dispenser may be adapted to be mounted on the distal tip of an endoscope, and the elongate member may be adapted to be positioned outside of the endoscope from the ligating band dispenser to the actuator member. Alternatively, a ligating instrument may be provided for use with an endoscope, wherein a pull line of the ligating instrument is adapted to be positioned outside of the endoscope, wherein the pull line may be secured to the endoscope by clips or some other means. In a method of using a ligating instrument with an endoscope, a distal ligating band dispenser is attached to a distal tip of an endoscope, and a pull line of the ligating instrument is extended on the outside of the endoscope, such that the pull line extends, on the outside of the endoscope, from the distal ligating band dispenser to a proximal actuator member.

Ligation is a medical procedure whereby the physician ties off or mechanically constricts a piece of body tissue with an encircling ligature such as a suture, clip, or elastic band. The purpose of ligation is to impede or obstruct the flow of blood, fluids, and other bodily materials through the tissue. For example, the physician can remove target tissue by ligating it to obstruct all circulation through the target tissue, thereby causing the tissue to die and slough off.
For ligating tissue inside a body cavity, orifice, or lumen, physicians often use an endoscope to access the target tissue and ligate it. In one such form of endoscopic ligation, the physician uses the endoscope to position a stretched elastic band over the target tissue and then release the band onto the tissue so that the band contracts and catches the tissue. The inward pressure of the elastic band constricts the target tissue.
Ligating instruments have been the subject of a number of patents, including U.S. Pat. No. 5,269,789 to Chin et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,356,416 to Chu et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,398,844 to Zaslaysky et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,857,585 to Tolkoff et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,853,416 to Tolkoff; U.S. Pat. No. 5,913,865 to Fortier et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,235,040 to Chu et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. RE 36,629 to Zaslaysky et al. The disclosures of these prior U.S. patents are expressly incorporated by reference herein.
A number of previous ligating instruments have relied on deployment of the elastic bands by a trigger wire or string that must be threaded through the lumen of an endoscope. Once the wire or string is threaded through the endoscope lumen, the user must then tie or otherwise connect the free end of the wire or string to an actuator mechanism. The process of threading the wire or string and attaching it to the actuator mechanism adds additional steps in setting-up the instrument for use and can be cumbersome. It can also lead to error and improper calibration of the device.


A direct-current arc furnace for producing steel has a smelting vessel with electrodes, tapping openings for the molten mass and slag, and a device for a direct removal of exhaust gases. The smelting vessel is extended upwardly by a central shaft for introducing melt-down material into the vessel. The extension of the central shaft forms a melt-down material column. A shaft suction device is provided as an extension of the shaft for removal of the exhaust gases during the smelting process. Adjacent to the shaft openings are provided in the upper part of the smelting vessel for receiving a vessel suction device for dust and/or gases resulting during the charging process of the melt-down material. The shaft suction device and the vessel suction device are connected to a common device and switching elements are provided for actuating only one suction device and/or adjusting a combination of the exhaust gas flows dependent on the charging and smelting process.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a direct-current arc furnace for producing steel, comprising a smelting vessel with at least two electrodes for producing arcs as well as tapping openings for the molten mass and the slag. It further concerns a method therefor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Several methods for producing steel are known. Essentially, two process routes are primarily in use: on the one hand, the steel production according to the conventional blast furnace-Bessemer converter route and, on the other hand, the production in an electric steel furnace.
An electric steel furnace is conventionally a flat-cylindrical or oval vessel for melting down scrap metal or directly reduced iron (sponge iron). In the case of electric arc furnaces, the furnace is usually filled with the lid being pivoted out of the way, and the batch is melted down with the arc of the electrodes which penetrate through the lid into the furnace. Emptying of the furnace is realized, depending on the type of furnace, via a tapping launder or an eccentric bottom tapping opening. Electric arc furnaces of the AC (alternating current) as well as DC (direct current) type are known.
Conventional direct-current arc furnaces have a graphite electrode and a bottom electrode. The resulting arc extends vertically downwardly onto the steel bath. Recently, direct-current arc furnaces with two graphite electrodes have also become known.
Conventional direct-current arc furnaces have the following disadvantages.
During the melting-down process an arc deflection results which causes an increased stress on the refractory material. In the shallow bath phase it is therefore required to provide a high foamed slag for covering the arc and for protecting the walls of the vessel.
During the charging process, the resulting exhaust gas or dust cannot be controlled. Also, it is impossible to control in the hot gases the iron oxidation of the scrap metal to be melted down.
Moreover, electrode breakage can result when the scrap metal drops.
Moreover, the temperatures of the exiting gases is too low so that they must be reheated in order to prevent dioxin formation. This requires additional burners in the exhaust gas system.
In direct-current arc furnaces with two electrodes, there is a great heat loading between the two electrodes in the furnace lid area.
The present invention has the object to propose a direct-current arc furnace and a method for producing steel wherein a reduced loading of the furnace and the environment will result despite an increase of productivity.
This object is solved according to the invention in regard to the furnace in that adjacent to the shaft openings are provided in the upper part of the smelting vessel for receiving suction devices for dust and/or gases which result during the charging process of the melt-down material, and in that the shaft suction device and the vessel suction device are connected to a common device and in that switching elements are provided for actuating only one suction device, respectively, and/or for adjusting a combination of the exhaust gas flows dependent on the charging and smelting process as well as in regard to the method in that during the charging the resulting gases and dust are removed by a furnace vessel suction device connected to openings in the upper part of the smelting vessel, wherein the exhaust gases are removed from the furnace vessel suction device and the shaft suction device into a common device.
The invention suggests that two electrodes and at least one bottom electrode are arranged in the furnace vessel such that two slanted arcs are generated which extend toward the center of the bottom of the smelting furnace and that the smelting vessel is extended in the upward direction by a centrally arranged shaft for introducing melt-down material into the vessel as well as for forming a column of melt-down material.
As a result of the features according to the invention it is achieved that two arcs will burn in a controlled fashion underneath the melt-down material column. With this directed arc deflection and the provided charging shaft, a controlled uniform feeding of the melt-down material into the furnace vessel and a high-capacity melting process are ensured. When using scrap metal, an improved scrap metal cutting and faster cutting are realizable.
With this solution a doubling of the previous capacity of a conventional graphite electrode of 140 kVA or 110 MW can be achieved, and a reduction of the diameter of the two electrodes and thus of the electrode consumption is possible.
It is conceivable, aside from the arrangement of two electrodes (cathodes) and a (common) bottom electrode (anode), to also arrange two cathodes and two anodes. The anodes are bottom electrodes and are arranged such at the center of the bottom that two arcs extending slantedly relative to the bottom center will result. Finally, it is also proposed to provide all embodiments with a larger number of electrodes wherein the feature of the slanted arc is always fulfilled.
It is also advantageous that as a result of the charging shaft the dropping of the scrap metal and thus electrode breakage can be prevented.
According to the invention, the electrodes are arranged such that the arcs no longer extend vertically but at a slant. Therefore, a reduced slag height for covering the arc is required.
For a simultaneous control of the exhaust gases it is proposed that, adjacent to the shaft, openings are provided in the upper part of the smelting vessel for receiving a suction device for dust and/or gases which are produced during the charging process of the melt-down material and that a suction device is provided as an extension of the shaft for sucking away the exhaust gases during the smelting process.
In this way, an exhaust gas control is possible already during the charging process. Simply by means of the removal action of the gases by means of the vessel suction device an iron oxidation of the melt-down material can be mostly avoided.
The directed exhaust gas control has at the same time the advantage that the suction removal of the exhaust gases through the shaft during the smelting process can be used for preheating the scrap metal. The scrap metal preheating is carried out only during the suction removal phase of the gases through the shaft. By doing so, the preheating time can be controlled and thus the iron oxidation of the melt-down material.
It is preferably suggested that the shaft suction device and the vessel suction device are designed such that they end in a common suction pipe and that means are provided for switching between the shaft suction device and the vessel suction device in order to change between the two suction devices and the two exhaust gas flows for the charging and smelting processes. The two suction devices are thus combined to a common device. As a result of the proposed switching elements, it is possible to actuate only one exhaust gas device or to adjust a combination of exhaust gas flows. A control of the exhaust gas flows as well as of the exhaust gas quantities can be realized. This advantageous embodiment of the exhaust gas devices represents a direct suction removal so that, in combination with the proposed shaft, the catching and thus removal of the flue gases resulting during charging and smelting and tapping are made possible.
By changing the exhaust gas flow direction within the shaft, it is also possible to realize an exhaust gas temperature control. With a controlled mixing of the two exhaust gas flows, a heating of the gases to temperatures above the dioxin formation can be achieved.
According to the invention, the smelting vessel in its upper part has openings for the vessel suction devices adjacent to the shaft and the openings for the electrodes. It is especially recommended to arrange the openings for the electrodes in relation to the shaft such that the shaft or the melt-down material column guided through the shaft serve as a thermal shield between the two electrodes or as a shield against too high heat energy for the upper vessel area.
A preferred embodiment of the direct-current arc furnace is comprised of a lower smelting vessel with an upper lid which is provided with the proposed openings.
In an even more concrete embodiment the direct-current arc furnace is provided with a vessel suction device which comprises two upwardly extending pipelines which open into a pipe for the shaft suction device, wherein pivotable flaps, for example, of heat-resistant steel, are provided in the transition area for affecting the respective exhaust gas quantity and exhaust gas flows.
The smelting vessel is provided furthermore with means for vertical introduction of the electrodes for the smelting process and removing the electrodes for the charging process.
Moreover, on the inner walls of the smelting vessel gas burners and oxygen burners are arranged by which the need for higher melting outputs can be achieved. Moreover, nozzles at the underside of the bath can be provided.
Overall, the proposed direct-current arc furnace has the advantage in comparison to those known in the art that for the charging process a pivoting of the lid is no longer required and a gas-tight furnace operation can be realized.

Direct-current arc furnace comprising a centric charging shaft for producing steel and a method therefor


Oil field chemical delivery fluids containing a mixture of a base fluid and microcapsules having an oil field chemical contained within the microcapsule are described. Chemical groups in the outer surface of the microcapsules interact with the base fluid and promote the dispersibility of the microcapsules in the base fluid. Chemical groups in the outer surface of the microcapsules interact with the targeted areas of a hydrocarbon reservoir and promote the substantivity of the microcapsules to the targeted areas of the reservoir. The oil field chemical delivery fluids provide for the placement of microcapsules in a desired location within the well and/or reservoirs using properties such as the density of the microcapsules. Methods of making oil field chemical delivery fluids, systems containing oil field chemical delivery fluids, methods of fracturing rock in a reservoir and tracing the movement of fluid in a hydrocarbon reservoir using these fluids are described.

It is common practice to deliver chemicals to a subterranean environment during various oilfield operations. Drilling fluids are used to aid in the drilling of boreholes and creating a well. Cleaning fluid and cement are normally used in the completion of the wells. Many operations during the lifetime of a well, whether it is a production well or an injection well, involve the use of oil field chemicals as well.
The first type of well operations using oil field chemicals is aimed at maximising the production of hydrocarbons. One such important well treatment is known as well stimulation, where an interventive operation is performed on an oil or gas well to increase production by improving the flow of hydrocarbons from the formations into the well bore. For example, in both carbonate and sandstone formation reservoirs, acid based fluids are often used to clean up, remove or bypass formation damage in the near well bore areas, or acidify formation matrix and increase the formation's natural permeability. Matrix acidification is performed at below formation fracturing pressure. Acid treatment can also be carried out at above formation fracturing pressure, i.e., acid fracturing.
A very common type of well stimulation currently used is non-acid hydraulic fracturing, where a non-acid fracking fluid under high pressure is injected into the wellbore and into perforation tunnels within the reservoir to cause the rock formation to fracture. Hydraulic fracturing is commonly applied to wells for access to shale gas, tight gas, tight oil, and coal seam gas. Conventional fracking fluid is often a thickened fluid. A thickener which increases the viscosity of the fracturing fluid can be a polysaccharide. Guar gum, often cross-linked with borate or a zirconium compound, is frequently used. Another category of thickeners which is used is viscoelastic surfactants. More recently, the so called "slick water" is used for hydraulic fracturing. Slick water fluids are basically fresh water or brine having a sufficient amount of a friction reducing agent to minimize the tubular friction pressures. Other components of the slick water can include low levels of surfactants, scale inhibitors and biocides. Such fluids generally have viscosities only slightly higher than that of unadulterated fresh water or brine. Granular proppants are often carried by fracking fluid into the fracture.
Another important well treatment used to maximise production of hydrocarbon is flooding of the reservoir for oil recovery. An oil well normally goes through three production stages: primary recovery, secondary recovery and tertiary recovery or enhanced oil recovery. Secondary and tertiary recovery are sometimes referred to as improved oil recovery. Techniques used in secondary recovery include water injection, natural gas reinjection and gas lift, which injects air, carbon dioxide or some other gas into the bottom of an active well, reducing the overall density of fluid in the wellbore. Water used in secondary recovery is often water produced from the same well or brine water. Low concentration of a viscosifier, such as an anionic polyacrylamide, is occasionally used. Technology used for enhanced oil recovery includes gas injection, thermal injection, and chemical injection. Gas injection uses gases such as natural gas, nitrogen, or carbon dioxide, while thermal injection introduces heat. In chemical injection, various chemicals, such as a water soluble polymer, an alkaline compound and surfactants, usually as dilute solutions, are used to aid mobility of hydrocarbons. In polymer flooding, a dilute solution of a water soluble polymer, e.g. a polyacrylamide, is used to increase the viscosity of the injected water and drive the oil out of the formations. This leads to the additional recovery of oil. Injection of alkaline or caustic solutions into reservoirs with oil that has organic acids naturally occurring in the oil will result in the production of a soap like material that can lower the interfacial tension enough to increase production. Dilute solutions of surfactants can be injected to lower the interfacial tension or capillary pressure that impedes oil droplets from moving through a reservoir. Different chemicals can also be used in combination to achieve maximum recovery rate.
In secondary type well operations, chemicals are delivered into the reservoir to provide protection to downhole pipeline and equipment and to facilitate hydrocarbon production. One major problem encountered in hydrocarbon production is flow assurance. Oilfield fluids (e.g., oil, gas, and water) are complex mixtures of aliphatic hydrocarbons, aromatics, hetero-atomic molecules, anionic and cationic salts, acids, sands, silts, clays and a vast array of other components. The nature of these fluids, combined with the severe conditions of heat, pressure, and turbulence to which they are often subjected during retrieval, are factors contributing to paraffin deposition (including the precipitation of wax crystals), emulsification (both water-in-oil and oil-in-water), gas hydrate formation, corrosion and asphaltene precipitation in oil and/or gas production wells and surface equipment. This, in turn, decreases permeability of the subterranean formation, reduces well productivity and shortens the lifetime of production equipment. In order to remove these unwanted deposits and precipitates from wells and equipment, it is necessary to stop production from the reservoir, which is both time-consuming and costly. Another major problem encountered in gas/oil field is the corrosion of downhole pipeline and equipment such as packers, screens and fluid loss devices, due to contact of the pipeline and equipment with water based fluid containing metal and acid species and in some cases oxygen. In order to protect the equipment, prolong the life of the well and assure the flow of hydrocarbons, chemicals including scale inhibitor, hydrate inhibitor, corrosion inhibitors, biocides, and wax and asphaltene control substances are needed to be delivered downhole to subterranean well and reservoirs.
Another example of oil field chemicals used in facilitating hydrocarbon production is tracers, which provide tools for monitoring the movement of fluids in hydrocarbon reservoirs. Optimal oil production from a reservoir depends upon reliable knowledge of the properties and characteristics of the reservoir. Traditional methods for reservoir monitoring include seismic log interpretation, well pressure testing, production fluid analysis, production history matching and interwell tracer techniques. The use of tracers to obtain information about a hydrocarbon reservoir and/or about what is taking place therein has been practiced for several decades and has been described in numerous documents. Tracers have primarily been used to monitor fluid paths and velocities. More than one tracer substance can be used concurrently. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,892,147 discloses a procedure in which different tracer substances are placed at respective locations along the length of a well penetrating a reservoir. The tracer substances are placed at these locations during completion of the well before production begins. The tracer at each location is either attached to a section of pipe before it is placed at that location or is delivered into the location while perforating casing at that location. When production begins, monitoring the proportions of the individual tracers in the oil or gas produced by the well permits calculation of the proportions of oil or gas being produced from different zones of the reservoir.
Tracers can also be used for estimating residual oil saturation. Tracers have been used in single well tests and in interwell tests. In single well tests, one or more tracers are injected into the formation from a well and then produced out the same well mixed with fluids from the well. The difference in time between when a tracer that does not react with the formation (a conservative tracer) returns to the ground and a tracer that does react with a formation (a partitioning tracer) returns to the ground will give an indication of residual oil saturation, a piece of information that is difficult to acquire by other means. In interwell tests, the tracer is injected at one well along with a carrier fluid, such as water in a water flooding, and detected at a producing well after some period of time, which ranges from days to years. Radioactive and chemical tracers have been used extensively in the oil industry and hydrology testing for decades. Non-radioactive chemical tracers offer distinct advantages over the use of radioactive tracers. For example, there are more unique chemical tracers than radioactive tracers and no downhole logging tools are required.
Two or more different oil field chemicals can be used in combination. For example, a biocide is usually used along with a viscosifier or friction reducer in a hydraulic fracturing fluid. In many of the treatments and operations, tracers are used in conjunction with treatment chemicals. It is well known that tracers are often used in connection with hydraulic fracturing to provide information on the location and orientation of the fracture and the subsequent flow of reservoir fluids. Tracers are also used in conjunction with acid stimulating fluid and water or chemical flooding fluid for improving oil recovery. Due to the complexity of reservoirs, all information available is valuable in order to give the operator the best possible knowledge about the dynamics in the reservoir. One example is the monitoring of water production in improving oil recovery. A common secondary oil recovery process is water injection into dedicated injection wells. The water can travel in different layers and sweep different areas in the reservoir. Monitoring the production of this water in different zones in the well is important to design a production program that improves the sweep efficiency and thereby providing increased oil recovery. Mixing of injection water and formation water originally present in the reservoir can result in supersaturated solutions that can lead to precipitation of particles (scale) in either the reservoir near-well zone or in the production tubing. By using a tracer to determine which zones contribute to water production, action can be taken to reduce the effect of scaling and thereby maintain productivity.
A key for the oil field chemicals to work effectively and for the well treatment or operation to be successful, is for the oil field chemicals to be delivered to required areas of the oil well and reservoir as precisely as possible. Failure to deliver the oil field chemicals to the required areas in the reservoir can result in disrupted production, damage to equipment and environmental, health and safety concerns.
For oil field chemicals to enter the required areas of a hydrocarbon reservoir, the oil field chemicals need to be in a formulated composition. Liquid formulations can be injected downhole. It is normal practice that oil field chemicals used for well treatment are formulated into a form of fluid that is injected downhole to the reservoir. Methods are also known for absorbing particles of oil field chemicals into the pores of porous carrier particles or placing the oilfield chemical within a carrier material, where the particles or encapsulated material is suspended in the fluid and then pumped downhole.
It has been a challenge to deliver the required oil field chemicals to targeted areas of the well and reservoir. One issue is that many of the oil field chemicals are difficult to formulate. It is well known that many oil field chemicals are reactive and/or incompatible with the carrier liquid or other components of the formulation. The chemicals cannot stably remain inside the formulation before and after injection. For example, while water soluble tracers are easily dissolved in water based fracking fluid, oil soluble tracer can be difficult to incorporate into the same fluid. Successful use of additives to aid the incorporation of oil soluble tracers is limited. Additives can change the properties of fracking fluid to a degree that the fracking fluid is deemed not suitable for their purposed use.
There can be further issues related to the formulation that can affect the efficient delivery and release of the oil field chemicals. The formulation carrying the oil field chemicals need to travel and reach the required areas of the reservoir where the oil field chemicals are released from the formulation into targeted parts of reservoir where they can become adsorbed into/onto various components in those parts of the reservoir. The release of the oil field chemicals is often not controlled, i.e. the oil field chemicals cannot be released effectively from the formulation into targeted areas of oil well or reservoir, and the release of the oil field chemicals from the formulation and the targeted areas of the hydrocarbon reservoir often does not occur at the desired time.

Oil field chemical delivery fluids, methods for their use in the targeted delivery of oil field chemicals to subterranean hydrocarbon reservoirs and methods for tracing fluid flow


The invention is directed to manipulator assembly (2) for holding and manipulating a surgical instrument (14) in a telerobotic system. The assembly comprises a base (6) fixable by passive or power driven positioning devices to a surface, such as an operating table, and an instrument holder (4) movably mounted on the base. The instrument holder comprises a chassis (6) and an instrument support (70) movably mounted on the body and having an interface engageable with the surgical instrument to releasably mount the instrument to the instrument holder. A drive assembly (7) is operatively coupled to the instrument holder for providing the instrument with at least two degrees of freedom. The instrument holder is separable from the base and the drive assembly so that the holder can be sterilized. The assembly further includes a force sensing element (52) mounted distal to the holder and the drive assembly for detecting forces exerted on the surgical instrument and providing feedback to the surgeon. The assembly is attached to a remote center positioner (300) for constraining the instrument to rotate a point coincident with the entry incision and an inclinometer (350) for preventing gravitational forces acting on the system's mechanisms from being felt by the surgeon.

This invention relates to surgical manipulators and more particularly to robotically-assisted apparatus for use in surgery.
In standard laparoscopic surgery, a patient's abdomen is insufflated with gas, and trocar sleeves are passed through small (approximately ½ inch) incisions to provide entry ports for laparoscopic surgical instruments. The laparoscopic surgical instruments generally include a laparoscope for viewing the surgical field, and working tools such as clamps, graspers, scissors, staplers, and needle holders. The working tools are similar to those used in conventional (open) surgery, except that the working end of each tool is separated from its handle by an approximately 12-inch long extension tube. To perform surgical procedures, the surgeon passes instruments through the trocar sleeves and manipulates them inside the abdomen by sliding them in and out through the sleeves, rotating them in the sleeves, levering (i.e., pivoting) the sleeves in the abdominal wall and actuating end effectors on the distal end of the instruments.
In robotically-assisted and telerobotic surgery (both open and endoscopic procedures), the position of the surgical instruments is controlled by servo motors rather than directly by hand or with fixed clamps. The servo motors follow the motions of a surgeon's hands as he/she manipulates input control devices and views the operation via a displayed image from a location that may be remote from the patient. The servo motors are typically part of an electromechanical device or surgical manipulator that supports and controls the surgical instruments that have been introduced directly into an open surgical site or through trocar sleeves into a body cavity, such as the patient's abdomen. During the operation, the surgical manipulator provides mechanical actuation and control of a variety of surgical instruments, such as tissue graspers, needle drivers, etc, that each perform various functions for the surgeon, i.e., holding or driving a needle, grasping a blood vessel or dissecting tissue.
This new method of performing telesurgery through remote manipulation will create many new challenges. One such challenge is transmitting position, force, and tactile sensations from the surgical instrument back to the surgeon's hands as he/she operates the telerobotic system. Unlike other techniques of remote manipulation, telesurgery can give the surgeon the feeling that he/she is manipulating the surgical instruments directly by hand. For example, when the instrument engages a tissue structure or organ within the patient, the system should be capable of detecting the reaction force against the instrument and transmitting this force to the input control devices. In this manner, the surgeon can see the instrument contacting the tissue structure on the displayed image and directly feel the pressure from this contact on the input control devices. Providing the appropriate feedback, however, can be problematic because of other forces acting on the system, such as friction within the telerobotic mechanisms, gravity and inertial forces acting on the surgical manipulator or forces exerted on a trocar sleeve by the surgical incision.
In addition, to enable effective telesurgery, the manipulator must be highly responsive and must be able to accurately follow even the most rapid hand motions that a surgeon frequently uses in performing surgical procedures. To achieve this rapid and responsive performance, a telerobotic servo system must be designed to have an appropriately high servo bandwidth which requires that the manipulator be designed to have low inertia and to employ drive motors with relatively low ratio gear or pulley couplings.
Another challenge with telesurgery results from the fact that a portion of the electromechanical surgical manipulator will be in direct contact with the surgical instruments, and will also be positioned adjacent the operation site. Accordingly, the surgical manipulator may become contaminated during surgery and is typically disposed of or sterilized between operations. Of course, from a cost perspective, it would be preferable to sterilize the device. However, the servo motors, sensors and electrical connections that are necessary to robotically control the motors typically cannot be sterilized using conventional methods, e.g., steam, heat and pressure or chemicals, because they would be damaged or destroyed in the sterilization process.
What is needed, therefore, is a robotically-assisted apparatus for holding and manipulating surgical instruments by remote control. The apparatus should be configured for easy sterilization so that it can be reused after it has been contaminated during an operation. The apparatus should be further capable of providing the surgeon with the appropriate feedback from forces transmitted to and from the surgical instrument during the telerobotic operation and it should be configured to compensate for gravitational forces acting on the apparatus so that these forces are not felt by the surgeon. In addition, the apparatus must be highly responsive and must be able to accurately follow even the most rapid hand motions that a surgeon frequently uses in performing surgical procedures.

Surgical manipulator for a telerobotic system


A combination includes a cable tie having a head portion and a tail extending from the head portion to a free end and a securement member for mounting the cable tie to a mounting panel, the cable tie tail extending through the securement member, the securement member being rotatable relative to the cable tie tail and being portable therewith.

For many years, the electrical cable industry has had the benefit of cable ties to encircle and ensnare groupings of conductors. Applicant's U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,022,557 and 3,047,945, now expired, respectively show examples of cable ties and tensioning apparatus for use in assembling cable ties and conductor groupings. As shown in these patents, cable ties are typically molded plastic members having a head portion and a tail portion extending from the head portion to a free end. The head portion typically includes a pawl member extending into a tail portion passage extending fully through the head portion. The tail portion is routed about the conductors to be ensnared and has serrations on one or both outer surfaces thereof designed to pass by the pawl member under the pulling pressure of a person or a pulling tool, the pawl retentively engaging the serrations to form a cable tie loop tightly encircling the conductors.
Where it is desired to mount a cable tie to a mounting panel, use is sometimes made of a so-called "mounting head tie", such as are available from Thomas & Betts Corporation under the trademark "Catamount". This cable tie is formed as above described, but further includes a mounting head integrally formed with the tie proper adjacent the tie head portion and defining a circular hole. Use of mounting head ties entails need for a stove bolt and nut, a flat washer and a lock washer. The stove bolt is inserted through the mounting head hole and the flat washer and lock washer are then applied to the bolt and the bolt is then inserted through an opening in a mounting panel. The bolt is then threaded into the nut and tightened.
An alternative to the foregoing apparatus is seen in a "Single-Bundle Mounting Base", also available from Thomas & Betts Corporation under the registered trademark "Ty-Rap". This device is an elongate nylon base, having end openings for receiving screws for mounting the base to a mounting panel and further openings intermediate the end openings. The end of a cable tie opposite the head portion is passed successively through the intermediate openings and the mounting screws are then applied to the base and threaded into openings in the mounting panel. Conductors are now applied to the cable tie and the tie is tightened about the conductors.
From applicant's perspective, use of the mounting head tie or the single-bundle mounting base is costly, labor intensive and inefficient in weight sensitive environments, such as aircraft, where lessening of the securement device weight converts into fuel saving, shortened take-off distances and extended flight mileage.
Lessened cost, labor intensity and weight than provided by the mounting apparatus above described is available, e.g., through the use of so-called "Push Mount Cable Ties" also sold by Thomas and Betts Corporation under the aforesaid Catamount trademark. This device includes an arrowed structure adjacent the cable tie head portion and formed integrally therewith. The arrowed structure is inserted into an opening in the mounting panel and the wings of the arrow spread apart, securing the cable tie to the mounting panel. From applicant's perspective, such alternative does not provide desired mounting securement strength.

Method and apparatus for securing cables and the like


A map display device and a map display method, in which a building in a map is formed as a pseudo three-dimensional figure and arithmetic processing to display the figure as a bird's-eye view is simplified. The map display device 20 for displaying map data, formed from vector data, on a display means has a plane figure-for-bird's-eye-view creation means 218, a shift amount storage means 219, a building position determination means 220, and a figure data copying means 221. The plane-figure-for-bird's-eye-view creation means 218 creates, from the map data formed from vector data, a plane figure for creating a bird's-eye view. The figure data copying means 221 copies and draws the plane figure to display a bird's-eye view. This is performed based on the positions of buildings determined by the building determination means 220 and on the shift amounts stored in the shift amount storage means 219, and in this process, the plane figures are shifted upward on a display screen according to the shift amounts, and the copying and drawing are made one by one from a building positioned on the far side in the bird's-eye view.

Car-mounted navigation devices have been provided in the past for guiding the driver of an automobile along the optimum route from a departure point to a destination point. A conventional navigation device has a CD-ROM, IC card, or other map data storage device in which map data are recorded; a display device; and a gyroscope, a GPS (Global Positioning System), a speed sensor, and other vehicle movement detection devices and the like for detecting the current position and the current bearing of the vehicle. Map data that include the current position of the vehicle are read from the map data storage device, a map image of the vicinity of the vehicle's position is created on the display device on the basis of the map data, and by superimposing a vehicle position marker (location) on the display screen, scrolling the map image according to the movement of the vehicle, or keeping the map image fixed on the screen while moving the vehicle position marker, the location in which the vehicle is currently traveling can be instantly recognized.
Such a vehicle-mounted navigation device is usually equipped with a route guidance function to ensure that the driver can easily travel to the desired destination point without mistaking the route. In this route guidance function, the map data are used to calculate a simulation by the Dijkstra method or the like and search for the lowest-cost route that links the departure point to the destination point, the searched route is stored in advance as a guidance route, and the guidance route is displayed on the map image in bold and in a different color than the other roads. When the vehicle approaches within a certain distance from an intersection at which the course on the guidance route is to be changed, an arrow indicating the course is displayed at the intersection at which there is to be a course change on the map image, whereby the driver can easily recognize the optimum route to the destination point.
The vehicle-mounted navigation device described above is a standalone navigation device that has map data or a route search function, but such a navigation device must be provided with all the functions necessary for navigation, which increases the size and cost of the device. Recent developments in communication and information processing techniques have led to the widespread use of so-called communication-type navigation systems in which functionality for communicating via a network is added to the vehicle-mounted navigation device to enable data communication with a route search server and to acquire guidance route data or map data. A system in which a mobile telephone is used as a navigation terminal has also been implemented as a pedestrian navigation system.
The map data used for route searching in a pedestrian navigation system or a car navigation system are referred to as road network data. When the road network is composed of roads A, B, and C as shown in FIG. 20, for example, the end points, intersection points, turning points, and other points of roads A, B, and C are designated as nodes; roads linking the nodes are indicated by directional links; and the road network data are composed of node data (node latitude/longitude), link data (link numbers), and link costs (distance between links or time required to travel to a link) in the form of link cost data. Specifically, in FIG. 20, the symbols — and ⊚ indicate nodes, wherein the ⊚ indicates an intersection of roads. Directional links between nodes are indicated by arrow lines (solid lines, dashed lines, chain double-dashed lines). Links in the upstream and downstream directions of the roads are present, but only links in the direction of the arrows are shown in FIG. 20 to simplify the diagram.
When the data of such a road network is route-searched as a database for route searching, a link connected from the node of the departure point to the node of the destination point is traced, the link cost is stored, and the route having the smallest stored link cost is searched and used for guidance. Specifically, in cases in which a route search is performed using node AX in FIG. 20 as the departure point and node CY as the destination point, sequential tracing and accumulation of the link cost are performed for the link to node CY in which road A is traveled from node AX and a right turn into road C is made at the second intersection point, and the route having the smallest cumulative value for the link cost is searched and used for guidance. Other routes from node AX to node CY are not shown in FIG. 20. However, other routes actually exist, and routes whereby it is possible to reach node CY from node AX are therefore searched in the same manner, and the route having the smallest link cost among the searched routes is determined to be the optimum route. This technique is in accordance with the publicly known technique known as the Dijkstra method.
The road network data in the vehicle-mounted navigation system are composed only of roads that can be traveled by automobile, and there is no need for pedestrian road network data on pedestrian-only roads or roads inside parks or in front of train stations where vehicle entry is prohibited. In a navigation system for pedestrians, data for road networks that can be traveled by automobile are included in addition to the above-described pedestrian road network data for pedestrian-only roads or roads inside parks or in front of train stations where vehicle entry is prohibited, but there is no need for network data for highways and other roads on which walking is prohibited.
In a navigation system in which a mobile telephone is used as a navigation terminal, since there are also situations in which a user places the mobile telephone inside an automobile and uses the mobile telephone in the same manner as a car navigation system, the route search server is provided with road network data for performing automobile route searches as well as pedestrian road network data for performing pedestrian route searches, and the appropriate road network data are used for the route search according to the transportation mode (walking or riding) specified by the user as a condition for the route search. In the pedestrian navigation system, since it is often the case that transportation facilities are also used by the pedestrian, the route search server is furthermore provided with network data for lines in a transportation facility and running time data for trains, commuter trains, buses, and the like that move on each line, and the route search is performed using line network data and running time data when a transportation facility is specified as the transportation mode.
In such a navigation system, the guidance route is displayed on the map in the navigation terminal, and important buildings and other structures on the map are displayed to make the current position or the direction of travel easier to recognize. The route search server therefore stores a database of map data for display that include building data in addition to the road network data used for route searching. Such road network data or map data are composed of unit data (mesh data) that are divided into prescribed sizes by latitude and longitude, and the route search server transmits the optimum guidance route data obtained as a result of the route search to the navigation terminal, and transmits map data that include the current position, i.e., eight units of mesh data that surround mesh data at the center that include the current position, to the navigation terminal on the basis of current position information (latitude and longitude) received from the navigation terminal.
When the guidance route data and the map data are received from the route search server, the navigation terminal temporarily stores these data in a storage means, and presents the guidance route, a current position marker indicating the current position of the navigation terminal, and a prescribed range of the map that includes the current position, to VRAM and displays these items in the display means. When the current position changes and the map data are inadequate, the navigation terminal requests map data from the route search server and receives a transmission of the needed map data. The road network data or the map data are accumulated in the database in the form of vector data, and the navigation terminal can perform prescribed computation of the data as needed to enlarge or rotate the map or the guidance route.
The method for transmitting a map and displaying the map in a terminal device in this manner is not limited to a navigation system for performing route searching and route guidance, and is used in the same manner in a map display system for transmitting a current position or desired position information and receiving a transmission of map data. Attempts have been made to realistically convey the layout of the vicinity to the user in the form of an image that approximates the actual landscape by displaying the map as a bird's-eye view in which important buildings on the map are indicated as three-dimensional representations when a navigation terminal or other terminal device displays a map.
For example, a map display device is disclosed in Patent Reference 1 (Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 2001-27534) in which even the shapes of building walls are drawn and displayed in three dimensions. The map display device disclosed in Patent Reference 1 is aimed at making it easier to identify structures and recognize the correspondence to the actual landscape in a map display device that is used as a vehicle navigation device, and is configured so as to display a set window frame shape and wall surface color according to the type of building displayed in three dimensions. The number of window frames in the display is the same as the number of floors of the building, and the roof surface of the building at the destination point is colored dark red. Specifically, this map display device is a map display device for displaying roads, structures, and the like in three dimensions in a display means on the basis of map data that are stored in a map data storage means, wherein the structures are displayed in the display means along with modifications according to characteristics of the structures.
In order to create a display such as the one described above, the map data storage device in the map display device disclosed in Patent Reference 1 is composed of a DVD-ROM, a hard disk, a CD-ROM, or other high-capacity storage medium, and a playback device for retrieving the data stored in the storage medium. A three-dimensional digital (road) map database that includes road map data and data and the like for creating a three-dimensional display of various types of structures and the like (government administration offices, banks, schools, station buildings, airports, hotels, buildings, various types of facilities, and other structures) is recorded in the storage medium. Text information for displaying the names of intersections, cities, towns, villages, and the like is also recorded in the storage medium. The data for creating a three-dimensional display of structures in the road map data are composed of position data and polygon data and other data that denote the planar shape of buildings, height (number of floors) data, and other characteristics. Type data that indicate the type of structure, and text information for displaying the names of structures are recorded in the storage medium.
Patent Reference 2 (Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 9-134122) discloses a vehicle map display device for displaying a representation of the height direction of a bird's-eye view for land that is at or above a prescribed height in the map display, rather than a building display. The vehicle map display device disclosed in Patent Reference 2 displays a realistic bird's-eye view through simple processing. Specifically, this vehicle map display device reads the range of road map data to be displayed from the map storage memory, detects the elevation information included in the read road map data, determines whether points on the road map are at an elevation equal to or higher than a reference elevation h (meters), and sets the elevation of regions lower than the reference elevation of h meters to zero meters. Only the map region that has an elevation equal to or higher than the reference elevation of h meters is thereby displayed three-dimensionally when the bird's-eye view is displayed, and map regions that are lower than the reference elevation of h meters are displayed at a constant elevation. The map display is therefore easier to read, and the draw speed of the map is enhanced.
In general, when buildings on the map are displayed as three-dimensional representations in a bird's-eye view such as the one shown in FIG. 21, there is a need to process portions that are observed from behind buildings; i.e., so-called hidden surface removal processing is needed to remove the image data of portions of the rear buildings 23 or 25 that are blocked by the images of the front buildings 22 or 24. For example, Patent Reference 3 (Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 2003-263102) discloses a map display device in which hidden surface removal processing is performed by a method referred to as a Z buffer method.
The map display device disclosed in Patent Reference 3 creates a three-dimensional map in which structural elements of the map are arranged on the basis of a map storage means. Affine transformation, perspective conversion processing, and other prescribed processing of the three-dimensional map are then performed, after which hidden surface removal processing by a Z buffer method or other method is performed to create a projection drawing obtained when the abovementioned three-dimensional map is viewed from a certain perspective. Information relating to the map components displayed in the projection drawing is then read from an information storage means, after which a display region in the projection drawing of the map components displayed in the projection drawing is detected. The detected display region is then used as a basis for setting a display region of the related information on the projection drawing. The display region of the related information on the projection drawing is set for each map component having related information that is displayed in the projection drawing, and is also set each time there is a change in the displayed region of the map component on the projection drawing.    [Patent Reference 1]: Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 2001-27534 (FIGS. 1 and 6, and paragraphs [0015] and [0037] through [0045])    [Patent Reference 2]: Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 9-134122 (FIGS. 1 and 2, and paragraphs [0007] and [0013] through [0019])    [Patent Reference 3]: Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 2003-263102 (FIG. 29, and paragraphs [0030] through [0034], [0054], and [0055])

Map display device and map display method


A novel aqueous solution for the one step impregnation of catalytic supports, catalysts prepared from such solution, and the preparation and the use of catalysts prepared thereby. The catalysts prepared are used in the hydrotreatment of petroleum fractions and particularly in hydrodesulfurization and/or denitrogenization. The solution is a combination of at least one compound of a metal from group IVa (e.g. Zr), at least one compound of a metal from group VIa (e.g. Mo or W), at least one compound of a metal from group VIII (e.g. Co or Ni), and at least one water soluble amine (e.g. ethylenediamine or MEA).

The present invention relates to a novel aqueous solution for the impregnation of catalyst supports. The invention further relates to catalysts prepared from such a solution and to applications for these catalysts.
The invention relates more particularly to the catalysts used in the hydrotreatment of petroleum fractions, and especially to hydrodesulfurization catalysts.
The feedstocks treated in such hydrotreating processes come, from the fractionation of crude petroleum, for example, by distillation at atmospheric pressure and then under reduced pressure, or from a cracking unit (particularly the fraction known as light cycle oil, or LCO).
The products obtained must be desulfurized before they are used as motor fuel or fuel generally, and current laws impose ever greater reductions of the content of sulfurous and nitrogenous compounds of these products.
To meet these requirements in the area of desulfurization, it is possible to adjust the operating conditions of the hydrotreating process. In particular, the quantity of feedstock being treated may be reduced, which, however, has the effect of decreasing the volume produced by the treating unit and of increasing the operating costs.
Furthermore, the treating capacity may be increased or the operating pressure of the process may be raised. However, this would entail a modification of the installations, and consequently substantial investments and excessive construction delays.
To some extent, the temperature at which the hydrodesulfurization reaction is run could also be increased, but this usually shortens the life of the catalyst employed.
Such catalysts frequently comprise a support based on a porous refractory oxide in which at least one metal from groups VIII, IVa and VIa of the periodic table is present. (See, for example, French patents 2,490,507, 2,560,789, 2,598,631 and 2,598,632.)
These catalysts comprise, for example, an alumina support on which cobalt and/or nickel and molybdenum and/or tungsten, generally in the form of oxides, are deposited at the end of the catalyst preparation treatment.
The life and the activity of such catalysts are limited by a progressive poisoning of the active sites by the sulfur and, depending on the nature of the feedstock treated, also by the nitrogenous products, the metals or the high-molecular-weight products present, which promote the formation of coke.
Apart from the oxides of cobalt (and/or of nickel) and of molybdenum (and/or of tungsten), it is also known to use in such catalysts zirconium oxide, either alone (see French patent 1,437,252) or possibly combined with phosphate (see U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,791,967 and 3,546,105).
The zirconium is incorporated in the catalyst either during the preparation of the support, by coprecipitation with the latter from the same solution, or by being mixed with the support in the form of a solid or paste (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,490,479), or then by impregnation of the support from an aqueous solution (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,344,867).
The last-mentioned method usually involves a double impregnation of the support. (See U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,437,252 and 3,840,473.) The support is first impregnated with a solution of a zirconium salt, this first impregnation being followed by drying and calcination. It is then impregnated in one or more stages with a solution of a nickel or cobalt salt (a nitrate, for example) and with a solution of a molybdenum compound (ammonium paramolybdate, for example), these impregnations being likewise followed by drying and optionally by calcination. While the catalysts so prepared possess satisfactory catalytic properties, their contents of molybdenum and cobalt oxides are generally too low since if present in large amounts these metals, deposited in a second impregnation, might cover the zirconium atoms previously deposited.

Aqueous solution for the impregnation of catalytic supports, catalysts prepared from this solution, and application for these catalysts


Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture to perform graphics processing on combinations of graphic processing units and digital signal processors are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes processing first data representing input vertices to create second data, the first data using a first format organized by vertex, the second data using a second format organized by components of the vertices. A digital signal processor (DSP) is to perform vertex shading on the second data to create third data, the third data formatted using the second format, the vertex shading performed by executing a first instruction at the DSP, the first instruction generated based on a second instruction capable of being executed at a graphics processing unit (GPU). The third data is processed to create fourth data, the fourth data formatted using the first format.

GPUs are specialized purpose-built electronic circuits that efficiently perform graphics functionality (e.g., shading, rasterization, image manipulation, etc.). A GPU renders images, animations, video, etc. for display on a screen.
As beneficial, the same reference numbers will be used in the drawing(s) and accompanying written description to refer to the same or like parts. Connecting lines or connectors shown in the various figures presented are intended to represent example functional relationships and/or physical or logical couplings between the various elements.

Methods and apparatus to perform graphics processing on combinations of graphic processing units and digital signal processors


A method of producing ceria nanocrystals is provided. The method includes providing a gas that includes ozone to a solution that includes a cerium salt, and obtaining ceria nanocrystals from the solution after the gas is provided to the first solution. A method of producing nanoparticles is provided. The method includes providing a gas that includes ozone to a solution that includes a metal salt that includes at least one of a transition metal or a lanthanide, and producing at least one of metal oxide nanoparticles, metal oxynitrate nanoparticles, or metal oxyhydroxide nanoparticles from the solution after the gas is provided to the solution.

Transition metal oxides and lanthanide oxides (inner transition metal oxides) are commercially valuable oxides due to their diverse magnetic, optical, electronic and catalytic chemistry applications. They commonly find applications in gas sensors, optical devices, UV blockers, polishing materials to name a few. These oxides are typically synthesized under elevated temperatures and/or pressures, carefully monitored oxidizing or reducing environments, hydrothermal conditions, and arc melting. These synthesis techniques may require toxic chemicals and are also energy-intensive.
Fluorite structured cerium oxide (ceria; CeO2-x, 0<x≤0.5) is a technologically important rare earth metal oxide because of its unique redox properties and high oxygen storage capacity. It has been explored for uses in myriad applications including fuel cells, adsorbents, gas sensors, ultraviolet absorber in sunblocks, catalysts for the oxidation reactions and water gas shift reaction, and antioxidants in biomedicine. Numerous synthetic approaches such as mechanochemical processing, spray pyrolysis, the electrochemical method, the sol-gel method, the solvothermal method, and the surfactant-assisted method have been used for the preparation of nanocrystalline cerium oxide of various shapes and size distributions. These synthetic methodologies often apply either elevated temperatures, pressures, and/or capping agents.

Ozone-mediated synthesis of nanostructures


The present invention provides a device useful for supporting underground mine/tunnels. The device continuously monitors the roof load coming over the canopy and correspondingly yielding/convergence indicated by the pointer on graduate scale. The roof load coming on the canopy (9) is transmitted to the prop via a set of steel disc springs (5) to increase the yielding and longevity of the present device. The present invention has mechanism for preloading upto the desired load. It is a simple, easily transportable and user friendly device having quick release mechanism from a safe distance.

In general, underground mine/tunnels/roadways are supported, especially in India, by using wooden cogs/props as support. But as wood is becoming scarce, there is need for suitable alternative supports to replace timbers in mines. Keeping in mind the Indian mining condition the support should be of greater longevity, light enough for easy portability and requiring less maintenance. Further, it should have facilities for height variation, sufficient yielding, continues load monitoring and releasing remotely as the coal seam thickness varies widely in Indian mines. Then, the support material must be easily available and should have ease in operation by even an unskilled worker. Finally, the device must be economically viable for Indian mines, which is thriving for its longer life and should provide safety for miners. In this direction several efforts have been made as can be seen from a survey of the hitherto known prior art.
Reference may be made to U.S. Pat. No. 5,967,702 and CA2236062, wherein is described a pit prop having two opposed ends and comprising two bearing plates located at the ends, two telescopically displaceable prop elements, a number of separate resiliently compressible rubber discs arranged adjacent one another and a tubular indicating element. The prop includes a further bearing plate with the discs being located between two bearing plates to permit yielding of the pit prop under a load. The indicating element has markings thereon to indicate the load condition of the prop. The prop includes a locking device for releasable locking the prop elements with respect to one another.
The drawback of the above said U.S. patent is that the rubber discs may be affected by weathering condition and also will have more wear and tear under repeated loading. Also the prop is a non-yielding rigid prop which is meant for fixed preloading only.
Reference may be made to patent no. GB822162, entitled as "Improvements relating to hydraulic pit props" disclosing a hydraulic pit prop provided with a spring-loaded valve of flow cross-section opening in the direction of liquid pressure and operable either by the liquid pressure to relieve excess pressure in the prop or manually though a longitudinally displaceable rod to initially release the pressure when the prop is to be withdrawn, the valve being interconnected, with axial play, by the rod with a spring-loaded main release valve which opens in the direction opposite to the pressure in the prop, and can be manually opened by means of the rod after the valve has first been opened to initially release the pressure. The coupling between the rod and the valve which comprises a piston on the rod guided in a closed chamber in the influence of liquid pressure in a liquid supply conduit adapted to be connected to the valve casing when the prop is to be set, the valve in this case acting as a non-return valve for the liquid being pumped into the prop.
Reference may be made to patent no. GB2368860, entitled as "Hydraulic prop and seal arrangement" disclosing a hydraulic cylinder especially for use as a pit prop or moving cylinder unit underground, has a locking ring arranged on an outer cylinder tube sealing it at its end with a lead through for an axially movable rod element. The locking ring is provided in the lead through with a sealing arrangement resting on the outer side of the rod element. The sealing arrangement has a guide ring provided with grease grooves open to the outer side of the rod element which can be supplied with lubricant via a lubricant line accessible on the outside of the hydraulic cylinder. The gap formed between an outer collar and the rod element is than the between the rod element and an inner collar.
Reference may be made to patent no. GB1037686 entitled as "Hydraulic operated mine prop, wherein a hydraulic pit prop is disclosed in which at least the external prop member for guiding the sealing portion of the prop piston consists of a longitudinally welded tube. In so far as the sealing member is so selected to accommodate misalignment or relative canting of the prop member then the latter may be made from cheap welded tube stock as opposed to being made from accurately worked, seamless drawn or rolled precision tubes as heretofore. The prop is provided with a retraction spring and the seal with a tensioning sleeve.
Reference may be made to patent no. US2002031407, titled: Prop device for mining and tunnel construction which consists of an inner pipe and an out pipe which can be moved while inserted in each other. The pulling apart motion is initiated when a liquid is filled into a filler opening into the outer pipe whose cavity is separated from the cavity by a plate. This plate features a weak point. Endangerment of the workers is therefore eliminated. After the extension of the inner pipe from the outer pipe the partial wedges are pushed into remaining narrow gap so that the desired locking effect takes immediately place. The water or liquid can exit again from the cavity via the filler opening. A very light prop device that absorbs sufficient straining forces has been created.
Reference may be made to patent no. GB864032, entitled as "Improvements relating to hydraulic pit props or the like" wherein the hydraulic pit prop comprises two telescoping parts which are extended by a differential piston operated by rotating a lever through 180 degrees, and are released by rotating the lever through the remaining 180 degree to open, by means of a projection on the piston, a bolt valve and subsequently a valve member. The prop is first extended by a low-pressure piston and, when its relief valve operates, is set by a high pressure piston. A pressure relief valve is provided.
Reference may be made to patent no. GB742701 as entitled as "Improvements in or relating to telescopic pit-props" wherein the telescoping parts of a pit-prop are locked by independent wedges in slots in a prop lock with or without the interposition of a locking element. The keys are of light alloy are engaged by a galvanized surface on the wedges. The inner prop member may be of double H section having brake shoes adapted to be gripped between the flanges of the inner member by operation of wedges action on both sets of flanges by means of keys. In a modification, each wedge and one key operates on one set of flanges only. For instantaneous withdrawal of the prop an eccentric may be provided or two wedges connected by a sleeve passing over the tapered ends. Reference may be made to patent no. GB948255 entitled as "Improvements in or relating to hydraulic pit props", wherein the hydraulic pit prop as disclosed is provided with a sealed outer guard tube defining with the cylinder an annular gap which communicates by means of a port with annulus between the piston and cylinder unit the arrangement being such that contraction of the prop is not adversely affected by pneumatic pressure variations in the annulus. The prop is provided with a chamfered base plate bolted thereto. The guard tube may be of corrugated form.
Reference may be made to patent no. GB947516 entitled as "Improvements in or relating to pit props", wherein the hydraulic pit prop incorporates an auxiliary piston pressurized by an accumulator which supplies pressure for retraction purposes and is charged during extension of said prop. The piston is fixed to the base of the prop and slides in a cylinder, which is fixed to the member therefore and communicates with the accumulator through parts. The accumulator is made of spring steel, plastic or rubber and is mounted in a steel housing. The member is elevated by a pump which feeds liquid from the reservoir through a conduit and valves to a chamber, the underside of the being initially fed with liquid through a valve and then fed with liquid through a valve in the piston. A release valve permits escape of liquid from the chambers to the reservoir when the prop is to be released.
Reference may be made to patent no. GB946631 entitled as "Improvements in or relating to mine-roof supports", wherein the telescopic pit prop consisting of parts of angular cross-section are interlocked by a tilting ring or clamps comprising pivoted components urged apart by a connected to a double-acting hydraulic jack by arms.
Reference may be made to patent no. GB942471 entitled as "Improvements in or relating to hydraulic roof supports for mines", wherein the hydraulic pit prop is made up from a number of units each consisting of a rubber ring bonded to steel plates, the units being bolted together and to a control ring provided with inlet, exhaust and relief valves. One plat of each end unit comprises a flanged base or roof support element. In a modification, the prop consists of alternate layers of rubber and steel ring bonded together, one ring acting as a control ring and each end ring as a roof or base plate.
Reference may be made to U.S. Pat. No. 3,992,888 entitled as "Hydraulic pit prop", wherein the pit prop comprises an elongated skid adapted to lie on the floor and having a front end link able to a support such as a face conveyor. A pair of generally parallel elongated feet flank the skid and each have a front portion, which is substantially twice as wide as its rear portion. A slide fluid cylinder has a rear end secured of the skid and a front end secured to a cross member attached to the front portions of the feet so that extension or contraction of the slide cylinder displaces the feet relative to the support. A pair of support arms each has a rear end loosely pivoted on the rear portion of the respective foot and a front end carrying a roof-engaging shield. A loft cylinder extends between each foot front portion and the respective front end of the respective arm for pressing the shield against the mine roof and the feet against the mine floor.
Reference may be made to U.S. Pat. No. 402,889 entitled as "Pit prop assembly", wherein the pit prop assembly has two pit props with parallel laterally spaced bases each having a front end turned towards a face conveyor and a rear end turned away from the face conveyor. A slide has its front end connected via positioning mechanism to the conveyor and its rear end connected via hydraulic ram to the bases. Each of the bases has at its rear end a side turned toward a confronting side on the slide and forming a side pair with this confronting side. One of these sides is formed with a formation that engages over and under another formation on the other side. One of these formations of each of the pairs of formation extends longitudinally toward the face so that the two formations can slide relative to each other. One of these formations may also be a pin whereas the other is a groove, or one may be a pair of facing convex surfaces flanking a straight edge.
Reference may be made to patent no. 2454 DEL 95 disclosing a device of support 'Pit Prop', which has been developed, and already being used by the mines. It is made up of two pair of steel tubes and a crown. The bottom tubular portion needs a piece of wooden log to be inserted to adjust with the height of mine roofs. A different size of log/piece of timber is required every time to suit the roof height and at the same time a wooden wedge is required at the bottom to tighten the prop rigidly on the ground against the roof. As the wedge is tightened by manual hammering it is not possible to provide a setting load of more then 200-500 Kg. Further, one needs shaping of wooden pieces of different length and thickness to adjust with the roof height from the crown of the prop. It is always difficult and time taking for making a suitable wooden logs for each prop at time of erection, which are hardly used without rework afterwards. Thus, wooden pieces/timbers are paramount for this type of support, which can not be eliminated. Again, wooden wedges, after getting it tightened are responsible for inclination from vertically, which creates eccentricity problem with roof. In addition, yielding characteristic is not available in this pit prop.
Reference may be made to patent nos. GB 968810(A), GB 994903 (A), GB 846291 (A), & GB 699913 (A), entitled as 'Friction prop' which is also being used by the mines. The device described herein can provide setting load, height variation and yielding characteristic. The yielding characteristic of friction prop depends upon the frictional forces developed between the outer surface of the inner tube and the inner surface of the vice arrangement provided on the outer tube. Again this frictional force developed depends upon the how perfectly wedges are tightened in the vice arrangement. Further, these friction props are very heavy to handle as they are in a single unit. At the same time remote withdrawal is not possible. If frictional part of the outer surface of the inner tube got damaged it can never be replaced and hence whole prop would be of no use. At the last it does not have load-monitoring device to monitor the upcoming load of roof.
Reference may be made to U.S. Pat. No. 5,967,702 entitled as "Quick-release pit prop". The pit prop has two opposed ends and comprises two bearing plates located at the ends, two telescopically displaceable prop elements, a number of separate resiliently compressible rubber discs arranged adjacent each other and a tubular indicating element. The prop includes a further bearing plate with the disc being located between two bearing plates to permit yielding of the pit prop under a load. The indicating element has marking thereon to indicate the load condition of the prop. The prop includes a locking device for releasable locking the prop elements with respect to each other.
Reference may also be made to Indian patent No. 1026 DEL 2004 in which the yielding mechanism is a compression helical spring inserted in top tube resting between fixed bottom base and a circular plate on top of the helical spring. Circular plate supports the hollow square canopy through which roof load is transmitted.
In the above-referred props some of the drawbacks are:    a) Longevity of the props is less as the yielding element rubber may be affected by weathering condition as also faster wear and tear.    b) No facilities for giving proper setting load which is a vital parameter to be considered.    c) Roof support area is a point roof support, instead of broad area.    d) Simplest quick release system from a safe distance is not provided.    e) Lack of facility for easy dismantling and good portability.    f) No device to monitor the yielding as well as roof load    g) No facility for replacement of yielding mechanism    h) No facilities for varying the yielding range as in the case of helical spring amount of yielding is fixed.
From the survey of hitherto known prior art it is seen that there is scope for improvement and hence there exists a definite need for providing a device useful for supporting underground mine tunnels/roadways.

Device for roof support of underground mine/tunnel

Council of Scientific & Industrial Research


A process for preparing 4,6-bis(difluoromethoxy)pyrimidine derivatives of the general formula: ##STR1## wherein R is a C.sub.1-4 -alkyl or optionally substituted phenyl or benzyl, proceeding from the corresponding 4,6-dihydroxypyrimidine dialkali-metal salt. In the process, the educt is reacted under pressure with chlorodifluoromethane in a solvent selected from the group consisting of the ketones, in the presence of a base and a phase-transfer catalyst and in the presence of 40 to 100 mol per mol of water of the 4,6-dihydroxypyrimidine dialkali-metal salt to form the final product.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a novel process for preparing 4,6-bis(difluoromethoxy)pyrimidine derivatives proceeding from 4,6-dihydroxypyrimidine dialkali-metal salts.
2. Background Art
4,6-bis(difluoromethoxy)pyrimidine derivatives are important intermediates for producing herbicides, for example, for producing sulfonylureas (U.S. Pat. No. 4,900,827).
Hitherto, a plurality of processes have been disclosed for preparing 4,6-bis(difluoromethoxy)pyrimidine derivatives.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,900,827 describes a process for preparing 4,6-bis(difluoromethoxy)pyrimidine derivatives in which a 4,6-dihydroxypyrimidine dialkali-metal salt is reacted with chlorodifluoromethane dissolved in acetonitrile or acetone in the presence of 0.05 to 1.1 mol of water per mol of 4,6-dihydroxypyrimidine dialkali-metal salt. A disadvantage of this process is that the reaction is carried out in a heterogeneous, three-phase system. That is to say, acetonitrile or acetone is the liquid phase, the 4,6-dihydroxypyrimidine dialkali-metal salt is a solid and the chlorodifluoromethane is partly dissolved and partly in the gas phase.
European Published Patent Application No. A 0468069 describes a process for preparing 4,6-bis(difluoromethoxy)pyrimidine derivatives proceeding from the corresponding 4,6-dihydroxypyrimidine by reaction with chlorodifluoromethane at normal pressure in the presence of sodium hydroxide dissolved in dioxane. A disadvantage of this process is that an appreciable amount of chlorodifluoromethane is used and, consequently, the process is not ecological. In addition, dioxane is not suitable as a solvent in the production.

Process for preparing 4.6-bis(difluoromethoxy)pyrimidine derivatives