Disclosed are a method, a system and a computer program product for dynamically allocating and/or de-allocating resources and/or partitions that provide I/O and/or active storage access services in a supercomputing system. The supercomputing system can include multiple compute nodes, high performance computing (HPC) switches coupled to the compute nodes, and active non-volatile storage devices coupled to the compute nodes. Each of the compute nodes can be configured to communicate with another compute node through at least one of the HPC switches. In one or more embodiments, each of at least two compute nodes includes a storage controller and is configured to dynamically allocate and de-allocate a storage controller partition to provide storage services to the supercomputing system, and each of at least two compute nodes includes an I/O controller and is configured to dynamically allocate and de-allocate an I/O controller partition to provide I/O services to the supercomputing system.

1. Technical Field
The present invention generally relates to supercomputing systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to supercomputing architectures and methods for operating supercomputing architectures.
2. Description of the Related Art
Existing supercomputing architectures include multiple layers of communication in transferring data to and/or from disk storage, archival storage, supporting servers, and/or networks. Multiple hardware components and computer systems are used in implementing these multiple layers of communication, as shown in FIG. 1 which illustrates an exemplary prior art supercomputing system.
As shown, a prior art supercomputing system 100 includes compute nodes (comp nodes) 110A1-110AN (for some non-zero natural number N) coupled to high performance computing (HPC) switches 115A1-115AM (for some non-zero natural number M) coupled to input/output (I/O) nodes 120A1-120AL (for some non-zero natural number L) coupled to Internet protocol (IP) switches 125A1-125AK (for some non-zero natural number K). IP switches 125A1 and 125A2 are coupled to storage controllers (SCs) 130A1 and 130A2 via fiber channel connections, IP switches 125A3 and 125A4 are coupled to a general purpose (GP) server 145 via gigabit Ethernet, and IP switches 125A5 and 125A6 are coupled to a network (NET) 170 (e.g., a wide area network) via gigabit Ethernet. As shown, SCs 130A1 and 130A2 are coupled to serial attached SCSI (SAS) switches 135A1-135AJ (for some non-zero natural number J) which are coupled to JBODs (just a bunch of disks) 140A1-140AI (for some non-zero natural number I). GP server 145 includes services of archival storage 150 (e.g., tape storage), login 155 (e.g., user interface, remote user interface, etc.), code development 160 (e.g., compilers, development framework, debugger(s), profiler(s), simulator(s), etc.), and system administration 165.
In prior art supercomputing system 100, each of SCs 130A1 and 130A2 and I/O nodes 120A1-120AL is a computer system. Each of I/O nodes 120A1-120AL includes HPC host channel adapters (HCAs) to interface with two or more HPC switches 115A1-115AM and includes fiber channel network adapters and/or gigabit Ethernet network adapters to interface with two or more of IP switches 125A1-125AK. Each of SCs 130A1 and 130A2 includes fiber channel network adapters to interface with IP switches 125A1 and 125A2 and includes SAS controller adapters to interface with SAS switches 135A1-135AJ. In one or more implementations of prior art supercomputing system 100, there can be around one thousand five hundred (1500) compute nodes, one hundred twelve (112) I/O nodes, and thirty-two (32) storage controllers.

Virtual controllers with a large data center


The present invention relates to a peach tree, Prunus persica, and more particularly to a new and distinct variety characterized by a medium size, vigorous, hardy, self-fertile, productive and regular bearing tree. The fruit matures under the ecological conditions described in early June, with first picking on Jun. 1, 2005. The fruit is large in size, sweet and acidic in flavor, globose with some tipping on the apex in shape, clingstone in type, yellow in flesh color, full red in skin color, and firm but melting in texture. The variety was developed as a first generation cross using ‘Ruby Diamond’ nectarine as the selected seed parent and ‘Crimson Lady’ peach as the selected pollen parent.

In a continuing effort to improve the quality of shipping fruits, I, the inventor, typically hybridize a large number of peach, nectarine, plum, apricot, and cherry seedlings each year. The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of peak tree, which has been denominated varietally as 'CRIMSON PRINCESS'. The present variety was hybridized by me in 1996, grown as a seedling on its own root in my greenhouse, and transplanted to a cultivated area of my experimental orchard near Le Grand, Calif. in Merced County (San Joaquin Valley).
The variety was developed as a first generation cross using 'Ruby Diamond' (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,918) nectarine as the selected seed parent and 'Crimson Lady' (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,953) peach as the selected pollen parent. A single tree from the stated cross was selected as the claimed variety. Subsequent to origination of the present variety of peach tree, I asexually reproduced it by budding and grafting in the experimental orchard described above, and such reproduction of plant and fruit characteristics were true to the original plant in all respects. The reproduction of the variety included the use of 'Nemaguard' (unpatented) rootstock upon which the present variety was compatible and true to type.
The present variety is substantially distinguished from its selected seed parent, 'Ruby Diamond' (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,918) nectarine, by producing clingstone peaches instead of freestone nectarines and by maturing about one month earlier.
The present variety is similar to its selected pollen parent, 'Crimson Lady' (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,953) peach, by producing fruit that is clingstone in type, mostly red in skin color, and yellow in flesh color, but is distinguished therefrom by requiring less chilling hours and by producing fruit that is larger in size, melting instead of in non-melting in texture, and that matures about five days later.


A power transmitting apparatus has a clutch housing (2). A clutch member (4), connected to an output member (3), has a plurality of driven clutch plates (7) alternately arranged between driving clutch plates (6) of the clutch housing (2). A rotational force, inputted to the input member (1), can be transmitted to or cut-off from the output member (3) via pressure-contact or release between the driving clutch plates (6) and driven clutch plates (7). Pressure-contact assist cams and back-torque limiting cams are formed on a pressure plate 5 and the clutch member 4. The gradient angle (α2) of the back-torque limiting cams is formed larger than the gradient angle (α1) of the pressure-contact assisting cams.

In general, vehicle power transmission apparatus generally uses so-called multiple disk clutches to arbitrarily transmit or cut off power of an engine to or from the vehicle wheels. In such a power transmitting apparatus, it has an input member connected to an engine side, an output member connected to a driven side, and a clutch member connected to the output member. The power can be transmitted by pressure-contacting a plurality of driving clutch plates, mounted on the input member, with a plurality of driven clutch plates, mounted on the clutch member. The power can be cut off by releasing the pressure-contacting force between the driving and driven clutch plates.
The prior art (e.g. European Laid-open Patent Specification No. 1058018) discloses technology which provides cams to add a pressure-contact assist function to improve the pressure-contacting force of both the driving and driven clutch plates during power transmission. Also, they provide a back-torque limiting function to release the clutch plates of the input and output sides when the rotational speed of the output member has exceeded that of the input member. According to this power transmitting apparatus, two cams are formed by providing gradient on each engaging surface of a clutch housing and a driving clutch plate. Thus, both the driving and driven clutch plates are strongly pressure-contacted by one pair of cams (pressure-contact assist cams) during the normal power transmission. On the contrary, the driving clutch plates are moved by the other pair of cams (back-torque limiting cams) toward a direction where the pressure-contact between the driving and driven clutch plates is released when back-torque is present.
However in the power transmitting apparatus of the prior art, since the gradient angles of the two cams (pressure-contact assist cams and back-torque limiting cams) are the same to each other, the described below problem exists. In order to firmly avoid trouble (locking of wheel) due to back-torque, it is preferable to set the gradient angle of the back-torque limiting cams as large as possible. This separates the driving clutch plates and the driven clutch plates away from each other as much as possible. Meanwhile, if the gradient angle of the pressure-contact assist cams is set large, cam surfaces of the pressure-contact assist cams and back-torque limiting cams interfere with each other due to the "wedge effect". Thus, the driving force cut-off operation cannot be carried out effectively. In addition, if the gradient angle of the pressure-contact assist cams is set too large, the bearing pressure between the driving and driven clutch plates would be remarkably different from that originally set at the designed time and thus the operability would also be reduced.


A vehicle parking brake system for a vehicle including: a non-rotary body; a rotary drum; brake shoes; an anchor member disposed between anchor-member-side end portions of the respective brake shoes; a transmitting member interconnecting transmitting-member-side end portions of the respective brake shoes; and a parking-brake operating apparatus configured to predict a torque application direction in which a torque is to be applied to the wheel during stop of the vehicle, and to press the brake shoes against an inner circumferential surface of the rotary drum, by moving a primary one of the brake shoes that serves as a primary shoe upon application of the torque to the wheel, in a direction away from the anchor member, without moving a secondary one of the brake shoes that serves as a secondary shoe upon application of the torque to the wheel.

JP-H10-110758A, JP-2001-165207A and JP-H10-103391A disclose duo-servo parking brakes in each of which, when a cable is pulled, a pair of brake shoes are moved through a brake lever and a strut so as to be pressed against a rotary drum whereby the parking brake is brought into effect. JP-2001-82517A discloses an electrically-operated parking brake system having a duo-servo drum brake. This parking brake system includes a pressing device having (a) an electric motor, (b) a pair of sliding members, (c) a motion converting mechanism disposed between the electric motor and the sliding members, and configured to convert a rotary motion which is to be given from the electric motor, into linear motions which are directed in respective opposite directions and which are to be given to the respective sliding members, and (d) a motor controlling portion configured to activate the electric motor in response to a command requesting operation of the brake, so as to move the sliding members in respective opposite directions and accordingly apply pressing forces to respective brake shoes, for thereby causing the brake to come into effect. JP-2006-336868A also discloses an electrically-operated parking brake system having a duo-servo drum brake. This parking brake system includes a pressing device having (a) an electric motor, (b) an eccentric cam, (c) a pair of sliding members engaged with an outer circumferential surface of the eccentric cam, and (d) a motor controlling portion configured to activate the electric motor in response to a command requesting operation of the brake, so as to rotate the eccentric cam, move the sliding members in respective opposite directions and accordingly apply pressing forces to respective brake shoes, for thereby causing the brake to come into effect.
JP-H10-110758A discloses a parking drum brake including (a) a non-rotary body, (b) a rotary drum rotatable together with a vehicle wheel, and having an inner circumferential surface that serves as a friction surface, (c) a pair of brake shoes disposed on an inner peripheral side of said rotary drum, and having respective outer circumferential surfaces on each of which a friction material member is disposed, (d) an anchor fixed to the non-rotary body and disposed between anchor-side end portions of the respective brake shoes, (e) a brake lever pivotably connected at its anchor-side end portion to one of the brake shoes through a pin, (f) a cable configured to pull another end portion of the brake lever (which portion is remote from the anchor), (g) an intermediate lever pivotably connected at its intermediate portion to the other of the brake shoes, (h) a strut disposed between the anchor-side end portions of the brake lever and the intermediate lever, and (i) an adjuster disposed between another end portion of the above-described one of the brake shoes (which portion is remote from the anchor) and end portions of the above-described other of the brake shoes and the intermediate lever (which portions are remote from the anchor), wherein a distance between a pivot center of the intermediate lever and the strut is larger than a distance between the pivot center of the intermediate lever and the adjuster.
In this parking drum brake disclosed in JP-H10-110758A, when the cable is pulled, the brake lever is pivoted about the pin whereby the intermediate lever is pivoted through the strut. The pivot motion of the intermediate lever is transmitted to the above-described one of the brake shoes via the adjuster, whereby the one of the brake shoes is pressed against the rotary drum. Meanwhile, the above-described other of the brake shoes is pressed against the rotary drum by a force applied to the intermediate lever via the strut. In this instance, as a result of the pivot motion of the intermediate lever, a gap is formed between the adjuster and the other of the brake shoes. In this state in which the parking brake is being in effect, upon application of a torque causing the one of the brake shoes to be separated from the anchor, the one of the brake shoes and the brake lever are moved in a circumferential direction that reduces the above-described gap, whereby the intermediate lever is pivoted through the adjuster in an opposite direction (that is opposite to a direction in which the intermediate lever is pivoted when the cable is pulled). As a result of the pivot motion of the intermediate lever in the opposite direction, the brake lever is returned through the strut. Since the distance between the pivot center of the intermediate lever and the strut is larger than the distance between the pivot center of the intermediate lever and the adjuster, the strut causes the brake lever to be moved in an opposite direction opposite to a direction in which the brake lever is forced due to the applied torque. Consequently, a path of the cable engaged with the brake lever is increased whereby the cable is restrained from being slackened. Upon application of a torque causing the other of the brake shoes to be separated from the anchor, the other of the brake shoes is moved in a circumferential direction and the intermediate lever is pivoted, whereby the one of the brake shoes and the brake lever are moved through the adjuster in a direction toward the anchor. Consequently, the cable is avoided from being slackened.
JP-H10-103391A discloses a parking drum brake including (a) a non-rotary body, (b) a rotary drum rotatable together with a vehicle wheel, and having an inner circumferential surface that serves as a friction surface, (c) a pair of brake shoes disposed on an inner peripheral side of said rotary drum, and having respective outer circumferential surfaces on each of which a friction material member is disposed, (d) an anchor fixed to the non-rotary body and disposed between anchor-side end portions of the respective brake shoes, (e) a brake lever pivotably connected at its anchor-side end portion to one of the brake shoes through a pin, (f) a cable configured to pull another end portion of the brake lever (which portion is remote from the anchor), and (j) a strut disposed between the anchor-side end portion of the brake lever and an anchor-side end portion of the other of the brake shoes, wherein a first connection point P1 at which the strut and the brake lever are connected to each other lies on a line connecting a center O of the drum brake and a second connection point P2 at which the brake lever and the above-described one of the brake shoes are connected to each other, or lies on an anchor-side one of opposite sides of the above-described line, which one is close to the above-described other of the brake shoes.
In this parking drum brake disclosed in JP-H10-103391A, when the cable is pulled, the connection point P2 is moved along an arc about the center O, whereby the connection point P1 is moved in a radially outward direction, and the above-described other of the brake shoes is forced toward the anchor. Thus, when the pair of brake shoes are pressed against the drum, the above-described one of the brake shoes is separated from the anchor while the other of the brake shoes is not separated from the anchor. In this state in which the parking brake is being in effect, even upon application of a torque causing the one of the brake shoes to be separated from the anchor, it is possible to avoid reduction of a braking force, since the other of the brake shoes is held in contact with the anchor. Upon application of a torque causing the other of the brake shoes to be separated from the anchor, the one of the brake shoes is moved in a circumferential direction so as to be brought into contact with the anchor. In this instance, a path of the cable is increased whereby the cable is avoided from being slackened.
Further, in this parking drum brake disclosed in JP-H10-103391A, a return spring disposed between the anchor and the above-described other of the brake shoes is arranged to generate an elastic force larger than an elastic force generated by a return spring disposed between the anchor and the above-described one of the brake shoes. Owing to this arrangement, the other of the brake shoes can be made difficult to be separated from the anchor when the brake shoes are pressed against the drum.
JP-2001-165207A discloses a parking drum brake including (a) a non-rotary body, (b) a rotary drum rotatable together with a vehicle wheel, and having an inner circumferential surface that serves as a friction surface, (c) a pair of brake shoes disposed on an inner peripheral side of said rotary drum, and having respective outer circumferential surfaces on each of which a friction material member is disposed, (d) an anchor fixed to the non-rotary body and disposed between anchor-side end portions of the respective brake shoes, (m) a pair of intermediate levers each of which is pivotably connected at its intermediate portion to a corresponding one of the brake shoes, (n) a brake lever pivotably connected to an anchor-side end portion of one of the intermediate levers so as to be pivotable about a pin, (o) a cable for applying a tensile force to an end portion of the brake lever (which portion is remote from the anchor), (p) an adjuster disposed between end portions of the respective brake shoes (which portions are remote from the anchor) and between end portions of the respective intermediate levers (which portions are remote from the anchor), (q) a strut disposed between the other of the intermediate levers and each of the one of the intermediate levers and the brake lever, (r) a first return spring disposed between anchor-side end portions of the respective brake shoes, and (s) a second return spring disposed between adjuster-side end portions of the respective brake shoes, wherein a moment (F1×L1) dependent on an elastic force F1 of the first return spring and a distance L1 between a pivot center of each intermediate lever and the first return spring is larger than a moment (F2×L2) dependent on an elastic force F2 of the second return spring and a distance L2 between the pivot center of each intermediate lever and the second return spring.
In this parking drum brake disclosed in JP-2001-165207A, when the tensile force is applied to the cable, the pair of intermediate levers are pivoted about the adjuster so as to be spread or moved away from each other, whereby the pair of brake shoes are pressed against the drum. In this instance, since the moment dependent on the elastic force of the first return spring is larger than the moment dependent on the elastic force of the second return spring, the brake shoes are brought into contact at their anchor-side end portions with the anchor, while being separated at their adjuster-side end portions from the adjuster. In this state in which the parking drum brake is being in effect, upon application of a torque causing one of the brake shoes (to which the above-described other of the intermediate levers is connected) to be separated from the anchor, this one of the brake shoes is moved in a circumferential direction so as to be brought into contact with the adjuster, whereby the above-described one of the intermediate levers is pivoted, and the brake lever is pivoted about the strut serving as a fulcrum so as to be moved in a radially outward direction. Further, the brake lever is moved in the radially outward direction also when the one of the intermediate lever is forced in a circumferential direction by the adjuster. The movement of the brake lever in the radially outward direction leads to increase of a path of the cable, thereby preventing the cable from being slackened. Upon application of a torque causing the other of the brake shoes (to which the above-described one of the intermediate levers is connected) to be separated from the anchor, the other of the brake shoes is moved in a circumferential direction so as to be brought into contact with the adjuster, whereby the other of the intermediate levers is pivoted, and the one of the intermediate levers and the brake lever are pivoted via the strut so as to be moved in a radially outward direction. Further, the brake lever is moved in the radially outward direction by movement of the other of the brakes shoes in a circumferential direction which leads to pivot motion of the one of the intermediate lever. The movement of the brake lever in the radially outward direction leads to increase of a path of the cable, thereby preventing the cable from being slackened.


An oxidation reactor includes a reactor body, a manhole nozzle projecting from the reactor body, and a partition plate separating an inside of the manhole nozzle and an inside of the reactor body from each other. In an oxidation reactor including the reactor body and a nozzle projecting from the reactor body, there is provided a means for feeding an inert gas into the nozzle. In a process for producing (meth)acrylic acids by subjecting propane, propylene or isobutylene to catalytic gas-phase oxidation reaction in an oxidation reactor for producing (meth)acrolein or (meth)acrylic acid, the above oxidation reactor is used as the oxidation reactor. In a method for analyzing an easily-polymerizable compound by introducing a gas containing the easily-polymerizable compound into an analyzing apparatus through a sampling tube, a double tube is used as the sampling tube, and a heating medium is fed into an outer tube of the double tube. According to these methods, the oxidation reaction can be stably conducted, and the reaction product gas can be prevented from being condensed and polymerized in the sampling tube, so that an on-line analysis can be performed at a high accuracy for a long period of time.

As well known in the art, acrylic acid is produced from propylene by gas-phase oxidation method. This method for producing acrylic acid by oxidizing propylene, includes a first stage reaction for oxidizing propylene into acrolein and a second stage reaction for oxidizing the acrolein into acrylic acid which are conducted under different oxidation conditions from each other. Therefore, as the above method, there are known a two-stage oxidation process in which the respective reactions are performed using different kinds of catalysts or separate reactors, and a one-stage oxidation process using a single reactor filled with plural kinds of catalysts.
FIG. 1 shows an example of a flow chart for producing acrylic acid by the two-stage oxidation process. In the process shown in FIG. 1, propylene, steam and air are fed through the first reactor and the second reactor filled with molybdenum-based catalysts, etc., and subjected to two stage oxidation reactions therein to obtain an acrylic acid-containing gas. The thus obtained acrylic acid-containing gas is fed to a condensation column (quench column) where the gas is contacted with water to prepare an aqueous acrylic acid solution. The aqueous acrylic acid solution is fed to an extraction column where acrylic acid is extracted with an appropriate extractant added thereto, and the obtained extract solution is then fed to a solvent separation column to separate the extractant therefrom. Next, the obtained solution is fed to an acetic acid separation column where acetic acid is removed therefrom to prepare crude acrylic acid. The thus prepared crude acrylic acid is then fed to a rectifying column to separate by-products from the crude acrylic acid, thereby obtaining purified acrylic acid.
Meanwhile, in recent years, in order to recover acrylic acid from the aqueous acrylic acid solution, instead of the above solvent extraction method using the extractant, there has been used an azeotropic separation method in which the aqueous acrylic acid solution is distilled using water and an azeotropic solvent to distil off an azeotropic mixture of water and the azeotropic solvent from a top of an azeotropic separation column and recover acrylic acid from a bottom thereof.
Methacrylic acid is produced by gas-phase oxidation reaction of isobutylene. In the case where methacrylic acid is produced by two-stage oxidation method, isobutylene is oxidized into methacrylic acid through methacrolein.
The gas-phase oxidation reaction of propylene or isobutylene is conducted within an oxidation reactor filled with an oxidation catalyst. The oxidation reactor includes a container-like reactor body, and a manhole nozzle projecting from the reactor body. The manhole nozzle is closed by a lid fitted to a tip end thereof upon normal operation of the reactor. The lid is opened upon inspection of an inside of the reactor, replacement of the catalyst or the like.
Also, although not shown in the figure, in order to fit various sensors or gauges, etc., to the reactor, the reactor body may be frequently provided with measuring device-mounting nozzles to which the sensors or gauges may be fitted. Further, the reactor may also be frequently provided with a small diameter nozzle serving as an opening for inspection of an inside of the reactor.
When viewed from the inside of the reactor body, portions where the above respective nozzles projecting from the reactor body are provided, form recesses partially depressed from an inner surface of the reactor. These recesses tend to cause undesirable retention of a reaction gas. For this reason, in the above conventional reactors, an easily-oxidizable substance gas such as (meth)acrolein tends to be retained inside of the respective nozzles and automatically oxidized therein, thereby causing unstable oxidation reaction of the gas.
Since these nozzles projecting from the reactor body tend to be cooled by outside air, etc., the easily-polymerizable substances such as (meth) acrolein and (meth)acrylic acid may be liquefied and retained therein to produce polymers thereof. As a result, the nozzles tend to be clogged, so that it may become extremely difficult to open the nozzles and manholes upon terminating operation of the reactor, etc.
On the other hand, as a method of sampling and analyzing a gas containing the above easily-polymerizable compound, there are known a method using a reaction product gas sampling tube, a gas-liquid separation method, a sampling container method, a sensor method or the like.
Among these methods, the method using a reaction product gas sampling tube is industrially advantageous from viewpoints of simple facilities and low costs. As the reaction product gas sampling tube, there may be mainly used a stainless steel sampling tube around which an electric heater or a steam trace is fitted.
However, the stainless steel sampling tube around which the electric heater is fitted, has the following problems. That is, although portions at which thermocouples are provided for temperature control are maintained at a set temperature, other portions of the sampling tube tend to undergo undesirable temperature distribution depending upon winding conditions of the electric heater or heat-retention conditions. As a result, easily-condensable substances tend to be condensed at the low-temperature portions, so that an analysis accuracy thereof tends to be deteriorated. Further, acrylic acid whose polymerization is inhibited in a gas state but is promoted in a liquid state, tends to condensed and polymerized at the low-temperature portions formed due to the temperature distribution. If the operation of the sampling tube is continued, the sampling tube tends to suffer from clogging, resulting in failed analysis. In particular, since a longer sampling tube undergoes a larger temperature distribution, the use of such a longer sampling tube tends to further deteriorate the analysis accuracy, and promote clogging thereof. In addition, at the time other than the analysis, the reaction production gas is retained within the sampling tube, so that the easily-condensable and easily-polymerizable substances tend to be condensed, polymerized and adhered to an inside of the sampling tube, also resulting in problems such as clogging thereof.
In the case where the steam trace is wound around the stainless steel sampling pipe, it may be difficult to uniformly wind the steam trace around the thin sampling tube, resulting in occurrence of temperature distribution in the sampling tube, especially formation of the low-temperature portions therein. Therefore, the latter method using the steam trace has similar problems to those of the former method using the electric heater, such as deteriorated analysis accuracy, tendency of causing clogging in the sampling tube and difficulty in long-term continuous operation thereof. Thus, both of the above methods are unsatisfactory from industrial viewpoints.
In Japanese Patent Application Laid-open (KOKAI) No. 8-259488, to solve the above problems, there has been proposed the sampling tube whose inner wall is made of a fluorine-based resin. The sampling tube whose inner wall is made of a fluorine-based resin is more effective to prevent a condensate of the easily-condensable substances from adhering to an inside of the sampling tube as compared to the stainless steel sampling tube. However, the sampling tube whose inner wall is made of a fluorine-based resin is still unsolved as to the problem concerning temperature distribution, resulting in low analysis accuracy. In addition, the sampling tube whose inner wall is made of a fluorine-based resin is also still unsolved as to such a problem that at the time other than the analysis, the reaction production gas is retained within the sampling tube, so that the easily-condensable and easily-polymerizable substances tend to be condensed, polymerized and adhered to an inside of the sampling tube, thereby causing the clogging of the sampling tube.
An object of the present invention is to provide an oxidation reactor that is free from recesses formed on an inner surface of a reactor body thereof so as to conduct a stable oxidation reaction therein, as well as a process for producing (meth)acrylic acids using the oxidation reactor.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an oxidation reactor that is free from undesirable retention of gas at recesses formed on an inner surface of a reactor body thereof so as to conduct a stable oxidation reaction therein, as well as a process for producing (meth)acrylic acids using such an oxidation reactor.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an on-line analysis process for analyzing an easily-polymerizable compound by introducing a gas containing the easily-polymerizable compound into an analyzing apparatus through a reaction production gas sampling tube in which the reaction production gas is prevented from being condensed and polymerized in the sampling tube, thereby ensuring a long-term stable analysis with a high efficiency.

Oxidation reactor, process for producing (meth)acrylic acids, and method for analyzing easily-polymerizable compounds


A fiber optic splice organizer stores optical fiber splices and sufficient slack to permit the fibers to be readily separated, such as for reorganization or to remake a splice. Multiple hinges connect a plurality of fiber trays side by side to provide pivotable connections between trays. A flat orientation of the trays enables splicing and coiling of fibers as they are loaded into a tray. The trays then pivot into a fiber storage position. Special features of the hinges provide support for fibers and splices as they are loaded into the trays. The hinges protect the fibers as the trays are pivoted as well as when the trays are in their folded position for storage without requiring buffer tubes. Multiple architectures for the organization of fibers are enabled without violating minimal bend radii, and while providing for ease of separation of individual fibers or groups of fibers.

With rapid growth in customer demand for ever-increasing bandwidth to support transmission of interactive voice, video and data, the telecommunications industry has outgrown the capability of copper wire. The hunger for a supply of information at first moved slowly from the 56-kbps rate offered by dial-up modems to the greater bandwidth offered by DSL. However, access to broadband transmissions at the 640-kbps capacity of DSL only served to whet the appetites of consumers of data who have come to demand even higher rate feeds as more applications are developed to access and use more and more data, such as HDTV and video on demand. To extend their reach beyond the 10-km limitation imposed by DSL over copper wire, telecommunications and cable providers have been forced to employ optical fibers and extend them ever closer to more of their customers.
Optical fibers are capable of carrying virtually noise-free signals that may be extended for very long distances without the need for an amplifying repeater. This has allowed fiber optic networks to move closer to the home and office. Often these greater distances exceed the length of optical fiber cables that can be manufactured, requiring the inclusion of splice points along the route. In other cases a bundle of fibers may need to be tapped at a drop point to provide access to customers along the route. Fiber to the Home, Neighborhood and Office (FTTH, FTTN, and FTTO) presents new challenges in fiber management for routing, splitting, and combining signals as these so called Deep-Fiber (DF) applications are deployed.
Outside-plant installations of optical fibers typically package twelve fibers in a loose-tube cable. In high-density service areas, loose-tube cables containing 36 or as many as 200 fibers may be used, in which case the cable is generally made up of multiple smaller bundles of fibers packaged in color-coded plastic buffer tubes. This modular buffer tube design permits easy drop-off of groups of fibers at intermediate points along a route without interfering with other protected intact buffer tubes being routed to other locations. The loose-tube cable configuration is amenable to aerial, duct and direct-burial applications.
To make splices and feed drop points, the optical fibers within a buffer tube must be exposed by removal of their protective coverings. As each individual fiber is spliced to another fiber, by fusion or other mechanical techniques, to extend the reach of the transmission, the resulting splice must be physically supported and protected from the elements before being placed into service. The splicing operation is often carried out in a transportable clean-room which can be relocated as necessary to access the fiber optic cables on location. Since the cables will either be suspended from utility poles or buried underground, there must be sufficient excess cable to accommodate movement of the splices to the clean work environment. Furthermore, there must be sufficient excess fiber length relative to the length of the buffer tube, typically from one to four meters of slack, to allow the technician to comfortably test and organize the individual fibers.
A variety of splice trays have been developed to provide support for the splices and specialized housings have been produced to protect the splice trays from the environment. Most of these trays also accommodate sufficient storage of the excess slack fiber that is no longer protected by a buffer tube. One popular "Fiber Optic Splice Closure" (FOSC) has been described by Mullaney, et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,323,480. Assigned to Raychem Corp., this FOSC has been developed into a series of systems of splice trays with associated outer protective housings. Many other parties have developed similar assemblies some of which may be interchangeable. U.S. Pat. No. 5,074,635 issued to Justice, et al. and assigned to the 3M Company, disclosed what has become a popular splice tray.
Splice trays are generally designed with an attempt to offer some organization for individual splices. This attempt is challenged and limited in many regards. Though a splice tray must permit the supportive mounting and protection of individual splices and storage of the slack optical fibers in a relatively neat configuration, space is limited. Storage of a sufficient amount of slack to enable splicing is most often achieved by forming the optical fibers into a series of loops. However, a minimum bend radius must be carefully observed when handling and storing optical fibers. Bending a fiber more sharply than a certain radius will, at first, result in increased attenuation of the optical signal. At some tighter radius the fiber will break. The minimum bend radius for a given set of fibers establishes some minimum dimensions for splice trays and their enclosures.
Another consideration in the organization of splices within a tray, or a system of trays, is that the loops of slack fibers frequently become permanently tangled with those of neighboring fibers. This occurs simply in the normal course of splicing and routing of the slack for storage. Occasionally a splice will need to be accessed at a later date in order to be remade or repaired to achieve a splice of sufficient quality for support of a proper optical signal. The Fiber Optic Splice Organizer described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,278,933 to Hunsinger, et al., issued Jan. 11, 1994, is one attempt for securing optical fiber splices and slack which permits separation of the spliced fibers to facilitate remaking of a splice. U.S. Pat. No. 6,507,691, issued to Hunsinger, et al., is another one in a series of patents owned by Tyco/Raychem which includes the above-mentioned Mullaney ('480) patent. Taken together these patents show the use of a plurality of splice trays hinged together at a common end and mounted within a single housing.
A stack of splice trays that are so configured offers some capability for segregating buffer tubes from one tray to another, but provides no assistance for organizing fibers once removed from the buffer tube. Such a system of stacked trays limits access to one tray at a time. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,913,522, Nolf, et al. make a point of mentioning that with their (Raychem) tray design "hinging allows chosen trays to be exposed for installation of the splice or for repair etc." This is an advantage in that only one tray at a time is exposed to potential damage while the fibers stored in all other trays remain protected. A disadvantage of such a system is that access to the fibers contained by any particular tray is restricted by the extent to which other trays within the stack may be folded out of the way or the working tray may be removed from the stack, without over-bending any of the fibers.
With perhaps as many as 300 users being supplied by three optical fibers, a single twelve-strand buffer tube in a fiber cable can provide networking to many housing subdivisions. This high-density is convenient for new installations that have not yet gone "live" and provides efficient use of currently deployed fibers. Once an optical network has been activated, however, handling of a single delicate fiber that is feeding a large number of subscribers carries a significant exposure to liability which often corresponds to very large insurance premiums paid by those technicians who work in trays containing active fibers. Furthermore, service providers are at risk of dissatisfying customer with unscheduled outages if fibers are broken. This risk suggests that active (Light, live, or hot) fibers should be segregated and provided with greater protection than those that are inactive (Dark, dead, or cold) while storing the latter for future expansion of the network.
To be useful a splice tray must provide support for splices that have already been prepared and for access to those splices for repair or for activation as the network is extended. The tray must also provide adequate storage for slack fiber associated with the splices without bending any individual fiber more tightly than its minimal bend radius.
It would be an advancement to the state-of-the-art to provide a system of splice trays that would allow for categorization of fibers removed from a single buffer tube as well as between buffer tubes. An additional advancement would be provision for management of Dark, inactive fibers for future expansion without disturbance to Light, active ones. The ability to simultaneously access multiple trays within an enclosure, without folding other trays out of the way as has been required by previous systems, would be a further advancement.

Fiber optic categorization and management tray