In a railroad locomotive for operation in low ambient temperature conditions with the locomotive having an engine which includes a cooling system using a coolant liquid, a coolant liquid containment system is provided and includes a containment tank, an inlet port in fluid flow communication with an outlet from the engine cooling system and with the interior of the containment tank, an inlet valve for controlling the flow of coolant liquid through the inlet port, an outlet inlet port in fluid flow communication with the interior of the tank for discharge of the coolant liquid from the containment tank, an outlet valve for controlling the flow of coolant liquid from the containment tank, a sensor for monitoring a parameter indicative of the temperature of coolant liquid in the engine cooling system and generating a signal indicative of the temperature of the coolant liquid and a control device for receiving information indicative of the temperature of the coolant liquid and in communication with the inlet valve for controlling the operation of the inlet valve and the flow of the cooling liquid into the tank, when the temperature of the coolant liquid falls below a predetermined level.

Locomotives operated at high altitudes and in the far north and south regions of the globe are typically subjected to extreme and severe environmental conditions which may have an adverse affect on the operation and performance of the locomotive, including cold temperatures, ice buildup and blowing and drifting snow. One disadvantage with operating locomotives in this type of environment involves blockage of the filters and/or ducts used to provide the required airflow to the locomotive. It is known that snow may be drawn into the air inlet ducts of a locomotive and may accumulate in sufficient quantities to obstruct the passage of air through these ducts. Thus, it is not uncommon for snow to accumulate on air filters disposed in the air inlet pathway of the locomotive. Such accumulations of snow may act to reduce the power output of the engine and/or may cause the engine to cease from operating completely.
One way to solve this problem involves increasing the temperature of the air flowing into the air inlet duct and passing through the final air filters by providing a flow of warm air that mixes with the cold ambient air flowing into the air inlet duct. In this case, if the temperature of the inlet air mixture can be maintained above the freezing point, any snow and/or ice that may develop or be deposited on the filters and/or ductwork will melt rather than accumulate and restrict the intake airflow. Unfortunately however, current methods and/or devices for providing the warm airflow require an operator to continuously monitor the filter air intake and to operate the device when warm air is needed to prevent buildup of snow and/or ice, thus taking the locomotive operator's attention away from operating the locomotive.
Another disadvantage involves the water used to cool the locomotive engine. A conventional cooling system used in a diesel locomotive typically includes coolant water without an anti-freeze additive. Although this type of system functions effectively in sub-freezing temperatures and while the locomotive's engine is running, the water must typically be dumped if the engine unexpectedly, unintentionally or accidentally shuts down. This is because without the engine operating, the engine will not be able to maintain the ambient temperature of the water to be above freezing. As such, the water contained within the system may freeze and damage the coolant system of the locomotive. However, in some situations, dumping of the water may cause severe damage to the railroad tracks and/or the surrounding structures.
For example, for locomotives that operate at higher altitudes, the ambient air temperature typically remains constant at sub-freezing temperatures. If the locomotive engine must stop or ceases to operate unexpectedly, dumping of the water may cause the permanently frozen subsoil or permafrost to melt. This is undesirable because in some locations (i.e. railway tracks disposed on mountainous terrain) this permafrost forms the major support structure for the railroad tracks. If this subsoil begins to melt, this may cause the terra firma surrounding the railroad tracks to become unstable and possibly unable to support the loads generated by the railroad tracks, thus subjecting every train that travels over that portion of track to possible derailment due to a shifting or total collapse of the track.


A system for the transmission of electrical current that has at least two rigid conductors, wherein the two conductors are connected via at least one electrically conducting, deformable connecting element, which can comprise a helical spring that is shaped like a ring in the direction of the longitudinal axis thereof and grips a section of a first conductor under pre-tension.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a system for the transmission of electrical current comprising at least two electrically conducting rigid conductors which are connected with one another.
2. Description of Related Art
It is known for electrical current and in particular high current to be transmitted via conductors which are designed as large-volume, solid metal components, i.e., which are substantially rigid. The use of rigid conductors leads to the problem that electrical functional elements which are to be connected via these conductors need to be positioned relatively exactly in relation to one another, since a compensation of positioning tolerances is not readily possible due to the rigidity of the conductors. This problem could be solved in that the at least two conductors of the system are connected together with a defined play. However, in that case the contact surface area between the two conductors varies depending on their relative location, which could be associated with unsatisfactory transmission behavior for the current. For example it is known, in the drive train of an electric motor vehicle, for a power distributor to be connected with the power electronics via a system of rigid conductors.

System for the transmission of electrical current

Rosenberger Hochfrequenztechnik GmbH & Co., KG


An access point comprises a data table in which a correspondence relationship between a terminal ID specific to each mobile terminal and a virtual ID specific to a virtual LAN group to which each mobile terminal belongs, identifies a terminal. ID registered in a packet received from the mobile terminal, inserts a virtual LAN tag in the received packet, extracts the virtual ID corresponding to the terminal ID from the data table to register in the virtual LAN tag, and transfers it to switching means. The switching means selects an output port of the received packet based on the virtual ID registered in the virtual LAN tag of the received packet, and deletes the virtual LAN tag from the received packet and sends it.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wireless LAN system for virtual LAN in which wireless terminals accommodated in a physically single LAN are virtually classified into a plurality of groups.
2. Description of the Related Art
A virtual LAN is a technique for virtually classifying terminals into groups independently of a physical connection form, and there are present a port based virtual LAN for grouping based on a port of a LAN switch, a MAC address based virtual LAN for grouping based on a MAC address of a terminal, a protocol based virtual LAN for grouping based on a protocol to be used, and the like.
In recent years, a wireless LAN has been rapidly spread instead of a conventional wired LAN. In the wireless LAN, a wireless link is established between a mobile terminal on which an Ethernet (trademark) card is mounted and an access point as a master station assuming that the mobile terminal is a slave station. The mobile terminal accesses a network via the access point. When the access point makes communication with a plurality of mobile terminals, the access point operates as a bridge or router.
However, since a wireless LAN for virtual LAN has not existed conventionally, one access point has not been able to be shared with a plurality of groups.


In a PLL circuit including a voltage-controlled oscillator, a phase detector and a final control element, the final control element contains two separate channels, between the phase detector and the voltage controlled oscillator, wherein one channel processes the useful signal components and the other channel processes the disturbance signal components of the synchronization pulses. Each channel has two tracks, for generation of a potential difference, wherein each track is connected to a capacitor plate.

FIG. 1 shows a conventional phase-locked loop (PLL) circuit. The conventional PLL circuit comprises a phase detector (PD) 3, a charge pump (CP) 4, an external loop filter (LF) 5, a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) 1 and a frequency divider (DIV) 2. The phase detector 3 detects the phase difference between the reference frequency fRef and the actual frequency first dependent on the VCO. If the phase of the actual frequency fist leads the phase of the reference frequency fRef, a falling pulse DW, the duration of which corresponds to the phase difference between the reference frequency fRef and the actual frequency first, is generated and directed to a DW output 15 of the phase detector 3. If the phase of the actual frequency fist lags the phase of the reference frequency fRef, a rising pulse UP, the duration of which corresponds to the phase difference between the reference frequency fRef and the actual frequency fist, is generated and directed to a UP output 14 of the phase detector 3. If the actual frequency fist synchronizes with the reference frequency fRef, a UP pulse as well as a DW pulse are directed simultaneously to the UP and DW outputs 14, 15 respectively.
Upon receipt of the UP pulse from the phase detector 3, the charge pump 4 charges the external loop filter 5. Upon receipt of the DW pulse from the phase detector 3, the charge pump 4 discharges the external loop filter 5. If the applied voltage V1 of the loop filter 5 increases upon receipt of a high voltage from the charge pump 4, the frequency fvco in the VCO 1 also rises. If, on the other hand, the applied voltage V1 in the external loop filter 5 decreases as a result of receipt of the lower voltage from the charge pump 4, the oscillation frequency fvco the VCO 1 drops. The loop filter 5 and the charge pump 4 form components of the final control element 36 for the VCO 1. The final control element 36 converts the measurement result from the chase detector into a voltage, with which the oscillation frequency of the VCO can be influenced.
If the actual frequency fist dependent on the oscillation frequency fvco of the VCO 1 is lower than the reference frequency fRef and the phase of the actual frequency lags the phase of the reference frequency fRef, UP pulses are generated in the phase detector 3, as a result of which the charge pump 4 increases the voltage V1 at the external loop filer 5. As a result of the increase in the voltage V1 the oscillation frequency fvco of the VCO 1 rises. The increase in the oscillation frequency fvco causes the increase in the actual frequency fist at the phase detector 3 and thus the approximation to the reference frequency fRef.
If, however, the actual frequency fist dependent on the oscillation frequency fvco of the VCO 1 is higher than the reference frequency fRef, i.e. if the phase of the actual frequency fist leads the phase of the reference frequency fRef, a DW pulse DW is generated in the phase detector 3, as a result of which the charge pump 4 decreases the voltage V1 at the external loop filter 5. As a result of the decrease in the voltage V1 the oscillation frequency fvco the VCO 1 also decreases. The decrease in the oscillation frequency fvco causes the drop in the actual frequency fist at the phase detector 3 and thus the approximation to the reference frequency fRef.
To smooth the current pulses of the charge pump 4, which are initiated because of the UP and DW pulses in the phase detector 3, a filter capacitor CG 8 is located between the charge pump 4 and the loop filter 5.
By virtue of the fact that the sensitivity and thus the transconductance Kvco=f(V1) of the VCO 1 is not constant over the whole voltage range, but can vary by a factor 4 over the whole voltage range, for example, an additional switch 17 is located between the input of the VCO 1 and the charge pump 4, which should at least partially compensate this effect.
The external loop filter 5 comprises a first capacitor CS1 9, with which the voltage V1 for the VCO 1 is generated, and an array connected in series comprising a resistor RS 28 with a second capacitor CS2 10 connected in parallel.
The dimensioning of such a PLL circuit for applications in the field of telecommunications is configured such that circuit-related disturbances are as small as possible. Firstly, disturbances are caused by the currents I1 and I2. However, this disturbance influence decreases in relation to the useful signal V1, the greater the current I from the charge pump 4. This, in turn, necessitates an increase in the capacitance of the capacitor CS1 9 in order to come to the identical voltage value V1.
Secondly, a further disturbance is caused by the modulation of the output frequency with the thermal noise of the resistor RS 28 in the VCO 1. This disturbance increases, the greater the resistance RS 28 and the greater the transconductance Kvco of the VCO. Typical values for a loop filter 5 in the field of telecommunications are I=0.1 mA−2 mA; CS1+CSs2=200 pF−5 nF; RS=100 Ω−2 kΩ.
However, a disadvantage here is that, because of the large capacitances required as a result of the reduction of disturbance influences, the loop filter 5 cannot be integrated into the PLL circuit because, for example, even in the case of a typically used capacitance of CS1 of 1 nF, for example, a surface area of approximately 1 mm2 is required. If the capacitances CS1 and CS2 were of smaller dimensions in the loop filter 5, then the current I would also have to be decreased and the resistance RS increased. As a result, the disturbances arising in the PLL circuit would be too great and therefore the requirements above all for the field of telecommunications could not be met.


The breech block for pneumatic shooting device is utilized in weapons for expelling solid-state bodies or marking pellets. It has a simplified and easy for maintenance construction ensuring long term exploitation and minimum fluid consumption for one shot. The breech block comprises a housing 1 in which a barrel 2 is mounted. A step-shaped cylindrical bore is formed in the housing 1, and a piston 4 having two parts 9 and 10 of different diameters is placed in the bore. The step-shaped bore in the housing 1 has a portion 13 which diameter is greater than the diameter of the rear part 10 of the piston 4. The piston 4 is provided with an axial passage 14, the rear end of which being connected to radial openings 8 formed at the rear part 10 of the piston 4.

Different constructions of breech block are known which are to be incorporated in pneumatic devices. One such known device for expelling spherical pellets, as described in Author's Certificate No. 1 725 064 A1-SU, comprises a housing having cylindrical bore, in which a step-formed piston is placed. The rear part of said piston is wider, and the diameter of its front part is equal to the diameter of the barrel. A spring placed onto the barrel presses the piston to the rear end of the cylinder. The operation of said breech block is the follows: when supplying a certain portion of carbon dioxide (CO2) from a reservoir of compressed fluid, said fluid acts on the piston pushing it towards for compressing the spring. During that movement the piston clamps a spherical pellet from the magazine and keeps on its movement until its rear part passes through a bore formed in the cylinder where part of the gases is discharged. These gases are discharged through a specially designed for that purpose pipeline or opening in the housing, said opening being located before the front end the piston, whose diameter is smaller. The spherical pellets are expelled through an outlet in the barrel. After the shot the piston is pushed back to its initial position because of the action of the spring.
The pneumatic device described above has a complicated for manufacturing construction including elaboration of a system of channels providing a by-pass connection. Besides, the device has a significant fluid consumption for shooting away of a single pellet because of the long stroke of the piston. Other drawback is that the pressure of the fluid decreases because of the presence of said by-pass connection in the barrel.
Therefore it is object of the present invention to provide a breech block for a pneumatic weapon which has a simplified construction and more effective operation in long-term usage with minimum fluid consumption for one shot.

Breech block for pneumatic shooting device


A method of extracting network information first receives an initial link address (102) and retrieves a file (104) associated with the initial link address. The file is then parsed (106) to find a hyper text link. Next it is determined (108) if the hyper text link has a link address that contains the network address as a root. When the link address contains the initial link address as the root, a link file associated with the link address is retrieved (110).

Networks have become an essential part of the corporate computing environment. The Internet is a world wide network that interconnects computer networks to one another. Recently, a new method of communication has become very popular on the Internet. This method involves client applications know as "Web Browsers" and server application known as "Web Servers". The collective set of all the Web Servers in the world forms the "World Wide Web". The World Wide Web is a client/server application. Web Servers and Web Browsers use a Hyper Text Transport Protocol (HTTP) to exchange information. The information is formatted in a Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML). HTML files and other network files are identified by their Universal Resource Locators (URL).
Companies use internal networks often modeled on the Internet and the World Wide Web protocols to form an intranet to share information internal to the company. In addition, companies spend large amounts of money to put information on the Internet for use by their customers and potential customers. Unfortunately, only those people who have a computer with Internet access can view this information. It would be helpful if this information could be bundled in other formats (e.g., CD-ROMs, Diskettes, e-mail messages) for distribution. In order to bundle this information, it is necessary to retrieve the information from the network in a systematic manner. None of the existing products are designed to retrieve information in a systematic manner for bundling and distribution in other formats.
Thus there exists a need for a method of extracting network content in a systematic manner.

Method of extracting network information


This power generation system is provided with a medium circuit, a circulation pump, an evaporator which evaporates a medium, an expander configured to be driven using the medium evaporated by the evaporator, a condenser configured to condense the medium discharged from the expander, a generator configured to be driven by the expander to generate power, a cooling system configured to cool the generator using the medium taken out from the medium circuit at a downstream side of the condenser, and a gas-liquid separator configured to separate the medium heated as a consequence of cooling the generator by the cooling system into gas and liquid phases, wherein the gas phase of the medium is flowed into the medium circuit at an upstream side of the condenser, and the liquid phase of the medium is flowed into the medium circuit at the downstream side of the condenser.

In recent years, from the point of view of effective use of energy, environmental protection, and the like, as a system for performing power generation using waste heat from a ship, a plant, a gas turbine, and the like, terrestrial heat, solar heat, temperature difference between cooler deep and warmer shallow ocean waters, and the like as a heat source, a Rankine-type power generation system has been considered. In this case, if the heat source described above is used, as a medium, for example, a medium of which a boiling point is lower than that of water and more particularly, an organic fluid such as a Freon-based medium is used.
In such a power generation system 1, as illustrated in FIG. 5, a medium is circulated by a circulation pump 6 in a cycle circuit 5 having an evaporator 2, a turbine 3, and a condenser 4. Then, a heating medium recovered from the heat source as described above is fed to the evaporator 2, is heat-exchanged with the medium, and is gasified by evaporating the medium.
The gasified medium drives a main shaft 3a to rotate by expansion in the turbine 3 and drives a generator 7. The medium expanded by the turbine 3 is condensed by the condenser 4 and is circulated to the circulation pump 6.
However, it is required to reduce a size of the turbine 3 or the generator 7 to reduce a size of the power generation system. If an amount of power equivalent to that of the related art is secured in the reduced generator 7, it is required to accelerate a rotation of the turbine 3 and the generator 7.
However, there is a concern that a temperature of each part of the generator 7 may increase and thereby cable coating, varnish, insulating paper, and the like forming the generator 7 may degrade and an insulation life be shortened by an increase in heat loss particularly due to acceleration of the rotation of the generator 7 or by a decrease in a heat radiation area due to the reduction of the size. Thus, it is preferable to cool the generator 7.
Therefore, a configuration for cooling the generator by the medium passing through the turbine is disclosed in Patent Literature 1.
Furthermore, a configuration for cooling the generator by some of the medium taken out from an outlet of the circulation pump is disclosed in Patent Literature 2.

Power generation system, power generation method


2-Azido-2,2-difluoroethanol is useful in the preparation of energetic placizers for explosives and propellants. Ethyl 2-bromo-2,2-difluoroacetate reacts with sodium azide to produce ethyl 2-azido-2,2-difluoroacetate which then reacts with sodium borohydride in water to produce the 2-azido-2,2-difluoroethanol.

This invention relates to alcohols and more particularly to energetic alcohols useful in the synthesis of energetic plasticizers for explosives and propellants.
Currently available energetic forms of ethanol include 2-azidoethanol, N.sub.3 CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 OH; 2-flouro-2,2-dinitroethanol, CF(NO.sub.2).sub.2 CH.sub.2 OH; and 2,2,2-trinitroethanol, C(NO.sub.2).sub.3 CH.sub.2 OH. These are used to form various nitro(azido) aliphatic compounds useful in propellant and explosive formulations. Also of value in these applications are fluorinated alcohols such as 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol, CF.sub.3 CH.sub.2 OH; 2,2,3,3,3-heptafluoropropan-1-ol, CF.sub.3 CF.sub.2 CH.sub.2 OH, etc. The limitations of the prior art nitro, azido, and fluoro alcohols result from the low-density of the azidoethyl group, the tendency of nitroalkyl groups to increase melting points, and the lack of energetic groups in the fluoroalkyl groups.
It would be desirable to provide alcohols with a substituent group that would provide high density, high energy, a low melting point, and good thermal and shock stability.

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy


A system and method to reduce standby leakage current in the event of row-to-column shorts in a memory chip or in an electronic device having memory or data storage elements is disclosed. In case of memory rows or wordlines precharged to a negative wordline voltage (VNWL), the standby leakage current through Psense-amplifiers in the memory is substantially eliminated when the gates of isolation (ISO) transistors associated with the shorted wordline and digitline(s) are held at the VNWL level by an isolation signal driven to the VNWL level during the memory row standby state. The reduction in the standby leakage current further reduces the overall Icc current consumption from the memory circuit's supply or operating voltage Vcc, thereby reducing circuit's standby power consumption. Because the ISO gates are already fabricated with thick oxides, the present negative voltage driving methodology does not require modifying the sense amplifier layout or the configuration of existing isolation transistors in a memory chip. A different standby voltage level (Vcc/2 level) at the sense amplifier activation (ACT) signal may also be implemented. Because of the rules governing abstracts, this abstract should not be used to construe the claims.

1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure generally relates to electronic devices and, more particularly, to a system and method to substantially eliminate standby leakage current due to row-column shorts in semiconductor memory chips.
2. Brief Description of Related Art
Memory devices are electronic devices that are widely used in many electronic products and computers to store data. A memory device is a semiconductor electronic device that includes a number of memory cells, each cell storing one bit of data. The data stored in the memory cells can be read during a read operation. FIG. 1 is a simplified block diagram showing a memory chip or memory device 12. The memory chip 12 may be part of a DIMM (dual in-line memory module) or a PCB (printed circuit board) containing many such memory chips (not shown in FIG. 1). The memory chip 12 may include a plurality of pins or ball contacts 24 located outside of chip 12 for electrically connecting the chip 12 to other system devices. Some of those pins 24 may constitute memory address pins or address bus 17, data (DQ) pins or data bus 18, and control pins or control bus 19. It is evident that each of the reference numerals 17-19 designates more than one pin in the corresponding bus. Further, it is understood that the schematic in FIG. 1 is for illustration only. That is, the pin arrangement or configuration in a typical memory chip may not be in the form shown in FIG. 1.
A processor or memory controller (not shown) may communicate with the chip 12 and perform memory read/write operations. The processor and the memory chip 12 may communicate using address signals on the address lines or address bus 17, data signals on the data lines or data bus 18, and control signals (e.g., a row address strobe (RAS) signal, a column address strobe (CAS) signal, a chip select (CS) signal, etc. (not shown)) on the control lines or control bus 19. The "width" (i.e., number of pins) of address, data and control buses may differ from one memory configuration to another.
Those of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that memory chip 12 of FIG. 1 is simplified to illustrate one embodiment of a memory chip and is not intended to be a detailed illustration of all of the features of a typical memory chip. Numerous peripheral devices or circuits may be typically provided along with the memory chip 12 for writing data to and reading data from the memory cells 26. However, these peripheral devices or circuits are not shown in FIG. 1 for the sake of clarity.
The memory chip 12 may include a plurality of memory cells 26 generally arranged in an array of rows and columns. A row decode circuit 28 and a column decode circuit 30 may select the rows and columns, respectively, in the array in response to decoding an address provided on the address bus 17. Data to/from the memory cells 26 are then transferred over the data bus 18 via sense amplifiers and a data output path (not shown). A memory controller (not shown) may provide relevant control signals (not shown) on the control bus 19 to control data communication to and from the memory chip 12 via an I/O (input/output) circuit 32. The I/O circuit 32 may include a number of data output buffers or output drivers to receive the data bits from the memory cells 26 and provide those data bits or data signals to the corresponding data lines in the data bus 18. The I/O circuit 32 may also include various memory input buffers and control circuits that interact with the row and column decoders 28, 30, respectively, to select the memory cells for data read/write operations.
The memory controller (not shown) may determine the modes of operation of memory chip 12. Some examples of the input signals or control signals (not shown in FIG. 1) on the control bus 19 include an External Clock (CLK) signal, a Chip Select (CS) signal, a Row Address Strobe (RAS) signal, a Column Address Strobe (CAS) signal, a Write Enable (WE) signal, etc. The memory chip 12 communicates to other devices connected thereto via the pins 24 on the chip 12. These pins, as mentioned before, may be connected to appropriate address, data and control lines to carry out data transfer (i.e., data transmission and reception) operations.
FIG. 2 is a simplified architecture for a portion of the memory device 12 shown in FIG. 1. It is evident that complex circuit details and constituent architectural blocks in the memory chip 12 are omitted from FIG. 2 for the sake of clarity and ease of illustration. As shown in FIG. 2, a data storage or memory array may consist of a matrix of storage bits or memory cells 26 divided into a left memory array 34 and a right memory array 36. Each memory bit being exclusively referenced by a corresponding row and column address (that may be present on the address bus 17). Each row of memory cells may be called a "wordline" (WL), whereas each column of memory cells may be called a "digitline" (DL). Each memory bit or memory cell 26 may be connected to only one corresponding digitline and only one corresponding wordline. In FIG. 2, for ease of illustration, each memory array is shown with one wordline—the wordline 38 in the left array 34 and the wordline 40 in the right array 36. Similarly, each memory array is shown with two digitlines—the digitlines 42 and 44 in the left array 34 and the digitlines 46 and 48 in the right array 36. It is noted that the digitlines 44 and 48 are denoted as "DL*" to indicate the paired nature of the digitlines 42 and 44, and 46 and 48, as is known in the art.
In FIG. 2, two equilibration (EQ) circuits 50 and 52 are shown—each one connected to a corresponding pair of digitlines. Thus, the EQ circuit 50 performs equilibration of digitlines 42 and 44 to the DVC2 voltage level (=Vcc/2 V) before a memory cell access or data sensing operation begins as is known in the art. Similarly, the EQ circuit 52 equlibrates the paired digitlines 46 and 48 to the DVC2 voltage level. A sense amplifier circuit consisting of a pair of cross-coupled PMOS (p-channel metal oxide semiconductor) transistors 54 (P1), 56 (P2), and a pair of cross-coupled NMOS (n-channel MOS) transistors 58 (N1), 60 (N2), connected as depicted in FIG. 2, is shown placed between the four digitlines 42, 44, 46, and 48 and operating on them to perform the data sensing operation as is known in the art. The PMOS transistor pair P1-P2 may be called "Psense-amplifiers" and the NMOS transistor pair N1-N2 may be referred to as "Nsense-amplifiers."
The Psense- and Nsense-amplifiers 54, 56, 58, 60 work together to detect the data signal voltage in a memory cell and drive the associated digitlines, accordingly to Vcc and ground. For example, in case of the digitlines 42 and 44, the Nsense-amplifiers 58, 60 may drive the low potential digitline (e.g., the digitline 44) to ground and the Psense-amplifiers 54, 56 may drive the high-potential digitline (e.g., the digitline 42) to Vcc. The operation of the sense amplifier circuit (consisting of transistor pairs P1-P2 and N1-N2) may be controlled by the ACT (activation) signal 61 and the RNL (Row Nsense Latch) signal 62 connected as shown in FIG. 2. For example, the Psense-amplifiers may be activated when the ACT signal is at Vcca level (Vcc voltage for the array) or "high", whereas the Nsense-amplifiers are turned on when the RNL signal goes to logic zero or ground level.
Isolation (ISO) devices are also important during data storage and sensing operations. These devices are generally NMOS transistors placed between the array digitlines and the sense amplifiers. In FIG. 2, the isolation transistors 64-65 are placed and can control the connection between the digitlines 42 and 44 in the left memory array 34 and the P-N sense amplifier circuitry (consisting of transistor pairs P1-P2 and N1-N2 as noted above), whereas the isolation transistors 67-68 are placed to control the connection between the digitlines 46 and 48 in the right memory array 36 and the P-N sense amplifier circuitry (or P1-P2 and N1-N2 transistor pairs). In other words, if digitline nodes X1 and X2 (not shown) were added in the sense amplifier circuitry in FIG. 2 to correspond with the digitline pair DL-DL*, respectively, the isolation transistor 64 is placed between digitline 42 in the left array and the node X1 and the isolation transistor 67 is placed between the node X1 and the digitline 46 in the right array. Similarly, the isolation transistor 65 is placed between the digitline 44 and the node X2 and the isolation transistor 68 is placed between the node X2 and the digitline 48.
The isolation transistors may function to electrically isolate the two memory arrays 34, 36 so that whenever a wordline fires in one of the arrays, the digitline capacitance in that array is reduced because of the isolation of the other array. Further, the isolation transistors may provide resistance between the adjacent P or Nsense amplifier and the associated digitlines. This resistance may stabilize the sense amplifiers and speed up the data sensing operation by isolating the highly capacitive digitlines. In FIG. 2, the activation/deactivation of isolation transistors is shown controlled by the application of the ISOL signal 66 and the ISOR signal 69 to the corresponding gates of the isolation transistors. The ISOL signal 66 controls the isolation transistors 64-65 for the left array 34, whereas the ISOR signal 69 controls the isolation transistors 67-68 for the right array 36.
FIG. 3 illustrates the voltage levels of the ISOL 66 and ISOR 69 signals in FIG. 2 during row activation and row standby states. As is seen from FIG. 3, both the isolation signals—the ISOL signal 66 and ISOR signal 69—are held at Vccp level during a row precharge or standby state. However, in FIG. 3, the ISOL signal 66 is shown to be held at a ground potential (0V) when a row (e.g., WL 40) in the right array 36 is activated or fired for data access. The 0V level at the ISOL signal line 66 results in turning off of the isolation transistors 64-65, thereby allowing for isolation of digitlines X1-X2 (not shown, as discussed before) in the sense amplifier circuitry from those in the left array 34. The ISOR signal 69 is still maintained at the Vccp level during this right-array row activation period. As is known in the art, the Vccp voltage level is more than the memory chip's operating voltage level or the "Vcc" level by Vth (threshold voltage) of a MOS transistor (NMOS or PMOS).
It is known in the art that modern memory circuit designs employ a negative wordline voltage (VNWL) (not shown) to reduce the memory cell leakage current when the corresponding wordline is "off" or "inactive" and to also improve the memory cell refresh characteristics. In FIG. 2, a prior art scheme of maintaining digitlines and wordlines in a memory array in a standby state (e.g., a memory row precharged state) is illustrated via the exemplary voltages illustrated on certain lines. As shown in FIG. 2, during a standby state (i.e., when a row is not fired to commence a data access operation thereon), the ISOL line 66 and the ISOR line 69 are held at Vccp voltage level, the ACT signal line 61 is held at a ground potential (here, at 0V), and the RLNL signal 62 is maintained at the Vcc/2 or DVC2 voltage level. During the standby state, the wordlines (e.g., the wordline 38) are precharged to the VNWL level, which, in case of the embodiment in FIG. 2, is negative 0.3 V (−0.3V). However, the digitlines (e.g., the DL 42 and DL* 44) are precharged to the Vcc/2 (or DVC2) voltage level during the standby state. A wordline may be fired when a Vccp voltage level is applied at the wordline (WL signal).
Because the wordlines and digitlines are precharged to different potentials and because the precharge voltage levels VNWL and DVC2 are internally generated within a memory chip, a row-to-column short may result in a significantly higher standby current when the memory chip 12 is in an inactive or standby state. In FIG. 2, an exemplary short between the WL 38 and the DL 42 is illustrated by a dotted line 70. In the event of such row-to-column short, the precharged lines DL 42 and DL* 44 (precharged to DVC2 level) would be pulled down to the VNWL level (−0.3V) due to leakage current of the row-to-column short 70 through the ISO gates (e.g., the gates of ISO transistors 64-65), which are held at the Vccp level. Because the ACT signal is held at the ground level (0V) during the precharge and standby states, the negative level on the lines DL 42 and DL* 44 will turn on the PMOS transistors 54, 56 in the Psense-amplifiers, thereby establishing a leakage path (DC leakage current) from GND (ACT line 61) to VNWL line (not shown) via the PI and P2 transistors as illustrated by the arrows 55 in FIG. 2. This DC leakage current increases the Icc current (i.e., the current consumption from the supply voltage Vcc) in the memory standby state, thereby increasing power consumption in and performance degradation of the memory chip 12.
In one prior art method, an attempt is made to stop the DC current through the PMOS transistors P1 (54) and P2 (56) of the Psense amplifiers by driving the ACT signal 61 to the VNWL level (−0.3 V) during the standby state. Thus, the voltage on the ACT signal 61 is maintained at the same level (VNWL level) as the voltage on the wordline 38 during the wordline's precharged state. However, such a use of negative voltage on the ACT line 61 may require use of thick layers of gate oxides for the ACT driver transistors (not shown) and the PMOS sense amplifiers 54, 56. This would cause performance degradation with the same size of devices. Otherwise, to recover the performance, a larger circuit layout area may be required. Further, such negative level on the ACT signal 61 may require changing the connection of the bulk nodes (not shown) of the PMOS transistors 54, 56 from GND level to VNWL level and may also require changing the transistors (not shown) handling the EQ signals in the EQ circuit 50 from thin oxide-based configuration to a thick oxide-based configuration. The thick oxide-based configuration may cause degradation of EQ performance. Further, the negative level on the ACT signal 61 may require changing the "low" level of the EQ signal (not shown) from the GND (0V) level to the VNWL level to ensure that the ACT pull-down driver (not shown) remains off during the row activation state. Because the transistors (not shown) in the EQ circuit 50 have a very large gate capacitance, the power consumption of the VNWL line (not shown) would increase when the EQ signal is held at the VNWL level.
In another prior art method, a bleeder transistor (not shown) controlled by an EQ signal (not shown) is provided so that when a row-to-column short occurs, the bleeder gate is turned off by a signal from a fuse (not shown). Then, the leakage current from the EQ signal to the shorted WL's off level is removed. However, in this method, when the DL line (e.g., the DL line 42) goes down to the VNWL level due to the short on the WL 38 precharged to the negative voltage level VNWL, the shared ISO transistor (e.g., similar to the transistor 64 in FIG. 2) does not completely turn off, which results in additional leakage current in the Psense-amplifiers (e.g., the transistor P1 and P2 in FIG. 2). Thus, this prior art method still has a DC leakage current problem from the sense amplifier nodes (e.g., transistors P1 and P2 in FIG. 2) to the negative WL node (e.g., the WL 38) through the ISO gates (e.g., the gates of ISO transistors 64-65).
It is therefore desirable to devise a system and method to prevent the standby leakage current at the Psense-amplifier transistors due to row-to-column shorts in memory devices without modifying the sense amplifier layout in a memory chip or the layout configuration of isolation transistors in the memory chip.

Negative voltage driving for the digit line isolation gates


An RF receiver comprising a radio-frequency (RF) down-converter for receiving and down-converting an input RF signal to a lower frequency analog signal (e.g., an IF signal or baseband signal) and analog processing circuitry for receiving the lower frequency analog signal from the RF down-converter and outputting a processed analog signal. The processed analog signal includes a DC-offset signal introduced by the RF down-converter and the analog processing circuitry. The RF receiver also comprises an ADC circuit for converting the processed analog signal to a sequence of digital samples and a DC-offset correction circuit for detecting the DC-offset signal in a digital output signal of the RF receiver. The DC-offset correction circuit adds a DC-offset correction signal to the lower frequency analog signal. Adding the DC-offset correction signal to the lower frequency analog signal reduces the DC-offset signal in the processed analog signal at the analog processing circuitry output.

In order to get high performance in a conventional radio frequency (RF) receiver, it is often required that the input signals to internal components in the RF receive path be centered on zero volts (0 V). Even a small direct current (DC) offset voltage at the input of a component may have a large effect on the dynamic range of the component.
For example, many RF receivers comprise an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) that converts an analog pass band signal by using a high sampling frequency. One common ADC component comprises a sigma-delta (ΣΔ) modulator block followed by a decimation filter block. After the A/D conversion, the frequency of the pass band signal is decreased to the level of the base band, but the sampling frequency still remains high. Excessive sampling is reduced by the decimation filter, which also improves the signal-to-noise ratio.
A cascaded integrator comb (CIC) decimation filter is commonly used in many receive paths. In decimation, the sampling period is increased and the sampling frequency is decreased. This reduces the number of data points that must be processed and stored in each unit of time. A CIC decimation filter reduces sampling of a signal by a high coefficient. The CIC decimation filter typically comprises a chain of integrators, a decimation circuit, and chain of successive comb filters.
However, a problem associated with the decimation filter employing a chain of integrators is that the long-term expected value of input data must be zero. This means that data entering the CIC filter must not contain a DC offset voltage. Even a minor DC offset in the input data may cause saturation of the integrators and a functional error in the decimation filter.
Unfortunately, many of the analog circuits in the receive path preceding the decimation filter generate DC-offset voltages, either individually or by combined effect. This DC-offset may reduce the dynamic range of the decimation filter, an analog-to-digital converter, or another component in the receive path. This makes it very desirable to minimize DC-offset voltages.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for an improved radio frequency (RF) receiver. In particular, there is a need in the art of an RF receiver that minimizes DC offset voltages in the receive path, particularly at the inputs to an ADC block and a decimation filter.

Digital DC-offset correction circuit for an RF receiver


An inlet and/or outlet air hood comprising vertical storm louvers is provided that is particularly well suited for use on a Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit and other marine vessels, although its use is not so limited. The hood may comprise a basic cube shape, which affords a smaller projected footprint than conventional round- or mushroom-shaped hoods and may incorporate an internal flow shaper, such as an inlet/outlet bell, to reduce airflow resistance. In addition, the hood may be configured to incorporate an internal valve or baffle to create a watertight closure.

1. Field of the Invention
The inventions disclosed and taught herein relate generally to air inlet and outlet hoods for ventilating equipment and/or spaces.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 3,771,430 discloses, according to the Abstract, An assembly of louver blades attached to a frame for positioning in a ventilating opening provided in the wall of a building and defining an air handling device through which air is free to flow. The louver blades may be disposed in either horizontal or vertical orientation. The flowing air traverses passageways defined by the louver blades, and eventually exits said passageways on the side opposite of its original entrance. Raindrops, which may have accompanied the air stream as airborne free water, are extracted to an acceptable degree through natural gravitational forces and other means whereby said water is caused to be deposited upon the surfaces of the louver blades. Drainage means are provided whereby the water is effectively drained from the louver blades to the exterior of the louver assembly and falls harmlessly to the ground.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,953,183 discloses, according to the Abstract, An apparatus for separating particles from a gas flow . . . comprising: . . . A plurality of corrugated separator plates arranged in spaced parallel relation to each other and defining wave-like flow channels between each other. The warped surfaces of the separator plates are generated in cross-section by at least three circular arcs connected continuously and with alternating directions of curvature. The radius of each of the three circular arcs is different, the radius of the arc representing the crest being the smallest. The arcs define at least one crest between two troughs, forming an intake section and an outlet-section, respectively of each separator plate. A first separating chamber is provided opening towards the gas flow on the convex side of the crest and is formed by a blade projecting from the downstream side of the crest toward its upstream side and running along the crest. A plurality of serrations running along underneath the crests [are] arranged opposite to the separating chambers of the crest of the adjacent separator plate. The smaller radius of the second arc and the serrations together with the separating chamber provide a narrowing of the duct toward the crest to increase the speed of the fluid flow. A collision occurs between the main upstream gas flow and a continuous gas flow recoil from the first separating chamber, causing a stationary micro-turbulence in the vicinity of the serrations without a significant loss of energy and speed, whereby even the smallest particles are separated by the serrations. Two additional separating chambers of specific cross-sections are provided strategically on the downstream past the crest, each retaining material particles not caught previously.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,542,224 discloses, according to the Abstract, A louver with vertical blades arranged in a frame alternately in a staggered relation from front to back in a front and a rear row. The blades in at least the front row have a web oriented substantially perpendicularly to the plane of the frame and substantially parallel to the jambs, a pair of front flanges extending in opposite directions generally laterally from a front edge of the web, and a pair of rear flanges extending in opposite directions generally laterally from a rear edge of the web. The webs subdivide the air flow volume within the frame into flow channels, each of which is partially blocked laterally by the front flanges and the rear flanges of the blades of the front row. The blades of the rear row have flanges that block the portions of the channels between the extremities of the flanges of the blades of the front row. The flanges of the adjacent blades overlap so that there is no straight path through the flow channels along which air and water entrained in the air can pass perpendicularly to the plane of the frame and the air flows along a tortuous flow path of approximately constant area. The flanges are configured to control and trap water impinging on them.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,839,244, according to the Abstract, "A storm louver (10, 12) having a plurality of spaced blades (16a, 16b, 16c, 16d) for removing water particles from air flowing into a building or air handling equipment is disclosed. Each louver (10, 12) has an improved blade support frame (18) that permits the blades (16a, 16b, 16c, 16d) to be more quickly and easily installed in the support frame (18) and that more firmly supports the blades. A modular louver system including at least two individual louvers that can be easily connected for installation in openings of any size is also disclosed."
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,311,445, according to the Abstract, A modular louver system is disclosed which utilizes a series of joined frames having the same basic cross section, a series of spacers, and a series of louver vanes having the same v shaped cross section. The frames have a t-shaped channel, with inwardly facing channel lips defining the narrow portion of the t-shaped channel. The louver vanes have a dovetail at each end, where the dovetail neck will fit in the area defined by the inwardly facing channel lips. In addition, the spacers are shaped so that they will rest in the t-shaped channel and will either separate the louver vanes from each other or from an adjacent frame. The louver vane dovetails are inserted in the t-shaped channels of opposing frames, with at least one spacer inserted in the t-shaped channels to separate the louver vanes from each other and from an adjacent frame. Where [a] rectangular connection is desired, the frames are connected either [sic] using a clip joint arrangement. Where the modular louver system uses rounded corners, a corner frame is used to allow for a rounded edge.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,817,940 discloses, according to its Abstract, An airflow unit, especially a filter fan or discharge filter with or without a fan for installation in an installation opening in a wall, especially a housing for components that produce waste heat, includes a ventilation grating composed of a frame holding a filter medium, a support member with a frame having a peripheral wall surface which expands outwardly, wherein the support member is provided with airflow openings and with water-diverting wings or rib formations. A shielding grating is inserted in the support member on a side facing away from the ventilation grating. An IP seal is foamed onto the support member for protection against splash water and spray water. All components of the airflow unit are held together by clamp or screw connections. The airflow unit is placed on the outer wall surface of the wall of the housing and is preferably detachably connected with the housing wall.


An effective process for producing .epsilon.-poly-L-lysine is provided, which process comprises cultivating a microorganism having .epsilon.-poly-L-lysine productivity, such as a bacterium belonging to the Streptomyces genus, in the form of immobilized bacterial cells under aerobic conditions, and according to which process, the bacterial cells cause no bacteriolysis; the immobilized bacterial cells retaining .epsilon.-poly-L-lysine productivity can be easily separated and recovered from the culture solution containing .epsilon.-poly-L-lysine; and semi-continuous or continuous production of .epsilon.-poly-L-lysine by the use of the immobilized bacterial cells is possible.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a process for producing .epsilon.-poly-L-lysine using immobilized bacterial cells.
2. Description of the Related Art
.epsilon.-Poly-L-lysine has already been known to be obtained by cultivating Streptomyces albulus subsp. lysinopolymerus No. 346 (Japanese patent application laid-open No. Sho 53-72896), for example.
The above substance is a homopolymer of L-lysine, that is, a high molecular weight compound obtained by binding an amino group at the .epsilon.-position of L-lysine to a carboxyl group of an adjacent L-lysine by means of a peptide bond.
Since the above substance is a polymer of L-lysine, which is an essential amino acid, it is very safe, and, since it has a high cation content, it has specific physical properties. Thus, by making use of these properties, various use applications to e.g., toiletries, cosmetic preparations, feed additives, pesticides, food additives, and electronic materials, etc, have been developed.
A conventional process for producing .epsilon.-poly-L-lysine has been carried out as follows:
Bacterial cells belonging to the Streptomyces genus having .epsilon.-poly-L-lysine productivity are cultivated under aerobic conditions, followed by adjusting the pH to that in the vicinity of 4 after the growth of the bacterial cells have been confirmed, continuing the cultivation, separating the bacterial cells from the culture solution containing .epsilon.-poly-L-lysine by means of centrifugation or filtration, and purifying the bacterial cells by means of a basic anionic exchange resin treatment (Japanese patent application laid-open No. Hei 02-020295) or a cationic exchange resin treatment (Japanese patent application laid-open No. Hei 02-092927), for example.
However, according to such a conventional process of cultivating bacterial cells of the Streptomyces genus having .epsilon.-poly-L-lysine productivity under aerobic conditions and accumulating .epsilon.-poly-L-lysine in the culture solution, the viscosity of the culture solution becomes high and the bacterial cells cause bacteriolysis and hence, it is impossible to reuse the bacterial cells. Further, when centrifugal separation or filtration is carried out in order to separate the bacterial cells, a long time is required because the bacterial cells have caused bacteriolysis.
For example, to remove the bacterial cells from a culture solution of 10 m.sup.3 using a filtration apparatus having a filtration area of 10 m.sup.2, about 32 hours are required; hence, such a long time has caused a serious hindrance to production. Still further, since the bacterial cells cause bacteriolysis, recovery of only the culture solution is difficult; hence, it is difficult to carry out a semi-continuous cultivation, wherein, for example, a fresh medium is added. The above factors hinder reduction in the production cost of .epsilon.-poly-L-lysine.
Thus, if it is possible to inhibit higher viscosity of the culture solution due to bacterial cells and the bacteriolysis of bacterial cells, it is possible to reduce the production cost of .epsilon.-poly-L-lysine. The present inventors have extensively researched a process for achieving the above object. As a result, we have found that, when a microorganism capable of producing .epsilon.-poly-L-lysine is immobilized, the above-mentioned problems are solved at a single stroke, and have achieved the present invention.
As apparent from the foregoing, the object of the present invention is to provide a novel and efficient process for producing .epsilon.-poly-L-lysine, wherein, when .epsilon.-poly-L-lysine is produced using a microorganism, immobilized bacterial cells are used, whereby higher viscosity of the culture solution and bacteriolysis of the bacterial cells are inhibited, the recovery of the culture solution containing .epsilon.-poly-L-lysine and the purification of .epsilon.-poly-L-lysine from the recovered culture solution become easy, and the separated, immobilized bacterial cells are repeatedly used and semicontinuously or continuously used as the catalyst for producting .epsilon.-poly-L-lysine. In addition, the semicontinuous production referred to herein means a production wherein a medium containing a substrate or materials is added to a reactor containing the immobilized bacterial cells and the total quantity of this medium is exchanged with a fresh medium after a definite time, whereby .epsilon.-poly-L-lysine is repeatedly produced.

Process for producing .epsilon.-poly-L-lysine with immobilized Streptomyces albulus


Disclosed is an NC data creation method for creating NC data by designating a cutting amount to be cut by a single cutting operation carried out by a cutting tool, and a target cutting amount of a workpiece when a cutting operation program is created by an interactive mode, to thereby set a final cutting amount to an optimum value. The NC data is created in such a manner that a lower limit value is set with respect to a cutting amount to be cut by a single cutting operation carried out by the cutting tool, a required number of cutting operations and a final cutting amount are calculated based on the cutting amount and a target cutting amount, and the NC data is created by changing the NC data to a value in which each cutting amount is not smaller than the above lower limit value.

Conventionally, when a program for a cutting operation is created by an interactive mode, a cutting tool is sometimes required to carry out a plurality of cutting operations. For example, when a workpiece has a large target cutting amount, a cutting amount to be cut by a single cutting operation is designated in accordance with a type of cutting tool, a raw material of a workpiece, a cutting direction and the like, and the number of a cutting operations is designated by dividing a total cutting amount by the designated cutting amount.
In a conventional rough machining, however, since the number of cutting operations and a final cutting amount to be cut by a cutting tool are determined from a quotient and remainder obtained by dividing a target cutting amount by a designated cutting amount, the final cutting amount has various values ranging from zero to the designated cutting amount. When this final cutting amount has a very small value, it becomes very difficult to actually carry out a machining operation by using a rough cutting tool.
More specifically, since a cutting state and cutting tool life depend on a depth of a workpiece cut by a cutting blade in a cutting operation, a cutting amount must be designated to an optimum value in accordance with a configuration of a cutting tool, a material of a workpiece to be cut, a cutting speed and a feed. Therefore, an interactive type automatic programming unit generally has a standard cutting amount set therein as a parameter, and an operator arbitrarily changes this cutting amount within an effective cutting range, when necessary. Nevertheless, although a cutting amount must be set to an optimum value to increase the efficiency of a program and an actual machining efficiency, it is very difficult for the operator to manually change a final cutting amount to an optimum range.


A method for arranging water circulation in a paper mill including a pulp manufacturing plant provided with a water circulation system, such as a TMP plant, and a paper machine provided with a water circulation system. In order to reduce the amount of fresh water supplied to the paper mill, a part of the amount of fresh water supplied to the paper mill is substituted for by water or waters cleaned locally from waters contaminated at the paper mill. The concentrate or concentrates obtained from the stages of water cleaning is/are utilized where applicable by arranging the concentrate(s) to flow upstream in relation to the raw-material flow for reuse at the paper mill. By means of these operations, the amount of contaminants circulating in the paper mill is controlled.

In paper mills, various paper and board grades are produced in a paper machine by draining water out of a mixture of water and wood fibers prepared in a pulp preparation plant. Water is an essential raw material in the production of paper. Besides operating as a binder and carrier agent for the fibrous material which is called a paper web, water is also needed, among other things, for washing, sealing, lubrication, carrying away disturbing materials (contaminants), and for transferring of thermal energy. In different parts of a paper machine, constantly moving fabrics are used, and for example, such fabrics are present in the wire part, in the press section, and in the dryer section. The fabrics in a paper machine are permeable members which form a closed loop (i.e., are endless) and which are typically made of a plastic and/or a metal material or the fabrics may be felts consisting of natural and/or synthetic fibers. The fabric loops are rotated constantly by means of drive rolls or by means of some other equipment. While draining water from the paper web, the fabrics are contaminated by materials which come from the paper web and from the different process waters. In order that the fabrics and the elements in the paper machine, such as rolls, doctors, forming ribs, suction boxes, etc., should operate well, they must be washed constantly by means of water jets, and the wash water must be removed. The wash water from the fabrics is contaminated, but it can, however, be used as circulation water in the paper machine.
In present-day paper mills, an abundance of fresh water is needed for cooling and, after that, among other things, for the above washing requirements in the wire part and in the press section and for dilution in the stock preparation plant. After the wire part and the press section, these waters are passed mainly to mix with fibrous circulation waters. Any excess amount of circulation water is disposed of as waste water. The net amount of fresh water that is needed for the washing jets in a paper machine is of an order of about 10 cubic meters per ton of paper product produced. Thus, from a paper mill, an abundance of warm waste water is obtained, which must be cleaned, for example biologically, and, if necessary, cooled before the cleaning.
Materials that interfere with the operation of the process enter into the process mainly from the stock preparation and from the broke circulation in the paper machine. Unless the process is connected with separate cleaning devices that remove the disturbing materials, the disturbing materials have just two possible routes of removal: either along with the product or along with the waste waters.
Since the amount of disturbing materials produced in the papermaking process per product ton depends mainly on the raw material used and on the product quality, the concentration of the disturbing materials in the water circulations in the process is relatively linearly dependent on the amount of fresh water that is used.
As known in the prior art, the wash jet waters or water flows in a paper machine are collected by means of various basins and troughs and passed into a circulation water system. Besides fresh water, circulation water of the paper machine is also employed as the jet water in the wire part and the press section. The circulation water is usually cleaned by means of filters, whose screen measure is about 150 .mu. (corresponding to about 100 mesh). Such a screen measure, however, permits the passage of fine particles and dissolved material. A clear filtrate obtained from such a filtering device still contains finer particles and dissolved material. If this clear filtrate is used for jet nozzles, these impurities may cause blocking of the jet nozzles and their structures with the disturbing materials and contamination of these devices and other equipment in the water system in a paper machine, which results in negative effects in the quality and production of paper. The use of such water as additional substitute for fresh water would risk impairing the operation of the equipment and the production of the paper. Therefore, for more demanding washing of the fabrics and parts of a paper machine, fresh water is used, which is mostly chemically cleaned prior to actual use.
Fresh water is cold, and it must be heated to a considerable extent to the operating temperature that is required in the paper-making process. The temperature of new fresh cold water must be raised, for example, from about 7.degree. C. to about 50.degree. C., and usually it is treated chemically in order to remove humus materials and color, in compliance with the quality requirements, and its use involves high costs of processing. The high cost of cleaning of fresh water and waste water arises from the fact that an abundance of fresh water must be introduced into the process constantly. Fresh water which is used in the jets in a paper machine and which has been treated chemically also increases the concentrations of inorganic materials in the system.

Method for arranging water circulation in a paper mill


A transformer is provided having a stacked core with a pair of outer legs extending between a pair of yokes. The core is arranged in a plurality of layers. Each of the layers includes a pair of yoke plates and a pair of outer leg plates. In an inner-most layer, the width of each yoke plate is less than the width of each outer leg plate. In each of the layers, the inner points of the outer leg plates are substantially in contact with the yoke plates. The cross-section of the inner leg and the outer legs may be rectangular or cruciform.

The invention relates to transformers and more particularly, to transformers having a stacked core and methods of making the same with reduced waste.
A stacked transformer core is comprised of thin metallic laminate plates, such as grain oriented silicon steel. This type of material is used because the grain of the steel may be groomed in certain directions to reduce the magnetic field loss. The plates are stacked on top of each other to form a plurality of layers. A stacked core is typically rectangular in shape and can have a rectangular or cruciform cross-section. Examples of conventional stacked transformer cores include U.S. Pat. No. 3,157,850 to Winter; U.S. Pat. No. 4,136,322 to Maezima and U.S. Pat. No. 4,200,854 to DeLaurentis et al.
The manufacture of a conventional stacked core typically results in a significant amount of steel being cut away and discarded. Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a stacked transformer core and a method of making the same that reduces the amount of steel that is discarded and, thus, wasted. The present invention is directed to such a transformer core and method.


An active magnetic rotor-bearing assembly for conveying a fluid comprising a rotor assembly is disclosed and a bearing assembly for contactless bearing the rotor assembly, where the bearing assembly comprises an even number of electromagnetic units arranged around a central structure each comprising a first salient established by a magnetic material and a permanent magnet providing a first magnetic pole and a coil around the salient, further comprises an inter-yoke with inter-yoke portions connected to the first salient of each electromagnetic unit and being separated from each other by structure spacers, providing a closed first magnetic flux passing the rotor assembly applying a first attractive force further comprising a position stabilizing portion perpendicular to the first attractive force on the rotor-assembly and the coils providing an electromagnetic flux between each first salient and the rotor assembly for applying adaptable axial force and/or tilting torque to the rotor assembly.

Magnetic bearings use magnetic levitation to support moving parts without physical contact. For instance, they are able to levitate a rotating body and permit relative motion with very low friction and no mechanical wear. An active magnetic bearing works on the principle of electromagnetic suspension and consists of an electromagnet assembly, a set of power amplifiers which supply current to the electromagnets, a controller to control the electromagnetic assembly and gap sensors with associated electronics to provide the feedback required to control the position of the rotor within the gap. Magnetic bearings might be established as passive magnetic bearings or active magnetic bearings to levitate and control the rotating body. For this purpose passive magnetic bearings exclusively utilize permanent magnets, while active magnetic bearings utilize electromagnets to actively adapt magnetic forces using electromagnets exclusively or in combination with additional permanent magnets. Passive magnetic bearings are cheaper bearings, since there are no control electronics required. However the rotor movement cannot be adapted during operation resulting in a less controlled rotor movement. Active magnetic bearings allow controlling the rotor movements much more accurate, but the therefore needed control electronics require a more complex arrangement of components and subsequently cause higher costs. The additional components to enable an active magnetic bearing result in a less compact product. Especially the radial stabilization of the rotor makes active magnetic bearings more complicated, corresponding fluid pumps less compact and increase the required power consumption for operating the active magnetic bearing of a rotor within a fluid pump. It would be desirable to obtain an active magnetic bearing concept enabling a rotor to rotate more stable, while the bearing layout is less complex enabling a more compact product size and less power consumption during operation.

Active magnetic rotor-bearing assembly having an even number of electromagnetic units with a salient connected to inter-yoke portions separated from each other by a permanent magnet structure spacer of defined magnetic permeability


A structural assembly that measures forces along and moments about three orthogonal axes with very low cross talk or likelihood of affecting the reading in one axis from loads in another axis is disclosed. The assembly comprises a support structure having a longitudinal axis that is positioned on an axis of the plurality of orthogonal axes. The support structure is substantially compliant for moments about the longitudinal axis and substantially rigid for forces along the orthogonal axes and for moments about the non-longitudinal orthogonal axes. Structural elements of the support structure are joined together with elliptical fillets to minimize stress concentration within the structure. A torque cell that measures moments about the longitudinal axis is positioned concentrically about the longitudinal axis either within a cavity located in the support structure or cylindrically around the support structure. An upper and lower flexure diaphragm connect adjacent ends of the support structure and the torque cell. The flexure diaphragms are substantially rigid to transmit moments about the longitudinal axis from the support structure to the torque cell and substantially compliant for all forces along the orthogonal axes and moments about the non-longitudinal orthogonal axes.

The present invention relates to a structural assembly that transmits and measures linear forces along and moments about three orthogonal axes. More particularly, a structural assembly is disclosed having structural elements connected with elliptical fillets to minimize stress concentration and interchangeable sensing elements with very low cross talk or the likelihood of affecting the reading in one axis from loads in another axis.
Transducers or load cells for determining rotational loads and axial loads about and along three orthogonal axes have been known. Two such load cells are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,640,138 and 4,821,582. U.S. Pat. No. 4,640,138 illustrates a multiple axis load-sensitive transducer having inner and outer members that are joined by a pair of axially spaced spiders. The spiders comprise arms that are integral with the inner member and are connected to the outer member by flexible straps that have longitudinal lengths with the ends of the straps fixed to the outer member. The arms of the spiders are fixed to the center of the associated strap. Loads are sensed as a function of bending on the spider arms.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,821,582 illustrates a load transducer that measures linear forces in three axes and moments about two of the axes. The transducer has inner and outer structures connected by load-sensitive spider arms or shear beams. The outer ends of the spider are connected to outer lengths which are stiff when the inner structure is loaded in a direction along an axis perpendicular to the plane of the spider.


The invention relates to a paint and/or a coating composition including anti-corrosive pigment comprises a metal salt comprising a metal cation and an anion and a metal oxide or a metal hydroxide where the molar ratio of the total metal to the anion is in the range of 1:4 to 1:120.

Anti-corrosive pigments are used to protect metal surfaces against oxidation and corrosion. Those pigments usually include heavy metals salts, which hinder the rusting of the metal surface by either cathodic or anodic inhibition mechanisms. Upon dissolving in the aqueous phase, commercial available anti-corrosive pigments partially dissolved to provide hydrated metal cation and hydrated anion solutions, which reacts with the metallic surface. The reaction between the partially solubilized pigments provides the desired inhibition of corrosion.
Zinc compounds such as zinc phosphate and zinc chromate are currently widely used as anti-corrosive pigments. Zinc is a heavy metal element and is considered to be toxic at certain concentrations.
Magnesium phosphate salts, and especially tri-basic magnesium phosphate were presented as possible anti-corrosive pigments. U.S. Pat. No. 3,960,611 to Walker discloses a composition for anti-corrosive pigments containing magnesium phosphate. This composition was found to provide only a moderate corrosion inhibition.
The anti-corrosivity of magnesium phosphates was significantly improved by applying molten magnesium salt on the surface of ferric materials.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,411,876 to Sherif, discloses an anti corrosive pigment comprising tri-magnesium phosphate salts. The production of tri-magnesium phosphate salts includes admixing of mono-magnesium phosphate solution with a slurry of magnesium hydroxide in pH below 6.8.
However, it is acknowledged that maintaining of pH higher 9.0 is profitable for corrosion inhibition. A composition that provides for a buffering effect in a basic range is thus preferred.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,331,202 to Applicant discloses anti-corrosive amino-based compositions, including both oxyaminophophate and one selected from oxynitrite, oxymetalphosphate, oxyborate or oxysilicate.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,312,812 to Hauser et al. discloses anti-corrosive compositions including both transition elements such as metals, and amine-containing materials.
The object of the invention is to provide a non-toxic anti-corrosive pigment that does not contain heavy metals and perform equally or better then commercial available anti-corrosive pigments.

Anti-corrosive pigments and method for making the same

Pigmentan Anticorrosive Pigments for Paints Ltd.


A method for enabling sequential, non-blocking processing of statements in concurrent tasks in a control device having an operating system capable of multi-tasking, in particular a programmable logic controller, is disclosed. At least one operating system call, which causes the operating system to interrupt the particular task according to an instruction output by the statement in favor of another task, is associated with at least one statement.

The present disclosure relates to a method for enabling sequential, non-blocking processing of statements in concurrent tasks in a control device having an operating system capable of multitasking, in particular a programmable logic controller (PLC), and to a control device and a computer program.
Different variants of programmable logic controllers are known. These are devices which are used to control or regulate a machine or system and are digitally programmed. Programmable logic controllers have superseded the hard-wired (hard-wired programmed) controllers used in the past and, like the latter, primarily operate in a state-oriented manner.
The European standard EN 61131, which corresponds to the international standard IEC 61131, deals with principles of programmable logic controllers and comprises, in part 3 (IEC/EN 61131-3) definitions of programming languages used in programmable logic controllers.
EN/IEC 61131-3 defines the following programming languages or rules: "instruction list" (IL), "ladder diagram" (LD), "function block diagram" (FBD), "sequential function chart" (SFC) and "structured text" (ST). The programming language ST, in particular, is based on known high-level programming languages and is also referred to as the structured control language. The languages IL and ST are text-based languages and the remaining languages (LD, FBD, SFC) are graphical forms. In all of the languages mentioned, it is possible to use functions and function blocks which were previously defined in another language and/or are provided by the manufacturer of a corresponding programmable logic controller in the form of software libraries (in binary form even without source code).
In the case of programmable logic controllers, the control program which is defined by the user is stored in a special electronically readable memory. Programs are processed in a programmable logic controller by the central processing unit (CPU), statements generally being processed in a cyclical manner. In this case, the programmable logic controller first of all assumes the signal states of the inputs, as a result of which the process image of the inputs is renewed. In a next step, an application program is processed statement by statement. During a necessary interrogation of the signal states of the inputs, the previously generated process image is accessed. After the statements have been processed step by step, the process image of the outputs is transmitted in the form of the current state and the cycle is thus ended. The described sequence (input image, processing, output image) is typically carried out within one task. The programmable logic controller then begins to execute the task with the next priority. Said cyclical program processing can be carried out in the form of synchronous (fixed, that is to say isochronous) or asynchronous cycles.
Programmable logic controllers may also operate in an event-controlled manner, in a status-controlled manner or in a freely running manner.
In the case of free-running tasks within a programmable logic controller, processing is effected in a "round robin" method at a low-priority level. The processing sequence corresponds to the abovementioned cyclical processing but no cycle time is defined. Therefore, very long processing times in comparison with cyclical tasks may occur, as a result of which the problem may arise of the input images "ageing" and of the output images not being renewed in good time. Therefore, as stated in more detail below, the previously explained renewal of the input process image and the transmission of the output process image, in particular, must be carried out independently thereof (for example in a concurrent task).
During the cyclical processing of statements in programmable logic controllers, in particular, the problem arises of the operating time of a processor of the programmable logic controller often not being used in an optimal manner because a distinction is not made between process data processing (cyclical tasks with a higher priority) and sequence control (sequential, low-priority, free-running tasks) in the use of tasks. Rather, sequence control is achieved by using sequencer management or SFC within the cyclical tasks. Therefore, the prioritization (cycle time) of the tasks must be designed in such a manner that all tasks can always comply with their maximum computation time (watchdog time). This "worst case" consideration results in ineffective use of the computation time since a shorter computation time is required in the normal state and the then unused computation time is virtually lost. In addition, a considerable amount of additional complexity arises when programming the sequencer or in the sequential function chart in comparison with sequentially operating commands since the latter implicitly implement the step enabling conditions.
In order to allocate computation time to tasks, so-called multitasking functions are available in computer systems. Multitasking or multi-process operation denotes the concurrent execution of a plurality of tasks by an operating system. For this purpose, different processes are activated in a cyclically repeating or freely running manner in a predefined order or priority, thus giving the impression of simultaneous processing.
It is desirable to specify processing of statements in concurrent tasks in a control device, in particular in a programmable logic controller, during which non-blocking execution of free-running tasks, in particular, is enabled in the form of multitasking using known programming languages, in particular structured text.

Method for enabling sequential, non-blocking processing of statements in concurrent tasks in a control device


A package for housing a semiconductor element includes a base body including a bottom plate section and a frame-shaped side wall section; and an input/output terminal provided so as to pass through the side wall section, the input/output terminal having a plate section on which line conductors are formed, and a vertical wall section which is fixed to the plate section so as to continue to the side wall section and so that the line conductors are sandwiched between the plate section and the vertical wall section and both ends of the line conductors are exposed from the vertical wall section. The vertical wall section has a thick section in a center portion of a side surface of the vertical wall section in a direction along the side wall section, the thick section having thick wall thickness, a lower end of the thick section being fixed to the plate section.

A package for housing a semiconductor element (hereinafter, simply referred to as "package") which airtightly houses the semiconductor element of the related art is illustrated in FIG. 4 (for example, see Patent Literature 1).
The package of the related art includes a base body 101 that is a main portion. The base body 101, which is made of a metal such as a copper (Cu)-tungsten (W) alloy, has a substantially rectangular shape. Furthermore, a frame body 102, which is made of an iron (Fe)-nickel (Ni)-cobalt (Co) alloy or the like, is bonded to an upper surface of the base body 101.
The frame body 102 is bonded to the upper surface of the base body 101 via a brazing material. The frame body 102 includes attaching sections 102d for fitting input/output terminals 103 to both side portions thereof. The input/output terminal 103 is bonded to the attaching section 102d via a brazing material.
The input/output terminal 103 has a rectangular plate section 103a made of alumina (Al2O3) ceramics. On an upper surface of the plate section 103a is formed a line conductor 104 made of a metalized layer such as tungsten (W) and molybdenum (Mo), the line conductor extending from one side to another side facing one side. Then, a vertical wall section 103b made of alumina ceramics is fixed to the upper surface of the plate section 103a so that the line conductor 104 are sandwiched between the plate section 103a and the vertical wall section 103b. Four reinforcement sections 103c extending from both-side end surfaces of the vertical wall section 103b to ends of the plate section 103a are formed in the input/output terminal 103.
Then, a field effect transistor and the like are housed in a space defined inside the frame body 102 and each electrode of the field effect transistor and the like, and the line conductor 104 are connected with a bonding wire and the like. Then, a lid body 106 is bonded to an upper surface of the frame body 102 via a seal ring 105. As described above, the semiconductor device in which the field effect transistor and the like are airtightly sealed inside the package is obtained.
Heat is generated when operating the field effect transistor and the like. Each portion of the package is subjected to thermal expansion, and the package is deflected by the heat of the field effect transistor and the like. However, since both ends of the input/output terminal 103 are reinforced by the reinforcement sections 103c, cracking is less prone to occur in the both ends of the input/output terminal 103. Since cracking is less prone to occur in the input/output terminal 103, airtightness of the package is maintained.

Package for housing semiconductor element and semiconductor device


A control method of a hybrid vehicle is provided and includes determining whether a current vehicle driving mode is an EV mode, whether a current vehicle driving state satisfies a kick-down shift condition, and whether the current vehicle driving state satisfies a driving mode conversion condition for conversion into an HEV mode. The engine is started when the kick-down shift and the driving mode conversion conditions are satisfied. A current motor speed and discharging power of the battery are measured. The measured motor speed and predetermined motor reference speed are compared based on discharging power of the battery. A transmission input shaft target speed for the kick-down shift is calculated and compared to a predetermined transmission input shaft target reference speed based on discharging power of the battery. A control order is determined based on the comparisons and the kick-down shift and the engagement of the engine clutch are performed.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hybrid vehicle and a control method for the hybrid vehicle. More particularly, the present invention relates to a hybrid vehicle and a control method for the same, for controlling kick-down shift and engine clutch engagement based on discharging power of a battery when the kick-down shift and the engine clutch engagement are required.
(b) Description of the Related Art
Recently, electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles have been developed for enhancement of fuel consumption of vehicles. An electric vehicle refers to a vehicle in which driving torque is generated by a motor and a hybrid vehicle refers to a vehicle in which driving torque is generated by an engine and a motor. A hybrid vehicle is driven in various modes (e.g., an electric mode, a hybrid mode, an engine mode, etc.) according to a driving condition thereof. The electric mode is a mode for generating driving torque by a motor, the hybrid mode is a mode for generating driving torque by a motor and an engine, and the engine mode is a mode for generating driving torque by an engine.
A transmission mounted electric device hybrid electric vehicle (TMED HEV) formed by attaching a motor to a transmission and inserting a wet clutch (engine clutch) between the transmission and an engine may implement an electric vehicle (EV) mode and a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) mode via engagement and release of the engine clutch. In the TMED system, a mode is converted to an HEV mode from an EV mode to feel acceleration based on user intention, and in this case, engine power is used as driving torque of a vehicle in the HEV mode. Appropriate connection control of an engine clutch is an important factor to achieve oscillation and acceleration of TMED HEV. Accordingly, when the control is insufficient, a driver may feel a delay in acceleration response and driving directivity may be reduced.
The above information disclosed in this section is merely for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

Hybrid vehicle and control method for the same


The present invention relates to compounds of the formulae:

Obesity is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes mellitus.1, 2 The proopiomelanocortin (POMC)-derived peptide, α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) is involved in the regulation of food intake and energy homeostasis in mammals3 and the reduction of inflammatory reactions.4-6 Evidence indicates that the expression of α-MSH mRNA is increased in the pituitary of genetically obese mice (ob/ob)7 and that α-MSH suppresses feeding behavior in mice and fish.8, 9 On the basis of evolutionary conservation theory, studies suggest that α-MSH has a species-dependent regulatory function in energy homeostasis and has two tissue-dependant and opposing roles. In the central nervous system (CNS), α-MSH increases sensitivity to insulin,10 while in the periphery, α-MSH seems to play a pivotal role in insulin resistance.10α-MSH is a potent agonist of melanocortin 1 receptors (MC1R) and melanocortin 4 receptors (MC4R).11 MC4R knockout mice have been shown to develop a maturity onset obesity syndrome characterized by hyperphagia, hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia.12 It is shown that MC4R mutations are linked to severe obesity in French children with variable expression and penetrance.13 Additionally, MTII (a specific synthetic MC3R/MC4R agonist) inhibits food intake in rats.14 Notably, studies indicate that analogs of α-MSH influence blood glucose in mouse models of obesity.10
Recent studies have shown that the serine protease prolylcarboxypeptidase (PRCP) inactivates α-MSH by catalyzing the cleavage of the carboxyl terminus Pro-Val, suggesting that PRCP may have orexigenic action.15 PRCP activates three distinct and seemingly unrelated (Ang II, Ang 1-8) to angiotensin 1-7 (Ang 1-7), and angiotensin III (Ang III, Ang 2-8) to angiotensin 2-7 (Ang 2-7); ii. PRCP potentiates vasodilation via activation of the plasma kallikrein-kinin system (KKS), resulting in the release of bradykinin (BK) from high molecular weight kininogen (HK).16 BK is an important vascular mediator, causing vasodilation and is a leading inducer of edema;17, 18 iii. PRCP mediates cell growth and inflammation via inactivation of α-MSH.
Current medications for obesity are limited in effectiveness, suggesting the existence of a novel, uncharacterized mechanism that contributes to this condition. Since mutations in the MC4R gene can cause monogenic obesity,19 applicants proposed that selective inhibitors of PRCP might be a promising therapeutic option for some people with elevated PRCP-induced α-MSH1-12 production, especially those for whom other anti-obesity therapy has failed. The advantages of this approach are three-fold. First, PRCP inhibitors decrease inflammation through reducing the synthesis of BK and Ang 1-7. Secondly, PRCP inhibitors may promote the activation of anti-inflammatory mediators via MC1R-dependent and MC1R-independent pathways, acting through an α-MSH/NF-κB and/or α-MSH/IL10-mediated mechanisms.6, 20, 21 Thirdly, PRCP inhibitors reduce food-intake in patients via MC4R, acting through an α-MSH-mediated mechanism. PRCP inhibitors may represent a new class of dual-acting anorexigenic and anti-inflammatory agents, which may reduce the risk of heart disease in obese patients. Recently, researchers have disclosed the identification of a potent and selective small molecule PRCP inhibitor to validate PRCP as a valid target for the development of anti-obesity drugs.22

Selective inhibitors of prolylcarboxypeptidase

Abstract: in which R is C5-C16 alkyl, R1 is

Abstract: and isosteres and salts thereof.


A time-of-flight mass spectrometer includes a pulsed ion source that generates a pulse of ions from a sample to be analyzed. An ion lens focuses the pulse of ions into an ion beam. An ion deflector deflects the ion beam into a deflected ion beam path. An ion mirror is positioned in the deflected ion beam path so that a plane of constant ion flight time is parallel to an input surface of the ion mirror. The ion mirror decelerates and then accelerates ions so that ions of like mass and like charge exit the ion mirror in a reflected ion beam and reach an ion detector at substantially the same time. An ion detector is positioned in the path of the reflected ion beam so that a plane of constant ion flight time is substantially parallel to an input surface of the ion detector. The ion detector detects a time-of-flight of ions from the pulsed ion source to the ion detector that is substantially independent of a path traveled.

Time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometers are well known in the art. Wiley and McLaren described the theory and operation TOF mass spectrometers more than 50 years ago. See W. C. Wiley and I. H. McLaren, "Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer with Improved Resolution", Rev. Sci. Instrum. 26, 1150-1157 (1955). During the first two decades after the discovery of the TOF mass spectrometer, the instrument was generally considered as a useful tool for exotic studies of ion properties, but was not widely used to solve analytical problems.
Numerous more recent discoveries, such as the discovery of naturally pulsed ion sources (e.g. plasma desorption ion source), static Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS), and Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization (MALDI) has led to renewed interest in TOF mass spectrometer technology. See, for example, R. J. Cotter, "Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry: Instrumentation and Applications in Biological Research," American Chemical Society, Washington, D.C. (1997) for a description of the history, development, and applications of TOF-MS in biological research.
More recently work has focused on developing new and improved TOF instruments and software that allow the full potential mass resolution of MALDI to be applied to difficult biological analysis problems. The discoveries of electrospray (ESI) and MALDI removed the volatility barrier for mass spectrometry. Electrospray mass spectrometers developed very rapidly, at least in part due to the ease in which these instruments interface with commercially available quadrupole and ion trap instruments that were widely employed for many analytical applications. Applications of MALDI have developed more slowly, but the potential of MALDI has stimulated development of improved TOF instrumentations that are designed for MALDI ionization techniques.

TOF mass spectrometry with correction for trajectory error