Abstract: A gas bearing (100) having pressurised axially extending chambers (110) in a housing (102) having a shaft bore (104) therein, the axially chambers (110) being in fluid communication with a bearing surface (108) that defines the bore via laser-drilled capillaries (118). The end (122) of each laser-drilled capillary at the bearing surface (108) is flared such that the narrowest portion of the capillary is set back from the bearing surface (108). This shape can ensure that the load carrying function of the bearing (100) does not fail during shaft eccentricity by ensuring that pressure restriction must happen within the capillary and not the gap being shaft and bearing surface. The bearing surface may face in an axial and/or radial direction with respect to the shaft. The axial chambers may be pressurised axially such that the outer circumference of the housing is unbroken and hence usable for other purposes.

Abstract: A process to integrate a first biofuels process and a second generation cellulosic biofuels process is provided. The pyrolysis means which produces the char stream and a bioliquid stream. The low pressure hydrotreating component, a high pressure hydrotreating component, the low pressure hydrotreating component which produces the hydrocarbon stream, the high pressure hydrotreating component which produces the steam stream and bioliquid stream. A distillation means, which produces a green gasoline stream and a green diesel stream from the bioliquid stream. The second biofuels process may be a first generation bio-ethanol process, which produces a bio-ethanol stream. The hydrogen production unit, which produces the hydrogen stream and the steam stream. The hydrogen production unit may be a steam reformer or partial oxidation unit.

Abstract: A pressure cylinder includes a first cylinder body having accommodated therein a piston. a second cylinder body defining therein a first passage vertically connected to the first cylinder body, an oil storage chamber vertically connected to the first passage, a second passage vertically connected to the oil storage chamber and a pressure chamber vertically connected to the second passage and having a cross-sectional area smaller than the oil storage chamber, and a piston rod inserted through the first passage of the second cylinder body in an airtight manner and having its one end connected to the piston and its other end movable by the piston between a first position in the oil storage chamber and a second position in the pressure chamber to add a pressure to the hydraulic oil in the pressure chamber and to let the hydraulic oil in the oil storage chamber be supplied to the pressure chamber to make up any hydraulic oil loss, maintaining the output.

Abstract: Alternating regenerative furnace and process of operating an alternating regenerative furnace, in which during the transition phase in which the respective regenerators switch between heat-recovery mode and pre-heating mode and vice-versa, the regenerator or regenerators which before the transition phase were in heat-recovery mode inject a mixture of flue gas and oxygen-containing gas into the combustion chamber of the furnace, which mixture combusts with fuel injected into the combustion chamber to produce heat.

Abstract: A seal gas recovery method including introducing a first seal gas stream to a first mechanically coupled booster/expander assembly, where the first booster/expander assembly includes a first booster, a first expander, a first shaft that mechanically couples the first booster and the first expander, and a first seal on the first shaft. The method further includes removing at least a portion of a first recoverable gas stream from the first seal, where the first recoverable gas stream includes at least a portion of a first process leak gas stream and at least a portion of a first seal gas vent stream. The method further includes introducing a second seal gas stream to a second expander assembly, where the expander assembly includes a second expander, a second shaft, and a second seal on the second shaft.

Abstract: Novel silicon precursors for low temperature deposition of silicon films are described herein. The disclosed precursors possess low vaporization temperatures, preferably less than about 500° C. In addition, embodiments of the silicon precursors incorporate a —Si—Y—Si— bond, where Y may comprise an amino group, a substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbyl group, or oxygen. In an embodiment a silicon precursor has the formula: where Y is a hydrocarbyl group, a substituted hydrocarbyl group, oxygen, or an amino group; R1, R2, R3, and R4 are each independently a hydrogen group, a hydrocarbyl group, a substituted hydrocarbyl group, a heterohydrocarbyl group, wherein R1, R2, R3, and R4 may be the same or different from one another; X1, X2, X3, and X4 are each independently, a hydrogen group, a hydrocarbyl group, a substituted hydrocarbyl group, or a hydrazino group, wherein X1, X2, X3, and X4 may be the same or different from one another.

Abstract: A process of making useful shapes by joining of tungsten alloys. Joining of tungsten heavy alloys which are alloys typically made from W—Ni—Fe is used. These alloys are typically manufactured by liquid phase sintering. This leads to difficulty in producing large length to diameter ratio parts that have some significant weight (such as penetrators). A “brick and mortar” approach is employed wherein smaller segments of this alloy (low length to diameter ratio) are joined to together to produce a larger part with higher length to diameter ratio.

Abstract: The presently disclosed subject matter comprises a method and system for producing cleaning and/or sanitizing solutions using a replaceable cartridge system. Particularly, the consumables needed to electrochemically or chemically produce the cleaning and/or sanitizing solutions can be supplied in a cartridge in a quantity measured to last for the chosen design life of the cartridge. Alternatively, the cartridge can comprise cleaning and/or sanitizing precursors that can be pre-prepared and supplied in a highly concentrated form.

Abstract: A feed stream, comprising hydrogen sulphide (H2S), carbon dioxide (CO2), hydrogen (H2) and, optionally, carbon monoxide (CO), is separated into at least a CO2 product stream and an H2 or H2 and CO product stream. The stream is separated using a pressure swing adsorption system, an H2S removal system and a further separation system, which systems are used in series to separate the stream. The method has particular application in the separation of a sour (i.e. sulphur containing) syngas, as for example produced from the gasification of solid or heavy liquid carbonaceous feedstock.

Abstract: Both power and H2 are produced from a gaseous mixture, comprising H2 and CO2, using first and second pressure swing adsorption (PSA) systems in series. The gaseous mixture is fed at super-atmospheric pressure to the first PSA system, which comprises adsorbent that selectively adsorbs CO2 at said pressure, and CO2 is adsorbed, thereby providing an H2-enriched mixture at super-atmospheric pressure. A fuel stream is formed from a portion of the H2-enriched mixture, which is combusted and the combustion effluent expanded to generate power. Another portion of the H2-enriched mixture is sent to the second PSA system, which comprises adsorbent that selectively adsorbs CO2 at super-atmospheric pressure, and CO2 is adsorbed, thereby providing a high purity H2 product. In preferred embodiments, the division of H2-enriched mixture between forming the fuel stream and being fed to the second PSA system is adjustable.

Abstract: A gaseous mixture, comprising CO2, H2, H2S and optionally CO, is separated into an H2 or H2 and CO product stream (H2/CO product stream), and a CO2 enriched stream containing at least one combustible component selected from H2S, H2, CO and any additional combustible components present in the gaseous mixture. A support fuel stream, comprising one or more combustible components, is combusted to form a stable flame, and the CO2 enriched stream and flame are contacted in the presence of sufficient O2 to combust all or substantially all of the combustible component(s) present in said CO2 enriched stream. A CO2 product stream is formed from said combustion effluent. The support fuel stream may be generated from the process of generating or separating the gaseous mixture or from the H2/CO product stream. Where the CO2 enriched stream contains H2S, the support fuel stream may also be a stream obtained off-site that comprises H2S.

Abstract: An apparatus and process for recovering a desired gas such as xenon difluoride, xenon, argon, helium or neon, from the effluent of a chemical process reactor that utilizes such gases alone or in a gas mixture or in a molecule that becomes decomposed wherein the chemical process reactor uses a sequence of different gas composition not all of which contain the desired gas and the desired gas is captured and recovered substantially only during the time the desired gas is in the effluent.

Abstract: An apparatus (1) includes a housing (2), an air feed duct (21) a volute (5), an impeller (4), and a motor (3) for driving the rotation of the impeller (4) so as to generate a centrifugal air flow in the volute (5). The housing (2) has a first part (18a) where wall is intended, after assembly, to extend around the motor (3), espousing the shape of this motor (3) in such a way as to lie at a substantially constant distance from this motor (3); and a second part (18b, 19) where wall is intended, after assembly, to extend around the volute (5), espousing the shape of this volute (5) so as to lie at a substantially constant distance from this volute (5). The housing (2) internally forms a salient axial lump (20) which, after assembly, sits close to the hub (10) of the impeller (4).

Abstract: Atomic force photovoltaic microscopy apparatus and related methodologies, as can be used to quantitatively measure spatial performance variations in functioning photovoltaic devices.

Abstract: A gas barrier film in which a gas barrier layer deposited by catalyst CVD in contact with each of both main surfaces of a plastic film is an SiCNFH layer satisfying conditions of 0.01<I(SiH)/I(SiN)<0.05, 0.00<I(CH)/I(SiN)<0.07, 0.04<I(NH)/I(SiN)<0.08, and 0.05<I(CF)/I(SiN)<0.3; an SiOCNH layer satisfying conditions of 0.1<I(SiH)/I(NH)<0.9, 0.0<I(CH)/I(NH)<0.3, 8<I(SiN)/I(NH)<20, and 2<I(SiO2)/I(NH)<8; or an SiCNH layer satisfying conditions of 0.01<I(SiH)/I(SiN)<0.05, 0.00<I(CH)/I(SiN)<0.07 and 0.04<I(NH)/I(SiN)<0.08. Here, the “I” represents peak intensity of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy related to an atomic bond shown in the parentheses after the “I”.

Abstract: Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is removed from carbon dioxide feed gas comprising SO2 as a contaminant by maintaining the carbon dioxide feed gas at an elevated pressure in contact with an alkaline sorbent for a period of time sufficient to react said alkaline sorbent with SO2. Where NOx, oxygen (O2) and water are also present, not only is the rate of reaction with the sorbent increased, but also additional SO2 is removed by conversion to sulfuric acid, and NOx is removed as nitric acid. The method has particular application in the removal of SO2 and NOx from flue gas produced by oxyfuel combustion of a hydrocarbon or carbonaceous fuel.

Abstract: During a heating phase, injection of a jet of fuel and oxidant (fuel annularly enshrouding oxidant or oxidant annularly enshrouding fuel) from a fuel-oxidant nozzle is combusted in a combustion space. During a transition from the heating phase to a distributed combustion phase, an amount of a secondary portion of either the fuel or oxidant is injected as a jet into the combustion space while the primary portion of that same reactant from the fuel-oxidant nozzle is decreased. At some point during the transition phase, a jet of actuating fluid is injected at an angle towards the jet of reactants from the fuel-oxidant nozzle and/or towards the jet of the secondary portion of reactant. The jet of primary portions of reactants and/or secondary portion of reactant is caused to be bent/deviated towards the other of the two jets. The staging of the secondary portion of reactant is increased until a desired degrees of staging and commencement of a distributed combustion phase are achieved.