Aspects of the invention provide a transport system powered by short block Linear Synchronous Motors (LSMs). The use of short blocks allows vehicles to move under precise control even when they are in close proximity to each other. The design allows the vehicles to be propelled and guided while negotiating sharp turns and negotiating merge and diverge switches. A coreless LSM can be used to create propulsive force without attractive force so as to allow a relatively high drag vehicle suspension, such as a vehicle sliding on a smooth surface. Further aspects of the invention provide a switching member that is selectively moveable relative to a guideway in order to change a magnetic force acting on the vehicle transverse to a direction of motion of the vehicle.

The present invention is realized by apparatus and methods for placing a large utility scale photovoltaic array in the low stratosphere of earth's atmosphere at an altitude of about 20 km, above clouds, moisture, dust, and wind. This is accomplished using a large light-weight, rigid, buoyant structure to support the large photovoltaic array. Long, strong and light tethers connect the buoyant structure to the ground and hold it in position against wind forces. The electricity output from the photovoltaic array is then coupled to high voltage transmission lines which connect from the platform to the earth's surface. The electricity is then transmitted through the high voltage transmission lines to the earth's surface where it is connected to the electrical supply grid and provides lower cost, more reliable electricity.

The present invention is realized by apparatus and methods for placing a large rigid buoyant platform in the low stratosphere of earth's atmosphere at an altitude of about 20 km, above clouds, moisture, dust, and wind. The platform can serve several uses, either individually or in any combination. These uses include uninterrupted radio and light communications, radar and optical observation including very powerful radars and solar power electricity generation. Long, strong and light tethers connect the buoyant structure to the ground which hold it in position against wind forces. The electricity output from a photovoltaic array is used to power platform uses and can also be coupled to high voltage transmission lines which transmit power from the platform to the earth's surface during daylight hours. Power can also be transmitted up to the platform during darkness to power facilities mounted on the platform ensuring continuous operation.

The invention provides in some aspects a transport system comprising a guideway with a plurality of propulsion coils disposed along a region in which one or more vehicles are to be propelled. One or more vehicles are disposed on the guideway, each including a magnetic flux source. The guideway has one or more running surfaces that support the vehicles and along which they roll or slide. Each vehicle can have a septum portion of narrowed cross-section that is coupled to one or more body portions of the vehicle. The guideway includes a diverge region that has a flipper and an extension of the running surface at a vertex of the diverge. The flipper initiates switching of vehicle direction at a diverge by exerting a laterally directed force thereon.

A method for manufacturing high speed pressure compensator-type drip irrigation tubes and the tubes obtained thereby having absolute radial orientation of molecular chains, the orientation imparting strength as well as flexibility to the tube material. The said method comprises extruding a tube using a plurality of extruders; blowing up the extruded tube by introducing a pressure inside the tube relatively higher than the pressure outside the tube; drawing the blown tube simultaneously to the blowing of tube; flattening the blown tube by heat welding the collapsed halves together and forming a tape immediately, subsequent to the process of blowing and drawing the tube; extrusion of a bonding polymer on one border of the tape; printing flow channels into the hot and viscous bonding polymer; and forming a tube by lengthwise folding the tape and heat welding the overlapping borders together using the bonding polymer.

A reductant delivery unit (10) includes a fluid injector (12) and a flange (20) coupled with the fluid injector. An exhaust boss (28) has a surface (39) defining a through-hole (40) that communicates with a vehicle's exhaust flow path. The flange is coupled to a mounting surface such that the outlet of the fluid injector communicates with the exhaust flow path so as to control injection of urea solution into the exhaust gas flow path. A gasket (32) is sandwiched between the flange and the mounting surface. The gasket has a surface (37) defining a through-hole (38) therein that communicates with the through-hole in the exhaust boss to permit the urea solution to pass from the fluid outlet to the exhaust flow path. Gasket shielding structure (44) covers the surface defining the through-hole in the gasket to prevent the urea solution from contacting the gasket.

A valve includes a stem seal assembly that prevent fluid flow in a first direction and vents in a second direction opposite the first direction. The assembly includes a packing assembly positioned within a valve stem opening of a valve body of the valve to seal a valve stem to the valve body. The packing assembly includes a first seal and a second seal preventing passage of fluid from a body cavity of the valve body to an exterior of the valve body along the valve stem while venting fluid from an exterior of the valve body to the body cavity along the valve stem. The packing assembly isolates the first seal and the second seal so that a load applied to the first seal ring is not transferred to the second seal ring.

An apparatus includes a rotatable shaft having a shaft surface and a first seal disposed in a sealing engagement with the shaft surface. At least a second seal is disposed in a first position relative to the rotatable shaft where the second seal is not in sealing engagement with the shaft surface and is movable to a second position relative to the rotatable shaft where the second seal is in sealing engagement with the shaft surface.

A friction reducing element for a hanging device includes a roller configured for positioning on an upper portion of a hook and a tubular elastomeric sleeve stretch-fitted over an outer surface of the roller. The roller is provided with a contoured outer surface and the sleeve is made from a thermoset elastomer such that the friction reducing element facilitates positioning of the hanging device, along a clothing rod. Use of the thermoset elastomer also prevents premature development of areas of deformation on the friction reducing element over time. The friction reducing element may be assembled into an upper portion of a hook for a clothes hanger, or other similar hanging device.

A method for reducing the coking time in the oven area near the door or end wall and for improving coke quality and situation of emissions by compensating for radiation losses through coke oven chamber doors and end walls is described. This compensation is accomplished by varying the height of the coal cake in the environment of the frontal coke oven chamber doors. The variation is achieved both by increasing or decreasing the coal cake over part of the length or over the entire length of the coke oven chamber door. The reduction in the height of the coal cake can be generated by omission of coal or coal compacts, the increase in height can be accomplished by stacking of coal and pressing or adding of coal compacts, with it also being envisaged to omit the pressing cycle so as to obtain a recess with a lower coal cake density which also has less heat radiation.

A peak cancellation-crest factor reduction (PC-CFR) device includes a clipping unit configured to output a clipping error signal by clipping amplitude values of a first baseband complex signal based on a predetermined threshold value; a peak value determination unit configured to receive the clipping error signal, and determine a first amplitude value as a peak value when the first amplitude value is greater than a second amplitude value input before the first amplitude value and a third amplitude value input after the first amplitude value among amplitude values of the clipping error signal; a cancellation pulse generator (CPG) allocation unit configured to allocate the peak value to a CPG; and a subtractor configured to subtract a cancellation pulse generated from the CPG from the first baseband complex signal and output a second baseband complex signal with a reduced peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR).

A system for use with beam signals, the system including: a crest factor reduction (CFR) module having inputs and corresponding outputs, wherein each of the inputs is for receiving a corresponding different beam signal of the beam signals and wherein each output corresponds to a different input of the plurality of inputs and is for outputting a different CFR-adjusted signal of a plurality of CFR-adjusted signals, each CFR-adjusted signal of the plurality of CFR-adjusted signals corresponding to a different beam signal of the plurality of beam signals; and a transmitter connected to the outputs of the CFR module, wherein the CFR module is configured to perform crest factor reduction on the beam signals to generate the plurality of CFR-adjusted signals, and wherein the crest factor reduction performed on the beam signals is based on a weighted sum of the magnitudes of multiple beams signals among the beam signals.

Provided is an inter-layer video decoding method including determining a size of a subblock of a current block by comparing at least one of a height and a width of a predetermined minimum size of the subblock with at least one of a height and a width of the current block of a first layer image; determining at least one subblock from the current block according to the size of the subblock of the current block; determining a candidate block that corresponds to the current block and is included in an encoded second layer image; determining a candidate subblock from the candidate block of the second layer image by using the subblock of the current block; determining motion information of the subblock included in the current block by using motion information of the candidate subblock included in the candidate block; and generating a prediction block of the current block by using the motion information of the subblock included in the current block.

A method and apparatus of reusing reference data for video decoding are disclosed. Motion information associated with motion vectors for coded blocks processed after the current block are derived without storing decoded residuals associated with the coded blocks. Reuse information regarding reference data required for Inter prediction or Intra block copy of the coded blocks is determined based on the motion information. If the current block is coded in the Inter prediction mode or the Intra block copy mode, whether required reference data for the current block are in an internal memory is determined and the reference data are fetched from an external memory to the internal memory if the required reference data are not stored in the internal memory. The reference data in the internal memory is managed according to the reuse information to reduce data transferring between the external memory and the internal memory.

An apparatus for motion compensated noise reduction for input images is provided. The motion estimation and motion compensation circuit performs a motion estimation operation and a motion compensation operation on a current image and a previous image to obtain a first patch. The block matching operation circuit performs a block matching operation on the current image and the previous image to obtain a second patch. The motion detection circuit performs a motion detection operation on a target patch according to the first patch and the second patch to output a set of third patches. The current image includes the target patch. The noise reduction circuit performs a noise reduction operation on the set of third patches according to a threshold curve, so as to generate the target patch that the noise is reduced. A method for motion compensated noise reduction for input images is also provided.

A picture prediction method and a related apparatus are disclosed. The picture prediction method includes: determining motion vector predictors of K pixel samples in a current picture block, where K is an integer greater than 1, the K pixel samples include a first vertex angle pixel sample in the current picture block, a motion vector predictor of the first vertex angle pixel sample is obtained based on a motion vector of a preset first spatially adjacent picture block of the current picture block, and the first spatially adjacent picture block is spatially adjacent to the first vertex angle pixel sample; and performing, based on a non-translational motion model and the motion vector predictors of the K pixel samples, pixel value prediction on the current picture block. Solutions in the embodiments of the present application are helpful in reducing calculation complexity of picture prediction based on a non-translational motion model.

A gas turbine engine has a fan section including a fan. A turbine section has a first turbine and a second turbine. A gear reduction between the fan and the first turbine includes an epicycle gear train. The gear reduction is configured to receive an input from the first turbine and to turn the fan at a lower speed than the first turbine in operation. The first turbine further includes a number of turbine blades in each of a plurality of rows of the first turbine. The first turbine blades operate at least some of the time at a rotational speed. The number of blades and the rotational speed is such that the following formula holds true for at least one of the blade rows of the first turbine: (number of blades×speed)/60≧5500. A turbine section is also disclosed.

A power plant includes a boiler, a stream turbine generator, a post combustion processing system, a feed water regeneration processing system and a heat exchanger. Heat from the heat exchanger is used to regenerate (a) a reagent that absorbs carbon dioxide from flue gas and (b) a water-lean desiccant used to increase plant operating efficiency.

The system is provided for continuously separating landfill gas in a raw multi-phase stream coming from a landfill gas collector. The system includes an atmospheric tank and an elongated separator vessel mounted substantially upright above the tank bottom. The elongated separator vessel includes a mid-level inlet that is configured and disposed to be in fluid communication with the landfill gas collector pipe, an upper gas outlet located vertically above the mid-level inlet, and a bottom-opened discharge end that is located vertically below the mid-level inlet. A method of pretreating a raw multi-phase stream captured from a landfill site is also disclosed. The proposed concept provides a relatively simple arrangement that can be made sufficiently rugged to perform a pretreatment of the raw multi-phase stream in a continuous manner and with a very minimal intervention from landfill operators under almost any weather and operating conditions.

A method directed to reducing mineral buildup on drift eliminators of a cooling tower by allowing irrigation of the drift eliminators of the cooling tower with fluid in the basin of the cooling tower to reduce mineral buildup.

A strip die is prepared with cutouts according to a pre-determined pattern, e.g., on a cutting table and positioned on a stripping station that has a removal tool to remove waste material. After a sheet of material is cut on the same or another cutting table, the sheet is positioned in the stripping station over the female strip die. The removal tool moves to programmed positions in the stripping station and removes pieces of waste material. The final stripped cut sheet is the brought to the out-stack.

The present disclosure relates to a method for predicting estimations of project factors in software development environment. The method comprises receiving first input data including at least one type of first software development model and associated one or more first project data from a user. The method further comprises identifying one or more first software agents based on the at least one type of the first software development model. The method further comprises processing the one or more first project data using the identified one or more first software agents to identify one or more first intermediate data required for project factors estimation. The method further comprises calculating estimations of the project factors using the identified one or more first intermediate data.

Computer implemented systems and methods are provided for generating a predictive graphical user interface. In some embodiments, a system for generating a predictive graphical user interface may comprise at least one processor configured to receive real-time and historical data associated with utilization of a facility. The at least one processor may be configured to generate, based on the real-time and historical data, instructions to display a user interface depicting a first representation of utilization of the facility at a first time. The at least one processor may be configured to receive a request to display a second representation of utilization of the facility, the request including a selection of a second time, and generate, based on the real-time and historical data, instructions to display, within the interface, a second representation of utilization of the facility, the second representation reflecting utilization at the second time, wherein the second time is a future time relative to the first time.

The invention relates to a method for metered dispensing of lubricants using a lubricant dispenser comprising a reservoir chamber filled with lubricant, a gas generating unit for electrochemically generating gas, a piston acted on by the generated gas for outputting the lubricant from the reservoir chamber, and an electronic control unit for controlling the electrochemical gas generation. According to the invention, the temperature of the lubricant or the environment is measured at time intervals, and an average temperature value is derived from a plurality of measured temperature values. Using stored correction values describing the temperature-dependence of the electrochemical gas generating rate, a control parameter determining the electrochemical gas generation is set for the average temperature value, having the requirement that the gas generating rate at the average temperature value corresponds to the target value that correlates to prescribed dispensing time.

A high-pressure homogenizer including: a fixed body (7) housing a rotating crankshaft (10);a motor (3) for driving the crankshaft (10);a reduction gear unit (4) interconnected between the crankshaft and transmission elements (5, 6), characterized in that the reduction gear unit (4) is an epicyclic reduction gear unit. Preferably there is provided a lubricant feed line (15) which passes through the fixed body and reaches the epicyclic reduction gear unit (4). Preferably the epicyclic reduction gear unit (4) is constructed integrally with the fixed body (4).

A gas turbine engine includes a geared architecture with a multiple of intermediate gears, and a baffle with an oil scavenge scoop adjacent to each of the multiple of intermediate gears. A geared architecture and method are also disclosed.

Apparatuses, systems, and methods for applying reduced pressure to a tissue site on a foot are provided. An apparatus may include an insole and a tissue contacting surface covering at least a portion of the insole. At least one portion of the tissue contacting surface is removable to form a void. The apparatus may also include a reduced-pressure interface for receiving reduced pressure from a reduced-pressure source, and at least one flow channel fluidly coupled to the reduced-pressure interface and the void.

An ice making system includes a flavored liquid, an ice machine and a refrigerated storage bin. The ice making system continuously produces flavored ice pieces for storage in an ice storage bin. A refrigeration system cools the ice storage bin.

A storage system includes a first and second control modules (CMs) connected to a client and a storage module over a communication fabric. In response to a data fragment written to the storage module, the first CM is to create a table of contents (TOC) entry in a TOC page maintained in a first storage partition of the storage module, update its FTL map, determine whether the TOC page contains a predetermined number of TOC entries, and in response to determining that the TOC page contains the predetermined number of TOC entries, send a control signal to the second CM via an inter-processor link. In response to the control signal received from the first CM via the inter-processor link, the second CM is to copy the TOC page from the first storage partition to a memory associated with the second CM to allow the second CM to update its FTL map.

According to one embodiment, a first control module (CM) of a storage system receives a first request from a client device to read first data stored in a second storage location of a storage module, where the second storage location is associated with a second CM. The first CM includes a first processor and the second CM includes a second processor. The first CM transmits a first control signal the second CM via the inter-processor link to request the second CM to copy the first data from the second storage location to a first memory location associated with the first CM. The first CM initiates a first data transaction to transmit the first data from the first memory location to the client device through a communication fabric without having to go through the second CM.

A method for using a shared device and a resource sharing system are provided. An arbitrator node sets an initial weight of each of processors based on identification information. The arbitrator node calculates a priority score for each processor based on an initial weight of each of the processors and state diagnostic codes recorded by each processor to establish a priority sequence. When the arbitrator node simultaneously receives a request for requesting an access right of the shared device transmitted by each of two or more processors, the arbitrator node determines one of the processors having the access right of the shared device based on the priority sequence.

A protective grill is provided for a portable infrared heater which reduces the possibility of a person from coming into contact with the radiation disk of the heater. The protective grill of this invention may be selectively detachably secured to the wheeled frame of a heater wherein the radiation disk thereof is positioned at one side of the wheeled frame or which may be selectively secured to the wheeled frame of the heater wherein the radiation disk of the heater is positioned at one end of the heater.

A method for providing permanently colored steel shot for shot shells through anodizing and shells manufactured utilizing the shot.

An iron-based sintered alloy of the present invention is an iron-based sintered alloy, which is completed by sintering a powder compact made by press forming a raw material powder composed of Fe mainly, and is such that: when the entirety is taken as 100% by mass, carbon is 0.1-1.0% by mass; Mn is 0.01-1.5% by mass; the sum of the Mn and Si is 0.02-3.5% by mass; and the major balance is Fe. It was found out that, by means of an adequate amount of Mn and Si, iron-based sintered alloys are strengthened and additionally a good dimensional stability is demonstrated. As a result, it is possible to suppress or obsolete the employment of Cu or Ni, which has been believed to be essential virtually, the recyclability of iron-based sintered alloys can be enhanced, and further their cost reduction can be intended.

Seizure resistance and wear resistance of Cu—Bi—In copper-alloy sliding material are enhanced by forming a soft phase of as pure as possible Bi. Mixed powder of Cu—In cuprous alloy powder and Cu—Bi containing Cu-based alloy powder is used. A sintering condition is set such that Bi moves outside particles of said Cu—Bi containing Cu-based powder and forms a Bi grain-boundary phase free of In, and In diffuses from said Cu—In containing Cu-based powder to said Cu—Bi containing Cu-based powder.

Novel systems and methods are described for reducing iron oxide to metallic iron in an integrated steel mill or the like that has a coke oven and/or an oxygen steelmaking furnace. More specifically, the present invention relates to novel systems and methods for reducing iron oxide to metallic iron using coke oven gas (COG) or COG and basic oxygen furnace gas (BOFG).

In a method for producing a reduced iron pellet, when a powder formed article including iron oxide and carbon is heated and reduced in a rotary hearth furnace, a formed article produced using a raw material, in which an average diameter of the iron oxide is 50 microns or less and a ratio of carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide in a reduction zone is from 0.3 to 1, is reduced at a temperature of 1400° C. or less, thereby producing a reduced iron pellet in which a metallization ratio of iron is 50 to 85% and a ratio of residual carbon is 2% or less.

Provided is a NdFeB sintered magnet which can be used in the grain boundary diffusion method as a base material in which RH can be easily diffused through the rare-earth rich phase and which itself has a high coercive force, a high maximum energy product and a high squareness ratio, as well as a method for producing such a magnet. A NdFeB system sintered has an average grain size of the main-phase grains magnet is equal to or smaller than 4.5 μm, the carbon content of the entire NdFeB system sintered magnet is equal to or lower than 1000 ppm, and the percentage of the total volume of a carbon rich phase in a rare-earth rich phase at a grain-boundary triple point in the NdFeB system sintered magnet to the total volume of the rare-earth rich phase is equal to or lower than 50%.

Processes comprising: melting a mixture comprising a valve metal precursor and a diluting agent in at least one first vessel under a first set of temperature and residence time conditions; transferring the mixture to at least one second vessel; and initiating, in the at least one second vessel, a reaction of the valve metal precursor to form a valve metal under a second set of temperature and residence time conditions; valve metal powder prepared thereby and uses therefor.

A timepiece barrel assembly, including a barrel mainspring mounted between a barrel drum and a receiving surface of a barrel core coaxial to the drum. The spring is made of a multiphase, cobalt-nickel-chromium based alloy, having a Young's modulus of between 200 and 240 GPa and a shear modulus of between 80 and 100 GPa, and having a width to thickness ratio of between 9 and 21, and the maximum radius of the steel or stainless steel core relative to its pivot axis is less than nine times the maximum thickness of the spring, and the barrel assembly includes, on the spring or the drum, a mechanism limiting longitudinal clearance, towards the pivot axis, between the drum and the mainspring.

A display assembly includes a flexible sheet. The flexible sheet is formed of a flexible material supporting a first display panel and a second display panel. A mechanism is operatively connected to the flexible sheet. The mechanism moves the flexible sheet from a first position in which said first display panel may be viewed to a second position in which said second display panel may be viewed.

An automatic dishwasher having a heater shared by the recirculation system and the air supply system to heat the liquid in the recirculation system and the air in the air supply system.

A novel cutting method and apparatus includes a cutting blade adapted to consistently and easily form a desirable kerf in a concrete substrate while capturing substantially all resulting concrete dust.

System and method of producing multi-layered aluminum alloy products are disclosed. A multi-layered aluminum alloy product may be formed by first heating a first aluminum alloy to a first temperature where the first temperature is at least about 5° C. lower than the eutectic temperature of the first aluminum alloy, second heating a second aluminum alloy to a second temperature where the second temperature is at least about 5° C. higher than the liquidus temperature of the second aluminum alloy, and coupling the second aluminum alloy to the first aluminum alloy to produce a multi-layered aluminum alloy product.

A beverage flavoring apparatus comprising of an elongated tubular body, having at least three elongated hollow sections and a container for holding liquid flavor. The top hollow section is for suction and at least one of the hollow sections is adapted to receive liquid flavor and it has a smaller cross sectional area and shorter length which enables the flavoring liquid to be introduced into the beverage stream in minute quantity. The other hollow section is adapted to receive beverage. The container is mounted or loaded on the elongated tubular body so that the section adapted to receive liquid flavor is immersed in the liquid flavor while the other hollow section is dipped in a beverage. As oral suction is being applied, both the liquid flavor and the beverage are drawn up the tubular body and mixes at the hollow suction end before ingestion.

An apparatus for preparing infant formula to be supplied to a bottle, and methods and circuits for operating the same, are disclosed. The apparatus includes a housing having a shape for integrating together components of the apparatus. A fluid reservoir for holding fluid and configured to be coupling to the housing is provided. Further provided is a formula disc disposed at a first location of the housing. The first location defined above a dispense location of the bottle, and the formula disc having a top end and a dispense end, the formula disc further includes a plurality of slots for holding the infant formula in a powder state. The apparatus has an end plate that is coupled to the dispense end of the formula disc, and the end plate has a dispense hole, such that the end plate is rotatable relative to the formula disc.

Cysteine engineered antibodies useful for the site-specific conjugation to a variety of agents are provided. Methods for the design, preparation, screening, selection and use of such antibodies are also provided.

The invention provides compositions and methods for treating leukemia, for example, acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and B-cell acute lymphoid leukemia (B-ALL). The invention also relates to at least one chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) specific to CD123, vectors comprising the same, and recombinant T cells comprising the CD123 CAR. The invention also includes methods of administering a genetically modified T cell expressing a CAR that comprises a CD123 binding domain. The invention also includes methods of bone marrow ablation for use in treatments necessitating bone marrow reconditioning or transplant.

A modular engineered tissue construct includes a plurality of fused self-assembled, scaffold-free, high-density cell aggregates. At least one cell aggregate includes a plurality of cells and a plurality of biocompatible and biodegradable nanoparticles and/or microparticles that are incorporated within the cell aggregates. The nanoparticles and/or microparticles acting as a bulking agent within the cell aggregate to increase the cell aggregate size and/or thickness and improve the mechanical properties of the cell aggregate as well as to deliver bioactive agents.

Provided herein are compositions and methods for modifying a predetermined nucleic acid sequence. A programmable nucleoprotein molecular complex containing a polypeptide moiety and a specificity conferring nucleic acid (SCNA) which assembles in-vivo, in a target cell, and is capable of interacting with the predetermined target nucleic acid sequence is provided. The programmable nucleoprotein molecular complex is capable of specifically modifying and/or editing a target site within the target nucleic acid sequence and/or modifying the function of the target nucleic acid sequence.