The present invention provides an information-processing apparatus including detection means, recognition means, and meta-information generation means. The detection means detects conditions surrounding the user and generates sensing data revealing the conditions surrounding the user. The recognition means recognizes the conditions surrounding the user on the basis of the sensing data. The meta-information generation means generates meta information in the form of structured information to be used for detecting a change in the conditions surrounding the user on the basis of one or more pieces of the sensing data and recognition information showing a recognition result produced by the condition recognition means.

The present invention relates to an information-processing apparatus, an information-processing method, and a program. More particularly, the present invention relates to an information-processing apparatus, an information-processing method, and a program capable of presenting a content according to conditions surrounding the user.
Operations to search a database for data to be displayed have been becoming widely known and popular. The database is used for storing data referred properly to hereafter as content files such as a still-image file, a moving-image file, and an audio file. In an operation to search a database for desired data, the user enters a keyword related to the desired data.
An information-processing apparatus in related art for searching a database for desired data as described above infers a context existing at a time of acquiring image data on the basis of attributes of the image data given as a content file in order to classify the image data. For more information, refer to documents such as Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2002-10178, which is referred to hereafter as patent document 1. In this information-processing apparatus, a rule base inference engine infers a context, which is very likely a context of image data, on the basis of a date, a result of indoor/outdoor determination, data stored in a family-information database and data stored in a seasonal-event/social-custom database.
In addition, a moving image similar to a moving image specified by the user is searched for by comparison of meta information of an object of interest with meta information stored in a meta-information database. For more information, refer to documents such as Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2001-134589, which is referred to hereafter as patent document 2.
Furthermore, documents such as Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 8-195825 discloses an apparatus for generating data of a moving image. This apparatus detects an abnormal state on the basis of moving-image data corresponding to an image taken by a video camera and data generated by a sensor. When an abnormal state is detected, this apparatus transmits moving-image data corresponding to images taken before and after the detection of the abnormal state to a remote center along with corresponding data. The document describing this apparatus is referred to hereafter as patent document 3.

Information-processing apparatus, information-processing methods, and programs


In the present technique of push to talk communications system, a push to talk audio data message is translated to text data to provide for a translated text data message. The push to talk audio data message is then associated with the corresponding translated text data message to provide for an association of the audio and text messages. The translated text data message is accordingly sent to one or more destinations.

Push to talk calls generally use a forced-audio model where the user of the receiver mobile station ("MS") does not have to answer the call in order to set up the call. Since push to talk technology includes dispatch calls, "push to talk," as used herein, shall be understood to serve as an expression of convenience that encompasses various kinds of push to talk communications including networks that employ a dispatcher and those that do not. Because of this configuration of push to talk calls, the user of the receiver MS may miss the audio message of the push to talk call, because the MS may be inaccessible (e.g., the MS is in the user's pocket and/or the user is away from the MS) to provide for clear audio output. In this scenario, the user of the receiver MS may hear a noise that indicates a call coming in but may be unable to make out the actual call message, which would likely generate unnecessary follow up push to talk calls between the sender and receiver to clarify the previously made call message.
This uncertainty and lack of clarity not only unnecessarily wastes transmission resources but also degrades user experience. In the worst case scenario, the user may not know at all that a push to talk call was received until the phone log is checked. There may also be circumstances where certain factors (e.g., background noise and/or interference) may hinder the audio reception, resulting in unreliable audio outputs. Unreliable push to talk audio data messages become especially critical when the calls are exchanged in a dispatcher emergency setting where time is of the essence and wrong information can be fatal.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help improve understanding of various embodiments of the present invention. Also, common and well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are often not depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various embodiments of the present invention.

Methods and apparatus for providing push to talk text data


It is herein presented a novel transfer apparatus for a snowmobile, the transfer apparatus comprising a joint part and a support for a wheel. The joint part comprises an attachment hole for a ski bolt between a ski and a ski suspension of the snowmobile and a first coupling member for the detachable attachment of the support for the wheel and the support for the wheel comprises a second coupling member which is configured to connect to the first coupling member such that a detachable coupling is formed for the wheel.

A modern snowmobile features a drive track which propels the snowmobile and which transmits the power of the engine to the ground. In front of the track are steering skis which in part bear the load of the snowmobile and the cargo thereof and steer the snowmobile during riding. On normal riding surfaces, such as on snow, the skis glide on the surface. On dry terrain, asphalt, concrete, and comparable surfaces the skis do not slide and the maneuvering of the snowmobile is difficult. The skis also wear on surfaces that do not provide for sliding. The snowmobile must, however, be transported also on such surfaces in garages and other storage spaces as well as during loading and unloading of the snowmobile onto and off a trailer. Such transportation also occurs often in connection with servicing.
There are two different types of transfer apparatuses for transport. A transportation platform may be provided under the ski with small transportation rollers on the underside of the platform. The skis may be difficult to lift onto such a platform and the small rollers ride poorly on rough surfaces, on top of which the skis are prone to drop off the transportation platform. A second main type includes forks or carriages that are pushed underneath the skis with a bar to be placed underneath the ski and a wheeled rocking arm attached thereto. The bar is introduced underneath the ski and the skis are lifted onto the wheels by pressing the rocking arm. An associated problem is the introduction of the bar under the ski and the lack of attachment to the ski, whereby the device does not stay connected during transportation. There exists a version of such devices that has support surfaces to the sides and behind the ski, whereby the attachment of the device to the ski is more secure during transportation. A device called SKISAVER®Flex is installed with hooks underneath the ski and with a strap to the lifting loop at the tip of the ski. Installation of the device is difficult in the snow and the device is large, whereby it is difficult to bring along on the snowmobile. Transportation and riding of the snowmobile is thus possible only when the device is available from a service car or at the storage location of the snowmobile.
It is also possible to attach fixed wheels to the skis of the snowmobile that are turned below the under surface of the ski upon arrival to a dry surface and that are folded or fold automatically to an upper position for snow riding upon arrival to a snowy surface. Such a wheel solution does enable riding to a dry surface, such as at parking lots and yards of service stations, but due to the fixed installation off-road riding may be even dangerous because the wheel and its bracket are partly left outside the carrying surface of the ski. The solution is therefore not entirely suitable for off-road use because it risks tangling into obstacles in the terrain such as stomps, rocks, or ice. One manufacturer of such a wheel solution is ROUSKI KIMPEX™.


Double-sided stretchable adhesive tapes are described for use in conventional applications, particularly including the mounting or joining of an object to another surface. An improvement lies within the ability to control the timing of the debonding of both surfaces so that one adhesive surface releases before the other. The earlier release can be either on the object side or the surface side, depending on the desired effect. The present invention is applicable to all stretchable tape constructions including the use of plastic backing materials and/or elastic backing materials and allows such an object to be removed without risking substantial snap-back of the adhesive tape or catapulting of the object. The aforementioned advantages can be achieved by a double-sided adhesive tape having a stretchable backing layer, plastic or elastic, and having a lower-adhesion or non-adhesive portion of one adhesive surface, so that a corresponding greater adhesion adhesive portion of the other side remains more aggressively adhered to a surface during stretch removal while the portion of the one adhesive surface is less aggressively adhered or completely released from its surface. A non-adhesive portion may be adhesive-free, or may be an adhesive layer portion which is rendered non-adhesive. A lower-adhesion portion may comprise a low adhesion material, i.e., a weaker adhesive, or may be rendered lower in adhesion by a treatment or coating.

Adhesive products have been designed which are created specifically to enhance their ability to be removed from a substrate after being adhered to such substrate without substantially damaging the substrate surface or leaving substantial adhesive residue thereon. Products include items such as paper notes having a layer of easily removable adhesive adhered to one surface, such as the Post-it.TM. Note products available from Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company of Saint Paul, Minn. It is also known to provide double-sided adhesive products including similar easily-removable adhesive.
Another type of product which has been recently developed is a single-sided or double-sided adhesive tape having conventional pressure-sensitive adhesive on one or both major surfaces thereof, and which includes a tape backing comprising a highly extensible material. See for example European Patent Application 92.903259.7.
These tapes operate in that when the backing is stretched after the tape is adhered on one side or both sides, the adhesive stretches and undergoes clean interfacial debonding from the substrate or substrates to which it is adhered. Such removal typically progresses from one end of the tape to the other as the tape backing is stretched at an angle preferably no greater than about 35.degree. from the surface of the substrate. That is, as the tape is stretched from one end, it debonds from the end being stretched toward its distal end.
The adhesive tapes described in the aforementioned European Patent Application 92.903259.7 include plastic backings. That means, as the backing is stretched, it is permanently deformed and has relatively low elastic recovery. Tapes described include single-sided tapes, double-sided tapes, and tapes comprising film layers, foam layers, and laminates of films and/or foams. In double-sided adhesive tape constructions, both adhesive surfaces debond at the same time and progress substantially at the same rate from the stretched end toward the distal end as the tape backing is stretched.
Co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/308,937, which is commonly owned by the Assignee of the present invention, discloses a number of stretchable release tapes comprising constructions of films, foams, and laminates of films and/or foams. Again, such tapes include conventional pressure-sensitive adhesives.
Another type of stretchable release adhesive tape is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,409,189 to Luhmann, wherein the adhesive tape backings utilized comprise elastic materials. Elastic, as opposed to plastic materials described above, means materials that are stretchable without substantial plastic deformation and which have high elastic recovery after stretching and release. Like the plastic tapes described above, elastic tapes can be single-sided or double-sided and the stretching of the backing causes adhesive stretching and subsequent debonding of the adhesive surface or surfaces from the stretched end to the distal end as the tape is stretched.
Double-sided adhesive tapes are particularly useful in joining and mounting applications. Stretchable release double-sided tapes provide secure bonding to both surfaces with clean removal from both surfaces without substantial damage or adhesive residue. A problem is that such double-sided adhesive tapes simultaneously debond from both adhered sides as the tape is stretched for removal. In applications where these tapes are used to adhere an object to a wall or other surface, the release from both the object and the other surface at the same time may cause the adhesive tape to snap back in the direction of the stretching, similar to the snapping effect of a stretched rubber band, or may cause the object to be catapulted, particularly if the object is not held while being removed. This snap-back of the tape occurs at the point of adhesive release when the resisting force of adhesion to the wall suddenly drops to zero, This effect is exacerbated by the elasticity or recovery properties of the tape.
The above described stretchable tapes are known to be applicable for many applications including the mounting of objects, such as hooks or other hanging devices, to walls, etc.; joining or assembly applications; cushioning or sound-deadening applications; closure applications, such as container closures, e.g. closures for boxes, food and beverage containers; and removable labels.

Removable adhesive tape with controlled sequential release


Apparatus, systems, and methods to reduce power delivery noise for partial writes are described. In one embodiment, an apparatus comprises a processor and a memory control logic to insert one or more dummy unit intervals into data in a write operation when a number of state transitions between adjacent unit intervals exceeds a threshold. Other embodiments are also disclosed and claimed.

Modern computer memory systems such as low-power double-data rate dynamic random-access memory (LPDDR) and wide input/output (WIO) memory operate within tight electrical tolerances. Write operations which transition large numbers of bits between logical states can generate electrical interference which may negatively affect operation of the memory. Accordingly, techniques to reduce power delivery noise for partial writes may find utility, e.g., in memory systems.

Apparatus and method to reduce power delivery noise for partial writes


In a substrate machining method for machining a substrate, there are provided a substrate machining method in which a disk-like blade is rotated to cut the substrate from its one surface, and the cut surfaces of the substrate, which are positioned in the vicinity of the other surface of the substrate, are irradiated with laser light; and a substrate machining apparatus which carries out the substrate machining method. The entirety of the cut surfaces of the substrate may be irradiated with the laser light. The laser may be a YAG laser or a CO2 laser. Further, a dicing tape may be adhered to the other surface of the substrate, and the laser light may be irradiated after cutting only the substrate and expanding the dicing tape. Modified layers are formed by an irradiation of the laser light, so that dice are prevented from being broken in an assembling operation of the dice.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for machining a substrate such as, for example, a semiconductor wafer.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the field of manufacturing semiconductors, the dicing process for cutting a substrate such as, for example, a silicon wafer on which a plurality of semiconductor elements are formed, into cubic portions, i.e., dicing a substrate, is necessary. A substrate machining apparatus for dicing contains a disk-like blade. Before a dicing process, an adhesive dicing tape is attached to a wafer. After that, the blade is rotated to cut the wafer from its surface, on which no dicing tape is attached, while cutting water is supplied to the wafer. The blade is moved forward to form a street. Usually, only the wafer is cut without completely cutting the dicing tape. Streets are formed on the wafer in longitudinal and lateral directions so that a plurality of cubic dice are formed on the dicing tape. This is disclosed in, for example, FIG. 6 of Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2002-75919.
However, in the substrate machining method disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2002-75919, there is a possibility that some problem may occur on a cut surface of the wafer. FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of a diced substrate in a prior art. FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view of a diced substrate in a prior art. As shown in FIG. 4, chippings 910, 920 are formed on cut surfaces 210, 220 of a wafer 200, respectively, after a dicing operation, in the vicinity of lower edges of the cut surfaces 210, 220, i.e., in the vicinity of a dicing tape 300. As shown in FIG. 4, the chippings 910, 920 are also formed on the portion of the wafer 200 adjacent to the dicing tape 300, i.e., the bottom of the wafer 200. As shown in FIG. 5, such chippings 900 exist on the sides of chips or dice to be formed. Accordingly, cracks sometimes grow on the bottoms of chips or dice, so that the chips or dice are broken or become difficult to assemble, when stresses are applied to the chips or dice in picking-up and assembling operations of the chips or dice. Crushed layers, i.e., brittle fracture layers 810, 820 are formed in the cut surfaces 210, 220, along the thickness direction of the wafer 200. Likewise, there is a possibility that cracks may grow in the brittle fracture layers 810, 820 of the cut surfaces 210, 220 to break the chips or dice when stresses are applied to the chips or dice in picking-up and assembling operations of the chips or dice.
In view of the above problems, the object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for machining a substrate which prevents chips and prevents dice from being broken in picking-up and assembling operations of the dice.

Method and apparatus for machining substrate


A fabric material includes a conductive wire material that generates heat when supplied with current. Part of the conductive wire material in a longitudinal direction of the conductive wire material is externally exposed from the fabric material. A first planar element and a second planar element, of which at least one has electrical conductivity, are electrically connected to an externally exposed portion of the conductive wire material in such a manner that the first and second planar elements sandwich the exposed portion and are bonded so as to be in planar contact with each other.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a fabric material. More particularly, the invention relates to a fabric material that includes a conductive wire material that is able to generate heat when supplied with current.
2. Description of Related Art
There is known means for heating a seated surface of a vehicle seat, in which conductive threads (conductive wire materials) that are able to generate heat when supplied with current are braided in a skin material (fabric material) formed of a woven fabric (Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-227384 (JP-A-2007-227384)). Each conductive thread is braided in the skin material in the seat width direction, and the plurality of conductive threads are arranged in the seat front-rear direction to thereby make it possible to heat the seated surface over a wide region. The conductive threads are electrically connected to one another by a conductive planar element that is connected over these conductive threads. The conductive threads are supplied with current by the planar element to generate heat.
However, in the above technique, when the planar element is electrically connected to the conductive threads in the fabric material by thermal welding, the planar element may not be welded to the conductive threads so as to be electrically connected to the conductive threads depending on the compatibility between the planar element and nonconductive threads that are principal components of the fabric material.


The present invention provides a semiconductor device having a silicide thin film and method of forming the same. A semiconductor device comprises a gate insulation layer formed on an active region of a semiconductor substrate. A gate electrode is formed on the gate insulation layer. An impurity region is formed in the active region adjacent the gate electrode. A silicide thin film such as a cobalt silicide thin film is formed to a thickness of less than approximately 200 Å in the impurity region.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and method of forming the same, and more particularly to a semiconductor device having a silicide thin film and method of forming the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Silicon generally has the properties of semiconductor, but acts as a conductor when impurities are implanted into it, as is the case when used in a semiconductor device. In addition, silicon and metal can be easily transformed into a metal silicide having high conductivity. Accordingly, in a highly-integrated semiconductor device in which resistance increases as the width of a conductive line such as a gate line and contact sizes are reduced, metal silicide is often used to form a portion of a contact interface or a signal line such as the gate line to enhance the conductivity and the performance of the device.
Also, as semiconductor devices are scaled down, the junction depths of source/drain regions are also reduced. To reduce the contact resistance of the source/drain regions, metal silicide can again be used. At this time, a layer of metal silicide is generally formed to a thickness of several hundred angstroms (Å). However, for example, when the metal silicide layer having a thickness of 300 Å is formed on the source/drain regions having a thin junction depth of 1000 Å, the metal silicide layer may be directly connected to the substrate beyond the source/drain regions. Consequently, various problems, such as a junction spiking phenomenon generating a leakage current, can occur. This junction spiking phenomenon is similar to the spiking problem in which the signal current leaks into the substrate when aluminum contact plugs are connected to the source/drain regions.
Cobalt or titanium (Ti) metals, having a low contact interface resistance, are commonly used to form the metal silicide layer. With cobalt, however, the probability of encountering the junction spiking phenomenon is increased. The cobalt silicide layer is usually formed by coating a cobalt layer on the exposed surface of a substrate through sputtering. Sputtering is followed by a two-step heat treatment, in which a first step takes place at temperatures of 500 to 600° C. and a second step takes place at more than 750° C., or a one-step heat treatment that takes place at a high temperature of more than 750° C. The heat treatment silicifies the cobalt layer. After the heat treatment, non-reacted portions of the cobalt layer are removed in a self-aligned manner by wet etching. Using this technique, it is difficult to control a speed of forming the cobalt silicide layer to form a thin layer. When the cobalt silicide layer is formed, the polysilicon layer and the cobalt layer are usually combined in a ratio of 360 Å to 100 Å. It is further difficult to coat the cobalt layer uniformly at a thickness of less than 80 Å through sputtering and to re-form it repeatedly. The reliability of fabrication process is therefore deteriorated. Thus, forming the cobalt silicide layer of less than 300 Å, as well as preventing the junction spiking phenomenon in the source/drain regions having the thin conjunction depth, is difficult.
When the signal current leaks into the substrate without being transmitted through channels, the consumption of the signal current is increased and the operation speed of transistors slows. Worst yet, the transistors may not operate properly. Particularly, in a low power SRAM device, it is necessary to prevent the generation of leakage current to obtain reliable operation of the device.
To prevent the spiking phenomenon that results from using the cobalt silicide layer, a titanium silicide layer (TiSi2) in the source/drain regions can be formed using titanium to reduce the spiking phenomenon. In this case, however, because titanium exhibits an amount of resistance that depends on the line width, the resistance is abruptly increased in most semiconductor devices having a line width of less than 0.2 μm. Also, the resistance characteristics of the titanium may be degraded following heat treatment.

Semiconductor device having silicide thin film and method of forming the same


The present disclosure provides a method that includes forming a tab arrangement by vertically arranging the electrode tabs whereby at least parts of the electrode tabs overlap each other; irradiating light to at least two side surfaces among side surfaces of the tab arrangement excluding surfaces on which the electrode tabs overlap and surfaces facing the overlapped surfaces; scanning a planar shape of a step on which the electrode tabs do not overlap each other using light reflected from an end portion of each of the electrode tabs; scanning only an overlapped portion of the electrode tabs excluding the step based on the scanned result; setting a welding range within the overlapped portion; and performing welding only within the welding range.

As the technical development of and the demand for mobile devices have increased, the demand for secondary batteries as an energy source has rapidly increased. Among the secondary batteries, lithium secondary batteries, which have high energy density and discharge voltage, and about which much research has been carried out, are commercially available and widely used.
Generally, a secondary battery has a structure in which an electrode assembly having a structure in which an electrode and a separator are laminated is embedded in a battery case with an electrolyte. Electrodes constituting an electrode assembly need to be connected to the outside, and electrical connection between the electrodes is required as the electrode assembly, and accordingly, connection between electrode tabs which are parts of uncoated portions of the electrodes and connection between the electrode tabs and electrode leads are required.
Welding in which a form of energy such as laser, current ultrasonic wave or the like is applied to overlapped welding base materials such as electrode tabs, or electrode tabs and electrode leads to melt-bond may be used for the connection
In particular, laser welding is widely used in automation processes because of the short welding time and the solid bonding.
However, in the laser welding, precise aligning of the laser is required. Accordingly, in order to prevent the laser from being irradiated to a non-overlapped portion of the welding base materials, a vision inspection must precede welding, following which a laser is irradiated on a portion that is set based on the vision inspection.
The vision inspection is an inspection in which light is irradiated on upper and lower surfaces of the welding base materials overlapping each other to confirm a boundary surface of the welding base materials and then the portion to be irradiated with the laser is set. The laser welding may be performed by the laser being automatically irradiated on the portion which is set for irradiation.
FIGS. 1 and 2 show a schematic view of a vision inspection method according to the related art and a photograph of an inspection result.
Referring to the drawings, light is irradiated on the upper and lower surfaces of electrode tabs 1 overlapping each other. Here, a sensor recognizes reflected light, identifies a boundary portion of the overlapped electrode tabs 1, and recognizes a shape of an overlapped portion.
However, since the electrode tabs made of the same material have the same light reflection degree, a boundary formed by a step of the electrode tabs is not clearly distinguished as shown in FIG. 2, and there are problems such as a laser irradiation portion may not be set at a portion in which electrode tabs are overlapped with each other or may be set to be biased to one side so that the laser welding may not be performed in a desired manner.
Also, even though the electrode tabs are made of different materials, there is no difference in the degree of light reflection when colors or surface roughness of the electrode tabs are very similar, and there is a problem in which the boundary formed by the step of the electrode tabs is not clearly distinguished.
Therefore, there is a great need for technology that can fundamentally solve the problems.

Welding method capable of improving welding reliability by precisely setting welding portions of the electrode taps


An apparatus and method for first reliably and accurately aligning the shafts of golf clubs in consistent orientation relative to corresponding club heads during assembly thereof, and second for performing inductive curing on the aligned golf club. A golf club is supported in an address position in a combination alignment/inductive cure station. The club shaft is supported by an inclined V-shaped channel, and the club head is supported in a club head support which includes a gel-filled trough for conforming to the sole of the club head. The leading edge of the club head is aligned against two substantially vertical alignment posts extending from the club head support, and reference graphics on the shaft are used in combination with an alignment panel to visually obtain the desired relative orientation of the shaft and club head. The club is then clamped in place, and an inductive heating element heats the joint of the shaft and club head to activate a bonding agent. A separate cold air cooling member returns the golf club joint to an operator handable temperature for speed of production.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to golf club manufacturing and assembly and, more specifically, to the alignment and support of club shafts and club heads during inductive curing processes for securing club heads onto club shafts.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A critical step in the manufacture of golf clubs is the assembly of the club head onto the club shaft. A well understood prior technique for reliably achieving a suitable, secure bond between the club head and the club shaft is to apply an epoxy adhesive to the shaft and/or the club head, hold the club head in place on the shaft, and the adhesive on the joint is cured through an ambient/chemical reaction.
In order to achieve desirable uniformity in graphics and aesthetics among all golf clubs in a given correlated set of clubs, it is necessary to repeatedly locate each club shaft of the set with precisely the same orientation relative to each complementary club head. One known technique for maintaining uniform orientation of shafts and club heads throughout a set of golf clubs was to first locate and mark the seam of the club shaft, and then place the seam of each shaft in a similar predetermined orientation relative to each club head. Such a technique was described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,958,834. However, with the advent of modern graphite and synthetic composite material golf club shafts, such a technique is obsolete because a vast majority of golf club shafts today are seamless.
Even with seamless shafts, it is still desirable to consistently orient club shafts with respect to club heads to maintain cosmetic, visual uniformity in a set of golf clubs. Many commercial golf club shafts feature graphics printed in some acceptable manner, such as by silk screening. Several examples of typical graphics include brand names, corporate trademarks, logos, sponsors' names, model name of the particular line of clubs, a replica of a celebrity endorser's autograph signature, shaft type (like graphite, steel, or titanium), and the performance characteristic (e.g. regular, stiff, extra stiff, ladies, senior, or lite), to name a few. In addition, for security and identification purposes a set of golf clubs can be personalized with an individual golfer's name or monogram preprinted on the shafts. It is preferable that such graphics on each shaft appear to a golfer in a consistent orientation relative to each club head in a given set of clubs so as not to distract the golfer when any particular club in the set is held at address.
While currently the United States Golf Association requires a shaft's performance be consistent regardless of its orientation relative to the club head, if that changes in the future, the present invention allows specific alignment of such a non-uniform club shaft to a club head.

Apparatus for assembling and curing golf clubs


An improved solvent dewaxing process in which a method and apparatus for continuous hot wash of a dewaxing filter is disclosed. A hot wash solvent is continuously sprayed below the doctor blade followed by a cold solvent spray below the hot solvent spray. Additionally, a solvent management process for changing the proportions of the solvent in response to different viscosity feedstocks thereby increasing filtration efficiency is also disclosed.

MEK(methyl ethyl ketone) dewaxing is the process most widely used. In MEK dewaxing, the wax bearing feed is mixed with solvent and the mixture is chilled to crystallize the wax. The chilled feed is then filtered continuously. Filtration is generally carried out in rotary drum filters. The filtration zone is at the bottom of the drum with cold wash solvent introduced at the top of the drum in the form of a spray to remove occluded filtrate.
The solvent used in the process usually contains from about 45 percent to about 75 percent MEK, with the remainder toluene. The concentration of MEK is different for each feedstock depending on the viscosity of the feed. The MEK component of the solvent induces wax precipitation while the toluene component maintains the oil in solution. MEK dewaxing is described in further detail in Hobson et al., Modern Petroleum Technology 427-429 (1975) and Hengstebeck, Petroleum Processing Principles and Applications 256-257 (1959).
Continuous filters are used in lube oil dewaxing. U.S. Pat. No. 3,791,525 to Harris et al. teaches a conventional rotary filter dewaxing apparatus.
The filtration rate generally declines as openings in the filter cloth plug up with small wax and ice particles, requiring periodic washing with hot solvent to remove the materials blocking the filter cloth. The filter must be taken off stream approximately every eight hours in order to wash with the hot solvent to restore the filter to the maximum filtration capacity
No industrial dewaxing filters are known to be provided with continuous hot wash capability. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for continuously applying a hot wash solvent to a dewaxing filter in order to increase production capacity.
The filterability of the wax is also dependent on the viscosity of the solution. Feed viscosity is different for each feedstock. A paraffin distillate has a different viscosity than a light motor oil. Therefore, it is a further object of the present invention to provide a method for changing proportions of the solvent when processing different viscosity feedstocks.

Method of changing compositions of circulating solvent in solvent dewaxing


Apparatus and method for stripping off undesirable, high frequency, or alternatively, low frequency components of an input signal by selectively passing only those undesirable components through a filter, and then subtracting those undesirable components from the raw mixture of the desirable and undesirable components. This invention is useful in plating bath analysis.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to separating low frequency and high frequency components, and more specifically to analysis and feedback from an electrode or probe located in a plating bath.
2. Background of the Invention
Plating is a method of putting an outer coating on the surface of an underlying metal. Popular uses of plating include anodizing the outer surface of aluminum and galvanized steel, and plating copper onto electronic circuit boards. In general, the above plating processes do not require ultra-accurate plating equipment, and can generally accommodate and withstand impurities which may be resident in the plating bath at the beginning of the plating process, or residual impurities, commonly referred to as degradation products.
In many plating applications, however, the characteristics of the plated surface are extremely critical, frequently being more important than the characteristics of the underlying material in some cases. The characteristics of plated coatings usually help determine tensile strength, solderability, brightness, ductility, or flexibility, uniformity of coating, and resistance to thermal or electrical shock. These characteristics of plated coatings are highly dependent on the composition of the plating bath from which they are deposited on an underlying substrate.
Historical platings of copper and the like were made by inserting an electrode made of soft, pure copper into an acid bath, and passing a current through the electrode and the acid bath in order to deposit copper on a circuit board, or the like. The copper that was deposited was usually viewed as a dead, soft grade copper, whose thickness was determined by the current flowing through the electrode, and the amount of time the circuit board spent in the bath. As newer plating surfaces are desired, it has become necessary to apply small amounts of trace elements, compounds, as well as mixtures of plating materials, all in pre-determined quantities, in order to obtain the characteristics of the plating surface required.
This has forced a more analytical evaluation of the composition of the plating bath, both before and during the plating process in order to ensure that the proper mixture of materials is present, and is plated in the desired manner on the base material. U.S. Pat. No. 4,132,605 describes one of the methods which has been used to evaluate the composition of a plating solution. The method involves the application of a DC voltage to a working electrode which is positioned in the plating solution. The voltage is gradually varied in order to pass through both the metal plating voltage range and the metal stripping voltage range. A counter electrode is also placed in the plating solution to aid in the measurements.
This method provides a signal which is related to the plating rate and is useful in evaluating the presence and concentration of elements or compounds that assist or impede the plating process. Unfortunately, not all of the materials which are present in a plating bath will affect the plating rate. Some of the materials will significantly affect the properties of the plated layer, but will not measurably alter the plating or stripping rate. Additional problems are created when a plating bath contains several different elements or compounds which affect the properties of the plated deposit. This is especially difficult when the concentration or presence of one such material affects the way another such material is deposited.
Additional difficulties arise during the aging of the plating solution or plating bath. Aging the plating solution results in the accumulation of trace amounts of impurities and degradation products which interact with each other and material which may be added to the plating bath. It is frequently difficult to determine the precise interactions between the various constituents in the plating bath, and the effect they have on each other, as well as the effect they would have on additional material added to the plating solution.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,631,116 , assigned to the present assignee, describes a method for performing a type of spectral analysis on the contents of a plating solution. This method involves applying a gradually varying DC signal to a working electrode located in the plating bath solution. A constant frequency AC signal is superimposed on the DC voltage level. As the DC voltage level is slowly varied, the AC current of the applied AC signal is measured between the working electrode and a counter electrode which is also positioned within the plating solution. The DC voltage level is varied over a pre-determined range which includes voltages which will result in plating and stripping of the plated deposit.
The measurement of the AC current in relation to the varying DC voltage is interpreted as an AC current spectra. The DC voltage level and sweep rate, as well as the AC frequency, are optimized for each of the components within the plating bath in order to properly characterize the contents of the plating bath solution. Analysis of the resulting current spectra is made to develop a fingerprint of the composition of the plating bath. Comparison of the fingerprint of a bath having a known, desirable composition which has resulted in a desirable plating coating with the fingerprint of a plating bath of unknown composition will reveal to an operator the alterations which are required in the unknown plating bath in order to match the composition of the known plating bath, and generate a desired plated surface.
The apparatus used in the application of the method of U S. Pat. No. 4,631,116 includes a reference electrode which is essentially a standard calomel electrode, a working electrode, and a counter-electrode. The counter electrode is the source of the DC voltage and the AC signal superimposed on the DC voltage. The reference electrode or standard calomel electrode provides a reference point from which the voltage applied to the counter electrode is varied.
The method described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,631,116 requires measuring the AC current between the working electrode and a counter electrode and monitoring both the phase angle and quadriture angle of the AC current in order to determine the current spectra. The results of the measurements are recorded on a graphic display and then analyzed or compared with other, known spectra. In employing this method, it is preferable to monitor the second harmonic, which has been found to be more useful than the first harmonic in providing a detailed spectra representative of the contents of the plating bath.


A universal gateway that allows data to be transferred between one or more network protocols and one or more control protocols is described. The various protocols can coexist on the same physical network medium or on separate networks. The gateway also provides tunneling of network protocols through a selected protocol, and centralized control of network nodes. By using the gateway, end-users can mesh together traditionally standalone, incompatible, networks into a universally accessible, centrally administered, “super-network.” The gateway provides a centralized node database, support for legacy protocols, a rules engine, and an object-oriented class library interface. Configuration is simplified through automatic device discovery. The centralized node database is managed by an active server node. High reliability access to the centralized node database is enhanced by the system fault tolerance provided by standby server nodes. When used in connection with a power line network, the gateway provides the ability to distribute various types of data streams over the power line. Routing handlers provided by the gateway allow virtually any of the legacy data networking services such as TCP/IP to be routed over the power-line.

1. Field of the Invention
The disclosed invention relates to computer network protocol gateways, and more specifically, to gateways adapted to power line networking systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
The widespread availability of computers, especially personal computers, has generated a rapid increase in the number of computer networks. Networking two or more computers together allows the computers to share information, file resources, printers, etc. Connecting two or more personal computers and printers together to form a network is, in principle, a simple task. The computers and printers are simply connected together using a cable, and the necessary software is installed onto the computers. In network terminology, the cable is the network medium and the computers and printers are the network nodes. The network nodes "talk" to one another using one or more protocols such as Transmission Control Protocol, Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).
Gateways are used to perform protocol translations from one protocol to another protocol, so that two networks that use different protocols can be interconnected. For example, the Prodigy network service has a gateway that translates between its internal proprietary e-mail format and the Internet e-mail format.
Standard network protocols are typically designed under the assumption that each network node is a "smart" device having substantial processing and storage capabilities. For example, a typical Personal Computer (PC) has more than enough processing and storage capability to handle almost any network protocol. However, a typical printer is a "dumb" device that does not have the necessary processing and storage capabilities. Some manufacturers provide network printer adapters that allow a printer to be connected to a network. The printer adapters are single board computers that provide processing and storage capabilities similar to that of a fully configured PC. The network printer adapter thus converts the "dumb" printer into a "smart" device. Although the network printer adapters do work, they are relatively expensive and therefore unsuitable for many home and small office environments. Moreover, the printer adapters are not well suited for connecting other non-PC devices to a network. For example, users often desire to connect dumb devices such as outdoor lights, alarm systems, telephone systems and the like, to their computer networks. Buying a network adapter card to turn each of these dumb devices into a smart device would be prohibitively expensive.
The protocols used for smart devices are usually called "network protocols". The protocols used for dumb devices are often called "control protocols." The network protocols are quite different from the control protocols, both in capabilities and in complexity. Because of these differences, gateways designed to transfer data between network protocols are typically ill-suited to the task of transferring data between control protocols. Even more difficult is the task of transferring data between a network protocol and a control protocol.
Existing home control/automation products have tended to use control protocols that are based on a peer-to-peer model rather than a centralized client/server model. This severely limits the usability of these products, as each node is required to store state information and rules locally. Configuration of the network is often difficult due to a lack of easy-to-use, centralized user interface components. Furthermore, interoperability between competing products (X-10 and CEBus for example) has been virtually impossible.

Method and apparatus for universal data exchange gateway


The invention relates to doped nickelate-containing compounds comprising AaM1VM2WM3XM4yM5ZO2-c wherein A comprises either sodium or a mixed alkali metal in which sodium is the major constituent; M1 is nickel in oxidation state greater than 0 to less than or equal to 4+, M2 comprises a metal in oxidation state greater than 0 to less than or equal to 4+, M3 comprises a metal in oxidation state 2+, M4 comprises a metal in oxidation state greater than 0 to less than or equal to 4+, and M5 comprises a metal in oxidation state 3+ wherein 0≤a<1, v>0, at least one of w and y is >0 x≥0, z≥0 wherein c is determined by a range selected from 0<c≤0.1 and wherein (a, v, w, x, y, z and c) are chosen to maintain electroneutrality.

Sodium-ion batteries are analogous in many ways to the lithium-ion batteries that are in common use today; they are both reusable secondary batteries that comprise an anode (negative electrode), a cathode (positive electrode) and an electrolyte material, both are capable of storing energy, and they both charge and discharge via a similar reaction mechanism. When a sodium-ion (or lithium-ion battery) is charging, Na+ (or Li+) ions de-intercalate from the cathode and insert into the anode. Meanwhile, charge balancing electrons pass from the cathode through the external circuit containing the charger and into the anode of the battery. During discharge the same process occurs but in the opposite direction.
Lithium-ion battery technology has enjoyed a lot of attention in recent years and provides the preferred portable battery for most electronic devices in use today; however lithium is not a cheap metal to source and is considered too expensive for use in large scale applications. By contrast sodium-ion battery technology is still in its relative infancy but is seen as advantageous; sodium is much more abundant than lithium and some researchers predict this will provide a cheaper and more durable way to store energy into the future, particularly for large scale applications such as storing energy on the electrical grid. Nevertheless a lot of work has yet to be done before sodium-ion batteries are a commercial reality.
NaNi0.5Mn0.5O2 is a known Na-ion material in which the nickel is present as Ni2+ while the manganese is present as Mn4+. The material is ordered with the Na and Ni atoms residing in discrete sites within the structure. The nickel ions (Ni2+) are a redox element which contributes to the reversible specific capacity and the manganese ions (Mn4+) play the role of a structure stabilizer. Compound NaNi0.5Ti0.5O2 is analogous to NaNi0.5Mn0.5O2 in that the Ni2+ ions provide the active redox centre and the Ti4+ ions are present for structure stabilization. There is plenty of literature describing the preparation of NaNi0.5Mn0.5O2 (and to a lesser extent NaNi0.5Ti0.5O2) as the precursor for making LiNi0.5Mn0.5O2 and LiNi0.5Ti0.5O2 by Na→Li ion exchange for Li-ion applications. A direct synthesis method to make these Li materials yields undesirable disordered materials, for example, as a result of the lithium and nickel atoms sharing structural sites. However, recent electrochemical studies reported by Komaba et al Adv. Funct. Mater. 2011, 21, 3859 describe the sodium insertion performance of hard-carbon and layered NaNi0.5Mn0.5O2 electrodes in propylene carbonate electrolyte solutions. The results obtained show that although NaNi0.5Mn0.5O2 exhibits some reversible charging and discharging ability, the capacity of the material fades by 25% or more, after only 40 cycles.
It is typically possible to predict the maximum charge capacity for sodium and lithium nickelate compounds based on the Ni2+ to Ni4+ redox process, however as Zhonghua Lu and J. R. Dahn, J. Electrochemical Society, 149 (7) A815-A822 (2002) explain, the electrochemical behaviour of cells made using lithium containing compounds, e.g. Li[NixLi(1/3−2x/3)Mn(2/3−x/3)]O2, where x=⅙, ¼, ⅓ and 5/12 do not always follow this conventional wisdom. These workers report that when cells containing lithium-nickelate materials are charged at voltages up to 4.45V, this causes lithium to be removed until the Mn oxidation state reaches 4+; thus giving an expected charge capacity of 2×. However, when lithium cells where x<½ are charged to higher voltages, e.g. between 4.5 and 4.7V, they exhibit a long plateau approximately corresponding to 1-2× and subsequent to this plateau, these materials reversibly cycle at capacities over 225 mAh/g. Put simply, lithium-containing compounds of the formula Li[NixLi(1/3−2x/3)Mn(2/3−x/3)]O2 where the amount of nickel is less than 0.5, exhibit a significantly higher charge capacity than would be expected from conventional theoretical calculation. By contrast, Lu and Dahn note that a similar increase in charge capacity is not observed when x=0.5, i.e. LiNi0.5Mn0.5O2, as there is sufficient nickel present to remove all of the lithium. To explain the higher than expected charge capacity phenomenon, Lu and Dahn demonstrated that their lithium materials undergo a non-reversible loss of oxygen when they are charged to higher voltages, and these oxygen deficient materials then react reversibly with lithium. Notwithstanding this, although this increased charge capacity is a potentially interesting discovery, the commercial utility of such compounds is hindered by the high cost of lithium, as discussed above.
US2007/0218361 teaches a sodium ion secondary battery which comprises a positive electrode active material which includes a sodium-containing transition metal oxide NaaLibMxO2±α. The M includes at least two of manganese, iron, cobalt and nickel. In such materials it is apparently extremely important that the amount of sodium is neither too large (otherwise excess sodium oxide or sodium hydride is produced which causes the positive electrode to become highly moisture absorptive) nor too small. In the latter case the amount of sodium ions that can be intercalated and de-intercalated is said to be reduced and this results in not being able to obtain a high discharge capacity. This prior art describes that the optimum amount of sodium, i.e. the value of a, is preferably 0.6 to 1.1, further preferably 0.9 to 1.1 and more preferably 1. Meanwhile the amount of oxygen is also described as critical to performance. Too much oxygen is said to occupy transition metal and/or alkaline metal sites, and presumably this will hinder re-intercalation of the sodium ions during charge/discharge. Too little oxygen is said to produce material with a crystal structure with lots of defects. The optimum range for a is from 0 to 0.1. Another feature of the specific examples described in US2007/0218361 is that they all contain manganese in oxidation state +3. This is to allow sodium extraction by a manganese oxidation process (Mn+3→Mn4+).
The present invention aims to provide novel doped nickelate-containing compounds that are capable of achieving a considerably higher specific charge capacity than would be expected from conventional theoretical calculations. The doped nickelate-containing compounds of the present invention may be used to provide an electrode which is able to be recharged multiple times without significant loss in charge capacity. In particular the doped nickelate-containing compounds of the present invention will provide an energy storage device for example a battery for use in a sodium-ion cell or a sodium metal cell. The present invention also provides a process for storing electrical charge using electrodes comprising one or more of the doped nickelate-containing compounds of the present invention. Further, the present invention provides a process for making doped nickelate-containing compounds, which is extremely straightforward and cost effective to carry out.
The doped nickelate-containing compounds of the present invention comprise the general formula:AaM1vM2wM3xM4yM5zO2-c                 wherein        A comprises either sodium or a mixed alkali metal in which sodium is the major constituent;        M1 is nickel in oxidation state greater than 0 to less than or equal to 4+,        M2 comprises a metal in oxidation state greater than 0 to less than or equal to 4+,        M3 comprises a metal in oxidation state 2+,        M4 comprises a metal in oxidation state greater than 0 to less than or equal to 4+, and        M5 comprises a metal in oxidation state 3+        wherein        0≤a<1, preferably 0≤a<0.6, and further preferably 0.2≤a<1, or 0.2≤a<0.6        v>0, preferably 0<v<0.5        at least one of w and y is >0        x≥0, preferably x>0        z≥0        wherein c is determined by a condition selected from 0<c≤0.1 and 0.05≤c≤0.1        wherein (a, v, w, x, y, z and c) are chosen to maintain electroneutrality.
Preferred doped nickelate-containing compounds of the present invention comprise the general formula:AaM1vM2wM3xM4yM5zO2-c                 wherein        A comprises either sodium or a mixed alkali metal in which sodium is the major constituent;        M1 is nickel in oxidation state less than 4+,        M2 comprises a metal in oxidation state greater than 0 to less than or equal to 4+,        M3 comprises a metal in oxidation state 2+,        M4 comprises a metal in oxidation state greater than 0 to less than or equal to 4+, and        M5 comprises a metal in oxidation state 3+        wherein        0≤a<1, preferably 0≤a<0.6, further preferably 0≤a≤0.5        v>0, preferably 0<v<0.5        at least one of w and y is >0        x≥0, preferably x>0        z≥0        wherein c is determined by a condition selected from 0<c≤0.1 and 0.05≤c≤0.1        wherein (a, v, w, x, y, z and c) are chosen to maintain electroneutrality.
Particularly preferred doped nickelate-containing compounds of the present invention comprise the formula:AaM1vM2wM3xM4yM5zO2-c                 wherein        A comprises either sodium or a mixed alkali metal in which sodium is the major constituent;        M1 is nickel in oxidation state 4+,        M2 comprises a metal in oxidation state 4+,        M3 comprises a metal in oxidation state 2+,        M4 comprises a metal in oxidation state 4+, and        M5 comprises a metal in oxidation state 3+        wherein        0≤a<1, preferably 0≤a<0.6, further preferably 0≤a≤0.5        v>0, preferably 0<v<0.5        at least one of w and y is >0        x≥0, preferably x>0        z≥0        wherein c is determined by a condition selected from 0<c≤0.1 and 0.05≤c≤0.1        wherein (a, v, w, x, y, z and c) are chosen to maintain electroneutrality.
Metals M2 and M4 may be the same or a different metal in oxidation state greater than 0 to less than or equal to 4+. Moreover M2 and M4 are interchangeable with each other. When M2=M4 then the doped nickelate-containing compounds of the present invention may be written either as:AaM1VM2WM3XM4YM5ZO2-c,orAaM1VM2W+YM3XM5ZO2-c,orAaM1VM3XM4Y+WM5XO2-c,                and all of these forms of the equation are to be regarded as equivalent.
Especially preferred doped nickelate-containing compounds of the present invention comprise the formula:AaM1vM2xM3xM4yO2-c wherein0≤a<1; preferably 0≤a<0.6, further preferably 0≤a≤0.5, advantageously 0≤a≤0.4, highly preferably 0.1≤a<0.6 and conveniently 0.2≤a<1;v>0, preferably 0<v<0.5;at least one of w and y is in the range greater than 0 to less than or equal to 0.5 (i.e. 0<w and/or y≤0.5);0≤x<0.5; preferably 0<x<0.5;z≥0; andwherein c is determined by a condition selected from 0<c≤0.1 and 0.05≤c≤0.1,wherein a, v, w, x, y, z and c are chosen to maintain electroneutrality.
The doped nickelate-containing compounds of the present invention preferably comprise sodium alone as the chosen alkali metal.
Also, in further preferred doped nickelate-containing compounds of the present invention, M2 comprises a metal selected from one or more of tin, manganese, titanium and zirconium; M3 comprises a metal selected from one or more of magnesium, calcium, copper, zinc and cobalt; M4 comprises a metal selected from one or more of tin, manganese, titanium and zirconium; and M5 comprises a metal selected from one or more of aluminium, iron, cobalt, molybdenum, chromium, vanadium, scandium and yttrium.
In a highly preferred doped nickelate-containing compound of the present invention, (v+w)<0.8, especially when M2=Mn and/or Ti.
Advantageous doped nickelate-containing compounds include:
Ni0.308Mn0.308Mg0.154Ti0.229O2-c
Ni0.3Mn0.3Mg0.15Ti0.25O2-c
Ni0.283Mn0.283Mg0.142Ti0.292O2-c
Na0.2Ni0.308Mn0.308Mg0.154Ti0.229O2-c
Na0.2Ni0.3Mn0.3Mg0.15Ti0.25O2-c
Na0.2Ni0.283Mn0.283Mg0.142Ti0.292O2-c
Ni0.325Mn0.325Mg0.1625Ti0.1875O2-c
Na0.2Ni0.325Mn0.325Mg0.1625Ti0.1875O2-c.
Na0.2Ni0.317Mn0.467Mg0.1Ti0.117O2-c
and
Ni0.317Mn0.467Mg0.1Ti0.117O2-c.
The most preferred doped nickelate-containing compounds are:
Ni0.3167Mn0.3167M30.1583Ti0.2083O2-c,
Na0.2Ni0.3167 Mn0.3167M30.1583Ti0.2083O2-c,
Ni0.3167Mn0.3167Mg0.1583Ti0.2083O2-c
and
Na0.2Ni0.3167Mn0.3167Mg0.1583Ti0.2083O2-c.
In all of the above compounds of the present invention, c is in the range 0<c≤0.1.
The doped nickelate-containing compounds of the present invention may be made using any convenient method such as a chemical process. For example, appropriate starting materials may be mixed together and heated in the presence or absence of a solvent (the latter being a solid state process). The choice and amount of each starting material is preferably selected to provide the elements present in the required doped nickelate-containing compound, and preferably the required doped nickelate-containing compound is formed substantially in the absence of side reaction products and unreacted starting materials.
Alternatively, doped nickelate-containing compounds according to the invention may be formed using a process comprising the step of charging an electrochemical cell containing one or more compounds of Formula 1 (described below) beyond their conventional theoretical specific capacity as determined by the Ni2+/Ni4+ redox couple, wherein Formula 1 is defined asA′a′M1′v′M2′w′M3′x′M4′y′M5′z′O2  (Formula 1)                wherein        A′ comprises either sodium or a mixed alkali metal in which sodium is the major constituent;        M1′ is nickel in oxidation state 2+,        M2′ comprises a metal in oxidation state 4+,        M3′ comprises a metal in oxidation state 2+,        M4′ comprises a metal in oxidation state 4+, and        M5′ comprises a metal in oxidation state 3+        0<a′<1; preferably 0.5<a′<1; conveniently 0.8<a′<1, advantageously 0.833≤a′<1 and most preferably 0.85≤a′<1;        0<v′<0.5;        at least one of w′ and y′ is >0; preferably the range 0<(w′ and/or y′)≤0.5;        0≤x′≤0.5;        z′≥0;        and wherein a′, v′, w′, x′, y′ and z′ are all chosen to maintain electroneutrality.
Compounds of Formula 1 preferably comprise sodium alone as the chosen alkali metal.
Also in further preferred compounds of Formula 1, M2′ comprises a metal selected from one or more of tin, manganese, titanium and zirconium; M3′ comprises a metal selected from one or more of magnesium, calcium, copper, zinc and cobalt; M4′ comprises a metal selected from one or more of tin, manganese, titanium and zirconium; and M5′ comprises a metal selected from one or more of aluminium, iron, cobalt, molybdenum, chromium, vanadium, scandium and yttrium.
A′, M1′, M2′, M3′, M4′, M5′, a′, v′, w′, x′, y′ and z′ in a compound of Formula 1 correspond with A, M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, a, v, w, x, y and z respectively in a doped nickelate compound produced by the process of the present invention.
Especially preferred compounds of Formula 1 include:                Na0.975Ni0.325Mn0.325Mg0.1625Ti0.1875O2         Na0.95Ni0.3167Mn0.3167Mg0.1583Ti0.2083O2         Na0.925Ni0.308Mn0.308Mg0.1541Ti0.229O2         Na0.9Ni0.3Mn0.3Mg0.15Ti0.25O2         Na0.85Ni0.283Mn0.283Mg0.142Ti0.292O2         Na0.833Ni0.317Mn0.467Mg0.1Ti0.117O2         Na0.8Ni0.0.267Mn0.267Mg0.133Ti0.333O2         Na0.75Ni0.25Mn0.25Mg0.125Ti0.375O2         Na0.7Ni0.233Mn0.233Mg0.117Ti0.417O2         Na0.667Ni0.222Mn0.2222Mg0.111Ti0.444O2
In preferred embodiments, such as in the above compounds according to Formula 1, all of the Ni is in oxidation state 2+ and all of the Mn is in oxidation state 4+.
The step of charging an electrochemical cell containing one or more compounds of Formula 1 beyond the conventional theoretical specific capacity as determined by the Ni2+/Ni4+ redox couple is typically accompanied by the loss of oxygen from one or more of the compounds of Formula 1, thus the resulting product i.e. the doped nickelate-containing compounds produced thereby may be described to be "oxygen deficient" relative to the compounds of Formula 1. The compounds of Formula 1 are also referred to herein as "active cathode compounds".
Thus, a desirable process of the present invention comprises the step of causing at least a partial loss of oxygen from a compound of Formula 1 by overcharging them, that is, by charging them to a specific capacity greater than the conventional theoretical capacity based on the oxidation of Ni2+ to Ni4+. Typically this means charging an electrochemical cell (e.g. the Na-ion electrochemical cell) containing one or more compounds of Formula 1, to at least 4.0V but the actual voltage required will vary slightly for each material. Preferably the overcharging step is the first charge performed on the compounds of Formula 1. However, it is also possible that the overcharging step, and the consequent at least partial oxygen loss, may be realised over several charging steps in order to achieve the required oxygen-deficient doped nickelate-containing compounds of the present invention. In a further embodiment of the present invention, the compounds of Formula 1 may have the structure A′a′M1′v′M2′w′M3′x′M4′y′M5′z′O2±δ, in which A′, a′, M1′, v′, M2′, w′, M3′, x′ M4′, y′, M5′ and z′ are the same as defined above, and O2±δ means that this Formula 1 compound is either oxygen rich or oxygen deficient before it is overcharged in the process of the present invention and becomes oxygen deficient or yet more oxygen deficient (respectively depending on whether we start from O2+δ or O2−δ). The amount of oxygen in A′a′M1′v′M2′w′M3′x′M4′y′M5′z′O2±δ will be higher than the amount of oxygen present in the compounds of the present invention i.e. AaM1vM2wM3xM4yM5zO2-c.
In line with what would expected from the prior art, charging doped sodium nickelate compounds of Formula 1 up to their conventional theoretical capacity causes the oxidation of Ni2+ to Ni4+ and the removal of at least a portion of the sodium ions from the lattice; this process is reversible and the compounds of Formula 1 will be obtained again upon discharge. By contrast, the process of the present invention which comprises charging such compounds above their conventional theoretical capacity, i.e. "overcharging" them, is an irreversible process which produces doped nickelate-containing compounds including the doped nickelate-containing compounds of the present invention.
Not wishing to be bound by any particular theory, the Applicant currently understands that the enhanced charge capacity (or anomalous charge capacity) observed when compounds of Formula 1 are "overcharged" during the process of the present invention, is due to several changes that occur as the overcharging is taking place. Broadly speaking this is a combination of i) the conventional (or "normal") charge process that uses just the oxidation of Ni2+ to Ni4+, together with ii) other structural changes that occur exclusively at the higher voltages, such as the removal of a higher than expected (from conventional theory) number of alkali metal ions, e.g. sodium ions, which is typically accompanied by an irreversible partial loss of oxygen to yield O2-c-containing active materials.
The present invention therefore provides a process of producing doped nickelate-containing compounds with an increased specific charge capacity than would be expected (as explained above), comprising the steps of i) forming an electrochemical cell (e.g. a Na-ion electrochemical cell) comprising at least one compound of Formula 1, and ii) charging the resulting electrochemical cell above the conventional theoretical capacity based on the oxidation of Ni2+/Ni4+ to thereby produce at least one doped nickelate-containing compound of the present invention with a specific charge capacity that is higher than expected based on the conventional theoretical charge capacity.
As described above the overcharging process is typically accompanied by at least a partial loss of oxygen, therefore the present invention also provides a process for providing oxygen deficient doped nickelate-containing compounds of the present invention comprising:                i) forming an electrochemical cell, e.g. a Na-ion electrochemical cell, comprising at least one compound of Formula 1; and        ii) charging the resulting electrochemical cell (Na-ion electrochemical cell) above the theoretical capacity based on Ni2+/Ni4+ to cause the loss of oxygen from the compound of Formula 1 and thereby form adoped nickelate-containing compound that is oxygen deficient.
The mechanism by which oxygen is lost from the compounds of Formula 1 during an overcharging process operates most efficiently when the compounds of Formula 1 comprise layered structures. Layered AxMO2 materials are known to adopt several, very similar structural types, the most well-known of which have been categorised by Delmas et al. Physica B+C, 91, (1980), 81, as "O3, P2 and P3". These notations describe the stacking of the layers; the letter refers to the way in which the oxygen ions are coordinated to the alkali ions, with the letter O denoting an octahedral coordination and the letter P denoting a prismatic coordination. The number refers to the number of MO2 layers contained in the unit cell. In the case of the uncharged active cathode compounds of Formula 1, it is preferred that they generally adopt a layered α-NaFeO2 type structure (space group R-3m, no. 166), which has an O3-type crystal structure, although the precise structure will be influenced by the composition of the compound being formed as well as the synthesis conditions. Following charging, these materials are thought to adopt O3, P2 or P3 or modified versions of these crystal structures, although it is also possible that other crystal structures may be adopted.
The Applicant has demonstrated in Example 7 in the Specific Examples below that when the layered active cathode compounds of Formula 1, are overcharged in an electrochemical cell (e.g. a Na-ion electrochemical cell), they undergo a structural change, which produces a reduction in the volume of the unit cell as compared with both the pristine precursor material, e.g. compounds of Formula 1 before charging, and after charging to their conventional theoretical capacities, e.g. based on Ni2+ to Ni4+. It is believed that such unit cell volume reduction is consistent with the loss of alkali metal-ions and at least partial oxygen loss. Another characteristic of overcharged oxide-containing cathode compounds is that they appear to lose crystallinity (compared with the uncharged material).
A determination of when a material is said to be "overcharged" is made by observing the voltage curve for the particular material. At capacities less than or close to the conventional theoretical maximum charge capacity (i.e. the Ni2+/Ni4+ redox couple) a first voltage feature is seen. However the curve continues to rise to a second voltage feature upon further or "over" charging. The materials are said to be "overcharged" from the beginning of this second voltage feature.
Therefore the present invention provides a process of increasing the specific charge capacity of a compound according to Formula 1 comprising forming an electrochemical cell, e.g. a sodium ion electrochemical cell; charging the electrochemical cell (sodium ion cell) and compound according to Formula 1 onto at least a portion of a voltage feature which is observed as a result of the compound of Formula 1 being charged above the conventional theoretical maximum charge capacity. "Charging" in the process of the present invention may be carried out as a single charging process in which the compound of Formula 1 undergoes a single charge to beyond the theoretical maximum charge capacity based on Ni2+ to Ni4+ oxidation, or alternatively may involve two or more consecutive stages. In the latter case "charging" may include one or more earlier or first stages in which one or more compounds of Formula 1 are charged in one or more earlier or first charging operations to a charge capacity below or equivalent to its conventional theoretical maximum charge capacity based on Ni2+ to Ni4+ oxidation, followed by one or more later or second stages in which the compound from the earlier or first stage is charged in one or more later of second charging operations to beyond the theoretical maximum charge capacity based on Ni2+ to Ni4+ oxidation. Alternatively, the compound of Formula 1 may be charged in one or more charging operations to beyond the theoretical maximum charge without first undergoing one or more first charging operations to a charge capacity below or equivalent to its theoretical maximum.
In a further embodiment, the present invention also provides a process of increasing the specific charge capacity of an oxide-containing cathode compound according to Formula 1 in an electrochemical cell, e.g. a Na-ion electrochemical cell, comprising:                a) charging the electrochemical cell (sodium-ion electrochemical cell) comprising one or more compounds of Formula 1 beyond the conventional theoretical capacity of the cathode based on the Ni2+/Ni4+ redox couple; and optionally        b) degassing the electrochemical cell (Na-ion electrochemical cell) to remove gasses formed during the charging process.
As described above, the charging step may be performed as a single- or a multi-stage process.
A doped nickelate of Formula 1 that is charged up to its theoretical specific capacity limit based on the Ni2+/Ni4+ redox couple, will re-yield a compound with no oxygen loss when discharged; i.e. at this level, charging is seen to be reversible. However, discharging compounds of Formula 1 that have been "overcharged" in accordance with the process of the present invention typically results in producing doped nickelate compounds of the present invention in which                M1 is nickel in oxidation state greater than 0 to less than 4+,        at least one of M2 and M4 comprises a metal in oxidation state greater than 0 to less than or equal to 4+,        0<a<1        0<v<0.5 and        0<c≤0.1 and preferably 0.05≤c≤0.1.
Consequently, during the discharge of over-charged compounds of Formula 1 at least some of the nickel is reduced from oxidation state 4+ to oxidation state 2+, some or all of the sodium-ions are re-inserted into the lattice and the lost oxygen atoms are not replaced. Moreover, although the metals M2′ and/or M4′ do not contribute anything to the initial overcharging process, upon discharge of the overcharged material it is found that at least one of the metals M2′ and/or M4′ can also be reduced to an oxidation state greater than 0 to less than 4+. This allows some or all of the sodium ions that were removed during the first "overcharge" to be reinserted into the material, and therefore produces a material with a higher discharge capacity. It is clear from this description that the intended role of the Mn4+ (or Ti4+) in the uncharged materials of the present invention is to allow for the reduction (Na insertion) process during cell discharge. This is in direct contrast to the role of the manganese in US2007/0218361 which is to allow Na extraction by the Mn oxidation process Mn3+→Mn4+ during the first charge process.
The role of the M3′ and M5′ metals is to reduce the amount of nickel in the doped nickelate materials of Formula 1, thereby allowing the "overcharge" mechanism to take place as oxygen is released from the structure. The presence of the M3′ and M5′ metals also reduces the relative formula mass (formula weight) of these materials, thereby further improving the cost effectiveness of the electrode materials. In order to achieve anomalous capacity, there must be over twice the amount of sodium as there is nickel in the pristine materials (e.g. Formula 1) so that, when all Ni2+ has oxidised to Ni4+, there is still some Na left in the material, which can then be removed when the material is overcharged. This explains why anomalous capacity is not observed for NaNi0.5Mn0.5O2; in this case there is enough Ni2+ present to remove all of the Na, by conventional Ni2+ to Ni4+ oxidation. In each of the compounds of Formula 1 a′ is <1, and following the requirement above, v′ (i.e. the amount of nickel) has to be less than half the value of a′ (i.e. the amount of alkali metal) and the overall material must be electroneutral. Satisfaction of these two conditions is facilitated by the presence of an M3′ metal, and/or an M5′ metal.
The doped nickelate-containing compounds made by the process of the present invention described above, may be cycled in an electrochemical cell (e.g. a Na-ion electrochemical cell) between normal voltage limits for the Ni2+/Ni4+ redox couple, typically this might be expected to be between 1 and 4 V, and no further unconventional voltage plateaux are formed. However, once formed, cycling the doped nickelate-containing compounds of the present invention at normal voltage limits maintains a higher specific capacity than would be expected from conventional theoretical calculations, i.e. the doped nickelate-containing compounds of the present invention perform better than the pristine compounds of Formula 1 when cycled using the same normal voltage limits.
Thus the present invention provides a process of using one or more doped nickelate-containing compounds of the present invention, in an electrochemical cell (e.g. a Na-ion electrochemical cell) said process comprises the step of cycling the electrochemical cell (Na-ion electrochemical cell) containing the one or more doped nickelate-containing compounds of the present invention, over a voltage range within the normal voltage limits of the Ni2+/Ni4+ redox couple; wherein the electrochemical cell (Na-ion electrochemical cell) is optionally degassed to remove gasses formed during the charging process.
The doped nickelate-containing compounds of the present invention are suitable for use in many different applications including electrochemical cells, e.g. sodium ion electrochemical cells, which may be widely used for example in energy storage devices, such as batteries, rechargeable batteries, electrochemical devices and electrochromic devices.
The process of the present invention for making doped nickelate-containing compounds is conveniently performed in situ in an energy storage device, a battery, a rechargeable battery, an electrochemical device or an electrochromic device.
The present invention also provides the use of one or more doped nickelate-containing compounds of the present invention in energy storage devices including batteries, particularly rechargeable batteries, in electrochemical devices and electrochromic devices. Further, the present invention provides a process of storing electrical charge using energy storage devices including batteries, rechargeable batteries, electrochemical devices and electrochromic devices, comprising one or more doped nickelate-containing compounds of the present invention.
The present invention also provides energy storage devices, including batteries, rechargeable batteries, electrochemical devices and electrochromic devices comprising one or more doped nickelate-containing compounds of the present invention, and also includes methods of making and using such energy storage devices.
In a further alternative process for the preparation of doped nickelate-containing compounds of the present invention, at least a partial loss of oxygen from the materials of Formula 1 may be facilitated using an agent such as NO2BF4, NO2PF6, bromine in methanol or persulfates such as potassium persulfate or ammonium sulphate.
Advantageously, electrodes comprising one or more doped nickelate-containing compounds of the present invention are used in conjunction with a counter electrode and one or more electrolyte materials. The electrolyte materials may be any conventional or known materials and may comprise either aqueous electrolyte(s) or non-aqueous electrolyte(s).
It is also possible to convert sodium-ion derivatives into mixed lithium-ion/sodium-ion materials using an ion exchange process.
Typical ways to achieve Na to Li-ion exchange include:
1. Mixing the sodium-ion material with a lithium-containing material e.g. LiNO3, heating to above the melting point of LiNO3 (264° C.), cooling and then washing to remove the excess LiNO3 and side-reaction product
2. Treating the Na-ion material with an aqueous solution of lithium salts, for example 1M LiCl in water; and
3. Treating the Na-ion material with a non-aqueous solution of lithium salts, for example LiBr in one or more aliphatic alcohols such as hexanol, propanol etc.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A cleaning head for use with a floor cleaning machine comprises first and second cleaning tools, at least one motor and a cleaning tool support. The at least one motor is configured to respectively drive rotation of the first and second cleaning tools about first and second horizontal axes. The first and second cleaning tools each have an exterior cleaning surface configured to engage the floor during floor cleaning operations. The cleaning tool support is configured to support the first and second cleaning tools for movement of the first and second horizontal axes relative to each other in a plane that is transverse to the first and second horizontal axes. Another embodiment of the invention is directed to a floor cleaning machine that includes embodiments of the cleaning head.

Floor cleaning in public, commercial, institutional and industrial buildings have led to the development of various specialized floor cleaning machines, such as hard and soft floor cleaning machines. These cleaning machines generally utilize a cleaning head that includes one or more cleaning tools configured to perform the desired cleaning operation on the floor surface.
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a hard floor sweeping and scrubbing machine 300 disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,901,407, which is assigned to Tennant Company of Minneapolis, Minn. The machine 300 uses a cleaning head 302 having two cleaning tools 304 in the form of cylindrical brushes. The cleaning tools counter-rotate in the directions indicated by arrows 306 and 308. Water and detergent are sprayed on the floor ahead of the brushes so the brushes can scour the floor at the same time they are sweeping debris from the floor. A vacuum squeegee 310 removes liquid waste from the floor during the wet scrubbing and sweeping operations. The cleaning tools 304 engage each other such that debris on the floor is swept between the two cleaning tools and is directed into a waste hopper 312 by a deflector 314. Over time, the cleaning tools 304 will shrink due to wear resulting in a loss of engagement with each other and a reduction in sweeping performance.
There exists a continuous demand for improvements to floor sweeping and/or scrubbing machines including, for example, maintaining sweeping performance of the cleaning head as the cleaning tools wear and reducing wear on the cleaning tools.
The discussion above is merely provided for general background information and is not intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

Cleaning head for use in a floor cleaning machine


A front seat assembly for mounting to a floor pan of a two-door automobile vehicle and being movable for access to a rear seat. The front seat has a seat bottom. A power operated longitudinal seat adjuster mechanism is carried between and slideably and constantly engageably connects the seat bottom portion to the floor pan for adjustable positioning the seat bottom between a forward position and a rearward position. A power operated reclining mechanism connects a seat back to the seat bottom for positioning and constantly retaining the seat back in positions between a forward tilt position and a rearward reclined position. A three point restraint system is mounted to the seat bottom and the seat back for retaining a front seat occupant. A switch mounted to the seat back of the seat assembly accessible to a rear seat occupant enables simultaneous movement of the seat bottom and the seat back either forwardly or rearwardly.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an adjustable front seat arranged in a two-door motor vehicle and more particularly to a seat with an integral three point restraint System and constantly engaging recliner and adjuster mechanisms.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
It is known to have a shoulder/lap belt, also called a three point restraint system, attached directly to a front seat of a motor vehicle. Since the seat and the anchor points for the three point restraint move together, the integral belt system allows for more design flexibility. The influence of the restraint system anchors on the design consideration for structures such as pillars, doors and quarter panels is eliminated.
It is also recognized that the loads exerted on the seat belt are transmitted to the vehicle through the seat and, therefore, the seat and associated mechanism must be of sufficient strength to carry the belt loads.
It is also known that the front seat in a two-door motor vehicle must be capable of moving to allow ingress to and egress from the rear seat. One such method is for the seat back of the front seat to tilt forward. A second method combines movement of the seat bottom forward with the tilting forward of the seat back to allow ingress to and egress from the rear seats.
It is also recognized that the seat back must be locked in order for the three point restraint system to work effectively. U.S. Pat. No. 5,000,283 discloses an adjustable front seat for a two-door motor vehicle which has a backrest capable of forward tilting and inclination-adjusting about the same axis. The backrest is locked by a catch pin located on the seat bottom being received by a fork latch. The fork latch is released by the pivoting of a detent pawl which is biased into engagement by a spring. When the detent pawl has not properly engaged the fork latch and the associated door closed and the ignition key inserted, a signal is generated via a switch member. In addition, a backrest-pivoting device activates for pivoting the backrest forwards, while the momentary backrest inclination position is maintained, to pivot the fork latch about the catch pin until the detent pawl falls into the fork latch. The signal is canceled when the detent properly engages into the fork latch. Thus, the U.S. Patent discloses an assembly to signal when the backrest is not engaged and a method to try securing the backrest.
It would be desirable to have a motor vehicle seat for a two-door vehicle, including a three point restraint system integral with the seat, where the seat back is capable of forward tilting and is always engaged, and controls for moving the seat forward for ingress to and egress from the rear seat are accessible to the occupant of the front seat and to the occupant of the rear seat.


A method is disclosed for controlling an internal combustion engine in a vehicle powertrain. A filtered driver demand for torque at vehicle traction wheels is used to determine an engine torque command. The engine torque command is initialized to a percentage of a target engine torque as a function of variables that may include a smoothness factor.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention comprises a control for an internal combustion engine in a vehicle powertrain wherein the response time for a driver demand for driving torque is reduced and engine start smoothness is improved.
2. Background Art
Hybrid electric vehicle powertrains of known design can be classified generally into three main categories commonly referred to as series hybrid powertrains, parallel hybrid powertrains and series-parallel hybrid powertrains. In each case, two power sources are available for powering a driven element connected driveably to vehicle traction wheels.
A series-hybrid powertrain comprises a fueled engine prime mover, which powers an electric or a hydraulic power transmission connected to a drive motor. The motor can be driven by a battery or by an engine driven generator. A parallel hybrid electric vehicle powertrain establishes parallel power flow paths from the engine through power transmission gearing as stored electrical energy drives the driven member through power transmission gearing. A so-called parallel-series hybrid electric vehicle powertrain combines a series-hybrid function and a parallel hybrid function. A parallel-series powertrain is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/709,537, filed May 12, 2004, now U.S. Pat No. 7,013,213,and in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/905,324, filed Dec. 28, 2004. This patent and this patent application are assigned to the assignee of the present invention.
Parallel-series hybrid electric vehicle powertrains provide power flow paths to vehicle traction wheels through gearing. In one operating mode, a combination of an internal combustion engine and an electric motor-generator subsystem define in part separate torque delivery paths. The motor-generator subsystem includes a battery, which acts as an energy storing medium. In a first forward driving mode, the engine propels the vehicle using reaction torque of a generator, which is a part of the motor-generator subsystem. Planetary gearing makes it possible for the engine speed to be controlled independently of vehicle speed using generator speed control. In this configuration, engine power is divided between a mechanical power flow path and an electrical power flow path. The generator is electrically coupled to an electric motor of the motor-generator subsystem, which in turn drives the vehicle traction wheels. Because the engine speed is decoupled from the vehicle speed, the powertrain emulates the characteristics of a continuously variable transmission during a driving mode in which the engine is active.
The electric motor provides a braking torque to capture vehicle kinetic energy during braking, thus charging the battery as the motor acts as a generator. Further, the generator, using battery power, can drive against a one-way clutch on the engine power output shaft to propel the vehicle in a forward drive mode as the generator acts as a motor.
As in the case of conventional continuously variable transmissions in vehicle powertrains, it is possible to achieve better fuel economy and exhaust gas emission quality by operating the engine at or near the most efficient operating region of its engine speed and torque relationship. The engine can be stopped if the engine operating conditions are not favorable for high fuel efficiency operation or if the engine is not in a high emission quality operating region. In this way, the two power sources (i.e., the engine and the motor-generator subsystem) can be integrated and coordinated to work together seamlessly to achieve better fuel economy and emissions control.
A vehicle system controller performs the coordination of the control of the two power sources. Under normal powertrain conditions, the vehicle system controller interprets a driver demand for acceleration or deceleration torque and then determines when and how much torque each power source needs to provide in order to meet the driver's demand and achieve specified vehicle performance. Specifically, the vehicle system controller determines the speed and torque operating point for the engine.
The internal combustion engine, during an engine cranking mode during engine start ups, has an engine throttle position that is set to a fixed crank position. This position typically is very small (e.g., 1–2°) while the engine speed is increased up to the desired cranking speed and initial fuel injection takes place. Typically, the engine would include an electronic throttle with a controller that establishes an optimum fixed throttle angle during engine cranking, followed by an initial engine torque command position at the instant the engine running mode is initiated. At that instant, the control of the electronic throttle switches from a cranking software logic to a torque-based software logic for engine torque control. The throttle position effectively is fixed at a constant angle by the cranking logic, which ensures sufficient air flow through the engine throttle body to overcome engine frictional losses during initial engine combustion. Engine fuel injectors initiate fuel supply as combustion is started. Once combustion is established, control of the electronic throttle switches, from the cranking software logic to the engine torque control software logic. The cranking angle is independent of the target torque after the engine starts. Further, the initial engine torque command at the initiation of engine fueling is also independent of the target torque after the engine is running.
To achieve smooth engine starts at low power demand, the cranking throttle position should be relatively small, which results in a manifold pressure that is reduced to a low level during an engine start mode. If a high engine power is desired after the engine starts, the manifold pressure must be re-established and increased from the low engine cranking pressure value to a value consistent with the higher engine power that is desired. The re-establishment of manifold pressure delays the response time of the engine.
Merely adjusting the crank throttle position based on power demand or commanded torque would not be sufficient to improve response time since the commanded torque must be changed smoothly from an initial engine torque command to the desired, or targeted, engine torque command. If the initial torque command is too low (i.e., lower than the torque produced at the crank throttle angle), then the throttle position may initially close after the engine start. It then would be re-opened as the engine torque command increases to the target engine torque. Further, the smooth increase of the commanded engine torque from the initial engine torque to the desired engine torque may be too slow.

Method for controlling engine starts for a vehicle powertrain


A coated substrate and a method of forming a diffusion barrier coating system between a substrate and a MCrAl coating, including a diffusion barrier coating deposited onto at least a portion of a substrate surface, wherein the diffusion barrier coating comprises a nitride, oxide or carbide of one or more transition metals and/or metalloids and a MCrAl coating, wherein M includes a transition metal or a metalloid, deposited on at least a portion of the diffusion barrier coating, wherein the diffusion barrier coating restricts the inward diffusion of aluminum of the MCrAl coating into the substrate.

Gas turbine components and steam turbine boiler components are rotary engines that may extract energy from a fluid or gas stream for purposes such as power generation. Such components may operate in relatively high temperature and/or oxidizing environments and may operate in frequent on-off modes depending on the system requirements. Accordingly, the turbine components may experience somewhat constant or regular thermal cycling, which may result in relatively high thermal stresses imparted to the components over the component life time, which may be, in some cases 15 to 30 years.
Coating compositions have been used to protect the turbine components from oxidation, including MCrAl type coatings, wherein M may include a transition metal such as iron, cobalt, nickel or a combination thereof. M may also include other transition metals such as manganese, yttrium, etc. Upon exposure to relatively high temperatures, (700° F. to 1000° F.,) aluminum at the outer surface of the coating may oxidize forming a relatively thin protective Al2O3 oxide layer. Where the MCrAl coating is of nanocrystalline or ultrafine grain structure, Al2O3 formation may be accelerated and in the case of nanocrystalline MCrAl coatings, the Al2O3 may adhere relatively well to the MCrAl coating, resisting spallation. Spallation may be promoted by high thermal stresses due to repetitive thermal cycling, which may then lead to the oxidation of additional aluminum and may result in the consumption of aluminum in the MCrAl coating.
Furthermore, at relatively high temperatures, aluminum may not only be consumed in oxidation but may also diffuse into the substrate, reducing aluminum available for oxidation. It may also be appreciated that while Al2O3 may adhere relatively well to nanocrystalline MCrAl coatings, a nanocrystalline coating structure may accelerate diffusion of Al through the coating and into the substrate or for consumption in oxidation. It is believed that in some cases 80 to 90% of aluminum in nanocrystalline MCrAl may be consumed in a few hundred hours of exposure at elevated temperatures, limiting the durability of the coating and potentially rendering the coating unsuitable for use in turbine applications.

Method for applying a diffusion barrier interlayer for high temperature components