A first vector predictor candidate list generating unit generates a first motion vector predictor candidate list from motion vectors of encoded neighboring blocks to blocks to be encoded. A second vector predictor candidate list generating unit generates a second motion vector predictor candidate list from motion vectors of blocks at the same positions as the blocks to be encoded in an encoded image and neighboring blocks to the blocks at the same positions. A combination determining unit determines whether to generate a third vector predictor candidate list combining the first and second vector predictor candidate lists by comparison of a block size of the blocks to be encoded and a threshold size. A vector predictor candidate list deciding unit generates the third vector predictor candidate list from the first vector predictor candidate list.

A first vector predictor candidate list generating unit generates a first motion vector predictor candidate list from motion vectors of encoded neighboring blocks to blocks to be encoded. A second vector predictor candidate list generating unit generates a second motion vector predictor candidate list from motion vectors of blocks at the same positions as the blocks to be encoded in an encoded image and neighboring blocks to the blocks at the same positions. A combination determining unit determines whether to generate a third vector predictor candidate list combining the first and second vector predictor candidate lists by comparison of a block size of the blocks to be encoded and a threshold size. A vector predictor candidate list deciding unit generates the third vector predictor candidate list from the first vector predictor candidate list.

Methods and apparatus for parsing friendly and error resilient merge flag coding in video coding are provided. In some methods, in contrast to merging candidate list size dependent coding of the merge flag in the prior art, a merge flag is always encoded in the encoded bit stream for each inter-predicted prediction unit (PU) that is not encoded using skip mode. In some methods, in contrast to the prior art that allowed the merging candidate list to be empty, one or more zero motion vector merging candidates formatted according to the prediction type of the slice containing a PU are added to the merging candidate list if needed to ensure that the list is not empty and/or to ensure that the list contains a maximum number of merging candidates.

A system constructs an optical flow field that corresponds with a selected video frame. The optical flow field is constructed based on a first motion of a mobile platform having an imaging device and a status of the imaging device. The first motion and the status are determined with measurements of sensors installed on the mobile platform and/or the imaging device installed on the mobile platform. The first motion includes at least one of a first rotation, a horizontal movement, or a vertical movement of the mobile platform. The status includes a rotation of the imaging device and/or an orientation of the imaging device relative to the mobile platform.

A video decoding method using an inter prediction, includes: reconstructing a first differential motion vector and a second differential motion vector of a current block by decoding encoded data; deriving a first predicted motion vector and a second predicted motion vector of the current block from one or more neighboring blocks of the current block; generating a first motion vector of the current block by adding the first candidate motion vector to the first differential motion vector, and a second motion vector of the current block by adding the second candidate motion vector to the second differential motion vector; generating a predicted block of the current block by using the first and second motion vectors; reconstructing a residual block by decoding residual signals included in the encoded data; and adding each pixel value of the predicted block to a corresponding pixel value of the residual block.

A video decoding method using an inter prediction, includes: reconstructing a first differential motion vector and a second differential motion vector of a current block by decoding encoded data; deriving a first predicted motion vector and a second predicted motion vector of the current block from one or more neighboring blocks of the current block; generating a first motion vector of the current block by adding the first candidate motion vector to the first differential motion vector, and a second motion vector of the current block by adding the second candidate motion vector to the second differential motion vector; generating a predicted block of the current block by using the first and second motion vectors; reconstructing a residual block by decoding residual signals included in the encoded data; and adding each pixel value of the predicted block to a corresponding pixel value of the residual block.

The present disclosure generally relates to a method and device for encoding a frame. The method and the device comprises a processor configured for: —encoding (12) a backlight frame determined (11) from the frame; —obtaining (13) at least one component of a residual frame by dividing each component of the frame by a decoded version of the backlight frame; —mapping each component (YRes) of the residual frame (Res) such that the mapping of each pixel (YRes,P) of a component (YRes) of the residual frame Res depends on the pixel value (Balp) of either the backlight frame (Bal) or a decoded version of the backlight frame (Bal), associated with this pixel (p); and—encoding (18) the mapped residual frame. The disclosure further relates to a decoding method and device.

The present invention relates to a method for decoding a video signal, comprising the steps of: acquiring a transform size flag of the current macroblock from a video signal; checking the number of non-zero transform coefficients at each pixel position in a first transform block which corresponds to the transform size flag; changing a scan order of the first transform block by prioritizing the position of the pixel having the greatest number of the non-zero transform coefficients in the first transform block; determining the number of the non-zero transform coefficients at each pixel position in a second transform block, and setting the changed scan order of the first transform block as an initialized scan order of the second transform block; adding the number of the non-zero transform coefficients at each pixel position in the first transform block and the number of the non-zero transform coefficients at each pixel position in the second transform block, and changing the scan order of the second transform block by prioritizing the position of the pixel having the greatest number of the non-zero transform coefficients; and decoding the transform coefficients arranged in the scan order changed in the previous step, wherein the first transform block and the second transform block have sizes corresponding to the transform size flag, and are contained in the current macroblock.

An encoder encodes pixels representative of a picture in a multimedia stream, generates a first approximate signature based on approximate values of pixels in a reconstructed copy of the picture, and transmits the encoded pixels and the first approximate signature. A decoder receives a first packet including the encoded pixels and the first approximate signature, decodes the encoded pixels, and transmits a first signal in response to comparing the first approximate signature and a second approximate signature generated based on approximate values of the decoded pixels. If a corrupted packet is detected, the multimedia application requests an intra-coded picture in response to the first approximate signature differing from the second approximate signature. The second signal instructs the decoder to bypass requesting an intra-coded picture and to continue decoding received packets in response to the first approximate signature being equal to the second approximate signature.

The image decoding method includes: determining a context for use in a current block to be processed, from among a plurality of contexts; and performing arithmetic decoding on a bit sequence corresponding to the current block, using the determined context, wherein in the determining: the context is determined under a condition that control parameters of neighboring blocks of the current block are used, when the signal type is a first type, the neighboring blocks being a left block and an upper block of the current block; and the context is determined under a condition that the control parameter of the upper block is not used, when the signal type is a second type, and the second type is “inter_pred_flag”.

The present technology relates to a transmission device, a transmission method, a reception device, and a reception method that can improve transmission efficiency. An encoded signal is generated based on realtime data indicated by a waveform L using a predetermined fixed bit rate as a maximum code amount Sx and the encoded signal into which non-realtime data with an insufficient code amount is inserted is transmitted at the fixed bit rate, as indicated by a range Z12, when a code amount of the generated encoded signal is insufficient for the maximum code amount Sx. The present technology can be applied to broadcasting communication.

A seal assembly for a submersible pumping system is presented. The seal assembly includes a housing and a support tube disposed within the housing. Further, the seal assembly includes a shape memory alloy (SMA) foil disposed within the housing, surrounding the support tube to define a first chamber between the shape memory alloy foil and the support tube. The first chamber is configured to store a motor fluid, and wherein the shape memory alloy foil is configured to restrict a flow of a wellbore fluid to the motor fluid.

A piezoelectric driving device includes: a substrate including a fixed portion, and a vibrating body portion which is provided with a piezoelectric element and is supported by the fixed portion; and a contact portion which comes into contact with a driven body, and transmits movement of the vibrating body portion to the driven body, the contact portion is provided at an end portion in the longitudinal direction of the vibrating body portion, and a difference between a distance between the end portion when the contact portion is not pressed against the driven body and a tip end of the contact portion, and a distance between the end portion when the contact portion is pressed against the driven body and the tip end, is smaller than a total amplitude in the longitudinal direction in a case where the vibrating body portion is driven.

A handheld device comprising a motor for generating an airflow through the device, the motor including: a frame for supporting a rotor assembly and a stator assembly, the frame including an inner wall and an outer wall and a plurality of diffuser vanes extending between the inner wall and outer wall; a rotor assembly including a shaft, a magnet, a bearing assembly and an impeller; and a stator assembly including a bobbin, a stator core and a winding wound around the bobbin; the frame being formed of zinc and the impeller being formed of aluminium.

A hydraulic device having an input shaft and an output shaft, the device comprising: a housing having the input shaft mounted at one end and the output shaft mounted at the other end; an axially reciprocating hydraulic pump mounted on the input shaft within the housing, the axially reciprocating hydraulic pump having: a plurality of pistons located in respective piston bores and configured for axial reciprocation therein; a cam plate connected to the input shaft, the cam plate having a plurality of cam surfaces distributed about the cam plate for driving the plurality of pistons towards Top Dead Center (TDC) of the piston bores; a rotating hydraulic motor mounted on the output shaft within the housing for rotating with the output shaft; and a pair of shared fluid conduits, one of the pair directly and fluidly connecting a fluid outlet of the axially reciprocating hydraulic pump with a fluid inlet of the rotating hydraulic motor and the other of the pair for directly and fluidly connecting a fluid outlet of the rotating hydraulic motor with a fluid inlet of the axially reciprocating hydraulic pump, such that the pair are contained within the housing; wherein flow of hydraulic fluid between the axially reciprocating hydraulic pump and the rotating hydraulic motor bypasses any fluid reservoir external to the housing.

Provided is an electric-assist supercharger configured such that a motor (30) is attached to the end portion of a rotor shaft (15) close to a silencer (26), the rotor shaft (15) being connected to a compressor portion. Such a supercharger includes a suction air introduction path (24) formed in the silencer 26 such that a main suction air flow flows in the radial direction of the silencer (26) toward a connection portion between the silencer (26) and the compressor portion, and a cooling air intake path (40) formed in the silencer (26) in which at least an outlet thereof is on the center axis of the rotor shaft (15).

According to one embodiment of this disclosure an integrated fuel cell and environmental control system includes a turbo-compressor. The turbo-compressor includes a rotatable shaft, a compressor rotatable with the shaft to generate a flow of compressed air, a motor connected to the shaft, and a turbine connected to the shaft. The system further includes a fuel cell connected to the compressor by a first compressed air supply line that supplies a first portion of the flow of compressed air to the fuel cell. The fuel cell is connected to the turbine by a fuel cell exhaust line that supplies a flow of fuel cell exhaust to the turbine and causes the turbine to rotate. The system further includes an environmental control system connected to the compressor by a second compressed air supply line that supplies a second portion of the flow of compressed air to the environmental control system.

A reciprocating pump includes a housing, a rod, a sleeve, a bellows, and a nut. The housing includes a bellows chamber and a working chamber. The rod extends into the reciprocating pump such that the rod extends through the bellows chamber and partly into the working chamber. The rod includes a shoulder. The sleeve is connected to the rod such that the sleeve surrounds a portion of the rod. The bellows is connected to the sleeve such that the bellows surrounds a portion of the sleeve. The nut is attached to a bottom end of the sleeve such that the nut clamps an end of the bellows to the bottom end of the sleeve.

A gaseous-fluid environmental sensor having a gaseous-fluid flow system that defines a flow path coupling an intake port to an exhaust port. The gaseous-fluid flow system includes a blower and a flow sensor. The blower includes a motor and the flow sensor is for sensing a flow parameter. The gaseous-fluid environmental sensor further includes a controller electrically coupled to the flow sensor and the motor. The controller is configured to drive the motor with a first commutation sequence and to drive the motor with a second commutation sequence different than the first commutation sequence. The controller is further configured to select the first commutation sequence and the second commutation sequence based on the sensed flow parameter. Also discloses is a method for controlling the gaseous-fluid environmental sensor.

A fluid transport system includes at least one flow control device and a multiphase pump configured to transport fluid. At least one pump sensing device is configured to measure at least one operating characteristic of the multiphase pump. A controller is programmed with a pump map including a correlation of the at least one operating characteristic of the multiphase pump with at least one operating characteristic of the fluid. The controller is configured to determine an estimated value of the at least one operating characteristic of the fluid based on the measured value of the at least one operating characteristic of the multiphase pump and the pump map. At least one regulating device coupled to at least one flow control device is modulated based on the estimated value of the at least one operating characteristic of the fluid.

Methods and apparatus to calibrate rod pump controllers are described. An example method includes obtaining initial values related to a pumping unit, determining parameters based on the initial values, the parameters including at least one of a leaked off load value, a residual friction value, and a buoyant rod weight value, and based on one or more of the initial values and the parameters, calculating one or more dimensions of a rod string, the one or more dimensions to be used to determine a pump card of the pumping unit.

A check valve includes a ball and a seat. The seat includes a body and a hole extending through the body. The hole is smaller in diameter than the ball. The body of the seat is formed from ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene. The ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene of the seat has an ASTM D648 heat deflection temperature of 46.7° C. at 1.8 MPa.

A pump system (120) has a central pump unit (110), with which at least one hook-up unit (130). The least one hook-up unit (130) is from a group of a plurality of hook-up units (130) that can be combined in modular form for setting an operating point of a pump (10) that forms the pump unit (110). A method uses such a hook-up unit (130) in a pump system (120) for setting an operating point of the pump unit (110) thereof. A medical device is provided with such a pump unit (110) or with such a pump unit (110) and at least one hook-up unit (130) combined with the pump unit (110).

A highly alkalized humic and fulvic filter reagent for the removal of multiple contaminants from a gas is provided. The contaminants removed from the gas stream may include, but are not limited to, Carbon Dioxide, Sulfur Oxide, Nitrogen Oxides, Hydrogen Sulfides, radionuclides, mercaptans, ammonia, toxic metals, particulates, volatile vapors, and organics. The present invention further includes the disposal of the filter reagent by way of using the highly alkalized humic and fulvic filter for soil fertility, releasing the carbon dioxide from the filter reagent, converting the liquid filter reagent into a solid for disposal or for use as a contaminant removal filter for waters, wastes, and chemicals.

Integrated processes are provided for syngas refining and bioconversion of syngas to oxygenated organic compound. In the integrated processes ammonia contained in the syngas is recovered and used as a source of nitrogen and water for the fermentation. The integrated processes first remove tars from syngas by scrubbing using a first aqueous medium under conditions that ammonium bicarbonate is unstable. With tars removed, contact between the syngas and a second aqueous medium enables ammonia and carbon dioxide to be removed from the syngas without undue removal of components adverse to the fermentation, processing or oxygenated product such as benzene, toluene, xylene, ethylene, acetylene, and hydrogen cyanide. At least a portion of the second aqueous medium is supplied as a source of water and ammonia for the fermentation.

Reactive diluent fluid (22) is introduced into a stream of synthesis gas (or “syngas”) produced in a heat-generating unit such as a partial oxidation (“POX”) reactor (12) to cool the syngas and form a mixture of cooled syngas and reactive diluent fluid. Carbon dioxide and/or carbon components and/or hydrogen in the mixture of cooled syngas and reactive diluent fluid is reacted (26) with at least a portion of the reactive diluent fluid in the mixture to produce carbon monoxide-enriched and/or solid carbon depleted syngas which is fed into a secondary reformer unit (30) such as an enhanced heat transfer reformer in a heat exchange reformer process. An advantage of the invention is that problems with the mechanical integrity of the secondary unit arising from the high temperature of the syngas from the heat-generating unit are avoided.

An air intake system for a gas turbine includes one or more coils in airflow communication with an inlet arrangement. Each coil is constructed and arranged to have a respective upstream face velocity that is intended to be within 20% of the other coils. Each coil utilizes a working fluid of a predetermined temperature range conveyed there through and a plurality of spaced fins. The fins are spaced apart to permit air to flow between adjacent fins as air flows through the coil. At least one of the coils has a number of fins per inch that is different from the number of fins per inch of the other coils. Alternatively, each individual coil has at least one section with fewer or greater numbers of fins per inch that the other sections of that coil.

The present disclosure is directed to a dense-phase additive transportation system for additive injection into a contaminated gas stream.

A particulate form carbon pyrolyzate adsorbent, having the following characteristics: (a) CO2 capacity greater than 105 cc/gram at one bar pressure and temperature of 273° Kelvin; (b) CO2 Working Capacity greater than 7.0 weight percent; (c) CO2 heats of adsorption and desorption each of which is in a range of from 10 to 50 kJ/mole; and (d) a CO2/N2 Henry's Law Separation Factor greater than 5. The carbon pyrolyzate material can be formed from a polyvinylidene chloride-based polymer or copolymer, or other suitable resin material, to provide an adsorbent that is useful for carbon dioxide capture applications, e.g., in treatment of flue gases from coal-fired power generation plants.

This invention relates to sulfur based compounds useful in methods of carbon dioxide or sulfur dioxide removal.

Provided are apparatus and systems having a poppet valve assembly and swing adsorption separation techniques related thereto. A poppet valve includes a valve body, a plurality of static valves fixedly secured to the valve body and a single dynamic poppet valve having a plurality of openings. The plurality of static valves align and mate with the plurality of openings. The single dynamic poppet valve reciprocates to selectively open and close the plurality of static valves.

A system for concurrently filtering particles and collecting gases. Materials are be added (e.g., via coating the ceramic substrate, use of loose powder(s), or other means) to a HEPA filter (ceramic, metal, or otherwise) to collect gases (e.g., radioactive gases such as iodine). The gases could be radioactive, hazardous, or valuable gases.

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

A novel crystalline hybrid solid with a mixed organic-inorganic matrix is described which has a three-dimensional structure containing an inorganic framework with metallic centers based on zinc connected together via deprotonated organic ligands constituted by the entity —O2C—C6H2—(O)2—CO2. This novel solid is termed IM-21 and has an X-ray diffraction diagram as given below.

The invention relates to a process and a plant for producing cement clinker, which has a furnace system and has essentially the following process steps:—raw material is preheated in a preheater by means of hot offgases from the furnace system,—dust is removed from the hot offgas downstream of the preheater in a preliminary dust removal apparatus to a residual dust concentration of max. 20 g/standard m3,—the offgas which has been subjected to preliminary dust removal is purified in a selective catalytic flue gas purification plant (selective catalytic reduction, SCR),—at least part of the offgas purified in the flue gas purification plant is conveyed in a bypass around a raw material milling plant to a cooling device and cooled there to temperatures of max. 140° C.,—before the residual dust in the offgas is precipitated in a process filter and—at least part of the residual dust precipitated in the process filter is discharged for removal of mercury.

Disclosed is a filtration system and method that uses a corona discharge grid and a series of electrostatic grids to filter ambient particles. The filtration system eliminates, or greatly reduces, the pressure drop across the associated filter media.

A method for separating particles from particle-laden gas. Charged particles are formed by charging particles of a particle-laden gas. A gas jet is provided by guiding the particle-laden gas by a flow guide. Particles from the gas jet are collected to a collecting electrode by an electric field. An effective collecting area of the collecting electrode is positioned such that gas velocity gradient at each point of the effective collecting area is smaller than 10% of the maximum gas velocity in the gas jet divided by the height dimension of the jet.

A process for the reduction of carbon dioxide and carbonyl sulfide from various types of gas emitting sources containing carbon dioxide and/or gas or liquid emitting sources containing carbonyl sulfide, using ion exchange resin.

A climate control system and a method of control. The climate control system may have first and second adsorbers and a door that controls airflow through the first and second adsorbers. The first adsorber adsorbs moisture from the airflow and the second adsorber desorbs moisture when the door is in a first position.

A system and method of reducing the net carbon dioxide footprint of an industrial process that generates power from the combustion of hydrocarbon fuels in which ambient air is admixed with up to 50% by volume of an effluent gas from the power generator of the industrial process, in order to substantially increase the CO2 concentration in the air prior to treatment. The treatment comprises adsorbing CO2 from the admixed ambient air utilizing a cooled, porous substrate-supported amine adsorbent, wherein the porous substrate initially contacts the mixed ambient air containing condensed water in its pores, which act as an intrinsic coolant with respect to the exothermic heat generated by the adsorption process. In addition, prior to regenerating the supported adsorbent, air pressure is substantially reduced in the sealed regeneration chamber and the low pressure chamber is placed in fluid connection with a higher pressure regeneration chamber containing steam and carbon dioxide, to preheat the sorbent to be regenerated and to quickly cool the regenerated sorbent prior to use for further CO2 adsorption.

A method and apparatus for recovering a gaseous component from an incoming gas stream is described. The incoming gas stream is contacted with a lean aqueous absorbing medium to absorb at least a portion of the gaseous component from the incoming gas stream to form a lean treated gas stream and a rich aqueous absorbing medium. At least a portion of the gaseous component is desorbed from the rich aqueous absorbing medium at a temperature to form an overhead gas stream and a regenerated aqueous absorbing medium. At least a portion of the overhead gas stream is treated to recover a condensate stream. At least a portion of the condensate stream is used to form a heated stream. At least a portion of the heated stream is recycled back to the desorbing step. Novel absorbing medium compositions to recover carbon dioxide and/or hydrogen sulfide are also described.

A process for winning oil from a vapor gas mixture (VGM) containing a plurality of oil fractions obtained by the pyrolysis of a hydrocarbon containing material includes dedusting and cooling the VGM. The dedusted and cooled VGM are fractionated in at least two electrostatic precipitator stages at respective temperatures corresponding to respective boiling points of the oil fractions so as to separate the oil fractions.

A fast gas chromatograph (GC) method and device for obtaining fast gas chromatography analysis, in which a capillary gas chromatography column is inserted into a resistively heated metal tube located mostly outside a heated oven, which serves as a heated transferline to a flexible column that enters a resistively heated metal tube from a gas chromatograph injector and exits into a gas chromatograph detector. The resistively heated metal tube of the fast GC device has an internal diameter that is over twice the external diameter of the GC column so as to enable the insertion of several capillary GC column loops. The process of column insertion into or removal from the heated tube is aided by touching it with an ultrasound vibrating device that remarkably reduces the friction during column insertion into the metal tube heater.

A method and apparatus are described for swing adsorption processes. The method includes obtaining different plates, wherein the plates have gaseous openings and a utility fluid opening. Then, the gaseous openings are substantially oriented along a common axis for gaseous openings and the plates are diffusion bonded. Once diffusion bonded, the gaseous openings within the module are wash coated with an adsorbent material.

A pressure swing adsorption process for removal of CO2 from natural gas streams through a combination of a selective adsorbent material containing an effective amount of a non-adsorbent filler, adsorbent contactor design, and adsorption cycle design. The removal of contaminants from gas streams, preferably natural gas streams, using rapid-cycle swing adsorption processes, such as rapid-cycle pressure swing adsorption (RC-PSA). Separations at high pressure with high product recovery and/or high product purity are provided through a combination of judicious choices of adsorbent material, gas-solid contactor, system configuration, and cycle designs. For example, cycle designs that include steps of purge and staged blow-down as well as the inclusion of a mesopore filler in the adsorbent material significantly improves product (e.g., methane) recovery. An RC-PSA product with less than 10 ppm H2S can be produced from a natural gas feed stream that contains less than 1 mole percent H2S.

The present invention relates to a process and apparatus for producing a fluid enriched in carbon dioxide starting from a waste gas from a ferrous metallurgy unit.

An array of hollow fibers including a plurality of hollow fibers of a predetermined diameter configured to receive a gas having oxygen therein and transfer the oxygen to a fluid and/or transfer carbon dioxide in the fluid to a gas. The array is configured in a predetermined pattern having a predetermined packing density that is a fraction of a total cross-sectional area of the array occupied by the hollow fibers.

A system and process for the recovery of at least one halogenated hydrocarbon from a gas stream. The recovery includes adsorption by exposing the gas stream to an adsorbent with a lattice structure having pore diameters with an average pore opening of between about 5 and about 50 angstroms. The adsorbent is then regenerated by exposing the adsorbent to a purge gas under conditions which efficiently desorb the at least one adsorbed halogenated hydrocarbon from the adsorbent. The at least one halogenated hydrocarbon (and impurities or reaction products) can be condensed from the purge gas and subjected to fractional distillation to provide a recovered halogenated hydrocarbon.

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

A cyclone system for a gasifier having two or more cyclones arranged in series sharing a combined loop seal and dipleg is disclosed. Also disclosed is a method for capturing and recycling fines with the cyclone system.