In designing supersonic aircrafts, a method of designing a natural laminar flow wing is provided which reduces friction drag by delaying boundary layer transition under flight conditions of actual aircrafts. A target Cp distribution on wing upper surface, suited to natural laminarization in which boundary layer transition is delayed rearward in desired Reynolds number states, is defined by a functional type having as coefficients parameters depending on each spanwise station, a sensitivity analysis employing a transition analysis method is applied to the parameters, and a search is performed for the optimum combination of parameters to delay transition rearward.

A method of modelling a hydrocarbon-containing reservoir which is representative of such reservoir in at least one physical characteristic such as reservoir porosity or permeability. Data, such as reservoir porosity is firstly determined. Such data is then transformed into printing instructions for a 3D printer. The 3D printer is used to print a reduced-scale model which is representative of the reservoir in respect of the at least one physical characteristic, such as reservoir porosity. A method of comparative testing of different hydrocarbon recovery techniques on a single hydrocarbon-containing reservoir is also disclosed and claimed.

A computer-implemented method, system, and computer program product are disclosed for updating simulation models of a subterranean reservoir. An ensemble of reservoir models representing a subterranean reservoir having non-Gaussian characteristics is provided and the ensemble of reservoir models is updated using a subspace ensemble Kalman filter. Kemal principle component analysis parameterization or K-L expansion parameterization can be used to update the ensemble of reservoir models.

Method and system are disclosed for statistical circuit simulation. In one embodiment, a computer implemented method for statistical circuit simulation includes providing descriptions of a circuit for simulation, wherein the descriptions include variations of statistical parameters of the circuit, partitioning the circuit into groups of netlists according to variations of statistical parameters of the circuit, simulating the groups of netlists using a plurality of processors in parallel to generate a plurality of output data files, and storing the plurality of output data files in a memory. The method of partitioning the circuit into groups of netlists includes forming the groups of netlists to be simulated in a single instruction multiple data environment, and forming the groups of netlists according to proximity of variations of statistical parameters of the circuit.

The present invention aims to simulate a response more similar to a actual machine while inhibiting load increase in analog operation. Program configuration of the present invention is a component of a simulation program for circuit design, which is executed by a computer. The computer includes an operation portion, a storage portion, a manipulation portion, and a display portion, so that the computer exerts a function of a circuit design simulator, and as a macro model of an operational amplifier for use in the circuit design simulator, enabling the computer to act by simulating a response of the operational amplifier on the circuit design simulator. The macro model of the operational amplifier includes a control portion (LMT1) for generating output exception in the event of input exception or power supply exception of the operational amplifier.

Methods and apparatuses for circuit design are described. In one embodiment, the method comprises determining a distribution of nets of a circuit, the distribution of the nets comprising numbers of blocks that each of the nets has in each of a plurality of partitions of the circuit in a partitioning solution, moving a first block of the circuit from a source partition to a destination partition to modify the partitioning solution, and updating the distribution of the nets after the moving.

A system and method is taught to substantially automate forecasting for a hydrocarbon producing reservoir through integration of modeling module workflows. A control management module automatically generates static and dynamic offspring models, with static and dynamic modeling software, until a performance objective associated with the forecasting of the reservoir is satisfied. The performance objective can include an experimental design table to determine a sensitivity of a particular parameter or can be directed towards reservoir optimization, i.e., ultimate hydrocarbon recovery, net present value, reservoir percentage yield, reservoir fluid flow rate, or history matching error.

Various technologies and techniques are disclosed for using transactional memory hardware to accelerate virtualization or emulation. State isolation can be facilitated by providing isolated private state on transactional memory hardware and storing the stack of a host that is performing an emulation in the isolated private state. Memory accesses performed by a central processing unit can be monitored by software to detect that a guest being emulated has made a self modification to its own code sequence. Transactional memory hardware can be used to facilitate dispatch table updates in multithreaded environments by taking advantage of the atomic commit feature. An emulator is provided that uses a dispatch table stored in main memory to convert a guest program counter into a host program counter. The dispatch table is accessed to see if the dispatch table contains a particular host program counter for a particular guest program counter.

A multilayer printed wiring board including a first interlayer resin insulation layer, a first conductive circuit formed on the first interlayer resin insulation layer, a second interlayer resin insulation layer formed on the first interlayer resin insulation layer and the first conductive circuit and having an opening portion exposing a portion of the first conductive circuit, a second conductive circuit formed on the second interlayer resin insulation layer, a via conductor formed in the opening portion of the second interlayer resin insulation layer and connecting the first conductive circuit and the second conductive circuit, and a coating layer having a metal layer and a coating film and formed between the first conductive circuit and the second interlayer resin insulation layer. The metal layer is formed on the surface of the first conductive circuit and the coating film is formed on the metal layer.

A method of manufacturing a silver miniwire film is provided, wherein the film exhibits a reduced sheet resistance.

An adhesion promotion process and composition for enhancing adhesion between a copper conducting layer and a dielectric material during manufacture of a printed circuit board. The composition contains a corrosion inhibitor, an inorganic acid, and an alcohol which is effective to increase copper-loading in the composition.

Provided are superhydrophobic coatings, devices and articles including superhydrophobic coatings, and methods for preparing the superhydrophobic coatings. The exemplary superhydrophobic device can include a substrate component and one or more superhydrophobic coatings disposed over the substrate component, wherein at least one of the one or more superhydrophobic coatings has a water contact angle of at least about 150° and a contact angle hysteresis of less than about 1°. The one or more superhydrophobic coatings can include an ultra high water content acid catalyzed polysilicate gel, the polysilicate gel including a three dimensional network of silica particles having surface functional groups derivatized with a silylating agent and a plurality of pores.

An airway of a patient is protected from intrusion of contaminants by monitoring muscles of the patient to detect an attempted cough or swallow, and applying an electrical stimulus to the neck of the patient, varying amplitude and/or frequency over time, the applied electrical stimulus operates to promote an efficacious cough or swallow. The electrical stimulus induces a voltage within a range of greater than zero volts and less than 20 volts, and the frequency have patterned changes between at least about 4 Hz to not more than about 30 Hz. The monitoring is carried out by an electronic device, and the patient may indicate to the electronic device that a swallow or cough is impending.

A method and system of conditioning human skin and hair using a hand-held skin/hair conditioner having interchangeable interface conductors that are contoured to enhance electrical conductivity between the conditioner and a variety of body areas. Each of the interchangeable interface conductors are preferably formed to maximize surface area contact with a variety of body surfaces such as scalp/hair, body skin, and facial skin. In a preferred embodiment, the skin/hair conditioner is formed to fit comfortably and controllably in a user's grasp while providing maximum contact with the selected body surface. The skin/hair conditioner includes an audio signal generator and a vibration mechanism to alert a user of a change in status of the conditioner. The interface conductors may be (1) smoothly rounded, (2) include teeth, (3) spherical or hemispherical (4) include multiple rounded nodules. The housings for the conditioner may be (1) elongated and somewhat flattened, (2) of elongated cylindrical shape, or (3) of a compact configuration similar to a door knob. The interface conductors and conditioning system may have a releasable latch, and spring arrangements for ejecting the interface conductor when the latch is released.

A medical device, comprising first and second components coupled via a first wireless link; and a third component coupled to the first device via a second wireless link. The device implements a communication scheme in which transmissions via the second wireless link occur during a time period that is interleaved between periods including transmissions via the first link.

The claimed invention provides an improved posture correction tool in the form of a table to be used by chiropractic practitioners to treat mechanical disorders of the spine and musculoskeletal system. The improved posture correction tool provides a plurality of pads to support the various major areas of the body and has built in drop capability and adjustment capability for the pelvic pad, the lumbar pad, the thoracic pad and the head and cervical area. The claimed invention also has a novel cervical support.

Systems, devices, and methods for generating energized water molecules and administering same to a human or other biological subject. The system includes a humidifying apparatus, and excitation apparatus, and a control system. The system may further include a fluid management system to assist in the delivery of energized water molecules.

A structure for separating a discharge nozzle of an oral irrigator includes a first discharge path formed in one side of the irrigator body, a water pressure control lever rotatably arranged above the first discharge path and having a second discharge path in the other side of the irrigator body, a release button section provided on an upper portion of the water pressure control lever and into which the discharge nozzle is inserted and engaged, and configured, when pushed, to be bent so as to release the engaged discharge nozzle, and a locking section provided in the release button section and water pressure control lever to control a pushing operation of the release button section depending upon whether the first discharge path is open or blocked.

What is provided is a tire vulcanizer, in which the stress force during engagement of the teeth can be reduced and teeth damage can be suppressed, allowing down-sizing, light-weighting, and simplifying at the same time. It includes: an upper mold attaching part (21) to which an upper mold is attached; a lower mold attachment part to which a lower mold pressed on the upper mold is attached; a supporting part (5) that supports the upper mold attaching part (21) and the lower mold attaching part; a fixed side rack (6) having first teeth (6a) arranged in a height direction and provided to the supporting part (5); a movable-side rack (7) having second teeth (7a) engaging with the first teeth and provided to the upper mold attaching part (21); and a tilting restriction part (40) restricting tilt of the movable-side rack (7) derived from the height direction.

Provided is a rigid core for forming a tire, configured so that the intrusion of rubber into a gap between core segments is prevented and so that the lowering of roundness of a core body s prevented. The core body comprises a plurality of circumferentially divided core segments. Both circumferential end surfaces of each of the core segments are used as mating surfaces, and the mating surfaces adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction are abutted against each other to form the core body. At least one of the mating surfaces adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction is formed as a stepped mating surface comprising a bordering surface region extending along an outer circumferential edge of the mating surface, and a recessed surface region surrounded by the bordering surface region and recessed in a step shape from the bordering surface region so that only the bordering surface region contacts with the adjacent mating surface.

A rigid core for forming a tire is configured so that the non-uniformity of the amount of thermal expansion of the core body is reduced to improve the quality of the tire. The core body comprises divided core pieces (10i , 10o) divided inward and outward in a tire radial direction at a tire radial position (P) including a maximum width position (P0) of the tire forming surface. Outward divided core pieces (10o) disposed outward in the tire radial direction than the maximum width position (P0) and inward divided core pieces (10i) disposed inward in the tire radial direction than the maximum width position (P0) are respectively formed of metal materials different from each other in coefficient of thermal expansion. The coefficient of thermal expansion of the inward divided core piece (10i) is higher than a coefficient of thermal expansion of the outward divided core piece (10o).

An apparatus and method for the shaping of plastics material pre-forms into plastics material containers with at least one blow moulding station which is arranged on a conveying device rotatable about a pre-set axis of rotation (D). The blow moulding station has a blow mould and this blow mould forms a cavity in the interior of which the plastics material pre-forms are capable of being expanded by being acted upon with a gaseous medium to form the plastics material containers, with a stressing device, which acts upon the plastics material pre-forms with the gaseous medium in order to expand them, and with a clean room, which surrounds the blow moulding station at least in part. The clean room is bounded off from an environment by at least two walls which are movable relative to one another.

A heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) furnace has a venturi premixer and a disturber disposed downstream relative to the premixer and in an undivided output of the venturi premixer.

A system for providing a combined water and fire display is provided. More specifically, a decorative display comprises a dynamic water and fire display device where fuel/air, water, and fire are integrated. The decorative display provides for unique aesthetic qualities and an appearance wherein flames are positioned at or near the surface of a volume of water. In various embodiments, the decorative display further comprises various safety features including the ability to detect and self-regulate conditions such as the existence and/or absence of a pilot flame, an adequate amount of water, and the temperature of various portions of the system. The decorative display further contemplates the ability to operate without one or more disclosed features, such as when only a water display or only a fire display is desired.

There is provided a top-firing hot blast stove capable of enhancing combustion efficiency in burner system, supplying high-temperature combustion gas to an entire checker chamber, and suppressing damage on a refractory material on an inner wall of a burner duct. A top-firing hot blast stove 10 has a burner system including: a burner 1 for passing fuel gas or combustion air to each of three or more pipe lines in a multiple pipe line structure; and a burner duct 2. A core pipe line 1b and a central pipe line 1c include a swirling flow generating means provided for generating a swirling flow of the fuel gas or the combustion air, while an outermost pipe line 1d carries a linear flow of the fuel gas or the combustion air, so that combustion gas HG including a linear component HG″ and a swirling component HG' is generated in the burner duct 2. The combustion gas HG is supplied to a combustion chamber 3 from at least one or more of the burner systems in an inflow direction which does not pass through a center position of the combustion chamber 3.

The finding concerns a multi-gas burner head with sucked or blown air, from which the mixture of fuel gas and comburent air comes out and the combustion occurs. Such a head is made from a metallic sheet in which there is at least one row of aligned slits (2), substantially rectangular-shaped; such a sheet is folded so as to have a series of flat flaps (3) in succession, each of the slits being arranged so as to be closed like a “sandwich” between two flat portions of the sheet, once the flaps of the structure are mutually compressed. The gas mixture is intended to pass from the bottom (5) of the flaps and then through the slits and finally to come out at two side by side crests (6) of the structure where the combustion occurs.

A burner for an exhaust aftertreatment system may include a housing assembly and an ignition device. The housing assembly may include an inner shell surrounded by intermediate and outer shells. The inner shell may at least partially define a combustion chamber. The housing assembly may include an airflow passage having an opening extending through the outer shell. The airflow passage may extend between the outer shell and the intermediate shell as well as between the intermediate shell and the inner shell. The airflow passage may provide fluid communication between the opening and the combustion chamber. The ignition device may be at least partially disposed within the housing assembly and may ignite fuel received from a fuel source and air received from the airflow passage to produce a flame in the combustion chamber. The airflow passage may be in a heat transfer relationship with the flame in the combustion chamber.

A method and system for improving high excess air combustion system efficiency, including induration furnaces, using a re-routing of flue gas within the system by gas recirculation. Flue gas is drawn from hot system zones including zones near the stack, for re-introduction into the process whereby the heat recovery partially replaces fuel input. At least one pre-combustion drying zone, at least one combustion zone, and at least a first cooling zone exist in these furnaces. At least one exhaust gas outlet is provided to each pre-combustion drying and combustion zone. At least part of the gaseous flow from each system zone exhaust outlet is selectively delivered to an overall system exhaust, the remaining flow being selectively delivered via recirculation to cooling zones. Recirculation flow is adjusted to meet required system temperatures and pressures. The method and system provide efficiency improvements, reducing fuel requirements and greenhouse gas emissions.

A method includes scanning a lithography mask with a repair process, and measuring back-scattered electron signals of back-scattered electrons generated from the scanning. An endpoint is determined from the back-scattered electron signals. A stop point is calculated from the endpoint. The step of scanning is stopped when the calculated stop point is reached.

The present invention relates to a developable bottom antireflective coating (BARC) composition and a pattern forming method using the BARC composition. The BARC composition includes a first polymer having a first carboxylic acid moiety, a hydroxy-containing alicyclic moiety, and a first chromophore moiety; a second polymer having a second carboxylic acid moiety, a hydroxy-containing acyclic moiety, and a second chromophore moiety; a crosslinking agent; and a radiation sensitive acid generator. The first and second chromophore moieties each absorb light at a wavelength from 100 nm to 400 nm. In the patterning forming method, a photoresist layer is formed over a BARC layer of the BARC composition. After exposure, unexposed regions of the photoresist layer and the BARC layer are selectively removed by a developer to form a patterned structure in the photoresist layer. The BARC composition and the pattern forming method are especially useful for implanting levels.

Disclosed are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for scrolling a virtual keyboard on a touch screen device including a display. A first aspect allows detecting a user contact swipe motion in a predetermined direction along said keyboard, scrolling said keyboard across said display in accordance with said motion, and stopping said scrolling upon termination of user contact swipe motion. A second aspect allows scrolling of a virtual keyboard to snap to an intelligent position based on a song key or relative minor of the song key. A third aspect allows a note to be held when a user's finger remains in contact with the display even though the finger is no longer in contact with a key linked to the note on the keyboard as a result of scrolling. A fourth aspect displays a second musical instrument keyboard adjacent to a first musical instrument keyboard, wherein said second musical instrument keyboard is linked to said first musical instrument keyboard such that scrolling of one keyboard causes automatic scrolling of the other keyboard.

A wireless access system and, more particularly, a method and apparatus for more efficiently performing zone switch are disclosed. The method of performing zone switch by an advanced mobile station (AMS) in a mixed-mode advanced base station (ABS) which operates in a mixed mode of a broadband wireless access system includes receiving a ranging response (RNG-RSP) message including system information of an AMS support zone from a legacy zone (LZone) of the ABS, and performing ranging to the AMS support zone using the system information.

A method for operating a base station in a wireless communication system in order to support a plurality of characteristics is provided. The method includes allocating resource periods for respective characteristics, transmitting system information including information on the characteristics, transmitting a reference signal with the characteristic corresponding to the relevant resource period through at least one of the resource periods, and receiving feedback information determining channel qualities for all of the characteristics.

A virtual computer system includes virtualization software, and one or more physical network interfaces for connecting to one or more computer networks. The virtualization software supports one or more virtual machines (VMs), and exports one or more virtual network interfaces to the VM(s) to enable the VM(s) to access the computer network(s) through the physical network interface(s). The virtualization software modifies and filters network data frames from the VM(s) and from the physical network interface(s) to restrict one or more VMs to one or more virtual local area networks (VLANs) that are implemented within a VLAN topology. Restricting a VM to a VLAN limits the broadcast domain to which the VM belongs, which may reduce security risks facing the VM. Implementing the VLAN functionality within the virtualization software provides the functionality to every VM in the computer system, without requiring every VM to provide the functionality.

Provided are a system and method for protecting data in an electronic communications environment. An interested entity establishes one or more controls for a received unit of data. At a source device in the electronic communications network, the unit of data is encapsulated with self-protection security data that includes the one or more controls. The encapsulated unit of data is delivered from the source device to a destination device in the electronic communications network. A data broker facilitates the delivery of the data to the destination device according to the controls. Facilitating the delivery of the data includes: identifying for the receiving device a collection of services corresponding to the controls independently of the network.

A system and method can support a flooding mechanism using a multicast group in a middleware machine environment. The middleware machine environment can comprise a gateway instance that includes an external port for receiving one or more data packets from an external network. The middleware machine environment also comprises one or more host servers, each of which is associated with one or more virtual machines that can process the data packets. Furthermore, said host servers can provide virtual interfaces that belong to a virtual hub associated with the gateway instance. At least one said packet is a flooded packet that is specified with an unknown destination address when it is received at the external port. The gateway instance operates to send the flooded packet to the multicast group that operates to forward the flooded packet to one or more said host servers in the multicast group.

In general, to provide acknowledgment information by a first wireless device, the first wireless device sends repeated instances of acknowledgment information in respective first and second frame structures, in response to receipt of first information from a second wireless device. In addition, the first wireless device also sends further acknowledgment information in the second frame structure that is responsive to second information received from the second wireless device.

Ball screws are described that may be incorporated into other devices such as a pulley assembly or a differential device. The ball screws include a threaded shaft defining a central longitudinal axis with a threaded nut threadedly coupled thereto to define at least one track in between them. Each track forms a continuous loop around an infield protrusion and is filled with a plurality of rolling elements filling. Each rolling element has the same radius from the central longitudinal axis such that the nut can rotate at higher speeds without the rolling elements locking up as a result of centripetal force.

A mixing device for mixing a first and second material together to create an output mixture. The device includes a first chamber containing the first material coupled to a mixing chamber defined between a rotor and a stator. The rotor is disposed inside the stator and rotates therein about an axis of rotation. The first chamber houses an internal pump configured to pump the first material from the first chamber into the mixing chamber. The pump may be configured to impart a circumferential velocity into the first material before it enters the mixing chamber. At least one of the rotor and stator have a plurality of through-holes through which the second material is provided to the mixing chamber. Optionally, a second chamber is coupled to the mixing chamber. The second chamber may house an internal pump configured to pump the output material from the mixing chamber into the second chamber.

This invention is directed to a stirring apparatus comprising: a plurality of blades having between a 5° to 180° twist along the length of their axis attached perpendicularly to a shaft so that a downward fluid flow is created when the shaft is rotated by a rotary drive; and, a plurality of standards attached to the plurality of blades separating the plurality of blades and arranged parallel to the shaft and rotated between 0° and 25° relative to a plane defined by the blades and the standards so that an inward fluid flow is created when the shaft is rotated and a bottom blade connected to the standards.

Provided is a stirrer including a stirring section formed of a plurality of wire members and a handle section to which ends of the respective wire members are mounted, which is capable of preventing, with a simple configuration, liquid such as water from entering inside the handle section from gaps between a mounting part of the handle section and root parts of the respective wire members. The stirrer includes: a stirring section including a plurality of wire members; a fitting body including one or both of grooves and through-holes into which ends of the respective wire members are fitted; and a handle section including a mounting recess to which the fitting body is fitted and fixed under a state in which the ends of the respective wire members are fitted into the one or both of grooves and through-holes.

The present invention relates to the field of organic chemistry and in particular to organic free radicals used as polarizing agents in the technique of Dynamic Nuclear Polarization (DNP), which involves transferring the polarization of electron spins to the nuclei of a compound whose Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) is being observed. It concerns Dinitroxide-type Biradical polarizing agents characterized by a rigid linkage between the aminoxyl groups of said nitroxide units. This particular structure enables, at low temperatures and high fields, optimal transfer of polarization and optimal enhancement of NMR/MAS signals of the polarized nuclei of the compound studied.

Compounds according to Formula I and Formula II are potent inhibitors of Arginase I and II activity: where R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, R8, R9, D, M, X, and Y are defined as set forth in the specification. The invention also provides pharmaceutical compositions of the compounds and methods of their use for treating or preventing a disease or a condition associated with arginase activity.

A spiral fluted tap is provided which includes a threaded portion having an external thread corresponding to an internal thread to be cut and a cutting edge formed along a spiral flute formed to divide the external thread, and being screwed into a prepared hole that is provided on a workpiece to cut an internal thread by the cutting edge on an inner circumferential surface of the prepared hole with discharging chips toward a shank via the spiral flute, the spiral flute having a stepped portion at a rear end of a chamfer portion or in a portion on a shank side from the rear end of the chamfer portion in the threaded portion, and a flute bottom diameter on a distal end side of the spiral fluted tap from the stepped portion being smaller than a flute bottom diameter on a shank side from the stepped portion.

A slotted inverse tap, compressible for insertion past damaged entry threads in blind holes. (FIG. 1 thru FIG. 5) The tool can be made to smaller sizes than that of prior art. An elongate slot (23) proceeds through a first threaded end (21), then well into a reduced diameter cylindrical body (25). After insertion to the hole bottom, a tabbed shim (28) is inserted to the slot from its side, then pressed down until stopped. The shim (28) enforces mating engagement with undamaged internal threads. A second end of hex and/or squared or other configuration facilitates use of a tap wrench or other tool for rotational extraction. Damaged threads are reformed/re-cut upon rotational withdrawal.

A method for making a circuit board includes separating a plurality of versatile circuit boards from a collective board by cutting a connecting portion of the collective board, the plurality of versatile circuit boards being connected each other via the connecting portion, and cutting a part of a wiring formed on each of the plurality of versatile circuit boards to produce the circuit board. The cutting of the part of the wiring is conducted within the separating of the plurality of versatile circuit boards.

The present disclosure relates to a tool gripper chain bendable in two directions that has a chain assembly that includes: gripper blocks that each have a first tooth at the center of a curved groove; first and second gripper assemblies that have first and second gripper members rotatably mounted on the rear of gripper blocks and grip a tool; first and second outer links that are formed in an arc shape; first and second inner links that are formed in an arc shape and disposed zigzag with respect to first and second outer links between first outer link and second outer link; and first and second collars that are disposed between first inner link and second inner link, in which first gripper assembly is disposed in front of second outer link, second gripper assembly is disposed ahead of second inner ink, and a first shaft hole of first gripper assembly and second shaft hole of second gripper assembly are coaxially arranged, such that first and second gripper assemblies are coupled by a first shaft or a second shaft.

An optical transceiver of one embodiment includes a transmitter optical subassembly to transmit an optical signal, a receiver optical subassembly to receive an optical signal, a mother board, a daughter board, and a housing. The mother board mounts electronic circuits that electrically communicate with the optical transmitter optical subassembly and the receiver optical subassembly. The daughter board mounts other electronic circuits that electrically communicate with the optical transmitter optical subassembly and the receiver optical subassembly. The daughter board has an extra area mounting a portion of the other electronic circuits. The housing defines a space for installing the optical transmitter optical subassembly, the receiver optical subassembly, the mother board, and the daughter board. The extra area is disposed outside the space.

A low-carbon, material consumption-free air cleaner includes a rectangular box body, a fan, a negative ion generator unit and a dielectric barrier discharge actuator respectively arranged at upper part, middle part and lower part of the rectangular box body, an air input port disposed at the bottom side of the dielectric barrier discharge actuator, and air output port disposed at the top side of the rectangular box body.

A method of optically determining the presence of volcanic ash within a cloud comprises emitting a circularly polarized illuminating beam within a cloud and analyzing backscatter light to identify the presence of volcanic ash within the cloud. The method further includes determining the degree to which the cloud has altered the polarization state of the emitted beam. The index of refraction of the backscatter light and the opacity of the backscatter light are also analyzed.