oXeanseeker: Seeing the ocean through new eyes
2 January. 2019
Even today, the depths of the world's oceans are still largely unknown territory. With the autonomous underwater vehicle "oXeanseeker", thyssenkrupp's start-up "oXeanpedia" now plans to shed light on the darkness – to the delight of fishermen, researchers and the maritime environment.
Our earth seems to have been completely discovered: Humans have reached the top of Mount Everest almost 7,000 times so far. The ice deserts of Antarctica attract about 30-40,000 tourists annually. And even on Tristan da Cunha, the most remote island in the world, is home to 270 people – 2,800 kilometers from the nearest mainland. However, 70% of our oceans are still unexplored and make up two thirds of the earth’s surface. With a groundbreaking idea, an innovative team within the thyssenkrupp network wants to make the dark spots of the deep sea visible. Their goal is to develop “oXeanpedia”, the world’s largest real-time underwater database – inspired by the digital map services of the internet. For this highly ambitious mission, the company developed the oXeanseeker, an underwater vehicle that can explore underwater conditions completely autonomously. The idea for the project originated from the in-house start-up accelerator tkGarage.
In the future, the oXeanseeker enables deep insights into the underwater world. This way, fishermen and marine researchers will soon know not only that there is something under your boat, but also what exactly it is.
The oXeanseeker says “ahoy by-catch”
In addition to various and easily interchangeable sensors for different applications, the meter long and 10 kilograms light oXeanseeker is equipped with up to three high-resolution cameras. The oXeanseeker opens up the extremely interesting, and perhaps surprising market of deep-sea fishing – an industry in which there is particular pressure to work both sustainably and cost-effectively. “Despite their sonars and their experience, fish skippers still have to accept great uncertainties today because they cannot always clearly determine the exact composition of the shoal of fish among them beforehand,” says product manager Max Abildgaard, who is also the creative mind behind the idea. “As a result, there are is still an unbelievable amount of by-catch today.” By-catch, these are fish and other marine animals that end up in the trawl but are not the fisherman’s actual target.
A showcase illustrates what's inside the underwater vehicle: The pressure-resistant housing of the oXeanseeker conceals various electronic components such as a processor, a graphics unit, modules for Wi-Fi and GPS as well as a battery for underwater power supply. Depending on the application, the freely flooded, exchangeable bow of the mini-submarine carries various sensors such as an altimeter, a multi-beam sonar as well as high-resolution cameras with associated lighting system.
This is where the oXeanseeker comes in: With its extremely sharp eyes and the specially developed recognition software, the underwater vehicle can recognize the different species in the fish shoals fully automatically and determine the size and number of fishes in a swarm. In this way, it can precisely determine the respective composition of a shoal of fish. This solves two of the most urgent problems of deep-sea fishing – too small target fish and the by-catch, which not only damages the environment and the animals themselves, but also the skippers and owners. Because: The by-catch must also be brought ashore, processed and sold off cheaply. In addition, there is a huge financial loss because the by-catch is deducted from the fishing quota. “The oXeanseeker gives the fishermen eyes in the water,” explains Abildgaard. “And thus, the basis for decisions, which are not based on assumptions but clear facts.”
A simple idea, an effective application: The oXeanseeker is based on inexpensive systems which are able to search the dark, invisible sea independently for the most part. Therefore the submarine can find answers to important questions of deep-sea fishermen.
Intuitive use, revolutionary result
Once the oXeanseeker is on board of a fish trawler, its application is as foolproof. After the crew has spotted a swarm on the ship’s dedicated multi-beam sonar, they simply throw the vehicle into the water. It then automatically dives into the potential catch and records video sequences. After the oXeanseeker has analyzed the swarm in detail, it emerges again and sends all necessary data about the composition of the swarm and the potential by
Currently, the oXeanseeker distinguishes the three most important European fish species. In the course of the next year, up to ten fish species will be able to be distinguished. In principle, however, the self-learning underwater vehicle is able to identify many more. “The oXeanseeker uses an artificial neural network, comparable to facial recognition. This software never stops learning, so you can teach it almost everything with a little patience,” says project manager Marc Schiemann. “This gives the crew a completely self-sufficient basis for making decisions that will enormously improve their fishing quality and make fishing more sustainable. In this form, such an effective form to reduce unwanted by-catch is nowhere else available.”
The oXeanseeker also enriches marine research
“In order to work more economically, sustainably and be environmentally-friendly, deep-sea fishing and marine research depend on comprehensive underwater ocean data,” explains Schiemann. “Our modular oXeanseeker is so flexible that it can be easily and individually adapted for different applications.” The mini submarine is able to dive independently for several hours and reach depths of up to 100 meters. Starting in early 2019, an even more advanced version of the vehicle will be able to dive to depths of up to 200 meters.
Thanks to its comprehensive analysis capabilities, the oXeanseeker – just like thyssenkrupp’s high-tech vehicle “Modifiable Underwater Mothership” or the highly accurate autonomous underwater vehicle “SeaCat” – is also worth its weight in gold for marine researchers and biologists: It collects data on fish population, pressure, water temperature, salt content and water quality in a simple way, evaluates them and presents them to the scientist in almost real time, tailored to individual research needs.
“With the oXeanseeker as a tool, we are laying the foundation for our long-term goal that we want to achieve with oXeanpedia: the ‘Internet of underwater Things’,” summarizes the project manager. “It gives customers and research institutions a precise overview of the current situation of our oceans. The data obtained in this way will also make their forecasts more accurate. By regularly recording the parameters, we deliver more than just underwater data – we deliver a tool to understand our seas better, faster and more efficiently.”
Great interest in the oXeanseeker, market launch imminent
The interest of potential customers in the oXeanseeker is high. The oXeanpedia team has already presented its product at international trade fairs and visited various customers throughout Europe. “Their feedback has always been positive, there are many interested parties,” said Schiemann. “This includes the European Commission, which is considering financial support for the project.” The team defined the future planning in cooperation with the investors well. The high pace – less than 18 months have passed from the initial idea to market maturity – is to be maintained. The team has already received specific customer inquiries and have written first offers. The sale of the first oXeanseeker is planned to take place in the next months.
In addition, initial trials are underway to make the oXeanseeker fit for other user groups such as coastal seabed surveying, port operators, coastal protection or search-and-rescue missions. Just a few of the many hidden sea treasures that are to be recovered by the oXeanpedia team.


A Korean research team has successfully developed a technology to make a sponge-like electrode material using graphene and a polymer, leading to a graphene battery. The newly-developed battery is ten times as small as existing ones, but can show the same product performance.
A research team headed by Park Ho-seok, professor of the School of Chemical Engineering at Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), announced on Feb. 1 that it has succeeded in developing a very porous graphene aerogel electrode material by combining polyvinyl alcohol and graphene. Studies on developing high-capacity and rapidly-chargeable batteries are underway worldwide. It is necessary to compress devices in order to supply energy in extreme conditions. However, when existing graphene-based batteries are compressed by 30 percent, product performance suffers owing to the destruction of the inside structure.
A Korean team of researchers developed a method to synthesize thin graphene film by rolling up metallic foil used as a catalyst. The research team of Professor Jo Gil-won from POSTECH Dept. of Chemical Engineering, researcher Bong Hyo-jin and Dr. Jo Sae-byeok announced on the 19th that it had developed a technology to drastically improve production efficiency of graphene, which is drawing attention as a ‘dream material’ because of its electric conductivity higher than copper, strength greater than steel and thermal conductivity higher than diamond, by rolling it into the form of a scroll.
The outcome of this study, which was recently published as a cover paper of an international academic journal for materials field ‘Nanoscale,’ draws academic circles’ attention by being a technology for large-area mass-production system that is directly relevant with graphene commercialization. Although numerous studies are being conducted on graphene competitively across the globe, studies about large-area mass-production system have not made any progresses. This is because not only it involves a large amount of raw ingredient and energy consumption, but also it requires complicated facilities and a long production time.
Samsung Techwin and researchers from the Seoul National University co-developed touch screen smartphone with a promising new material ‘graphene’ layer. They developed smartphones based on technology for mass production of graphene, paving the way for the commercial production of graphene, analysts said.
Samsung Techwin’s Research & Development (R&D) Center and the chemistry department professor Hong Byung-hee and his researchers from Seoul National University noted Monday that they succeeded in applying touch screen made out of large-scale graphene film to Samsung’s smartphone ‘Galaxy.’ The research outcome was announced in the international academic journal in the nano field ‘ACS Nano.’
The latest research demonstrated the possibility of mass producing mobile phones using graphene, opening the way for graphene to be utilized in diverse areas including bendable displays and semiconductors.
The researchers adopted ‘Rapid Thermal CVD’ technology to produce graphene film. This technology saves time for mass production of graphene from 300 to 40 minutes, allowing for production of quality graphene with the size of 400×300㎟ at low temperatures.
A group of South Korean scientists has developed a new transparent and highly flexible memory device using graphene electrodes that may help develop a new, more flexible semiconductor or display panel, the science ministry said Wednesday.
Currently, graphene is used only for the top electrode of monolayers in various products, giving them some flexibility, according to the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning. The team from Seoul’s Sungkyunkwan University, however, was able to use graphene for both the top and bottom electrodes of a monolayer for the first time in the world. The use of graphene for the bottom electrode was made possible through a chemical union of the bottom electrode with the molecular film of organic molecules placed between the two electrodes, the team said.
Samsung Electronics Co., the world’s largest computer memory-chip maker, said Friday it has developed a graphene device that could help revolutionize the capabilities of transistors.
Samsung’s advanced institute of technology said it has successfully created a three-terminal active device with a graphene variable barrier, which can effectively cut off electric currents in transistors.
Graphene is a super-strong and flexible material with the potential to be used in next-generation semiconductors and displays. Until now, its inability to cut off electric currents has made its use in transistors impossible.
“If the experimental graphene device is fully developed, it could be used to make transistors with 100 times the computing power of conventional silicon units,” the institute said. “It could thus help make better semiconductors and other electronic devices.”
The latest breakthrough has been published in the online edition of Science Magazine and nine patents have been secured.
Cryo-regeneration may not be a science fiction anymore. You may see awakened frozen people on the street in the future.
A Korean research team has developed a technology that enables researchers to watch and analyze liquid with graphene, one-atom-thick slice of graphite, for the first times in the world.
It is generally regarded impossible to bring frozen humans back to life again because body cells are destroyed in the freezing in the thawing process.
However, if scientists could find what is happening to cell liquid during the process with the technology, they would eventually succeed in reviving frozen humans, according to the team from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in Daejeon, about 160 kilometers south of Seoul.
CLEVELAND, OH, USA- Graphene, which is made from graphite, the same stuff as “lead” in pencils, has been hailed as the most important synthetic material in a century. Sheets conduct electricity better than copper, heat better than any material known, are harder than diamonds yet stretch.
Scientists worldwide speculate graphene will revolutionize computing, electronics and medicine but the inability to mass-produce sheets has blocked widespread use.
A description of the new research will be published the week of March 26 in the online Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The story is embargoed until Monday, March 26, 2012 at 3 p.m. U.S. Eastern time
Jong-Beom Baek, professor and director of the Interdisciplinary School of Green Energy/Advanced Materials & Devices, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan, South Korea, led the effort.
“We have developed a low-cost, easier way to mass produce better graphene sheets than the current, widely-used method of acid oxidation, which requires the tedious application of toxic chemicals,” said Liming Dai, professor of macromolecular science and engineering at Case Western Reserve and a co-author of the paper.
Big things come in small packages. As man expands the world and discovers new possibilities, size becomes an essential property of our technological revolution. With the emergence of new technologies, miniaturization is the name of the game.
February 16, 2012 marks the eventful agreement between Dr. Lee Keon-woong who leads his Nano Hybrid Technology Research Center at the Korea Electro-technology Research Institute (KERI) and Sang Bo Corporation (Sang Bo). This agreement allows for mass production and commercialization of graphene, one of the most prominent and desired nanomaterials of the current age. It will provide the soft electronic technology necessary to produce computers that can be folded, fitted into bags, and even wound around wrists.
National Consensus on Graphene’s Significance
Graphene is a two-dimensional nanomaterial with the thickness of a single atom. Its quantum mechanical structure possesses excellent electric, physical, and chemical features, making it the most ideal material for application due to its high electric conductivity and charge mobility. This finding led to an explosion of related studies over recent years. Hence, the technology has been the center of attention in both public and private sectors. The Korean government launched a KRW 210 billion program to develop graphene and to promote this technology. Under this national consensus and drive to enhance this technology, KERI, one of the leading national public research centers, joined forces with the most renowned company in graphene manufacturing.
A research team led by Prof. Cho Byung-jin at KAIST demonstrated that if the metal gate electrode in conventional silicon-based semiconductors is replaced with a graphene electrode, the performance and credibility of the semiconductors can be improved to a level that is required in the future semiconductor market.
The research finding is noteworthy because it does not require significant change to the conventional semiconductor production process. It is a technique that can be applied directly to semiconductor devices that are currently being mass produced. Thus far, graphene has never been applied to silicon-based electronic devices, which constitute the centerpiece of the global semiconductor market. The research team anticipates the new technology could be directly applied to mass production in the near future.


Adult Cochlear Implant Evaluation and Programming
When hearing aids are not enough, a cochlear implant evaluation may be warranted. Our services include evaluation and programming for adult cochlear implant candidates.
What is a Cochlear Implant?
A cochlear implant is a surgically implanted electronic device that provides a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf or severely hard of hearing. An implant does not restore normal hearing. Instead, it can give a deaf person a useful representation of sounds in the environment and helps him or her to understand speech.
The implant consists of an external portion that sits behind the ear and a second portion that is surgically placed under the skin. The basic parts of the device include:
- A microphone that picks up sound from the environment
- A speech processor that selectively filters sound to prioritize audible speech and sends the electrical sound signals through a thin cable to the transmitter
- A transmitter, which is a coil held in position by a magnet placed behind the external ear; it transmits the processed sound signals to the internal device by electromagnetic induction
- A receiver and stimulator secured in bone beneath the skin, which converts the signals into electric impulses and sends them through an internal cable to electrodes
- An array of up to 22 electrodes wound through the cochlea, which send the impulses to the nerves in the scala tympani and then directly to the brain through the auditory nerve system
Your audiologist determines implant candidacy on an individual basis and takes into account a person's hearing history, cause of hearing loss, amount of residual hearing, speech recognition ability, health status, and family commitment to aural habilitation/rehabilitation. The three main groups of people to receive implants are post-lingually deaf adults, pre-lingually deaf children and post-lingually hearing-impaired people whose hearing loss is usually due to disease.
A prime candidate has:
- Severe to profound sensorineural hearing impairment in both ears
- A functioning auditory nerve
- Lived at least a short amount of time without hearing (approximately 70+ decibel hearing loss, on average)
- Good speech, language, and communication skills, or in the case of infants and young children, a family willing to work toward speech and language skills with therapy


Dr. John Schiller and his research partner Dr. Douglas Lowy have prevented an estimated 360,000 cases of cervical cancer and 150,000 related deaths.
Schiller and Lowy are the creators of the vaccine for the Human Papillomavirus (HPV), which causes cervical cancer. They didn’t set out to develop a vaccine but through research flexibility, they developed the life-saving technology — and earned the 2012 National Medal of Technology and Innovation for their efforts.
“When we first started developing this vaccine … we were studying how the virus causes cancer. We weren’t studying vaccines,” Schiller said, describing the unforeseen path to the HPV vaccine at a joint program between Carnegie Institution for Science and the National Science and Technology Medals Foundation.
“We knew nothing about vaccines. We knew nothing about immunology. We nothing about the virion proteins, which became this vaccine,” he added. “We had an idea and we were allowed to pursue this idea without anybody telling us that it wouldn’t work.”
Schiller, now the deputy chief in the Laboratory of Cellular Oncology at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), noted that every researcher’s road to discovery is unique and made possible by “crawling up on the backs of giants.”
For Schiller and Lowy that giant was German scientist Harald zur Hausen — who won the 1983 Nobel Prize for discovering “cervical cancer in humans is caused by certain types of papillomaviruses.”
“I didn’t anticipate this, I could not have anticipated this, but it added so much more interest into the research we were doing at the time,” Schiller said. “If he had not discovered this, we could not have done what we did.”


Definition of Shear Force and Bending Moment
Shear force is the unbalanced vertical force which is acting on to the right or left of the section.It’s also termed as aligned forces pushing one part of the body in the specific direction, and the other part of the body is another direction.
Bending moment is the algebraic sum of all the moment of forces, according to the right or left of the section. It’s the reaction which is induced in a structural element due to external force or moment is applied.
In the equilibrium position, the moment which is created by external forces is balanced by the couple induced by the internal load; this internal couple is called a bending moment.
What Is Shear Force : Sign Convention of Shear Force:
Shear force is an unbalanced vertical force, so it tends to slide one portion of the beam upward or downward with respect to the other.
Shear force at a section is considered as positive when the left-hand portion tends to slide upward, or the right-hand portion tends to slide downward.
Same as a shear force at a section is negative when the left-hand portion tends to slide downward, or the right-hand portion tends to slide upward.
What Is Bending Moment : Sign Convention for Bending Moment:
We considered bending moment at a section is positive when it tends to bend the beam at a point to a curvature having a concavity at the top or when the moments are acting clockwise direction to the left or anti-clockwise direction to the right.
On the other hand, we considered bending moment at a section is negative when it tends to bend the beam at a point to a curvature having convexity at the top or moments are taken anti-clockwise direction to the left or clockwise direction to the right.
Sometimes the positive bending moment is termed as sagging moment, and the negative bending moment is termed as a hogging moment.
Relation Between Loading, Shear Force & Bending Moment:
The following relations are essential for loading, shear force and bending moment relation-
If there is a point load at a section on the beam, then the shear force suddenly changes(i.e. the shear force line is vertical). But the bending moment remains the same.
If there is no load between two points, then the shear force does not change (I.e. shear force line is horizontal) but the bending moment changes linearly (I.e. bending moment line is an inclined straight line).
If there is a uniformly distributed load between two points, then the shear force changes linearly (I.e. shear line is an inclined straight line). But the bending moment changes according to the parabolic law(i.e. bending moment line will be parabola).
If there us a uniformly varying load between two points then the shear force changes according to the parabolic law(i.e. shear force line will be parabola) but the bending moment changes according to the cubic law.
Where shear force changes, it’s sign there bending moment is maximum.
Where bending moment changes, it’s a sign that point is known as the point of contra flexure or inflation point.


Pediatrics and Adult Strabismus
Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus is a subspecialty of ophthalmology devoted to the eye diseases of children as well as the muscle disorders (strabismus) in adults.
What is strabismus?
Strabismus is a visual defect in which the eyes are misaligned and point in different directions. One eye may look straight ahead while the other eye turns inward, upward, downward, or outward. The eye turn may be constant, or it may come and go. Which eye is straight (and which is misaligned) may switch or alternate.
Strabismus is common condition among children, especially in those with brain disorders. About 4% of all children in the U.S. have it. However, it can occur later in life and is then called adult strabismus.
How does strabismus affect vision?
Adults with this condition often have double vision because their brains have already learned to receive images from both eyes and cannot ignore the image from the turned eye. A child generally does not see double.
Because good vision develops during childhood when both eyes have normal alignment, strabismus can cause amblyopia, or reduced vision, in the misaligned eye. The brain pays attention to the image of the straight eye and ignores the image of the crossed eye. If the same eye is consistently ignored during early childhood, the misaligned eye may fail to develop good vision, or even lose vision. This occurs in approximately half of the children with strabismus.
Adults with strabismus may experience:
- Eye fatigue
- Double vision
- Overlapped or blurred images
- A pulling sensation around the eyes
- Reading difficulty
- Loss of depth perception
How is strabismus treated?
After a child is diagnosed with strabismus, an ophthalmologist can recommend appropriate treatment. In some cases, eye glasses may help straighten the eyes. Other treatments may involve surgery to correct the unbalanced eye muscles or to remove a cataract. Covering, blurring, or patching the strong eye to improve amblyopia is often necessary.
For adults, treatment may include:
- Eye muscle exercises
- Botox injections
- Eye muscle surgery
When should a child's have their eyes checked?
Strabismus is just one of the many pediatric eye conditions that may disrupt a child's healthy eye development. This is why it's so important for children to attend regular eye examinations.
Our pediatric eye doctor specializes in medical and surgical treatment for strabismus and a wide range of conditions that may affect your child's vision. Call to schedule an appointment today.


Test corn before feeding
The recent corn harvest was quite unfavorable, and livestock feeders need a long-term plan for feeding the 2009 crop. In much of the Midwest, corn harvest was later than in any year in recent memory, and the prolonged moist conditions in many cases caused molds to develop on the kernels, as ears were standing on stalks in the field.
These ear rots have resulted in many questions concerning possible mycotoxin production when conditions are cool and wet. “Wet conditions are ideal for mold growth,” says Randy Cragoe, a ruminant nutrition specialist with Cragoe Consulting at Brookings, S.D.
• Think beyond harvest before feeding corn from this fall.
• Test corn that had mold on ears in the field for mycotoxins.
• Problems vary for livestock fed corn contaminated with mold.
“Ideally, grain at harvest shouldn’t have more than 13% to 14% moisture,” he adds. “If the grain contains more than this recommended moisture, it is highly suggested to use mold inhibitors, which are organic acids, at appropriate concentrations. These mold inhibitors reduce the further growth of molds and the subsequent mycotoxin production.”
Cragoe says high-moisture corn should be analyzed for harmful mycotoxins before storage or feeding, and should be stored in separate, temporary structures such as bags to avoid contamination of clean corn in storage bins. Also, care should be taken to make sure silos and bunks are packed well. The use of silage inoculants can be valuable. Care should be taken to store straw and hay properly as they also can be a source of mycotoxins.
The toxins can be produced by molds found in soil and can grow on grain, forages and silage. Mycotoxins can form in the field preharvest and may continue to form under suboptimal storage conditions postharvest. Aflatoxins and Fusarium mycotoxins often are associated with moldy corn.
Problems for livestock can be quite variable depending on species and type of toxins identified in the feed source, says Cragoe. Swine and horses have a high sensitivity to contaminated feed, and feed avoidance by the animal is a common symptom of mycotoxin issues.
For gestating and lactating sows, if they do eat the feed, symptoms such as immune suppression, reduced ability to absorb nutrients from the gastrointestinal tract and a reduced use of proteins in the body are more common.
Ruminant animals are the most resistant due to microorganisms in the rumen that can degrade toxins before they enter the bloodstream. Harmful effects can be observed, however, in high-producing dairy cows. Reduced milk production, impaired reproduction and immunity suppression in cows are possible effects of mycotoxins.
Use a feed additive?
Once mycotoxins have made their way into the feed, there are still a few options available to the farmer. “You either should not feed the contaminated feed or you should use an effective mycotoxin adsorbent,” says Cragoe.
There are two types of adsorbents: silica-based polymers and carbon-based organic polymers. Silica-type materials are readily available, and many are effective against aflatoxins but ineffective against other types. An organic glucomannan polymer extracted from the cell wall of yeast is a natural fiber source and often can be used at practical levels of inclusion.
Need more information? Cragoe says mycotoxins are a leading area of study at Alltech. Visit www.alltech.com.
Source: Cragoe, Alltech
This article published in the February, 2010 edition of WISCONSIN AGRICULTURIST.


Western Land Claims
Americans of the Revolutionary Era regarded the "West" as those lands between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River. The area beyond the Mississippi was then largely unexplored and in the possession of foreign powers. The West had been the object of much recent contention; Britain and France bitterly struggled for control of the area during the French and Indian War (1754-1763). In the aftermath of that conflict, Britain attempted to halt the westward movement of American settlers in the Proclamation of 1763, one of a series of events that led to the estrangement of mother country and colonies.
By the 1780s, seven of the 13 original states had enunciated claims to areas in the West. These so-called "landed" states had a great potential advantage over the six "landless" states. It was assumed that the future sale of western lands would enrich the landed states and possibly allow them to operate without any form of taxation. The landless states feared that they would lose residents and dwindle into insignificance.
The claims to the western lands were usually rooted in the vague wording of old colonial charters. The picture was further complicated by the fact that the claims often overlapped one another, which pitted one state's interests against another.
As the War of Independence approached its conclusion, the Articles of Confederation government struggled with this problem. Time was of the essence, since thousands of settlers were crossing the mountains into the new areas. The Congress — in one of its few triumphs of this era — worked diligently to induce the states to surrender control of their claims to the central government. The process required nearly 20 years and was completed by the successor government under the new U.S. Constitution.
The landed states included the following:
- Virginia. Being the possessor of the oldest colonial charter, Virginians felt confident that they had the best claim to lands in the west. The commonwealth asserted its right to a huge tract that fanned out to the west and north, which encompassed the expanses of the Old Northwest (the Ohio country). However, despite the size and seeming solidity of its claim, Virginia was among the leaders of the movement to surrender the areas to the central government. Business leaders preferred to have a viable confederation of states than claims to western lands.
Virginia surrendered its claim to the Northwest in 1784, but held on to the rich lands directly across the mountains until the new federal government was in place. That latter area, Kentucky, became a state in 1792, the same year that Virginia formally vacated its claim.
- Connecticut. Connecticut put forth a claim to a swath of land from its western boundary to the Mississippi River. A claim to a portion of Pennsylvania (not shown on the map) was asserted only half-heartedly because of the strength of a more recent charter held by that state. Connecticut and New York jointly claimed lands in the Old Northwest, but New York surrendered its rights in 1785 and Connecticut followed the next year. However, Connecticut's claim to an area known as the Western Reserve was maintained until 1795, when it was purchased by the Connecticut Land Company.
- Massachusetts. A claim to a portion of present-day Michigan and Wisconsin was surrendered by Massachusetts in 1785 and a much weaker claim to an area in western New York (not shown on map) was given up in 1786. East of the Appalachians, Massachusetts vied with New Hampshire and New York to claim Vermont, which achieved statehood in 1791.
- New York. In 1782, New York ceded its wispy claim to a large tract (not shown on map) that included much of present-day Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Kentucky and portions of central Tennessee and western Virginia.
- North Carolina. North Carolina attempted to surrender its western claims in 1784. Settlers in what would later become Tennessee, particularly along the Watauga River, paid few taxes, but demanded assistance with fending off Indian attacks. It was not until 1790 that the central government accepted North Carolina's cession.
- South Carolina. In 1787, South Carolina gave up its claim to a narrow strip of land running from its western boundary to the Mississippi River. A portion of this claim was added to northern Georgia and the remainder was ceded to the central government.
- Georgia. Georgia, possessor of the weakest claim to western lands, held out the longest. The area that later became Alabama and Mississippi were given up in 1802, which completed the process of surrender.
The ceding of western lands by the states was accompanied by a series of laws passed by the Articles Congress to organize the areas and prepare them for statehood. These measures included the Ordinance of 1784
, the Ordinance of 1785
, and the Great Northwest Ordinance
The surrounding territories not controlled by the states or central government belonged at various times to Britain, France, and Spain. These lands changed hands with some frequency in response to diplomatic efforts aimed at settling European wars:
- Louisiana, a name applied generally to the lands west of the Mississippi River, had passed from Britain to Spain following the Seven Years' War (1763), but reverted to Spain after American independence (1783). During the Napoleonic Wars, Louisiana would pass to France (1800), and shortly thereafter be sold to the United States in the
Louisiana Purchase (1803).
- Florida also passed from one European power to another. France gave up its claim to Florida to Britain in 1763 following the Seven Years' War, but Spain ended up with the territory as a consolation prize (having failed to secure Gibraltar) at the end of the American War of Independence in 1783. Spain surrendered its claims to present-day Alabama and Mississippi in Pinckney's Treaty (1795). The United States purchased Florida under the terms of the Adams-Onís Treaty in 1819.
- The Canadian border question was not satisfactorily addressed in the Treaty of Paris at the conclusion of the War for Independence. Two particular border issues remained, Maine-New Brunswick and the area immediately west of Lake Superior, and were not settled until the Webster-Ashburton Treaty in 1842.
See Indian Wars Time Table


Positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heaters are powerful ceramic heaters ideal for small spaces and containers. Safe, effective, and self-regulating, PTC heaters come in two main designs that maximize airflow for optimal heat dispersion.
- Fin PTC Heaters. Fin PTC heaters are so-named for their large aluminum fins, which circulate air across a large surface area for efficient heat transfer. These elements are designed with temperature-limiting effects, which reduce the risk of overheating, making them a safe option for settings ranging from operating rooms to airline interiors.
- Honeycomb PTC Heaters. Honeycomb heaters combine small heating discs with over 1,200 holes for high-volume airflow. Honeycomb PTC heaters, like fin heaters, operate at a safe temperature while still producing significant heat output.
More PTC Heating Equipement:
- PTC Thermistors. While many heaters use typical resistors, a thermistor is a special type of resistor dependent on temperature. PTC thermistors specifically increase resistance with a rise in temperature.
- PTC Conductors. Serving as safe, energy-efficient solutions for many different product designs, PTC heat conductors and natural convection heaters are available in a range of sizes and mounting options to allow for quick, easy installation.
Applications of PTC Heaters
PTC heaters are safe, powerful, and compact, so they find many applications across industries:
- Transportation. Small, lightweight PTC heaters are a common choice for heating vehicle interiors, including cars, buses, and airplanes.
- Healthcare. PTC heaters are safe and efficient enough to heat rooms and equipment in hospitals.
- Recreational. When woven into clothing, PTC heating elements keep users warm during winter recreation.
- Food and Beverage. PTC heaters keep fluids and food at a constant temperature in food processing and distribution.
- Public Spaces. In addition to heating indoor spaces and vessels, PTC heaters can also warm outdoor seating areas at restaurants, hotels, stadiums, and similar gathering places.
Ultra-Thin Flexible Heaters
Ultra-thin flexible heaters, as the name suggests, pack heating elements into materials weighing as little as 0.04g/cm². Their bendable nanotechnology elements warm quickly and hold temperatures constant with minimal electromagnetic emissions. Common varieties include:
- Polyimide Ultra-Thin Flexible Heaters. Polyimide heaters are among the thinnest and most flexible heaters available. Created from an organic polymer, polyimide heaters offer high dielectric strength and excellent performance in demanding applications
- Etched Foil. Patterned foil creates a conductive surface, which may contain embedded NTC or PTC thermistors for temperature control. They are suitable for low-resistance applications requiring temperatures up to 200° C.
- Nano-Carbon Non-Printed Heaters. Using nanoscale carbon for even heat transfer, these heating elements withstand higher temperatures and resistances than etched foil.
- Polyester (PET) Flexible Film Heaters. PET heaters are cost-effective, waterproof heating elements commonly used with an adhesive backing. Like other ultra-thin, flexible heaters, they can be wound or shaped into many configurations, depending on the application. PET film heaters are effective at temperatures up to 120 °C.
- Silicone Rubber Heaters. Silicone rubber heaters are powerful and can rapidly heat to temperatures as high as 300 °C. These heaters combine a super-conductive heating sheet with silicone insulation to maintain even temperatures across their heating range.
- Mica Heaters. Mica heaters coat heating elements with mica layers to accommodate the highest temperature applications (up to 1000 °C). They combine this impressive temperature resistance with excellent voltage resistance and tensile strength, so they are suitable for the most demanding applications. Mica heaters can also be integrated into metal molds for versatility.
- Transparent Film Heaters. Transparent film heaters use very thin heating elements to offer glare-free visible transparency that exceeds conventional glass. Like PET heaters, they can maintain temperatures of 120 °C despite being thin and translucent.
Applications of Ultra-Thin Flexible Heaters
Ultra-thin flexible heaters have many specialty applications across industries. They can conform to virtually any geometry and fit narrow spaces to provide even and precise heating. These include:
● Seat heaters
● Condensation and freezing protection for outdoor equipment
● Battery heating
● Home appliance heating
● Optical, photographic, or electronic applications
● Laboratory and medical equipment
● LCD displays
Temperature controllers are designed to monitor and automatically regulate heat levels. These devices protect against dramatic temperature fluctuations, which can damage sensitive electronics. They also help maintain temperature levels necessary for industrial processes. Common types of temperature controller include:
- Micro Temperature Controllers. Compact micro temperature controllers are lightweight and fit into products with extreme space constraints. These controllers are self-contained, requiring no additional controls, so they fit easily into existing circuitry.
- Four-Phase Temperature Controllers. Four-phase temperature controllers are simply temperature controllers with four incremental power settings.
- Digital Temperature Controllers. Digital temperature controllers offer precise, configurable temperature regulation, with memory systems to retain past settings.
Among four-phase temperature controllers, Pelonis offers two distinct lines of sleek and efficient regulators:
- DTC-S series. The DTC-S models offer four time settings (one, two, four, and eight hours) and four power settings (25% through 100%). These models are compatible with AC and DC voltages and a wide variety of heaters.
- DTC-N series. DTC-N models use pulse-width modulation to control power input, creating four temperature settings (40, 45, 50, and 55° C) rather than power settings.
Additionally, there are two main lines of digital controller:
- DTC-A series. DTC-A controllers hold temperatures within 1 °C on time intervals from 30 minutes to 24 hours. These controllers are best for high-precision applications such as those found in medical research or chemical processing.
- DTC-T series. DTC-T controllers offer easy control of four power settings as well as customized time and temperature settings. DTC-T models are ideal for controlling AC and DC voltages.
Applications of Temperature Controllers
Temperature controllers are useful anywhere that a temperature fluctuation could damage equipment or inhibit a chemical process.
- Healthcare and Biotechnology. Temperature controllers keep laboratory equipment at the proper temperature for tests and specimen storage.
- Food and Beverage. Food and beverage processing often requires precise temperature control to ensure food safety. In these settings, temperature controllers are critical to maintaining regulatory compliance and product quality.
- Plastics. Plastic manufacturing involves a range of temperature-sensitive processes. Temperature controllers ensure that these procedures yield the desired results so that the final products meet specifications.
- Heat Treating. Heat treatments are a common final step in manufacturing, used to set coatings or strengthen materials.
- Packaging. Temperature regulators can be used to activate thermal adhesives.
High-temperature ceramic immersion heaters sit in a vat of liquid to evenly and efficiently heat its contents. Less commonly, immersion heaters may be used to heat air and gas. Pelonis immersion heaters resist corrosion and damage from chemicals, including highly acidic or basic fluids, so they are compatible with almost any industrial process. They are also safe and self-regulating and can withstand a minute of exposure to 2500 V.
Immersion heaters take two primary forms:
- Flange-Mounted Immersion Heaters. Tubular, hairpin heating elements join to a plate, forming a cylindrical unit that can be immersed in fluids. These are the most common heaters used in holding and storage tanks.
- Pipe Thread Heaters. Pipe thread heaters are usually used in circulating fluid systems. In these models, the same tubular hairpin heating elements are welded to a screw plug rather than a flange, allowing them to be screwed into threaded openings.
Applications of Immersion Heaters
Our powerful immersion heaters achieve temperatures up to 1200 °C in a dry environment along with 98% heating efficiency in liquids. Applications include:
- Steam generators
- Wastewater treatment equipment
- Ignition devices
- Air conditioners and HVAC units
- Fluid heaters


Common Toad – Bufo bufo
A native species that are mostly nocturnal making it difficult to spot them. The best time of year to see Toads is during the breeding season in February and March as they congregate in ponds (including garden ponds) to mate.
Toads are often confused with Frogs, but the Toads warty skin and walking rather than hopping motion help to distinguish between the two. Females are larger than males being up to 15cm long, they are heavily built with warty skin; these warts produce a toxin when the Toad feels threatened, they will also take on a defensive posture when threatened that makes them appear much larger than usual and so deter predators. They do this by stretching out their legs, inflating their lungs with air, and leaning their heads downwards. They are uniform in colour which can range from brown, greenish grey and females are more reddish brown than the males depending on its surroundings. Their stomach is light grey in colour and they have horizontal pupils, a rounded snout and large webbed hind feet.
Their diet consists of any prey small enough to swallow including slugs, spiders, earwigs, worms, snails and even young toads! They will only be seen feeding on land rather than in the water, where they sit and wait for their prey to come by.
Toads are only seen close to water during the breeding season, during the rest of the year they can be found far from water bodies which, unlike the frog, it prefers larger ponds and lakes in which to breed and lays its eggs (spawn) in long ribbon like strips amongst submerged vegetation.
Toads start their journey to their breeding ponds once they have emerged from hibernation in February and March; many are killed as they cross roads to reach the ponds that they return to each year. There is a lot of competition between the males for the females and ‘mating balls’ can often be seen as males try to take a female from another male. Up to ten males could be fighting for a single female; the females can be drowned or crushed during this mating frenzy. When mating is successful eggs are laid in long double strings (unlike the frog clump of spawn) amongst vegetation. Tadpoles hatch about 2 months later and develop into toadlets a few weeks later. They reach sexual maturity after a couple of years.
During the breeding season is the only time Toads will be seen together as they are solitary animals. Hibernation starts in October and is usually under deep leaf litter, logs or in burrows, only occasionally will they hibernate in mud at the bottom of a pond.
The Toad is protected in Britain under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and is a Species of Conservation Concern under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP).


Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) are conducting experiments on a process known as "magnetic reconnection," one of the most common but least understood phenomena in the universe. PPPL researchers working on the Magnetic Reconnection Experiment (MRX) are aiming to improve knowledge about solar outbursts, the formation of the sun and stars, and nuclear fusion reactions. Here, Seth Dorfman -- a graduate student in Princeton University's Program in Plasma Physics, which is based at PPPL -- examines the MRX device at the lab.
Photo by Elle Starkman
PPPL scientists bring mysterious magnetic process down to earth
Posted October 24, 2011; 12:00 p.m.
With the click of a computer mouse, a scientist at the U.S. Department of Energy's Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) sends 10,000 volts of electricity into a chamber filled with hydrogen gas. The charge heats the gas to 100,000 degrees Celsius.
In an instant -- one-thousandth of a second, to be precise -- a process called "magnetic reconnection," a powerful force that can light up the skies, takes place in a device roughly the size of a sport utility vehicle.
PPPL researchers have run this and similar carefully controlled experiments -- called "shots" -- more than 100,000 times since 1995, and amassed volumes of data and numerous scientific papers. The shots recreate one of the most common but least understood phenomena in the universe -- one that gives rise to the northern lights, solar flares and geomagnetic storms, and that can disrupt cell phone service, black out power grids and damage orbiting satellites.
Researchers at PPPL have brought this basic process down to earth in miniature to be studied under laboratory conditions in the Magnetic Reconnection Experiment (MRX), the leading project of its kind in the world in terms of the quantity and quality of the data it has collected.
"Here we can actually recreate reconnection," said Masaaki Yamada, a PPPL physicist and principal investigator for MRX, "This is not theory or a computer simulation." Hantao Ji, principal research physicist at PPPL for MRX, concurred: "This provides a chance to see what's really going on in reconnection."
Scientists believe that magnetic reconnection is behind the extraordinary bursts of radiation that have emerged from the center of the Crab nebula, the remains of an exploded star. Astrophysicists from Princeton and other institutions are paying close attention to the efforts of the MRX research team, hoping to better understand some of the mysteries surrounding the phenomenon. (Image courtesy of NASA; the European Space Agency; and Jeff Hester and Allison Loll, Arizona State University)
The experiments seek to unravel the secrets of magnetic reconnection and ultimately provide benefits including improved prediction of solar outbursts and dangerous geomagnetic storms; increased understanding of the formation of the sun and stars; and greater control of the nuclear fusion reactions that PPPL researchers are studying as a clean fuel for generating electric power.
Magnetic reconnection takes place when magnetic lines of force -- or field lines -- break apart and reconnect with a violent burst of energy that, in huge bodies such as the sun and stars, has the explosive power of millions of tons of TNT. This occurs when superheated and electrically charged gases called plasmas converge. Plasmas consist of electrons and ions -- atoms that have been stripped of one or more electrons -- and are the basic elements of the sun and stars.
PPPL's study of the reconnection phenomenon is made possible by the MRX device, which resembles a large steel barrel attached to arrays of tubes and wires. Inside are two doughnut-shaped coil systems called "flux cores" that produce plasmas whose magnetic field lines reconnect while tiny probes measure the results. The MRX device can discharge 30,000 kilowatts of power for one-thousandth of a second, or enough energy to briefly power 25,000 homes.
PPPL, which is managed by Princeton University, launched the MRX project 16 years ago under the direction of Yamada to increase understanding of the role that magnetic reconnection plays in the disruption of plasma, which can force nuclear fusion reactors to shut down. Improved knowledge of magnetic reconnection would advance the development of fusion as a clean source of energy for generating electricity, which is the core mission of the laboratory.
The experiment soon caught the eye of the astrophysical community, which also saw benefits for its own field of study. Astrophysicists from Princeton and other institutions are closely watching the efforts by PPPL scientists to unravel some of the mysteries surrounding magnetic reconnection.
"Plasma processes, such as reconnection, influence the behavior of astronomical objects of all sizes, from solar flares to ionized gas jets that travel through galaxies," said Stewart Prager, director of PPPL. "One of the goals of PPPL is to understand the plasma universe, and MRX is making enormous contributions to that mission."
William Slavin (center), head of PPPL's safety division, gives graduate students a tour of the MRX device, which resembles a large steel barrel attached to arrays of tubes and wires. The device allows PPPL researchers to recreate the magnetic reconnection process in a controlled setting. (Photo by Elle Starkman)
Studying the triggers of solar outbursts
A key puzzle that MRX researchers are trying to solve is why magnetic reconnection takes place in the sun many thousands of times faster than theorists have been able to understand. This mystery hinders forecasting of volatile "space weather," which is an important factor in the development of future space exploration missions. "You can't predict solar storms when you don't understand reconnection," noted Princeton astrophysicist James Stone.
Solar storms occur when reconnection causes huge plasmas to erupt from the sun and slam into the Earth's magnetosphere -- the magnetic field that surrounds the planet -- with a potentially damaging impact. One such eruption stirred up a geomagnetic disturbance that blacked out the city of Montreal and most of the Canadian province of Quebec for nearly 12 hours in 1989.
Solar outbursts occur in 11-year cycles with a new cycle now starting and expected to reach a peak -- or "solar maximum" -- in 2013. However, scientists currently are unable to forecast the precise day or month of these eruptions.
MRX researchers are gradually zeroing in on the process behind the mysterious mechanism of reconnection that triggers the storms. Laboratory findings show that the electric current embedded into plasmas suddenly dissipates when these superhot gases converge, enabling reconnection to take place. Further experiments have confirmed that part of the reason for the abrupt dissipation is that the ions and electrons inside the plasmas have different velocities. The electrons thus behave differently from the ions -- as measured by a phenomenon called the "Hall effect" that is typically associated with magnetized electrons and unmagnetized ions in a plasma.
Such discoveries are redefining traditional notions of how reconnection works.
"The MRX is uncovering new physics that is modifying the theories that we thought had explained reconnection," said astrophysicist Russell Kulsrud, a Princeton professor emeritus. Through the experiment, PPPL scientists have "made many detailed measurements and (are) discovering many new things that we don't understand," Kulsrud added.
MRX findings will help guide a four-satellite exploration of reconnection that NASA scientists plan to launch in 2014. The spacecraft will sweep through the magnetosphere on a multiyear mission to study the regions where reconnection takes place.
"We hope to provide a database that will suggest what kind of data-taking is most efficient," Yamada said.
Knowledge of space weather will be vital to the safety of crews of possible future missions to Mars. The astronauts could be exposed to high levels of radiation if solar storms were to break out during flight, so the ability to pinpoint the timing of reconnection events that could lead to such storms is crucial, Yamada noted.
Gaining insights into bright skies, young stars and fusion energy
Through their work on the MRX experiment, PPPL researchers also aim to gain a better understanding of the forces behind issues ranging from the makeup of the skies and stars to clean energy development.
Magnetic reconnection underlies the northern lights, the brilliant auroras that light the night sky near the north and south poles. Auroras occur when relatively low-energy plasmas that stream from the sun connect with the magnetosphere and produce heated particles that give rise to the light shows. These plasma flows from the sun are known as "solar wind."
Magnetic reconnection is also suspected to be behind the extraordinary bursts of radiation that have emerged from the center of the Crab nebula -- the remains of an exploded star -- some 6,500 light years from Earth. Scientists trace the bursts to electrons that have accelerated to the highest level of energy ever observed in a fixed celestial body.
"You need something like reconnection to explain these very high-energy particles," said astrophysicist Jonathan Arons of the University of California-Berkeley.
Perhaps the most basic issue related to magnetic reconnection is its role in the creation of stars, which begin as clouds of charged particles that collapse under gravity. Accompanying this process is the reconnection of magnetic field lines that are present in the original cloud and must separate out for the star to be born. This activity happens much faster than current theory indicates, so MRX experiments "are constructed to find out the physics of what's actually going on," Princeton's Kulsrud noted.
Closer to home, reconnection creates a disruption in plasmas during nuclear fusion experiments such as those under way at PPPL. This disruption can force fusion reactors to shut down.
While the impact of magnetic reconnection on fusion research was the inspiration for the launch of MRX, the nature of the project -- scaling down massive phenomena into a laboratory setting -- is yielding insights beyond PPPL.
"If you're in space you observe what happens," said University of Maryland physicist James Drake. "In the lab you can vary the plasma conditions, which provides a new avenue for exploring the process."
The ability to conduct controlled magnetic reconnection experiments is the key to the MRX project, which is funded by several federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, the Office of Naval Research and NASA.
"The important part is that we can create with control, and then study the reconnection process," said PPPL's Yamada. "In nature you cannot."


The mechanism used to move a starship into jumpspace and thereby take it to a predetermined destination. Jump drives are rated in terms of the distance they can carry a ship. Jump-1, for example, indicates the ability to travel 1 parsec. Jump numbers range from 1 to 6. Higher jump numbers are not possible in ordinary usage, although misjumps can carry ships over greater distances.
A standard Imperial jump drive consists of four components: a high-yield fusion power plant, an energy sink of zuchai crystals, a jump governor, and a lanthanum-doped hull grid. The jump drive pictured above is of a kind typically referred to as a "Combination Drive." Combination drives are used on relatively small ships, typically less than 1000 dtons. In this design the power plant, energy sink (jump capacitors), and jump governor are incorporated on a common skid. Units on larger ships are "dispersed units", with separate jump capacitor banks and jump governors.
The special high-yield fusion power plant within the jump drive provides the energy required to enter jumpspace. The jump drive power plant consumes huge amounts of fuel very quickly in order to charge the energy sinks with high-grade energy. Hull radiators disperse low-grade heat energy. Part of the "fuel" is used to cool the jump drive during this process. The energy produced by the jump drive's power plant is stored in an array of high-energy sinks (also termed jump capacitors).
Most Imperial ships use a network of zuchai crystals for this task. No other known sink construct can retain such high levels of energy without decomposing. However, the crystals will begin to decompose after 2 to 3 hours if not discharged. In extreme cases, they can explosively decompose and do significant damage to the ship. Zuchai crystals store a near-perfect "impression" of the energy fed into them. Very little energy is lost from leakage; however, fluctuations in energy input are mirrored in the output when the crystals are drained. Thus both quantity and quality of the charge are important.
Ships in jumpspace are completely out of communication with the normal universe, and with other ships in jumpspace. A ship can make a jump equal to or less than its jump number, but fuel requirements round up to the next even parsec. All jumps take about a week (168 hours +/- 10%). Time spent in jump has no relation to the distance traveled; a 6-parsec jump and a 3-AU micro-jump both take about a week.
Each jump requires a quantity of liquid hydrogen. A portion is converted to energy in the ship’s reactor to open the “hole” into jumpspace and to maintain the “bubble” around the ship once it enters jumpspace, a portion is used as jump-drive coolant, and a portion is vented into jumpspace as part of the process of creating the jump “bubble” which separates and insulates the ship from jumpspace. For convenience though technically inaccurate, all of this is referred to as “fuel.”
Jump fuel is consumed at the rate of 10% of the ship’s displacement tonnage per parsec jumped. In-system microjumps count as 1 parsec for consumption of fuel. Ships may attach cargo pods, other ships, and such, then use their jump drives for the volume of the entire “assembly” as long as a ship’s jump drives and fuel are sufficient for the increased volume.
The ship must be approximately 100 diameters from the nearest concentration of matter. This includes other craft, celestial bodies, and even figures in spacesuits. The attempt to eject any kind of solid matter from the jumpship at this time will almost certainly result in a misjump.
When the command is given to jump, energy from the zuchai crystals is directed into the jump governor. This device determines how the lanthanum hull grid is to be powered up. The jump governor incorporates its own computer system and is linked to the main computer for guidance and backup. With utmost precision, the governor applies initial bursts of energy in the proper sequence to the hull grid. About 20% of the power stored in the zuchai crystals is used in this way to "warm up" the grid. At this point it is still possible to abort the jump.
The next step is the transition phase, and commits the craft to the jump. The jump governor feeds the remaining 80% of the zuchai charge to the hull grid, opening the weave of jumpspace and controlling the vessel's "tumble" into the jumpspace tunnel.
By now the governor has vented just the right amount of hydrogen into the jump bubble around the vessel to isolate it from the effects of jumpspace. In normal space the hydrogen molecules would quickly disperse, or ionize due to ambient radiation. In jumpspace the hydrogen cocoon will remain around the ship, requiring very little replenishment during in the week "in the hole."
The lanthanum hull grid is built into the ship's hull. It is fairly coarse, spaced about 1 m between grid lines. During jump transition, power is routed to specific portions of the hull as directed by the jump governor. By controlling the surges to within microseconds, the vessel's tumble is controlled, which properly directs the craft through jumpspace. If an external load is attached to the hull, outside the jump grid, the computer will compensate for this, extending the bubble beyond the load. Due to the delicacy of jump drives, most ships perform routine maintenance operations on their drives after every jump.
Not all the fuel is used to produce energy to charge the jump capacitors. A large part of fuel is used to maintain the jump bubble while in J-space. Some of this is passed through the jump drive to act as a coolant prior to being vented into space.
It is possible to make another jump almost immediately (within an hour) after returning to normal space, but standard procedures require a 16 hour wait to allow for cursory drive checks and some recharging. Most commercial vessels spend a week between jumps, using the time to maneuver to a world, land, unload cargo and load new cargo, and maneuver away from the world for the next jump
Black Globes and Jump Drive
Black Globes are devices that have been reverse engineered from Ancient technology found on Knorbes (1807 SM/Regina). A black globe is an energy absorbing force field. The design of these devices is highly classified, and as far as is known, no entity other than the Imperial Navy possesses this technology. A Black Globe can absorb both kinetic and thermal energy, so as to provide a defense against hostile weapon fire. This energy must be stored somewhere. The Imperial Navy has made a practice of using jump capacitors to store this energy. If sufficient power is being absorbed by the black globe device to completely charge the capacitors, then a ship can jump without fuel. This is possible because a black globe can continue to function while in jumpspace, but without absorbing any energy. It therefore, provides the isolation from jumpspace that is typically provided by the hydrogen jump bubble. It might very well be that this was the original purpose of these devices, jump space isolation.
To use a black globe in this capacity power must be shunted from the jump capacitors by the jump governor. As might be expected a standard jump governor is incapable of providing this function. The Navy installs modified governors on ships outfitted with black globes. Excess power, which is generated by the jump drive is shunted into the black globe, alleviating the need for coolant. On Imperial Navy ships this energy is used to help maintain the black globe field. These special devices make use of a black globe by a ship using a standard jump drive system problematic. Damage to the jump drive or even a misjump are the likely results.
Some ships have excess jump capacity installed. This allows them to carry excess displacement tonnage in the form of jump tanks or externally coupled auxiliary craft. Such craft can also use external grappling units to act as tugs for vessels with damaged jump units. A ship of with any jump capacity can install excess capacity to increase jump loading. For example a 1000 dton J-2 ship with excess capacity will become a J-3 ship. But it will also be able to tow a 500 dton vessel which does not have an operational jump drive at J-2. If sufficient excess capacity is installed to "push" the vessel to a higher jump rating than J-6 no performance enhancement will occur. Modern jump drives have not yet been able to (purposely) push the J-6 barrier.


US 5232643 A
Foamed seat cushions are manufactured in a female mold 10 by using vacuum applied through a series of apertures in the mold wall to draw a fabric seat covering into contact with the interior mold surface and then introducing a foam which fills the internal space in the mold. The mold is closed with a lid, and the foam is allowed to expand and cure. Air pressure is applied to the mold through the apertures in the mold wall to compress the foam cushion and partially break down some of the internal structure of the foam and softening the resilience of the foam to the desired level.
1. A method of manufacturing a foam cushion wherein said foam cushion is compressed in a mold to crush some internal foam cells, said method comprising:
drawing a covering into said mold by a vacuum, said vacuum applied to apertures in said mold;
filling said mold with an expandable foam mixture;
allowing said mixture to cure to form a foam body, said body having internal foam cells; and
applying air pressure to said apertures to compress said foam body and crush some of said internal foam cells.
2. The method of claim 1 and further comprising: clamping said covering to said mold before drawing said covering into said mold.
3. The method of claim 2 and further comprising: removing said foam cushion from said mold.
4. A method of manufacturing an integrally molded cushion comprising a foam body and a covering adhered to said foam body, wherein said foam body is compressed to crush some internal foam cells, said method comprising:
positioning said covering in a female molding tool having an interior mold surface with a plurality of apertures therethrough;
clamping said covering to said female molding tool;
covering said female molding tool with a lid;
applying a vacuum to said apertures and drawing said covering into said interior mold surface;
introducing an expandable foam material into said female molding tool to form said foam body;
allowing said foam material to cure and form said foam body, said foam body having internal foam cells; and
applying air pressure to said apertures to compress said foam body and crush some of said internal foam cells.
5. The method of claim 4 and further comprising after applying air pressure, removing said foam cushion from said mold.
FIG. 1 shows a partially exploded view of the molding equipment necessary to practice the invention. Female mold 10 has an interior mold wall 12. Mold wall 12 has a generally planar surface surrounded by an upstanding annular surface. Cloth clamping ring 14 surrounds the outer periphery of upstanding annular surface of wall 12. Lid 16 engages clamping ring 14 to form a seal. Lid 16, clamping ring 14, and mold wall 12 define a mold chamber 24. Adjacent the generally planar surface of mold wall 12 is a pressure chamber 18. Pressure chamber 18 communicates with mold chamber 24 through a plurality of apertures 20 through mold wall 12.
Female mold 10 is of the type commonly used in the manufacture of cloth covered seat cushions. Pressure chamber 18 communicates with a vacuum means (not shown) and a pressure means (not shown).
A piece of cloth covering 22 is positioned between clamping ring 14 and female mold 10 (as shown in FIG. 2). Cloth 22 is clamped to the top of the mold by cloth clamping ring 14 and then vacuum is applied to the pressure chamber 18 to draw the cloth into the mold chamber 24 so that it lines mold wall 12 (as shown in FIG. 3). Cloth covering 22 may be any suitable fabric or fibrous material or any flexible vinyl or leather material suitable for seat coverings. Cloth covering 22 is treated or coated so that it is substantially impervious to air.
Clamping ring 14 allows cloth 22 to slip between clamping ring 14 and female mold 10. Cloth covering 22 is drawn snugly against mold wall 12 as a vacuum is applied pressure to chamber 18. U.S. Pat. No. 3,943,215 describes a process for permitting cloth 22 to slip through a clamping ring and be drawn into a female mold and is incorporated herein by reference.
After cloth covering 22 is drawn against mold wall 12, an expandable foam material 26, such as polyurethane foam, is introduced into mold chamber 24 (as shown in FIG. 4). Foam 26 adheres directly to the rear face of cloth covering 22. Lid 16 is put in place to seal mold chamber 24. Foam 26 expands to fill mold chamber 24 and forms a cushion shape (as shown in figures 5 and 6).
Vacuum is applied to pressure chamber 18 until foam material 26 has cured. The method described up to this point is essentially the conventional method of manufacturing a cloth covered automotive set cushion.
The final stage in the process compresses the molded cushion thereby squashing foam 26 (as shown in FIG. 7). A positive air pressure is applied to the champer 18. This pressure acts on the finished surface of cloth covering 22 to compress the now expanded and cured foam 26. The squashing of foam 26 causes a break down of some of the internal structure of the foam and results in a crushing and softening of foam 26.
The amount of softening of foam 26 is determined by the amount of positive air pressure applied to pressure chamber 18. If greater softening of foam 26 is desired, greater positive air pressure is applied, if less softening is desired, less positive air pressure is applied.
The positive air pressure and vacuum can be supplied by a single air pump (not shown). By reversing the direction of the pump motor, the air pump can supply either the vacuum or the positive air pressure.
The present invention permits the in mold manufacture of integral seat cushions having a crushed foam body utilizing existing molding equipment.
The invention thus provides a very simple and expeditious way of carrying out the necessary step of crushing the foam cushion.
It should be recognized and understood that the foregoing description of presently preferred embodiments of the invention are presented for exemplification and not limitation of the invention. Certain modifications and variations of the fastener will be apparent to the skilled of the arts in view of the present disclosure and the present or future state of the art, which modifications and variations are intended to be within the scope of the following claims.
The invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing in which FIG. 1 is an exploded cross sectional view of a mold useful in practicing the invention.
FIGS. 2-7 are a view similar to that shown in FIG. 1 but showing the foaming and compressing operation.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the manufacture of foamed seat cushions, in particular cushions made of polyurethane foam and more specifically is directed to a novel and useful method of breaking down some of the internal structure of the foam producing a softening of the foamed cushion.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known to manufacture foamed seat cushions in a female mold. A sheet of impervious fabric is introduced into the mold chamber to form the seat covering. A vacuum is applied to hold the seat cover in place against the mold wall. An in situ foaming process is then used to fill the mold chamber behind the seat covering with a foam which adheres to the back surface of the seat covering. A lid is applied to the mold while the foaming reaction takes place. A process of this type is disclosed in GB-PS 1,325,622.
After foaming has been completed, the finished cushion is extracted from the mold with the foam bonded directly to the inner surface of the seat covering. In order to give the foam the required resilience, the normal practice in manufacturing seat cushions is to crush the foam to break down some of the internal structure. This is conventionally done through a mechanical squashing or squeezing process. This mechanical squashing technique requires removal of the cushion from the mold and is potentially damaging to the fabric seat covering. Also, this mechanical squashing technique is incompatible with seat cushions having molded spring inserts.
Another technique is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,579,700 and 4,717,518. This technique involves exposing the curing product to atmospheric pressure at a time when the cell walls have cured sufficiently to partially resist bursting by the pressure of expansion gas. This process requires careful timing of the exposure to atmospheric pressure. The curing foam undergoes a curing process wherein the cell walls are sufficiently strong to support the shape of the molded foam and avoid collapse of the molded foam when exposed to atmospheric pressure but are weak enough to burst by the internal pressure of hot expansion gasses within the cells and thus open the cells upon exposure to atmospheric pressure. This technique requires a special mold having an atmospheric vent valve and a means to open the valve at precisely the correct time.
Other techniques to soften foam include the shock treatment described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,239,585, and the secondary expansion process described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,360,484. Shock treatment requires immersing the foam in a nonsolvent aqueous liquid and impacting the liquid with a physical shock. Secondary expansion requires increasing the gas pressure within the cells and then heating the foam above its heat plastifying temperature to cause secondary expansion. Neither technique easily lends itself to the manufacture of cloth covered seat cushions.
All the methods described above either require post mold processing such as the physical squashing and shock treatment, or require complicated molding techniques such as atmospheric venting and secondary expansion. They do not permit the use of existing molds to perform an inmold crushing of the foam using conventional molding equipment.
It is thus an object of this invention to teach a method for manufacturing a seat cushion with a crushed foamed body in a single molding process.
It is a further object of this invention to manufacture crush foamed seat cushions using existing molding equipment.
It is another object of this invention to vary the amount of crush of the foamed cushion by varying the amount of positive air pressure applied to the seat cushion.
It is another object of this invention to teach the use of positive air pressure to crush of the foam cushion so that there is no mechanical contact with the finished surface of the seat covering.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent by the present invention will become apparent by the following disclosure and preferred embodiments.
According to the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a foamed seat cushion wherein a seat cover is drawn into a female mold by the use of vacuum. The mold is filled by a foamed in situ mixture and a lid is placed on the mold. The foam is allowed to expand and cure within the mold. Air pressure is applied to the mold through the apertures in the mold wall to compress the foam cushion. The compressed foam breaks down some of the internal structure of the foam cells and makes the foamed cushion softer and more resilient.
In this way, the necessary manufacturing step of crushing the foam is carried out without removing the cushion from the mold by merely by reversing the pressure applied to the mold chamber.


See Also: OCR settings
What Character Rotation does
Text can become very confusing when viewed from different orientations. For example, a q is a b when looked at upside-down. Character Rotation ensures that text is recognized the right way up.
If the text on the raster image is all at the same orientation
If the text on the raster image is all at the same orientation, set Character Rotation to match that orientation.
If the text on the raster image is at different orientations
If the text on the raster image is at different orientations, you can do either of the following:
Please note that where text at one orientation is very close to text at another orientation as in the example below, the text is virtually impossible to convert successfully.
Set Character Rotation
Set Character Rotation using the following short-cut keys:
You can also set Character Rotation in the OCR Settings dialog, which appears when you select OCR Menu > Settings.
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The novel coronavirus has consumed
most all of the world, on personal and professional levels. It is scary and paralizing and… innovations are making it easier to handle the many obstacles and difficulties that accompany the COVID-19 pandemic. Artificial intelligence (AI) in particular is having a positive impact.
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post on behalf of Industrial Vision Systems and I have been compensated for writing it. Rest assured that all opinions are my own.
What is Artificial Intelligence?
AI has different definitions, depending who you ask about it. While some professionals might say something is not truly AI, others might say otherwise. A universal feature, though, is that AI applies intelligence to tasks that typically go beyond human capabilities.
Common uses of AI are virtual assistants, such as “Alexa” from Amazon and Gmail’s ability to spot spam in emails by looking for patterns that signal an untrustworthy source. Both of these examples use machine learning. An exciting innovation is also AI-enabled machine vision systems, which is fast-forwarding smart manufacturing and more.
Uses of AI during COVID-19
There is a growing body of research on the coronavirus, and the data pool is growing beyond what humans can handle. AI can handle big data with ease, which is one of the ways that it is helping handle the pandemic.
Big data and analytics provide insights into why the virus affects certain people more than others, what measures can contain the virus, and predictions for where the virus will spread next. Tracking the virus in this way helps researchers to deal with huge amounts of information. It’s more than humans can analyze alone, and can help research teams develop COVID-19 solutions faster than they could otherwise.
It’s understandable that healthcare systems have been overwhelmed lately. To help alleviate some of the burden from call centers, many organizations, including the WHO and CDC, are adding virtual healthcare assistants or “chatbots” to their websites.
These assistants can answer questions, provide informative updates, check for symptoms, and advise where to go for a screening or home-isolation. The AI language processing features can potentially reduce urgent care visits significantly, as well as reducing anxiety by providing factual, up-to-date information on the virus.
Smart drones and robots
Drones are becoming increasingly useful during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their uses include tracking people not wearing facemasks in public spaces, as well as deploying medical samples in a particular area. Intelligent robots are also having a positive impact, from sterilizing isolation wings in hospitals to delivering food and other essentials to those who are in quarentine.
In addition, machine learning systems, which use video and digital signal processing to collect data, is taking AI to the next level and helping keep people safe. One example is vision-guided robots. They are being used in hospitals in China to enforce social distancing regulations. Specifically, their purpose is to keep sick individuals away from others to contain the virus.
It’s no wonder manufacturers are creating and deploying a growing number of intelligent drones and robots during this time.
When coronavirus patients are hospitalized, doctors often have a tough time predicting whether they will need a ventilator or intensive care. Thankfully, computer models are being created that calculate the risk of the patient needing a ventilator within a certain period, such as one week, so that hospital staff can organize and deploy their resources to fufill the future need.
The sophisticated AI system finds patterns that doctors cannot detect themselves, which makes it a very useful planning tool for hospitals. Doctors then know which patients to watch carefully and have the ventilator available when that person requires it.
AI in the workforce
The positive impact expands beyond applications solely related to the coronavirus. There is no doubt that aritificial intelligence will continue to have a dramatic effect on healthcare, for example. AI systems can help detect tumors in X-rays, for instance. lt can also spot genetic sequences related to diseases.
In other workplaces, the technology is sure to transform them in many ways. For example, AI can improve the hiring process by sifting through huge numbers of resumes and sorting them by the best talent for the job vacancy. AI can assess individuals by their skills and predict how well they would fit within the company culture.
In combination with machine vision systems, AI has even more cabilities. For instance, cameras in a meeting room can detect if attendees’ level of interest and mood. That information can help you determine how to make the meeting better for all the next time around for greater effectiveness. It can even lead managers to find new ways to hold meetings.
Essentially, the “machines” in machine vision see things and then act based on it. There are many industrial applications, including presence verification. This term refers to making sure that parts or components are in a particular object. For example, it can prove the existence of screws and washers for securing parts and that the product is in the package. The risk of missing failures is significantly reduced through this intelligent process that was previously done by humans, and it is more efficient than before too.
Measuring in machine vision can also confirm the accuracy of parts and components, without needing to be manually done. Get reliable measurement, such as the roundness of metal parts or the center coordinates of circular components, for excellent accuracy at extremely high speeds.
Final words on artificial intelligence
The capabilities of AI are sure to continue to improve and the applications will expand accordingly. From office environments to manufacturing facilities, there are many areas where artificial intelligence is already proving helpful.
The sophisticated technology is helping in many ways with the COVID-19 pandemic. I am thankful for it!


There are a number of tissues that are found in the human body that has their own importance and functioning. One such tissue playing a very important role in our body is the bone marrow tissue. It is the very spongy tissue found inside some of the bones in the body, including the hip and thigh bones. Such tissue contains immature cells, called stem cells.
Numerous people suffering from blood cancers like as leukemia and lymphoma, sickle cell anemia and other life-threatening diseases, have to rely on bone marrow or cord blood transplants to survive. But there are no more worries as best bone marrow transplant doctor in India are available with good experience and success rates.
Healthy bone marrow and blood cells are needed by every one of us in order to live. When any sort of disease affects the bone marrow it can no longer function effectively, where a marrow or cord blood transplant could be the best treatment option. Even for some patients, it is the only and the last potential cure to the problem.
Understand what a bone marrow does for your body- As we all know that there are mainly two bone marrows i.e. the red bone marrow and the yellow bone marrow. The majority of red blood cells, platelets, and most of the white blood cells are formed in the red marrow. Yellow bone marrow produces fat, cartilage, and bone.
Each blood cell has its own life expectancy where white blood cells can survive for a few hours to a maximum of few days, the red blood cells for around 120 days and platelets for about only 10 days. These are constantly replaced by the bone marrow.
Therefore, the major function of a bone marrow lies in producing and releasing more white blood cells in response to infections, and more platelets in response to bleeding. For example- If a person experiences serious blood loss, yellow bone marrow can be activated and transformed into red bone marrow.
Importance of a healthy bone marrow- The importance of a healthy bone marrow lies in having good other systems like-
- Circulatory system- Healthy bone marrow helps in having a strong and effective circulatory system as the red blood cells provides oxygen to the blood and the tissues.
- Hemoglobin- the protein in red blood cells that gives them their color is called the hemoglobin. It collects oxygen in the lungs, later transports it in the red blood cells, and releases oxygen to tissues to the areas such as the heart, muscles, and brain.
- Proper iron- Iron is the important product for any human body. It combines with the proteins in order to make the content of haemoglobin full. This iron is generally found in the liver, spleen and bone marrow. A healthy bone marrow waves off any deficiency in the levels of the iron making a healthy body.
Therefore, it is very important to have a good functioning bone marrow. For those having any sort of doubts related to any issue regarding bone marrow can look out for the list of bone marrow transplant doctors in India to get the proper treatment and cure.


Children do not receive homework on Fridays, unless asked to revise for a test or to read their library book. Sometimes at the discretion of the class teacher or Principal, children are given "homework off" as a treat or as acknowledgement of some special occasion. Homework will normally contain a balance between reading tasks, learning tasks and written tasks.
It should be noted that homework time devoted to reading, learning and spellings is as important as written work and should be given equal attention. The amount of homework varies from one class to another. The amount of time it will take a pupil to complete an assignment will also vary considerably. Time spent on homework will also vary from day to day and also from the beginning to the end of the school year. Parents should check that the child has completed all the homework as written in the Diary or the Homework Sheet. When satisfied the journal should be signed each night.
Guidelines for Parents/Guardians: Homework forms a positive link between home and school. Parents or guardians can give valuable support to the work of the school and help the child greatly, by showing a positive interest in and encouragement of homework.
Parents or guardians should ensure that children complete their homework.
- Have a set time each day for homework.
- Provide a specific quiet place conducive to work and free from distractions i.e. television, music, other children playing, food.
- Supervise the homework by helping your child to understand the assignment if necessary but never actually doing the work your child.
- Listen to formal reading, spellings, tables, poetry, prayers etc.
- Check that homework has been completed and then sign the pupil's homework journal. To develop independence, a sense of responsibility and as a preparation for second level education, pupils in 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th class will not always write down homework from the board but should remember the assigned work.
Thank for your continuing co-operation.