The present invention generally relates to fluorescent marking compositions and their use to determine whether a surface has been cleaned. More particularly, the marking compositions comprise fluorescent polymers.

In a lens plate (18) for an optical sensor device in a vehicle, in particular for a rain sensor, with a transmitter-side lens structure (28) and a receiver-side lens structure (32), the transmitter-side lens structure (26) partially is provided with anti-transmission features which In individual regions of the lens plate (18) partially or completely prevent the passage of the light emitted by a light transmitter (14).

Electron beam generator comprising an electron emitting device adapted to emit an electron beam when heated to an elevated temperature, wherein the electron emitting device comprises a filament having a spiral portion.

An encoder, including: a scale that has a pattern and is mountable to a rotary member of an object to be measured; a main body including a detector that detects the pattern, the main body being mountable to a non-rotating portion of the object to be measured; and a holding member including: an abutment portion that is removably provided to the main body from outside the main body and passes through the main body to abut the scale; and a pushing portion that is capable of pushing the abutment portion toward the scale.

An optical fibre sensor system and a method for determining a location of a disturbance having a signal processor with a plurality of activation cells adapted to react to components of a back-scattered signal and label the disturbance.

A proximity sensing device includes: a light source, a sensing unit, a light guide unit, and a window. The light source emits light, which is guided by the light guide unit to the window. The emitted light reflected by an object is received by the same window. The light guide unit includes a partial-transmissive-partial-reflective (PTPR) optical element, whereby the light emitted from the light source is reflected by the PTPR optical element, while the light reflected by the object passes through the PTPR optical element. There is only one window required.

Measuring system for measuring the properties of an organic material, e.g. meat, comprising a light source unit emitting light within at least one chosen range of wavelengths, the light source unit being coupled to a light guide in a ferrule being adapted to be introduced into said material, the system also comprising detector means for being adapted to receive light within said at least two wavelength ranges comprised within said emitted range of wavelengths, having passed through a chosen length in said material, and analyzing means for evaluating the condition of the material based on the measured absorption in the material in said at least two ranges of wavelengths

The present disclosure relates to a sensor cap for an optochemical sensor for determining or monitoring at least one analyte present in a medium having a substantially cylindrical plug-in component and a sleeve-shaped outer component. The plug-in component has an optical component with a convex-shaped surface region for optimal flow, and the optical component at least partially consists of a material transparent to measuring radiation. On the surface region of the optical component is an analyte-sensitive matrix having at least one functional layer. The plug-in component and the sleeve-shaped component are designed such that the connecting region coming into contact with the medium is between the plug-in component and the sleeve-shaped outer component in the edge region of the optical component or is at a radial distance from the edge region of the optical component, and is sealed, without a gap, facing the medium.

The present technology provides methods for increasing sensitivity of detection and/or quantification of a negatively charged analyte, e.g., an oligonucleotide, using an analytical system that comprises liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. The methods comprise passing an acidic solution through the analytical system, i.e., through a fluidic path from the mobile phase reservoir to the detector to remove or displace, at least in part, metal ions adsorbed to charged sites in the fluidic path.

Detectors, a system and a method for detecting ionizing radiation are provided. In some aspects, a detector includes a first layer comprising a first conducting material, and a second layer comprising a second conducting material, wherein at least one of the first layer and second layer is configured to produce secondary particles upon irradiation by an ionizing radiation. The detector also includes a separating layer positioned between the first and second layer configured to transport therebetween at least one of charges associated with the secondary particles and charges produced by the secondary particles, wherein an electric current generated by the charges, and collected between the first and second layer, is indicative of properties the ionizing radiation.

Techniques are described that includes using a memory to store data within a system. The techniques include lowering a supply voltage applied to said memory and ceasing use of the memory to store data within the system. The techniques further include reading values from the memory with the supply voltage being lowered. The techniques further include determining a radiation level from an amount of corrupted ones of the values.

An electronic device may have a display with a cover layer. A light-based component such as an infrared-light proximity sensor or other infrared-light-based component may be aligned with a window in the display cover layer. The window may block visible light and transmit infrared light. A coating in the window may include a thin-film filter formed from a stack of inorganic dielectric layers. The thin-film filter may block visible light and transmit infrared light. The coating may also include at least one layer of material such as a semiconductor material that absorbs visible light and that passes infrared light. This material may be interposed between the thin-film filter and the display cover layer. Antireflection properties and color adjustment properties may be provided using thin-film layers between the thin-film filter and the display cover layer.

The present disclosure provides one embodiment of an IC method. First pattern densities (PDs) of a plurality of templates of an IC design layout are received. Then a high PD outlier template and a low PD outlier template from the plurality of templates are identified. The high PD outlier template is split into multiple subsets of template and each subset of template carries a portion of PD of the high PD outlier template. A PD uniformity (PDU) optimization is performed to the low PD outlier template and multiple individual exposure processes are applied by using respective subset of templates.

A method of mass spectrometry is disclosed that comprises acquiring mass spectral data during a single experimental run or acquisition of a mass spectrometer and determining a first time T during the single experimental run or acquisition for calibrating the mass spectrometer. The step of determining the first time T further comprises determining a time when the mass spectral data being acquired during the single experimental run or acquisition is equal to or below a threshold. The mass spectrometer is then calibrated by introducing calibrant or lockmass ions at the first time T.

Disclosed are improved methods and structures for actively stabilizing the oscillation frequency of a trapped ion by noninvasively sampling and rectifying the high voltage RF potential at circuit locations between a step-up transformer and a vacuum feedthrough leading to the ion trap electrodes. We use this sampled/rectified signal in a feedback loop to regulate the RF input amplitude to the circuit. By employing techniques and structures according to the present disclosure we are advantageously able to stabilize a 1 MHz trapped ion oscillation frequency to

Superconducting nanowire avalanche photodetectors (SNAPs) have using meandering nanowires to detect incident photons. When a superconducting nanowire absorbs a photon, it switches from a superconducting state to a resistive state, producing a change in voltage that can be measured across the nanowire. A SNAP may include multiple nanowires in order to increase the fill factor of the SNAP's active area and the SNAP's detection efficiency. But using multiple meandering nanowires to achieve high fill-factor in SNAPs can lead to current crowding at bends in the nanowires. This current crowding degrades SNAP performance by decreasing the switching current, which the current at which the nanowire transitions from a superconducting state to a resistive state. Fortunately, staggering the bends in the nanowires reduces current crowding, increasing the nanowire switching current, which in turn increases the SNAP dynamic range.

In an example arrangement an apparatus includes a semiconductor substrate having a front side surface including circuitry and a backside surface opposing the front side surface; a plurality of metal conductors formed over a front side surface of the semiconductor substrate; at least one cavity opening etched in a backside surface of the semiconductor substrate; and a radiator formed in a portion of the metal conductors and configured to radiate signals through the cavity opening in the backside surface. Methods and additional apparatus arrangements are also disclosed.

A method for manufacturing an oxygenated gasoline-blend by blending a hydrocarbon Basestock for Oxygenate Blending (BOB) with an alcohol such as ethanol to a required octane specification first blends the BOB to an octane number, (RON+MON)/2 based on the octane sensitivity (RON−MON) of the BOB and the proportion of alcohol to be added to the BOB, such that when the BOB is blended with the specification proportion of alcohol to form the oxygenated gasoline blend, this blend will have the required octane specification. The blending of the BOB with the alcohol will typically be done at a location remote from that where the BOB is blended, e.g. at the product distribution terminal after being transported from the refinery by pipeline or tank car.

A method that includes clarifying a thin stillage product in a mechanical processor to produce a fine suspended solids stream and a clarified thin stillage is provided. The method further includes providing the thin stillage product and the clarified thin stillage, separately or in a combined stream, to one or more evaporators to produce one or more reduced suspended solids streams, each stream having a reduced amount of suspended solids and a lower viscosity as compared to process streams having a comparable total solids content but containing a higher amount of suspended solids. The method can further included further processing of one or more of the reduced suspended solids streams to produce a bio-oil product.

Measurements are taken of moisture, BTU/lb (British Thermal Units per pound), ash, forms of sulfur, volatile material, grindability, and absorption properties of any of a wide variety of mine-run solid fuels. Using that information, a dry electromagnetic process technology has been developed that can be controlled and monitored to selectively alter and enhance metallurgical solid fuel properties. Specific changes include altering the mechanical structure and chemical composition of solid fuels such as coal, coal coke or petroleum coke, increasing the BTU/lb to optimum levels, decreasing all forms of sulfur, and decreasing ash, while maintaining the BTU/lb of the fuels. A new family of solid fuel designer coals not found in nature can be produced via these methods and apparatus.

A method for obtaining diesel fuel from vegetable or animal oils through the addition of hydrogen in the presence of catalysts under suitable temperature and pressure conditions is described. The method is different from other similar methods in that it involves the use of space velocities of between 5.1 h-1 and 9 h-1, thereby enabling a reduction in the size of the reactor and in hydrogen consumption, as well as lowering construction and operating costs. The invention also relates to the products obtained using said method, which have demonstrated that in additions, even below 10%, they improve the performance of diesel engines, thereby lowering fuel consumption.

The present invention relates to transparent gel candle bases that may be used as a base material of transparent candles, to the transparent candles made therefrom, and to methods of making such candle bases and candles. The transparent gel candle bases of the present invention include a hydrocarbon oil and a gelling agent comprising dibutyl lauroyl glutamide and dibutyl ethylhexanoyl glutamide.

A method for controlling the manufacture and certification of an oxygenated gasoline product is carried out by manufacturing a gasoline Basestock for Oxygenate Blending (BOB) at a refinery site in accordance with an empirical relationship, valid for at that site under typical manufacturing conditions, between (i) a property value of the BOB stream such as octane as determined by an on-site online process analyzer and (ii) the corresponding instantaneous value or FPAPV property value as determined by the test method mandated by the product specification for the final gasoline stream when blended with the required proportion of oxygenate. The quality of fit of this empirical relationship is calculated according to the standard deviation of the residuals of the relationship and a confidence level is fixed so that the final oxygenated gasoline formulated with the BOB will meet the required property specification when measured by the test method mandated by the specification. The final oxygenated gasoline blend is certified as having a property value conforming to the required specification based on the predicted property value for the finished gasoline.

Methods for producing alcohols and oligomers contemporaneously from a hydrocarbon feed containing mixed butenes using an acid based catalyst are provided. Additionally, methods for producing fuel compositions having alcohols and oligomers prepared from mixed olefins are also provided as embodiments of the present invention. In certain embodiments, the catalyst can include a dual phase catalyst system that includes a water soluble acid catalyst and a solid acid catalyst.

Systems and methods for producing engineered fuels from municipal solid waste material are described herein. In some embodiments, a method includes combining a first waste stream that includes at least one of hard plastic, soft plastic and mixed plastic with a sorbent and increasing the temperature of the combined first waste stream and sorbent to a temperature of at least about 200° C. The method further includes combining the thermally treated first waste stream and sorbent with a second waste stream that includes fiber, and compressing the combined first waste stream, sorbent, and second waste stream to form a densified engineered fuel feedstock.

The present invention concerns a process for producing synthetic coal and aqueous liquid plant fertilizing solution products from a fermentation residue such as is left over from the corn based process of producing ethanol. The synthetic coal has a high heat value commensurate with naturally occurring coals and is lower in ash and sulfur content and thus has value as a clean burning energy source. The aqueous fertilizer includes commercially useful amounts of phosphorous, potassium and nitrogen in solution. The process of the invention is also energy efficient in that the products produced thereby involve the use of substantially less energy as compared to the traditional methods of processing fermentation residues in the corn based ethanol production industry.

A compound having formula (I) wherein G represents at least one substituent selected from the group consisting of C1-C12 alkyl and C1-C12 alkoxy.

A method for marking a petroleum hydrocarbon or a liquid biologically derived fuel by adding at least one compound having formula (I), wherein R1 and R2 independently represent hydrogen or C1-C4 alkyl groups, and G represents hydrogen or at least one substituent selected from the group consisting of C1-C18 alkyl and C1-C18 alkoxy.

Polytetrahydrobenzoxazines and bistetrahydrobenzoxazines, obtainable by (A) reacting at least one diamine of the formula H2N-A-NH2 with a C1- to C12-aldehyde and a C1- to C8-alkanol at 20 to 80° C. with elimination and removal of water, (B) reacting the condensation product from (A) with a phenol which bears a long-chain substituent at 30 to 120° C., and optionally (C) heating the reaction product from (B) to 125 to 280° C. The resulting polytetrahydrobenzoxazines and bistetrahydrobenzoxazines are suitable as fuel or lubricant additives, especially as detergent additives for diesel fuels.

A method for improving performance of fuel injectors, and a method for cleaning fuel injectors for an internal combustion engine. The methods include operating the engine on a fuel composition comprising a major amount of fuel and from about 1 to about 200 ppm by weight based on a total weight of the fuel of a reaction product of (i) a hydrocarbyl substituted compound containing at least one tertiary amino group and (ii) a halogen substituted C2-C8 carboxylic acid, ester, amide, or salt thereof, wherein the reaction product as made is substantially devoid of free anion species.

A wax composition comprising various waxes and an organically modified polysiloxane (OMP). These materials are mixed and melted into a homogenous liquid state creating a molten blend. It is preferred that the slip agent be added to the blend at least 0.25 percent by weight, and more preferably at 0.50 percent by weight. By mixing OMP with known candle and wax potpourri waxes, the wax becomes much easier to remove from the wax container.

The present invention relates to the use of at least 120 ppm of a nitrogen-containing detergent as a diesel fuel additive to improve the performance of a diesel engine having a high pressure fuel system.

The disclosure describes a high energy density jet fuel composition, having a smoke point about 18 mm as determined by ASTM D1322 and a thermal stability of no more than 25 mm Hg as determined by ASTM D 3241, and a method for making a jet fuel composition, wherein the net heat of combustion is determined by the aromatics content, cycloparaffins content, and normal plus or iso paraffins content in the jet fuel composition.

A process is provided comprising subjecting a quantity of plant biomass fibers to a pretreatment to cause at least a portion of lignin contained within each fiber to move to an outer surface of said fiber, wherein a quantity of pretreated tacky plant biomass fibers is produced; and densifying the quantity of pretreated tacky plant biomass fibers to produce one or more densified biomass particulates, wherein said biomass fibers are densified without using added binder.

A ballast water treatment device attached to a vessel provided with: a line (1) through which drawn treatment target water flows; and a ballast tank (5) connected to a downstream side of the line (1). The ballast water treatment device is provided with: a filter (3) which is disposed in the line (1) and which filters the treatment target water; and a controller (7). The controller (7) causes the treatment target water to be discharged outboard from an upstream side of the filter (3) in an early stage of drawing of the treatment target water, until water quality is stabilized, and, when the water quality of treatment target water has stabilized, causes the filter (3) to filter the treatment target water. Thus, ballast water filtering can be efficiently performed.

Methods and systems are provided for disinfecting water mains using ultraviolet (UV) light and advanced oxidation processes. One or more UV light sources are provided and secured to a movable device that moves axially in a pipe. The frequency and intensity of the UV light is determined based on characteristics of the pipe, such as its material and size. The rate at which the movable device moves through the pipe is also determined so that the interior surface of the pipe is properly disinfected. The movable device is remotely caused to move through the pipe. An oxidant supply component having a dispensing portion dispenses an oxidizing agent into the pipe. A portion of the emitted UV light may convert the dispensed oxidizing agent into additional oxidizing agents that further disinfect the pipe.

Described herein is a graphene material based membrane that provides selective resistance for solutes or gas while providing water permeability. A selectively permeable membrane comprising graphene oxide, reduced graphene oxide, and also functionalized or crosslinked between the graphene, that provides enhanced salt separation from water or gas permeability resistance, methods for making such membranes, and methods of using the membranes for dehydrating or removing solutes from water are also described.

Provided is a method for reducing COD of wastewater with improved utilization efficiency of ozone. The method achieves an objective by adding agents for removing hydroxyl radical scavengers produced by base-catalyzed ozone advanced oxidation to wastewater. The addition of calcium ion, barium ion, etc. to a base-catalyzed ozonation system makes the hydroxyl radical scavengers form precipitates, separated from water and lose the capability of scavenging hydroxyl radicals, thereby enhancing ozone utilization efficiency. Furthermore, calcium ion, barium ion, etc. form precipitates with partial organic acids yielded in the wastewater ozonation and are separated from water, hence diminishing ozone consumption and indirectly improving the ozone utilization efficiency in the wastewater treatment. The present invention can not only significantly enhance the reaction rate and utilization efficiency of ozone, saving reaction time and costs, but also enable complete mineralization of the organic compounds, significantly reducing COD and total phosphorus of wastewater.

Cations that can precipitate from an aqueous composition to produce scaling are sequestered by adding a multi-dentate ligand to the aqueous composition. The multi-dentate ligand bonds with the cation to form a non-scaling ionic complex; and the aqueous solution with the ionic complex is used in a process that produces substantially pure water from the aqueous composition, where the cation, absent formation of the ionic complex, is subject to scaling. The pH of the aqueous composition (or a brine including components of the aqueous composition) is then reduced to release the cation from the multi-dentate ligand; and the multi-dentate ligand, after the cation is released, is then reused in a predominantly closed loop.

The present invention is directed to systems, apparatus and methods for creating derivatives of at least one form of HDL without substantially affecting LDL. These derivatives of HDL are particles with reduced lipid content, particularly reduced cholesterol content. These particles have the capacity to bind cholesterol and are administered to a patient to enhance cellular cholesterol efflux and reduce cholesterol levels in cells, tissues, organs, and blood vessels. The present method is useful for treating atherogenic vascular disease and may be combined with other therapies such as statins, inhibitors of cholesterol absorption, niacin, anti-inflammatories, exercise and dietary restriction.

An electrical sensor for sensing electromagnetic properties of process fluids in a dialysis machine or a similar medical device can include a probe for interfacing with the fluids that is made from electronic fabric materials. The electronic fabric probe can include one or more conductors embedded in a non-conductive fabric layer. The electronic fabric probe is accommodated an enclosure which establishes a flow path with respect to the probe to establish fluid contact between the process fluids and the conductors. The conductors can apply or sense current and/or voltage with respect to the fluid. A portion of the electronic fabric probe can be disposed externally of the enclosure to provide electronic communication externally of the enclosure.

There is provided a method of desanding a production flow with at least liquid and solid phases. An inlet is connected to a flow line of a sand trap body having a first filter housing defining a first bore and a plurality of second filter housings defining second bores each connected to the first filter housing at spaced intervals transverse to and in fluid communication with the first bore. The flow path between the stand trap inlet and outlet is defined by the first and second housings. A primary filter is inserted into each of the second bores, the production flow is flowed through the sand trap body such that the production flow is filtered by the primary filters, and then a secondary filter is inserted into the first bore. The mesh size of the primary filters is finer than or equal to the mesh size of the secondary filter.

Ozonated washing water is generated by injecting an ozone gas into pressurized washing water that is filtered water obtained by membrane filtration of untreated water and that is to be used at the time of backwashing, and the ozonated washing water is supplied to a membrane from the filtration secondary side to thereby remove a fouling substance inside the membrane, while causing ozone-containing bubbles to emerge in the filtration primary side to thereby remove a fouling substance on a membrane surface in the filtration primary side.

A tangential filter for filtration of a fluid includes a support element, wherein, along a transverse plane perpendicular to the central axis of the support element a) the support element includes in its central portion only inner channels that do not share a common wall with its outer surface, the inner channels having a substantially equivalent hydraulic diameter, b) the support element includes peripheral channels, including at least first and second adjacent peripheral channels, each of the two channels sharing a common wall with the outer surface, c) the ratio of the hydraulic diameter of the first channel to the hydraulic diameter of the second channel is greater than or equal to 1.1, d) the number of peripheral first channels is greater than or equal to the number of peripheral second channels, e) the second channel has a hydraulic diameter substantially identical to the hydraulic diameter of the inner channels.

Provided is an integral 3D graphene-carbon hybrid foam composed of multiple pores and pore walls, wherein the pore walls contain single-layer or few-layer graphene sheets chemically bonded by a carbon material having a carbon material-to-graphene weight ratio from 1/100 to 1/2, wherein the few-layer graphene sheets have 2-10 layers of stacked graphene planes having an inter-plane spacing d002 from 0.3354 nm to 0.40 nm and the graphene sheets contain a pristine graphene material having essentially zero % of non-carbon elements, or a non-pristine graphene material having 0.01% to 25% by weight of non-carbon elements wherein said non-pristine graphene is selected from graphene oxide, reduced graphene oxide, graphene fluoride, graphene chloride, graphene bromide, graphene iodide, hydrogenated graphene, nitrogenated graphene, doped graphene, chemically functionalized graphene, or a combination thereof. Also provided are a process for producing the hybrid form, products containing the hybrid foam, and its applications.

A thermo-sensitive water absorbent is used as a draw material in production of fresh water by a forward osmosis process. The thermo-sensitive water absorbent has a cloud point, and coagulates when heated, the thermo-sensitive water absorbent being a block copolymer containing at least a hydrophobic part and a hydrophilic part, having a glycerin structure as a basic structure, and including an ethylene oxide group and a group consisting of propylene oxide and/or butylene oxide.

A water treatment apparatus includes a membrane in a contact with a soil structure, a hollow elongated member being passed through membrane and being mounted vertically within a vertical well with the bottom end of the elongated member being configured to expel treated water into the soil structure, a filtration member mounted stationary or for a linear reciprocal movement so as to filter the water prior to entry into a hollow interior of the elongated member, a trash rack positioned on the membrane and surrounding an upper portion of the elongated member and a barrier positioned adjacent and/or on said peripheral side wall of said trash rack, said barrier configured to reduce flow of the water and/or absorb a portion of the contaminant(s) prior to the water entering said filtration member.

A pollution mitigation system is disclosed. The system can include a valve forming a passage the valve installable to form an orifice in a storm drain retention chamber that passes storm water into a conduit of a storm water management system. The valve having a stem connected to a closure member that can plug the orifice. The valve can have a spring loaded actuator that can move the closure member into a closed position. The system can also include a node such as a wireless sensor node or a mote that has sensors, a transceiver, an antenna, a microcontroller, memory, an energy source and at least one output to control movement of the closure member via the preloaded actuator. The node can have an output that provides the stimulus to the preloaded actuator to cause the preloaded actuator to move the closure member to a position that obstructs the passage in response to either the sensor or a transmission from a mobile telephone such as a cell phone or a smartphone.

A filter for filtering pyrolysis oil and an arrangement. The filter is a split-flow filter (1, 1a, 1b), comprising a filter element (12), comprising plurality of apertures (17) extending through the filter element (12), a receiving channel (13) for receiving a flow (F) of pyrolysis oil to be filtered and for supplying said flow on first side (A) of the filter element (12), a main discharge channel (14) arranged on the first side (A) of the filter element (12) for discharging the portion of the flow (F) of pyrolysis oil having not penetrated through the filter element (12), and a filtrate channel (15) arranged on second side (B) of the filter element (12) for discharging the portion of the flow (F) of pyrolysis oil having penetrated through the filter element (12).

5 A liquid cleaning system rests on a surface having a non-porous material covering and a drain. A lower plate layer and an upper plate layer each have runners arranged in a grid. The lower plate layer rests upon the surface and the upper plate layer rests upon the lower plate layer offset at an angle with respect to the grid of the lower plate layer. An upper layer covers the upper plate layer and has a plurality of holes for the passage of fluids into the liquid cleaning system. As liquid enters the liquid cleaning system through the holes, the liquid traverses the grid of the lower plate layer and the grid of the upper plate layer flowing towards the drain, and contaminants within the liquid collect within the grid of the lower plate layer and the grid of the upper plate layer.