Abstract: A fluid overfill and identification system uses a pulsed signal to both detect an overfill condition and identify a fluid product contained in a compartment. The pulsed signal is converted into an optical pulsed signal which is used with a retroreflective prism to detect when a fluid in the compartment has reached a desired capacity. Encoded in the pulse width of the same pulsed signal is the specific fluid product located in the compartment. Furthermore, different pulse frequencies are provided depending on whether the tanker truck is at a service station or at a loading terminal, thus allowing the system to distinguish between the two. At a marketing terminal, a new code is loaded into the system as a new fluid product is loaded into a compartment. A residue sensor may detect residual fluid in the compartment, and prevent the loading of a new fluid product and a new ID code.

Abstract: A liquid crystal (LC) display monitor has a high luminosity light source to provide good visibility in brightly lit areas. To prevent overheating of the LC screen and other components of the monitor, a two-phase cooler is provided. The cooler consists of two translucent, flexible bag-like containers, each conforming to a different side of the light source. A low-boiling point coolant within the containers absorbs heat from the light source and is partially vaporized. The coolant vapor travels from the containers into a condenser which is external to the monitor cabinet. The condenser draws thermal energy out of the coolant vapor, causing it to condense and return to the containers. The containers provide shock absorption to protect the light source, and the containers or the coolant may have light-scattering properties to provide diffusion of the light.

Abstract: Balloons and balloon catheters with a superior overall combination of distensibility, elastic stress response and strength. The improved properties of the balloons result from the method or process used to form the balloons, as well as the polymeric materials used in said balloon forming process. Additionally, the enhanced combination of properties of the balloons will not be adversely affected by the novel sterilization process contemplated by this invention. A process for forming a balloon involves providing a parison of a block copolymer, subjecting the parison to at least one axial stretch step and at least one radial expansion step, and heating the expanded parison to a temperature below the melting temperature of the block copolymer.

Abstract: In an optical imaging apparatus for the investigation of strongly scattering media, in particular biological tissue samples, with at least one-dimensional position resolution in a depth direction of a measuring object, with a radiation source for radiating low coherence light, with a device for splitting the low coherence light into two partial beams, of which one is guided in an object arm to the measured object and the other in a reference arm to a reflecting element, and with a detector configuration to which the partial beams reflected from the reflecting element in the reference arm and from the measured object in the object arm can be guided, brought into interference with another, and detected, the detector configuration exhibits a spatial extent transverse to the incident direction of both partial beams on the detector configuration along which light signals can be recorded in a position sensitive and simultaneous fashion and both partial beams in the object arm and in the reference arm are so guided

Abstract: Mechanically simple, reliable devices for measuring pressure or detecting pressures above a certain limit are disclosed. A representative device includes a magnet surrounded by one or more bands of a ferrofluid, and which is free to move within a nonmagnetic, generally elongated housing. In operation, the housing is oriented vertically, and the lower aperture exposed to the region of pressure to be sensed. The opposite end, which preferably contains another aperture, is exposed to a reference pressure (ordinarily the atmosphere) that remains isolated from the region of pressure to be sensed. Gravity draws the magnet downward, toward the bottom of the housing, while pressure at the lower aperture tends to force the magnet upward. When the force exerted by the pressure source exceeds the downward force of gravity, the magnet travels upward through the housing; this movement may be detected by an appropriate sensing arrangement, and is used to provide a warning signal or a quantitative pressure measurement.

Abstract: A two-phase liquid cooling system for an electronic component comprised of flexible sealed bag which is partially filled with a liquid coolant. Sufficient residual non-condensing gas is maintained in the bag so that some of the gas dissolves in the liquid coolant when the device is not operating and at ambient temperature. During warmup, the residual gas comes out of solution and creates nucleation sites that assist in initiating boiling. The bag is air and fluid-impermeable, and has sufficient flexibility such that as coolant vaporizes, the bag expands to maintain the internal bag pressure substantially the same as the ambient environmental pressure. The bag may also be provided with a metal heat spreader plate which passes through a wall of the bag an assists with transferring heat from the component to the coolant. The heat spreader plate may be specially treated to allow the flexible bag material to by directly heat sealed to the plate and to provide nucleation sites to enhance coolant boiling.

Abstract: The present invention resides in a probe excitation and testing ("PET") system that can apply either a normal excitation or a "small" bias test excitation to overfill protection probes mounted within storage and transport tanks used to store, e.g., flammable fluids. The PET system applies the normal excitation for normal operation of the probes to provide overfill protection, and applies a "small" bias test excitation to the probes for performing diagnostic tests, including anti-cheating. The PET system can also perform a probe signature validation test under normal excitation to ascertain whether the probes are responding thereto in accordance with specifications relating to characteristic parameters of the probes' output waveforms, e.g., duty cycle, magnitude, and period.

Abstract: In an NMR tomograph with superconducting main field coil (10) and large transverse access opening a compensation of inhomogeneities of the static magnetic field without hindering the axial and transverse access to the investigational volume (V) can be effected by the following elements:ferromagnetic homogeneity elements (20) which are arranged on the surface of the room temperature bore on both sides of the transverse access opening;at least four superconducting correction coils (C.sub.1 and C.sub.4) which can be separately supplied with current and which are coaxial to the main field coil (10), whereby each correction coil (C.sub.1 through C.sub.4) comprises at least two partial coils (C.sub.1i, C.sub.1a through C.sub.4i, C.sub.4a), whereby all partial coils of all correction coils (C.sub.1 through C.sub.4) are cylindrical coils coaxial to a common axis (z) having a diameter less than the inner diameter (d.sub.a2) of the outer field coil (1a, 1b), whereby in each correction coil one partial coil (C.sub.

Abstract: An encapsulated water impervious electrical heating pad adapted for use in moist and rough handling conditions, as in a greenhouse environment includes an electrical resistance heating element sandwiched between a pair of sheets, the sheets having inner layers formed from a tacky pressure-sensitive adherent material and an outer protective layer of a water impervious polymer.

Abstract: An on-site fillable ferrofluidic seal comprises a ferrofluidic seal having at least one ferrofluid conducting channel extending through either the magnet, through one of the pole pieces which sandwich the opposing pole ends of the magnet, or through both the magnet and a pole piece. The conducting channel extends to a location where deposited ferrofluid will be drawn to the gaps between the pole pieces and the shaft. In another embodiment a multi-stage seal is filled by displacing the pole piece/magnet assembly axially relative to the shaft so that each pole piece projection falls halfway axially between two shaft projections. The displacement alters the normal magnetic field pattern to create a substantially uniform magnetic field throughout the pole piece/shaft interface region such that ferrofluid can be drawn through the region.

Abstract: A two-phase cooling apparatus uses a radioactive initiator to induce boiling in a liquid coolant, thus reducing thermal hysteresis. A radioactive source, such as spent uranium, is immersed in a liquid coolant bath to allow interaction between the emitted radiation and the liquid. A heat spreader plate may be used to conduct heat to the liquid from a unit to be cooled. An interior surface of a coolant chamber, such as the heat spreader plate, may be plated with a radioactive material to induce a high incidence of nucleation sites. A shielding material may also be used to shield the unit being cooled from the radioactive source. The radioactive source material may also be used to retrofit existing two-phase cooling systems.

Abstract: The length (or the number of taps) of an adaptive finite impulse response (AFIR) filter is continuously modified to produce optimal echo cancellation. In accordance with one illustrative embodiment, this modification is performed by increasing or decreasing the number of delayed samples which are used to generate an echo estimate. More specifically, the number of samples used to generate the echo estimate is determined by selecting a trial number of samples and operating the filter for a sufficient length of time to allow the tap weights in the filter to stabilize. The tap weights are then examined to determine whether the taps at the end on the filter contribute at least a first threshold amount to the echo estimate. If not, the number of samples used in the filter is reduced and the process repeated. If the taps at the end of the filter contribute more than a second threshold amount, the number of samples is increased and the process is repeated.

Abstract: In a magnetic shielding for a superconducting magnetic coil (2) arranged on the inside of a cryostat (1) and having a vertical axis for the production of a static magnetic field with a homogeneity of <10.sup.-7 in an investigational volume (V) of a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer, the shielding is a room shielding located at a separation from the cryostat (1), which includes at least two ferromagnetic, horizontally arranged plates (3, 4) of which one is arranged below and other above the cryostat (1), whereby the separation of the upper plate (3) from the center of the investigational volume (V) is approximately 1.5 to 3 times, preferentially approximately twice, as large as the separation (h) of the lower plate (4) from the center of the investigational volume (V), and vertical ferromagnetic side elements (5) are provided for which magnetically connect the upper plate (3) and the lower plate (4) and the upper plate (3) contains 1.

Abstract: The invention relates to an improved method and an apparatus for the mass-sequential ejection of ions from an RF quadrupole ion trap by electrical alternating fields which are generated in addition to the quadrupolar RF storage field and with different frequencies to it. In contrast to the already known ejection by a pure dipole field, the ions are here essentially ejected by a quadrupole field. The ions leave the ion trap through a perforated end cap and can be detected outside it with conventional means. A weak dipole field undertakes only excitation of the secular oscillation at the center, the amplitude increasing in linear manner in the stationary case. The more intense quadrupole field undertakes further widening of the oscillations with exponential growth in amplitudes. The dipole field is generated by an alternating voltage between the two end caps, while the quadrupole field is generated by an alternating voltage between the end caps on the one hand and the ring electrode on the other.

Abstract: An ion trap is provided in which higher multipole field fractions can be switched on and off and, in addition, can be electrically tuned. Specifically, the electrodes of an ideally shaped ion trap are divided into rotationally symmetrical component electrodes positioned facing the interior of the ion trap on a hyperboloidal surface with rotationally symmetry.

Abstract: A planar gating grid for an IMS spectrometer is constructed with two sets of comb-like grid elements. Each set is connected to an electrode and the sets are interdigitated to form the grid. Mechanical stability is provided by attaching the grid elements to an insulating support member. The gating grid is produced from a thin metal foil by cutting or etching the foil to produce a rigid grid structure where all of the elements are connected to both electrodes and the electrodes are separated by a stretcher member. After the rigid grid structure is affixed to the insulating support member, the grid elements are selectively severed from one of the two electrodes to form the interdigitated grid.

Abstract: A magnet system for nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging volume has two magnet coils (S1, S2) arranged on both sides of an investigational volume coaxially relative to a z axis running through the center of the investigational volume and assuming positions relative to the center of the investigational volume of z.sub.S1 and z.sub.S2 with average separations r.sub.S1 and r.sub.S2 from the z axis. During operation, currents flow through the coils in the same direction. The system is characterized by ferromagnetic rings (R11 and R21) provided for on each of the two magnet coils (S1, S2) arranged closer to the center of the investigational volume than the corresponding neighboring magnet coil (S1 or S2). The rings (R11, R21) are positioned and dimensioned in such a fashion that the magnetic field in the center of the investigational volume can be rendered homogeneous up to 8th order. The axial separation g.sub.

Abstract: A process for removing dissolved oils and greases from an aqueous solution which also may contain dissolved heavy metals is provided wherein the aqueous solution is mixed with a source of ferrous ion and dithionite ion in a first step at acidic pH to reduce and permit removal of solid heavy metal, is present and to separate oils and greases from the aqueous solution. Solution from the first step if reacted in a second step with hydroxide slurries obtained from third and fourth steps. A second step solution from the second step is reacted in a third step with an alkali composition and a third solution. Optionally, the third solution is reacted with a chelating agent for iron and an oxidizer in a fourth step. A solution of chelated iron from the fourth step, when practical is disposed of. Oils and greases are recovered from the first step such as by skimming.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for detecting very large molecular ions in a time-of-flight mass spectrometer, in which the molecules to be detected first fall with high energy (>8 keV) onto a conversion dynode and are then converted into an electronic signal in a sequence of stages. The rnolecules to be detected are at least partly converted into small (<200 u) positive and negative secondary ions on the conversion dynode. The secondary ions formed are accelerated, optionally positive or negative, onto a microchannel plate, where they are converted into electrons. The electrons are amplified in the microchannel plate and then accelerated onto a scintillator. The electron signal is converted into a light signal in the scintillator, being further amplified. A connecting fiber-optic light guide supplies the photons to a photomultiplier, in which they are converted in customary manner into a signal which can be evaluated electronically.

Abstract: A convection-cooled electromagnetic device, such as a transformer, and methods of cooling that utilize a ferrofluid as a cooling medium. The device's leakage magnetic field, which can be augmented by auxiliary magnets, draws the ferrofluid toward the device. As the fluid approaches the device its temperature rises, resulting in loss of magnetic properties and a decrease in density. The ferrofluid rises as its temperature approaches the Curie point, since the gravitational effect of density reduction begins to overcome the weakening magnetic attraction. Movement of hot ferrofluid is strongly assisted by the attraction exerted by the device on cooler, more intensely magnetic ferrofluid, which displaces the hot ferrofluid. The displaced ferrofluid cools as a result of movement from the heat source and through contact with the walls of the housing. Preferably, the Curie temperature of the ferrofluid is close to or slightly higher than the operating temperature of the device.