There is provided a method for positioning of user equipment. The method for positioning of user equipment, includes: receiving, by the user equipment, a signal from an external antenna, the signal being radiated in a cyclic pattern; measuring, by the user equipment, strength of the received signal, characterizing, by the user equipment, the measured strength to form a signal pattern over a time period; and determining a position of the user equipment based on the signal pattern.

A method is disclosed for determining the position of an RFID transponder. Separate signals of at least two electromagnetic alternating fields are emitted from at least two antenna to one RFID transponder. The antenna are spaced at a distance from each other so that the two electromagnetic alternating fields are emitted at a distance from one another. The emitted electromagnetic alternating fields to the one RFID transponder are reflected so that the reflected electromagnetic alternating fields are sent back to the antenna. The transit times of the electromagnetic alternating fields are determined from emission to receiving back at the antenna. The distances between the antenna and the RFID transponder are determined, and the position of the RFID transponder from the at least two distances is determined relative to the at least two antenna.

An integrated circuit (IC) of a frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) coded aperture radar (CAR) configured to step through a range of frequencies in each sweep and a method of assembling the FMCW CAR are described. The IC includes an antenna element to transmit and receive at a given time duration, a transmit channel to process a signal for transmission, the transmit channel including a transmit switch to change a state of a transmit phase shifter between two states based on a first code, and a receive channel to process a received signal, the receive channel including a receive switch to change a state of a receive phase shifter between two states based on a second code. The IC also includes a switch controller to control the first code and the second code, wherein the switch controller controls the first code to remain constant within the sweep.

A testing device for FMCW radar includes an input for receiving a chirp signal generated by the radar. An IQ down-converter coupled to the input down-converts the chirp signal. A digitizer extracts digitized IQ signals from the down-converted chirp signal. A processor coupled to the digitizer determines at least one of frequency linearity and phase noise of the chirp signal.

A fill level measurement device for determining a topology of a filling material surface in a container including an antenna apparatus, a receiver and control circuitry. An emission angle of the antenna apparatus and a spatial position of the antenna apparatus relative to the filling material surface is settable by the control circuitry. A resultant emission direction of the fill level measurement device is changeable by the control circuitry by controlling a position of the antenna apparatus and by controlling an emission and/or receiving angle of the antenna apparatus.

Disclosed is a system for determining a protection level. The system includes a receiver configured to receive an error augmentation for a satellite orbit and clock error, an error augmentation for an ionospheric error, an error augmentation for noise and multi-path between a receiver and a satellite, and an error augmentation for a tropospheric error, a first calculator configured to calculate a first adjustment coefficient to be applied to the error augmentation for the satellite orbit and clock error and the error augmentation for the ionospheric error, and a second calculator configured to calculate a protection level by applying the first adjustment coefficient.

A vehicle cooperative object positioning optimization method and comprises steps of: receiving an information package by the local vehicle and the information package having a vehicle original coordinate and at least one object original coordinate provided by a neighbor vehicle respectively including different positioning accuracies; performing a time delay compensation for the vehicle original coordinate and the object original coordinate to acquire a vehicle coordinate and an object coordinate of the neighbor vehicle respectively; performing an optimizing procedure to optimize the vehicle coordinate and the object coordinate respectively so as to obtain the vehicle optimized coordinate and the object optimized coordinate. Therefore, the vehicle optimized coordinate and the object optimized coordinate include higher accuracy than the coordinate information detected by the GPS receiver so as to determine precisely a distribution of the environmental objects and enhance driving safety.

The present invention provides an improved, quantitative, standardized method of hydrating succulent plants by a plant owner. The method includes calculating the amount of water and watering frequency required, depending on environmental conditions, such as substrate used to grow a plant, relative humidity and temperature, and using a demarcated container for watering the plant, all of which maintains and prolongs the health, vitality, beauty and longevity of the succulent plant.

Turf (1) for sports, recreational activities and/or for ornamental purposes comprising a mat of flexible material (10) equipped with a first face (11) and a second face (12) opposite to each other. To the mat (10) a plurality of fibers (20) are connected of an artificial material in such a way that it forms an artificial turf (50) that protrudes from the first face (11). The turf (1) comprises, furthermore, a measured amount of a loose infill material (50), for example of granular type, distributed on the face (11) of the mat (10). The turf (1) comprises, furthermore, natural vegetable material, i.e. plants, belonging to one, or more plant species (30) put in the loose infill material (50) by means of sowing, transplantation of portions of plants, or a combination of the two solutions. The fibers of artificial material (20) have a profiled shape comprising a main blade (21) and at least one side wing (22). More precisely, the side wing (22) has a curved profile suitable for forming a channel (25) arranged substantially parallel to the main blade (21) in order to form a channel that is substantially parallel to said main blade, so that the profile of the channel partially or completely encircles the spaces that are occupied by water, roots and loose infill material, creating a water reserve for roots.

The invention provides a nontoxic photoluminescent adjuvant delivered to targeted crops, plants and seeds to assist spray operations in low light or dark light operations. These crops and plants include: not for human consumption crops, turf grass, ornamental flowers, seeds, shrubs and bushes. Spray operations are delivered to the foliar, crown and soil parts and seeds of a crop or plant.

An automated seed sampler system includes an imaging device for obtaining images of seeds, an orienting device for orienting the seeds based on the images, and a sampling station for removing tissue from the oriented seeds. In some aspects, the system also includes a transport subsystem for supporting the oriented seeds and conveying the oriented seeds to the sampling station. A method for removing tissue from seeds includes imaging the seeds, orienting the seeds based on image information obtained from the seeds, and removing tissue from the oriented seeds. In some aspects, the method also includes transporting the oriented seeds in a transport subsystem to a sampling station for removing the tissue from the oriented seeds, and/or collecting the tissue removed from the oriented seeds so that a one-to-one correspondence exists between the tissue and the sampled seeds, and/or analyzing the tissue for characteristics indicative of genetic and/or chemical traits.

The invention provides a non-toxic photoluminescent adjuvant delivered to targeted crops, plants and seeds to assist spray operations in low light or dark light operations. These crops and plants include: not for human consumption crops, turf grass, ornamental flowers, seeds, shrubs and bushes. Spray operations are delivered to the foliar, crown and soil parts and seeds of a crop or plant.

A cleaning device for atomizing and spraying liquid in two-phase flow comprising a nozzle provided with multiple liquid bypass pipelines each having liquid guiding outlets inclined at a predetermined angle and an exhaust mesh plate having vertical gas guiding outlets, which makes the high speed liquid flow and high speed gas flow sprayed out therefrom collide against each other sufficiently to form ultra-micro atomized particles with uniform and adjustable size. The ultra-micro atomized particles are sprayed out downwardly to the wafer surface under the acceleration and vertical orientation effects of an atomized particle guiding outlet to perform a reciprocating cleaning for the wafer. Other components such as an ultrasonic or megasonic generation unit, a gas shielding unit, a self-cleaning unit or a rotating unit can also be provided to perform the multifunction of the nozzle.

An electrostatic atomizing device includes a discharge section capable of retaining a liquid, a voltage applying section for applying a voltage to the discharge section, and a control section for setting the voltage applied by the voltage applying section to a given voltage at which a charged particulate water can be produced in an amount equal to or greater than a given amount. The control section is configured to set the voltage applied by the voltage applying section to a voltage lower than the given voltage at an operation start, and then to change the lower voltage to the given voltage. The electrostatic atomizing device can shorten a time needed before the electrostatic atomizing phenomenon occurs.

An ultrasonic-rotary composite atomization mechanism comprises a housing and an ultrasonic unit passing through the housing and free to rotate with respect to the housing. A dynamic unit is installed in a position of the ultrasonic unit, which is corresponding to the housing, to drive the ultrasonic unit to rotate with respect to the housing. The ultrasonic unit includes a material supply channel, a vibration member disposed in the ultrasonic unit, and a vibration-rotation cup connected with the material supply channel. The material supply channel carries a liquid into the vibration-rotation cup. The dynamic unit and vibration member operate simultaneously to make the vibration-rotation cup rotate at high speed and vibrate ultrasonically. Thus is generated a synergistic effect: the ultrasonic vibration uses inertia force to break the cohesion and disperse the liquid, and the high-speed rotation generates centrifugal force to atomize the liquid.

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.

The Sunset Canyoneers are releasing their first album. It just happens to sound like a greatest-hits package. The poster the Sunset Canyoneers created for their album release party in Oakland is an eye-catching throwback to the covers of pulp westerns from the 1930s and 1940s. A snarling, sun-tanned cowboy in full regalia — chaps, six guns, bandana and ten-gallon hat — stands guard over a gray-haired fiddle player fumbling for his bow.…

A forming and framing hammer comprises an elongate handle and a head fixed to the top end of the handle. The head has three striking surfaces: two on a striking body and one on the side of the head. The third striking surface is cushioned by a neoprene bushing to reduce vibration in the handle of the hammer. The head has two pulling tools for pulling nails. The bottom of the handle accepts interchangeable tools.

An amino-containing silica particle is provided. The amino-containing silica particle is obtained by hydrolysis-condensation reaction of an alkoxy silane represented by formula (I), an alkoxy silane represented by formula (II) and a catalyst: Si(OR1)4 formula (I) (NH2—Y)m—Si(OR2)4-m formula (II) wherein in formula (I), R1 is a C1-C10 alkyl group, and in formula (II), Y is a C1-C10 alkyl group or a C2-C10 alkenyl group, R2 is a C1-C10 alkyl group, and m is an integer of 1 to 3.

Provided are: a curable composition that makes it possible to form a cured film having excellent wear resistance and weather resistance; a laminate that is provided with the cured film; and an automobile headlamp lens. The curable composition makes it possible to obtain a cured film in which the relationship between a haze value (ΔHx) that is obtained by a wear resistance test and a haze value (ΔHy) that is obtained by a weather resistance test satisfies ΔHy≦−0.3 ΔHx+5.0 when a cured film having a thickness of 10 μm is produced.

A method for selective deposition of an organic solderability preservative coating on a copper surface of an article is disclosed. The method includes two steps of organic coatings by two solutions; the first step contains contacting the copper surface with a first solution including azole compound and the second step contains contacting the copper surface treated by the first solution with a second solution including a specific pyrazine derived compound.

Methods of producing a polyamide filaments and fibers are provided. The methods include providing a dual-terminated polyamide and spinning the dual-terminated polyamide at a speed of 3500 m/min to 8000 m/min to form a fiber. In one embodiment, the polyamide has an amine endgroup concentration of 25 mmol/kg to 40 mmol/kg and a carboxyl endgroup concentration of 18 mmol/kg to 50 mmol/kg. Fibers and yarns comprising polyamide filaments and fibers formed from the method are also disclosed.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing an ultrafine fiber-containing sheet with suppressed yellowing. Another object of the present invention is to provide an efficient method for eliminating an introduced substituent, and a composite sheet comprising an organic layer and/or an inorganic layer laminated on the obtained sheet. The present invention provides a method for producing an ultrafine fiber-containing sheet, comprising (a) introducing a substituent having electrostatic and/or steric functionality to a fiber raw material to obtain substituent-introduced fiber; (b) machine-processing the substituent-introduced fiber obtained in the step (a) to obtain substituent-introduced ultrafine fiber; (c) preparing a sheet from the substituent-introduced ultrafine fiber obtained in the step (b); and (d) eliminating at least a portion of introduced substituents from the sheet obtained in the step (c). In a preferred aspect, the substituent having electrostatic and/or steric functionality is a phosphoric acid-derived group, and the method may further comprise, after the step (a) and before the step (c), the step of (e) changing the degree of neutralization of the substituent-introduced fiber or the substituent-introduced ultrafine fiber.

A biodegradable ground contact sleeve for a seismic data acquisition node includes a ground contact sleeve having a substantially tubular shaped body insertable into the surface of the earth and having an internal opening at one longitudinal end for receiving a seismic data acquisition node and making acoustic coupling thereto. The ground contact sleeve is formed of biodegradable material.

In nanoimprinting processes, photo-cured products often separate from the substrate and stick to the mold due to insufficient adhesion between the photo-cured product and the substrate. This causes a defect of pattern separation. An adhesion layer composition used for forming an adhesion layer between a substrate and a photocurable composition includes a compound (A) having at least two functional groups, and a solvent (B). The functional groups include at least one functional group capable of being bound to the substrate, selected from the group consisting of hydroxy, carboxy, thiol, amino, epoxy, and (blocked) isocyanate, and at least one hydrogen donating group as a functional group capable of being bound to the photocurable composition.

A laminate including a radio wave permeable member having a radio wave permeability; and a heat conducting member having an electromagnetic wave shielding property and/or a rigidity retaining member having an electromagnetic wave shielding property in the thickness direction of the radio wave permeable member; wherein the laminate has a radio wave permeable area solely constituted from the radio wave permeable member as a part of the laminate, and the radio wave permeable area is a thin area; and an integrally molded article using such laminate.

A composite manufacture includes an extrudable thermoplastic matrix and a photochromic colorant, the photochromic colorant conferring to the composite a reversible strain-induced color change property. Methods include adding photochromic colorant to an extrudable thermoplastic polymer matrix to form a mixture, heating the mixture to form a composite, the photochromic colorant conferring to the composite a reversible strain-induced color change property. The composite manufactures can be used in cable coatings permitting visual detection of mechanical stresses in a wire based on the reversible strain-induced color change property.

There is provided a surface-treated copper foil including a surface coating layer provided on at least one surface of a copper foil, the surface coating layer being mainly composed of silicon with a hydrogen content of 1 to 35 atomic % and/or a carbon content of 1 to 15 atomic %. This foil can be manufactured by forming a surface coating layer composed mainly of silicon with the above hydrogen and carbon contents on at least one surface of the copper foil by PVD or CVD. The present invention can provide a copper foil with a surface coating layer that can achieve a high bonding strength to a resin layer even if the copper foil has an extremely smooth surface such as one formed by vapor deposition, for example, sputtering and also has a desirable insulation resistance suitable for achieving a fine pitch in a printed wiring board.

The present invention board relates to a game system using a portable terminals and a game board therefor. According to the present invention, there is provided a board game system, including: one or more pieces configured to correspond to respective game players; a game board configured to display a path through which the pieces move, and to detect a changed location of each of the pieces on the path; and one or more personal portable terminals each configured to check the changed location of the piece detected by the game board while communicating with the game board, and to output information about operations, which will be performed by each of the game players, or options, which can be selected by each of the game players based on a location of one of the pieces corresponding to each of the game players.

An inflatable dummy target comprising a chassis of inflatable ducts wrapped with a sheet. The chassis of inflatable ducts can include one or more ring shaped ducts and one or more elongate ducts. The chassis can include at least two ring shaped ducts interconnected by one or more elongate ducts. The dummy target can include several attached axi-symmetrical sections, each section have a chassis of inflatable ducts. Each section can be conical, frustoconical or cylindrical, thereby achieving a concave or convex dummy target geometry.

A gaming device includes a base, a runway, and a target. The base includes a baseplate and a ramp. The base plate has an upper surface and a leading end. The ramp includes a ramp leg that supports the ramp in an inclined position. The runway has a free end that extends from the leading end of the base plate in a deployed configuration of the gaming device. The target includes a target plate having a target surface that defines a plurality of holes. The target plate is hingedly attached to the base plate such that the base plate is foldable into the target in a transport configuration of the gaming device. In the transport configuration, the upper surface of the base plate opposes the target surface of the target plate with the ramp disposed between the upper surface and the target surface.

A method for providing a randomized card engine for use in wagering card games which thwarts advantage play methods in live or electronic gaming formats, which includes the steps of shuffling, or simulating the shuffling of, a plurality of standard decks of physical playing cards to form a set of playing cards in a randomly-ordered condition, dividing the set of randomly-ordered playing cards into a plurality of subsets, and providing each subset of the plurality of subsets for independent use in a respective card wagering game.

An exemplary gaming system, in one implementation, provides active interaction between one or more players and the gaming system. Such an exemplary gaming system includes a receptacle with one or more holes to receive first gaming objects thrown at it. Chambers attached to a rigid member on the receptacle receive and store second gaming objects that are later released into one or more different spatial directions. An intermediate surface operably connected to a mechanical or an electrical triggering mechanism is included in the receptacle. When the first gaming object falls into the receptacle and hits the intermediate surface, the intermediate surface causes activation of the triggering mechanism to directly or indirectly propel the second gaming objects, through the chambers, into one or more different spatial directions. A hand or foot lever allows players to reset the triggering mechanism for the next game.

The present application relates to a system for dynamic control of the operation of a heat exchanger, the system comprising a heat exchanger, a plurality of injector arrangements, a local sensor arrangement, and a controller, wherein the local sensor arrangement comprises a plurality of local temperature sensors being arranged to measure temperature values; and wherein the controller is arranged to determine a difference between the measured temperature values and is further arranged to communicate with the valves of the plurality of injector arrangements to adjust the local amount of first fluid supplied by at least one of the injector arrangements in order to even out the determined difference. The application also relates to a method for the dynamic control of the operation of a heat exchanger in such a system.

The present invention mainly provides a novel microchannel structure comprising a plurality of first fluid-guiding channels, a plurality of micro fluid-guiding channels and a plurality of second fluid-guiding channels. Particularly, the first fluid-guiding channel has an arc-shaped fluid-guiding end corner communicating with a first channel opening of the micro fluid-guiding channel, and the second fluid-guiding channel has an arc-shaped fluid-guiding start corner communicating with a second channel opening of the micro fluid-guiding channel. Therefore, when a refrigerant fluid flows in the heat sink, the flow speed of the refrigerant fluid would be changed because the cross sectional area of an U-shaped fluid-guiding channel constructed by the arc-shaped fluid-guiding end corner, the micro fluid-guiding channel and the arc-shaped fluid-guiding start corner varies along the flow direction of the refrigerant fluid, such that the heat dissipating ability of the heat sink is enhanced without increasing the power of circulation pump.

Disclosed is a housing for electronic/electrical that includes an inner panel and an outer panel, a strip of metal plate, and a strip of shape memory material. The inner panel and the outer panel are disposed parallel to each other at regular intervals to define an internal space. The strip of metal plate extends from an inner surface of the outer panel. The strip of shape memory material extends from an inner surface of the inner panel and is attached or detached to/from the metal plate on the outer panel while changing into an original straight shape or a bent shape according to a temperature variation. Here, when the temperature increase beyond a first transition temperature, the shape memory material straightens to form a heat transfer path. At a low temperature environment, the shape memory material bends and is separated from the metal plate to interrupt the heat transfer path.

Embodiments of the invention provides a decoder for decoding a signal received through a transmission channel in a communication system, said signal carrying information symbols selected from a given alphabet and being associated with a signal vector, said transmission channel being represented by a channel matrix, wherein said decoder comprises: a sub-block division unit (301) configured to divide the received signal vector into a set of sub-vectors in correspondence with a division of a matrix related to said channel matrix;a candidate set estimation unit (305) for recursively determining candidate estimates of sub-blocks of the transmitted signal corresponding to said sub-vectors, each estimate of a given sub-block being determined from at least one candidate estimate of the previously processed sub-blocks,wherein said candidate set estimation unit is configured to determine a set of candidate estimates for at least one sub-block of the transmitted signal by applying at least one iteration of a decoding algorithm using the estimates determined for the previously processed sub-blocks, the number of candidate estimates determined for said sub-block being strictly inferior to the cardinal of the alphabet and superior or equal to two, the decoder further comprising a signal estimation unit (306) for calculating an estimate of the transmitted signal from said candidate estimates determined for said sub-blocks.

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 codeset having function-code combinations is provisioned on a controlling device to control functions of an intended target device. Input is provided to the controlling device which designates a function to be controlled on the intended target device. From a plurality of codes that are each associated with the designated function in a database stored in a memory of the controlling device a first code that is determined to be valid for use in controlling the designated function on the intended target device is selected. When the codeset is then provisioned on the controlling device, the provisioned codeset includes as a function-code combination thereof the designated function and the first code.

Methods and systems for time interleaved analog-to-digital converter timing mismatch calibration and compensation may include receiving an analog signal on a chip, converting the analog signal to a digital signal utilizing a time interleaved analog-to-digital-converter (ADC), and reducing a blocker signal that is generated by timing offsets in the time interleaved ADC by estimating complex coupling coefficients between a desired digital output signal and the blocker signal utilizing a decorrelation algorithm on frequencies within a desired frequency bandwidth. The decorrelation algorithm may comprise a symmetric adaptive decorrelation algorithm. The received analog signal may be generated by a calibration tone generator on the chip. An aliased signal may be summed with an output signal from a multiplier. The complex coupling coefficients may be determined utilizing the decorrelation algorithm on the summed signals. A multiplier may be configured to cancel the blocker signal utilizing the determined complex coupling coefficients.

A semiconductor device configured to perform an A/D conversion of a wide range of signals is provided. A semiconductor device includes: an input voltage detection unit configured to detect an analog input voltage; a reference voltage setting unit configured to set a reference voltage based on the detected input voltage; an amplifier configured to amplify a difference between the input voltage and the reference voltage; an ADC configured to perform an A/D conversion of an amplified signal; and an arithmetic processing unit configured to calculate a digital voltage corresponding to the input voltage based on a result of the A/D conversion and the reference voltage.

A computer-implemented method, system, and apparatus for storing binary data is disclosed. A processor receives a digital bit stream and transforms the digital bit stream to an encoded digital bit stream. The encoded digital bit stream comprises a data message encoded by an OCTS-expanded table for storage. The processor stores the encoded digital bit stream on a digital data storage device or system.

Aspects of dynamic data compression selection are presented. In an example method, as uncompressed data chunks of a data stream are compressed, at least one performance factor affecting selection of one of multiple compression algorithms for the uncompressed data chunks of the data stream may be determined. Each of the multiple compression algorithms may facilitate a different expected compression ratio. One of the multiple compression algorithms may be selected separately for each uncompressed data chunk of the data stream based on the at least one performance factor. Each uncompressed data chunk may be compressed using the selected one of the multiple compression algorithms for the uncompressed data chunk.

For analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) which utilize a feedback digital-to-analog converter (DAC) for conversion, the final analog output can be affected or distorted by errors of the feedback DAC. A digital measurement technique can be implemented to determine timing mismatch error for the feedback DAC in a continuous-time delta-sigma modulator (CTDSM) or in a continuous-time pipeline modulator. The methodology utilizes cross-correlation of each DAC unit elements (UEs) output to the entire modulator output to measure its timing mismatch error respectively. Specifically, the timing mismatch error is estimated using a ratio based on a peak value and a value for the next tap in the cross-correlation function. The obtained errors can be stored in a look-up table and fully corrected in digital domain or analog domain.

For analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) which utilize a feedback digital-to-analog converter (DAC) for conversion, the final analog output can be affected or distorted by errors of the feedback DAC. A digital measurement technique can be implemented to determine switching mismatch error for the feedback DAC in a continuous-time delta-sigma modulator (CTDSM) or in a continuous-time pipeline modulator. The methodology forces each DAC unit elements (UEs) to switch a certain amount times and then use the modulator itself to measure the errors caused by those switching activities respectively. The obtained errors can be stored in a look-up table and fully corrected in digital domain or analog domain.

An analog to digital converter includes an error integration circuit configured to receive an input charge from a detector and to integrate a difference between the input charge and one or more feedback charge pulses to create an error voltage. A quantizer is in operable communication with the error integration circuit and is responsive to the created error voltage. An accumulator having a mantissa component and a radix component is in operable communication with the quantizer. A charge feedback device in operable communication with the quantizer and the radix component of the accumulator. The charge feedback device is configured to generate the one or more feedback charge pulses proportional to the radix component of the accumulator and an output of the quantizer. Digital focal plane read out integrated circuits including the analog to digital converter are also disclosed.

A semiconductor device having an analog/digital conversion circuit converting an analog signal to a digital signal, includes a holding circuit outputting an analog signal having a value according to a value of an analog signal supplied in a first period; and a prediction circuit generating a first digital signal based on bit position information from a prediction table corresponding to the supplied analog signal.

A process is provided for recovering sodium chloride crystals and sodium carbonate decahydrate crystals from a concentrated brine that results from a gas mining operation where gas and produced water is recovered and the produced water constitutes a brine. An initial pre-concentration process is carried out where the brine is concentrated and in the process carbon dioxide is removed from the brine and at least some sodium bicarbonate is converted to sodium carbonate. In one process, the concentrated brine is directed to a sodium chloride crystallizer where the brine is heated and further concentrated to form sodium chloride crystals which are separated from the brine to yield a product and wherein the resulting brine is termed a first mother liquor. The first mother liquor is then directed to a sodium carbonate decahydrate crystallizer where the first mother liquor is cooled and concentrated resulting in the formation of sodium carbonate decahydrate crystals and a second mother liquor. The second mother liquor is split into two streams where one stream is directed back to the sodium chloride crystallizer while the other stream is wasted or further treated.

Mineral, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, agricultural, nutraceutical, and other compositions are produced using a mineral composition containing minimal concentrations of cadmium, lead, arsenic, and mercury and containing relatively high concentrations of micro and macro mineral elements, of rare earth elements, of calcium, and of silica. The mineral concentrations are produced by processing naturally occurring clay soil to concentrate mineral elements naturally occurring in the soil.

A process is provided for preparing a salt product with reduced sodium content including the step of providing a concentrated brine, which is typically seawater, to which has been added potassium chloride. The mixture is transferred to a crystallizer unit where at least a portion of the mix is transferred to the crystallizer through a washing column. Liquid is evaporated from the crystallizer such that crystals form, crystals are passed from the crystallizer through said washing column to a separating unit such that in the passing through the washing column the crystals are rinsed with the brine portion being transferred as a counter current through the column. The inventive process is characterized by recycling of the brine from which the salt crystallizes, thus all main ingredients of the mixed input brine reach a steady equilibrium concentration in the mother liquor in the crystallizer. These will then precipitate as crystals, as more of the respective substances gets added to the mother liquor through inflow of mixed input brine. None of the liquor is purged out of the system as in conventional salt crystallizers. All the components in the feed are substantially contained in the product from the crystallizer either as crystalline material or soluble ingredients.