Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and tools for manufacturing of seamless tubular shapes, especially tubes and canisters. In the method of the invention the tubular shape is extracted from the flash continuously produced during the plunging of a consumable rod against a rigid anvil. The tools of the invention include a consumable rod; a non-consumable or consumable rigid anvil; first means for rotating the consumable rod and the non-consumable or consumable rigid anvil relatively with respect of each other; second means for plunging the consumable rod and the non-consumable or consumable rigid anvil relatively against each other; open die condition configuration for continuous production of flash during said plunging.

Abstract: A field-enhancing device includes at least one metal layer or a metal grating consisting of metal stripes or a dielectric grating. Usually the device is constructed on some substrate. The adhesive layer is advantageous when the next layer is metallic but is not needed with dielectric layers. The next layers to be constructed form a mirror structure that can also be omitted for simple field-enhancing device constructs. The mirror structure can be either a metal mirror structure or a distributed Bragg reflector structure (DBR). The next layer is the thin metal layer. This layer can be covered with a 1-D metal grating consisting of metal stripes or with a dielectric grating having similar geometry. The structure can also be fabricated without metals when dielectric grating is used as the field-enhancing part. Finally, a protective layer can be added on top of the structure.

Abstract: A hydraulic valve includes an on/off seat-type main valve with two ports having a displaceable poppet for opening and closing the main flow channel; an on/off seat-type pilot valve with three ports, with a magnetomotive force producing coil, a magnetic circuit, and an anchor movable with the magnetomotive force produced by the coil; and a frame with required channels and spaces for the poppet and for the anchor. Closing the inlet channel displaces the poppet and opens the main flow channel. Opening the inlet channel forces the poppet to close the main channel. The anchor includes a frame with a first sealing element for closing the low-pressure outlet channel of the pilot valve and with a second sealing element for securing the closing of the high-pressure inlet channel of the pilot valve. The sealing surface of the second sealing element is movable in relation to the frame of the anchor.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of removing and/or recovering metals from a dilute metal containing solution. In particular, the invention concerns a method for recovering copper from a dilute copper-iron bearing mining water, particularly from a copper-iron bearing mining wastewater.

Abstract: The present invention provides a light-transmitting electrode which has high electrical conductivity and high electron blocking performance. The present invention also provides a solar cell which is capable of achieving high energy conversion efficiency at low cost. The present invention provides a method for producing a light-transmitting electrode that has a light-transmitting substrate, a carbon nanotube film which is formed directly or indirectly on the light-transmitting substrate, and a metal oxide film which is formed directly on the carbon nanotube film. This production method includes vapor depositing the metal oxide film, which contains oxygen and a metal element belonging to the group 4, 5 or 6 of the periodic table, on one surface or both surfaces of the carbon nanotube film. The present invention provides a light-transmitting electrode which includes a light-transmitting substrate and a conductive carbon nanotube film that is formed directly or indirectly on the light-transmitting substrate.

Abstract: A force sensing probe (100) for sensing snap-in and/or pull-off force of a liquid droplet (111) brought into and/or separated from contact with a hydrophobic sample surface (151), respectively, comprises: a sensing tip (101); a sensor element (102) connected to the sensing tip, capable of sensing sub-micronewton forces acting on the sensing tip in a measurement direction; and a droplet holding plate (104) having a first main surface (105) and a hydrophilic second main surface (106) connected via a peripheral edge surface (107), and being attached via the first main surface to the sensing tip (101) perpendicularly relative to the measurement direction for receiving and holding a liquid droplet (111) as attached to the second main surface; the droplet holding plate comprising an electrically conductive surface layer (115), the first and the second main surfaces and the peripheral edge surface being defined by the surface layer.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a biofuel from a vegetable-based biomaterial by performing the manufacture in an integrated manner, in such a way that the biomaterial is made finer and dried with the aid of heat brought from a heat-releasing process, when the drying is finally performed after the finer making stage, optionally in such a way that drying is started already in connection with finer making. The invention also relates to a biofuel manufactured in this manner and the use of the fuel in question.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a cellulose-based shaped article. The method comprises subjecting a solution of lignocellulosic material, dissolved in a distillable ionic liquid, to a spinning method, wherein the ionic liquid is a diazabicyclononene (DBN)-based ionic liquid. DBN-based ionic liquids have good dissolution power, high thermal and chemical stability, lack runaway reactions and exhibit low energy consumption, due to low spinning temperatures. The shaped cellulose articles can be used as textile fibers, high-end non-woven fibers, technical fibers, films for packaging, and barriers films in batteries, as membranes and as carbon-fiber precursors.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and tools for manufacturing of seamless tubular shapes, especially tubes and canisters. In the method of the invention the tubular shape is extracted from the flash (1) continuously produced during the plunging of a consumable rod (2) against a rigid anvil (3). The tools of the invention include a consumable rod (2); a non-consumable or consumable rigid anvil (3); first means for rotating the consumable rod (2) and the non-consumable or consumable rigid anvil (3) relatively with respect of each other; second means for plunging the consumable rod (2) and the non-consumable or consumable rigid anvil (3) relatively against each other; open die condition configuration for continuous production of flash (1) during said plunging.

Abstract: A controlling of a lighting network based on traffic monitoring comprises steps of determining plurality of coverage areas of set of luminaires, where each luminaire comprises at least one light source. Information related to a presence of users in said coverage areas is received. This may relate both outdoor or indoor areas and activity. A status of at least certain luminaire is then changed to a reserve status, when a last detected user exits the coverage area. Each coverage area or luminaire is providing with an expected value for the time of when the next user is expected to arrive in the coverage area of said luminaire, A set of luminaires [R] of said luminaires with the reserve status to be controlled, such as dimmed, is then defined and information related to demand response requests [D1, . . . , Dn] of an electric power grid is received.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method of preparing a film of nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) on at least one surface of a support material, wherein the film is applied and spread directly onto a surface of the plastic support material in the form of a suspension of nanofibrillated cellulose, whereby the nanofibrillated cellulose forms a film. Further, the invention concerns a structure containing or consisting of a film of nanofibrillated cellulose prepared using said method.

Abstract: An adaptive hydraulic pressure generator is provided for systems in which the mechanical force producing energy varies significantly, especially for wave energy systems. The pressure generator includes at least two fluid chambers with a piston surface/displacement surface arranged to reciprocate with the fluid chamber, whereby the piston surface/displacement surface acts on the fluid in the chamber by means of the said mutual reciprocating movement. The pressure generator is equipped with a control system which is arranged to connect the chambers to each other and/or to different pressure ducts in such a way that the effective area of the piston/displacement surfaces changes in accordance with the changes in the driving force exerted on the piston/displacement surfaces and/or the body forming the fluid chamber in such a way that the pressure produced by the pressure generator in the fluid supplied to the application exceeds the threshold pressure.

Abstract: A photodetector structure comprises a semiconductor substrate extending substantially along a horizontal plane and having a bulk refractive index and a front surface defining a front side of the photodetector structure. The front surface comprises high aspect ratio nanostructures forming an optical conversion layer having an effective refractive index gradually changing towards the bulk refractive index to reduce reflection of light incident on the photodetector structure from the front side thereof. Further, the semiconductor substrate comprises an induced junction.

Abstract: A controlling of a lighting network based on traffic monitoring comprises steps of determining plurality of coverage areas of set of luminaires, where each luminaire comprises at least one light source. Information related to a presence of users in said coverage areas is received. This may relate both outdoor or indoor areas and activity. A status of at least certain luminaire is then changed to a reserve status, when a last detected user exits the coverage area. Each coverage area or luminaire is providing with an expected value for the time of when the next user is expected to arrive in the coverage area of said luminaire, A set of luminaires [R] of said luminaires with the reserve status to be controlled, such as dimmed, is then defined and information related to demand response requests [D1, . . . , Dn] of an electric power grid is received.

Abstract: A search system configured to predict further search intents of a user and to perform exploratory further searches and produce a number of search features and associated relevances and divergence quantifiers for displaying by user equipment at least two-dimensional so as to allow the user to identify relationship of various diverging search terms and to rapidly direct the searching towards information the existence of which may have been previously unknown to the user. Some of the search features can be concealed and shown to the user only if the user magnifies the corresponding area on a display showing the search features returned by the search engine. Files matching to varying degree with the present and predicted further searches are shown to the user with respective lists of search features.

Abstract: The invention concerns an anatomically personalized and mobilizing external support configured to be arranged to support a physical joint between a first and a second bone group, which support comprises at least one first external auxiliary frame, which is configured to be attached to the first bone group using invasive attachment means, at least one second external auxiliary frame, which is configured to be attached to the second bone group using invasive attachment means, and at least one external auxiliary joint, which is fitted between the first and the second auxiliary frame.

Abstract: The invention relates to a prepolarizing magnetic resonance- or relaxation-based measurement system, comprising a prepolarizing coil for producing a prepolarizing field at the target zone, means for pulsing the prepolarizing field according to a first pulsing scheme, and means for measuring magnetization of a target placed in the target zone. According to the invention, the system further comprises a shielding coil for producing a shielding field and means for pulsing the shielding field according to a second pulsing scheme, whereby the shielding coil and the second pulsing scheme are arranged to reduce the formation of unwanted transient fields caused by the coupling of the prepolarizing coil to conducting or magnetic structures in the surroundings of the system. The invention also relates to a corresponding method of measurement and a process of designing the pulsing schemes for the system or process.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for in vitro testing of specimens, such as biomaterials or implants, wherein the method comprises at least immersing at least a part of the test specimen into a liquid media, controlling the liquid media, controlling surrounding environment, providing a predetermined non-destructive force to the specimen, and measuring reactions of the specimen or constituents of the liquid media. Further it relates to an apparatus for in vitro testing.

Abstract: An arc melting and tilt casting apparatus having a casing provided with a vacuum chamber for housing a hearth having a melting trough and pouring means, arc-melting electrode means passing through the casing in the chamber, a mold having a melt receiving orifice, vacuum generating means, sealing means for maintaining the vacuum in the chamber and tilting means for tilting the apparatus to cause the melt to flow from the melting trough via the pouring means in the mold through the mold orifice. The hearth and mold are connected together and moveable as a single unit in the vacuum chamber and out from the chamber.

Abstract: A sequential circuit with transition error detector including a sequential element with an input that is asserted to the output during the second clock phase of a two phase clock signal, a transition error detector coupled to the sequential element input to assert an error signal if a transition occurs at the sequential element input during the second clock phase but not to assert during the first clock phase, wherein a transition error detection circuit comprises a current mode circuit as a detection circuit for transition timing error detection from signals derived from the sequential element clock signal and input signals.