A crop lifter apparatus has a base member adapted to be attached to a cutting header guard finger about a lifter pivot axis. A plurality of lifter tips with different configurations are releasably attachable to the base member at a mounting position such that the attached lifter tip extends forward from the base member. A bias element is operative to exert a bias force on the base member urging a front portion of the base member forward of the lifter pivot axis to pivot downward about the lifter pivot axis, and the bias force urges the base member to bear against a stop. The tips can be configured to suit various conditions of soils and crops.

A funerary article for the identification and perpetuation of the memory of a deceased individual in a timeless manner, made of unalterable material, includes: a marked element (1) with a unique code that is assigned to the deceased individual, and on a pair of plates (3, 4) held together by an attachment member, both being marked with the unique code, the second plate including data for identification of the deceased individual in natural language to constitute a device for identification and remembrance. The marked element (1) is available when the Funeral Services take charge of the deceased, whereas the plates (3, 4) are produced following the burial or the cremation and are then to be attached together to definitively form the article for remembrance and identification of the deceased. A kit and a process for the production of this funerary article for identification and remembrance are also described.

The present disclosure provides systems for mitigating brake vibration. In various embodiments, a brake force distribution arrangement may comprise: a member in operable communication with an actuator having at least two contact surfaces such that as one of the at least two contact surfaces moves in a direction of actuation of the actuator the other moves in a direction opposite to the direction of actuation of the actuator.

A chemically-modified mixed fuel includes methane gas from at least two methane-production sources and can be utilized in any process that incorporates a Kellogg Primary Reformer. A method for producing the chemically-modified mixed fuel described herein includes providing a first methane-containing gas from a first methane-production source, providing a second methane-containing gas from a second methane-production source and blending the first methane-containing gas with the second methane-containing gas at a suitable pressure to form a chemically-modified mixed fuel. In some cases, at least one additional methane-containing gas can be provided from at least one additional methane-production source and blended with the chemically-modified fuel.

In one embodiment, a gasification system component, such as a quench unit or scrubber may retain of pool of a cooling fluid for cooling another fluid. The gasification system component includes a flow damping mechanism designed to dampen flow of the cooling fluid, the other fluid, or both, within the gasification system component. The flow damping mechanism may be disposed in an inner chamber formed between a dip tube and a draft tube or disposed in an outer chamber formed between the walls of the gasification system component and the draft tube. The flow damping mechanism also may be disposed between the inner chamber and the outer chamber.

Solid carboniferous fuels contain varying quantities of moisture, mercury, chlorine, nitrogen, sulfur, heavy metals and other materials that attain vapor pressure at elevated temperatures. The cost effective removal of these degrading and sometimes hazardous materials is important to the further use of the fuel for combustion as a solid, liquid, or gas. The solid fuel is cut, shredded, ground or sieved to appropriate size, and heated in a chamber that can exclude oxygen and air thus preventing ignition. The unwanted materials are driven in the gaseous state and extracted for disposal. The solid fuel cleaned of pollutants exits the chamber and is cooled below ignition temperature prior to contact with oxygen. The solid fuel thus purified is more appropriate for combustion, liquefaction or gasification due to the reduced costs in use as a fuel or in the post combustion clean up.

A method of startup for a gasification system includes assembling a fuel mixture for use by a gasifier at a fuel mixture assembly point, wherein the fuel mixture includes a quantity of particulate solid fuel and a quantity of non-ventable carrier gas. The method includes channeling the fuel mixture through a first conduit to a fuel mixture disassembly system including a non-ventable carrier gas removal apparatus, establishing a substantially steady flow of the fuel mixture within the first conduit, and redirecting the fuel mixture through a second conduit to the gasifier to facilitate gasifier startup.

The present invention relates to a process and system for gasifying biomass or other carbonaceous feedstocks in an indirectly heated gasifier and provides a method for the elimination of condensable organic materials (tars) from the resulting product gas with an integrated tar removal step. More specifically, this tar removal step utilizes the circulating heat carrier to crack the organics and produce additional product gas. As a benefit of the above process, and because the heat carrier circulates through alternating steam and oxidizing zones in the process, deactivation of the cracking reactions is eliminated.

The present disclosure is generally directed to process of gasification of carbonaceous materials to produce synthesis gas or syngas. The present disclosure provides improved methods of gasification comprising: adding one or more carbonaceous materials, adding a molecular oxygen-containing gas, adding a methane-containing gas and optionally adding water or steam into said gasifier. This disclosure is also directed to process of production of one or more alcohols from said syngas via fermentation or digestion in the presence of at least one microorganism.

The invention relates to a gasifier comprising a syngas generation section, a coal methanation section and a syngas methanation section in the order from bottom to top. The invention also relates to a process for preparing methane by catalytically gasifying coal using such a gasifier. Optionally, the gasifier is additionally provided with a coal pyrolysis section above the syngas methanation section.

The disclosed embodiments provide systems for the removal and use of tar from a biomass gasification system. For example, in one embodiment, a biomass gasification system includes a reactor configured to gasify a biomass fuel in the presence of air to generate a producer gas. The system also includes an absorber configured to receive a mixture of the producer gas and tar and to absorb the tar into an organic solvent to produce treated producer gas and a rich solvent mixture containing at least a portion of the tar. The system further includes a recycle line configured to direct the rich solvent mixture to a biomass gasifier.

A plasma gasification reactor, and process for its operation, with one or both of, first, a quench zone within an upper part of a top section of the reactor and, second, feed ports through a lateral wall of a middle section of the reactor for supplying feed material to a feed bed within the middle section and the feed ports located proximate the feed bed. The quench zone is provided with nozzles for introducing a fluid to reduce the temperature of molten solid bits sufficiently to minimize their sticking within external ductwork. The middle section feed port arrangement assists in more thorough reaction of light particles in the feed material that may otherwise exit with gaseous products.

A system, including a gasifier comprising a wall defining a chamber, an inlet, an outlet, and a port, a combination feed injector coupled to the inlet, wherein the combination feed injector is configured to inject a first fuel and air or oxygen into the chamber to preheat the gasifier, and the combination feed injector is configured to inject a second fuel and oxygen into the gasifier after preheating to gasify the second fuel, an optical device coupled to the port, a sensor coupled to the optical device, and a monitoring system coupled to the sensor, wherein the monitoring system is configured to acquire data from the sensor, process the data, and provide an output representative of a condition of the gasifier based on the data.

A solid feed system may comprise a supersonic nozzle, an isolated injection section having a port for injection of solid feedstock positioned downstream from the supersonic nozzle, and a supersonic diffuser positioned downstream from the isolated injection section. Additionally, a gasification system may comprise such a solid feed system and a reaction chamber downstream thereof. Furthermore, a method of reacting a solid feedstock under pressure may include directing a fluid flow through a supersonic nozzle to provide a supersonic flow stream, and directing the supersonic flow stream through an isolated injection section at a static pressure at least fifty percent (50%) lower than an operating pressure within a reaction chamber (e.g., at a static pressure near ambient pressure).

A gasification quench chamber is disclosed. The gasification quench chamber includes a reservoir that contains liquid coolant in its lower portion and an exit for the cooled syngas in its upper portion; a dip tube that is configured to introduce a syngas mixture to contact the liquid coolant which produces the cooled syngas; a cooling device configured to further cool the cooled syngas in its upper portion; and a stability device in the lower portion that is configured to mitigate coolant level fluctuation and sloshing. In an embodiment of the quench chamber, the cooling device includes a heat exchanger pipe. A quench chamber and scrubber assembly is also disclosed.

In one implementation, a device includes: one or more data terminals, where each of the one or more data terminals provides a respective mating interface between a respective data transmission path and a corresponding device data port; a first power terminal having a power portion and a ground portion separated by a dielectric, where the ground portion is arranged in association with the one or more data terminals in order to shield the one or more data terminals from electromagnetic interference from the power portion, and where the first power terminal provides a respective mating interface between a respective power transmission path and a corresponding device power port; and a support member provided to maintain the arrangement of the one or more data terminals in combination with the first power terminal.

A radar apparatus generates a strength distribution indicating a correspondence relationship between a relative speed parameter related to an observation point relative speed and a reflection strength parameter related to reflection strength of radar waves reflected at an observation point, for a plurality of observation points. Furthermore, the radar apparatus determines that a traveling vehicle is detected when the reflection strength parameter decreases as the relative speed parameter increases from a center relative speed parameter that is the relative speed parameter corresponding to a peak in the reflection strength, the reflection strength parameter decreases as the relative speed parameter decreases from the center relative speed parameter, and a distribution of the reflection strength parameter is symmetrical with the center relative speed parameter at the center.

A radar apparatus detects an observation point distance and an observation point azimuth. In addition, the radar apparatus calculates an observation point lateral position and an observation point vertical position based on the observation point distance and the observation point azimuth. Furthermore, the radar apparatus determines that a traveling vehicle is detected when a number of observation points included within a side determination range is equal to or greater than a predetermined traveling vehicle determination count, based on the observation point lateral position and the observation point vertical position. The side determination range is set so as to include a passing determination line so as to extend in a direction at 90 degrees relative to a front-rear direction of the vehicle to the side of the vehicle.

A terminal for identifying a location of a user includes a transmitter configured to transmit data, a receiver configured to receive the data, a sensor configured to sense at least one piece of context information, and a controller configured to determine a priority order of area information, service set identifier (SSID) information, global positioning system (GPS) signal information, and the context information corresponding to each location, identify the location based on the priority order, and determine the priority order of the SSID information and the GPS signal information in response to retrieving a number of SSIDs.

A plant air purifying enclosure, or “PAPE,” contained within an unconditioned space, either within or outside a building, containing therein a plant air purifier, which is used to purify air using plants and microbes growing therein. The PAPE enclosure itself receives poor indoor quality air from within structure where the PAPE is located or from a structure close by along with thermal energy which keeps the plant air purifier enclosure at a suitable temperature for the plants and air cleaning microbes within the air purifier. Poor air enters the enclosure, is purified by the plants and microbes, and returns in purified form back to the habitable space from which it was taken. This lowers the amount of outside air needed for ventilation purposes and so lessens a building's overall energy consumption while providing efficiently for naturally purified air. Fundamentally, the object of this invention is to specify devices, systems and methods to house/enclose plant purifiers in such a way that they can readily be deployed on a wide scale.

A diffusion device for atomizing liquids includes a floating magnet disposed within a track inside at least one package with liquid for the atomizing diffusion device, wherein as a liquid level inside the package changes, the floating magnet moves substantially vertically along the track, a plurality of Hall effect sensors or Hall effect switches disposed outside the liquid at various positions, the Hall effect sensors or Hall effect switches each generating an output voltage in response to a magnetic field of the floating magnet, and a processor that receives the output voltages and fits them to a model that includes the floating magnet position with respect to various sets of output voltages to determine a position of the floating magnet with respect to the Hall effect sensors.

A system for diffusing one or more volatile compounds includes a base and a pod tray, carried by the base. At least one pod is carried by the pod tray. The pod has a housing holding a volatile compound mass, the housing and mass being moveable relative to one another. An actuator is carried by the base, the actuator being operable to engage the pod and move the housing and the volatile compound mass relative to one another. The pod and the actuator are positionable relative to one another such that one or both of the pod and the actuator can be positioned proximate to one another to enable the actuator to engage the pod and move the housing and the volatile compound mass relative to one another.

According to embodiments of the present invention, a flameless candle includes a housing, a reservoir, and a lamp. The reservoir can retain a fragrant source (e.g., solid, liquid, or mix thereof. The housing has a hollow region and a recessed area within the top surface of the housing. The recessed area is bounded by a bottom surface and a sidewall. There one or more vent holes in the sidewall. If there is a plurality of vent holes, then they may encircle the sidewall. The vent hole(s) allow an airflow from the hollow region and into the recessed area above the fragrant source. The lamp can emit a light through the bottom surface of the recessed area and through fragrant source.

An aerosol delivery system has a nebulizer and a humidifier providing a gas flow to the nebulizer. A controller varies humidity level of the gas flow to the nebulizer so that if the nebulizer is not operating it has about 100% humidity and it is operating the value is less to allow for the humidification effect of the nebulizer. The control may be achieved by dynamically varying proportions of flow through a dry branch and a humidification branch.

This application claims a system for the distribution of waste water. The invention allows water to drain from a source into the invention, where the water is distributed and diffused through a collection of outlets. Thus a large amount of water can be distributed over a large area so that the environment can more easily absorb the water and the flow of water does not cause erosion. The preferred embodiment of the invention optionally may include one or more filters to remove substances from the water before distribution.

Quartet's formidable live performance at Zellerbach was nonetheless upstaged by the work of its collaborators. That's probably how the members wanted it. Without disrespecting the formidable prowess of the Kronos Quartet, the contemporary string quartet was upstaged in its live performance last Thursday at Zellerbach Hall by a guy at a piano and the filmed performance of an Inuk throat singer and a pipa player. The ambitious two-part program An Evening With Kronos Quartet began with celebrated minimalist composer and keyboard player Terry Riley performing a solo piano set.…

Zemyran Prater created a lemonade delivery service to help pay the bills and finance his career in music. Then the business took off. If you want lemonade delivered to your door, Zemyran Prater is your guy. Mere months into his new business, Prater is selling one of the most coveted beverages in the Bay: the home-brewed "Zemonade," packaged with fresh strawberries and blueberries in every jar.…

A utility tool, such a putty knife, includes an elongated handle for manual handling of the utility tool, a blade and a screw bit assembly. The handle extends substantially along a longitudinal axis, and has front and rear portions. The blade has an anchoring portion anchored within the handle and an operating portion extending out from the front portion of the handle. The screw bit assembly is rotatably mounted about the rear portion of the handle, has a screw bit, and is operable between a non-operating configuration where the screw bit is nested within the handle, and an operating configuration where the screw bit is drawn out of the handle and securely maintained in a fixed configuration so as to be positioned at a slanted angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the handle. In addition to being able to carry out other various functions, in drywall applications and the like, the tool by virtue of its design and components enables a more ergonomic grip, and to have a greater lever effect for screwing fasteners with its screw bit assembly.

An automotive tool for servicing air-conditioning (AC) systems equipped with quick-connect adaptors. May be used to service modern refrigerant R132A-compatible systems or retrofitted older systems. The tool is adapted for attaching, detaching, opening, and closing valved T-adaptors used to attach gas lines and pressure gauges such as required for adjusting pressure in AC systems at full operational pressure and temperature, and particularly finds use when the “hi-tap” and “lo-tap” fittings are in hard to reach places around the engine block or chassis. The tool includes swappable extension arms so that length and angular geometry may be adjusted as needed. The tool aids in avoiding injury on dangerously hot surfaces and moving fan blades or belts. Surprisingly, using two such tools, one for the high tap and one for the low tap, a mechanic may work each tool singlehandedly to complete any necessary pressure adjustments.

A multi-function tool having a handle portion and a plurality of structures operable therewith for the performance of a plurality of functions. The multi-function tool allows fast and convenient transition between any of the plurality of functions in order to enable completion of jobs or tasks requiring such functions without acquisition, storage, and/or maintenance of a plurality of specialized tools.

A cutlery kit configured from a laminar sheet which manifests its previous use through the detachment of its parts. The kit is comprised of two or more daily, known utensils selected from a spoon, a fork and a knife, which are jointly located in a single plane and are separated by thin, continuous dotted or cut lines. The utensils fit into each other in a complementary form, counter-form way and remain joined together by the presence of continuities in the surface where these continuities interrupt the dotted lines. Each of these cutlery utensils is detached from the others through breaking, done by the user, of these continuities on the surface.

A pocket knife including a first body portion including a first engaging member, and a second body portion including a second engaging member arranged to engage the first body portion with the second body portion. The first body portion and the second body portion are separated from each other when not engaged. A tool element is arranged to be housed in the first body portion when in a closed state and displaced outward when in an opened state. A first locking member is arranged to be actuated by the tool element, and cooperates with a second locking member provided on the second body portion, and wherein when the first engaging member is engaged with the second engaging member, and when the first locking member and the second locking member are prevented from moving, the first body portion and the second body portion are prevented from being separated.

An identification tag having one or more breakaway tools that may be utilized by uncoupling, or otherwise breaking the tool or tools away from the identification tag to expose a working edge or point for example. Generally includes identification information on the tag along with one or more relatively flat tool including but not limited to one or more knives, saws, screwdrivers, pry bars, can openers, bottle openers, chisels, awls, ice picks, sharpeners or any other relatively flat tool with a working edge or point or any combination thereof.

The present invention relates to embodiments of a folding knife having a seat belt cutter on the blade tang. In one embodiment, a folding knife comprises a handle and a knife blade. The knife blade comprises a tang pivotably connected to the handle, and the blade is operable to pivot relative to the handle about a pivot axis extending through the tang between a closed position and an open position. The tang comprises an enlarged tang portion that extends outwardly from the handle when the blade is in the closed position, and the enlarged tang portion comprises a cutting portion.

The present invention provides an artificial leather including an entangled fiber mass of ultrafine fibers having a monofilament fineness of 0.01 dtex or more and 0.50 dtex or less and a polymeric elastomer; wherein at least one surface is napped; the cross-sectional profile curve of the napped surface has an arithmetic mean height Pa of 26 μm or more and 100 μm or less; the arithmetic mean height Pa of the cross-sectional profile curve of the opposite surface is 20% or more and 80% or less of the cross-sectional roughness Pa of the napped side; the existence frequency of asperity peaks found in the cross-sectional profile curve of the napped surface is 1.8 or more and 20 or less per 1.0 mm; and a woven or knitted fabric lamination is present near the opposite surface at a depth position of 10% or more and 50% or less.

Provided is an elastic infill for artificial turf. The elastic infill is produced by pelletization of an elastomer composition comprising a silane coupling agent and a mixture of an olefin copolymer-containing base resin and an inorganic filler. The silane coupling agent is present in admixture with the mixture. Alternatively, the silane coupling agent may be grafted onto the olefin copolymer to allow cross-linking of the olefin copolymer in the presence of water.

Disclosed is a heat exchanger including: a heat exchanger body; a gas inlet for introducing exhaust gas into the heat exchanger body; a coolant inlet for introducing a coolant into the heat exchanger body; a gas outlet for discharging the exhaust gas that is cooled by heat exchange with the coolant; and a coolant outlet for discharging the coolant that completes heat exchange with the exhaust gas. In this case, the heat exchanger body includes: a laminated tube core formed by laminating a plurality of gas channels side by side; a housing formed so as to enclose the laminated tube core except for opposite ends thereof; and a wave fin plate integrally provided with a plurality of wave fins and arranged within each of the gas channels, wherein each of the wave fins includes a fixed pitch section, and a variable pitch section.

The present invention aims to provide a technology capable of enhancing the effect of reducing differential data in size. A bit shift unit shifts either of old data and new data in a forward direction and a backward direction of its bit string by each of 0, 1, 2, . . . , and n bit(s) to generate a plurality of data. A copy bit string extracting unit extracts information on copy bit strings based on the plurality of data and other non-shifted data. An additional bit string extracting unit excludes copy bit strings from the new data to extract information on additional bit strings. A differential data generating unit creates differential data based on the information on copy bit strings and the information on additional bit strings.

A summing node is provided for summing a first and second differential signals. Each of the first and second differential signals comprise respective direct and inverse signal components. The summing node comprises a first differential transistor pair comprising a first and second input and coupled to a first and second output. The summing node further comprises a second differential transistor pair comprising a third and fourth input and coupled to the first and second output. The first and fourth inputs are respectively coupled to the direct and inverse signal components of the first differential signal and the second and third inputs are respectively coupled to the direct and inverse signal components of the second differential signal.

A level shifter circuit includes a level shifting unit configured to receive signals that may vary in a first range via a positive input terminal and a negative input terminal, respectively and to output signals that may vary in a second range to a positive output terminal and a negative output terminal, respectively, where the second range is larger than the first range, a first pre-charging unit configured to pre-charge the positive output terminal to a predetermined level when a clock is in a first level, and a second pre-charging unit configured to pre-charge the negative output terminal to the predetermined level when the clock is in the first level.

A rotating knife is disclosed for disintegrating a crystal bed formed in a washing column for processing suspension of solid particles in a liquid. The rotating knife is provided with a spoke support. The spoke support comprises at least two spokes. The relative angle of the spokes is between approximately 20° and approximately 80°.

A method of processing bundles of carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Bundles of CNTs are put into a solution and unbundled using sonication and one or more surfactants that break apart and disperse at least some of the bundles into the solution such that it contains individual semiconducting CNTs, individual metallic CNTs, and remaining CNT bundles. The individual CNTs are separated from each other using agarose bead column separation using sodium dodecyl sulfate as a surfactant. Remaining CNT bundles are then separated out by performing density-gradient ultracentrifugation.

In one embodiment, a method for producing a naturally purified salt product such as magnesium sulfate heptahydrate, wherein the salt mixture is treated with a solution comprising magnesium chloride; the first slurry is separated to provide a second slurry, which is further separated to yield a first liquid stream; the first liquid stream is crystallized to provide the naturally purified salt product. In another embodiment, a high purity salt product is produced. In another embodiment, other products that are produced include naturally purified sodium chloride and magnesium chloride.

Provided is a method and an apparatus for purifying potassium nitrate from the solid waste produced by a chemical glass-strengthening process. In the method, the solid waste is melted into a liquid waste at first. Potassium nitrate of various purity grades can be obtained by batch processing the liquid waste through stepwise cooling processes of cooling the liquid waste to a first temperature facilitating the potassium nitrate contained in the liquid waste to be crystallized at a first rate and then cooling the liquid waste to a second temperature close to the freezing point of the potassium nitrate at a second rate that is slower than the first rate. The recovered potassium nitrate from the solid waste can be recycled and reused.

The present invention provides a kiln for the combustion of agricultural waste. The kiln includes a central cylindrical combustion chamber. The central cylindrical combustion chamber includes a system for the control of combustion air to the combustion chamber. The kiln includes a second concentric cylinder surrounding the central cylindrical combustion chamber. The second concentric cylinder includes a system for the flow of cooling water through the first annulus between the central cylindrical combustion chamber and the second concentric cylinder. The kiln includes a system for the feeding of the agricultural waste into the central combustion chamber. The kiln includes a temperature sensing device to measure and display the temperature within the central combustion chamber during the combustion of the agricultural waste. The kiln includes a system for the recovery of ash from the kiln. In operation, the temperature of combustion is controlled to between 550° C. and 650° C. by a combination of increasing the supply of combustion air when the temperature in the central combustion chamber falls to near 550° C. and the introduction of cooling flowing water when the temperature in the central combustion chamber approaches 600° C.

More than a month since officials closed schools due to Covid-19, California leaders said a two-week blitz led by First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom has brought in 70,000 computers and other devices that will be distributed to needy students this week. Gov. Gavin Newsom has stressed the importance of distance learning and education multiple times during the past month—even talking about helping his own children with school work.…

Prepare for a May Day like no other. When Bay Area counties imposed stay-at-home orders to limit the COVID-19 epidemic, Richmond resident Blanca Retano lost her job as a parent educator at an elementary school. Her husband, a chef, had his hours cut to nine a week.…

A vibration motor includes a base portion arranged to extend perpendicularly to a central axis extending in a vertical direction; a shaft having a lower end fixed to the base portion, and arranged to project upward along the central axis; a circuit board; a coil portion; a bearing portion; a rotor holder; a magnet portion; an eccentric weight; a cover portion; and a motor electrode portion electrically connected to the circuit board, and arranged to project downward below a lower surface of the base portion. The entire base portion and the entire circuit board are arranged inside of an outer circumferential edge of a lower end of the cover portion.

The present invention relates to the administration of warm humidified oxygen to patients suffering with breathing problems. The present invention more specifically relates to the high flow of warm humidified oxygen to patients suffering with breathing problems or suffering with asthma.

A system provides warm, humidified gas to a patient via a patient interface. Horizontal connections can be used between the humidification chamber and conduit. To reduce the likelihood of condensate flowing back to the humidification chamber, or dead space or gases recirculation regions occurring within the gases flow path, a raised portion is positioned inside of the flow path to improve flow characteristics and to provide a barrier for condensate back flow. The raised portion also reduces the amount of condensate that is formed in the system and provides better flow characteristics for sensing purposes.