Abstract: A method for producing powders that consist of substantially spherical particles from a material such as glass, ceramics or plastic that produces a highly viscous melt that solidifies at a glass transition temperature Tg or at a solidification temperature Ts. The inventive method comprises the following steps: (a) producing a melt of a viscosity ? in the range of from 0.1 to 100 Ns/m2; (b) atomizing the melt using a first gas, the first gas having a temperature TA?Tg or ?0.5Ts at the outlet of the nozzle and (c) cooling off the particles produced by atomization in a cooling section downstream of the nozzle using a coolant, the temperature of the coolant being smaller than Ts or Tg.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for converting thermal energy into mechanical work, whereby first (4) and second devices (9) for storing thermal energy are alternately connected into a turbine branch (T). In order to increase efficiency, a compressed oxidizing gas (11) is cooled to a second temperature T2 before passing through the first device (4) for storing thermal energy, and the oxidizing gas is then increased, in one step, to a third temperature T3 when passing through the first device (4) for storing thermal energy.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for converting the energy into mechanical work, whereby a first (4) and a second means (9) for storing thermal energy are alternately connected into a turbine branch (T). In order to increase the efficiency of this method, the invention provides that a compressed oxidizing gas (11) is cooled to a second temperature T2 before passing through the first means (4) for storing thermal energy, and the oxidizing gas is then increased, in one step, to a third temperature T3 when passing through the first means (4) for storing thermal energy.