Abstract: An OLN lighting requirements generation system and method including a lighting requirements generation system for an outdoor lighting network (OLN, 90) having lighting units (82), the system having a central control apparatus (40); a plurality of lighting unit control apparatus (50); and a communication system (60) operably connecting the central control apparatus (40) and the lighting unit control apparatus (50). The central control apparatus (40) is operable to: acquire location-based data; define clusters from the location-based data; define lighting requirements for each of the clusters; associate the lighting units (82) to the clusters from location information for the lighting units; map the lighting units (82) to the lighting requirements; and implement the lighting requirements of the clusters associated with each of the lighting units (82).

Abstract: An OLN lighting requirements generation system and method including a lighting requirements generation system for an outdoor lighting network (OLN, 90) having lighting units (82), the system having a central control apparatus (40); a plurality of lighting unit control apparatus (50); and a communication system (60) operably connecting the central control apparatus (40) and the lighting unit control apparatus (50). The central control apparatus (40) is operable to: acquire location-based data; define clusters from the location-based data; define lighting requirements for each of the clusters; associate the lighting units (82) to the clusters from location information for the lighting units; map the lighting units (82) to the lighting requirements; and implement the lighting requirements of the clusters associated with each of the lighting units (82).

Abstract: The invention describes a method of driving an interactive system (1) comprising a user interface system (2) with an inherently sequential input/output modality (12) and comprising a plurality of applications (A1, A2, A3, . . . , An). In this method a first application (A1, A2, A3, . . . , An) is currently controlling the input/output modality (12) for performing an interaction with the user (U), wherein, at least for a certain period of time, a focus level is assigned to the first application (A1, A2, A3, An). The current interaction process of the first application (A1, A2, A3, . . . , An) is only terminated or paused and the control of the input/output modality (12) for performing an interaction is only transferred to a second application (A1, A2, A3, . . . , An) when an application-switching command (ASC) is received from the user (U) and according to the focus level of the first application (A1, A2, A3, . . . , An).

Abstract: The invention describes a method of controlling an autonomous device (1), which autonomous device records ambient data and optionally transmits the recorded ambient data, which method comprises positioning an indicator (S1, S2, S3, S4) at a boundary (B) between a private area (P) and a non-private area (N) to optically distinguish the private area (P) from the non-private area (N) for a user of the autonomous device (1). The indicator (S1, S2, S3, S4) is detected by the autonomous device (1) and interpreted to determine whether the autonomous device (1) is in a private area (P) or a non-private area (N). Subsequently, recording or transmission of ambient data is restricted while the autonomous device (1) is within the private area (P).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for a system (101) of performing a dialogue communication with a user (105). The user's speech signal (107), which comprises a request of an action to be performed by the system (101), is recorded and analyzed. The result of the analyzing is compared with predefined semantic items (103) defined in the system (101), wherein an action is associated with each of the semantic items. Based on the comparison a candidate list (109), which identifies a limited number of semantic items (111, 113) selected from the predefined semantic items (103) is generated and presented to the user (105). An action associated with one the semantic item in the candidate list (109) is performed based on predefined criteria, unless the user (105) chooses a different semantic item from the candidate list (109).

Abstract: The methanol vapor is mixed with a gas mixture which consists mainly of carbon dioxide and hydrogen and a high-methanol mixed feedstock is thus obtained. The mixed feedstock is fed to a first catalytic breakdown zone at an entrance temperature from 300.degree. to 400.degree. C., which contains a zinc-containing catalyst, which is indirectly heated. An intermediate having a methanol content not in excess of 1% by volume is withdrawn at a temperature in the range from 350.degree. to 600.degree. C. from the first breakdown zone and is cooled. Condensed water is removed at least in part from the intermediate, which is subsequently heated to a temperature in the range from 320.degree. to 420.degree. C. At least one-half of the heated intermediate product is supplied to a second catalytic breakdown zone, which also contains a zinc-containing catalyst, which is indirectly heated. A precursor product is withdrawn from the second breakdown zone at temperature from 350.degree. to 600.degree. C.

Abstract: A reactor is provided for producing methanol by the reaction of synthesis gases containing carbon oxides and hydrogen in contact with a copper containing catalyst positioned in the reactor in catalyst tubes surrounded by boiling water under pressure. The catalyst tubes are made from a metallic material which is catalytically inactive with respect to the methanol synthesis gas and have approximately the same coefficient of thermal expansion as the shell of the reactor. The catalyst tubes are made of a steel composed of mixed austeniticferritic structure and containing 10-30% by weight chromium.

Abstract: Desulfurized hydrocarbons are reacted with water vapor on catalysts at temperatures of 700.degree. to 1200.degree. C. to form a high-hydrogen product gas, which is separated in a pressure-swing adsorber into purified hydrogen and a separated gas, which contains substantially carbon oxides and methane. The purified hydrogen is supplied to a hydrogenating plant, which is operated at temperatures in the range of 250.degree. to 500.degree. C. and pressures of 200 to 400 bars. High-hydrogen gas from the hydrogenating plant flows in a pipeline through a heater and is then recycled to the hydrogenating plant. The heater consists of a fuelfired reheater, in which the separated gas is used as a fuel. The pipeline in which the high-hydrogen gas is recycled between the hydrogenating plant and the heater consists of an alloy steel, in which the carbon is combined in carbides with at least one of the alloying constituents chromium, molybdenum, tungsten or vanadium.

Abstract: A process is described for producing carbon monoxide and hydrogen which comprises contacting methanol vapor at a temperature of 200.degree. to 500.degree. C. with an indirectly heated zinc containing catalyst while said methanol vapor is at a pressure in a range of 2 to 50 bars, whereby to obtain an effluent gas in which the components of carbon monoxide and hydrogen constitute at least 90% by volume of said gas, removing at least a part of the impurities from said effluent gas and separating said effluent gas into its carbon monoxide and hydrogen components by adsorption. The effluent gas can be separated into its carbon monoxide and hydrogen components by use of a plurality of adsorbers containing zeolite-type molecular sieve material where the zeolite is substantially permeable to hydrogen but sorbs carbon monoxide.

Abstract: A process for the catalytic production of gasoline hydrocarbons from synthesis gas comprising carbon oxides and hydrogen is disclosed wherein the synthesis gas is fed initially to a methanol synthesis and thereafter effluent from the methanol synthesis is converted to gasoline hydrocarbons in a gasoline synthesis stage. The invention resides in that the entire effluent from the methanol synthesis stage is fed to the gasoline synthesis stage and at least a portion of the residual gases from the gasoline synthesis stage comprising carbon oxides, hydrogen, methane and minor amounts of C.sub.2 -C.sub.4 hydrocarbons is fed to the methanol synthesis stage together with fresh synthesis gas.

Abstract: An improved continuous process of producing fatty alcohols by a catalytic hydrogenation of fatty acids wherein hydrogen is fed and distributed into the annular space through nozzles which are specially designed to effect a pressure loss of 15 to 30 bars is disclosed. Guide tubes having specific dimensions are disposed above said nozzles. The feedstock to be treated and the catalyst dispersion are fed separately. The new process results in milder conditions for the catalyst and in a higher throughput rate.

Abstract: In the production of methanol from gaseous and liquid hydrocarbons having a higher C/H ratio than is stoichiometrically required to produce methanol, wherein said hydrocarbons are catalytically cracked in the presence of water vapor and at a temperature of about 350.degree.-950.degree. C. and under a pressure of about 5-30 bars to produce a synthesis gas containing hydrogen and oxides of carbon, followed by a catalytic reaction of the hydrogen with the oxides of carbon at a temperature of about 230.degree.-280.degree. C. and under a pressure of about 30-150 bars to produce methanol, the improvement which comprises treating the methanol synthesis exhaust gas so as to remove therefrom carbonaceous gaseous constituents so that the residual gas is high in hydrogen, and adding said high-hydrogen residual gas to the hydrocarbons prior to cracking in an amount such that the C/H ratio of the material to be cracked is up to about 5.7, thereby reducing the energy consumption per unit of methanol produced.

Abstract: A process for producing methanol wherein coal is gasified by a treatment with water vapor and oxygen at elevated temperature, the resulting gas is cooled and is scrubbed with an organic solvent to remove impurities from the gas, the carbon oxides contained in the gas are catalytically reacted with hydrogen to form methanol, and the methanol is separated, the improvement comprises subjecting the residual gas left after the separation of the methanol to a catalytic cracking treatment with water vapor under pressure and at elevated temperature to form hydrogen and carbon oxides and cooling the cracked gas and recycling it to the methanol synthesis.

Abstract: The sensible heat contained in exhaust gases formed in chemical reactions is utilized to produce energy. The exhaust gas is conducted as a counterflow to the product gas and is heated and expanded with the performance work.

Abstract: Methanol is produced by a process wherein1. sulfur-containing high-boiling hydrocarbons are subjected to a partial oxidizing treatment with oxygen and water vapor at a pressure which is at least 5 kilograms and preferably 10-15 kilograms per square centimeter above the pressure of the methanol synthesis to produce a raw gas;2. the raw gas is desulfurized and is subsequently treated with water vapor to convert part of its carbon monoxide content into hydrogen and carbon dioxide;3. thereafter the converted gas from step (2) is scrubbed to remove at least part of the carbon dioxide;4. methanol is produced by a reaction of the resulting synthesis gas from step (3) in contact with a copper-containing catalyst, which is indirectly cooled with water boiling under superatmospheric pressure resulting in the production of high-pressure steam; and5.