A hydrogen generating apparatus comprising a reformer, a heating section, a fuel supply section, a water supply section, a shift reactor with a shift catalyst layer, a first heat exchanger on the downstream side of the shift catalyst layer, and a temperature detector for the shift catalyst layer. The temperature of the downstream portion of the shift catalyst layer is raised by the action of the heat exchanger compared with the temperature of the same before the amount of the reformed gas is increased. And, the temperature of the downstream portion is lowered compared with the temperature of the same before the amount of the reformed gas is reduced when reducing the amount of the reformed gas. Accordingly, regardless whether the generation amount of hydrogen is large or small, the hydrogen generating apparatus can supply a constant concentration hydrogen gas while keeping the concentration of byproduct carbon monoxide low.

The present invention relates to a hydrogen generating apparatus for producing hydrogen, which is supplied to a fuel cell or the like.
A fuel cell for electricity generation used in a residential cogeneration system or mounted in an electric vehicle generates electricity by causing hydrogen gas to react with air. Hydrogen supplied to such a fuel cell is generated by a steam reforming method or a partial oxidation method, using as feedstock hydrocarbons such as LPG, naphtha, gasoline, kerosene, alcohol, coal or the like, or natural gas composed principally of methane.
Of these methods, the steam reforming method consists mainly of a reforming process and a shifting process. The steam reforming reaction results in the production of carbon monoxide as well as hydrogen and carbon dioxide. In fuel cells such as molten carbonate fuel cells operating at high temperatures, carbon monoxide generated as a byproduct by steam reforming can also be used as a fuel. However, in the case of phosphoric acid fuel cells and solid polymer fuel cells, which operate at low temperatures, the platinum-based catalyst used as an electrode is poisoned by the carbon monoxide and sufficient electricity performance cannot be obtained. In view of this fact, in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publications Sho 62-27489 or Hei 3-276577, it is proposed to provide a hydrogen generating apparatus used for a fuel cell operating at low temperatures with a shift catalyst reactor or a purifying catalyst reactor. This shift catalyst reactor causes the carbon monoxide contained in the reformed gas to react with water. And, the purifying catalyst reactor selectively oxidizes the carbon monoxide.
Here, a brief description will be given of the steam reforming method by taking an example in which methane is used as the feedstock. The reaction equations for steam reforming reaction are given as (Equation 1) and (Equation 2), which represent the reforming reactions as the primary reactions, and as (Equation 3), which represents the shift reaction as the secondary reaction.
CH4+H2OCO+3H2xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(Equation 1)
CH4+2H2OCO2+4H2xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(Equation 2)
CO+H2OCO2+H2xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(Equation 3)
These reactions are reversible reactions, exhibit large variations in equilibrium composition depending on temperatures, and require high temperatures to achieve sufficiently high reaction rates. First, in the reformer, the reactions of (Equation 1) and (Equation 2) proceed in parallel.
As for the reforming catalyst used here, a nickel-based metal or ruthenium-based metal supported on an oxide, for example, is known. Since the reforming reaction using steam is an endothermic reaction, the reaction is performed while maintaining the temperature of the catalyst at 600xc2x0 C. or higher. For heating, it is known to combust part of the feedstock methane and to utilize the resulting combustion heat, for example. To reduce the amount of heat consumption in consideration of the generation efficiency of hydrogen, the reforming reactor and gas flow passage are designed so as to reduce heat dissipation as much as possible. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication Nos. Hei 5-301701 and Hei 7-291602, for example, propose a method for reducing heat dissipation by providing an apparatus having a concentric multi-turn tube configuration with a heating section located at the center.
Next, in the shift reactor, carbon monoxide in the reformed gas is shifted to carbon dioxide. The shift reaction proceeds in accordance with the reaction represented by (Equation 3).
The reformed gas contains more than few percents carbon monoxide as a byproduct, and by the reaction of (Equation 3), hydrogen is generated and the hydrogen concentration is increased to reduce the carbon monoxide concentration. However, since this carbon monoxide is poisonous to the electrode catalyst of the fuel cell, the concentration must be further reduced.
Known examples of the shift catalyst used here include an iron-chromium based high-temperature shift catalyst which exhibits high activity at around 350xc2x0 C., and a copper-zinc based low-temperature shift catalyst which exhibits high activity at around 200xc2x0 C.
The reaction of (Equation 3) is an exothermic reaction, and lower catalyst temperatures are advantageous since equilibrium moves toward the right-hand side at lower temperatures. That is, the carbon monoxide concentration in the shifted gas can be reduced down to several thousands ppm.
In particular, when hydrogen is supplied to a solid polymer fuel cell, the process of removing carbon monoxide by selective oxidation or methanation using a catalyst becomes necessary in order to further reduce the carbon monoxide concentration. However, if the reactivity of the shift reactor can be increased sufficiently, the carbon monoxide concentration in the shifted gas can be held within a specified value, making it easier to remove the carbon monoxide by the subsequent selective oxidation or methanation reaction.
In the case of phosphoric acid fuel cells and solid polymer fuel cells operating at low temperatures, the fuel reforming reaction and the carbon monoxide shift reaction and selective oxidation reaction (purifying reaction) are required, as earlier noted. However, since the reaction temperature greatly differs from one reaction to another, it is important to perform temperature control so that each reactor is held at the appropriate temperature for their operations. In this case, the reaction temperature for the reforming reaction must be the highest, and the reaction temperature must be lower for the shift reaction and the oxidation reaction in this order. Furthermore, to increase the operating efficiency of the apparatus, it is desirable that excess heat from each reactor be recovered to control the temperature.
In the presently available solid polymer fuel cells, a fluorocarbon resin with a terminal substituted by a sulfonic group is used for the proton conducting membrane, which is a constituent element of the cell. At this time, the proton conducting membrane must be swelled with water. Considering this, it is desirable to supply the hydrogen gas with as high humidity as possible. However, adding steam to the fuel gas requires much energy. It thus becomes necessary to utilize the excess heat as effectively as possible.
Development has been proceeding vigorously for practical implementation and commercialization of fuel cell systems, which is integrally constituted by combining a hydrogen generating apparatus based on the steam reforming method as described above, with a fuel cell, a DC-AC converter and other auxiliaries.
In particular, in residential or vehicular fuel cell systems, compared with traditional large-scale fuel cell systems, electricity output must be varied quickly to meet changing load. Accordingly, to operate fuel cells efficiently, it is desirable that the hydrogen generating apparatus be capable of adjusting the amount of hydrogen gas production in accordance with changing load, without entailing a decrease in hydrogen concentration or an increase in carbon monoxide concentration.
In practice, however, it is difficult to vary the hydrogen gas production amount while maintaining the fuel cell efficiency at a high level. In particular, in the shift reactor in the hydrogen generating apparatus, it is possible to hold the carbon monoxide concentration in the hydrogen gas within a specified value and yet bring the hydrogen concentration close to the theoretical value, while maintaining the amount of hydrogen gas production constant. However, the problem is that, if the amount of hydrogen gas production is varied even slightly, the amount of non-reacted carbon monoxide tends to increase and the hydrogen concentration tends to decrease. The reality is that presently no means is available that can easily control the hydrogen production amount by alleviating such a phenomenon, and this has been a major problem yet to be resolved.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a hydrogen generating apparatus capable of readily adjusting the hydrogen gas production amount by effectively utilizing heat from the various reactions. It is a further object of the invention to provide a hydrogen generating apparatus capable of supplying a constant concentration hydrogen gas while keeping the concentration of byproduct carbon monoxide low, regardless of whether the production amount is large or small.
The present invention concerns a hydrogen generating apparatus comprising: a reformer including a reforming catalyst layer for generating from a fuel a reformed gas containing at least hydrogen; a heating section for heating the reforming catalyst layer; a fuel supply section for supplying the fuel to the reformer and the heating section; a water supply section for supplying water to the reformer; a shift reactor including a shift catalyst layer for shifting carbon monoxide in the reformed gas to carbon dioxide by causing the reformed gas to react with water; and a temperature detector for detecting the temperature of a downstream portion of the shift catalyst layer, and wherein: the hydrogen generating apparatus is operated in such a manner that, when an amount of the reformed gas supplied to the shift reactor is increased, the temperature of the downstream portion of the shift catalyst layer is raised to a higher temperature than the temperature of the same before the increase of the reformed gas, and when the amount of the reformed gas supplied to the shift reactor is decreased, the temperature of the downstream portion of the shift catalyst layer is lowered to a lower temperature than the temperature of the same before the decrease of the reformed gas.
It is effective that the hydrogen generating apparatus further comprises a first heat exchanger installed at least on the downstream side of the shift catalyst layer, wherein the shift catalyst layer is cooled by passing through the heat exchanger at least one medium selected from the group consisting of the fuel and water to be supplied to the reformer and air and fuel to be supplied to the heating section.
Also, it is effective that the hydrogen generating apparatus further comprises a purifier installed on the downstream side of the shift reactor for removing carbon monoxide from a shifted gas from the shift reactor by an oxidation reaction and/or a methanation reaction.
Also it is effective that the hydrogen generating apparatus further comprises an air supply section for supplying air to the shifted gas, which is supplied to the purifier.
It is effective that the water supply section supplies water also to the shift reactor.
Further effectively, the hydrogen generating apparatus further comprises a first water vaporizer installed between the fuel supply section and the reformer and a second water vaporizer installed between the reformer and the shift reactor, wherein the water supply section supplies water also to the first and the second water vaporizers, and wherein steam generated from the first vaporizer is supplied to the reformer and steam generated from the second vaporizer is supplied to the shift reactor.
It is effective that the hydrogen generating apparatus further comprises a means for regulating the supply amount of water to the second vaporizer, wherein the temperature of the shift reactor is controlled by regulating the supply amount.
Further effectively, the hydrogen generating apparatus further comprises a means for controlling proportions of water supplied to the first vaporizer and the second vaporizer, wherein the supply amount of water to the reformer and the shift reactor is maintained constant by controlling the proportions.
Preferably, the hydrogen generating apparatus further comprises a second heat exchanger, installed between the reformer and the shift reactor, for performing heat exchange between the reformed gas and at least one medium selected from the group consisting of the fuel and water to be supplied to the reformer and air and fuel to be supplied to the heating section.
Also preferably, the hydrogen generating apparatus further comprises a third heat exchanger, installed between the shift reactor and the purifier, for performing heat exchange between the shifted gas and at least one medium selected from the group consisting of the fuel and water to be supplied to the reformer and air and fuel to be supplied to the heating section.
Effectively, the first heat exchanger includes a mixer, installed inside the shift catalyst layer or at the downstream side thereof, for mixing the reformed gas with water.
Effectively, the mixer comprises a porous base or heat resistive fiber.
Effectively, the shift catalyst layer comprises a catalyst material supported on a supporting base of a honeycomb structure or a foamed structure having communicating pores.
Effectively, the shift catalyst layer includes a portion formed from a metallic base or a heat conducting ceramic base.
Further effectively, the hydrogen generating apparatus further comprises oxidation preventing means, installed on the upstream and/or downstream side of the shift catalyst layer, for preventing oxidation of the shift catalyst.
Effectively, the oxidation preventing means shuts off a passage between the reformer and the shift reactor and/or a passage between the shift reactor and the purifier.
Preferably, the oxidation preventing means comprises a metal oxide, which is reducible in the reformed gas, supported on a carrier of a honeycomb structure, a foamed structure having communicating pores, or a mesh structure, or comprises a fiber of the oxide.
Further preferably, the oxidation preventing means includes a pressure control means for controlling the internal pressure of the shift reactor.

Method for operating a hydrogen generating apparatus

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A method of analysis of the distribution of concentration of a substrate including: a step of preparing a plurality of types of sample substrates whose distribution of concentration is to be analyzed; a step of forming on the surfaces of those substrates dummy films of a material different from the substrates or etching the surfaces of the plurality of sample substrates to different depths; in the case of the dummy films; a step of introducing into the sample substrates specific impurities from the direction of the dummy films under substantially identical conditions and then a step of removing the dummy films; a step of performing mass analysis from the sides of the sample substrates; and a step of sequentially calculating the difference in the results of the mass analysis among the sample substrates.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of analysis of the distribution of concentration in a substrate, more particularly relates to a method of analysis of the distribution of concentration in a semiconductor substrate which enables an accurate analysis of not only the distribution Of concentration of specific atoms in the depth direction of the semiconductor substrate, but also the distribution of concentration in the horizontal direction of the semiconductor substrate.
2. Description of the Related Art
The SIMS method of analysis offers a ultrahigh sensitivity (down to the ppb level) and a high depth-resolution (down to 1 nm). The SIMS method is being taken note of in the field of semiconductors, for example, as the most effective method of analysis when determining the distribution of concentration of doping impurities in ultra shallow regions resulting from ultra low energy ion implantation.
In the SIMS method, a finely focused primary ion beam is irradiated on the surface of a sample to drive out atoms from inside the sample. The group of ionized particles forming part of this, that is, the secondary ions, are analyzed in mass spectrometer. Normally, the energy of the primary ions used is several keV to 20 keV or so where the sputtering efficiency is high. The primary ions used are O.sub.2.sup.+, Cs.sup.+, Ar.sup.+, Ga.sup.+, etc.
The lateral resolution of SIMS instruments, however, is heavily dependent on the operating principles of the instrument and the conditions of the analysis. Even when finely adjusting the factors of the instrument well, it is at most several microns to 10 or so microns. Therefore, it has been almost impossible to analyze the concentration of impurities distributed in a region of less than the submicron size, such as the lateral spread from an ion implanted region, directly at the surface from above the sample.
It has been proposed to perform some sort of processing when using the SIMS method to analyze the concentration of impurities distributed in regions of less than the submicron size. The methods tried in the past may be roughly grouped into the following two types:
The first type of method is the method described in J. Vac. Scl. Technol. B, Vol. 10, No. 1, Jan/Feb. 1992, pp. 353 to 357. In this method, a plurality of parallel etched grooves are formed by dry etching so as to cross at an extremely fine angle (.theta.=0.08.degree. to 0.1.degree.) the longitudinal direction of a plurality of stripe-like ion-implanted regions. The depth of each groove is made somewhat deeper than the main region of distribution of the implanted impurities. Next, to avoid a shape effect at the time of SIMS analysis, use is made of semiconductor planarization to bury the grooves by a material such as polycrystalline silicon. The original surfaces of the implanted substrate adjoining the edges of the grooves of the sample obtained in this way are analyzed point-wise by successively shifting the ion beam or the sample stage in the direction of the grooves.
In this method, dependent upon the cross angle .theta., the real distance in the lateral direction .DELTA.X is projected magnified along the edge lines of the etched grooves and the resolution is improved. For example, it is increased about 800- to 1000-fold when 1=.DELTA.X/sin.theta. and .theta.=0.08 to 0.1.
In this first method, however, even if the ion beam is focused to a spot of at most 10 .mu.m, which is the practical effective diameter, a lateral resolution of only 0.01 to 0.0125 .mu.m can be obtained when converted to real distance in the lateral direction. For example, if .DELTA.X=0.1 .mu.m, when projected, it becomes 1=80 to 100 .mu.m. The analysis points are at most split into 8 to 10 points.
Further, in the first method, processing of the samples requires sophisticated and complicated semiconductor processing techniques such as photolithography, dry etching, and planarization and, further, time is taken for the preparation of the samples.
Further, in the first method, it is difficult to judge with a high degree of precision the cross points between the boundaries between the ion-implanted regions and non-implanted regions and the stripes of the etched grooves. In the end, it is difficult to maintain a high absolute positional precision for the analysis of the distribution of concentration in the lateral direction. Further, even assuming analysis under the identical conditions at different analysis points, accurate determination of the initial position of depth from the surface is extremely difficult.
The second method is the method proposed by R. von Criegern et al. of Siemens Co. In this method, the side face of a sample in which ions have been implanted is cut in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the sample and SIMS depth profiling is performed perpendicularly with respect to this face. This second method as well enables measurement of the distribution of impurities caused by ion implantation in the lateral direction since it calls for SIMS analysis from the side face of the sample.
However, in this method, it is necessary to cut and polish the side face of the sample, so special tools are required for the polishing.
Further, in the second method, since SIMS depth profiling is performed, a sub-nanometer level (less than 1 nm) of resolution is required, so it is not possible to use a point-like ion beam. Beam scanning such as raster scanning of a certain surface region (for example, 100.times.100 .mu.m or 500.times.500 .mu.m) is essential. Accordingly, despite the fact that the doping impurities form a certain gradient of concentration with respect to the direction of ion implantation even directly below the mask in the same way as the region directly under the ion implantation windows, it is not possible to resolve and capture that state of distribution. That is, in the conventional second method, the state of distribution of concentration of the impurities diffused and distributed in the lateral direction was just integrated with respect to the direction of implantation.
Note that there are other methods of analyzing the distribution of concentration other than the SIMS method.
The level of concentration of impurities diffused and redistributed from the ion implantation to a region under the mask is dependent on the implanted dosage, the annealing conditions, etc. but is about 10.sup.13 to 10.sup.17 atoms/cm.sup.3. Even directly under a mask edge at a depth of the projected range (Rp), it is at most no more than 10.sup.19 atoms/cm.sup.3. Accordingly, with physical analytical techniques other than the SIMS method (XPS, AES, RBS, EPMA-WDX/EDX, etc.), the concentration is below all of their detectable limits and therefore analysis is impossible. Methods tried in the past other than analytical techniques have been the transmission electron microscope (TEN) method, the scanning tunnel microscope (STM) method, etc. Each of these methods evaluate the pn junction regions from the perpendicular cross-sections. The features and problems of these will be pointed out briefly below.
In the method of selective etching and TEM examination of the cross-section, the perpendicular cross-section of the implanted region is chemically etched for selective etching dependent on the level of concentration of the impurities. Naturally, continuous contours of concentration are formed along the regions of both the implantation windows and implantation mask. It is possible to examine this pattern of etching at a high magnification by a transmission electron microscope.
This technique requires sophisticated technology in fabricating ultra thin film samples for the TEM examination and further it is difficult to handle the results of the examination quantitatively. It is superior as a method of qualitative examination however.
In ultrahigh vacuum STM measurement using a scanning tunnel microscope, the pn junction surface is sliced open and exposed under an ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) (or in the atmosphere) and the STM chip is scanned two-dimensionally. The in-plane resolution of the probe is a comparatively high 10 nm, but the quantitative relationship between the tunnel current and the impurity concentration is not yet clear.

Method of analysis of distribution of concentration of substrate


The present invention relates to therapeutic immunoconjugates comprising SN-38 attached to an anti-HLA-DR antibody or antigen-binding antibody fragment. The immunoconjugate may be administered at a dosage of between 3 mg/kg and 18 mg/kg, preferably 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12, 16 or 18 mg/kg, more preferably 8, 10 or 12 mg/kg. When administered at specified dosages and schedules, the immunoconjugate can reduce solid tumors in size, reduce or eliminate metastases and is effective to treat cancers resistant to standard therapies, such as radiation therapy, chemotherapy or immunotherapy. The methods and compositions are particularly useful for treating AML, ALL or multiple myeloma.

For many years it has been an aim of scientists in the field of specifically targeted drug therapy to use monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) for the specific delivery of toxic agents to human cancers. Conjugates of tumor-associated MAbs and suitable toxic agents have been developed, but have had mixed success in the therapy of cancer in humans, and virtually no application in other diseases, such as autoimmune diseases. The toxic agent is most commonly a chemotherapeutic drug, although particle-emitting radionuclides, or bacterial or plant toxins, have also been conjugated to MAbs, especially for the therapy of cancer (Sharkey and Goldenberg, C A Cancer J Clin. 2006 July-August; 56(4):226-243) and, more recently, with radioimmunoconjugates for the preclinical therapy of certain infectious diseases (Dadachova and Casadevall, Q J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2006; 50(3): 193-204).
The advantages of using MAb-chemotherapeutic drug conjugates are that (a) the chemotherapeutic drug itself is structurally well defined; (b) the chemotherapeutic drug is linked to the MAb protein using very well-defined conjugation chemistries, often at specific sites remote from the MAbs' antigen binding regions; (c) MAb-chemotherapeutic drug conjugates can be made more reproducibly and usually with less immunogenicity than chemical conjugates involving MAbs and bacterial or plant toxins, and as such are more amenable to commercial development and regulatory approval; and (d) the MAb-chemotherapeutic drug conjugates are orders of magnitude less toxic systemically than radionuclide MAb conjugates, particularly to the radiation-sensitive bone marrow.
Camptothecin (CPT) and its derivatives are a class of potent antitumor agents. Irinotecan (also referred to as CPT-11) and topotecan are CPT analogs that are approved cancer therapeutics (Iyer and Ratain, Cancer Chemother. Phamacol. 42: S31-S43 (1998)). CPTs act by inhibiting topoisomerase I enzyme by stabilizing topoisomerase I-DNA complex (Liu, et al. in The Camptothecins: Unfolding Their Anticancer Potential, Liehr J. G., Giovanella, B. C. and Verschraegen (eds), NY Acad Sci., NY 922:1-10 (2000)). CPTs present specific issues in the preparation of conjugates. One issue is the insolubility of most CPT derivatives in aqueous buffers. Second, CPTs provide specific challenges for structural modification for conjugating to macromolecules. For instance, CPT itself contains only a tertiary hydroxyl group in ring-E. The hydroxyl functional group in the case of CPT must be coupled to a linker suitable for subsequent protein conjugation; and in potent CPT derivatives, such as SN-38, the active metabolite of the chemotherapeutic CPT-11, and other C-10-hydroxyl-containing derivatives such as topotecan and 10-hydroxy-CPT, the presence of a phenolic hydroxyl at the C-10 position complicates the necessary C-20-hydroxyl derivatization. Third, the lability under physiological conditions of the δ-lactone moiety of the E-ring of camptothecins results in greatly reduced antitumor potency. Therefore, the conjugation protocol is performed such that it is carried out at a pH of 7 or lower to avoid the lactone ring opening. However, conjugation of a bifunctional CPT possessing an amine-reactive group such as an active ester would typically require a pH of 8 or greater. Fourth, an intracellularly-cleavable moiety preferably is incorporated in the linker/spacer connecting the CPTs and the antibodies or other binding moieties.
The human leukocyte antigen-DR (HLA-DR) is one of three isotypes of the major histocompatibilty complex (MHC) class II antigens. HLA-DR is highly expressed on a variety of hematologic malignancies and has been actively pursued for antibody-based lymphoma therapy (Brown et al., 2001, Clin Lymphoma 2:188-90; DeNardo et al., 2005, Clin Cancer Res 11:7075s-9s; Stein et al., 2006, Blood 108:2736-44). The human HLA-DR antigen is expressed in non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and other B-cell malignancies at significantly higher levels than typical B-cell markers, including CD20. Preliminary studies indicate that anti-HLA-DR mAbs are markedly more potent than other naked mAbs of current clinical interest in in vitro and in vivo experiments in lymphomas, leukemias, and multiple myeloma (Stein et al., unpublished results).
HLA-DR is also expressed on a subset of normal immune cells, including B cells, monocytes/macrophages, Langerhans cells, dendritic cells, and activated T cells (Dechant et al., 2003, Semin Oncol 30:465-75). Thus, it is perhaps not surprising that prior attempts to develop anti-HLA-DR antibodies have been hampered by toxicity, notably infusion-related toxicities that are likely related to complement activation (Lin et al, 2009, Leuk Lymphoma 50:1958-63; Shi et al., 2002, Leuk Lymphoma 43:1303-12).
The L243 antibody (hereafter mL243) is a murine IgG2a anti-HLA-DR antibody. This antibody may be of potential use in the treatment of diseases such as autoimmune disease or cancer, particularly leukemias or lymphomas, by targeting the D region of HLA. mL243 demonstrates potent suppression of in vitro immune function and is monomorphic for all HLA-DR proteins. However, problems exist with the administration of mouse antibodies to human patients, such as the induction of a human anti-mouse antibody (HAMA) response. A need exists for more effective compositions and methods of use of anti-HLA-DR antibodies, with improved efficacy and decreased toxicity. A further need exists for more effective methods of preparing and administering antibody-CPT conjugates, such as anti-HLA-DR-SN-38 conjugates. Preferably, the methods comprise optimized dosing and administration schedules that maximize efficacy and minimize toxicity of the antibody-CPT conjugates for therapeutic use in human patients.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Efficacy of anti-HLA-DR antiboddy drug conjugate IMMU-140 (hL243-CL2A-SN-38) in HLA-DR positive cancers


A channel estimation circuit (100) includes an input interface (110). The input interface (110) is configured to receive a plurality of pilot symbols from a communication channel. Furthermore, the channel estimation circuit (100) includes processing circuitry (120). The processing circuitry (120) is configured to generate a channel autocorrelation matrix and at least one channel cross-correlation vector. The generating of the channel autocorrelation matrix and the channel cross-correlation vector can be based on predetermined statistical information on the communication channel. Additionally, the processing circuitry (120) is configured to generate a subspace mapping for a subspace transformation based on the channel autocorrelation matrix. Additionally, the processing circuitry (120) is configured to generate a subspace transformed channel autocorrelation matrix, at least one subspace transformed channel cross-correlation vector, and a plurality of subspace transformed pilot symbols, by applying the subspace mapping to the channel autocorrelation matrix, the channel cross-correlation vector, and to the plurality of pilot symbols. Additionally, the processing circuitry (120) is configured to generate a plurality of subspace channel estimation filter coefficients based on the subspace transformed channel autocorrelation matrix and the sub-space transformed channel cross-correlation vector. Additionally, the processing circuitry (120) is configured to generate an estimate of at least one channel coefficient of the communication channel based on the subspace transformed pilot symbols and the subspace channel estimation filter coefficients. Furthermore, the channel estimation circuit (100) includes an output interface (150) configured to provide the estimate of the at least one channel coefficient.

In communication systems channel estimation is one of the most complex receiver functions in terms of computational load and memory footprint. It has to cope with various conditions such as channel selectivity, interference, and noise. Due to the demand of reducing computational load and memory footprint novel concepts are sought. Such a demand may at least be partially satisfied by the subject matter of the present disclosure.

Channel estimation circuits and methods for estimating communication channels


Programmable waveguide coders are disclosed that include one or more corrugation segments and one or more spacer segments formed on or in a waveguide defined by a core in an electro-optic substrate. Each of the corrugation segments and the spacer segments are independently controllable with voltages applied to each segment""s electrodes. The spacer segments permit application of a phase modulation to an input while the corrugation segments act as tunable gratings, wherein a center grating wavelength is tunable by applying a voltage to an electrode associated with the corrugation segment. In some embodiments, coders include only corrugation segments or only spacer segments. Such coders can be strain tuned or thermally tuned. The coders can be programmatically tuned to code or decode a time-wavelength code or other code.

The invention pertains to methods and apparatus for optical processing of temporal waveforms.
Optical processing of temporal waveforms can be performed using spectral filters such as the composite gratings described in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,812,318, Apparatus and Methods for Routing of Optical Beams via Time-Domain Spatial-Spectral Filtering; U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 09/100,592, abandoned and 09/115,331, pending, Segmented Complex Diffraction Gratings; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/120,959, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,314,220, Segmented Complex Fiber Gratings; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/354,851, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,292,282, Time-Wavelength Multiple Access Optical Communication System and Method. These documents are incorporated herein by reference.
The spectral filters, coders, and decoders described in these references include optical fibers in which fiber Bragg gratings are formed. Unfortunately, the properties of these fiber Bragg gratings are fixed during manufacture so that systems using these devices are not readily reconfigurable. Dynamically reconfigurable devices that are programmable to provide different spectral filtering characteristics or codings are needed.

Dynamically reconfigurable composite grating filters for temporal waveform processing


A power generation system for use in outer space includes a radiation receiver disposed for receiving energy from solar, stellar or planetary heat radiation. The radiation receiver includes at least two evaporator cells. Each of the evaporator cells has an inlet, an outlet, a passageway for a refrigerant, and is constructed of a heat absorptive and conductive material. Energy from the solar, stellar or planetary radiation is absorbed by the radiation received and transferred to the refrigerant for changing the refrigerant from a liquid to a gas. The refrigerant gas is directed to a turbine or other engine wherein the gas is expanded and energy is released in the form of rotation of a shaft. The turbine shaft may be coupled to a generator for converting the mechanical rotational energy to electrical power, or to a hydraulic or pneumatic pressure device arranged to store power by compression of a fluid or a gas. The refrigerant gas discharged from the turbine is cooled/condensed in a condenser disposed in an area shaded from the solar radiation, and directed toward a heat sink such as a cooler planet or toward deep space. The refrigerant liquid is recirculated to the radiation receiver, and the process is performed continuously. In an alternative embodiment, a pair of refrigerant loops are thermally coupled via a heat transfer apparatus. One of the loops includes a compressor which enables continuous system operation under all temperature conditions.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of power generation systems for use on spacecraft and/or on other heavenly bodies with little or no atmosphere (e.g., on the moon). More particularly, the invention concerns a power generation system which extracts power using a Rankine cycle engine having a refrigerant circulating between a relatively hotter area exposed to solar radiation and a relatively cooler area shaded from solar radiation.
2. Prior Art
Vehicles operating in outer space require mechanical and/or electrical power for various operating systems such as communications, guidance, computers, artificial environment, etc. This power must be generated on board. Several different sources of power generation have been utilized on space vehicles, either alone or in combination. Solar power electrical systems, for example, utilize large panels having photovoltaic cells for converting solar energy to electrical power. Nuclear power systems have been utilized which use nuclear fuels to generate power in a small scale nuclear reactor. Also, fuel cells which combine hydrogen and oxygen to provide electrical power have been employed. Such fuel cells are utilized extensively on the space shuttle. Additionally, magnetohydrodynamic power generation systems for space based vehicles have been proposed and are under development.
Spacecraft power generation systems have some unique requirements due to the need to conserve weight and volume in the spacecraft, and due to the fact that the spacecraft is isolated by the vacuum of space. With reference to these unique aspects of spacecraft, prior art power generation systems have been characterized by certain shortcomings in equipment size, weight, and efficiency. For example, photovoltaic solar panels typically yield efficiencies only in the thirty percent to fifty percent range, and thus require extremely large surface areas for generation of any substantial portion of the spacecraft's power requirements. It is difficult to transport large solar panels into outer space, particularly if a number of panels are required, and it is also difficult to deploy them. Solar panels are easily damaged by space debris. Further, solar panels are undesirable for secret space systems because their large size and vulnerability to damage make them easy targets.
Consequently, for space vehicles requiring relatively large amounts of power, the prior art has resorted to fuel cells or nuclear generators. The fuel cells and nuclear generators are heavy and bulky since they effectively carry their power source in a self contained manner. The weight of such power generation apparatus decreases the weight of potential payloads and takes up valuable cargo space. Nuclear reactor fuel systems require heavy shielding and also are dangerous because an aborted launch or a problem with attaining and/or maintaining orbit can result in dangerous and virtually irreparable contamination of the earth or sea.
Whereas the size and weight of power generation systems are very important for spacecraft applications, the efficiency of such systems is important. A more efficient smaller and/or lighter system which can provide the same power as a larger or heavier one is of course desirable. All power generation systems are typically less than one hundred percent (100%) efficient, and the fuel cells which are currently used to provide electrical power for the space shuttle are only forty percent (40%) to a potential maximum of approximately seventy percent (70%) efficient in extracting the power available from their self-contained fuel supplies.
There is a need for a reliable power generation system for use on spacecraft which is smaller, lighter and more efficient than the prior art power generation systems. Further, there is a need for a space based power generation system of this type which obtains energy from outside sources and does not require storage or replenishment of fuel. Similar needs apply for power generation systems which can be sent to and employed at a base on the moon or other heavenly body with little or no atmosphere to support convective cooling. The present invention provides these and other advantages by utilizing naturally occurring temperature differences between areas exposed to solar radiation and areas shaded from solar radiation.


An icon display processor for use in a computer permits a user to intuitively recognize sub-data embedded in, or linked to, main data while a main icon symbolizing the main data is being displayed. When data B and C are embedded in document A, if a main icon is displayed, sub-icons corresponding to the embedded data are displayed behind the main icon. Thus, the user can intuitively recognize the sub-data contained in the document A. A sub-icon is displayed for each item or kind of sub-data. The user can directly process the sub-icons.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an icon display processor for displaying and processing icons used on computer displays and, more particularly, to a method of displaying icons representing sub-data (i.e., objects or contents) embedded in, or linked to, main data (e.g., a document).
2. Description of the Related Art
When a list of documents is displayed with the conventional icon display processor, an icon is displayed for each document. The icon symbolizes the document. Using such icons, the user can select documents and perform operations (e.g., copying) on the documents.
In recent years, it has become possible to embed various kinds of data as document parts in this document or to link various kinds of data. For instance, image data and graphical data can be inserted in text data. Furthermore, voice and motion pictures can be inserted. These kinds of data will herein be referred to as sub-data and are generally managed as files separate from the main data. Techniques regarding icons are disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication Nos. 7-210360 (1995) and 6-28145 (1994).
With the prior art processor, icons representative of documents are simply displayed. Presence or absence of data (objects or contents) contained in a document or their kinds cannot be confirmed unless the document is once opened. For the same reason, it is impossible to gain direct access to independent data items within a document while an icon for the document is being displayed.
In view of the foregoing problems with the prior art technique, the present invention has been made to provide an icon display processor permitting a user to intuitively recognize sub-data embedded in, or linked to, main data while an icon for the main icon is being displayed.
The present invention also provides an icon display process or permitting a user to directly handle sub-data embedded in, or linked to, the main data while an icon for the main data is being displayed.
The icon display processor according to the present invention has a main icon display unit that displays a main icon representative of main data, and a sub-icon display unit that displays a sub-icon representative of sub-data together with the main icon if the sub-data form a part of the main data and are embedded in, or linked to, the main data.
In this configuration, the sub-icon representative of the sub-data and forming a part of the main data is displayed while the main icon is being displayed. This permits the user to recognize the presence of the sub-data. That is, since the sub-icon is displayed, the user can intuitively recognize the structure of the main data. The sub-icon may be identical in size to or smaller than the main icon.
The sub-icon described above may be displayed close to the main icon, or the sub-icon is displayed such that it appears partially from behind the main icon.
The aforementioned sub-icon may be displayed for each sub-data item. Alternatively, the sub-icon may be displayed for each kind of sub-data. Where a sub-icon is displayed for each item of sub-data, the user can easily recognize the number of sub-data items or their order. Where a sub-icon is displayed for each kind of sub-data, the user can readily recognize the kinds of sub-data contained.
Preferably, a mode selector unit is provided for permitting the user to choose between a close display mode in which plural sub-icons are displayed so as to overlap with each other in a congested manner and an expansion display mode in which plural sub-icons are displayed so as to overlap with each other but in a less congested manner. In the close display mode, the area of display is reduced and thus the display area can be utilized efficiently. In the expansion display mode, the presence of each sub-data item can be represented more clearly.
The sub-data described above may take a form corresponding to the kind of the sub-icon. This configuration permits the user to grasp the kind of the sub-data simply by viewing the sub-icon.
The icon display processor may have a program-activating unit that activates an application program corresponding to the sub-icon by performing given processing on the sub-icon. This application program processes the sub-data represented by the sub-icon.
This structure has the advantage that the application program associated with the sub-data can be directly activated without once activating the application program associated with the main data. Consequently, the cumbersomeness of the operations can be alleviated. Furthermore, the time taken to open the sub-data can be reduced. In addition, even if any application program for processing the main data is not present, the sub-data can be directly operated.
The icon display processor may have a copy unit that copies sub-data represented by the sub-icon when given processing is performed on the sub-icon. When the main icon moves, the sub-icon follows it. However, the sub-icon can be operated independent of the main icon.
An object managing table may be formed for each main data item to manage the kinds and the sequence of the sub-data items.
Multimedia data contains various kinds of data such as texts, graphics, images, motion pictures, and voices. Where the sub-icons as described above are displayed, if multimedia data are represented by icons, the data structure can be visualized. Therefore, the user can intuitively recognize the kinds and proportions of data contained. Before the data are opened, the sound volume and the resolution can be adjusted.
Other objects and features of the invention will appear in the course of the description thereof, which follows.

Icon display processor for displaying icons representing sub-data embedded in or linked to main icon data


A method and a system control flow of fluid from a storage tank through a supply line to an end user. The system includes a valve that in its open position allows fluid flow from the storage tank to the end user and closes when the pressure in the fluid supply line drops below a predetermined set point. The storage tank is thereby isolated because the valve prevents fluid from flowing from the storage tank to the supply line when the pressure in the supply line is lower than a predetermined upper limit of the storage tank pressure. An end use that is particularly suited to the present system and method is a fuel storage and supply system for a natural gas powered internal combustion engine.

This present method and system relate to the storage of fluid in a tank at a storage pressure higher than the atmospheric pressure and that deliver it through a fluid supply line to an end user, with the fluid delivered to the end user having a delivery pressure that is higher than the storage pressure. During normal operation, a device such as a pump or compressor is employed to increase the pressure of the fluid that is delivered to the end user. In this description, the term "pump" is used to describe a device that can be used to increase the pressure of a fluid. For example, if the fluid is stored as a gas, the term "pump" will be understood to include compressors.
In such systems, there can be times when the pressure in the fluid supply line is lower than the storage pressure, for example, when there is a break in the fluid supply line or when the system is being serviced. To allow for these circumstances, these systems are typically equipped with safeguards for stopping fluid from flowing from the storage tank to the fluid supply line. In known systems, these safeguards can add pressure losses to the fluid flowing from the storage tank to the end user, and the components required to provide such safeguards can add to the cost of the system. Improved safeguards would operate to stop flow from the storage tank to fluid supply line in appropriate circumstances while reducing the pressure losses at times when fluid is flowing from the storage tank to the end user. It would also be beneficial for the improved safeguards to reduce the complexity and cost of the system, for example, by requiring fewer components.
A fuel storage and delivery system for an internal combustion engine that is fuelled with a gaseous fuel, such as natural gas, is an example of an application that is particularly suited for the present system. The fuel is typically stored in a fuel tank at higher than atmospheric pressure and supplied to be combusted in the engine at pressures higher than the storage pressure. If natural gas fuel flows from the fuel tank into the engine system when there is a break in the fuel supply line, the fuel can escape, wasting fuel and polluting the atmosphere, so safeguards are desirable to guard against this from happening Safeguards are also desirable to prevent excessive pressures from building and damaging the delivery system.
Natural gas has been used to fuel vehicle engines for many years. The fuel supplied to a natural gas driven vehicle is stored either in a liquefied natural gas (LNG) tank or in a compressed natural gas (CNG) cylinder. LNG is normally stored in a cryogenic tank at low pressure, and provides a higher energy density compared to CNG Recent improvements to natural gas engine technology have made natural gas engines more efficient and more durable. In addition, as concern increases for protecting the environment, the ability of natural gas engines to pollute less than equivalent diesel- or gasoline-fuelled engines has also become more of a factor for engine buyers. Economically, businesses are also considering switching to natural gas as a fuel because it is more abundant than liquid petroleum fuels and, compared to these fuels, this is reflected in historically lower prices for an equivalent amount of natural gas, when measured on an energy basis. The foregoing factors favor switching to natural gas as a fuel for vehicles and, as a result, in recent years the number of natural gas fuelled vehicles has increased. Increased demand for natural gas engines has increased the importance for developing improved on-board fuel supply systems, including the parts of these systems that manage fuel pressure and provide safeguards during engine operation.
One way that natural gas fuelled engines have improved efficiency and reduced emissions has been by injecting the fuel directly into the combustion chambers after the compression stroke begins, instead of introducing the fuel into the intake air system at relatively low pressures; injecting the fuel directly into the combustion chamber in this manner requires a fuel supply system that can deliver the natural gas at a pressure of at least 3000 pounds per square inch gauge (psig) (20684.3 kilopascals (kPa)). With a requirement for such a high delivery pressure, it is impractical to build an LNG tank with an operating pressure that allows the fuel to be delivered directly to an engine without using a device such as a pump between the LNG tank and the engine for increasing the pressure of the fluid delivered to the engine. Similarly, it is also impractical to deliver natural gas directly from a CNG tank at such high pressures, because the storage pressure drops as soon as gas is withdrawn from a CNG tank, and once the pressure in the storage tank is lower than the required injection pressure, the storage tank needs to be filled, while there is a large amount of fuel still remaining in the storage tank. In both cases a pump or other device is required to raise the pressure of the fuel from the storage pressure to the injection pressure. The pump can be placed within the tank or disposed outside of the tank.
When the engine is operating, by way of example, the pump can receive fuel from the storage tank at a storage pressure of about 230 psig (1585.7 kPa) and raise the pressure of the fuel to an injection pressure that is at least 3000 psig (20684.3 kPa), and preferably around 4500 psig (31026.4 kPa). When the engine is shut down and the pump is not operating the pressure of the residual fuel in the supply line can be maintained at around 4500 psig (31026.4 kPa). If there are breaks in the system's plumbing or if there are open lines during the system's servicing, the pressure in the supply line can drop to a pressure that is below the storage pressure, and without proper safeguards, this can cause fuel to flow from the storage tank and into the supply line, causing loss of fuel and a release of fuel into the surrounding atmosphere.
In the past, a solution to this problem has been to use a manually actuated shut-off valve to isolate the storage tank from the supply line and the engine system when the engine is not operating. The disadvantage of such a system is that the operator has to manually actuate the shut-off valve upon engine shut-down. A human error could then result in fuel leaks into the atmosphere.
Another solution is to use a check valve that is normally open when the engine is operating and the supply line is filled with high pressure fuel, and that closes when the pressure in the system drops below a predetermined value. Check valves designed to work at high pressures introduce a large pressure drop into the system which is not desirable for system efficiency.
In another alternative, a solenoid valve could be implemented that is electrically actuated to stay open within a predetermined pressure range at high pressures. Existing solenoid valves are generally designed for operating at lower pressures. This approach also adds to the cost and complexity of the system.
Known shut off valves include diaphragm shut off valves. U.S. Pat. No. 3,763,840 describes such a shut off valve, which is placed between a storage tank and the supply line to a carburetor. The valve stays closed when the pump is not operating when the engine is shut-down, even if the pressure in the fuel tank increases, and it opens only when the pressure in the fuel supply line builds up. This prevents a pressure build-up in the fuel tank from forcing fuel through the fuel supply line to the carburetor and also allows fuel from the fuel supply line to bleed into the tank to prevent overpressure conditions in the supply line when the engine is shut down.
In another example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,007,708 describes an assembly of two valves that achieves the effect of at least partially stopping fluid flow between the pump and the engine system when the pump is not operating during engine shut-down situations, and allowing fluid flow from the system back to the pump only when the pressure in the system builds up.
Other known diaphragm shut-off valves, such as the ones described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,259,412 and 5,297,578, close when there is no negative pressure in the line connecting the engine to the tank which indicates that there is no fuel demand from the engine such as when the engine is shut down. These valves remain closed even when the pressure in the tank builds up.
Known shut-off valves do not address the problem of isolating the storage tank if there is a leak in the supply line plumbing when the engine is shut down.
Other existing solutions, such as systems that use manual valves, are inconvenient to operate and can introduce a potential for human error. Known check valves and diaphragm valves do not perform well at the high pressures required for delivering fuel at the requisite delivery pressure for directly injecting the fuel into the engine's combustion chambers. Systems that use solenoid valves require additional components, such as a controller, to actuate them. Furthermore, an important disadvantage of some of the existing valves is that they introduce a high pressure drop in the system during engine operation.
Therefore, in the type of systems described herein, it is necessary, or at least desirable, to automatically prevent fluid from draining from a pressurized storage tank when the system is shut down and there is a pressure in the supply line that is lower than the storage pressure. Accordingly, it would be beneficial to isolate the tank from the supply line and the end user, when the engine is shut-down and the pressure in the supply line is less than a predetermined upper limit of the storage pressure operating range. It is also desirable for the improved system to be simpler in construction compared to known systems, to reduce capital and maintenance costs and to make operation of the system simpler.

Method and system for controlling fluid flow from a storage tank through a supply line to an end user


In a process and a system for removing waste including production residues from fluid media used with machinery, the medium from which waste is to be removed is transported from the respective place of accumulation via piping to a collecting tank. The medium from which waste is to be removed is pumped from the respective place of accumulation up to an elevated tank, from where it is passed on to the collecting tank located at a lower level continuously or intermittently via a closed piping system.

Production media is used in manifold ways in industry, and waste has to be removed from them accordingly. This applies, for example, to coolants and abrasives, drilling and grinding oils which, for example, are used during the machining of materials on machine tools. After use, these fluid media must have waste removed from them, there frequently being production residues left in the medium, which should likewise be carried away.
For this purpose so-called open waste-removal channels or closed waste-removal pipes in the floor have been used, which are normally laid with an appropriate slope, and which terminate in a collecting tank likewise located at a lower level, which for this reason are usually located in the basement.
One disadvantage of this approach, however, is that such a waste-removal systems require a relatively great deal of space, since it is frequently necessary to place pipes or channels in the floor. Also, since at least only a flat slope is usually possible on most floors, a correspondingly low flow fluid media velocity results. This leads to dirt deposition by sedimentation, which is why additional measures, such as flushing nozzles or the like are necessary in order to clean the waste-removal channels or pipes.
In addition, when open channels are used there is a risk of an overflow, and when closed pipes are used they may be filled only up to approximately 50% as there must always be a corresponding air space available. A further disadvantage consists in the fact that during factory-internal changeovers in the building, problems may arise with the existing floor channels. Likewise, such floor channels typically cause a reduction in available production areas.

Process for removing waste from fluid media with production residues


This application relates to the field of wearable devices and provides a dominant eye determining method and device. A method comprises: obtaining first sensory information of a first eye of a user; and determining whether the first eye is a dominant eye according to the first sensory information and reference information. The method and device help other devices worn by a user to perform automatic set-up according to a determining result, thereby improving user experience.

In recent years, with the development of wearable devices, smart wristbands, smart bracelets, smart glasses, and the like gradually enter the life of people, and greatly enrich and facilitate the life of people. Because of a small size, the interaction capability of the wearable device is poor. Therefore, normally, people hope that the wearable device has a good self-identifying capability, thereby reducing set operations of a user.
When people are looking at something, functions of the two eyes are always different. One of the eyes is always in a dominant position to some degree, and becomes a primarily eye responsible for positioning and causing fusion, and this eye is referred to as the dominant eye. The dominant eye is one of common traits of lateral functional dominance of human beings. A determining result of the dominant eye can be used to improve game experience, view experience, and the like of a user. For example, immersive interaction experience of a user is improved by using the dominant eye to perform aiming in a shooting game.
If a wearable device can determine the dominant eye of a user, the dominant eye may be used as input from the wearable device or another device, thereby reducing set operations of the user and improving using experience of the user.

Dominant eye determining method and device


In the process of olefin disproportionation, a feedstock containing predominatly mono-olefin the feedstock is charged at elevated temperature into a catalytic conversion zone in contact with mesoporous acid olefin conversion catalyst under selective olefin interconversion conditions.. The improvement is characterized by a mesoporous acid metallosilicate crystalline catalyst material having Bronsted acid sites in a hexagonal lattice structure, said catalyst material having substantially uniform pores in hexagonal arrangement with a pore size of about 20 to 100 Angstroms units. In the preferred embodiments the olefinic feedstock is reacted for less than 10 seconds in contact with MCM-41 mesoporous metallosilicate catalyst under partial reaction conditions sufficient to provide increased yield of C4 alkene having a ratio of isobutene to normal butenes greater than equilibrium.

In view of phasing out of leaded gasoline and restrictions on the aromatics content of gasoline fuels, there is a great impetus for developing processes which upgrade olefins to high octane components. One such class of materials is aliphatic tertiary ethers, such as methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and tert-amyl methyl ether (TAME). However, the availability of isobutylene and isoamylene feedstock for these ethers is limited. Therefore, processes for making these olefins from readily available feedstocks are sought. The process described herein is one such process and involves the conversion of readily available refinery feedstock, such as olefinic gasoline, to products rich in lower olefins, such as isobutylene and isoamylenes.
The ability of shape selective zeolites such as ZSM-5 to convert olefins has been recognized previously. Zeolitic materials, both natural and synthetic, have been demonstrated in the past to have catalytic properties for various types of hydrocarbon conversion. Certain zeolitic materials are ordered, porous crystalline aluminosilicates having a definite crystalline structure as determined by X-ray diffraction, within which there are a large number of smaller cavities which may be interconnected by a number of still smaller channels or pores. These cavities and pores are uniform in size within a specific zeolitic material. Since the dimensions of these pores are such as to accept for adsorption molecules of certain dimensions while rejecting those of larger dimensions, these materials have come to be known as "molecular sieves" and are utilized in a variety of ways to take advantage of these properties.
Recent developments in zeolite catalysts and hydrocarbon conversion processes have created interest in utilizing olefinic feedstocks, such as petroleum refinery streams rich in olefins, for the production of C.sub.4.sup.+ tertiary olefins. The C.sub.5 -C.sub.7 light naphtha range product of FCC operations is very rich in normal and branched mono-alkenes.
It has been discovered that a new crystalline material, designated MCM-41, is an effective catalyst for converting these intermediate olefins to propene and tertiary alkenes at high selectivity.

Olefin upgrading by selective conversion with synthetic mesoporous crystalline material


A phosphor for use in an electroluminescent panel is produced by firing a material primarily composed of powder of zinc sulfide, preferably with high-frequency induction heating, under a predetermined pressure in an atmosphere of a halogen gas as a coactivator. The phosphor thus produced is of good emission characteristics having minimum particle size and impurity concentration irregularities.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a phosphor of good emission characteristics for use in various display devices such as electroluminescent display (EL) panels or the like, and an apparatus for and a method having manufacturing such a phosphor with high reproducibility.
2. Description of the Related Art
Phosphors for use in EL panels, for example, are usually made of zinc sulfide (ZnS) with an activator of copper (Cu), a coactivator of bromine (Br), and a coactivator of chlorine (Cl) added thereto. Since the service life of phosphors and the brightness thereof upon emission depend greatly upon the concentrations of the activator and coactivators added and the particle size of the phosphors, it is important that the amounts of the activator and coactivators added, i.e., the concentrations of impurities added, be controlled appropriately.
To manufacture such a phosphor for use in an electroluminescent panel, hereinafter referred to as an EL phosphor, as shown in FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings, it has heretofore been customary to add, to a material 30 of zinc sulfide, 0.1.about.1.0 mol % of a copper salt such as copper acetate or copper sulfate, and 0.1.about.20 mol % of ammonium bromide or ammonium chloride, mix the materials well, store the mixture in an ampul 32 of quartz or the like closed by a cap 31, place the ampul 32 in a reactor 33 of an electric furnace 35, and energize a heater 34 of the electric furnace 35 with the reactor 33 being filled with a hydrogen sulfide (H.sub.2 S) or nitrogen (N.sub.2) gas atmosphere for thereby firing the mixture at a temperature ranging from 700.degree. to 1200.degree. C. until the mixture is turned into particles of suitable size.
Because excessive copper or the like is attached to the surface of the EL phosphor thus manufactured, the EL phosphor is then washed with a solution of sodium cyanide or the like and dried into an EL phosphor product.
In the conventional manufacturing apparatus, ammonium bromide or ammonium chloride is added as a coactivator for copper and also as a promoter for increasing the particle size of the EL phosphor. Since ammonium bromide and ammonium chloride have low subliming points of 542.degree. C. and 337.8.degree. C., respectively, they would sublime almost entirely at the firing temperature ranging from 700.degree. to 1200.degree. C.
To avoid such unwanted sublimation, zinc sulfide with an impurity such as of ammonium bromide or ammonium chloride added is placed in the ampul 32, and the ampul 32 is closed by the cap 31 to prevent the added ammonium bromide or ammonium chloride from subliming while the particle size of the EL phosphor is increasing, i.e., the crystal of the EL phosphor is growing.
The conventional manufacturing apparatus which employs the ampul 32 closed by the cap 31 has had a problem because the manufactured EL phosphor suffers particle size irregularities and impurity concentration variations depending on the shape and volume of the ampul 32 and the gap between the ampul 32 and the cap 31. Therefore, the conventional manufacturing apparatus fails to manufacture EL phosphors with high reproducibility, and EL phosphors manufactured by the conventional manufacturing apparatus have widely different emission characteristics.

Method of manufacturing a phosphor for use in an electroluminescent panel


Iodonium and sulfonium photoinitiators are naturally sensitive to only a small portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.. Various classes of sensitizing dyes for iodonium and sulfonium salts are disclosed herein.

This invention relates to iodonium and sulfonium compounds and, more particularly, to photosensitization of aromatic iodonium and sulfonium photoinitiators.
Iodonium and sulfonium salts are known to absorb ultraviolet light only at wavelengths below about 300 nm, and their absorption spectra are essentially independent of the anion portion of the molecule. This limited spectral response is accordingly a serious inherent limitation with respect to their use as photoinitiators in photosensitive compositions. For example, in the field of graphic arts, such as in the preparation of printing plates, a photographic film negative is disposed between the lamp and the photosensitive plate. This film negative prevents the transmission of appreciable light of wavelengths below about 340 nm. Furthermore, when photosensitive compositions are used as photocurable coatings, light of wavelengths below about 300 nm decreases in intensity as it passes through the coating, due to absorption of the light by the monomeric compounds, pigments, binders, etc., present in the coating. Either occurrence would reduce the usefulness of sulfonium and iodonium photoinitiators because of their limited spectral response.
Although there are dozens of known classes of dyes and other materials which can be used to broaden the spectral response of photosensitive compositions, it has not been possible to predict which materials would be useful in sensitizing aromatic iodonium and sulfonium salts. In fact, it has been found that only select materials are useful in sensitizing these aromatic salts. For example, a well known and widely used class of energy transfer sensitizers, known as triplet sensitizers, e.g., benzophenone, acetophenone, etc., are not significantly effective for sensitizing aromatic sulfonium and iodonium salts. U.S. Pat. No. 4,069,054 discloses certain amines and heterocyclic compounds which are useful sensitizers for sulfonium photoinitiators. U.S. Pat. No. 4,026,705 also discloses sensitizers for iodonium photoinitiators.

Sensitized aromatic iodonium or aromatic sulfonium salt photoinitiator systems

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company


Disclosed is a stabilized optical system, including a housing, an objective lens group mounted to the housing for collecting light from the image to be viewed, and an eyepiece lens group adjustably mounted to the housing for focusing the image at the eye of a viewer. Pivotally mounted between the objective and eyepiece lens groups is a roof Pechan prism. The prism is connected through a rigid gimbaled linkage to a gyroscopic stabilizer which is offset from the optical axis, so that rotational motion of the housing is not transmitted to the prism, thereby stabilizing the image viewed through the optical system. The gyroscopic stabilizer is provided with a damper for minimizing nutational motion of the stabilizer and a precision compensator for counteracting the precession of the gyroscope. The eyepiece lens group includes a negative lens component positioned between the objective lens group and the remaining components of the eyepiece lens group.

This invention pertains to stabilized optical systems and more particularly to such systems employing an offaxis stabilizer.
An optical system which provides magnification, such as binoculars or a telescope, will tend to exaggerate in the image produced any physical disturbance which is imparted to the system itself during viewing. As a consequence, higher powered optical systems (e.g., beyond 7.times. magnification) are frequently not practical without some means of stabilization to cancel such effects, since vibration, muscular movements of the operator, etc. will distort the images viewed to such an extent that they are not perceptible. Consequently, it is necessary to compensate for these vibrations in high power optical systems, especially where such systems are to be used in areas of high vibration or frequent motion, such as aboard a ship or an aircraft.
One technique which may be utilized to achieve a stabilized image is to isolate the entire optical system from the perturbing motion. This has been done in the prior art, but such a solution tends to be expensive and to require a large and bulky apparatus. Therefore, others have attempted to solve the stabilization problem by isolating some component within the optical train of the system. When one optical component is isolated from the disrupting motion, the consequent motion of that component relative to the remainder of the system will tend to compensate for the disturbance imparted to the viewed image by the remaining parts of the optical system.
This method of component isolation may be illustrated by reference to a typical optical system of interest, such as that of a binocular or monocular. Such optical systems normally include an objective lens group, an eyepiece lens group, and an intermediate optical element. The intermediate element, which is frequently made up of one or more prisms, is added to the system to correct for the inversion and reversion of the image which is caused by the optical action of the objective and eyepiece lens groups.
In binoculars and monoculars, the eyepiece lens group is not considered a practical candidate for stabilization isolation because it should be held stationary and close to the eye of the viewer. Furthermore, although the stabilization of the objective lens group in such systems has been attempted, it has been generally recognized by those skilled in the art that the most desirable solution to the stabilization problem is to isolate the intermediate element, i.e., the inverting and reverting prism or prisms. Stabilized systems of this type are known, typical examples being described and illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,013,339, issued Mar. 22, 1977 to Ando et al., entitled "Optical Image Stabilizing System"; and in an article by David B. Fraser entitled "Design of a Low Cost, High Magnification, Passively Stabilized Monocular, the Stedi-Eye", appearing in Vol. 39 of the SPIE Proceedings, August, 1973. The teachings of each of the above publications are hereby incorporated by reference into this application.
Various techniques for stabilizing the intermediate optical element in binocular and monocular systems have been proposed, including gyrostabilized central afocal devices, programmed stabilization employing hydrostatic techniques, tuned and dampened isolators using springs and bearings, and axially oriented inertial stabilization systems, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,013,339, mentioned above. All of the various techniques which are known in the art, however, suffer from disadvantages. Some of these devices, for example, utilize inertial elements which are aligned with the optical train. These devices, as a result, require specially fabricated optical elements, such as lenses which may be rotated, etc. As a consequence, such devices tend to be inordinately expensive to manufacture and, furthermore, tend to extend the overall length of the optical train, which may be undersirable in some applications, as when the device is to be hand held and portable. Other stabilizing devices known in the art utilize an off-axis stabilizing element such as a gyroscope, connected through some form of linkage to an optical element. Previous off-axis stabilizer designs, however, have incorporated resilient members into the linkage between the inertial element and the stabilized optical element in order to compensate for the nutational and precessional motions of the gyroscope. Because of the compliance introduced by such resilient members, a highly accurate alignment of the optical element may not always be achieved in such designs and a deteriorated image may result.
Therefore, a need has developed in the art for an improved stabilized optical system incorporating an off-axis stabilizer.
Furthermore, it would be advantageous to provide such a system with a rigid connecting linkage between the stabilized optical element and the off-axis stabilizer to consistently maintain the accurate alignment of the optical element.
In addition, it would be advantageous to provide such a system with nutational damping and precessional compensation which would not degrade the stabilized image produced by the optical system.
It would also be advantageous to provide such a system in a compact and lightweight package that is highly portable.
In addition, it would be advantageous to provide such a system with a shortened optical train to enhance the convenience and portability of the system.

Stabilized optical system with off-axis stabilizer


A plurality of tracks are spirally arranged in a group on an optical disc. The tracks in the group are simultaneously radiated by laser beams. Adjacent tracks in the group are disposed at a radial distance d1, and adjacent spots of the laser beams on the tracks are disposed at a radial distance ds which is smaller than the distance d1.

There has been proposed an optical disc such as a high-definition videodisc (HDVD) in which a high-definition picture is recorded. Since the HDVD uses a large spectrum space which is four times as much as the conventional NTSC format videodiscs, the video signal is divided into a plurality of components which are retarded in different tracks of the disc. The high-definition video signal is obtained by simultaneously reading each track and synthesizing the signals reproduced from the tracks.
Referring to FIG. 5, the videodisc has a plurality of outwardly spiraling tracks on the recording surface thereof. In the example, the tracks comprises three adjacent tracks 11, 12 and 13. Namely, the track 11 extends to the track designated by references 11a and 11b, after one turn and two turns. Similarly, the tracks 12 and 13 extend to tracks 12a to 13b. The three tracks are simultaneously radiated with beams 4, 5 and 6 So as to be read at the same time. For the. convenience of explanation, it is assumed that the three tracks, are arranged in a group.
The beams 4, 5 and 6 reflected on the tracks are received by three photodetectors, the outputs of which are added to obtain a reproduced RF signal. In the conventional disc player, the distances between the beams 4 and 5, and 5 and 6 in the radial direction of the disc are equal to the distance between the tracks in the radial direction of the disc.
The tracks on the disc can be deviated due to a warp of the disc. In order to properly centralize the laser beams on the tracks, there is provided a track-following servo system where a tracking error signal, which represents the deflections of the beams from the tracks, is obtained from the output signals of one of the photodetectors.
One of the methods for obtaining the tracking error signal is a push-pull method. The push-pull method uses beams split by diffraction.
Referring to FIG. 6, a photodetector 1 for receiving a center beam spot has two detector elements 3a and 3b divided by a center line 2. The beam 5 is diffracted to form a center zeroth-order diffraction beam and, first-order diffraction beams deflected in positive and negative directions from the center zeroth-order diffraction beam.
The center beam and the deflected side beams form an overlapped beam spot on the detector elements 3a and 3b. When the laser beam 5 is properly centralized on the track, the areas of the beam spot on each of the detector elements 3a and 3b are equally distributed. On the other hand, if the tracking is off-center, the reflected beams are asymmetrically diffracted. As a result, the outputs of the detector elements 3a and 3b of the photodetector 1 are different from each other. A track-following servo system is operated to adjust the optical system so that the outputs of the detector elements 3a and 3b become equal to each other. Since the positions of the beams 4 and 6 are set with respect to the center beam 5, when the beam 5 accurately follows the track, so do the beams 4 and 6.
In order to obtain an accurate tracking error signal, the center line 2 defining the detector elements 3a and 3b of the photodetector 1 must be precisely adjusted in the order of microns, at the center of the beam spot. In addition, there is a problem of a DC offset inherent in the push-pull method.
In the push-pull method, an objective of the optical system is moved so as to coincide the center of the laser beam 5 with the track. The spot of the reflected beam formed on the detector elements 3a and 3b is inevitably deflected in the direction perpendicular to the center line 2. Thus, although the size of the overlapped areas on the detector elements 3a and 3b are equal to each other, there is a difference between the outputs thereof due to the difference in the areas. Hence, a DC offset is caused in the tracking error signal. The track-following servo system is operated in accordance with the erroneously offset tracking error signal so that the beams are further deflected from the tracks.
Furthermore the optical disc may be warped so that the optical axes of the laser beams are not perpendicular to the recording surface of the videodisc. The spot on the detector elements 3a and 3b is distorted instead of forming a circle, so that the distribution of energy on the detector elements 3a and 3b differs. Hence, a DC offset is also present in the tracking error signal.
Moreover, when playing an HDVD, the three beams may not be following the right group of tracks, that is, the three tracks being simultaneously read may not belong to the same group. In order to confirm that the correct tracks are read, it is necessary to demodulate the reproduced RF signal, and to determined whether the content of the demodulated RF signal represents a correct signal. The process requires time, which means a delay of starting the reproduction of the disc.


A multiple row seed planter is disclosed having common seed storage with lines feeding individual planter hoppers. A receiving bin is mounted on the side of a truck near the top outside, and the bin receives grain or seed from the seed bed of the truck as delivered by a conventional auger inside the truck. Grain from the bin enters a telescoping pipe and controllably flows through the pipe to a common feed tank located on the planter. From the common feed tank, lines extend to each individual planter hopper. In operation, planting of grain crops is expedited and simplified. Fertilizer, as well as a variety of seed grains, can be dispersed with the invention.

1. Field of the invention
The invention relates to agricultural equipment for dispensing of grain seeds and granular fertilizer. More particularly, the invention contemplates an automatic loading device including a receiving bin located on the side of a truck holding the seeds or fertilizer, in combination with a telescoping pipe to a feed tank located on a separate seed planter. The feed tank on the planter feeds a plurality of planter hoppers for automatic loading of the hoppers, the rate of flow into the hoppers being controllable by flow control gates on the feed lines from the tank to hoppers.
2. Disclosure Statement
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,179,273, issued Apr. 20, 1965, to Barber et al, a transport vehicle and unloading conveyor are disclosed where a downspout with a flexible tubular portion and three telescoping sections is slidable for shortening or lengthening of the spout and discharging the vehicle contents, such as seed grain. However, seeds, such as beans, cannot be moved in a smooth manner from the grain bed of the Barber et al device into the seed hopper, and a high degree of complexity and complication characterizes the compartmented grain bed construction of the Barber et al patent. A further disadvantage is that modification of a conventional truck bed necessarily must be undertaken to accommodate utilizing the Barber et al invention.
Hansen et al, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,543,704, patented Dec. 1, 1970, disclose a tractor-drawn agricultural planter having a plurality of commonly driven units including seed dispensing means where a central seed hopper feeds individual seed dispensing means. However, the Hansen et al construction requires the seed reservoir to be tractor drawn, rather than tractor mounted, with consequent space requirements and incompatibility with conventional planters which are primarily tractor mounted at the present time. Further, the chain driven mechanism taught by Hansen et al requires considerable expense for construction, maintenance, and the possibility of breakdown can result in loss of time and expense, unlike a simpler arrangement, such as a gravity flow mechanism. A machine is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,556,850, issued Oct. 13, 1925, to Kuhne, which utilizes a spoon-like device for retaining a seed and ejecting it through an aperture, and then functioning as a grain drill, rather than a planter.
Other patents relating to the field of the invention include the following:
______________________________________ 1,899,931 Benjamin et al March 7, 1933 2,296,014 Benzel, Sr. et al Sept. 15, 1942 2,410,996 Patterson Nov. 12, 1946 4,002,252 Beckman, Jr. Jan. 11, 1977 ______________________________________

Multiple row seed planter with common seed storage