Abstract: A formation method is provided. During this formation method, a metallic substrate is provided. A coating is deposited onto the metallic substrate using a suspension plasma spray process. The coating is formed from or otherwise includes copper oxide.

Abstract: A filtration membrane is provided. It comprises a porous support substrate and a porous active layer on top of the support substrate, wherein the active layer is formed of a network of interconnected, randomly arranged ceramic splats with ceramic particles occupying interstices between the splats, and wherein free spaces between the particles define a network of interconnected pores extending through the thickness of the active layer. There are also provided a method of filtering a feed using the membrane and a method of manufacturing the membrane by suspension plasma spraying.

Abstract: A composite substrate comprising a mesh layer and a composite material layer is provided, wherein the mesh layer comprises a mesh material and an adhesive, said adhesive permeating the mesh material and adhering the mesh material directly to a surface of the composite material layer. A metal-coated composite substrate is provided. The metal-coated composite substrate comprises a composite substrate, as defined in the section above, and a metal layer covering a side of the mesh layer opposite the composite layer. Furthermore, a method for producing the composite substrate is provided. Moreover, a method for producing the metal-coated composite substrate is provided.

Abstract: A filtration membrane is provided. It comprises a porous support substrate and a porous active layer on top of the support substrate, wherein the active layer is formed of a network of interconnected, randomly arranged ceramic splats with ceramic particles occupying interstices between the splats, and wherein free spaces between the particles define a network of interconnected pores extending through the thickness of the active layer. There are also provided a method of filtering a feed using the membrane and a method of manufacturing the membrane by suspension plasma spraying.

Abstract: A method of regulating an installation associating one or several cogeneration machines and one or several thermodynamic systems (e.g., air conditioner (whether or not reversible), water cooler or heat pump (whether or not reversible)) intended for air conditioning and/or heating.

Abstract: Producing high temperature coatings on ceramics using a high enthalpy air plasma spray torch and supplying in at least 3 passes to deposit the coating is advantageous for spraying high temperature ceramics while avoiding formation of undesirable phases, if the stand off distance is chosen such that a width of a bead produced from a single spray pass on the substrate at ˜800° C. is less than 70% of a diameter of a plume of the torch at the stand off, and neither assisted heating, nor forced cooling, nor subsequent heat treatment is used. The rapid cooling endemic to thermal spray that leads to amorphous, metastable and other undesirable phases of alkaline earth aluminosilicate (e.g., barium-strontium aluminosilicate (BSAS)), rare earth silicates (RESs), mullite, etc. can be mitigated sufficiently by the close stand off and high enthalpy torch to provide highly crystalline and stable phase coatings.

Abstract: A method and apparatus by which liquid feedstock suspensions containing fine particles, micron- and nano-sized, are injected, with sufficient droplet velocity, preferably axially, into a plume of a thermal spray apparatus for the production of high-quality nanostructured coatings allows complete entrainment of the droplets in the plume, while the injection orifice remains potentially blockage-free for long periods of operation. The method and apparatus permit delivery at a low flow rate and with sufficient velocity to permit effective deposition, while reducing obstructions for a suspension feedstock delivery system and permits suspension feedstock to be controlled and delivered with reduced sensitivity of the spray process on the injection conditions to enable production of nanostructured coatings.

Abstract: By engineering thermal spray parameters, such as temperature and velocity, and engineering feedstock powder size and morphology, ceramic coatings may be produced having desired mechanical and thermal properties. The ceramic thermal spray coating may have a microstructure having about 10-80% by cross-sectional area of a particulate phase based on, surface area of the coating, and the particulate phase is uniformly distributed throughout the coating. The particulate phase is an unmelted portion of the thermal sprayed feedstock, which is highly porous and may be produced by agglomerating nanoparticles of the ceramic. Such coatings can be applied as TBCs or as abradable coatings.

Abstract: By engineering thermal spray parameters, such as temperature and velocity, and engineering feedstock powder size and morphology, ceramic coatings may be produced having desired mechanical and thermal properties. The ceramic thermal spray coating may have a microstructure having about 10-80% by cross-sectional area of a particulate phase based on, surface area of the coating, and the particulate phase is uniformly distributed throughout the coating. The particulate phase is an unmelted portion of the thermal sprayed feedstock, which is highly porous and may be produced by agglomerating nanoparticles of the ceramic. Such coatings can be applied as TBCs or as abradable coatings.

Abstract: A system for simultaneously producing electricity, water at a first temperature, water at a second temperature greater than the first temperature, and water at a third temperature greater than the second temperature. The system can also optionally simultaneously provide a refrigerating fluid at a first evaporation temperature, and the refrigerating fluid at a second evaporation temperature.

Abstract: It has been surprisingly found that injecting ceria-based particles (mean size less than 200 nm) suspended in a combustible organic solvent into a plume having a maximum temperature between about 2,600° C. and 4,000° C. to impart a mean temperature to the particles from about 2,600° C. to about 3,800° C., and to accelerate the particles to a mean velocity between about 600 to 1000 m/s, produces a thin, uniform, dense, crack-free, nanocrystalline ceria-based coating, which may be applied on porous cermet or metal substrate, for example. The physical environment of a high-velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) thermal spraying gun suitably ably deployed using standard fuels produces these conditions. The method of the present invention is particularly useful for the cost-effective fabrication of ceria-containing electrolytes for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs).

Abstract: In a method of measuring the thickness of a coating as it is applied to a substrate, wherein the coating is applied as a thin ribbon from a spray gun, at least one surface profile of the applied coating is obtained along a line intersecting the ribbon during relative movement of the substrate and spray gun. The thickness of the applied coating is computed from the obtained surface profile.

Abstract: By engineering thermal spray parameters, such as temperature and velocity, and engineering feedstock powder size and morphology, ceramic coatings may be produced having desired mechanical and thermal properties. The ceramic thermal spray coating may have a microstructure having about 10-80% by cross-sectional area of a particulate phase based on surface area of the coating, and the particulate phase is uniformly distributed throughout the coating. The particulate phase is an unmelted portion of the thermal sprayed feedstock, which is highly porous and may be produced by agglomerating nanoparticles of the ceramic. Such coatings can be applied as TBCs or as abradable coatings.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method by which liquid feedstock suspensions containing fine particles, micron- and nano-sized, are injected, with sufficient droplet velocity, preferably axially, into a thermal spray apparatus for the production of high-quality nanostructured coatings. The method allows complete entrainment of the droplets in a high temperature gas stream, while the injection orifice remains potentially blockage-free for long periods of operation.

Abstract: In a method of measuring the thickness of a coating as it is applied to a substrate, wherein the coating is applied as a thin ribbon from a spray gun, at least one surface profile of the applied coating is obtained along a line intersecting the ribbon during relative movement of the substrate and spray gun. The thickness of the applied coating is computed from the obtained surface profile.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for monitoring simultaneously the temperature and velocity of a thermal spray jet. The apparatus has a sensor head directed at the jet, the sensor head having two optical fibers carrying radiation from the jet to a remote detection unit which comprises two or three photodetectors. The radiation carried by the separate optical fibers is filtered at two different wavelengths before being passed to the photodetectors. The temperature of the jet is determined by analyzing the ratio of the energy radiated at the two wavelengths. The velocity of the jet is determined, knowing the distance between the fibers, by measuring the time delay between the signals carried by the separate fibers using cross-correlation.

Abstract: In a method of monitoring in-flight particles, a mask in a is placed in a plane generally parallel to the direction of travel of the particles. The mask defines at least two slits that are generally parallel and lie in a direction having at least a component at right angles to the direction of travel. The slits have their ends offset relative to each other. The slits radiation emitted, scattered or absorbed by the particles is monitored as they traverse the slits field of view. The particles for which the radiation, emitted, scattered or absorbed which is collected through each slit as they sequentially traverse said slits bears a predetermined relationship are identified, and the size of the identified particles is determined from the amount of radiation emitted, scattered or absorbed as the identified particles traverse the slits.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for monitoring simultaneously the temperature and the velocity of sprayed particles. The system is comprised of a sensor head attached to the spray gun, an optical fibre transmitting the collected radiation to detection apparatus, and a protective detection cabinet having the detection apparatus that incorporates two detectors. A two-slit or multiple-slit mask is located in the sensor head at the end of the optical fibre. For the temperature measurements, the particle emitted radiation collected by the sensor head is transmitted to two photodetectors, filtered by interference filters at two adjacent wavelengths. The particle temperature may be computed from the ratio of the detector outputs. To measure the velocity, the two-slit system collects radiation emitted by the in-flight particles travelling in the sensor field of view, which generates a double peak light pulse transmitted through the optical fibre.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system for processing an electrical power supply signal for a resistive heating element.The circuit provided comprises an a.c. current source, a rectifier and a chopper for supplying the resistive element with a current having two superimposed components one being d.c. and the other being a.c., both at a variable voltage.The invention applies particularly to the supplying, with a signal thus processed, of the resistive element of a connecting piece for electro-weldable plastic tubes, of an electro-heating envelope for the connection or protection of pipes, or of a heat-shrink sheath for operation on a cable having a conductor or conductors used for the carrying of electrical energy or for telecommunications.

Abstract: To compensate for the non-linearity of the oscillations of the line galvanometer of a scanned image projector with oscillating mirrors, compensation circuits are used. These compensation circuits act on the video signal by modulating the duration of the pixels of the digitized video signal and their position in the period of the line, in a manner that is inversely proportionate to the instantaneous speed of the galvanometer. The system can be applied to fighter aircraft simulators.