There is provide a process for producing a coated preparation composed of a hydrophilic core material coated with a coat material selected from hydrophobic hot-melt lipid to control dissolution of the core material in water and to prevent blocking during the production thereof. In this process, the melted coat material is added dropwise to the core material with fluidizing the core material to form at least one coating layer about the core material in the presence of, or by addition of xcex2-form seed crystals of the coat material. Further, there is provided a water-soluble vitamin preparation having an improved flavor which contains a coated water-soluble vitamin having an unpleasant flavor produced by the novel process.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for producing a coated preparation. More specifically, it relates to a process for producing a coated preparation in the form of finely divided particles which is composed of a core material of a useful hydrophilic material, in particular, an organic acid or its salt, coated with one or more coating layers of a coat material selected from hydrophobic hot-melt lipid to minimize the external influence on the core material or the influence on surroundings by the core material and to improve blocking between coated particles.
Further, the present invention relates to a water-soluble vitamin preparation having an improved flavor which utilizes the process of the present invention, and its production process. More specifically, it also relates to a water-soluble vitamin preparation useful as medicines and health food in which an unpleasant flavor of a water-soluble vitamin is improved, a dissolution rate of a water-soluble vitamin in water is reduced to provide slow-release properties, reactions between components are inhibited, and preparation properties are improved, as well as its production process.
2. Disclosure of the Prior Art
Organic acids such as citric acid, fumaric acid, and sorbic acid are widely used as, for example, acidulants, pH adjusting agents, preservatives, and the like. However, in many cases, adverse influences due to low pH are observed during processing and storage of food products and the like.
In addition, the organic acid, L-ascorbic acid, is widely utilized in various food, health food, feed, medicines, and the like, for example, as a quality improving agent, an acidulant, a nutrient enhancer as vitamin C, a medicament, and the like.
In the utilization of L-ascorbic acid as a quality improving agent, its oxidative and reductive reactivity is expected. However, the reaction rate is too fast to last its improving effect for extended periods of time. On the other hand, in the utilization of L-ascorbic acid as an enhancer, it should be kept stably during production and storage of food and the like. However, it is very difficult to keep L-ascorbic acid stably, in particular, in the presence of water, oxygen, metal salts and the like, resulting in such a drawback that the desired function cannot be exhibited and, sometimes, its oxidative and reductive reactivity adversely influences another component.
Then, for solving these problems, processes for producing coated preparations have been proposed to prevent these organic acids from contact with water, oxygen and the like and to control its reactivity. In these processes, an organic acid is used as a core material and a coat of a hydrophobic material is provided about the surface of the core material. For example, a fine powder of an organic acid is coated with a hydrophobic material such as a hot-melt fat which is a solid at room temperature by a spray cooling method, a spray coating method, a rotary mixing-drying method, or the like.
In particular, for example, JP-A 63-164863, JP-A 63-164864 and JP-A 63-258813 propose a process for producing a coated preparation in which a core material such as a water-soluble vitamin powder or an organic acid powder is brought into contact with and hit by a coat material such as a fat so that the coat material adheres to the core material to cover it. JP-A 55-92661, JP-B 62-18152, JP-A 64-3118 and JP-A 64-3119 propose a process for producing a fine powder preparation in which finely divided organic acid particles and a melted fat are mixed at an elevated temperature and then the mixture is spray-cooled.
JP-A 50-52221 proposes a process for coating organic acid particles in which a fat is dissolved in a solvent and an organic acid is covered with the resultant solution in a fluidized bed device with evaporating the solvent. Further, for improving the degree of covering with a coat material and solving the problem of simplicity and convenience in these proposed processes, Japanese Patent Application No. 9-13702 (JP-A 10-203965) filed by the present assignee proposes a process for producing a coated preparation in which a coat material melted with heating is continuously or intermittently added to a hydrophilic core material with mixing the core material at a temperature not higher than the solidification temperature of the coat material to solidify the coat material to form plurality of coating layers about the core material.
However, in the above known processes, there are such problems that inhibition of dissolution of a core material such as an organic acid in water is insufficient or very difficult and, even if the dissolution can be prevented, productivity of the processes is very low from the economical view point. Moreover, there is a problem of blocking between particles coated with a hydrophobic hot-melt coat material during production steps.
One main object of the present invention is to provide a process for producing a coated preparation which can inhibit the dissolution of the core material in water and can prevent blocking between coated particles during production steps by improving covering with a coat material to solve the above problems in the prior art processes.
This object as well as other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description.
The present inventors have studied intensively to achieve the above object. As a result, the present inventors have found that it is necessary to accelerate xcex2-form crystallization of one or more coating layers composed of a coat material selected from hydrophobic hot-melt liquid upon coating about a hydrophilic core material, thereby improving covering of the core material to give a coated preparation having a low degree of dissolution in water in a high yield and, at the same time, to prevent blocking during production steps of the preparation.
In addition, although, among water-soluble vitamins, there are many substances having unpleasant flavors such as peculiar vitamin odors, bitterness and the like, the present inventors also have found that these unpleasant flavors can be improved by the process of the present invention or that disclosed by the above present assignee""s Japanese Patent Application No. 9-13072 (JP-A 10-203965) in combination with sweeteners. That is, sweeteners such as aspartame and the like have been used for improving unpleasant flavors of water-soluble vitamins (JP-A 60-192571, JP-A 8-208517, etc.). Further, sweeteners such as aspartame and the like have been used not only for improving unpleasant flavors but also as components of various vitamin preparation (JP-A 60-19474, JP-A 9-157174, JP-A 9-95447, Japanese Patent No. 2574176, etc.). Nevertheless, surprisingly, the present inventors have found that a water-soluble vitamin preparation having a further improved flavor and various improved properties can be obtained by combining the process of the present invention or that disclosed by Japanese Patent Application No. 9-13702 (JP-A 10-203965) and a sweetener such as aspartame.
Then, the present invention provides:
(1) a process for producing a coated preparation comprising a hydrophilic core material coated with a coat material selected from hydrophobic hot-melt lipid;
said process comprising adding the melted coat material dropwise to the core material with fluidizing the core material at a temperature not higher than the solidification temperature of the coat material in the presence of xcex2-form seed crystals of the coat material to solidify the coat material to form at least one coating layer about the core material; or
adding the melted coat material dropwise to the core material with fluidizing the core material at a temperature not higher than the solidification temperature of the coat material to solidify the coat material to form at lease one coating layer about the core material, followed by adding xcex2-form seed crystals of the coat material, for example, within 10 minutes, to accelerate xcex2-form crystallization of the coating layer;
(2) the process according to the above (1), wherein the core material is at least one organic material selected from the group consisting of organic acids, organic acid salts and non-organic acid vitamins;
(3) the process according to the above (2), wherein the core material is L-ascorbic acid or its salt;
(4) the process according to the above (1), wherein the coat material is at least one material selected from the group consisting of fats and oils, fatty acids, fatty acid esters, their hydrogenated products and wax;
(5) the process according to the above (1), wherein the xcex2-form seed crystals of the coat material are a part of the coated preparation prepared separately;
(6) the process according to the above (1), wherein xcex2-form seed crystals of the coat material is prepared separately by melting the coat material and adjusting its temperature;
(7) the process according to the above (1), wherein xcex2-form crystallization is carried out by holding the coating layer at a pre-determined temperature after formation thereof;
(8) the process according to the above (1), wherein the core material is fluidized in a temperature controllable stirring-mixing device;
(9) the process according to the above (1), wherein xcex2-form seed crystals of the coat material is used in an amount of 0.1 to 30% by weight based on the total weight of the coated preparation; and
(10) the process according to the above (1), wherein the core materials is formulated in an amount of 50 to 97% by weight based on the total weight of the coated preparation.
According to these aspects of the present invention, the coated preparation of the hydrophilic core material having improved stability whose dissolution in water is inhibited can be simply and conveniently obtained with preventing blocking by properly selecting the coat material and its amount to be coated, i.e., the number of coating layers and the rate of addition, adding xcex2-form seed crystals of the coat material, and properly controlling temperature to accelerate xcex2-form crystallization of the coating layer.
The present invention further provides:
(11) a water-soluble vitamin preparation having an improved flavor which comprises a coated water-soluble vitamin component, a sweetener and an excipient; and
said coated vitamin component obtained by coating a water-soluble vitamin core material having an unpleasant flavor with at least one coating layer of a coat material selected from hydrophobic hot-melt lipid which is formed by melting, adding and solidifying the coat material with fluidizing the core material;
(12) the water-soluble vitamin preparation according to the above (11), wherein the core material is a water-soluble vitamin selected from the group consisting of calcium ascorbate, sodium ascorbate, nicotinic acid, nicotinamide, vitamin B1""s, riboflavin, riboflavin phosphate sodium, pantothenic acid, sodium pantothenate and pyridoxine hydrochloride;
(13) the water-soluble vitamin preparation according to the above (12), wherein the core material is calcium L-ascorbate;
(14) the water-soluble vitamin preparation according to the above (11), wherein the coat material is at least one material selected from the group consisting of fats and oils, fatty acids, fatty acid esters, their hydrogenated materials and wax;
(15) the water-soluble vitamin preparation according to the above (11), wherein the coating layer is crystallized in xcex2-form crystals;
(16) the water-soluble vitamin preparation according to the above (11), wherein the water-soluble vitamin content of the coated water-soluble vitamin component is 30 to 97% by weight;
(17) the water-soluble vitamin preparation according to the above (11), wherein the sweetener is at least one material selected from the group consisting of aspartame, potassium acesulfame, sucrarose, sodium saccharin and licorice extract;
(18) the water-soluble vitamin preparation according to the above (17), wherein the sweetener content of the preparation is 0.1 to 5.0% by weight; and
(19) the water-soluble vitamin preparation according to the above (11), wherein the preparation is in the form of powder, granules, tablets or capsules.
Furthermore, the present invention provides:
(20) a process for producing a water-soluble vitamin preparation having an improved flavor which comprises the steps of:
coating a water-soluble vitamin core material having an unpleasant flavor with at least one coating layer of a coat material selected from hydrophobic hot-melt lipid which is formed by melting, adding and solidifying the coat material with fluidizing the core material to obtain a coated water-soluble vitamin component, and
compounding the coated water-soluble vitamin component with a sweetener and an excipient;
(21) a process for producing a water-soluble vitamin preparation having an improved flavor which comprises the steps of:
coating a water-soluble vitamin core material having an unpleasant flavor with at least one coating layer of a coat material selected from hydrophobic hot-melt lipid,
said coating layer being formed by melting, adding and solidifying the coat material with fluidizing the core material in the presence of xcex2-form seed crystals of the coat material, or melting, adding and solidifying the coat material with fluidizing the core material, followed by adding xcex2-form seed crystals of the coat material to accelerate xcex2-form crystallization of the coating layer, to obtain a coated water-soluble vitamin component, and
compounding the coated water-soluble vitamin component with a sweetener and an excipient;
(22) accelerate xcex2-form crystallization of the coating layer the process according to the above (21), wherein the xcex2-form seed crystals of the coat material are a part of the coated water-soluble vitamin component prepared separately;
(23) the process according to the above (21), wherein xcex2-form seed crystals of the coat material is prepared separately by melting the coat material and adjusting its temperature;
(24) the process according to the above (21), wherein xcex2-form crystallization is carried out by holding the coating layer at a pre-determined temperature after formation thereof;
(25) the process according to the above (21), wherein xcex2-form seed crystals of the coat material is used in an amount of 0.1 to 30% by weight based on the total weight of the water-soluble vitamin component; and
(26) the process according to the above (20) or (21), wherein the core material is fluidized in a temperature controllable stirring-mixing device.
According to the latter aspects of the present invention, a water-soluble vitamin preparation useful as medicines and health food can be obtained. In the water-soluble vitamin preparation of the present invention, an unpleasant flavor of a water-soluble vitamin is improved to reduce an unpleasant flavor in the mouth; a dissolution rate of a water-soluble vitamin in water is reduced to provide slow-release properties; reactions between components are inhibited; and preparation properties are improved.
In the present invention, the core material is not limited to a specific one in so far as it has a hydrophilic substance having suitable particle size. Examples thereof include citric acid, fumaric acid, tartaric acid, sorbic acid, water-soluble vitamins such as L-ascorbic acid, nicotinic acid, pantothenic acid and the like, amino acids, nucleic acids, salts of these materials with alkali metals (e.g., potassium, sodium, etc.), alkaline earth metals (e.g., calcium, magnesium, etc.), hydrophilic organic acids and organic acid salts, water-soluble non-organic acid vitamins such as vitamin B""s. Preferably, the core material is L-ascorbic acid or its salt.
The particle size of the core material is not limited to a specific one, but normally, the core material is used in the form of powders, granules or crystals having the average particle size is not more than 2,000 xcexcm. preferably 10 to 1,000 xcexcm, more preferably 40 to 1,000 xcexcm.
The coat material is selected from hydrophobic hot-melt lipid. As such a material, an edible material having melting point of 50 to 90xc2x0 C., preferably about 60 to 80xc2x0 C. is desired. Examples thereof include vegetable and animal fats and oils, hydrogenated, fractionated and interesterification products thereof, fatty acids, fatty acid esters, naturally occurring vegetable, animal and mineral wax and the like.
Examples of the fats and oils include hydrogenated soybean oil, hydrogenated tallow, hydrogenated rapeseed oil, hydrogenated fish oil, hydrogenated whale oil, hydrogenated castor oil, hydrogenated sunflower oil, hydrogenated safflower oil and the like. Example of the fatty acids include those having 14 to 28 carbon atoms and melting point of about 50 to 90xc2x0 C. (e.g., palmitic acid, stearic acid, behenic acid, etc.) and their esters having surfactant activity such as glycerol esters, sugar esters, sorbitol esters, propylene glycol esters and the like.
Examples of the wax includes naturally occurring edible wax such as candelilla wax, rice wax, carnauba wax, beeswax, paraffin wax and the like.
In the present invention, these coat materials can be used alone or in combination of two or more of them. Further, plural coating layers can be formed by the same coat materials or, depending upon the combination of particular coat materials, plural coating layers of difference coat materials can be formed. preferably 4 to 6 hours after melting by heating to form xcex2-form crystals.
Further, the xcex2-form seed crystals to be used in the present invention may be a part of the coated preparation produced in a different batch or run according to the process of the present invention. For example, among the coated preparations produced, those having too small particle size, e.g., those having particle size of not more than 850 xcexcm, or pulverized materials of the coated preparations can be used as the xcex2-form seed crystals. The crystal form of the coated preparation to be used as the seed crystals may be xcex2-form, xcex2xe2x80x2-form or a mixture thereof.
The seed crystals is added in an amount of 0.1 to 90% by weight, preferably 1 to 50% by weight, more preferably 1 to 30% by weight based on the total weight of the coated preparation. The seed crystals can be added together with the core material or can be added when the coat material is added dropwise. Further, the seed crystals can be added after formation of the coating layers.
The process of the present invention can be carried out by using a temperature controllable stirring-mixing device in which the core material can be fluidized. This kind of device is not specifically limited in so far as the core material and the coat material can be stirred and mixed. However, in view of easy operation and
The coat material can be used in an amount of 99 to 1% by weight, preferably 99 to 10% by weight, more preferably 60 to 20% by weight based on the total weight of the coated preparation. The core material can be used in an amount of 1 to 99% by weight, preferably 1 to 90% by weight, more preferably 40 to 80% by weight based on the total weight of the coated preparation.
When the amount of the coat material is too small, covering becomes insufficient. Preferably, the amount of the coat material is selected so that the core material is covered by at least 2 layers of the coat material. By forming plural coating layers, a sufficient degree of covering can be obtained to give a coated preparation of mononuclear particles having coating layers of a high fat content.
The xcex2-form crystals to be used as the seed crystals in the present invention can be selected from the same coat material as described above whose crystal form is xcex2-form. The xcex2-form seed crystals can be prepared by melting lipid having the same fatty acid composition as that of the coat material or at least one coat material to be used and holding the melt at a pre-determined temperature for pre-determined time. For example, in case of hydrogenated soybean oil, the seed crystals can be prepared by holding its melt at 50 to 60xc2x0 C. for 1 to 8 hours, efficiency, preferably, a temperature controllable screw type, ribbon type, paddle type, high-speed fluid type or rotary disk type stirring-mixing device is used. For example, a stirring-mixing device such as Microspeed Mixer (manufactured by Takara Koki), Highspeed Mixer (manufactured by Fukae Kogyo), Nauter Mixer or the like can be used.
For carrying out the process of the present invention, for example, the core material and xcex2-form seed crystals are heated to a temperature not higher than the solidification temperature of the coat material by using the above mixer. To this is added the coat material melted by heating dropwise continuously or intermittently to cover the surface of the core material with a single layer or plural annual rings-like or spiral-like layers of the coat material uniformly. The resultant mixture is cooled and held in an incubator for ten to several tens hours to warm the mixture to effect xcex2-form crystallization. Then, the mixture is screened to obtained the coated preparation having the desired particle size. A part of the coated preparation or that having larger particle size can be used as the seed crystals for a different batch or run as it is or after pulverization.
The warming temperature and time for xcex2-form crystallization vary depending upon production conditions. However, normally, xcex2-form crystallization is carried out at 50 to 60xc2x0 C. for 4 to 8 hours, preferably 4 to 6 hours.
In particular, the present invention is suitable for producing the coated preparation of L-ascorbic acid. For example, 60 parts by weight of L-ascorbic acid powder, granules or crystals having particle size of not more than 2,000 xcexcm and 15 parts by weight of the seed crystals are mixed with controlling the temperature at not higher than the solidification temperature of the coat material, e.g., at 50 to 54xc2x0 C. To this is added 15 to 20 parts by weight of the coat material. Addition and solidification of the coat material are repeated to cover the surface of L-ascorbic acid with plural coat layers of the coat material. The resultant mixture is cooled to about 50xc2x0 C. and allowed to stand in an incubator at 50xc2x0 C. for about 5 to 7 hours. Then, the mixture is screened to select the coated preparation of L-ascorbic acid having the desired particle size.
In addition, blocking is further improved, when the coated preparation of L-ascorbic acid produced separately which has been subjected to xcex2-form crystallization is added in an amount of about 10% by weight based on the total weight of the preparation to be produced after coating of the core material, followed by allowing to stand in an incubator at 50xc2x0 C. for about 5 to 7 hours. As an additive, silicon dioxide, corn starch or the like can be advantageously used in an amount of about 1% by weight based on the total weight of the preparation.
The water-soluble vitamin preparation of the present invention comprises a coated water-soluble vitamin component, a sweetener and an excipient. The coated water-soluble vitamin component is obtained by coating a water-soluble vitamin core material having an unpleasant flavor with plural coating layers of the coat material.
In the present invention, examples of the water-soluble vitamin having an unpleasant flavor which is the core material of the coated water-soluble vitamin component include calcium ascorbate, nicotinic acid, nicotinamide, vitamin B1""s (e.g., hydrochloride, nitrate, dibenzoyl thiamin, dibenzyol thiamin hydrochloride, etc.), riboflavin and its phosphate sodium, pantothenic acid, sodium pantothenate, calcium pantothenate and pyridoxine hydrochloride. Among them, calcium L-ascorbate is used.
Coating of the core material can be carried out according to the same manner as that of the above process of the present invention except that xcex2-form seed crystals are not used. That is, the coating can be carried by adding the coat material melted by heating to the core material continuously or intermittently with fluidizing the core material at a temperature not higher than the solidification temperature of the coat material to solidify the coat material to form plural coating layers about the core material.
In addition, the coating can be carried out according to the above process of the present invention. That is, the coating can be carried out by adding the melted coat material dropwise to the core material with fluidizing the core material at a temperature not higher than the solidification temperature of the coat material in the presence of xcex2-form seed crystals of the coat material to solidify the coat material to form at least one coating layer about the core material; or by adding the melted coat material dropwise to the core material with fluidizing the core material at a temperature not higher than the solidification temperature of the coat material to solidify the coat material to form at least one coating layer about the core material, followed by adding xcex2-form seed crystals of the coat material to accelerate xcex2-form crystallization of the coating layer.
In case of the coated water-soluble vitamin component, the coat material can be used in an amount of 99 to 1% by weight, preferably 99 to 10% by weight, more preferably 70 to 20% by weight based on the total weight of the coated water-soluble vitamin component. The core material can be used in an amount of 1 to 99% by weight, preferably 1 to 97% by weight, more preferably 40 to 97% by weight based on the total weight of the coated water-soluble vitamin component. When the amount of the coat material is too small, covering becomes insufficient. Preferably, the amount of the coat material is selected so that the core material is covered by at least 2 layers of the coat material. By forming plural coating layers, a sufficient degree of covering can be obtained to give a coated water-soluble vitamin component of mononuclear particles having coating layers of a high fat content. Thus, an unpleasant flavor can be improved; a dissolution rate of the vitamin in water can be reduced; slow-release property can be provided, a reaction between the vitamin and other components can be inhibited; and properties of the resultant preparation can be improved.
In case of the coated water-soluble vitamin component, the xcex2-form crystals to be used as the seed crystals in the present invention can be selected from the same coat material as described above and it crystal form is xcex2-form. The xcex2-form seed crystals can be prepared by melting lipid having the same fatty acid composition as that of the coat material or at least one coat material to be used and holding the melt at a predetermined temperature for predetermined time. For example, in case of hydrogenated soybean oil, the seed crystals can be prepared by holding its melt at 50 to 60xc2x0 C. for 1 to 8 hours, preferably 4 to 6 hours after melting by heating to form xcex2-form crystals.
Further, the xcex2-form seed crystals to be used in the present invention may be a part of the coated water-soluble vitamin component produced in a different batch or run according to the above process. For example, among the coated water-soluble vitamin component produced, those having too small particle size and, in case of those having too large particle size, e.g., having particle size of not less than 2,000 xcexcm, after pulverized can be used as the xcex2-form seed crystals. The crystal form of the coated water-soluble vitamin component to be used as the seed crystals may be xcex2-form, xcex2xe2x80x2-form or a mixture thereof.
The seed crystals is added in an amount of 0.1 to 90% by weight, preferably 1 to 50% by weight, more preferably 1 to 30% by weight based on the total weight of the coated water-soluble vitamin component. The seed crystals can be added together with the core material or can be added when the coat material is added dropwise. Further, the seed crystals can be added after formation of the coating layer.
Any sweetener which can be used for improving a flavor can be used in the present invention. Sucrose can be used. Further, a sweetener selected from aspartame, potassium acesulfame, sucrarose, sodium saccharin and licorice extract (or glycyrrhizin). The amount of the sweetener is not specifically limited but, when the sweetener is added in an amount of 0.1 to 5.0% by weight based on the total weight of the vitamin preparation, excellent improvement of a flavor can be achieved together with improvement resulted from the coating of the water-soluble vitamin.
As the excipient, for example, there are monosaccharides, disaccharides, polysaccharides, hydrogenated products thereof (e.g., hydrogenated maltose, paratinit, sorbitol, mannitol, maltitol, erythritol, xylitol, lactitol etc.) and the like.
The water-soluble vitamin preparation of the present invention can be produced by compounding these coated water-soluble vitamin component with the sweetener, the excipient and, if necessary, other additives such as flavor, binder, lubricant and the like according to a per se known method to give a preparation in the form suitable for oral administration such as powders, granules, tablets or capsules.
The vitamin content of the vitamin preparation can be appropriately selected according to a particular use thereof.
Thus, according to the present invention, the coated preparation of a hydrophilic core material whose dissolution in water is inhibited can be obtained by a simple process only using a stirring-mixing device with preventing blocking between coated particles.
Even when the resultant coated preparation is soaked in water, dissolution of the core material is little and, therefore, such advantages that improvement of stability of the core material and prevention of flavor deterioration can be expected. According to a particular use of the core material, the coated preparation can be utilized for stabilization of the unstable core material, control of the dissolution rate in water and reactivity (slow-release property) of the core material, control of flavor release of the core material (prevention of release of acid flavor, odor, etc.) and the like. For example, adverse influence due to low pH of an organic acid can be prevented. Further, instability of L-ascorbic acid by water, oxygen, metals and the like can be prevented and, on the other hand, influence of L-ascorbic acid on other components can also be prevented.
Moreover, the present invention can provide the water-soluble vitamin preparation useful as medicines and health food. In the water-soluble vitamin preparation of the present invention, an unpleasant flavor of a water-soluble vitamin is improved to reduce the unpleasant flavor in the mouth; a dissolution rate of a water-soluble vitamin in water is reduced to provide slow-release properties; reactions between components are inhibited; and preparation properties are improved.
The following Examples further illustrate the present invention in detail but are not to be construed to limit the scope thereof.
In the following Examples, the dissolution rate in water of the coated preparation was determined by the following method.
The preparation (about 200 mg) was weighed accurately in a 50 ml centrifuge tube with a plastic cap. To this was added 2% metaphosphoric acid (20 ml) and, after capping, the mixture was shaken (240 times/min., 40 mm wide for 60 minutes) with a vertical shaker (SW-11W manufactured by Taiyo Kagaku) and filtered (Toyo Filter Paper No. 2). The filtrate (10 ml) was taken into a 50 ml flask and the L-ascorbic content in the filtrate was determined by iodine method. This content was used as the dissolution amount. The dissolution rate of L-ascorbic acid was calculated on the basis of this dissolution amount of L-ascorbic acid.
The fat crystalline form of each preparation was confirmed by measuring the melting point.
L-ascorbic acid (average particle size 120 xcexcm) was used as the core material and hydrogenated soybean oil was used as the coat material.
In the Examples, all the percents are by weight.

Process for producing coated preparation and its use


A hook has a hook body which has an attachment portion to be attached to a rope at a base end portion and which is curved in an L-shaped from the base end portion to a tip end portion, a latching tool which is rotatably supported by the hook body and which is brought into contact with and separated from a curved inner surface of the hook body on the tip end portion side of the hook body relative to a rotation center, a biasing member biasing the latching tool in a direction where the latching tool is caused to abut on the hook body, and a lock pin which is detachable from and attachable to the latching tool between the rotation center and a rotation tip and which abuts on the curved inner surface of the hook body when the lock pin is attached to the latching tool to regulate the rotation of the latching tool against biasing force of the biasing member.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a crane hook locking a wire and the like attached to a hoisted load.
Description of the Related Art
Heretofore, hooks attached to a crane and the like have been provided with a latching tool in order to prevent the removal of a wire and the like locked to the hook. The latching tool is rotatably supported by the hook and is biased in a direction where the latching tool is caused to abut on the tip of the hook. By rotating the latching tool against the biasing force, the wire and the like is detachable from and attachable to the hook.
When a hoisted load attached to the tip of a wire is placed on the ground in a state where the wire locked to the hook of the above-described configuration is twisted, the bent wire is sometimes deformed in such a manner as to eliminate the twist. In this case, the deformed wire may rotate the latching tool to be disconnected from the hook. Then, Japanese Unexamined Utility Model (Registration) Application Publication No. 7-31780 discloses a crane hook further having a lock pin which prevents the rotation of the latching tool.
However, the lock pin described in Japanese Unexamined Utility Model (Registration) Application Publication No. 7-31780 prevents the rotation of a latching tool by abutting on the latching tool at a position furthest from the rotation tip of the latching tool which is brought into contact with and separated from a the hook. Therefore, there has been a problem that a position where the lock pin is attached to and detached from the latching tool and a position where a wire is attached to and detached from the hook are separated from each other, which reduces the workability. This problem becomes more remarkable with an increase in the size of the hook.


A system and method are provided to analyze synthetic and real markets that offer interchangeable tradeable objects to find market opportunities that a trader may capitalize on. A synthetic market is an electronic market created out of real markets by a computer terminal or gateway. A real market is an electronic market that is offered by an electronic exchange. If a desirable market opportunity is found, the preferred embodiments can take action such as by sending orders to either one of the markets, or by sending orders to both markets. An advantage of the preferred embodiments, among many others, is that they can make “invisible” trading opportunities more readily apparent.

At one time, there were only open-outcry exchanges where traders, or more specifically buyers and sellers, would come together to trade in person. With the advent of electronic trading, traders may participate at their computer terminals from remote distances by communicating over physical networks with electronic exchanges that automatically match bids and offers.
FIG. 1 is provided to illustrate an example of an electronic trading system. As shown, electronic trading system 100 includes one or more electronic exchanges generally indicated as 102 in communication with one or more computer terminals generally indicated as 104 via any type of network-based protocols. Intermediate devices such as gateways generally indicated as 108, routers (not shown), and other such types of network devices may be used to connect various computer networks 110 so that computer terminals 104 and electronic exchanges 102 can communicate. Of course, other types of configurations known in the art may be used to connect buyers and sellers in place of, or in addition to, electronic trading system 100.
Electronic exchanges 102 represent any type of electronic forum that facilitates electronic trading. Electronic exchanges 102 are generally based on computers that perform, among other things, order matching, maintain order books, positions, and price information. Some examples of electronic exchanges 102 include the London International Financial Futures and Options Exchange (LIFFE), the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT), the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME), the Exchange Electronic Trading ("Xetra," a German stock exchange), and the European Exchange ("Eurex"). Electronic exchanges 102 might also refer to other software and/or hardware based facilities, which include basic to complex systems that automatically match incoming orders.
Each of electronic exchanges 102 may host one or more electronic markets such that each electronic market provides a place to trade a tradeable object. As used herein, the term "tradable objects," refers simply to anything that can be traded with a quantity and/or price. It includes, but is not limited to, all types of tradable objects such as financial products, which can include, for example, stocks, options, bonds, futures, currency, and warrants, as well as funds, derivatives and collections of the foregoing, and all types of commodities, such as grains, energy, and metals. The tradable object may be "real," such as products that are listed by an exchange for trading, or "synthetic," such as a combination of real products that is created by the user. A tradable object could actually be a combination of other tradable objects, such as a class of tradable objects.
Any type of computer-based order matching algorithm may be used to match orders in a given electronic market; sometimes the type of algorithm depends on the tradeable object being traded. For sake of illustration, some example order execution algorithms include price/time priority (sometimes also referred to as first-in-first-out or FIFO) and pro rata-style algorithms. The FIFO algorithm, used for some markets listed with Eurex for example, attempts to give priority to the first person to place an order. The pro rata algorithm, used for some markets listed with LIFFE for example, splits all (or most) orders for the same price at a particular point in time.
Regardless of the type of matching algorithm used, each of the electronic markets may provide similar types of market information to subscribing computer terminals 104. At the very least, market information includes data that represents just the inside market. The inside market is the lowest sell price (best ask) and the highest buy price (best bid) available in the market. Market information may also include market depth. Market depth refers to quantities available at the inside market and can refer to quantities available at other prices away from the inside market. The quantity available at a given price level is usually provided by the electronic exchanges 102 in aggregate sums. The extent of the market depth available to a trader usually depends on the electronic exchanges 102. For instance, some exchanges provide market depth for all (or most) price levels, while some provide only quantities associated with the inside market, and others may provide no market depth at all. Additionally, electronic exchanges 102 can offer other types of market information such as the last traded price (LTP), the last traded quantity (LTQ), and order fill information.
Gateways 108 are intermediate computer devices that receive market information from electronic exchanges 102 and convert it to a form compatible with the protocols used by computer terminals 104, and vice-versa, using conversion techniques known in the art. Also, as known by those of ordinary skill in the art, gateways 108 may have one or more server programs to support the data feeds passing between computer terminals 104 and electronic exchanges 102, such as a price server for providing the market information, an order server for processing transaction information, and a fill server for processing fill information. Transaction information includes inputs from computer terminals 104 to electronic exchanges 102 and may include, among other things, orders, order changes, and queries.
Computer terminals 104 are computers that provide an interface for traders to trade at one or more electronic markets listed with one, some, or all of electronic exchanges 102. Some examples of computer terminals include a personal computer, laptop computer, hand-held computer, or any computing device with a processor and mechanism for electronic storage. Computer terminals 104 logged on to trade can receive market information. The market information may be displayed to the trader(s) on a visual output device or display device. In addition, a trader may receive news 106 to aid in analyzing information received from the exchange. Upon viewing the market information or a portion thereof, a trader may wish to send orders to an electronic market, cancel orders in an electronic market, change orders in a electronic market, query an electronic exchange, and so on. Traders might use automated software tools to assist them in their trading.
Using computer terminals 104, traders can implement various trading strategies including those previously used on the floor of an exchange. Such strategies incorporated into an electronic marketplace can improve the speed, accuracy, and ultimately the profitability of trading electronically. One such trading strategy is spread trading.
In general, spread trading is the buying and/or selling of two or more tradeable objects, the purpose of which is to capitalize on changes or movements in the relationships between the tradeable objects. The tradeable objects that are used to complete a spread are referred to as the outright markets or legs of the spread. A spread trade could involve buying tradeable objects, buying and selling tradeable objects, selling tradeable objects or some combination thereof.
However, spread trading may involve risk. For example, to achieve a spread differential, a trader typically works orders in two or more different markets. An order in one of those markets may fill, but the market conditions could change in another market, leaving the offsetting order unfilled and the spread incomplete. This results in the trading being "legged up," because only one side of the spread transaction is complete. As a result, the trader might lose lots of money to complete the transaction at an undesirable price, or remain unhedged totally.
To avoid some of these risks, traders may trade in exchange provided spread markets. Electronic exchanges have introduced spread markets that guarantee the trader will not be "legged up" by taking certain precautions, for example. Accordingly, those exchange-provided-spreads might behave differently than if they did not provide this "no-legged" up guarantee. The different behavior expressed by these types of exchange-provided-spreads might result in less aggressive and less riskier trading than through conventional spread trading where the trader works orders in multiple markets to achieve a spread differential upon execution. However, this might also result in less profit than spread trading in the more conventional way.

System and method for electronic spread trading in real and synthetically generated markets

Trading Technologies International, Inc.


A subsea riser is installed by lowering at least one riser conduit to the seabed when piggybacked to an elongate support that comprises at least one flowline. The elongate support may be a pipeline bundle, which may be attached to one or more towheads in a towable bundle unit. The riser conduit may be in fluid communication with the flowline. At the seabed, a free end portion of the riser conduit is detached from the elongate support by releasing subsea-releasable fastenings. Then, with the elongate support and a root end of the riser remaining at the seabed, the detached free end portion of the riser conduit is lifted away from the elongate support to a riser support, such as a platform, an FPSO (floating production, storage and offloading vessel), or a buoy.

This invention relates to the installation of subsea risers as used in the subsea oil and gas industry.
Subsea risers are used to convey hydrocarbon production fluids from the seabed to the surface and conversely to convey other fluids from the surface to the seabed, such as water for injection into a subsea well. The invention aims to simplify the installation of such risers and in particular to make the installation process quicker, noting that any delays will add to the very high cost of vessel time and may risk missing an available weather window.
A common riser comprises a rigid pipeline that hangs freely as a catenary from a floating upper support such as an FPSO (floating production, storage and offloading) vessel, a platform or a buoy. A supporting buoy may, for example, be held by tethers at a sub-surface position from which jumper pipes extend to a surface installation such as an FPSO vessel or a platform.
Most conventionally, a free-hanging catenary riser of rigid pipe is made of steel, hence being known in the art as a steel catenary riser or SCR. In this respect, those skilled in the art know that nominally rigid pipes are not devoid of flexibility. However, whilst they have flexibility, 'rigid' pipes do not fall within the definition of 'flexible' pipes as understood in the art.
Conventional rigid pipes used in the subsea oil and gas industry are specified in the American Petroleum Institute (API) Specification 5L and Recommended Practice 1111. A rigid pipe usually consists of, or comprises, at least one pipe of solid steel or steel alloy. However, additional layers of other materials can be added, such as an internal liner layer or an outer coating layer. A rigid pipe may also have a concentric pipe-in-pipe (PiP) structure. Rigid pipe joints are terminated by a bevel, a thread or a flange, and are assembled end-to-end by welding, screwing or bolting them together to form a pipe string or pipeline.
Repetitive or oscillatory motion generates fatigue in a riser conduit that may, over time, cause its failure and rupture. Consequently, a simple free-hanging rigid riser such as an SCR may not be technically viable for some more challenging projects, especially in dynamic environments that will often suffer from high sea states and strong currents.
Other solutions may therefore be appropriate to construct subsea risers in those situations, for example using flexible pipes, pipes of composite materials and more complex riser configurations.
Flexible pipes used in the subsea oil and gas industry are specified in API Specification 17J and Recommended Practice 17B. The pipe body is composed of a composite structure of layered materials, in which each layer has its own function. Typically, polymer tubes and wraps ensure fluid-tightness and thermal insulation, whereas steel layers or elements provide mechanical strength.
Bonded flexible pipes comprise bonded-together layers of steel, fabric and elastomer but can only be manufactured in short lengths in the order of tens of metres. Such pipes are therefore apt to be used as jumper pipes in hybrid buoy-supported risers that suspend riser conduits from a sub-surface buoy, or in hybrid riser towers in which an upright riser column is held in tension between a sub-surface buoy and a subsea foundation. Conversely, fully-flexible risers of unbonded flexible pipe can be manufactured in lengths of hundreds of metres and so are long enough to reach from the seabed to the surface.
In recent years, the subsea oil and gas industry has also begun to adopt rigid pipes of polymer composite materials in place of steel. Composite pipes have a tubular load-bearing structure that is principally of composite materials. This is to be distinguished from pipes having a composite structure, such as the various layered configurations of rigid and flexible pipes mentioned above.
Typically, a composite pipe comprises a polymer resin matrix reinforced by fibres such as glass fibres or carbon fibres. The polymer matrix may be of thermoplastic or thermoset materials. The former results in what is known in the art as thermoplastic composite pipe or, more simply, as thermo-composite pipe, known by the acronym TCP.
TCP is classed as a bonded composite pipe. It has a solid, monolithic structure comprising a polymer liner, a polymer composite matrix and an optional outer coating that may also be of polymer. The polymer of the liner, the matrix and/or the coating may, for example, be of polypropylene. The matrix is a true composite reinforced with fully-embedded reinforcing fibres.
In an alternative or additional approach to reducing fatigue, a riser may be shaped to impart compliance by adding localised buoyancy and/or weights and/or subsea supports to modify the curvature of the riser and, in particular, to introduce points of inflection.
Risers are often installed separately from subsea flowlines. This requires a dedicated bottom structure to be installed on the seabed at the end of a flowline to allow for subsequent connection of the riser. In addition to the cost of the bottom structure and the creation of undesirable discontinuities in the system, these successive installation and connection operations take more vessel time and so cost a lot of money.
Where there is a single flowline, a riser may be installed in continuity with the flowline. In that case, the flowline is laid on the seabed and then the same installation vessel installs the riser pre-connected to the flowline. Where the flowline is of a flexible pipe, the riser may be of the same flexible pipe as the flowline, although sometimes the riser may have additional reinforcement. A flexible pipe is typically unspooled from a reel-lay vessel as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,737. Where the flowline is a rigid pipeline, the riser section may be installed on the seabed and then pulled up to the surface as taught by WO 2010/093577 and WO 2008/094932.
In the case of a towed single flowline, WO 2007/127684 teaches a riser and flowline assembly with the riser pre-connected to the flowline. The assembly is towed with the riser extending through the water column. This increases the risk of fatigue and so requires bespoke design of the system and careful planning and control of the towing operation.
WO 2017/043315 describes a structure for supporting a riser. The structure is attached to a floating installation and includes upper and lower support portions.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,588,326, a flowline and a riser, deployed from separate vessels, are connected by a pull cable and lowered to the sea floor. The riser and flowline are then attached to a subsea structure using a connection tool.


The present invention provides block copolymers comprising at least one covalent polymer block and at least one supramolecular polymer block, processes for their preparations and uses thereof.

One of the challenges in nanofabrication is the integration of self-assembling materials into existing manufacturing strategies to achieve molecular-level process control and the ability to produce useful architectures. Films of block copolymers can be directed to assemble on chemically patterned substrates into predictable and desirable morphologies and orientations with respect to the substrate, which can be used to augment and enhance the lithographic process.
When comparing the pattern in resist to the pattern of domains induced to assemble in the block copolymer film, directed assembly has been demonstrated to achieve high degrees of pattern perfection, placement of features at the precision of the lithographic tool used to make the chemical pattern, improved dimensional control of features, improved line edge and line width roughness, and resolution enhancement by factors of two to four.
In addition, this approach is the only method that has been demonstrated to robustly achieve non-regular device-oriented geometries used in the fabrication of integrated circuits or servo patterns on hard drives, most recently with resolution enhancement by multiplication of feature density by interpolation on low duty cycle chemical patterns.
While replication of periodic structures can be easily demonstrated through graphoepitaxy of simple di-block copolymers, the insertion point of these materials in the production of integrated circuits requires the ability to replicate non-regular structures, such as long lines, short segments, sharp 90° bends, jogs, T-junctions, periodic arrays of contact openings, and combinations thereof. Casting di-block copolymers alone on such patterned substrates resulted in the formation of various defects due to the incommensurability between the inherent period of the block copolymer and the different periods abundant in non-regular structures.
To overcome this limitation, blends of diblock copolymers and homopolymers were employed (Liu, G. L.; Thomas, C. S.; Craig, G. S. W.; Nealey, P. F., Adv. Funct. Mater. 2010, 20, 1251-1257). The presence of the homo-polymer enables the system to alleviate local frustrations by distributing the homo-polymer chains non-uniformly throughout the film, segregating them to the built-in "defect" points in the structure. However, this approach was found to be limited, requiring each pattern to have a specific blend composition, requiring the fine-tuning of the composition of the ternary blend. Furthermore, this approach is limited by the low diffusion rates of the homo-polymers, hindering the homo-polymers from reaching the respective locations in the film. Thus, for various patterns, the ternary blend may reproduce the structure with poor fidelity.
In order to overcome the limitations of conventional polymer materials, the inventors of the present application found that incorporation of a supramolecular block into a conventional block co-polymer provides that additional structural flexibility needed for replicating non-regular structures with high conformity and limited number of defects.

Quasi-block copolymer melts, processes for their preparation and uses thereof

YISSUM RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT COMPANY OF THE HEBREW UNIVERSITY OF JERUSALEM, LTD.


A resolution of a low resolution depth image is increased by applying joint geodesic upsampling to a high resolution image to obtain a geodesic distance map. Depths in the low resolution depth image are interpolated using the geodesic distance map to obtain a high resolution depth image. The high resolution image can be a gray scale or color image, or a binary boundary map. The low resolution depth image can be acquired by any type of depth sensor.

Depth images can be used for 3D scene analysis and other 3D computer vision applications. Typically, the resolution of the depth images is substantially less than comparable optical images, i.e., gray scale or color images. The resolution of images acquired by optical cameras can easily be ten megapixels or greater, while the resolution of depth images is typically less than 0.02 megapixels. As defined herein, pixels in optical images only have associated intensities, perhaps in multiple color channels. A depth image only has associated depths for the pixels.
One way to increase the resolution of the depth images is to use a high resolution optical image that is registered to a low resolution depth image. In general, depth and color boundaries of a scene are correlated. Abrupt depth transition often leads to abrupt color transition.
Depth upsampling can be global or local. Global methods formulate depth upsampling as an optimization problem. A large cost is induced when neighboring pixels having similar color intensities are assigned very different depths, which encourages that upsampled depth boundaries coincide with color boundaries. Those methods can produce accurate depth images but are generally too slow for real-time applications. Local methods, based on filtering operations, can be performed in real-time. Joint bilateral upsampling is a local method that uses bilateral filtering in a joint optical and spatial space.
Geodesic distances have been used in various applications, such as colorization, image matting, and image de-noising. A fast marching procedure and a geodesic distance transform are two commonly used implementations for the distance determination. Both have a linear time complexity. However those techniques are too slow to determine all shortest path pairs for geodesic upsampling in real-time.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,889,949, "Joint bilateral upsampling," issued to Cohen et al. on Feb. 15, 2011, uses a high-resolution input signal having a first resolution, and a low-resolution solution set having a second resolution computed from a downsampled version of the high-resolution signal. A joint bilateral upsampling, using the low-resolution solution set and the high-resolution signal, is performed to generate a high-resolution solution set having a resolution equivalent to the first resolution. The method described therein uses bilateral upsampling. Bilateral upsampling uses separate color and spatial kernels which causes blurry depth boundaries and depth bleeding artifacts particularly when the colors of the surfaces across the depth boundaries are similar. In addition, fine scene structures are not preserved during upsampling.
Criminisi et al., in "Geodesic image and video editing," ACM Transaction on Graphics, volume 29, issue 5, October 2010, describe image editing tasks, n-dimensional segmentation, edge-aware denoising, texture flattening, cartooning, soft selection, and panoramic stitching. The editing uses a symmetric operator based on the generalized geodesic distance to process high resolutions color images without the need for depth images or spatial upsampling.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method for increasing resolutions of depth images

Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.


The present invention relates to a method for degassing polymer powder comprising flushing the polymer powder in a first chamber with a first flow of flushing gas, transferring the polymer powder into a second chamber and flushing the polymer powder with a second flow of flushing gas in said second chamber. The present invention also relates to a system suitable for carrying out this method.

In the present description, by a polymerisation process, it is meant a process for polymerising at least one monomer, and a manufacturing process of a polymer is used in the meaning of the whole process, comprising the polymerisation process and any further treatments, such as degassing, additivation, compounding and/or pelletising.
In a polymerisation process, the polymer is typically recovered from the reactor in the form of a polymer powder, either as such or in slurry, depending on the process. The polymer powder also typically contains a certain amount of unreacted monomer and possibly residues of solvent that need to be removed from the powder before further use. This invention relates to cases wherein the monomer and possible solvent is in the form of gas at some point of the manufacturing process. The removal of these undesired gases in such cases is typically made by degassing the polymer powder by flushing it with a flow of flushing gas. In the case of polyolefin manufacture, the gases to be removed are usually hydrocarbon gases such as ethylene, propylene, hexene, butane, octene, decene etc. In this description, the term residual gas is used to designate the mixture of all the products that need to be removed from the polymer powder, including products that are in the form of liquids as well as gases. The term residual gas is also used interchangeably with the term hydrocarbons when discussing their elimination from the system.
One method for flushing a polymer powder consists in introducing the polymer powder in a purge column and injecting a flow of nitrogen gas to said column from the bottom. The nitrogen enters into contact with the polymer powder that in the case of polyolefins has a residence time of about 0.5 to 10 hours in the purge column. A flow of nitrogen and of residual gas exits the purge column via a gas outlet and is directed to an appropriate treatment device via a gas discharge line.
The inventors have found out that in a process of polymerising ethylene, the amount of undesired hydrocarbon gases in the final polyethylene powder (i.e. before pelletising) is too high for some applications, such as for applications where the final product is in contact with food.

Method and system for degassing polymer powder


A motor may include a rotor having a rotation shaft, a stator disposed on an outer peripheral side of the rotor, a frame fixed to the stator, and an urging member made of metal for urging an end part on an output side of the rotation shaft to an opposite-to-output side. The frame includes a bottom face part, a stator fixing part which is formed to be bent from the bottom face part and which is fixed to the stator, and a shaft support part which is formed to be bent from the bottom face part so as to face the stator fixing part and which supports the end part on the output side of the rotation shaft, and the urging member is fixed by welding to an output side face which is a face on an output side of the shaft support part. The urging member is preferably a flat spring.

As a motor for moving a lens and the like which is provided in an optical pickup device in a CD or a DVD player or which is provided in a camera, a stepping motor has been conventionally used which includes a lead screw that is formed on a tip end side of a rotation shaft protruded from its stator. This type of a stepping motor in which a tip end part of a rotation shaft is supported by a bearing and a flat spring has been known (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-104849, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-269733, and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 6-98522).
In the stepping motor described in the above-mentioned Patent References, a bearing held by a frame which is fixed to a stator supports a tip end part of a rotation shaft in a radial direction. Further, in this stepping motor, a flat spring (leaf spring) is abutted with a tip end of the rotation shaft to urge the rotation shaft in an opposite-to-output side so that the flat spring supports the tip end part of the rotation shaft in a thrust direction (axial direction). Further, the bearing is fixed to the frame by press-fitting. Further, in this stepping motor, an engagement part for engaging with the frame is formed in the flat spring and the flat spring is attached to the frame by utilizing elastic deformation of the engagement part.
In recent years, application of a stepping motor has been diversified. For example, a stepping motor is used in a portable apparatuses such as a small notebook-sized personal computer and a digital camera and thus a stepping motor which is superior in impact resistance is required. However, in the stepping motor described in the above-mentioned Patent References, since the flat spring is attached to the frame by utilizing elastic deformation of the engagement part formed in the flat spring, mounting position of the flat spring to the frame may be displaced by impact and, in the worst case, the flat spring may be disengaged from the frame.

Motor with urging member comprising a flat spring


The present invention is in the field of the preparation of lactic acid by means of fermentation, more particularly it is directed to processes to separate the biomass from the lactic acid-containing fermentation product by means of flocculation.

Lactic acid, its salts, and esters have long been used as food additives and in various chemical and pharmaceutical applications. More recently, lactic acid has been used as a replacement for present plastic materials in the making of biodegradable polymers as well as in various other new uses where biodegradability is needed or desired, such as for medical implants and slow-release drugs. Accordingly, there is an ever-increasing demand for improved and economically viable lactic acid production processes. The present invention provides substantial improvements over conventional lactic acid production processes that employ fermentation.
The production of lactic acid is commonly carried out using fermentation by means of micro-organisms such as bacteria, yeasts and fungi. The fermentation substrate consists of carbohydrates together with suitable mineral and proteinaceous nutrients. After fermentation, the lactate and lactic acid-containing fermentation products must be separated from the biomass. These lactic acid-containing fermentation products are in the liquid form (i.e., liquid or in solution). Usually the biomass is separated from the lactate and lactic acid-containing fermentation products by means of filtration, centrifuging, flocculation, coagulation, flotation, or combinations thereof. Such a conventional process is described in WO 01/38283, wherein a continuous process for the preparation of lactic acid by means of fermentation is described. When the fermentation is carried out using bacteria, biomass separation is particularly difficult. Because of the small solid particles in the biomass, filtration per se is not possible.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,453,365 the pH of a calcium or magnesium lactate fermentation broth is increased by means of ammonia and carbon dioxide addition in order to form ammonium lactate and cause precipitation of calcium carbonate or magnesium carbonate. The cellular material is adsorbed on the calcium carbonate or magnesium carbonate and for the most part precipitated therewith. The solids are subsequently separated by means of a filter or centrifuge.
WO 98/58072 describes the flocculation of biological material from organic acid-containing systems, more particularly ammonium acrylate systems. Flocculation here is caused by the addition of an anionic particulate material.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,766,439 a method is described for biomass removal by microfiltration.

Separation of biomass from lactic-acid containing fermentation products by means of flocculation

Abstract: We have found that for the separation of biomass from lactate and lactic acid-containing fermentation broth the following process is very convenient and suitable;                a) Subjecting the fermentation broth to an alkalifying step,        b) adding one or more flocculants, and        c) separating the biomass flocs from the lactate and lactic acid-containing fermentation broth.

Abstract: With this process even bacteria-based fermentation broths can be suitably handled efficiently and economically.


A display control device includes: a reception section configured to receive a television broadcast signal; a display section configured to display video information and a thumbnail image contained in the television broadcast signal; and a control section configured to control display on the display section of the video information and the thumbnail image contained in the television broadcast signal received by the reception section. The control section causes the thumbnail image to be displayed in accordance with an order of priority.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display control device, a display control method, and a program capable of displaying video information contained in a television broadcast signal and displaying a thumbnail image in parallel with a television image.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, some television receivers are capable of displaying thumbnails obtained by reducing the size of photographs captured through a digital camera or recorded or distributed images.
The thumbnail images of the photographs or the like are displayed in the order in which they were recorded, for example, in a specified display area of a television receiver.
When a thumbnail image being displayed is selected with a cursor or the like, the photograph being displayed as the thumbnail is enlarged to a degree while being displayed on the television screen.
The thumbnail images may be displayed in parallel with a broadcast image contained in a television broadcast signal or a playback image.
The thumbnail images are displayed with the same brightness as the brightness of the normal broadcast image or playback image.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2005-303743 discloses a technique for playing a recorded video image (content).
According to the technique, images corresponding to the playing position of the recorded content are displayed chronologically, so that when a desired thumbnail image is selected, the recorded content starts being played from the playing position corresponding to the selected thumbnail image.

Display control device, display control method, and program


Anti-dementia medicaments comprising a carbamic acid derivative or their pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salts having an anti-amnesic activity as an active ingredient are provided. The carbamic acid derivatives are represented by a general formula (1) ##STR1## wherein Ar denotes an aromatic heterocyclic ring which may have at least one substituent or its benzene-condensed ring, or phenyl group which may have at least one substituent, R.sup.1 denotes hydrogen atom or lower alkyl group, R.sup.2 denotes lower alkyl group which may be substituted with halogen atom, phenyl group which may have at least one substituent, naphthyl group, or five- or six-membered heterocyclic ring and its benzene-condensed ring, X and Y, which may be the same or different, denote sulfur atom or oxygen atom.

The present invention concerns carbamic acid derivatives or their phamaceutically acceptable acid addition salts having anti-amnesic activity, methods for preparing them, intermediates for preparing them, and anti-dementia comprising the carbamic acid derivatives or their pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salts as an active ingredient.
Recently, with elongation of average life, dementia diseases such as Alzheimer type senile dementia have arisen as a great problem in medical as well as social field.
Patients of dementia show symptom such as loss of intellectual ability, disturbance of memory, disturbance of abstract thinking, verbal aphasia, apraxia, disorientation and so on, and the disturbance of fundamental functions lies in that of formation of memory or expressing ability of hold memory.
However, up to now there have been hardly any medicament to cure it effectively and hence rapid development of remedy thereof has been longed.
Then, for compounds analogous to carbamic acid derivatives of the present invention, there have been known compounds of a general formula (10) ##STR2## wherein R.sup.5 denotes ethyl, propyl or butyl group and R.sup.6 denotes hydroxy, butoxy, pentoxy, hexyloxy or heptoxy group, which is described in Pharmazie, 44,25, (1989), those of general formulae (11) and (12) ##STR3## wherein R.sup.7 denotes methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, iso-propyl or t-butyl group and R.sup.8 denotes methyl group or chlorine atom, ##STR4## wherein R.sup.9 denotes methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, iso-propyl, n-butyl, t-butyl group, R.sup.10 denotes hydrogen atom or methyl group, and R.sup.11 denotes methyl group substituted at o-position, halogen atom substituted at each position of o-, m- or p-position, methoxy group substituted at p-position and acetyl group substituted at p-position, having local anesthesia function described in J. Med. Chem., 14, 710 (1971), those of a general formula (13) ##STR5## wherein R.sup.12 denotes a hydrogen atom, methyl group or chlorine atom and R.sup.13 denotes a chlorine atom or methyl group substituted at o-, m- or p-position, synthesized for a comparative compound in application research of agent of anti-arterial sclerosis described in J. Pharma. Sci., 59, 303 (1970), those of general formula (14) ##STR6## wherein R.sup.14 denotes methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, n-butyl or phenyl group, having inhibitory action against cholinesterase described in Egypt. J. Pharma. Sci., 26, 267 (1985), and so forth. However, it is unknown at all that these carbamic acid derivatives display anti-amnesia action, and further these are different from carbamic acid derivatives of the present invention in the structure thereof.
The object of the present invention lies in providing a medicament for improving disturbance of memory which is effective to symptoms of dementia and having high safety factor, in considering the present status of patients of dementia as mentioned above.

Carbamic acid derivatives and method for preparing the same


A contact for an electrical test comprises a first area to be bonded to a board, a second area extending in the right-left direction from the lower end portion of the first area, a third area projecting downward from the tip end portion of the second area, and a low light reflective film having lower light reflectance than that of the first area. The third area has a probe tip to be contacted an electrode of an electronic device. The low light reflective film is formed on a surface of at least the bonding part of the first area to the board and its proximity.

A semiconductor device such as an undiced integrated circuit formed on a semiconductor wafer or an integrated circuit diced from a semiconductor wafer undergoes an electrical test to determine whether or not the semiconductor device is manufactured in accordance with the specification.
The electrical test of this kind is performed by using a probe card, in which a plurality of probes or contacts to be thrust to respective pad electrodes of the semiconductor device are arranged on a board such as a wiring board, a probe board, or the like. Such a probe card is attached to a testing apparatus or a tester so as to electrically connect the pad electrodes to electrical circuits of the tester.
The electrical test is performed in a state where the probe card is attached to the tester, and where the contacts and the pad electrodes contact to each other to be electrically connected mutually.
In recent years, there is raised an increasing demand for more highly-integrated and smaller integrated circuits, and thus in the integrated circuit, the adjacent pad electrodes are got close significantly, and the arrangement pitch of the pad electrodes is reduced. In the probe card used in the electrical test of such an integrated circuit, there is a demand for enabling a simultaneous test of the plurality of undiced integrated circuits on the semiconductor wafer for the purpose of increasing test efficiency.
Thus, since the contacts must be arranged on the board in a fine pitch so that the arrangement pitch of the contacts may correspond to the arrangement pitch of the pad electrodes, the contacts must be bonded to the board to bring a state where the adjacent contacts are significantly close to one another.
As one of the techniques of bonding the contacts to the board at the time of assembly of the probe card and at the time of repair under the above conditions, there is proposed a technique of using laser beam as a heat source (Patent Literature 1).
However, in a case where the contacts must be bonded to the board in a fine pitch as above, another contact that has been bonded to the board may suffer from displacement of the probe tip by heat of the laser beam when a contact is bonded to the board.
Patent Literature 1—Japanese Patent Appln. Public Disclosure No. 2002-31652

Contact for electrical test of electronic devices, probe assembly and method for manufacturing the same


A pacifier for use with premature and other low birth weight infants, which is configured dependent upon the shape of a small infant's thumb and palatal cavity. The pacifier has a shield and a nipple. The nipple is longer and thinner than previously known pacifiers, and comprises a relatively soft, narrow shaft connecting a bulbous tip to the shield. The tip is configured to provide optimal palatal stimulation while the infant sucks on the pacifier, while the shield is shaped to simultaneously provide optimal perioral stimulation.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a pacifier and nipple designed for use with premature and other low-birth-weight infants.
2. Background
It is known that supplemental non-nutritive sucking, in addition to that required for feeding, can help to soothe an infant. Researchers have discovered that there is a clear reflex connection between the hand and mouth of a human fetus as early as 12-14 weeks after conception, and that thumb sucking in utero is common. After birth, many infants continue to soothe themselves by sucking on their thumbs or fingers. A newborn's ability to get his hands up to his mouth and suck is seen as a positive ability of the infant to organize himself in a self-soothing way. This helps establish the infant's ability to independently cope with stress and frustration. In order to provide the pacifying effects of this type of oral stimulation, commercial pacifiers have been used for years by many grateful parents and health care personnel caring for infants. Developmental effects of early thumb sucking are hypothesized, but very little is known about them.
To take advantage of the soothing effect that sucking has on an infant, pacifiers of various shapes and sizes have been developed. None, however, is known which adequately meets the needs of the premature or low-birth-weight ("LBW", below 5000 grams) infant. These infants, which can weigh as little as 1000 grams or less, have particular need for a suitable pacifier, because they often have difficulty getting thumb to mouth due to their underdevelopment in light of the premature loss of the buoyant assistance received from the amniotic fluid in utero.
There is a need for an effective pacifier designed for LBW and very-low-birth-weight infants. Prior pacifiers are generally very large compared to a LBW infant's mouth, and most which are targeted for premature or newborn babies are merely scaled down versions of the larger pacifiers, with no features designed to meet the special needs of LBW babies.
One commercially available pacifier which is known to be advertised as designed specifically for premature infants is distributed by DHD Medical Products and appears to be constructed in accordance with U.S. Pat. No. 4,715,379. The nipple design of the DHD pacifier is generally similar to that shown in FIG. 5 of the cited patent and is depicted in FIG. 4A of this patent. While the DHD nipple is smaller than most currently available alternatives, it has proven difficult to use in practice, and it does not provide the palatal stimulation of the invention disclosed herein.
There are other pacifiers on the market which are designed or advertised for use with newborns or premature infants. None of these prior art pacifiers, however, employ the unique features of this invention. No prior art is known which embodies or discloses a pacifier designed to replicate the palatal stimulation which an infant receives by sucking its thumb, and which is sized based on measurements taken of the thumbs of LBW infants.

Board of Regents, The University of Texas System


A flicker compensation method for images taken by an image sensor operating in rolling-shutter mode may include capturing a first image and capturing a second image offset in time from the first image by an integer or zero number of flicker periods, plus half a flicker period. The method may also include producing a compensated image based on an average of the first and second images.

Some types of light sources that operate by line power and that illuminate a scene produce a brightness that varies sinusoidally according to the square of the line voltage. Thus, these light sources flicker at twice the frequency of the line power. Halogen and incandescent lamps are typical examples.
Usually, the brightness of scenes illuminated by such sources is low, and photography typically requires relatively long exposure times, exceeding the flicker period. Under these conditions, the images shot with an electronic rolling shutter sensor reveal few visual artifacts. To reduce any artifact in these conditions, some sensors are programmed so that the exposure time is a multiple of the flicker period.
FIGS. 1a and 1b show a high brightness situation under illumination by a flickering source, whereby an exposure time smaller than the flicker period may be desirable. A similar situation may occur when the sensor is very sensitive. The brightness P is shown in the upper part of the figure by a sinusoid of period Tf.
In a rolling shutter array sensor, the rolling shutter effect is obtained by the fact that the pixels of the array are operated one row after the other. Thus, the exposure interval of each row is offset relative to the exposure interval of the previous row, by a time equal to the scan period Tr of the array, or frame period, divided by the number of rows of the array.
FIG. 1a shows an example of succession of exposure intervals for four consecutive rows R1 to R4. The intervals are of a same duration and offset with respect to each other by a period Tr. In each interval, a different portion of a period of the sinusoid representing the brightness is integrated. The result is that successive rows integrate different levels of brightness.
FIG. 1b illustrates a portion of an image rendered in this situation for a uniform gray scene. The rendered image, whereas it should be uniform, includes alternating dark and light bands whose number is equal to the ratio between the frame period and the flicker period.
Some rolling shutter image sensors, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,253,090, are capable of multiple integrations (or exposures) per frame. This type of sensor is used, for example, to produce several versions of the same image with different exposure levels. These versions can then be combined to produce a high dynamic range or HDR image.
FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary operation of a sensor having three integration intervals used in a high brightness environment under flickering light. A same row is subjected to three consecutive integrations, the first over a short time interval Tia, the second over a medium time interval Tib, for example the double of interval Tia, and the third over a long time interval Tic, for example four times longer than interval Tia. This produces three images, respectively dark, medium, and bright. The rows of values obtained at the end of the integration intervals are combined to produce the HDR image.
The values may be combined in different known manners, for example using an algorithm designed to bring out detail in overexposed areas and underexposed areas. For this purpose, the algorithm may analyze each pixel of the medium image, and replace it with a weighted pixel of the bright image or of the dark image, depending on whether the analyzed pixel has a brightness level below a dark threshold or above a bright threshold.
In the presence of bright flickering light, the integration intervals may, as shown, be shorter than the flicker period. In this case, a situation similar to that of FIG. 1a is encountered, where the integration intervals for each row see a different portion of a period of the sinusoid representing the illumination brightness. The resulting image also has alternating light and dark bands.

Flicker compensation method using two frames


A process for fractionating a plant material to provide isolated extractives, the process includes pretreating the plant material to provide a fluidized plant material, subjecting the pretreated fluidized plant material to high frequency pulses and shear forces without denaturing bioactive aspects of one or more components of the plant material to provide a first liquid fraction having extractives to be isolated and a first fractionated plant material, separating the first liquid fraction having extractives from the first fractionated plant material, and isolating extractives from the first liquid fraction.

Plant materials are comprised primarily of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, bound together in a complex and entangled gel-like structure along with amounts of extractives, pectins, proteins and/or ash. Thus, successful commercial use of plant material in pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals depends on the separation of the various constituents, in particular, the separation and isolation of extractives from the other components of plant materials such as hemicellulose, cellulose, and lignin. Many steps are often required in production, harvesting, storage, transporting, and processing of the plant material to yield useful products.
Of particular interest are extractives from plant materials and thereof in the preparation of herbal remedies. Herbal remedies, also sometimes referred to as phytopharmaceuticals or dietary supplements, are becoming increasingly popular as alternatives to conventional pharmaceuticals. Various methods for the isolation and extraction of herbal compounds have been used including, for example, extraction with organic solvents, and isolation by column chromatography and thin layer chromatography. However, these processes are in general not suitable for production scale manufacturing. Production scale processes for the preparation of herbal extracts enriched in components have been described. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,447,815 proposes a heated alcohol extraction of herbs and plant material including Echinacea wherein higher yields of marker compounds such as alkylamides, may be obtained. However, this method has been found to be unable to separate immunostimulatory and immunosuppressive components found in Echinacea. U.S. Pat. No. 7,491,414 proposes a method of producing preparations of Echinacea anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive components including alkylamides, which do not contain immunostimulatory components. U.S. Pat. No. 6,482,432 proposes a process of providing herbal extracts in cellulose derivative capsules, and more particularly, liquid herbal medicaments in vegetable gelatin, hydroxylpropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), or any other cellulose derivative capsules.
There, however, continues to be a need for improved systems and methods for isolating and collecting extractives from plant materials, particularly herbal plant materials that can be done on a production scale.

Process for fractionation and extraction of herbal plant material to isolate extractives for pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals


A process for manufacturing an organic electroluminescent device, including the steps of sequentially forming a hole transport layer, a bipolar transport layer at need, and an electron transport layer on a transparent electrode side of a transparent substrate having a transparent electrode. After a recombination region layer for electrons and holes of the transport layers is formed, three kinds of fluorescent pigment R, G and B are applied to an upper surface of the recombination region layer. Subsequently, the kinds of fluorescent pigment are heated to be diffused in the recombination layer so that the kinds of fluorescent pigment and the recombination layer constitute a luminescent layer. An organic electroluminescent device produced by this process is disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to manufacturing of a charge injection type electroluminescent device using an organic thin-film material.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is an electroluminescent (EL) device as a light-emitting device recently expected to be applied to and partially embodied into a light-emitting unit of a display or a surface light source.
FIG. 12 shows a structure of a prior-art EL device using an organic thin-film material (hereinafter referred to as an organic EL device). The organic EL device 1 comprises a transparent substrate 2, a transparent electrode 3 formed on an upper surface of the transparent substrate 2 and made, e.g., of indium tin oxide (ITO), a thin-film luminescent layer 4 formed on an upper surface of the transparent electrode 3, a thin-film electron transport layer 5 formed on an upper surface of the luminescent layer 4, and a back electrode 6 formed on an upper surface of the electron transport layer 5 and serving as an electron injection electrode.
The luminescent layer 4 serves as a hole transport layer. Fluorescent pigment is previously dispersed in the luminescent layer 4, so that the luminescent layer 4 operates. Electrons injected into the luminescent layer 4 and holes injected into the luminescent layer 4 by means of a field applied between the back electrode 6 and the transparent electrode 3 are recombined primarily in the luminescent layer 4. This generates excitons. A movement of the excitons causes the fluorescent pigment to emit a visible light in accordance with the kind of the fluorescent pigment.
A layer including a region in which electrons and holes such as the luminescent layer 4 are recombined are called a recombination region layer, hereinafter.
In manufacturing the organic EL device described above, particularly in forming the luminescent layer 4, i.e., in making the fluorescent pigment disperse into a dispersion medium layer, a material for the dispersion medium layer and the pigment to constitute dispersoid are dissolved in a common solvent. The resulting solution is applied by dip coating or spin coating to the transparent electrode 3. The applied solution is dried to provide the dispersion medium layer (i.e. a hole transport layer) in which the dispersoid pigment (i.e. fluorescent pigment) is dispersed.
This organic EL device has the following advantages that:
(1) A luminescent wavelength is optionally set since optional fluorescent pigment can be dispersed; PA1 (2) Since a common solvent is used, a material for the luminescent layer can be used, even if it has a low layer forming capability; and PA1 (3) When a low-crystallizable dispersion medium layer material such as a polymer is employed the above manufacturing process prevents a failure due to the crystallization of a luminescent material, so that a reduction in the service life of the organic EL device due to the failure can be solved.
In addition, since the organic EL device can theoretically more easily emit a blue light than an inorganic EL device, it is expected to be applied to discrete red, green and blue (RGB) luminescent devices.
In the wet process employing the dip coating or spin coating for forming the luminescent layer of the organic EL device of FIG. 12, it is important to select the common solvent in forming the luminescent layer. On the other hand, the thicknesses of the charge transport layers of the organic EL device comprising the electron transport layer, the hole transport layer and if necessary a bipolar transport layer formed between the electron and hole transport layers must be hundreds to thousands angstroms. Thus, if a common solvent is employed in order to meet a layer forming requirement in the wet process, a requirement for forming an optimum layer cannot always be established for the dispersion medium layer material. Thus, it is difficult to form an sufficient dispersion medium layer.
It has been difficult to produce the organic EL device in the form of discrete RGB luminescent devices. This is considered primarily because it is difficult to produce organic thin films constituting RGB pixels in the form of a matrix pixel pattern on the same substrate by, for example, the lithography or screen printing.
Thus, a process for manufacturing an organic electroluminescent device able to provide luminescent colors in accordance with kinds of fluorescent pigments must meet the requirements that the fluorescent pigments provide desired luminescent colors, and the dispersion medium allows the fluorescent pigments to uniformly disperse, and the common solvent easily dissolves the fluorescent pigments and the dispersion medium, and is volatilized without deteriorating the nature of the fluorescent pigments.
In addition, this process must comprise, for each color, the many difficult sequential steps of applying a solution of a kind of fluorescent pigment, a dispersion medium and a common solvent, forming a thin film by the spin coating or the like, drying the thin film, and etching the dried thin film with the masking so that necessary portions remain to form a desired pixel pattern.
This process of the manufacturing the EL device includes, for example, forming a first luminescent layer including a fluorescent pigment which is capable of emitting a first color, etching the luminescent layer into a predetermined pattern, and forming a second luminescent layer including a fluorescent pigment which is capable of emitting a second color different from the first color and etching the second luminescent layer into a predetermined pattern adjacent to the pattern of the first luminescent layer. However, it is difficult to etch the first and second luminescent layers into accurate patterns, and consequently, there is an interval or an overlap between the patterns of the first and second luminescent layers.
Since a top electrode or the carrier transport layer is arranged on the first and second luminescent layers, the electrode or the layer is discontinued easily and their surface may be uneven. Hence, the electrical and optical characteristics of the multicolored EL device deteriorate.

Manufacturing of organic electroluminescent device


A steam turbine system including a steam turbine is provided, the steam turbine having an incoming and an outgoing steam side, and a turbine housing with a feed-through for a turbine shaft with a seal, whereby a fluid flow through the feed-through can be minimized, and a steam conducting system to the seal is present. The steam turbine includes a first sub-section a second sub-section, and a connecting line to a region of low pressure between two sub-sections. A steam supply through the steam conducting system is possible for starting up the steam turbine such that a steam flow from the outgoing steam side to the connecting line to the region of low pressure is possible, an incoming steam feed line has a shut-off that can be controlled such that a steam flow from the incoming steam side to the connecting line to the region of low pressure.

When starting up steam turbines in thermal power stations, the mechanical power is initially limited, since the generator cannot be sufficiently synchronized and operated under load during the starting-up operation. The energy contained in the steam is therefore converted into mechanical work only in a smaller portion than in the normal power mode. This lower extraction of energy resorts in a reduced cooling of the steam as the steam passes through the steam turbine. Significantly higher temperatures than in the normal power mode therefore occur particularly in that region of the steam turbine in which the steam emerges, i.e. in the outgoing steam region. This is true particularly if the losses inside the steam turbine fall if, for example, the low pressure turbine is not in operation.
These higher temperatures necessitate a costly design to guard against said temperatures. In order to avoid the higher temperatures, the following measures have previously been proposed and realized. Firstly, what is referred to as trimming is known. In a system having a high pressure turbine, a medium pressure turbine and a low pressure turbine with resuperheating, the high temperatures occur predominantly in the high pressure outgoing steam and in the low pressure outgoing steam. In order to reduce the temperature in the low pressure outgoing steam, water is injected, i.e. water is additionally supplied to the steam. The temperature is therefore kept within permissible limits. The high pressure outgoing steam temperature is restricted by the mass flow through the high pressure section being increased. At the same time, the mass flow through the medium pressure section and the low pressure section is reduced. The increased pressure ratio in the high pressure section reduces the high pressure outgoing steam temperature. The reduced pressure ratio in the medium pressure section and low pressure section increases the ventilation power in the low pressure section and compensates for the increased power in the high pressure section.
If it does not suffice to reduce the temperature in the high pressure section to the desired extent, the outgoing steam chamber of the high pressure turbine is connected to the condenser by a starting-up line. A nonreturn valve to the cold resuperheating thereby closes and therefore there is no steam extraction point from the high pressure turbine into the resuperheating. The lower pressure level results in a lower high pressure outgoing steam temperature.
In a further approach to reducing the temperature, the mechanical power of the generator is increased. In more precise terms, the generator is intended to supply electrical power as early as in the starting-up mode, i.e. at low and continuously increasing rotational speeds, at which synchronization is not possible. This generated electrical power cannot be output to the mains because of the lack of synchronization. Electric heating elements are therefore provided for using the current generated. The heat generated in the heating elements can be connected into the preheating section of the water steam circuit and used for preheating the feed water.

Steam turbine system and method for starting up a steam turbine