A process and plant for the production of synthesis gas by a series arrangement of heat exchange reforming and autothermal reforming stages, in which the heat required for the reforming reactions in the heat exchange reforming stage is provided by hot effluent synthesis gas from the autothermal reforming stage. The invention optimizes the operation and control of an arrangement of heat exchange reforming and autothermal reforming stages and involves the introduction of an additional waste heat boiler.

The use of a product stream of reformed gas as a source of heat in heat exchange reforming is known in the art. Thus, EP-A-0033128 and EP-A-0334540 deal with parallel arrangements, in which a hydrocarbon feed is introduced in parallel to a tubular reformer and heat exchange reformer. The partially reformed gas from the tubular reformer is then used as heat source for the reforming reactions in the heat exchange reformer.
Other parallel arrangements combine heat exchange reforming and autothermal reforming. EP-A-0983963, EP-A-1106570 and EP-A-0504471 deal with processes in which a hydrocarbon feed is introduced in parallel to a heat exchange reformer and autothermal reformer. The hot product synthesis gas from the autothermal reformer is used as heat exchanging medium for the reforming reactions occurring in the heat exchange reformer.
EP-A-0440258 discloses a process in which the hydrocarbon feed is first passed through a first heat exchange reformer to provide a partially reformed stream. The partially reformed stream is then introduced in parallel to a tubular reformer and second heat exchange reformer. The product streams from both reformers are combined and introduced to an autothermal reformer. The product gas from the autothermal reformer is used as heat source in the second heat exchange reformer, while the product gas from said second heat exchange reformer is used as heat source in the first heat exchange reformer.
Series arrangements are also known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 4,824,658 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,296,679 (FIG. 2 in both references) disclose a process in which the entire hydrocarbon feed is first introduced to a heat exchange reformer, then passed to a tubular reformer and finally to an autothermal reformer. The product gas from the autothermal reformer is used as heat source in the heat exchange reformer.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,376,717 and our US 2009/0184293 disclose a process in which a hydrocarbon feed is first passed through a tubular reformer; the partially reformed gas is then subjected to heat exchange reforming and finally autothermal reforming. The product gas from the latter is used as heat source in the heat exchange reforming.
Our patent DK 148882 discloses a process for production of synthesis gas, in which the hydrocarbon feed is passed through a heat exchange reforming and autothermal reformer, and where the product gas from the latter is used as heat source in the heat exchange reformer.
The use of heat exchange reformers in the production of synthetic fuels by the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis has significant benefits. Potential benefits compared to other technologies include reduced oxygen consumption, lower capital cost per unit of product, and a higher carbon and energy efficiency. In plants for production of chemicals such as methanol, the use of heat exchange reformers has similar advantages.
In our co-pending patent application PCT/EP2011/006179 we disclose a process in which a hydrocarbon feed is passed through a heat exchange reformer and an autothermal reformer and where the product flow from the latter is used as heat source in the heat exchange reformer. Tail gas from the FT-synthesis is added after the heat exchange reformer and before the autothermal reformer. The addition of tail gas is adjusted to give the desired stoichiometric ratio of H2/CO equal to about 2 in the effluent stream from the autothermal reformer. Steam is added downstream the autothermal reformer to reduce the aggressivity of the gas passed to the heat exchange reformer with respect to metal dusting.
A specific embodiment also disclosed in PCT/EP2011/006179 is where part of the hydrocarbon feedstock bypasses the heat exchange reformer and is directed directly to the autothermal reformer. This reduces the efficiency of the total plant and increases the oxygen consumption compared to the embodiment without bypass.
It is generally preferred to direct all the product flow from the autothermal reformer to the heat exchange reformer. If only part of the flow is used as heating medium, the size of the heat exchange reformer must be increased to compensate for a lower driving force (lower temperature difference) for heat transfer.
Heat exchange reformers may also be coupled in a similar manner with other partial oxidation reactors. In addition to autothermal reforming (ATR), such reactors include non catalytic partial oxidation (POX) such as gasifiers, and catalytic partial oxidation (CPO), although autothermal reforming (ATR) is preferred. ATR and CPO are provided with a fixed bed of catalyst. As used herein the term autothermal reforming (ATR) encompasses also secondary reforming.
However, for many processes such as those mentioned above, especially for large scale plants comprising a heat exchange reformer and an autothermal reformer, it may be preferred to operate with a low steam-to-carbon ratio. This is for example the case when the produced synthesis gas is to be used for subsequent hydrocarbon synthesis via the Fischer-Tropsch (FT) synthesis. Operation at high steam-to-carbon ratios means higher flow rates due to the increased amount of steam in the feed. In other words, operating at high steam-to-carbon ratios means that the capital cost due to the use of larger equipment may be prohibitively large, especially for large scale plants. Furthermore, high steam-to-carbon ratio means that a larger amount of carbon dioxide is formed in the process. This is in many cases a disadvantage such as for example in plants for the production of synthetic fuels by the low temperature Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. In the low temperature Fischer-Tropsch synthesis carbon dioxide is considered an inert and not a reactant.
Operating at low steam-to-carbon ratios in plants comprising a heat exchange reformer creates a number of challenges. One such challenge is the risk of carbon formation on the catalyst in the heat exchange reformer:CH4→C+2H2  (1)
Carbon on the catalyst may also be formed from higher hydrocarbons (hydrocarbons with two or more carbon atoms in the molecule) or from carbon monoxide according to similar reactions as described in the literature.
The formed carbon may lead to catalyst deactivation and/or catalyst disintegration and build up of pressure drop. This is undesired.
The risk of carbon formation is linked to the catalyst temperature and the steam-to-carbon ratio. For a given feed gas composition and pressure, the steam-to-carbon ratio in the feed gas must be raised if the catalyst temperature is increased. As a higher steam-to-carbon ratio may be uneconomical as described above, it is important to be able to control the temperature in the catalyst of the heat exchange reformer to avoid addition of excessive steam. The temperature control thereby enables operation closer to the carbon limit without exceeding it. In most cases the catalyst temperature reaches its maximum at the outlet of the heat exchange reformer.
Another challenge for the use of heat exchange reformers is metal dusting corrosion. In many cases especially at low steam-to-carbon ratios the prevention or minimisation of metal dusting requires the use of high alloy and/or special materials in the reactor itself. Such alloys are generally expensive and it is therefore generally desired to minimise the size and the heat transfer surface of the heat exchange reformer reactor itself.
In the aforementioned processes comprising a heat exchange reformer upstream and in series with an autothermal reformer, the simultaneous control of the catalyst exit temperature from the heat exchange reformer and the synthesis gas production and quality (e.g obtaining the desired H2/CO-ratio of about 2 for production of synthesis gas for the FT-synthesis) is not straightforward. This is particularly the case when it is considered that the synthesis gas production unit is required to operate under different conditions such as part load and with different natural gas feed and tail gas compositions. Furthermore, the plant production should remain unaffected even in the case of progressive fouling of the heat exchange reformer itself. Fouling is known to the industry and in the art and has in this case the consequence that the heat transferred from the effluent of the autothermal reformer to the catalyst side of the heat exchange reformer is reduced.
In several of the processes described above, the hydrocarbon feed is passed through a heat exchange reformer and then an autothermal reformer and where the product flow from the latter is used as heat source in the heat exchange reformer.
Fouling is known to the person skilled in the art as unwanted material accumulating on the surface of the heat exchanging equipment. This material creates extra resistance to the heat exchange. In a heat exchange reformer the consequence will be that the heat transferred from the effluent of the autothermal reformer to the catalyst side of the heat exchange reformer is reduced.
In the initial period of operation, fouling is generally very low. However, over time, fouling of the heat exchange reformer surface may take place reducing the heat transferred from the autothermal reformer effluent stream to the catalyst side of the heat exchange reformer. This means the exit temperature from the catalyst side of the heat exchange reformer will drop if no countermeasures are taken. The autothermal reformer exit temperature will as a consequence of the lower heat exchange reformer exit temperature also decrease, which again will lead to an additional drop in the heat exchange reformer outlet temperature and so forth. This feed and effluent relationship between the autothermal reformer and heat exchange reformer means that the effect of fouling is amplified, thus a small decrease in the heat exchange reformer ability to transfer heat may lead to a large decrease in heat exchange reformer exit temperature.
This will in turn lead to reduced plant efficiency and/or reduced production, and/or increased oxygen consumption per unit of synthesis gas produced.
In order to maintain conversion of the hydrocarbon feedstock and maintain production, various countermeasures may be considered. The first is to preheat the feedstock to the heat exchange reformer to a higher temperature. However, this requires import of additional fuel and reduces the overall plant energy efficiency. Another alternative is to accept the lower exit temperature (and thereby the lower conversion of the hydrocarbon feedstock) from the heat exchange reformer and increase the conversion in the autothermal reformer. However, this requires additional oxygen and thereby increases the capital cost associated with the expensive air separation unit used to produce the oxygen. In addition, the plant efficiency will normally drop.
An alternative would be to design the size of the heat exchange reformer to take into account the reduction of the heat transfer due to fouling. However, in this case the temperature at the outlet of the heat exchange reformer on the catalyst side during the initial period of operation (before any significant fouling has occurred) could become too high increasing the risk of carbon formation on the catalyst.
As described above in one embodiment of the aforementioned patent application PCT/EP2011/006179, part of the hydrocarbon feedstock bypasses the heat exchange reformer and is directed to the autothermal reformer. In such an embodiment, the fraction of the hydrocarbon feedstock bypassing the heat exchange reformer can be used to control the temperature out of the heat exchange reformer. The heat exchange reformer may for example be designed for a specific bypass during start of operation (before fouling has taken place). As fouling occurs the fraction of the flow bypassing the heat exchange reformer can be increased to maintain the catalyst outlet temperature from the heat exchange reformer. Production can be maintained by increasing the hydrocarbon feedstock flow. However, the plant efficiency will also drop in this case.
It is thus the objective of the present invention to provide a process for production of synthesis gas comprising a heat exchange reformer and an autothermal reformer where the exit temperature from the heat exchange reformer and the synthesis gas production can be maintained during operation with no or very limited loss of efficiency and with no or a very limited increase in the oxygen consumption.


A connector includes substantially H-shaped contacts; fixtures fixing the connector to a substrate on longitudinal ends; a housing having a ceiling portion covering contact portions of the contacts, a protection wall at the end of the ceiling portion on the fitting opening side for preventing raising of the ceiling portion on being accidentally forced upward, extension walls at the longitudinal ends for holding the fixtures, and slits each between the extension wall and a bearing for a pivoting member; and the pivoting member having an actuating portion, urging portions, and anchoring holes and mounted on the housing such that between the connection portions and the pressure receiving portions of the contacts the urging portions perform a compact pivotal movement with rotation axis moving. The connector is mounted on one side surface of the substrate to achieve more reduced overall height and superior operationality of the pivoting member.

The present invention relates to a connector for use in electric and electronic appliances such as mobile appliances and the like, and more particularly to a connector superior in stable electrical connection with a connecting object such as a flexible printed circuit board or flexible flat cable and capable of being mounted on a side surface of a substrate.
Connectors for use in mobile phones, CCD cameras (charge coupled device cameras) and the like are very thin in overall height and have extremely narrow pitches (so-called lighter and more compact). These connectors each mainly comprise a housing, contacts and a slider to embrace a flexible printed circuit board or flexible flat cable between the housing and the slider. Various methods may be envisioned for holding a circuit board or flat cable by the housing and the slider. There have been constructions used in many cases that after a flexible printed circuit board or flat cable has been inserted into the housing, the slider is inserted into the housing to press the circuit board or cable against the contacts.
In recent years, moreover, connectors using a pivoting member instead of the slider are increasingly being used to bring contacts into contact with a connecting object such as a flexible circuit board. In one type of these connectors, a pivoting member is pivotally moved on the side of insertion of a connecting object (front pivoting type), and in the other type, a pivoting member is pivotally moved on the opposite side of insertion of a connecting object (rear pivoting type).
The connector of the front pivoting type has been disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Opened No. 2000-106,238 (Patent Literature 1). The connectors of the rear pivoting type have been disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Opened No. 2003-297,489 (Patent Literature 2), Japanese Patent Application No. H11-307,198/1999 (Patent Literature 3), and Japanese Patent Application Opened No. 2004-71,160 (Patent Literature 4). Moreover, the applicant of the present application has proposed a connector of the rear pivoting type in Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-233,197 (Patent Literature 5).
Patent Literature 1
According to the Abstract of the Japanese Patent Application Opened No. 2000-106,238, this invention has an object to provide a connector for a cable, which requires only a slight operating force even if there are very many conductors of the cable. Disclosed in the Patent Literature 1 is a connector for a cable comprising contacts each having a contact portion facing to one surface of a cable and a pivot portion facing to the rear surface of the cable, and an actuating element adapted to press the cable against the contact portions of the contacts and having cam portions positioned between the pivot portions and the cable and holes into which the pivot portions are inserted with clearances, the pivot portions each having a recess corresponding to the cam portion so that the actuating element is adapted to engage the pivot portions in a manner that the actuating element is pivotally movable about the cam portions. By the way, claim 1 of the Japanese Patent Application Opened No. 2000-106,238 recites that in a connector including contacts each having a contact portion facing to one surface of said cable and a pivot portion facing to the opposite surface of the cable, an insulator for holding said contacts, and an actuating element for pressing the cable against the contact portions of said contacts, said actuating element includes cam portions positioned between the pivot portions and the cable and holes into which said pivot portions are inserted with clearances, respectively, and said pivot portions each having a recess corresponding to said cam portion so that said actuating element is adapted to engage the pivot portions in a manner that the actuating element is pivotally movable about the cam portions. Claim 2 recites that said insulator includes anchoring portions adapted to engage said actuating elements to hold said actuating elements in a manner that said cam portions are spaced from said contact portions of the contacts when the cable has not been connected to the connector. Claim 3 recites that said cable is a flat cable, and said insulator includes a cable anchoring groove for preventing the cable from moving in the direction progressively becoming thicker by receiving a side edge of the cable in the cable anchoring groove when the cable has been connected to the connector. Claim 4 recites that in a connector obtaining electrical connection between contacts and a cable in a manner that the surface of the cable on the opposite side of its surface facing to the contact portions of the contacts is urged against the contact portions by the rotational actuating element, said contact portions each provided with at least two contact side projections, while said actuating element is provided with actuating element side projections corresponding to spaces between said contact side projections. Claim 5 recites the connector including said contacts each having a pivot portion facing to the opposite surface of the cable and said actuating element having cam portions between the pivot portions and the cable, said cam portions each provided with said actuating element side projection.
"Patent Literature 2"
According to the Abstract of the Japanese Patent Application Opened No. 2003-297,489, this invention has an object to provide a connector of reduced overall height including an actuator to be operated by only a slight operating force and enabling contacts to move large distances to perform reliable connection of the contacts. The actuator includes cam portions and an actuating portion, and the actuator is formed between the cam portions and the actuating portion with relief grooves into and from which tips of spring portions of the contacts are inserted and removed. When the actuator is rotated clockwise about its fulcrum point through 90 degrees, the cam portions cause the spring portions and connection spring portions to be elastically deformed, thereby embracing the flexible circuit board between projections of the contact portions of the contacts to achieve electrical connection between patterns of the circuit board and a printed board through terminals of the contacts. A ceiling portion of an insulator or housing covers the contact portions of the contacts, and the lower portion under the ceiling portion on the front side is formed with a guide for inserting the circuit board into the connector. By the way, the claim 1 of the Japanese Patent Application Opened No. 2003-297,489 recites that in a connector including contacts, an insulator for holding the contacts, and an actuator rotatably mounted on the insulator and causing the contacts to be elastically deformed to bring them into contact with a connecting object, the contacts each comprise a first beam having a contact portion at its one end adapted to contact the connecting object and an actuated portion at the other end adapted to be actuated by the actuator, a second beam having a contact portion at its one end adapted to contact the connecting object and a terminal at the other end to be connected to a printed substrate, and a connecting spring for connecting the first and second beams, and said insulator has a ceiling portion for covering at least the contact portions of the contacts on the fitting side and said ceiling portion formed with a guide for guiding the insertion of the connecting object. Claim 2 recites a connector of the contacts each of which has at least one contact portion having in the proximity of the connecting spring an inclined portion inclining toward the connecting object. Claim 3 recites a connector of the actuator having an actuating portion, cam portions for actuating the actuated portions of the contacts, and relief groves positioned between the actuating portion and the cam portions so that in the state that the connecting object is not connected to the connector, the actuated portions can be inserted into the relief grooves. Claim 4 recites that in a connector including contacts, an insulator holding the contacts, and an actuator rotatably mounted on the insulator and causing the contacts to be elastically deformed to bring them into contact with a connecting object, said contacts each comprise a first beam having a contact portion at its one end adapted to contact the connecting object and an actuated portion at the other end adapted to be actuated by the actuator, a second beam having a contact portion at its one end adapted to contact the connecting object and a terminal at the other end to be connected to a printed substrate, and a connecting spring for connecting the first and second beams, said contact portion of the first beam having a first projection and a second projection extending toward the connecting object and arranged side by side in the inserting direction of the connecting object, and said contact portion of the second beam having a third projection and a fourth projection extending toward the connecting object and arranged side by side in the inserting direction of the connecting object, so that depending upon the third projection being positioned between the first and second projections or the first projection being positioned between the third and fourth projections, the first and second projections or the third and fourth projections come into contact with the connecting object.
"Patent Literature 3"
According to the Abstract of Japanese Patent Application Opened No. H11-307,198/1999, this invention has an object to improve operationality and holding power of a connector connecting a plurality of terminals and holding a flexible printed circuit board and the like. The disclosed connector for a printed circuit board includes a housing formed with inserting groove for inserting the flexible printed circuit board, a plurality of contacts provided side by side whose contact portions are arranged to extend and retract relative to the inserting groove, and an actuating member arranged pivotally movably between a connecting and a disconnecting position. The actuating member is provided with a plurality of cams so that when the actuating member is in the connecting position, contacts are urged with their actuated portions by the cams to extend their contact portions into the inserting groove thereby enabling the contact portions to be pressed against and connected to terminals of the flexible printed circuit board and holding the circuit board. On the other hand, when the actuating member is in the disconnecting position, some contacts are urged with their actuated portions by the cams to slightly extend their contact portions into the inserting groove so as to abut against the flexible printed circuit board or the like, thereby temporarily holding the circuit board, while the contact portions of the remaining contacts are retracted from the inserting groove. By the way, claim 1 of the Japanese Patent Application Opened No. H11-307,198/1999 recites that in a connector for a printed circuit board, provided with a plurality of contacts arranged side by side for connecting a plurality of terminals of a printed circuit board or the like in the lump, said connector comprises a housing having an inserting groove for inserting the printed circuit board or the like, said contacts arranged to extend and retract relative to said inserting groove, and an actuating member provided movably between a connecting and a disconnecting position, and when the actuating member is in the connecting position, the contacts are urged by the actuating member so as to extend into the inserting groove to press the terminals of the flexible printed circuit board or the like so that the contacts are connected to the terminals and hold the printed circuit board or the like, and when the actuating member is in the disconnecting position, some of the contacts extend slightly into the inserting groove to abut against and temporarily hold the printed circuit board or the like, and the remaining contacts retract relative to the inserting groove. Claim 2 recites a connector for a printed circuit board in that the plurality of the contacts are formed in the same shape and the actuating member is provided with a plurality of cams, and when the actuating member is in the connecting position, the contacts are urged by the cams to extend into the inserting groove, and when the actuating member is in the disconnecting position, the some contacts are urged by the cams to slightly extend into the inserting groove and the remaining contacts are retracted relative to the inserting groove.
"Patent Literature 4"
According to the Abstract of the Japanese Patent Application Opened No. 2004-71,160, this invention has an object to provide a connector capable of securely urging a flexible printed circuit board or flexible flat cable to contact portions of contacts with the aid of a slider without degrading strength of respective members and specifications or customers demands, and capable of being used with high operationality and fully complying with requirements such as narrower pitches of conductors and reduced overall height. This connector comprises contacts each comprising a contact portion, a connection portion, and an elastic portion and a fulcrum portion between the contact portion and the connection portion, and a pressure receiving portion extending from the elastic portion in a position facing to the connection portion, and the contact portion, elastic portion, fulcrum portion and connection portion being arranged in the form of a crank, and a slider comprising urging portions arranged continuously in the longitudinal direction and pivotally mounted on a housing so that the urging portions are pivotally moved in a space between the connection portions and pressure receiving portions of the contacts. Claim 1 of the Japanese Patent Application Opened No. 2004-71,160 recites a connector removably fitted with a flexible printed circuit board or flexible flat cable, including a required number of contacts having a contact portion adapted to contact said flexible printed circuit board or flexible flat cable, a housing holding and fixing the contacts and having a fitting opening for inserting the flexible printed circuit board or flexible flat cable, and a slider for urging the flexible printed circuit board or flexible flat cable to the contacts, wherein the contacts each comprise an elastic portion and a fulcrum portion between the contact portion and a connection portion, and a pressure receiving portion extending from the elastic portion and located in a position facing to the connection portion, and the contact portion, elastic portion, fulcrum portion and connection portion being arranged substantially in the form of a crank, and the slider is provided with urging portions continuously arranged in its longitudinal direction and is mounted on the housing so that the urging portions are pivotally moved in a space between the connection portions and pressure receiving portions of the contacts. Claim 2 recites a connector removably fitted with a flexible printed circuit board or flexible flat cable, including a required number of contacts having a contact portion adapted to contact said flexible printed circuit board or flexible flat cable, a housing holding and fixing the contacts and having a fitting opening for inserting the flexible printed circuit board or flexible flat cable, and a slider for urging the flexible printed circuit board or flexible flat cable to the contacts, wherein two kinds of contacts are arranged alternately staggered, the contacts of one kind each comprising an elastic portion and a fulcrum portion between the contact portion and a connection portion, and a pressure receiving portion extending from the elastic portion in a position facing to the connection portion, and the contact portion, elastic portion, fulcrum portion and connection portion being arranged substantially in the form of a crank, and the contacts of the other kind each comprising an elastic portion and a fulcrum portion between the contact portion and a connection portion, and a pressure receiving portion extending in the opposite direction of the contact portion, and the contact portion, elastic portion, fulcrum portion, and connection portion being arranged substantially in the form of a U-shape, and the slider is provided with urging portions arranged continuously in its longitudinal direction and mounted on the housing so that the urging portions are pivotally moved in a space between the connection portions and the pressure receiving portions of the contacts of the one kind and between the pressure receiving portions of the contacts of the other kind and the housing. Claim 3 recites that when the urging portions of the slider are pivotally moved in the space between the connection portions and the pressure receiving portions of the contacts of the one kind, the pressure receiving portions are raised by the urging portions so that the elastic portions are tilted about the fulcrum portions toward the contact portions to urge the contact portions against the flexible printed circuit board or flexible flat cable. Claim 4 recites that the pressure receiving portions of the contacts of the one kind or the other kind are each provided with a projection so that the urging portions of the slider are prevented from moving toward the connection portions of the contacts of the one kind. Claim 5 recites that the urging portions of the slider are of an elongated shape. Claim 6 recites that the slider is formed with a required number of anchoring holes independent from one another, which are adapted to engage the projections of the contacts, respectively. Claim 7 recites the elongated urging portions being in the form of an ellipsoid. Claim 8 recites a connector of contacts each provided with a further contact portion at a location extending from the fulcrum portion and adapted to contact the flexible printed circuit board or flexible flat cable. Claim 9 recites that the contacts of the other kind are each provided with an extension portion extending from the fulcrum in the opposite direction of the connection portion, and the slider is mounted on the housing so that the urging portions of the slider are pivotally moved in the space between the extension portions and the pressure receiving portions. Claim 10 recites a connector of the contacts of the other kind each provided between the fulcrum portion and the connection portion with a contact portion adapted to contact the flexible printed circuit board or flexible flat cable.
"Patent Literature 5"
According to the Abstract of the Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-233,197, this invention has an object to provide a connector which achieves a miniaturization or reduced overall height, and a stable electrical connection with simple operation and slight operating force without any failed connection even if being subjected to undue external force. Disclosed is the connector comprising contacts each including a first piece having a contact portion at one end adapted to contact the connecting object, a pressure receiving portion at the other end to be urged by the pivoting member, and a projection inwardly extending from the tip of the pressure receiving portion, a second piece having at one end a connection portion to be connected to a substrate and at the other end a fulcrum portion, and an elastic portion for connecting the first piece and the fulcrum portion, and the contact portion, elastic portion, fulcrum portion and connection portion being arranged in the form of a crank; a housing formed with protection walls at least at both the ends for preventing its ceiling portion from being raised when the connecting object is subjected to accidental external force upward; and a pivoting member including a actuating portion, urging portions, projections and anchoring holes so that the axis of rotation is moved with its pivotal movement to achieve their compact rotation. Incidentally, Claim 1 of the Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-233,197 recites a connector including a plurality of contacts having at least one contact portion adapted to contact a connecting object, a housing arranging and holding said contacts and having a fitting opening into which said connecting object is inserted, and a pivoting member for causing said contacts to be elastically deformed to urge said contacts against said connecting object, wherein said contacts each comprise a first piece having the contact portion at one end adapted to contact said connecting object, a pressure receiving portion at the other end adapted to be urged by said pivoting member, and a projection inwardly extending from the tip of said pressure receiving portion; a second piece having a fulcrum portion at one end and a connection portion at the other end adapted to be connected to a board; and an elastic portion for connecting said first piece and said fulcrum portion; and said contact portion, said elastic portion, said fulcrum portion and said connection portion being arranged substantially in the form of a crank, wherein said housing includes a ceiling portion for covering said contact portions of the contacts, said ceiling portion being formed at least on both the ends with protection walls for preventing said ceiling portion from being raised when said connecting object is accidentally subjected to undue external force upward, and wherein said pivoting member includes an actuating portion for pivotally moving said pivoting member, urging portions continuously arranged in the longitudinal direction of the pivoting member, and anchoring grooves independent from one another for receiving therein said pressure receiving portions and adapted to engage said projections, respectively, and said pivoting member is mounted on said housing so that the urging portions are pivotally moved between the connection portions and the pressure receiving portions of the contacts, and the rotational axis of said urging portions is moved with their pivotal movement to achieve their compact rotation. Claim 2 recites a connector including a plurality of contacts having at least one contact portion adapted to contact a connecting object, a housing arranging and holding said contacts and having a fitting opening into which said connecting object is inserted, and a pivoting member for causing said contacts to be elastically deformed to urge said contacts against said connecting object, wherein said contacts consist of two kinds of contacts arranged alternately staggered, said contacts of the one kind each comprising a first piece having the contact portion at one end adapted to contact said connecting object and a pressure receiving portion at the other end adapted to be urged by said pivoting member; a second piece having a fulcrum portion at one end and a connection portion at the other end adapted to be connected to a board; and an elastic portion for connecting said first piece and said fulcrum portion; and said contact portion, said elastic portion, said fulcrum portion and said connection portion being arranged substantially in the form of a crank, and said contacts of the other kind each comprising a first piece having the contact portion at one end adapted to contact said connecting object and a pressure receiving portion at the other end adapted to be urged by said pivoting member; a second piece having a connection portion at one end adapted to be connected to a board and a fulcrum portion at the other end; and an elastic portion for connecting said first piece and said fulcrum portion; and said contact portion, said elastic portion, said fulcrum portion and said connection portion being arranged substantially in the form of a U-shape, and said pressure receiving portions of the contacts of at least either the one kind or the other kind being each provided at the tip with an inwardly extending projection, wherein said housing includes a ceiling portion for covering said contact portions of the contacts, said ceiling portion being formed at least on both the ends with protection walls for preventing said ceiling portion from being raised when said connecting object is accidentally subjected to undue external force upward, and wherein said pivoting member includes an actuating portion for pivotally moving said pivoting member, urging portions continuously arranged in the longitudinal direction of the pivoting member, and anchoring grooves independent from one another for receiving therein said pressure receiving portions and adapted to engage said projections, respectively, and said pivoting member is mounted on said housing so that the urging portions are pivotally moved between the connection portions and the pressure receiving portions of the contacts of the one kind and between the pressure receiving portions of the contacts of the other kind and the housing, and the rotational axis of said urging portions is moved with their pivotal movement to achieve their compact rotation. Claim 3 recites that when the connecting object is connected to the connector, the urging portions of the pivoting member are positioned such that before connecting said connecting object to said connector, the lower ends of said urging portions are positioned between the projections of said pressure receiving portions and the connection portions and the housing or extension portions, that second on pivotally moving said actuating portion of the pivoting member, said urging portions are moved in a direction opposite to said fitting opening so that the lower ends of said urging portions are embraced between the projections of said pressure receiving portions and the connection portions and the housing or extension portions, that third on further pivotally moving said actuating portion of the pivoting member, said urging portions at their second position are pivotally moved about the center of said urging portions as their rotational axis, that fourth on further pivotally moving said actuating portion of the pivoting member, said urging portions at their third position are pivotally moved about the center of said urging portions as their rotational axis so that said urging portions stand substantially upright between said pressure receiving portions and said connection portions and the housing or the extension portions, and the rotational axis is moved toward the upper ends of said urging portions in contact with said projections, and that finally on further pivotally moving said actuating portion of the pivoting member, said urging portions at their fourth position are pivotally moved about a center in the proximity of the upper ends of said urging portions in contact with said projections to cause said urging portions to engage said projections. Claim 4 recites that said ceiling portion is further provided with a protection wall substantially at its center for preventing said ceiling portion from being raised when the connecting object is accidentally subjected to undue external force upward. Claim 5 recites that said contacts and said contacts of the one kind are each provided with an extension portion extending from the fulcrum portion in such a direction that said extension portion faces to said contact portion. Claim 6 recites that said contacts of the other kind are each provided with an extension portion extending from the fulcrum portion in such a direction that said extension portion faces to said pressure receiving portion, and said pivoting member is mounted on the housing so that said urging portions of the pivoting member are pivotally moved between said extension portions and said pressure receiving portions. Claim 7 recites that a further contact portion adapted to contact the connecting object is provided on said extension portion of each of said contacts and said contacts of the one kind, and a further contact portion adapted to contact the connecting object is also provided between said fulcrum portion and the connection portion of each of said contacts of the other kind. Claim 8 recites that said housing is provided with recessed portions on the side of the fitting opening for conducting a connecting object, and the contacts of the other kind are so arranged that the connection portions of the contacts do not extend from said recessed portions. Claim 9 recites that the connecting object is provided with anchoring portions, and there are provided locking members each having an engaging portion adapted to engage said anchoring portion and said locking means are substantially the same in construction as that of said contacts, said contacts of the one kind or said contacts of the other kind. Claim 10 recites that said further contact portion provided on said extension portion of each of said contacts and said contacts of the one kind is constructed to have elasticity, and said further contact portion provided between the fulcrum portion and the connection portion of each of said contacts of the other kind is constructed to have elasticity. Claim 11 recites that the housing is provided with anchoring portions at locations corresponding to the connection portions of said contacts or said contacts of the one kind, while the connection portions of said contacts and said contacts of the one kind are each provided with an inclined engaging portion adapted to engage said anchoring portion, and said extension portions of said contacts and said contacts of the one kind are not held by the housing. Claim 12 recites that when inserting said contact or said contact of the one kind into said housing from the opposite side of said fitting opening, at the commencement of the engagement of the anchoring portion with the engaging portion, the contact portion of the contact is substantially in parallel with an inserting hole of the housing, and on proceeding of the insertion the contact is obliquely inclined so that the contact portion of the contact comes into contact with the upper wall of the inserting hole, and wherein when the insertion of the contact has been completed, the contact portion has returned in parallel with the inserting hole with the aid of said inclined engaging portion.
In the above connectors disclosed in the Patent Literatures 1 to 5, the pivoting member is pivotally moved on the side of the fitting opening or on the opposite side thereto to bring the contacts into contact with a connecting object such as a flexible printed circuit board, and the connector is mounted onto the upper or lower surface of a substrate in either case.
Even with these connectors disclosed in the Patent Literatures 1 to 5, the connector is frequently mounted onto a substrate on its side surface depending on a customer's specification or owing to a limitation of mounting space of a substrate. With the connectors of these Literatures, however, in the case that parts are mounted only one surface of a substrate according to a customer's specification, it would be impossible to achieve a reduced overall height (height of mounted connector) of not more than 0.9 mm and, in addition, operation of the pivoting member would become difficult.
Moreover, the connectors disclosed in the Patent Literatures 1 to 5 suffer a disadvantage from poor holding forces for connectors so that they would be dislodged from the substrate when a connecting object such as a flexible printed circuit board is subjected to an accidental external force.


Anti-inflammatory proteins/peptides are described, as well as their uses, methods of preparation, and methods of their detection. Specifically described are major royal jelly proteins modified by methylglyoxal and fragments thereof from a Leptospermum derived honey and royal jelly.

Honey has been used for centuries by cultures through the world for its multiple health benefits. Two of the most important health benefits of honey are its anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Manuka honey, which is produced by bees that collect nectar from Leptospermum scoparium, a plant native to New Zealand and southern Australia, has been identified as being a variety of honey that exhibits particularly effective anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Jelly Bush honey, which is produced by bees that collect nectar from Leptospermum polygalifolium, a plant native to Australia, has also been identified as being a variety of honey that exhibits particularly effective anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.
Recently, it was discovered that the chemical, methylglyoxal (MGO, also called 2-oxopropanal and pyruvaldehyde), is a major component of the antibacterial activity of Leptospermum derived honey, such as manuka honey and jelly bush honey. Manuka honey and jelly bush honey samples contain greater concentrations of MGO, and have a higher amount of anti-bacterial activity as compared to honey samples with lower concentrations of MGO. MGO is believed to confer anti-bacterial properties on honey because MGO is a highly chemically reactive compound, and MGO can readily react with cellular molecules. The chemical reactions between MGO and cellular molecules in bacteria damage bacterial molecules that are important for viability. In this way, MGO functions as an antibacterial agent.
The presence of high levels of MGO in the honey is a feature that distinguishes manuka honey and jelly bush honey from other varieties of honey. While most varieties of honey exhibit some anti-bacterial activity, the anti-bacterial activity in most varieties of honey is primarily a result of the presence of hydrogen peroxide in the honey. Leptospermum derived honey, in contrast, exhibits anti-bacterial activity primarily because of the presence of MGO in the honey.
In 2004, Kohno et. al. examined the anti-inflammatory effects or actions of royal jelly at a cytokine level. The results suggest that royal jelly has anti-inflammatory actions brought about by an inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokine production, such as TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1, by activated macrophages. The study further suggests that the active fractions or components from the royal jelly extracts are sized between 5 kDa and 30 kDa. Thus, most honeys may have a weak anti-inflammatory effect due to royal jelly proteins that occur in the honey.
While multiple mechanisms of action of the anti-bacterial activity of manuka honey have been elucidated, the mechanisms whereby manuka honey functions as an anti-inflammatory agent have remained unknown. There is a need to develop anti-inflammatory agents based on honey, as many anti-inflammatory agents currently available have major drawbacks to their use. For example, COX-2 inhibitors, a form of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), may increase the risk of heart attack and stroke in patients, and aspirin may increase the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding. Additionally, corticosteroids are reported to inhibit the growth of epithelial cells and NSAIDs are reported as being cytotoxic so both of these classes of anti-inflammatory agents are unsuitable for use in wound care. Anti-inflammatory agents derived from honey may have fewer toxic side effects in one or more areas than drugs currently available, and may also offer different possible uses than anti-inflammatory drugs currently available.
Described in the co-pending application PCT/NZ/2011/000271 is a modified apalbumin of approximately 55-75 kDa from manuka honey that results from the high levels of methylglyoxal found in manuka honey. The inventors have identified that the modified apalbumin or major royal jelly protein has significantly greater anti-inflammatory properties than an unmodified apalbumin or major royal jelly protein.

Anti-inflammatory proteins and peptides and methods of preparation and use thereof


A method and system for emulating content-addressable memory (CAM) primitives (e.g., a read operation) is disclosed. According to one embodiment, a method is provided for emulating a read operation on a plurality of CAM elements utilizing a read input including match input data and a CAM element selection index. In the described method, match reference data is distributed among a plurality of random-access memory (RAM) elements by storing match reference data corresponding to each of the plurality of CAM elements within a first RAM element of the plurality. Thereafter, a first record is identified within the first RAM element utilizing a first portion of the match input data and the CAM element selection index. A read operation result is then generated utilizing the first record.

1. Technical Field
Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to data processing system memory resources and more particularly to a method and system for emulating content-addressable memory primitives.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional data processing system, data and instructions are stored within memory storage elements arranged in a hierarchical structure. In a typical hierarchical memory or storage structure, smaller, faster memory elements are located closer (in terms of physical structure) and more tightly coupled (communicatively) to processing elements (e.g., processors or processor cores) and store a subset of data and/or instructions stored in larger, slower memory elements (e.g., fixed or removable magnetic or optical disks, tape storage, or the like) elsewhere within or coupled to the data processing system. One type of memory element used frequently in data processing systems for so-called "main" or system memory is random-access memory.
In a conventional random-access memory or "RAM" element, data values are stored in an array of addressed memory locations. To perform a read operation on a RAM element, an address (e.g., a data processing system memory address) is applied to the RAM element, causing data stored at the applied address to be accessed and presented by the RAM.
In order to determine whether a particular data value is stored within a RAM element, an address-based data searching method is performed in which data values are sequentially read out from the RAM and compared with the searched-for data value. Specifically, a series of addresses are sequentially transmitted to an address port of the RAM, thereby causing data values to be read out from the memory locations addressed. A separate comparator element is then used to compare each of the output data values with the searched-for data value, generating a signal when a match occurs. When a large number of data values is to be searched or compared, such address-based search operations are very time consuming as only a single data value is typically processed each clock cycle.
Another type of memory element used in data processing systems to perform data search or comparison operations is content-addressable memory. In a content-addressable memory (CAM) element, a data value may be searched by content, rather than address. In a conventional CAM, data values are stored such that each data value is assigned to a row or column of an array of storage cells. To determine whether a particular data value is stored in a CAM element, a content-based data match operation is performed in which a searched-for data value is simultaneously compared with all rows/columns containing the pre-loaded data values. When one or more of the pre-loaded data values matches the searched-for data value, a "match" signal is generated by the CAM element, along with an address indicating the storage location (i.e., row or column) of the matching pre-loaded data value.
By simultaneously comparing searched-for data with several pre-loaded data values, a CAM element is able to perform comparison or matching operations involving several pre-loaded data values in a single clock cycle. Consequently, CAM elements significantly reduce the time needed to identify a specific data value within a large amount of data as compared with conventional RAM elements and are used frequently for search or pattern-matching-intensive applications. FIG. 1 illustrates a data processing system processor cache as one such exemplary application. The depicted data processing system processor cache 100 includes a cache memory element 102 coupled to a cache tag lookup element 104 as shown. For purposes of illustration, data processing system processor cache 100 will be described herein as a 32 kilobyte cache having 1024 lines of 32 bytes each and organized as a 64-way set associative cache including 16 sets.
Data processing system processor cache 100, as depicted in FIG. 1, is addressed using a 32 bit address with bits 0 through 4 (represented as bits 4:0) identifying a specific byte within a cache line, bits 5 through 8 (represented as bits 8:5) identifying a specific set of the 16 possible sets, and remaining bits (represented as bits 31:9) making up a "cache tag" which identifies a block-frame address in memory where the cache line resides. In a conventional cache memory, a cache tag is used to verify that the cache line addressed in fact stores the requested data.
Cache tag lookup element 104 includes a number of CAM elements 106A, 106B, . . . 106N coupled to a multiplexer 108 and to a match indication signal generation element, (e.g., OR gate 110). In the illustrated data processing system processor cache 100, 16 CAM elements 106 (one for each cache "set") are employed. In operation, a cache tag (e.g., bits 31:9 of a data processing system memory address) is applied simultaneously to each of CAM elements 106A-106N. Each of CAM elements 106A-106N in the illustrated processor cache is a 64×23 CAM including 64 23-bit registers (not illustrated) coupled to 64 comparators which are in turn coupled to encoding logic (not illustrated). Within the present description, the variable "N" is intended to indicate some positive integer value and need not indicate the same value consistently.
The encoding logic (not illustrated) of each of CAM elements 106 is used to generate a 6-bit address corresponding to a matching CAM element record. Each CAM element 106 is additionally coupled to OR gate 110 to generate a match indication signal indicating whether or not a matching record was identified. Each 6-bit CAM element address generated is then applied, along with a cache set index (e.g., bits 8:5 of the received data processing system memory address), to multiplexer 108. Multiplexer 108 outputs a selected input 6-bit address specified by the received cache set index. The output of multiplexer 108 is then combined/concatenated with the cache set index to form a 10-bit cache memory element address as shown. The generated 10-bit cache memory element address is then used to address or identify a 256-bit line or "block" within cache memory element 102.
While CAM elements are well-suited for performing comparison operations such as those required by cache tag lookup element 104, CAMs may not be implemented in some cases or may be prohibitively expensive in some cases where they may otherwise be used. One technique for providing basic CAM functionality or "primitives" is to emulate the operation of a CAM element using one or more RAM elements. FIG. 2 illustrates a conventional RAM-based emulated CAM. The "virtual" or emulated CAM element 200 depicted in FIG. 2 may be substituted for one of the individual CAM elements 106A-106N illustrated in FIG. 1 and its functionality, as applied for performing a portion of a cache tag lookup operation, will be described with respect to data processing system processor cache 100 of that figure. As represented in FIG. 2, emulated CAM 200 includes RAM elements 202A, 202B, and 202C coupled with combinatorial (e.g., AND gate 204 and OR gate 206) and encoding (e.g., encoder 208) logic as shown.
Each RAM element 202 may be viewed as a 2-dimensional array of bits including rows corresponding to each of the 64 ways of a cache memory element being accessed. Each row stores match reference data for a portion of a cache tag associated with the row's way and represented as a vector of bits. Accordingly, a 7-bit cache tag portion is represented using a 27-bit vector "one-hot" encoded to indicate, using a single hit value, which of the 128 possible cache tag portion permutations is stored within that row/way. Similarly, an 8-bit cache tag portion is represented using a 28 or 256-bit vector.
In operation, emulated CAM 200, and associated RAM elements 202, are utilized to perform a "split" lookup function in which separate portions (e.g., a 7-bit portion and 2 8-bit portions) of a cache tag are each used to address a corresponding one of RAM elements 202. A match of a complete cache tag is indicated if each portion of the cache tag matches in the same way of each of RAM elements 202 and consequently of the cache. For purposes of clarity, illustration of a write port (and a corresponding description of a write operation) has been omitted from emulated CAM 200 of FIG. 2. Each cache tag portion identifies or addresses a single bit position which may be viewed a column within an accessed RAM element including a bit from each way. All 64 bits of that bit position or column are then output to determine whether the provided or input partial cache tag value matched reference partial cache tag data within the corresponding portion of the emulated CAM (indicated, for example, by a single bit having a logical "1" value).
The 64-bit outputs of each of RAM elements 202A-202C are then logically combined or "joined" via a bitwise AND operation using AND gate 204. The combined 64-bit output is then used to generate a 6-bit match address corresponding to a matching location within emulated CAM element 200 (e.g., using encoder 208) and to generate a match indication signal indicating whether or not a matching record was identified (e.g., using OR gate 206) as shown. If none of the bits of the bitwise-coalesced RAM element output is set to a logical "1" value, a determination may be made that the complete 23-bit input cache tag failed to match an emulated CAM element entry for a single way of an associated cache memory element. Once the 6-bit match address and match indication signal have been generated, they may be applied, along with a CAM selection (e.g., cache set) index, to a multiplexer (e.g., multiplexer 108 of FIG. 1) and used to address a cache memory element as previously described herein.
While RAM element-based CAM emulation may be utilized in some circumstances where traditional CAMs may not, providing greater flexibility and cost-effectiveness, one significant problem associated with such CAM emulation techniques is the quantity of RAM memory required for implementation. This problem, although more prominent where emulation of a CAM element is embodied in a single RAM, is evident even where emulation is distributed across multiple RAM elements as depicted in FIG. 2. For example, for a 32 kilobyte cache as described herein, at least 640 kilobits of RAM storage (approximately 40 kilobits of RAM storage for each of a total of 16 emulated CAM elements) is required.
Additional RAM storage may also be required as a buffer for match reference data used to update or modify match reference data within the emulated CAM's RAM elements. Moreover, logic used in conventional CAM-based implementations (e.g., a multiplexer and an additional OR gate used to generate a global match indication signal) is not eliminated in such CAM-emulation systems. In some circumstances this quantity of memory and logic is unacceptable and consequently a cache may be omitted or implemented in a less-than-optimal way.

Method and system for emulating content-addressable memory primitives

International Business Machines Corporation


The invention concerns a method for synchronising clocks of base transceiver stations in a telecommunications system and a mobile communications system. According to the invention, in either some or in all base station sites of the telecommunications network a location measurement unit is installed, which receives an accurate clock including an extra-system signal. The clock information is transmitted further to base transceiver stations, whose frame transmissions are synchronised in accordance with the clock information. By using the implementation in accordance with the invention both economic and functional advantages are achieved, e.g. the capacity can be increased by up to 50-300%, depending on the manner of implementation.

At the present time special attention is paid in several different countries to the satellite-based localisation of mobile stations and to various services relating to localisation. For example, in the United States of America the authorities have established a time limit, by which mobile stations must include a localisation system, with the aid of which a call received by an emergency station can be localised with an accuracy of approximately one hundred meters. Mobile stations with an integrated GPS-based (Global Positioning System) localisation system are already commercially available.
In practice, such a GPS receiver is integrated into the mobile station, which receives signals transmitted by satellites and which calculates its location with the aid of information contained in the signal. The GPS satellite transmits two different carrier wave frequencies. Two pseudo random signals (a C/A code and a P code intended for military use) and a navigation message are modulated into the carrier waves. The code messages do not contain actual information, but they are pseudo random sequences including a +1 and a −1 space and they are used for modulating the carrier wave. In addition, such a navigation message is modulated into the carrier wave, which contains information related to determination of the location. The length of its frame is 1500 bits, and the frame is divided into five sub-frames, all of an equal length. The frame includes e.g. clock correction information, check bits, information on the age of data, on the orbits of satellites and on the location of satellites at different times.
Continuous three-dimensional localisation requires no less than four simultaneously visible satellites. The determination of location is based on a determination of the distance between receiver and the group of satellites. The location can be determined with the aid of at least three satellites, whereby the fourth is mainly needed to eliminate deviations caused by clock errors.
Since the signal transmitted by a satellite is accompanied by information on the time of departure of the signal, the receiver is able to calculate the signal's transit time from the difference between its own clock time and the satellite's clock time. The distance of the satellite can hereby be determined, by multiplying the signals transit time by the signal's velocity, that is, by the velocity of light.
There are several different kinds of GPS signal receivers. The differences relate e.g. to whether the receiver is a single-frequency receiver or a two-frequency receiver, whether the receiver observes several satellites constantly or each satellite alternately, and what kind of code it identifies. The number of channels is an important feature of the receiver. This means how many satellites the receiver is able to observe simultaneously. The channels may be implemented either at equipment level or by software.
To allow as accurate a time determination as possible, the satellite includes a cesium clock, with which it takes more than two hours for one nanosecond to accrue. The clock error is taken into account by transmitting the clock error information coded into the signal. The clock of the receiver is usually a quartz crystal, which is less accurate than the atomic clock. With the quartz crystal it takes only a second for a nanosecond error to accrue, and its errors are more difficult to foretell. The clock error can be corrected, either by having the receiver update its clock when the error has grown to a certain predetermined value, or by using an external stable source of frequency.
Localisation of a mobile station does not require synchronised networks. Base transceiver stations are independent of each other, so the frames transmitted by them are not in synchrony with each other. In other words, base transceiver stations are not aware of the starting time of the frames they transmit. This drawback is due to the fact that no reliable reference clock has been available so far for implementing synchronisation. In a non-synchronised network, the various frames will cause such interference to one another, which may at worst destroy several time slots. FIG. 1 illustrates the present situation, where base transceiver stations located in the cells (cell 1-cell 5) of a cellular network transmit frames over the air interface in a non-synchronised network. As can be seen in the figure, the time slots TS1-TS8 of the frames are not mutually matched. It is impossible to know which frequencies are interfering with what, and the base station controller is unable to calculate the mutual timings of the frames transmitted by the cells.
The above-mentioned drawback can be reduced considerably, if the frame transmissions to be transmitted at the air interface are synchronised. In a synchronised network, no more than one time slot is lost in the worst case. FIG. 2 illustrates broadcasting of frames in a synchronised network. When the frames are exactly matched, e.g. allocation of channels can be done exactly on a time slot basis.
For the localisation function, measuring equipment will be installed in the future in the mobile network at the locations of base transceiver stations for localisation of mobile stations. In accordance with the present invention, these pieces of equipment can be utilised also for synchronisation of frame transmissions at the air interface in a mobile network. The solution is economically advantageous, because no separate equipment is required for the synchronisation only.

Synchronisation of frame transmissions in a telecommunications network


A Longwall equipment for mechanical extraction in longwall mining, in particular in underground coal mining, having a face conveyor arranged along the coal face, having an extraction machine which can be displaced along the face conveyor and having shield support units attached to the face conveyor at an angle thereto, is characterized in that, in order to determine the absolute height position of determined elements of the longwall equipment, a liquid-filled hydrostatic tube balance (17) is installed along the coalface (10) on the selected elements (12, 15, 31) of the longwall equipment and is connected to a base station (19) arranged in one of the gate roads (13, 14) and determined precisely in its height as a reference point, wherein pressure sensors (22) are incorporated into the tube conduit (18, 23, 24) of the hydrostatic tube balance (17), distributed over the course of the longwall equipment on individual elements (12, 15, 31) of the longwall equipment, and are connected to a central evaluation and control unit.

The instant application should be granted the priority date of Dec. 30, 2010, the filing date of the International patent application PCT/EP2010/007991.
The invention relates to longwall equipment for mechanical extraction in longwall mining, in particular in underground coal mining, with a face conveyor disposed along the coal face, an extraction machine displaceable along the face conveyor and having shield support units fitted to the face conveyor at an angle thereto.
Longwall equipment with the aforementioned features and a method for controlling such longwall equipment are described in WO 2009/103303. In this regard, it is set out in detail in the aforementioned publication that the automation of such a control of longwall equipment is generally dependent on a knowledge of the position of the longwall equipment and its elements in the space, but in particular a knowledge of the height of the face opening existing in each case in the region of the forward end of the top canopy. The determination of the concerned basic values for the calculation of, for example, the face opening height takes place, according to the prior art, via inclination sensors fitted to the main components of the individual shield support units such as floor skids, gob shield, supporting connection rods and top canopy, by means of which sensors the inclination of the respective components with respect to the horizontal is ascertained. By comparing the recorded data with basic data stored in an evaluation unit and defining the geometrical orientation of the components and their movement during advancing, it is possible to calculate the given height perpendicular to the bed of the shield support unit at the forward end of the top canopy, which represents a measure for the height of the face opening.
The known approach is associated with the drawback of costly calculation work, which also requires appropriate acquisition of the basic data applying to the given design of the shield support unit used and the preparation of an applicable algorithm for the calculation of the height perpendicular to the bed.
Apart, from the aforementioned indirect determination of height data, a direct acquisition of height data by means of a hydrostatic tube balance system during the advancing of tunnels is known from DE 43 33 032 C2. Here, there is disposed between the tunnel advancing machine and a reference point a hydrostatic tube balance system, the closed, liquid-filled tube whereof is assigned with one end to the reference height and with the other end to the determination of other magnitudes of the measurement height of the tunnel advancing machine.
The problem underlying the invention is to simplify the determination of height data with generic longwall equipment.

Longwall equipment with a hydrostatic tube balance thereon for determining the height position of individual elements of the longwall equipment


A mist generator is used to deliver a high throughput extremely fine mist comprising a biocide. Flows of evaporating hot gas mix turbulently and enhance forced heat and mass transfer between the very fine droplets and the hot gas to form a well-mixed premixed evaporator, resulting in high humidity vapor formation well inside a tube. The high relative humidity vapor with elevated temperature is then condensed as it exits the tube and disperses into the volume to be decontaminated as a condensed vapor cloud, but neither as a mist nor as a pure vapor depending on temperature and humidity of room environment. The condensed vapor cloud may evaporate or settle on the volume surfaces and contents, whereby both dry vapor and condensed vapor are applied into the volume for the killing process.

Background
There is a continuing need for improved methods to decontaminate various volumes and the objects within them both on a small scale, such as instruments within a chamber and on a large scale, such as entire rooms and the objects within. While there have been attempts to develop methods for decontaminating such enclosures from microbial pathogens, chemical agents, odors, and the like, current methods have shortcomings based on their scalability, the long duration of their operating cycles, the cost associated with the equipment, safety concerns and other limitations. With the continuing spread of resistant bacterial pathogens such as MRSA (methicillin-resistant staph aureus), c.diff (clostridium difficile), viral pathogens such as rotavirus and rhinovirus and other pathogens such as stachybotrys mold, there is a growing need for an effective, economical, rapid method of decontamination. Preferably, in addition to being cost effective, efficacious, and quick, a successful method should be scalable, yet also portable and completely automated to be used in a wide variety of situations with minimal need for reconfiguration.
Hydrogen peroxide and other biocides have been employed in various methods to decontaminate the aforementioned and other contaminants with varying success. While hydrogen peroxide can be an effective decontaminant, challenges exist with deploying it at sufficient concentrations, in sufficient quantities, at a sufficiently rapid rate to be effective, efficient, and adaptable to a wide variety of environments.
Furthermore, the production of condensed vapors of various biocides and neutralizing agents are important for various industrial applications including biodecontamination, sanitation, sterilization, air sterilization, odor removal, factory fumigation, chemical and biological agent neutralization and, use of condensed vapor as a gaseous reagent in gas phase problems.
Brief Discussion of the Prior Art
The prior art teaches various methods for evaporation and vaporization of biocide liquids. These methods include flash vaporization, spray vaporization, and very fine droplet evaporation and drying, among others. Generally, biocide is injected either as a mist, a collection of droplets created through mechanical shearing of the initial liquid, or a vapor, a completely gaseous form of the initial liquid, coming from an apparatus or a device.
Flash Vaporization:
Flash vaporized hydrogen peroxide in biodecontamination processes are taught in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,014,813; 7,157,046 and 20100143189. In these and many industrial processes, vapors are produced by flash vaporization of solutions or liquid mixtures, or heating of the liquid above its boiling point, on a hot plate or similar massive heat source The vapors are then moved by a carrier gas to discharge them to application areas. Flash vaporization has a number of drawbacks. For example, the vapors are produced above the boiling point and exit with elevated temperatures, the flash vaporization by hot plate and heated blocks is proven to be inefficient in producing large quantity of vapors due to the small surface area per unit of mass of large liquid pools, films, or droplets for heat and mass transfer, and there are severe scaling limitations because of the large-scale heating structures needed to vaporize scalable amount of liquids and thermal inertia problems. The prior art does not teach a methodology of using hydrogen peroxide as a sterilizing agent that would be applicable to the need for an improved method of discharging a condensed vapor or condensed vapor mixture of hydrogen peroxide into the volume to be decontaminated where a concentrated biocide solution might be preferred.
Spray Vaporization and Evaporation:
Another method is spray vaporization and evaporation. U.S. Pat. No. 7,354,551, and U.S. Pat. No. 8,007,717 describe two-phase mixing of spray with hot gas to produce vapor. The vapor is produced by spray vaporization of liquid droplets. The droplets are plunged into a high velocity gas stream or, alternatively, high velocity spray droplets are discharged into a relatively still air environment. The ability to generate a sufficiently high concentration of vapors will depend on the efficiency of evaporation, rather than just the availability of heat or enthalpy for evaporation. The extent and rate of evaporation depends on the droplet size and its size distribution, the number density of droplets, the relative velocities of the air and the droplets, the thermal environment and the humidity conditions. The key to successful evaporation of all the droplets depends on how the droplets interact with the forced convection flow, turbulence, and the rate at which heat and mass is exchanged across the interface.
The most important factor is the surface to volume ratio of droplets followed by its entrainment, turbulence and mixing. Small (less than 10-20 micron) droplets, preferable monodisperse, have a huge surface to volume ratio yielding efficient heat and mass transfer. The local humidity surrounding the individual droplets is also an important factor.
In summary, the prior art methods of producing vapors from liquid systems by spray drying and forced convective evaporation have several shortcomings in an application that requires very rapid and complete evaporation of large quantities of input liquid. The use of sprays to produce the droplets for evaporation involves a wide range of droplet sizes. The larger the droplets, the higher the heat and mass transfer rate requirement in order to completely evaporate the droplets. Thus, the larger droplet sizes associated with the broad droplet size distribution found in most spray systems will not completely evaporate in acceptably short timescales. This renders the system costly and not scalable for large scale vapor production for commercial applications. Furthermore, to solve this problem of larger droplets within the droplet size distribution, spray systems will require increasing amounts of pressure to create finer droplets to avoid long evaporation time scales. This pressure, and the sudden release of this high pressure at the nozzle orifice, can have detrimental effects on various chemical components of biocides to be vaporized and may pose safety concerns. Further, spray nozzles are subject to erosion, clogging and other such problems that can cause inconsistencies in the output droplet sizes which, as is clearly shown above, will have tremendous detrimental impact on the vaporization process. The prior art does not teach a methodology of using hydrogen peroxide as a sterilizing agent that would be applicable to the need for an improved method of creating a monodisperse mist to provide efficient, complete evaporation of a solution in order to subsequently discharge a condensed vapor or condensed vapor mixture of hydrogen peroxide into the volume to be decontaminated where a concentrated biocide solution might be preferred.
Diffusion Mixing Evaporator:
In US patent 2012/125197, a diffusion evaporation process is disclosed. In this process, the fine mist and the hot air mix only beyond the exit opening of the apparatus to the environment; not inside the apparatus. In diffusion evaporation, heat energy in a hot gas passes through an annular space without contacting, pre-heating, or mixing with the mist until they meet beyond the outlet. Just beyond the exit of the apparatus the mist mixes with hot air and subsequently evaporates in the environment. Because the heating of the mist does not occur until the two streams reach the environment outside of the device, the enthalpy associated with the hot air stream dissipates into the environment decreasing the efficiency of the evaporation process considerably. The '197 publication does not include a methodology of using hydrogen peroxide as a sterilizing agent that would be applicable to the need for an improved method of utilizing rapid, enhanced residence time, premixed evaporation of a solution within the device to avoid the loss of efficiency associated with evaporation outside of the device. The '197 publication does not include a methodology to discharge a condensed vapor or condensed vapor mixture of hydrogen peroxide into the volume to be decontaminated where a concentrated biocide solution might be preferred.
Premixed Evaporation Method:
According to the present invention of premixed evaporator method, a fine mist is entrained into a hot air stream at the base of an evaporator tube and the two are premixed before the efficient evaporation takes place. It is beneficial to create a "premixed" gas and mist droplet zone where residence time is long enough and number density is dilute enough to accomplish instantaneous evaporation of the microdroplets. Entrainment of fine droplets into a hot gas stream is the determining factor in the U.S. Pat. No. 7,090,028 disclosures by Adiga et al.
Aerosol containing extremely fine droplets of water, those having diameters of less than 10 microns, behaves like a gas or is a pseudo gas, as further described in K. C. Adiga, Fire & Safety Magazine Spring 2007. The evaporation/drying in a premixed system containing such a fine droplet aerosol and the drying gas inside a dryer tube was reported in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,724,442 and 7,744,786. These patents teach the premixing of a slow moving ultrafine mist of water containing a dissolved solute premixed with a drying gas, such as hot air, with a high enough residence time due to swirling flow. A "premixed" evaporator was disclosed for producing nanoparticles through drying and rejecting the solvent vapor. Adiga describes the drying and evaporation of liquids at low temperature using a swirl flow tube. Although it contains solute additives, the major phenomenon is the efficient evaporation of liquid within the tube. Applications requiring a fast and complete evaporation of droplets require an efficient way of supplying both the proper thermal environment and adequate mixing of the extremely fine droplets within the evaporation volume. While forced convection helps the rate via enhanced heat and mass transfer across the surface, this alone does not guarantee the droplet entrainment into the air, mixing by turbulence and subsequent heat and mass transfer processes. Beyond these, the limiting factor is the number density of droplets that controls the local humidity around individual droplets. At high enough local relative humidity immediately adjacent to the droplet, the evaporation rate falls. To improve the evaporation process will require high temperatures to raise the saturation level of the locally humid air. Any discussion of humidity in this disclosure is purely related to the function of drying the solid and had no bearing on the discharged vapor or its use. In this disclosure, Adiga ignores the vapor and focuses on the dried particles which are collected as manufactured materials. While the disclosed invention does address the heat and mass transfer of evaporation, Adiga does not include a methodology of using a multicomponent liquid-liquid solution without a solid solute included, since this would have no value in creating particles.
A method is needed to provide an efficient mist evaporation process and device producing relatively low temperature vapors which can condense and form concentrated condensed vapor upon coming in contact with cooler air with a potential for seamless scaling capability. Providing a premixed evaporator is an industrially important concept for generating large quantity of completely vaporized premixed mist and warm/hot air system, which can be discharged as condensed vapor cloud, vapor or a mixture.

Device and method for decontamination, disinfection, and sanitation


In the linear motion rolling guide unit the under seals are attached to the end caps to seal between the sliding surfaces in good condition in a way that prevents the under seals from being deformed or buckled. The under seals mounted to the end caps have lip portions that seal the gaps between the slider and the track rail. The projections provided to the end caps are fitted into the engagement openings formed in the under seal to removably mount the under seal to the end caps. The under seal is movable in the longitudinal direction relative to the end caps and is not rigidly secured to the casing. This construction renders the occurrence of deformation and strain unlikely.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a linear motion rolling guide unit which is applied to sliding portions of machine tools, processing equipment, and testing equipment, and in which sliders slide on track rails with a number of rolling elements interposed therebetween.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a conventional linear motion rolling guide unit, when a slider slides on a track rail, the seal between the slider and the track rail is provided by end seals mounted at both ends of the slider and an under seal mounted to the underside of the slider.
A conventional linear motion rolling guide unit as shown in FIG. 9 has been disclosed. As shown in the figure, the linear motion rolling guide unit consists mainly of a track rail 1 with raceway grooves 9 formed longitudinally extending on both side walls 11 thereof and a slider 20 slidably mounted astride the track rail 1. The slider 20 includes a casing 2, which is slidable relative to the track rail 1 and has raceway grooves 8 formed at positions facing the raceway grooves 9, a number of rolling elements or balls 4, which are trapped between the opposing raceway grooves 8, 9 to allow relative motion between the rail and the casing, and end caps 5 attached to the longitudinal ends of the casing 2.
The end cap 5 is fitted with an end seal 19 that provides a seal between the track rail 1 and the slider 20. The casing 2 is provided with an under seal 3 to seal the casing 2, the longitudinal side walls 11 of the track rail 1 and the underside of the casing 2.
The slider 20 is mounted astride the track rail 1 and is freely slidable on the rail 1 because of the presence of a number of balls 4 that circulate along the raceway grooves 9 in the rail 1. The balls 4 roll in a raceway 24 formed between the raceway groove 9 in the track rail 1 and the raceway groove 8 in the casing 2 and are led into a direction changing passage (indicated by 23 in FIG. 3) formed in the end cap 5 and further into a return passage 22 formed parallel to the raceway groove 8 in the casing 2, so that the balls 4 roll to circulate in an endless raceway.
The under seal 3 is simple in shape and thus can be manufactured easily. However, the under seal 3 has the drawback of being easily deformed by positioning errors of the casing 2 and the track rail 1 forming raceway grooves 8, 9 therein and by external force because it is formed of a thin plate. To describe in more detail, when the slider 20 slides on the track rail 1, any temperature variations and swelling by lubricant of the under seal 3 will deform the under seal 3 itself degrading its sealing performance.
Further, in the linear motion rolling guide unit the under seal 3 is secured at both ends to the casing 2 made of a metal by screws, so that when the under seal 3 formed of plastic such as synthetic resin soaks up lubricant and swells after a long period of service, it cannot move relative to the casing 2 and thus will deform. Once the under seal 3 deforms, the tight sealing or contact between the underside of the casing 2 and the upper surface of the under seal 3 fails, or the sealing portion deforms. In the linear motion rolling guide unit, when the sealing contact between the sealing portion and the side surfaces 11 of the track rail 1 degrades, the sealing performance, particularly the dust sealing effect, deteriorates.
Among the dust sealing apparatuses used in the linear motion rolling guide unit are those disclosed by Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 118317/1991, 121220/1991, 19918/1992, 23818/1992 and 25028/1992.
The under seal device for the linear guide bearing disclosed in the Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 118317/1991 has projections formed at the axial ends of the under seal that extend in the axial direction to fit into engagement openings formed in the bottom surfaces of the side seals. The under seal is easily attached to or detached from the side seals of large strength so as to increase the strength of the under seal.
The under seal device for the linear guide bearing disclosed in the Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 121220/1991 has a two-pronged projection, at both axial ends of the under seal, projecting toward the bottom surface of the slider whose prongs can open in an inverted V-shape and be resiliently deformed toward each other. The bottom surface of the slider is formed at each axial end with a vertical hole, in which the two-pronged projection of the under seal fits, and with a through-hole that pierces through the sleeve portion of the slider in a direction perpendicular to the vertical hole so that one of the prongs engaged in the vertical hole elastically deforms to urge the under seal toward the side surface of the guide rail, bringing the side edge of the under seal into sliding contact with the guide rail.
Further, in the dust sealing apparatus for the linear guide apparatus disclosed in the Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 19918/1992, the end of the under seal, which closes an opening in the lower part of a gap between the slider and the guide rail, is inserted between the bent surface of the side seal and the underside of the end cap to allow one-action removal and mounting of the under seal. The under seal is formed as a rectangular strip almost equal in length to the slider and the end of the under seal is fitted between the bent surface of the side seal and the underside of the end cap.
In the dust sealing device for the linear guide apparatus of the Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 23818/1992, the side seal that seals openings at the front and back of a gap between the slider and the guide rail is inserted into a recessed groove formed at the end of the opening in the end cap.
The dust sealing device for the linear guide apparatus disclosed by the Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 25018/1992 presses the side seal and the under seal against the sealing surface under a predetermined pressure by spring elasticity instead of the rubber elasticity to prevent early degradation of sealing function caused by the rubber abrasion, absorb greater effects of dimensional errors and enable stable, easy mounting and dismounting of the side seal and under seal.
The under seal devices for the linear guide bearings or the dust sealing devices for the linear guide apparatuses disclosed in the above publications, like the previously mentioned, conventional linear motion rolling guide unit, do not have the construction that permits deformation of the under seal in the axial direction and therefore have the similar problems. That is, the dust sealing member and the end cap are generally formed of different materials so that their thermal expansions caused by temperature variations differ from each other. When the thermal expansion of the dust sealing member becomes larger than that of the end cap, the dust sealing member deflects producing a gap between it and the rail or the underside of the sleeve, degrading the sealing effect and making it impossible to prevent dust from entering the raceway.


A video scaling technique includes scaling a first dimension and a second dimension of a frame of video data to generate a scaled frame of video data. The scaling includes scaling the second dimension of a first portion of a frame of video data at a first rate to generate first scaled pixels and scaling the second dimension of a second portion of the frame of video data at the first rate to generate second scaled pixels. The scaling includes combining first output pixels based on the first scaled pixels and second output pixels based on the second scaled pixels to provide pixels of the scaled frame of video data at a second rate. The first rate is a fraction of the second rate.

Field of the Invention
This application is related to video processing systems and more particularly to the presentation of video.
Description of the Related Art
A typical video processing system receives video data in one format (e.g., Advanced Video Coding (AVC), High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), Multichannel Audio Digital Interface (MADI), General eXchange Format (GXF), or other suitable video format) and converts the video data to a different format. To properly display the video signal on a particular display device, the video processing system performs resolution adaptation to match the resolution of the video signal to the resolution of the display device.
In general, the video signal includes frames of video data. As referred to herein, a frame is an electronically coded still image of pixels, each of which may be represented by multiple bytes of data. An exemplary standard definition video signal or display device has a horizontal resolution of 640 pixels and a vertical resolution of 480 pixels, totaling approximately 0.3 megapixels per frame. A high-definition television (HDTV or HD) video signal or display device has substantially higher resolution than the exemplary standard definition video signal (e.g., a horizontal resolution of 1920 pixels and a vertical resolution of 1080 pixels, totaling approximately 2.1 megapixels per frame) and may have various formats. An exemplary HD video signal or display device (e.g., a 2K HDTV signal) has a horizontal resolution of 1920 pixels and a vertical resolution of 1080 pixels, totaling approximately 2.1 megapixels per frame. An ultra-high definition television (i.e., Ultra HD, UHD, UHDTV, 4K UHD, HD 4K, 4K UHDTV, 8K UHDTV) video signal or display device has even higher resolution, e.g., 4K UHD has a horizontal resolution of 3840 pixels and a vertical resolution of 2160 pixels, totaling approximately 8.3 megapixels per frame, and 8K UHD has a horizontal resolution of 7680 pixels and a vertical resolution of 4320 pixels, totaling approximately 33.2 megapixels per frame.
A typical video processing system includes a video scaler that converts video signals from one resolution to another. In general, the video scaler converts a signal from a lower resolution to a higher resolution by upconversion or upscaling, although video scalers may also convert the video signal from higher resolution to lower resolution by downconversion or downscaling. Higher resolution formats require processing substantially greater amounts of data (e.g., each frame of a UHDTV video format having a number of pixels that is at least one order of magnitude greater than the number of pixels per frame for a standard video format), which increases the performance specifications of the video scaler. Existing video scalers may not meet those performance specifications. Accordingly, techniques for scaling video data between video formats and higher resolution formats in real-time are desired.

Video scaling using multiple video paths