An arcjet thruster system for a spacecraft is provided. The arcjet thruster system may include a power supply that includes a radio-frequency start power supply and a continuous direct-current power supply, each selectively coupled to electrodes of an arcjet for initiation and maintenance of an arc between the electrodes. A radio-frequency/direct-current control module may be provided for selectively coupling the radio-frequency start power supply and a continuous direct-current power supply. The radio-frequency start power supply may be used to initiate an arc that is then sustained by the continuous direct-current power supply.

Mono-propellant arcjet thrusters are commonly provided as part of spacecraft propulsion systems to provide an efficient use of propellant to give long maneuver lifetimes with less propellant than more conventional mono-propellant and bi-propellant propulsion systems and less risk than other electric propulsion systems. In a typical arcjet thruster, an electrical arc formed by direct current is generated between a cathode and an anode between which propellant gas is flowing. The arc adds additional energy to the propellant and increases the amount of thrust generated.
However, over time and repeated uses, various arcjet components can wear out. This can be particularly problematic for spacecraft since repair is difficult or impossible and malfunction of the arcjet can adversely impacting maneuver life of the satellite itself. It would therefore be desirable to be able to provide longer lasting arcjets for spacecraft and other systems.
The description provided in the background section should not be assumed to be prior art merely because it is mentioned in or associated with the background section. The background section may include information that describes one or more aspects of the subject technology.

Arcjet propulsion systems for spacecraft


A spinning projectile is described including a roll rate sensor for providing a spin frequency signal, a nutation frequency signal and a precession frequency signal and a seeker for providing a boresight angle signal. The spinning projectile further includes a torquer assembly, responsive to a control signal, for selectively providing a force in a desired lateral direction and a digital signal processor, responsive to the spin frequency signal, the nutation frequency signal, the precession frequency signal and the boresight angle signal, for providing a control signal to the torquer assembly to control the desired direction of the force. With such an arrangement, a projectile is provided having greater maneuverability wherein an increase in maneuver footprint is obtained by having the maneuver force equal the sum of the rocket force and the body force rather than being a difference as in known projectiles.

This invention relates generally to guidance systems and more particularly to a guidance system for a spin stabilized projectile.
As it is known in the art, artillery or gun systems are a major component of both ground and naval weapon systems. The effectiveness of gun systems may be greatly improved by providing projectiles in flight with a capability to maneuver to home in on a target. The costs of such projectiles must be minimized because of the large number of such projectiles expected to be used in any tactical situation. Furthermore, it is desirable to upgrade the current projectile inventory of 155 mm projectiles, 105 mm projectiles, etc. (40 mm through 8 inches diameter) rather than designing a new and different projectile.
A guidance system for a spinning projectile is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,347,996 issued Sep. 7, 1982 to V.A. Grosso and assigned to the same assignee as this application and incorporated herein by reference. An inertial roll attitude reference system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,676,456 issued Jun. 30, 1987 to V. A. Grosso et al. and assigned to the same assignee as this application and incorporated herein by reference. An infrared (IR) seeker for a spinning projectile is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,690,351 issued Sep. 1, 1987 to Richard A. Beckerleg et al. and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,201,895 issued Apr. 13, 1993 to V. A. Grosso, which are assigned to the same assignee as this application and incorporated herein by reference. Building on the concepts taught in the latter, a modular and screw on adaptable guidance and control system which can be used with existing projectiles shall be described.

Modular aerodynamic gyrodynamic intelligent controlled projectile and method of operating same


A compact device for clamping a disc-shaped tool on a tool spindle of a portable machine tool with a clamping anchor arranged in the tool spindle, with a clamping flange attachable to the free end of the clamping anchor, with an abutment arranged at the tool end of the tool spindle and with a manual actuating mechanism for releasably pressing the clamping flange against the abutment, thereby clamping the tool between the clamping anchor and the tool spindle. The manual actuating mechanism includes a first pressure cylinder having a first cavity and a second pressure cylinder having a second cavity, and a connecting channel between the cavities. The second pressure cylinder includes a piston delimiting the second cavity. The piston is adjustable and fixable by the manual actuating mechanism from the tool end of the tool spindle for releasably clamping the tool on the tool spindle.

The invention relates to a device for clamping a disc-shaped tool on a motor-driven tool spindle of a portable machine tool, in particular, a grinding disc on an angle grinder, with a clamping anchor arranged in the tool spindle which has an axial recess, the clamping anchor being axially displaceable relative to the tool spindle and rotationally fixedly connected to the tool spindle, with a clamping flange which is releasable attachable to the free end of the clamping anchor, with an abutment arranged at the tool end of the tool spindle and with a means actuatable by a manual actuating mechanism for releasably pressing the clamping flange against the abutment, thereby clamping the tool between these.
Such a device is known from German Patent 3 405 885. Herein, the clamping anchor arranged in the tool spindle in the form of a hollow spindle is pushed by a pressure spring similarly arranged in the tool spindle so that a clamping flange attachable to the clamping anchor clamps the disc-shaped tool against an abutment on the tool spindle. Therefore, in this device, the clamping force is generated by a spring arranged in the hollow spindle. The clamping anchor can be pushed against the force of the pressure spring by the actuating mechanism so that the clamping flange can be easily released or untightened by hand and, consequently, attachment of the disc-shaped tool is possible without additional tools.
Clamping of the clamping anchor by means of the known spring requires a manual actuating mechanism which is fixedly arranged on the housing on the side opposite the tool and enables a force acting against the spring to be manually applied. This type of actuation, therefore, opposes a compact design of the complete device.
The object underlying the invention is, therefore, to design the known device for attaching a disc-shaped grinding tool which does not require an auxiliary tool for releasing or tightening the tool attachment in as compact a manner as possible and, in particular, in such a way that it is hydraulically actuatable.


A cast iron having high strength, hardness, and thermal conductivity for a cylinder liner of an internal combustion engine is provided. The cast iron includes 3.2 wt. % to 3.8 wt. % carbon, 2.2 wt. % to 3.2 wt. % silicon, 0.5 wt. % to 1.3 wt. % copper, and at least 75.0 wt. % iron, based on the total weight of the cast iron. The cast iron further includes 0.01 wt. % to 0.5 wt. % manganese, 0.01 wt. % to 0.2 wt. % chromium, up to 0.3 wt. % phosphorous, up to 0.05 wt. % sulfur, up to 0.2 wt. % tin, and up to 0.1 wt. % magnesium, based on the total weight of the cast iron. Preferably, the cast iron is free of molybdenum, nickel, and vanadium. The cast iron is also heat treated and solidifies to achieve fully spheroidal graphite.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to cast iron, cylinder liners formed of cast iron, and methods of forming the same.
2. Related Art
Cylinders of internal combustion engines often include a sleeve or liner providing an outer surface and inner surface surrounding a cylindrical area. The cylinder liner can be fitted to the engine block to form the cylinder. The inner surface of the cylinder liner faces toward a piston and provides an interface or sliding surface for the piston rings during a combustion cycle and operation of the internal combustion engine. Due to the harsh conditions of the combustion chamber, the cylinder liner should be formed of a strong, hard, and wear resistant material. The material should be capable of handling the extreme conditions encountered during the combustion cycle, including high temperatures and pressures, to avoid structural problems, such as cracking.

High strength cast iron for cylinder liners


Effects of adapters present only during calibration of a network analyzer are removed. Scattering parameters are obtained for the adapters. For example, the scattering parameters for the adapters are obtained by characterizing the adapters. Systematic error terms for the calibration which remove adapters effects are generated using the scattering parameters for the adapters. In one embodiment, the scattering parameters for the adapters are used to pre-load adapter error terms into the network analyzer before the calibration. The calibration is then performed with the adapter error terms pre-loaded to generate systematic error terms for the calibration. In an alternative embodiment, the calibration is performed (without pre-loading error terms) in order to generate preliminary systematic error terms for the calibration. The preliminary systematic error terms and the scattering parameters for the adapter are used to generate the systematic error terms which do not include effects of the adapters.

The present invention concerns radio frequency and microwave network analyzers and pertains particularly to removing effects of adapters present during vector network analyzer calibration.
A radio frequency (RF) network analyzer system consists of a network analyzer. The network analyzer integrates a radio frequency source with built-in couplers for signal separation, a narrow band receiver, a display and a processor.
Measurement calibration is a process that improves measurement accuracy by using error correction arrays during signal processing to compensate for systematic measurement errors. Measurement calibration is also called Cal, accuracy enhancement, and error correction. Measurement errors are classified as random and systematic errors. Random errors, such as noise and connector repeatability are non-repeatable and not correctable by measurement calibration.
Systematic errors, such as directivity, matching, tracking and crosstalk, are the most significant errors in most RF measurements. Systematic errors are repeatable and for the most part correctable, though small residual errors may remain. These systematic errors may drift with time and temperature.
Systematic errors are due to system frequency response, isolation between the signal paths, and mismatch in the test setup. Frequency response errors (transmission and reflection tracking) account for non-ideal gain and delay which are functions of frequency.
Isolation errors result from energy leakage between signal paths. In transmission measurements, this leakage is called crosstalk. In reflection measurements, this leakage is called imperfect directivity. Directivity is the ability of the signal separation devices to separate forward traveling signals from reverse traveling signals.
Mismatch errors arise when a portion of an incident voltage wave undergoes undesired internal reflections. After multiple internal reflections the reflected wave recombines and introduces undesired variations to the unreflected portion of the incident wave. The level of mismatch error is proportional to the port reflection coefficient. The port reflection coefficient is the ratio of the voltage wave reflected from a port over the voltage wave incident to the port. Mismatch errors can arise from interactions of network analyzer source match with the network analyzer load match as well as source match interaction with the input match of the DUT and load match interaction with the output match of the DUT.
FIG. 4 shows a representation 70 of the systematic errors associated with the measurement of the forward s-parameters (s.sub.11 and s.sub.21). The forward systematic error terms are forward directivity (e.sub.00), forward source match (e.sub.11), forward reflection tracking (e.sub.10 e.sub.01), forward crosstalk (e.sub.30), forward load match (e.sub.22), and forward transmission tracking (e.sub.10 e.sub.32).
FIG. 5 shows a representation 80 of the systematic errors associated with the measurement of the reverse s-parameters (s.sub.22, s.sub.12). The reverse systematic error terms are reverse directivity (e.sub.33), reverse source match (e'.sub.22), reverse reflection tracking (e.sub.23 e.sub.32), reverse crosstalk (e.sub.03), reverse load match (e'.sub.11), and reverse transmission tracking (e.sub.23 e.sub.01).
In both FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the s-parameters s.sub.11a, s.sub.21a, s.sub.12a, and s.sub.22a represent the actual scattering parameters for the DUT.
FIG. 6 shows a combined representation 90 of representation 70 shown in FIG. 4 and representation 80 shown in FIG. 5. For representation 90 shown in FIG. 6, e.sub.11 and e.sub.22 will have two distinct values depending on whether forward or reverse s-parameters are being measured.
A network analyzer generally has several methods of measuring and compensating for the test system errors to varying degrees of accuracy. Each method removes one or more of the systematic errors through vector error correction. Vector error correction is the process characterizing the systematic errors by measuring calibration standards (devices with known s-parameters) then mathematically removing the effects of the systematic errors from subsequent measurements on various DUTs.
One method of calibration involves the use of shorts, opens, loads, and a thru (direct connection of network analyzer test ports). The opens, shorts and loads are used to calibrate each network analyzer port for reflection measurements. The network analyzer measures each standard across a defined frequency band using a pre-defined number of points. The measurement of the opens, shorts and loads are used to solve for directivity, source match and reflection tracking for each port. The thru is then connected and four measurements are made--forward reflection to characterize forward load match, reverse reflection to characterize reverse load match, forward transmission to characterize forward transmission tracking, and reverse transmission to characterize reverse transmission tracking. The accuracy of the load match measurements is enhanced by accounting for the effects of directivity, reflection tracking and source match determined from the preceding reflection calibrations. The accuracy of the transmission tracking measurements is enhanced by accounting for the effects of source match/load match interactions. Forward and reverse crosstalk are characterized by measuring transmission in both directions with loads connected to both test ports. For more information see Doug Rytting, Advances in Microwave Error Correction Techniques, RF & Microwave Measurement Symposium and Exhibition, Hewlett-Packard Company, 1987, pp. see pages 7-11.
When performing calibration, test port connectors are used to connect the network analyzer to the calibration standards. The test port connectors need not be insertable or of the same family. Typically, a separate calibration kit is required for each connector family. If connectors are non-insertable, an adapter removal calibration is often done which requires two separate calibrations. See Doug Rytting, Advances in Microwave Error Correction Techniques, RF & Microwave Measurement Symposium and Exhibition, Hewlett-Packard Company, 1987, pp. see pages 21-24.
In the simplest case, the test port connectors are insertable which means the two test ports will mate directly to each other without the DUT present. In this case, a single calibration kit is required to determine the vector error correction arrays.
If the DUT is non-insertable the two test ports will not mate together. The simplest non-insertable case is when the connectors are of the same family and same sex--for example if both test ports are Type N(f). In this case a single calibration kit will be able to calibrate the system--the complexity of the calibration may vary depending on the desired accuracy and frequency range. Possible methods (in order of increasing accuracy) for performing calibration using connectors of the same family are the defined thru calibration method, the equal length adapters calibration method, the unknown thru calibration method (requires four channel network analyzer configuration), or the adapter removal calibration method. Each of these methods is more fully described below.
A more complicated non-insertable case occurs when the test ports are different families--for example Type N (f) and X-Band waveguide. In this case multiple calibration kits are needed (one for each family) as well as an adapter with the same port configurations as the DUT. The possible calibration methods are the unknown thru calibration method (requires four channel network analyzer) and the adapter removal calibration method. Each of these methods is more fully described below.
Electronic calibration (ecal) can be performed with ecal modules. Ecal modules can be created and characterized with any test port configuration and provide a simple user procedure for calibration--the ecal module is connected and internal switching changes the calibration states without requiring any operator interaction. This method requires separate ecal modules for each DUT test port configuration. In addition, multiple modules may be required for a given configuration depending on the desired frequency range.
The defined thru calibration method modifies the definition of the THRU standard to include the electrical length of the adapter. The adapter mismatch degrades transmission tracking and load match. This method is used with an SOLT (short, open, load, thru) calibration. The short, open, load(s) are measured at each network analyzer port. The adapter is measured as the thru standard.
The equal length adapters calibration method uses two adapters of equal length in conjunction with an SOLT calibration. One adapter is added to port 2 (or 1) that makes the thru connection insertable. After the thru is measured the added adapter is replaced with an adapter of equal length with the desired test port sex and the remaining calibration standards are connected. The second adapter that was added is left connected when the DUT is measured. Transmission tracking and load match are degraded by the difference in mismatch between the two adapters. If the adapters are similar in construction, the difference in mismatch can be less than the mismatch of a single adapter (defined thru).
The unknown thru calibration method is used with an SOLT calibration. Additional measurements possible with the 4 channel network analyzer allow the thru standard to be characterized during the calibration.
The adapter removal calibration method performs two separate two port calibrations. An adapter with the same port configurations as the DUT is used. One calibration is made with the adapter connected to port 2. The next calibration is made with the adapter connected to port 1. The appropriate error terms from both calibrations are selected and modified as needed to create the desired calibration set. This method can use any type of two-port calibration (TRL or SOLT) for each calibration. If the DUT connectors are different connector families, a separate calibration kit is required for each.

Removing effects of adapters present during vector network analyzer calibration


The invention concerns a biologically active material essentially comprising at least an insolubilized dextran derivative of general formula DMCaBbSUcSd and at least a growth factor having an activity on osteoarticular, dental and/or maxillofacial tissues, and the method for preparing same. The invention also concerns the uses of said biomaterial for preparing a repair or filing material, such as an implant, for osteoarticular, dental or maxillofacial applications and for preparing an orthopaedic, dental or maxillofacial prosthesis, and the prosthesis coated with said biologically active material.

The present invention relates to a biomaterial, to the process for its preparation and to its applications, in particular as repair or filling material in the osteoarticular, dental or maxillofacial field.
To consolidate bone defects, methods commonly used are autografting or allografting. Corticospongy autografting is the oldest method: it makes it possible to obtain good quality bone consolidation with perfect immune tolerance and with no risk of transmission of pathogenic agents. However, the bone stock is limited in an individual, especially in children, and the additional surgical act which results therefrom causes risks of complications. As for the allograft, which is removed from subjects in a state of cerebral death, it only exhibits osteoconductive and nonosteoinductive properties since the bone removed is frozen so as to destroy all the components which could trigger an immune reaction of graft rejection by the recipient body or could be a vector of infections. This treatment reduces, in addition, the mechanical properties of bone.
By virtue of the insufficiency of bone grafts, bone replacement materials are currently the essential research route for promoting bone consolidation.
These materials are of considerable public health importance. Indeed, numerous synthetic or metallic materials are used as bone replacement materials in indications as diverse as bone graft or total hip prosthesis. Currently, 60 000 total hip prostheses are implanted each year in France. In 1988, an epidemiological study showed that half of the implants fitted in 16 million American patients were orthopedic implants. These statistics can be extrapolated to the French situation.
Bone consolidation involves various types of cell derived either from the mesenchymal line (preosteoblasts, osteoblasts and osteocytes), or from the hematopoietic line (osteoclasts). The osteoblasts, which are located at the bone surface, are involved in the synthesis of a novel bone matrix. The osteocytes are included in the bone matrix; connected to each other, they form a true intercellular network. The osteoclasts, which make it possible to resorb the bone, are dependent on growth factors. The osteoclastic activity is essential for reconstruction, because it is itself capable of amplifying the activities of synthesis of osteoblasts by means, inter alia, of growth factors. The platelets also have an important role: they release large quantities of growth factors, at the initial stage of bone repair.
Growth factors are a category of polypeptides having properties which regulate numerous parameters of cell life (such as proliferation, differentiation, survival). These factors are secreted by multiple types of cell. The effects of the same factor are determined by the nature of the target cell, the concentration of the factor, the possible simultaneous presence of other factors. The target cells possess membrane receptors for these factors, most often tyrosine kinases. Their stimulation regulates the synthesis or the activity of regulatory proteins. The names of the growth factors are most often taken from the material where they were detected for the first time and are not always representative of their function.
Bone tissue contains a variety of growth and differentiation factors which control bone formation and resorption and which also play an important role in the development, growth and repair of cartilage and bone. These principal factors are EGFs ("Epidermic Growth Factors"), IGFs ("Insulin-like Growth Factors"), FGFs ("Fibroblast Growth Factors"), TGF-β ("Transforming Growth Factors"), PDGFs ("Platelet-Derived Growth Factors") and BMPs ("Bone Morphogenetic Proteins").
The BMPs are part of the TGF-β superfamily. Their osteoinductive activity was demonstrated by M. R. Urist in 1965 (Science, 1965, 150, 893-899): demineralized bone was implanted at an ectopic, namely intramuscular, site in rats and gave rise to the formation of cartilage, and then bone. The proteins extracted from the demineralized bone and which are responsible for this bone induction were purified and called Bone Morphogenetic Proteins (BMP). Seven proteins (BMP-1 to 7) were initially cloned using molecular biology techniques (Wozney, J. M. et al., Science, 1988, 242, 1528-1534). It has since been shown that BMP-1 does not have osteoconductive properties. To date, numerous other BMPs have been cloned.
The use of BMPs alone in bone repair involves the injection of large quantities, much higher than those effective in in vitro studies or detected in normal tissues.
Moreover, the systemic effect of these products exhibits risks of diffusion of BMP into the surrounding muscle mass and of local calcification in a non-bone site. In addition, BMPs have very short lives, of the order of a few minutes in free form.
It would therefore be desirable to develop a vector for BMPs as well as for the other growth factors involved in bone repair.
T. R. Gerhart et al. (Clinical orthopaedics and related research, 1993, 293, 317-326 and 1995, 318, 222-230) have proposed mixing human recombinant BMP-2 with inactive bone matrix (1.5 mg of BMP per 3 g of bone matrix) in order to produce bone implants. These implants make it possible to induce reossification of defects 2.5 cm long artificially created in the femurs of sheep. However, the quantity of BMP provided by the implant (1.5 mg) is 25 000 times higher than the quantity of BMP endogenously present in the native bone tissues (˜0.06 μg).
Other types of supports have also been proposed: collagen, hydroxyapatite, gelatin, tricalcic calcium phosphate, calcium sulfate, calcium carbonate, coral, polymers of polylactic and polyglycolic acids, and the like.
All these organic or inorganic, natural or synthetic compounds are not really vectors for BMP. They indeed exhibit affinity which is good to a greater or lesser degree with the growth factor.
In parallel with these studies, it has been shown that, in a manner similar to heparin and to heparan sulfates, dextrans (D) substituted with carboxymethyl (MC), benzylamide (B) and sulfonate (S) groups (compounds called DMCBS) interact with certain growth factors, HBGFs (Heparin Binding Growth Factors), in particular with FGFs and TFG-β. They potentiate the biological effects of these endogenous factors, released at the lesioned site, protecting them against degradations of thermal, acidic or proteolytic origin (F. Blanquaert et al., Bone, 1995, 17, 6, 499-506; A. Meddahi et al., Journal of Biomedical Materials Research, 1996, 31, 293-297; J. Lafont et al., Growth factors, 1998, 16, 23-38; F. Blanquaert et al., Journal of Biomedical Materials Research, 1999, 44, 63-72).
In the field of bone repair, particular CMDBSs, RGTA9 and RGTA11 (compounds comprising respectively 83% or 110% of CM units, 23% or 2.6% of B units and 13% or 36.5% of S units), immobilized in a collagen support, have made it possible to induce bone regeneration (abovementioned articles by F. Blanquaert et al., 1995 and J. Lafont et al., 1996). It has thus been shown that RGTA9 and RGTA11 themselves, without addition of exogenous growth factors, make it possible to stimulate bone reconstruction. F. Blanquaer et al., 1995, explain this property by the fact that RGTA9, which is vectorized in collagen and complexed with the growth factors endogenously present, could constitute a reservoir of said growth factors for their subsequent release. J. Lafont et al. propose using RGTA11 as such, transported in a collagen support, instead of administering growth factors.
In short, F. Blanquaert et al. and J. Lafont et al. therefore propose vectorizing RGTA9 or RGTA11 in a collagen support, which is known to induce a rapid and uncontrolled kinetics of release.
Moreover, the abovementioned article by F. Blanquaert et al. (1999) describes the stimulation of the expression of the osteoblastic phenotype by RGTA9 and RGTA11 placed in contact, in vitro and in soluble form, with growth factors (BMP-2, TGF-β1, FGF-2). It is indicated that this effect results from a capacity of the RGTAs to interact with these growth factors, thus making it possible to promote the wound healing process. It is also indicated that RGTA9 is less effective than RGTA11, both compounds essentially differing in terms of their respective degrees of substitution with sulfonate groups (S), namely 0.13 for RGTA9 and 0.365 for RGTA11. It is evident from these results that a high percentage of S units plays an important role in the properties of the dextran derivative on bone repair.
Thus, the various abovementioned articles (F. Blanquaert et al., 1995 and 1999; A. Meddahi et al., 1996; J. Lafont et al., 1998) show that the DMCBS are capable of trapping these endogenously released growth factors; they play the role of a temporary reservoir for growth factors which are naturally secreted at the lesioned site.
Such combinations between the DMCBSs and the growth factors, which are formed in vivo, do not constitute an effective vector for said growth factors for use in surgery, in particular in spinal, maxillofacial or dental surgery, or any reconstructive surgery. Indeed, their soluble form does not make it possible to control the diffusion of the growth factors at a specific site. In addition, these combinations do not make it possible to restore the geometry of the bone pieces destroyed, in particular of large bone defects, in which the endogenous growth factors are not present in a sufficient quantity to be able to initiate spontaneous consolidation. It is then necessary to add exogenous growth factors, which have to be used in vivo in combination with a suitable releasing system.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Biomaterial based on an insolubilized dextran derivative and a growth factor


A brewer, system and method for heating water and dispensing heated water for producing a brewed beverage The brewer includes a water reservoir with a heating element associated with the reservoir for heating water retained in the reservoir A brewing substance holder is associated with the reservoir for receiving heated water from the reservoir A temperature sensitive control valve is provided in communication with the reservoir for controllably dispensing heated water from the reservoir to the brewing substance holder The temperature sensitive control valve may be in the form of a passive control valve which uses a bimetallic, magnetic or other material which is responsive to heat The water is placed in the reservoir and heated The elevated temperature of the water will result in operating the heat sensitive control valve to open the control valve and allow water to pass from the reservoir to the brewing substance holder.

The present disclosure relates to beverage preparation apparatus, namely, brewers for infusing a beverage making substance with a heated substance such as water to produce a beverage.
A variety of beverage brewers have been developed which can be divided into two general classes. The two classes of beverage making equipment generally include pour-over brewers and boil-over heat pump or "burp and boil" brewers. There are differences and benefits associated with the use of a pour-over brewer compared to a heat pump brewer. These differences generally relate to the speed with which a beverage can be produced as well as the quality of the beverage produced. The heat pump brewers tend to take a considerably longer amount of time to produce the same volume of beverage and tend to brew the beverage at a temperature which may not be controlled and may be too hot to obtain an optimum brewed beverage.
The pour-over brewing system generally includes a heated reservoir which retains a volume of heated water. A quantity of water is added to the reservoir to displace the heated water thereby displacing or driving heated water out of the reservoir and into a brew basket or funnel portion of the apparatus which retains a brewing substance for brewing with the heated water. Since the water is provided in a heated condition and merely displaced by water entering the heated reservoir, the pour-over brewer operates as an "on demand" brewer. Additionally, the water added to the heated reservoir can be heated during the brewing cycle to increase the through put of brewing cycles. Additionally, the temperature can be better controlled since the motive force to dispense the heated water is the displacement of the heated water from the reservoir.
In contrast, a burp and boil system generally provides longer brew times and less temperature control resulting in less controllable resultant brew characteristics. The burp and boil system operates by providing a reservoir for receiving water which feeds a heated water line. The heated water line is heated by a resistance heating configuration. The water line is connected to the reservoir thereby providing a source of water to fill the water line. As water enters the line while the line is heated, water rapidly is heated, boils and expands out of the line and into the brewing substance. A less desirable side effect of this process is that the water must be heated to boiling or near boiling to be moved through the brewing cycle. In other words, the motive force for moving water from the reservoir through the brewing apparatus is the boiling process.
It has been reasoned that it may be desirable to increase the efficiency of the energy used to brew a beverage. In both of the two general types of brewing apparatus a relatively considerable amount of energy can be expended to produce a brewed beverage. The pour-over system conserves energy by using a lower temperature than the burp and boil system. However, an incremental amount of energy must be used to maintain the water in the reservoir at a desired temperature. In the burp and boil system, energy might be conserved by not maintaining a reservoir of water at a desired temperature but a considerable amount of energy must be spent to rapidly raise the temperature of the water to produce the boiling motive effect.
The exemplification set out herein illustrates embodiments of the disclosure that are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the disclosure in any manner. Additional features of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments exemplifying modes of carrying out the disclosure as presently perceived.


A kitchen spatula for handling eggs during the preparation thereof allows the user to grasp the egg being manipulated without puncturing its yolk. The spatula has a substantially flat spatula paddle and an elongated paddle handle attached to it. The spatula also has an elongated clamping handle and a substantially flat clamping member rigidly fixed to the clamping handle. A substantially U-shaped indentation is provided in the clamping member, the indentation defining a pair of fingers projecting substantially forwardly, the fingers being spaced apart by a spacing of sufficient size to accommodate the yolk of the egg. The clamping handle is adapted to be hingedly pivoted relatively to the paddle handle so that the fingers of the clamping member and the spatula paddle will act as tongs grasping the albumen portion of the egg while the yolk portion will be nested between the fingers of the clamping member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of culinary utensils and is particularly concerned with a kitchen spatula for handling eggs during the preparation thereof.
2. Prior Art
The art of kitchen utensils is replete with spatulas of various shapes and sizes. The most common kitchen spatula consists of a substantially flat spatula blade extending integrally into a handle.
This type of utensil is freqently used during cooking operations to flip over food being, for example, grilled in a sauce pan. The conventional spatula is also often used to manipulate the food when it is being placed or removed for a cooking receptacle.
In order to improve the efficiency of the spatula in manipulating the food, a number of spatulas have been provided with various components mostly dedicated to grasping the food in order to prevent it from slipping off the spatula blade.
Examples of such utensils are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,643,907 issued to J. B. Thomas, Jun. 30, 1953; U.S. Pat. No. 2,292,889 issued to I. A. McKee, Aug. 11, 1942; U.S. Pat. No. 3,492,039 issued to J. F. Chmela, January, 1970; U.S. Pat. No. 2,801,873 issued to J. E. Faughnder, Aug. 6, 1957 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,955,971 issued to Goulter, Sep. 11, 1990.
Although the spatulas disclosed in the above mentioned patents may be adequate to grip and manipulate various types of food products, they do not form an elegant solution for the manipulation of eggs.
Indeed, the egg has specific characteristics which structurally set it apart from other food products. When an egg is being fried, its yolk portion bulges upwardly in a substantially hemispherical configuration from the albumen or so-called "white" portion. The yolk is fragile and susceptible of being punctured.
Fried eggs are typically served in either a "sunny side up" or an "over easy" configuration. In both configuration, the yolk remains unpunctured and surrounded by the albumen or so-called "white" portion. The spatulas disclosed in the above mentioned patents are not suited for manipulating an egg without puncturing its yolk.


A light emitting diode and a manufacturing method therefore are provided. The light emitting diode includes at least: a first light emitting structure, formed on a substrate, in which a first n-GaN layer, a first active layer and a first p-GaN layer are sequentially layered; a first n-type electrode formed on one side of the upper part of the first n-GaN layer; a current diffusion layer, formed on the first light emitting structure, in which at least one hole is arranged; and a second light emitting structure in which a second p-GaN layer, which is formed in a region of a conductive layer in which at least one hole is arranged, and a second active layer and a second n-GaN layer, which are formed on the second p-GaN layer, are sequentially layered.

A light emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor light emitting device composed of compound semiconductors and capable of realizing various colors, and is used as a general light source and a display light source, particularly, as a light source for IT devices including mobile phones. The light emitting diode has a much smaller size than typical light sources and market share thereof is rapidly expanding due to good properties in terms of low power consumption, rapid response and long lifespan. With expansion of applications of light emitting diodes, there is an increasing need for high brightness and high efficiency micro-pixel LEDs and novel displays, which can replace low brightness LED products such as typical full LEDs having problems of low efficiency and low pixel density in the display market. Particularly, with increasing demand for blue and white light emitting diodes with high efficiency as backlight sources for mobile displays, there is an increasing need for development for such LEDs.
Such a light emitting diode is generally formed of Group III-V nitride-based compound semiconductors, which have a direct transition type large energy band-gap so as to convert energy generated upon recombination of electrons and holes into light. Since the light emitting diode formed of the Group III-V nitride-based compound semiconductors can emit light in substantially the entire wavelength range depending upon the composition of the nitride-based compound semiconductors and can perform blue laser oscillation, various attempts have been made to develop a high pixel density and high efficiency light emitting diode based on such characteristics of the light emitting diode.
In a conventional technique for realizing white light using a light emitting diode capable of emitting various colors, phosphors are provided to the light emitting diode in order to realize a certain color through excitation thereof. However, the light emitting diode including the phosphors has a poor color rendering index (CRI), which indicates a poor degree of color realization of a certain object when illuminated with light, and provides different color rendering indexes depending upon current density, thereby making it difficult to secure color stability due to difficulty in regulation of color temperature and color rendering index which are main factors determining quality of a light source for illumination. Moreover, a conventional technique using quantum dot phosphors has a problem of deterioration in reliability due to low physicochemical stability, despite advantages of a wide selection width of wavelengths and improved luminous efficacy through high quantum efficiency.
Therefore, there is a need for development of a light emitting diode capable of realizing a high pixel density and high efficiency display without using phosphors.

Light emitting diode and manufacturing method therefor

GWANGJU INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY


A method and apparatus for high speed digital data acquisition. The apparatus includes one or more multiplexers for receiving multiple channels of digital data at a low data rate and asserting a multiplexed data stream at a high data rate, and one or more FIFO memories for receiving data from the multiplexers and asserting the data to a real time processor. Preferably, the invention includes two multiplexers, two FIFO memories, and a 64-bit bus connecting the FIFO memories with the processor. Each multiplexer receives four channels of 14-bit digital data at a rate of up to 5 MHz per channel, and outputs a data stream to one of the FIFO memories at a rate of 20 MHz. The FIFO memories assert output data in parallel to the 64-bit bus, thus transferring 14-bit data values to the processor at a combined rate of 40 MHz. The real time processor is preferably a floating-point processor which processes 32-bit floating-point words. A set of mask bits is prestored in each 32-bit storage location of the processor memory into which a 14-bit data value is to be written. After data transfer from the FIFO memories, mask bits are concatenated with each stored 14-bit data value to define a valid 32-bit floating-point word. Preferably, a user can select any of several modes for starting and stopping direct memory transfers of data from the FIFO memories to memory within the real time processor, by setting the content of a control and status register.

Digital data processing systems are employed in many applications, including a variety of laboratory process control, real time data analysis, and real time data reduction operations. In many process control applications, it would be desirable to perform process control with fast time response (for example, where a large vector of input data is received during each control cycle, or where a matrix multiplication is required during each control cycle). It would also be desirable in many applications to perform high speed real time analysis or reduction on large amounts of data.
High speed real time data reduction is often desirable in connection with long pulse or steady state experiments in which the amount of data generated far exceeds the capacity to store data for later analysis. In such cases, real time data reduction results in extraction of a limited set of parameters for storage. It is often desirable to perform high speed real time analysis to search for signatures of interesting events which indicate time intervals during which data should be stored or processed.
Microprocessors having very high processing speed are commercially available. For example, the 64-bit Intel 80860 microprocessor (commercially available from Intel Corporation, and sometimes referred to herein as an "i860" processor) can perform as many as 80 million floating point operations per second simultaneously with 40 million integer (scalar unit) operations per second. It is likely that the processing speed of commercially available microprocessors will increase in the future.
However, high speed real time data analysis (and other high speed digital data processing) requires not only means for high speed data processing, but also means for high speed acquisition of the data to be processed. High speed data acquisition is particularly important when a large number of sensors must be sampled during each analysis cycle.
Until the present invention, it had not been known how to implement high speed data acquisition, for example with acquisition rates of 40 million data values (such as fourteen-bit data words) per second. Nor had it been known how to implement high speed acquisition of integer-format data, high speed conversion of the integer-format data to floating-point format, and high speed transfer of such floating-point format data to a floating-point processor (for example, transfer of 40 million fourteen-bit integer-format words per second to a floating-point processor to enable real time, floating-point processing of 40 million 32-bit floating-point format data words per second).
Nor had it been known how to implement high speed data acquisition in any selected combination of several user-selectable data transfer start and stop modes.

Method and apparatus for high speed data acquisition and processing

The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy


An elevator brake regulating apparatus includes brake actuators, a source of pressured fluid and a brake regulating control connected between the actuators and the fluid source. A fastening housing is attached to a carrier frame of a elevator car and has recesses for retaining guides of a brake shoe with elastic pads to provide vertical displacement of the guides under braking. The brake shoe has brake pads for engaging running surfaces of a guide rail. A brake sensor in each brake pad monitors the condition of the brake pad and signals the control to apply pressured fluid to actuate the corresponding brake actuator. Other sensors for speed, acceleration and retardation of the elevator car are connected to the control for selectively applied the pressured fluid to regulate the braking force on the elevator car.

The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for braking elevator cars and, in particular, to an apparatus for controlling retardation forces during emergency braking.
An elevator car braking apparatus with two scissors-like frame members, at which a wedge-shaped friction member and a brake block are arranged at one end and a compression spring and an electromagnet are arranged at the other end, is shown in the German patent DE-A1 3 934 492. In case of an emergency, the wedge-shaped friction member is moved upwardly by a device so that a friction force initiated by the brake block on a guide rail slows down and stops the downwardly moving elevator car. The slowing-down of the elevator car is measured by means of an acceleration-measuring sensor. A feedback regulator feeding the brake electromagnet is controlled on the basis of the data supplied by the measuring sensor such that the friction force between the guide rail and the brake block maintains a constant slowing-down of the elevator car.
A disadvantage of the above described braking apparatus is that much space is required for the scissors-like braking equipment, which in turn makes the arrangement of the guide equipment of the elevator car more difficult. A further disadvantage lies in the triggering device which is formed by a lever and the wedge-shaped friction member and which, in particular at the beginning of the slowing-down, causes uncontrollable peak retardation of the elevator car.

Brake regulating apparatus for an elevator car


Disclosed herein is an amplifier circuit formed by multiple transistor stages and having an input terminal for a signal and an inverted output terminal configured to output an inverted signal after amplification, wherein a feedback resistance and a feedback capacitor for input impedance matching are connected in series with each other between the inverted output terminal and the input terminal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an amplifier circuit for amplifying a high-frequency signal and a receiving device, and particularly to a wide-band amplifier circuit of a negative feedback type and a receiving device including the amplifier circuit.
2. Description of the Related Art
Amplifier circuits in related art are known for amplifying a signal received via an antenna. Of the amplifier circuit in related arts, an amplifier circuit using a grounded-emitter circuit in a first stage and using an emitter follower in a succeeding stage will be described with reference to FIG. 11.
FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an open gain amplifier circuit 110 using a grounded-emitter circuit as a transistor in a first stage and using an emitter follower as a transistor in a succeeding stage.
The first stage transistor Q101 in the amplifier circuit 110 of FIG. 11 forms a grounded-emitter circuit that receives a high-frequency signal from a base (input terminal) and then outputs a first amplified signal from a collector. The first amplified signal output from the collector of the first stage transistor Q101 is input to the base of a succeeding stage transistor Q102. Then, an inverted signal amplified with a gain Av≈R102/R103 with respect to the input voltage can be obtained from the emitter of the succeeding stage transistor Q102.
In addition, an invention of a negative feedback amplifier having a capacitance added in parallel with a feedback resistance is known (see for example, Japanese Patent No. 2752795, hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 1).
The negative feedback amplifier shown in FIG. 1 of Patent Document 1 is an amplifier formed by a cascade connection of a collector-load grounded-emitter amplifier circuit in a preceding stage formed by connecting a collector resistance RC1, an NPN-type bipolar transistor Q1, and an emitter resistance RE1 in series with each other and an amplifier circuit in a succeeding stage formed by a collector resistance RC2, an NPN transistor Q2, and an emitter resistance RE2 between a high-level power supply terminal and a grounding terminal. In order to widen a frequency band, an emitter peaking capacitor C1 is connected in parallel with the emitter resistance RE2 in the succeeding stage. Further, negative feedback is effected by connecting a feedback resistance RF1 and a capacitance CF1 in parallel with each other between the emitter of the NPN transistor Q2 in the succeeding stage and the base of the NPN transistor Q1 in the preceding stage.


The present invention discloses systems and methods to alert a medical operator that a surgical drain has been sutured in place within a patient's body. A readily removable sheath is provided at a distal end of a surgical drain. The sheath is configured to be placed within a surgical wound along with the surgical drain, and after the surgical drain is placed, to be removed from the surgical drain and withdrawn from the patient's body, leaving the surgical drain in place. As the medical operator attempts to withdraw the sheath from the drain and the patient's body, in the event that a suture has inadvertently passed through the body of the surgical drain, such inadvertently placed suture will obstruct the removal of the sheath, in turn alerting the medical operator that the surgical drain has been inadvertently sutured and allowing them to correct the drain placement during the same surgical procedure.

Many surgeries require postoperative drainage of excess blood and other fluids from the operative field. To account for this, a surgical drain such as a Jackson-Pratt or Penrose drain is typically placed deep within the operative field at the end of an operation. The wound is then sutured together in the vicinity of, but not including, the drain. Several layers of closing sutures may be present depending upon how deep the drain is placed. Drains are typically removed between one to five days following surgery.
Surgical drains are generally made from silicone or rubber, such that they are at risk of being punctured by a suture needle. Occasionally, the sutures used to close the wound inadvertently encircle or capture the drain. This sutures the drain in place within the patient's body, and there is no way for the surgical team to know this has occurred until drain removal is attempted several days later. When this does occur, it necessitates a second surgery and accompanying increases in morbidity, length of stay, and even mortality.
In light of the foregoing issues, there is a need in the art for a device and method that timely alerts the surgical team that a drain has been sutured in place within a patient's body, such as within a surgical wound. This will enable the surgeon to reopen the operative area and free the drain while the patient is still under anesthesia from the first surgery, thereby reducing the chances for a second surgery and associated complications.

Surgical drain sutured-in-place prevention device

The United States of America as Represented by the Department of Veterans Affairs


A time borrowing domino circuit that includes complementary logic outputs and a multiplexor without incurring the time delays normally associated with complementary outputs and multiplexor function is described. A clock delay circuit is described which produces the trailing edge delay clock signal that drives the domino circuit. A domino circuit is described that may implement logical functions such as AND, OR, NAND, NOR, EXCLUSIVE-OR and EXCLUSIVE-NOR. A multiplexor circuit is described for gating one of a number of logical inputs to a latch. And a latch is described having complementary outputs.

In the field of semiconductor devices, the frequency of operation of the devices is constantly increasing. For clocked logic devices, the time to evaluate, which is the time allotted for a logic input to propagate to a logic output, is constantly decreasing and this increases the opportunity for corruption of the data outputs of these devices. For domino circuits this problem is especially acute, since the time to evaluate is one-half of the clock period.
In domino circuits, data is received on a first transition of the clock, evaluated, and latched on the next transition of the clock. Such paths are difficult to design, since time cannot be borrowed from the previous cycle as in the case of static circuits, and, as mentioned above, the time to evaluate is one-half of the clock period.
Since the time to evaluate in a domino circuit is one-half of a clock period, the speed of a domino circuit can limit the clock frequency of the system. For example, if the output signal of a domino circuit misses the setup time to a latch by t nanoseconds and the clock period is T, then the frequency of the chip is reduced to 1/(T-2t). In contrast, for a path which does not have domino circuits, not meeting the setup time by an equal amount will reduce the frequency to 1(T-t), or only one-half the amount as for domino circuits.
Time borrowing domino circuits are known in the art, but they have several disadvantages. First, to obtain a complementary output of a domino circuit, an extra inverter and its accompanying delay is required. Second, when following a domino circuit with a multiplexor, a multiplexor delay is encountered. Each of these delays tends to slow the operation of the domino circuits and to increase the likelihood of data corruption as the frequency of operation is increased.
For these and other reasons there is a need for the present invention.


Methods and systems for asset and work flow management are disclosed. According to one embodiment, a method for work cycle management includes creating one or more work zones, creating a work cycle of events between the created work zones, creating an operating schedule for the events of work cycle at the zones, monitoring activity at the work zones and comparing the activity to the operating schedule and identifying schedule violations.

As margins in the asset operating business, such as construction, and the like, are reduced, it is becoming more important to properly manage the assets. For this reason, most asset operating businesses require their employees to have a phone on their person. That way, when the asset is in the field, the operator can be contacted and advised about where to operate the asset and what job should be performed.
However, this method of command and control is deleteriously unreliable. For example, the operator may not know their location, or may be wrong about their location. Additionally, the operator may misstate the job being performed, or spend more time on break than actually operating the asset. Each of these errors and omissions will further affect the already tight margins faced by the asset operating business.


Methods of capturing and immobilizing radioactive nuclei with metal fluorite-based inorganic materials are described. For example, a method of capturing and immobilizing radioactive nuclei includes flowing a gas stream through an exhaust apparatus. The exhaust apparatus includes a metal fluorite-based inorganic material. The gas stream includes a radioactive species. The radioactive species is removed from the gas stream by adsorbing the radioactive species to the metal fluorite-based inorganic material of the exhaust apparatus.

One of the great concerns in the nuclear power field throughout the world is the safe disposal and isolation of used fuels from reactors or waste streams from reprocessing plants. In particular, entrapment of highly mobile radionuclides such as iodine (129I) and technetium (99Tc) produced from a fission process and subsequent capturing and immobilization of these radionuclides in an appropriate waste form is a great technical challenge because of the high mobility of these radionuclides and the difficulty in incorporating them into any existing waste forms such as glass, ceramics, and grout. Iodine (129I) and technetium (99Tc) both have long half-lives and can exist as gaseous or anionic species that are highly soluble and poorly sorbed (absorbed or adsorbed) by natural materials. Waste forms are probably the only engineered barrier to limit their release into a human-accessible environment after their disposal. Furthermore, a majority (>99%) of 129I will enter into the dissolver off-gas stream during fuel reprocessing. It is thus highly desirable to develop a material that can effectively entrap gaseous iodine during the off-gas treatment.
Thus, further advancements are needed in the area of radioactive nuclei capture and immobilization.


A milk which is free of xcex2-casein A1 protein in the prevention or treatment of coronary heart disease is disclosed. In addition, a process for the testing of DNA from cells obtained from lactating bovines for the presence of DNA encoding certain xcex2-casein proteins, selecting the bovines on the basis of the testing, and then milking those bovines to produce milk free of xcex2-casein A1 for use in the prevention or treatment of coronary heart disease is disclosed.

This invention relates to the use of milk which is free of the xcex2-casein A1 protein in the prevention or treatment of coronary heart disease. The invention also relates to the testing of DNA from cells obtained from lactating bovines for the presence of DNA encoding certain xcex2-casein proteins, selecting the bovines on the basis of the testing, and then milking those bovines to produce milk free of xcex2-casein A1 for use in the prevention or treatment of coronary heart disease.
Coronary heart disease is a major cause of death, particularly in countries where the populations are well-nourished, such as in the western world. Many factors are implicated as risk factors for this disease including obesity, smoking, genetic predisposition, diet, hypertension, and cholesterol.
Dairy products, especially milk, are a major contributor to the dietary intake of humans, again particularly in western world populations. Milk contains numerous components of nutritional and health benefit. Calcium is one example. However, milk is also a significant source of dietary fat. It is widely accepted that saturated fats found in milk are a risk factor for coronary heart disease. However, the inventor has discovered an additional risk factor present in some bovine milk unrelated to the fat content. What is entirely surprising is the source of the risk. The source is not dependent on the fat content of milk. Instead, it is a milk protein, xcex2-casein, which is linked to coronary heart disease.
A number of variants of milk proteins have been identified. Initially, three variants of xcex2-casein were discovered (Aschaffenburg, 1961) and were denoted A, B and C. It was later found that the A variant could be resolved into A1, A2 and A3 by gel electrophoresis (Peterson et. al. 1966). The xcex2-casein variants now known are A1, A2, A3, B, C, D, E and F, with A1 and A2 being present in milk in the highest proportions. It is anticipated that other variants may be identified in the future.
The inventor has determined that it is the milk protein xcex2-casein A1 which represents the risk factor in bovine milk that is linked to coronary heart disease, or at least is the principal risk factor. This determination on the part of the inventor forms the basis of the present invention.
There is no relationship between the fat content of milk and xcex2-casein genotype in cows. Therefore, selecting cattle on the basis of milk fat content will not identify which bovines produce the novel risk factor, namely the specific xcex2-casein variant, in their milk.
There is no significant difference in the fat content of milk produced by cows which are homozygous for the xcex2-casein A1 allele (i.e. A1A1) and cows which are homozygous for the xcex2-casein A2 allele (i.e. A2A2). This is apparent from studies reported in the literature.
Ng-Kwai-Hang has carried out several studies. One study (Ng-Kwai-Hang et. al., 1990) suggested that milk containing xcex2-casein A1 rather than xcex2-casein A2 may have a slightly higher fat content. However, these differences were very small. The differences between milk from A1 homozygous cows and milk from A2 homozygous cows were 0.05% (for the first lactation period), 0.07% (for the second lactation period), and 0.04% (for the third lactation period).
In another study, Ng-Kwai-Hang (in an abstract cited by Jakob et. al;, 1990) found the opposite effect (i.e. the A1A1 product had a lower fat content than the A2A2 product). Thus, the 1995 Ng-Kwai-Hang abstract directly contradicts the Ng-Kwai-Hang, et. al., 1990 study.
McLean et. al., 1984 (McLean) also reported that there was no significant difference in the fat content of milk from cows of A1A1 and A2A2 genotypes (meanxc2x1standard error: 45.8xc2x12.6 g/l for milk of A1A1 cows and 48.6xc2x11.9 g/l for milk of A2A2 cows).
Aleandri et. al., 1990 (Aleandri), shows in Table 5 that the least squares estimates of the effects of different genotypes and their standard errors on fat percentage in milk are 0.12xc2x10.09 for A1A1 cows and 0.07xc2x10.09 for A2A2 cows. Taking into account the standard error for the test, Aleandri indicates that the effects of A1A1 and A2A2 genotypes on milk fat content are equivalent.
Bovenhuis et. al., 1992 (Bovenhuis), highlights that there are statistical problems associated with the way in which the genotype effects on fat percentages in milk are studied and documented. It is stated that the ordinary least squares estimates may be biased. Bovenhuis points out that the analysis of the effect of a particular genotype on various characteristics of milk is complex in nature and may, among other things, be affected by other genes which may be linked to the gene under study. Bovenhuis attempts to take into account the above variables and to overcome statistical problems by using an animal model method.
Table 3 of Bovenhuis indicates that, for a statistical model in which each milk protein gene is analysed separately and the A1A1 cows designated as being the standard (i.e. given a value of 0% fat attributable to the genotype), the A2A2 genotype was estimated not to contribute (i.e. 0%) to the fat content of the milk of the animals harbouring that genotype when compared to the A1A1 genotype. The standard error of the test is recorded as 0.02%. Where a statistical model was used in which all milk protein genes were analysed simultaneously (Table 4 of Bovenhuis) and the A1A1 genotype was again designated as being the standard (at 0% fat content attributable to the A1A1 genotype), the A2A2 genotype was estimated to contribute to the fat content of the milk at xe2x88x920.01% when compared with the A1A1 genotype. In this study a standard error of 0.02 was designated. Taking into account the standard error of the tests these results indicate that the A2A2 genotype contributes to the fat content of milk in an equivalent manner to the genotype A1A1.
Gonyon et. al., 1987 reached the same conclusion as Bovenhuis.
The level of individual components in milk is influenced by both the genotype and the environment. That is, the variation between animals in milk output or milk composition is due to both genotypic and phenotypic factors. For example, Bassette et. al., 1988 (Bassette) indicates that the composition of bovine milk may be influenced by a number of environmental factors and conditions other than genetic factors. Environmental factors may impact on milk production and the constituents contained within the milk (including fat content). For example, changes in milk composition occur due to:
the stage of lactation (e.g., the fat content of colostrum is often higher; the concentration of fat changes over a period of many weeks as the cow goes through lactation);
the age of the cow and the number of previous lactations;
the nutrition of the cow including the type and composition of feed consumed by the cow;
seasonal variations;
the environmental temperature at which the cows are held;
variations due to the milking procedure (e.g., the fat content of milk tends to increase during the milking process which means that for an incomplete milking the fat content would generally be lower than normal and for a complete milking the fat content will be higher than normal); and
milking at different times of the day.
It is therefore apparent from the studies in this field that a person skilled in the relevant area of technology would not find a link between the fat content of milk and the xcex2-casein genotype of the milk-producing bovines from which that milk is produced.
Thus, the inventor has for the first time identified the milk protein xcex2-casein A1 as a risk factor linked to coronary heart disease in its own right. It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a method of using milk substantially free of xcex2-casein A1 to prevent or treat coronary heart disease or to minimise the risk of developing coronary heart disease, or to at least provide a useful alternative. It is also an object of the invention to provide a method of producing milk substantially free of xcex2-casein A1 suitable for use in the prevention or treatment of coronary heart disease or the minimisation of the risk of developing coronary heart disease, or to at least provide a useful alternative.
In one aspect of the invention there is provided a method of preventing or treating coronary heart disease in a human which includes the step of at least reducing the intake in that human of xcex2-casein A1.
Preferably the reduction is effected by the human ingesting milk obtained from one or more lactating bovines, or a product processed from that milk, where the milk or product ingested is substantially free of xcex2-casein A1.
Preferably the milk is substantially free of xcex2casein A1 but contains any one or more of xcex2-caseins A2, A3, B. C, D and E.
More preferably the milk is substantially free of xcex2-caseins A1, B and C but contains any one or more of xcex2-caseins A2, A3, D and E. Most preferably the milk is substantially free of xcex2-caseins A1, B and C and contains only xcex2-casein A2.
In a second aspect of the invention there is provided a method of producing milk suitable for use in the treatment or prevention of coronary heart disease from one or more lactating bovines which milk is substantially free of xcex2-casein A1 but which contains any one or more of xcex2-caseins A2, A3, B, C, D and E, the method including the steps of:
(i) testing DNA or RNA from cells containing DNA or RNA obtained from the one or more lactating bovines for the presence of DNA or RNA encoding xcex2-casein A1;
(ii) selecting bovines which do not have any DNA or RNA encoding xcex2-casein A1; and
(iii) milking the selected bovines.
In another aspect of the invention there is provided a method of producing milk suitable for use in the treatment or prevention of coronary heart disease from one or more lactating bovines which milk is substantially free of xcex2-casein A1, B and C but which contains any one or more of xcex2-caseins A2, A3, D and E, the method including the steps of:
(i) testing DNA or RNA from cells containing DNA or RNA obtained from the one or more lactating bovines for the presence of DNA or RNA encoding any one or more of xcex2-caseins A1, B and C;
(ii) selecting bovines which do not have any DNA or RNA encoding any one or more of xcex2-caseins A1, B and C; and
(iii) milking the selected bovines
In another aspect of the invention there is provided a method of producing milk suitable for use in the treatment or prevention of coronary heart disease from one or more lactating bovines which milk is substantially free of xcex2-casein A1 but which contains xcex2-casein A2, the method including the steps of:
(i) testing DNA or RNA from cells containing DNA or RNA obtained from the one or more lactating bovines for the presence of DNA or RNA encoding xcex2-casein A2;
(ii) selecting bovines which are homozygous for DNA or RNA encoding xcex2-casein A2; and
(iii) milking the selected bovines.
In another aspect of the invention there is provided a method of producing milk suitable for use in the treatment or prevention of coronary heart disease from one or more lactating bovines which milk is substantially free of xcex2-casein A1 but which contains any one or more of xcex2-caseins A2, A3, D and E, the method including the steps of:
(i) testing DNA or RNA from cells containing DNA or RNA obtained from the one or more lactating bovines for the presence of DNA or RNA encoding any one or more of xcex2-caseins A2, A3, D and E;
(ii) selecting bovines which have DNA or RNA encoding only for any one or more of xcex2caseins A2, A3, D and E; and
(iii) milking the selected bovines.
In another aspect of the invention there is a method of producing milk suitable for use in the treatment or prevention of coronary heart disease from one or more lactating bovines which milk is substantially free of xcex2-casein A1 but which contains xcex2-casein A2, the method including the steps of:
(i) testing DNA or RNA from cells containing DNA or RNA obtained from the one or more lactating bovines for the presence of DNA or RNA encoding xcex2-casein A1 and DNA or RNA encoding xcex2-casein A2;
(ii) separating bovines which are homozygous for DNA or RNA encoding xcex2-casein A2 from bovines which either have DNA or RNA encoding xcex2-casein A1 or which have DNA or RNA encoding both 3-casein A1 and xcex2-casein A2; and
(iii) milking the bovines which are homozygous for DNA or RNA encoding xcex2-casein A2.
In another aspect of the invention there is provided a method of producing milk suitable for use in the treatment or prevention of coronary heart disease from one or more lactating bovines which milk is substantially free of xcex2-caseins A1, B and C but which contains any one or more of xcex2-caseins A2, A3, D and E, the method including the steps of:
(i) testing DNA or RNA from cells containing DNA or RNA obtained from the one or more lactating bovines for the presence of DNA or RNA encoding any one or more of xcex2-caseins A1, B and C and DNA or RNA encoding any one or more of xcex2-caseins A2, A3, D and E.
(ii) separating bovines which have any DNA or RNA encoding any one or more of xcex2-caseins A1, B and C from bovines which have DNA or RNA encoding only for any one or more of xcex2-caseins A2, A3, D and E; and
(iii) milking the bovines which have DNA or RNA encoding only for any one or more of xcex2-caseins A2, A3, D and E.
Preferably the one or more lactating bovines of any aspect of this invention are Bos taurus bovines
More preferably the milk produced according to any aspect of this invention is substantially free of xcex2-casein A1 and the xcex2-casein contained in the milk comprises greater than 95% by weight xcex2-casein A2.
More preferably the milk produced according to any aspect of this invention is substantially free of xcex2-casein A1 and the xcex2-casein contained in the milk comprises approximately 100% by weight xcex2-casein A2.


A server apparatus (1) includes a deletion information decision section (104) and a management information update section (105). The deletion information decision section (104) decides a file from among files of an AV content already stored in a storage section (202) of a receiving apparatus (2), the file to be decided being so deleted as to be prevented from being used in the receiving apparatus (2) when files constituting an AV content that is to be newly transmitted is stored in the storage section (202). The management information update section (105) transmits, to the receiving apparatus (2), management information including deletion information for specifying the file thus decided. The receiving apparatus (2) includes a deletion section (205) for deleting, from the storage section (202), the file specified by the deletion information of the management information received from the server apparatus (1).

Such a data service has been widely provided that servers and clients linked to one another via a network communicate with one another and that contents stored in server apparatuses are download into client terminals (receiving apparatuses) and used. Especially, because of the current widespread use of broadband networks, such a mechanism is being put into place that even a content having a large capacity of transmission (e.g., a digital video image) is processed. According to this mechanism, a plurality of AV contents are stored in a server, are downloaded or streamed at a client's request, and are reproduced at a client terminal.
FIG. 14 is a diagram schematically showing a conventional video delivery system 1300 in which a server apparatus 1301 is linked to receiving apparatuses 1302 via a network and in which the server apparatus 1301 delivers an AV content to each of the receiving apparatuses 1302. This is a so-called networked video-on-demand system. Further, there have been increasingly various kinds of similar system and service that do not use a network. Examples of such a system and service include a server-type broadcasting system and service. According to the server-type broadcasting system and service, a content stored in a receiving apparatus by using a broadcast wave is viewed.
FIG. 15 shows an embodiment of the AV content to be treated in the video delivery system 1300. The AV content includes a playlist and clip data. Note that FIG. 15 is also an explanatory diagram of the present invention.
The AV content shown in FIG. 15 includes (i) a plurality of files (clip data 1402) containing actual data such as video images and sounds and (ii) a file (playlist 1401) indicating a reproduction procedure in which the actual data are reproduced (as well as places where the actual data are reproduced). That is, the playlist 1401 and the plurality of clip data 1402 are collectively treated as the single AV content 1400. How the playlist 1401, the clip data 1402, and the AV content 1400 constituted thereby are treated is fully described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. 56651/2002 (Tokukai 2002-56651; published on Feb. 22, 2002).
Generally, in the video delivery system 1300, a plurality (large number) of receiving apparatuses 1302 are connected to a single server apparatus 1301.
Moreover, in the video delivery system 1300, when the AV content 1400 is allowed to be downloaded into the receiving apparatuses 1302 in different procedures, it becomes difficult to manage which files (clip data 1402) resident on the server apparatus 1301 can be respectively downloaded next into the receiving apparatuses 1302. Examples of a file that can be downloaded by a receiving apparatus 1302 include (i) a file yet to be acquired by the receiving apparatus 1302 and (ii) a file which has already been downloaded by the receiving apparatus 1302 and which needs rewrites to match new content. Therefore, in order to find a downloadable file, it is necessary to find (files constituting) an AV content already acquired by the receiving apparatus 1302.
Especially, in cases where an update is performed by sequentially downloading the constituent files, i.e., the clip data 1402 of the AV content 1400, an instruction to reproduce the playlist 1401 referring to the clip data 1402 may be given when new clip data 1402 have not been downloaded (are being downloaded) or when the clip data have failed to be completely downloaded. This causes such a problem that reproduction different from that originally expected is performed by referring to another file that was downloaded in the past.
The present invention has been made in view of the foregoing problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide (i) a data management system in which a server apparatus stores a plurality of data files and appropriately delivers the plurality of data files to a receiving apparatus and in which data management can be effectively preformed in the receiving apparatus, (ii) a server apparatus and a receiving apparatus together constituting the data management system, (iii) a data management method, (iv) a control program, and (v) a computer-readable recording medium in which the control program is recorded.

Data management system, data management method, server apparatus, receiving apparatus, control program, and computer-readable recording medium recording same


Disclosed is a method for preparing crystalline zeolite SSZ-13 said method comprising (a) preparing a reaction mixture comprising (1) at least one active source of an oxide of a tetravalent element or mixture of tetravalent elements, (2) optionally at least on active source of an oxide of a trivalent element or mixture of trivalent elements (3) at least one active source of an alkali metal, (4) seed crystals of zeolite SSZ-13, (5) benzyl trimethylammonium cation in an amount sufficient to form crystals of zeolite SSZ-13, the benzyl trimethylammonium, cation being used in the absence of a 1-adamantammonium cation, and (6) an amount of water that is not substantially in excess of the amount required to cause and maintain crystallization of the small pore zeolite; and (b) heating said reaction mixture at crystallization conditions for sufficient time to form crystallized material containing crystals of SSZ-13.

Molecular sieves are a commercially important class of crystalline materials. They have distinct crystal structures with ordered pore structures which are demonstrated by distinct X-ray diffraction patterns. The crystal structure defines cavities and pores which are characteristic of the different species.
Molecular sieves identified by the International Zeolite Associate (IZA) as having the structure code CHA are known. For example, the molecular sieve known as SSZ-13 is a known crystalline CHA material. It is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,544,538, issued Oct. 1, 1985 to Zones, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,544,538, the SSZ-13 molecular sieve is prepared in the presence of N,N,N-trimethyl-1-adamantammonium cation which serves as a structure directing agent ("SDA"), also known as on organic template. However, this SDA is costly, which makes the synthesis of SSZ-13 using this SDA costly. This cost can limit the usefulness of SSZ-13 in commercial processes. Thus, it would be desirable to find a way to synthesize SSZ-13 without having to use the costly N,N,N-trimethyl-1-adamantammonium cation SDA.
One way of reducing the amount of the N,N,N-trimethyl-1-adamantammonium cation SDA in the synthesis of SSZ-13 is disclosed in copending Provisional Application No. 60/826,882 filed Sep. 25, 2006 by Zones. There, the amount of N,N,N-trimethyl-1-adamantammonium cation SDA needed to synthesize SSZ-13 is reduced significantly by the addition to the SSZ-13 reaction mixture of benzyl trimethylammonium cation (e.g., benzyl trimethylammonium hydroxide). While this synthesis method can provide significant cost savings, it still requires the use of the costly N,N,N-trimethyl-1-adamantammonium cation SDA.
It has now been found that SSZ-13 can be prepared using benzyl trimethylammonium cation ("BzTMA cation") in the absence: of a 1-adamantammonium cation, such as N,N,N trimethyl-1-adamantammonium cation.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,558,851, issued Sep. 24, 1996 to Miller, discloses a method for preparing a crystalline aluminosilicate zeolite from a reaction mixture containing only sufficient water so that the reaction mixture may be shaped if desired. In the method, the reaction mixture is heated at crystallization conditions and in the absence of an external liquid phase, so that excess liquid need not be removed from the crystallized material prior to drying the crystals. U.S. Pat. No. 5,558,851 is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.


A bipolar transistor is described whose I-V curve is such that it operates in two regions, one having low gain and low power consumption and another having higher gain and better current driving ability. Said transistor has a base region made up of two sub regions, the region closest to the emitter having a resistivity about an order a magnitude lower than the second region (which interfaces with the collector). A key feature of the invention is that the region closest to the collector is very uniformly doped, i.e. there is no gradient or built-in field present. In order to produce such a region, epitaxial growth along with boron doping is used rather than more conventional techniques such as ion implantation and/or diffusion.

As is well known, bipolar transistors, in their most elemental form, comprise a sandwich made up of three layers of semiconducting material, the middle layer being of an opposite conductivity type to the outer layers. Much work has been done on optimizing both the dimensions of the three layers as well as determining the best way to distribute dopants within them. For example, in the graded-base transistor, first developed over 40 years ago, it was found that the frequency response of a transistor could be increased by providing a built-in field across the base region to aid the transport of carriers from emitter to collector. In order to produce such field, a resistivity gradient was introduced into the base material as a natural byproduct of the diffusion process.
In FIG. 1a we show a generalized curve of dopant concentration through the crosssection of a transistor. Region 1 of N+ material represents the emitter, region 2 of P type material constitutes the base, and region 3 of N type material forms the collector. Each region was originally formed by using diffusion and/or ion implantation, generally followed by a drive-in diffusion for the purpose of controlling exactly where the interface occurs. In FIG. 1b we show a typical I-V curve 4 (collector current vs. collector to emitter voltage) for a device of this sort. It is evident that, once the knee of the curve has been passed, the current-voltage relationship is linear.
More recently, it has been found that if the base of the device is subdivided into two layers, with the layer closest to the emitter having lower resistivity, a more complicated relationship between I.sub.C and the V.sub.CE results. In FIG. 2a, region 21 of P+ material has been introduced closest to the emitter while region 22 of P type material is the one closest to the collector. This results in the I-V curve seen in FIG. 2b where the curve is seen to be made up of two distinct parts, 25 and 26. Depending on the applied voltage being used, such a device can operate at low gain, with accompanying low power consumption, or it can be operated with higher gain and better current driving capability at higher voltages.
As we will show below, the device and method of the present invention are novel but, nevertheless, there already exists a considerable literature that is relevant to their review and understanding. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,213,988 Yamauchi et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 4,866,000 (Okita), U.S. Pat. No. 4,347,654 (Allen et al.), and U.S. Pat. No. 5,130,262 (Masuelier et al.) all describe bipolar transistors having double bases comprised of the P+ and P- regions. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,480,816 Uga et al. show a bipolar transistor having three base layers, each with a different dopant concentration:- a P+ primary base layer and a secondary base layer made up of a P- and a P layer.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,569,612 Frisina discloses a process for manufacturing a bipolar transistor. An N type region is first formed by epitaxial growth over N+ material following which aluminum ions (boron being counter-indicated) are implanted into the epitaxial layer to form a lightly doped P base. This is followed by the formation of a P+ base within the P base, this time using boron ions.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,496,746, Matthews shows a bipolar transistor having a base layer comprising a buried P+ layer with an intrinsic base and a P- layer. The method of preparation of this device is quite different from that taught by the present invention.
These prior art devices, while having some similarity to the present invention, differ significantly in their internal dimensions and dopant concentrations and therefore provide different I-V curves, breakdown voltages, etc. from those generated by the present invention. Additionally, the present invention teaches a unique process for the manufacture of the device.

Twin current bipolar device with hi-lo base profile

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company


A probe sensor has a printed circuit comprising a coplanar transmission line, a ground plane, a plated-through contact via, and a part-circular ring of ground vias surrounding the contact via. The coplanar transmission line and ground plane are formed on a first layer of the printed circuit, and the contact via and part-circular ring of ground vias are plated with a conductive biocompatible material on a second layer of the printed circuit. A system uses a network analyzer with the probe to measure electrical properties of biological tissue. Also described is a method of using the system to determine qualities of stored blood.

It is known that biological materials, including human and animal tissue and blood, have dielectric properties that vary somewhat with the type of tissue. These dielectric properties include permittivity, and conductivity.
Tissue-specific dielectric properties have historically often been measured with a probe formed from a straight section of coaxial transmission line having an open, unterminated, end that is applied to the tissue. A coaxial probe of this type having diameter of 0.085 inch is, for example, described for use between 10 MHz and 10 GHz in T. Whit Athey, et al. IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, Vol. MTT-28, NO. 4, APRIL 1980, Measurement of Radio Frequency Permittivity of Biological Tissues with an Open-Ended Coaxial Line: Part I. Using such probes, dielectric properties of tissues were found to differ between kidney, muscle, brain, fat, and other tissue types.
Using coaxial probes of various designs, dielectric properties of tissue in the range 10 kHz to 1 MHz have been shown to differ between cancerous and non-cancerous tissues within a human breast, as reported in Ryan J Halter, et al. Physiol. Meas. 30 (2009) S121-S136 The correlation of in vivo and ex vivo tissue dielectric properties to validate electromagnetic breast imaging: initial clinical experience (Halter). The intraoperative coaxial probe used in-vivo by Halter was limited to the 10 to 100 kHz range, however measurements on removed breast tissue indicated that differences in dielectric properties of at least some tumor types and breast stroma also exist at higher frequencies into at least the low MHz range.
There are potential advantages of measuring electrical parameters of tissue in the microwave frequency range, in particular between 100 MHz and 10 GHz. At lower frequencies, differences between permittivity and conductivity may be related to intracellular and extracellular water. At these higher frequencies above 100 MHz, it is possible to quantify total tissue water and to discriminate between free and chemically-bound water in the tissue.

Planar Probe and system for measuring dielectric properties of biological materials


A battery charger/protection device (10) is provided for charging a battery pack (12) comprised of four lithium ion cells. Each of the cells is selectively monitored by examining the voltage thereacross. An overvoltage condition is checked for a cell, an undervoltage condition for a cell is checked and an overcurrent condition for the entire battery pack (12) is checked. This is achieved by comparing the voltage with predetermined threshold voltages during the charging operation. This is a sequential operation wherein each of the batteries is sequentially examined in a continuous manner through the charging operation in accordance with a predetermined scheme. Switches (30) and (28) are provided for terminating a charging operation during charging. During operation, the undervoltage condition can be checked and the charger/protection device (10) placed in a sleep mode. The charger/protection device (10) provides a finite number of terminals for accessing any combination of cells. By connecting the terminals together for an unused cell, information about the cell across those two terminals can be nullified by indicating that no cell is present and that a short has been substituted for the cell, information about this cell then not utilized in the charging monitoring operation. This allows a single part to accommodate different batteries.

Battery chargers typically view a battery as a two terminal device, a positive terminal and a negative terminal. During charging, typical chargers will monitor the voltage across the two terminals and the current entering the battery and the voltage profiles of the battery during charging. For example, one decision made during charging of a NiCd battery is to look for a slight "dip" in the battery voltage. This indicates a fully charged battery.
Lithium ion batteries present a different problem in that these batteries, similar to NiCd batteries, are disposed in series. However, it is very important to ensure that there is no overcharging or overdischarging of a particular cell. A given cell can be overcharged or undercharged and be destroyed. Destruction of a single cell will render an entire battery pack unusable. Therefore, charging systems must be made based upon a given cell and not on the entire group of cells as a battery pack.

Battery charge management/protection apparatus


An ultrasonic welder 10 for providing improved surface finish on weldable material, including an anvil 22 and a fabric element 30 positioned between the anvil 22 and the weldable material 24 thereby protecting the surface finish on the weldable material 24.

The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for ultrasonic welding and, more particularly, to an apparatus for ultrasonic welding with improved surface finish characteristics.
Ultrasonic welding is well-known in the prior art. During ultrasonic welding, materials are welded together by moving the end of an ultrasonic horn against the material with the frequency that lies in the ultrasonic range. The surface oxide and contaminants are disintegrated and dispelled, and a strong metallic bond is formed. A wide variety of types and configurations of ultrasonic welders are known.
Ultrasonic welding has proved highly beneficial in welding a variety of materials, including light weight materials such as aluminum and magnesium. Conventional fusion-based welding technologies potentially present problems such as dimensional instability, surface finish and heat affected zones when applied to such alternate materials. Although some of these problems can be alleviated using post-welding craftsmanship, the time and cost involved in such repair procedures further underlies the value of ultrasonic welding.
Present ultrasonic welders, as well as conventional fusion based welding, have difficulty achieving class-A surface finishes. Often, in ultrasonic welders, both the sonotrode tip and the anvil of ultrasonic welders are knurled to improved the gripping of material. The knurl pattern leads to imprints on the surface of welded articles. This can be highly undesirable when an unaffected surface appearance of the material is desired, as is often the case in automotive body welding. It is known that this imprint may be reduced through the use of smooth surface tips and anvils. The use of these smooth surfaces, however, often requires a higher clamping pressure during welding to compensate for the reduction of material gripping. This increase in clamping pressure results in indentation at the weld area, which again can lead to a negative surface appearance of the material.
It would, therefore, be highly desirable to have a method of welding that reduces the negative effects on surface finish characteristics of the material it welds.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an ultrasonic welder that provides improved surface finish characteristics on weldable material.
In accordance with the object of this invention, an ultrasonic welder is provided. The ultrasonic welder includes an anvil. A fabric element is positioned between the anvil and the weldable material. The fabric element improves the surface finish characteristics of the weldable material contacting the anvil.
Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent when viewed in light of the detailed description of the preferred embodiment when taken in conjunction with the attached drawings and appended claims.


A gas turbine engine includes an engine static structure that has a fluid port. A turbine vane is supported relative to the engine static structure and includes a cooling passage. A flow splitter is provided between the engine static structure and the turbine vane. The flow splitter is configured to divide a flow upstream from the flow splitter into a first fluid flow provided to the fluid port and a second fluid flow provided to the cooling passage.

This disclosure relates to a downstream portion of a diffuser used to provide diffuser flow to various components of a gas turbine engine, for example, for cooling.
A gas turbine engine typically includes a fan section, a compressor section, a combustor section and a turbine section. Air entering the compressor section is compressed and delivered into the combustion section where it is mixed with fuel and ignited to generate a high-speed exhaust gas flow. The high-speed exhaust gas flow expands through the turbine section to drive the compressor and the fan section.
Historically, a fan in the fan section was driven at the same speed as a turbine within the turbine section. More recently, it has been proposed to include a gear reduction between the fan section and a fan drive turbine. With this change, the diameter of the fan has increased dramatically and a bypass ratio or volume of air delivered into the bypass duct compared to a volume delivered into the compressor has increased. With this increase in bypass ratio, it becomes more important to efficiently utilize the air that is delivered into the compressor section. Military engines also benefit from effective use of compressed air.
One factor that increases the efficiency of the use of this air is to have a higher pressure at the exit of a high pressure compressor. This high pressure results in a high temperature increase. The temperature at the exit of the high pressure compressor is known as T3 in the art. T3 air may be used to supply fluid to a diffuser case surrounding a combustor housing in the combustor section to diffuse the compressed air entering the combustor housing. Super-cooled fluid from a heat exchanger may also be used, or used as an alternative to T3 air, to provide a diffuser flow around the combustor housing.
It may be desirable to use diffuser flow for other purposes. Pulling air from large bosses on the diffuser case, over the combustor or first vane, leads to local pressure drops. These pressure drops can greatly affect the dilution effectiveness (pattern factor) of the diffuser flow and vane cooling which both can lead to durability issues for the turbine section due to local hot spots.

Flow splitting first vane support for gas turbine engine