Abstract: A non-porous hydrogen diffusion membrane, and the utilization thereof for e separation of hydrogen from gas mixtures. The non-porous hydrogen diffusion membrane distinguishes itself in that it is constituted of TiNi or TiAg with an atom ratio of about 1:1. These titanium alloys presently contain about 45 to 55% of atoms of one or the other of the components and are utilized at temperatures in excess of 300.degree. C. in the form of thin sheets of foils.

Abstract: An electrolyzer for alkaline electrolysis of water has a diaphragm-electr sandwich arrangement wherein a predetermined narrow spacing to provide a minimum distance is maintained between the diaphragm surface and the superjacent electrode. The spacing is provided by a single layer of a filament of predetermined thickness disposed in an array. The filament is strung in a plurality of lengths disposed in a common plane so that the thickness of the spacing is the same as the thickness of the single layer which is equal to the filament thickness. The array is secured by a retaining wire which engages a groove provided in a cell frame of the electrolyzer. The filament is made of plastic material which can withstand electrolysis conditions. An apparatus and method for stringing the filament to provide the array are also described.

Abstract: Test recovery of crude oil by injection of a heat carrier into the oil stum is effected by generating thermal energy in the crude oil deposit or at a location at which a well enters this deposit by carrying out a catalytic methanization reaction and transferring the resulting heat to the heat carrier which can be steam or an inert gas. The heat carrier then is introduced into the crude oil stratum and increases the mobility of the crude oil.

Abstract: A vaporizer for liquid fuel for producing a fuel-air mixture including a orization member for the fuel and which is arranged within a flow chamber for combustion air. The surface of the vaporization member which is streamed against by the combustion air is moistened with fuel. The vaporizer incorporates a vaporizing member arranged within a flow chamber for combustion air, wherein the vaporizing member includes a rotatable or circulating filling or charge of balls whose temperature can be adjusted through heat conduction received from the walls of the flow chamber. Thereby, through the revolving or circulation of the ball filling, and the heat transfer to the balls which are currently at the edge of the ball filling in heat-conductive communication with the temperature-regulated walls of the flow chamber, there takes place a rapid and uniform heating of the ball filling.

Abstract: An arrangement for the elimination or removal of hydrogen from a hydrogenntaining gas mixture through the intermediary of foils which are fastened within a closable container, wherein the material of the foils produces an elimination of hydrogen, whereby the foils are so arranged at such spacings with respect to each other as to form interspaces between the foils which can be streamed through by the gas mixture. At least one supporting member having the foils adhering thereto is arranged within the container in such a manner that the foils will extend into the surroundings upon opening of the container. Especially suitable for this purpose are spirally-wound supporting members which will extend out of the container under the effect of gravity or under the action of a mechanical spring force, and in this manner provide a direct contact between the effective foil material and the explosively dangerous gas mixture.

Abstract: A method of producing fructose from aqueous glucose and fructose mixtures by fermenting in one step an aqueous mixture of fructose and glucose with a stable mutant of Zymomonas mobilis, and also producing the stable mutant of Zymomonas mobilis.

Abstract: An arrangement for fine dust separation in a fluidized bed reactor with a clone and dust return conduit. A venturi tube extends from the solids discharge of the cyclone intermediate the cyclone and the dust return conduit, and a gas injector is located at the inlet of the venturi tube. The fine dust which leaves the fluidized bed is separated from the exhaust gas in the cyclone, and the separated dust is conducted from the cyclone, through the venturi tube and the dust return conduit, and into the lower region of the fluidized bed. Gas is conducted through the gas injector to help force the separated dust through the return conduit and into the fluidized bed.

Abstract: For the determination of low ion concentrations in aqueous specimens by ion chromatography with aqueous eluents, the test specimen is added to a stream of extra-pure water, which is mixed immediately ahead of the separation column with an appropriately concentrated eluent. Alternatively, the ions are previously fixed to an adsorber, and eluted from the more highly concentrated eluent, which is again mixed ahead of the separation column with extra-pure water to achieve the concentration necessary for ion chromatography. For such a pre-enrichment, there are two small pre-enrichment columns, which are flowed through by extra-pure water containing the specimen or concentrated eluents alternately in reverse directions from analysis cycle to analysis cycle. An additional purification of the extra-pure water and eluent feed is recommended, as is a pulsation damping by a membrane of a two-headed pump located between the eluent branch and the extra-pure water branch, each with a volume of approximately 1.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for convertion of steam and hydrocarbon, or steam and coal, into a product gas which contains hydrogen. The conversion rate is augmented by effective extraction and removal of hydrogen as and when hydrogen is generated. Within a reaction vessel wherein the conversion takes place, a chamber for collection of hydrogen is formed by the provision of a hydrogen-permeable membrane. The chamber is provided with a hydrogen extraction means and houses a support structure, for example, in the form of a mesh providing structural support to the membrane. The membrane may be of a pleated or corrugated construction, so as to provide an enlarged surface for the membrane to facilitate hydrogen extraction. Also, to further facilitate hydrogen extraction, a hydrogen partial pressure differential is maintained across the membrane, such as, for example, by the counter pressure of an inert gas.

Abstract: A complex relative movement in a direction transverse to the crystal draw direction is imparted at the interface between the growing crystal bar and a melt of the crystallizable material by controlled electrical energization of a radial stabilizer acting upon the magnetizable core by which either the bar or the crucible or a supply bar for the material, or both, can be suspended.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for the separation of hydrogen and/or euterium and tritium from an inert gas flow which is contaminated with hydrogen and/or deuterium and/or tritium, wherein the inert gas which is to be purified is conducted along the primary side of an exchange wall for hydrogen isotopes.The secondary side of the exchange wall has applied thereto an agent which so chemically reacts with the permeating hydrogen isotopes that the hydrogen isotope or the hydrogen isotopes which are to separated out of the inert gas flow which is to be purified, are bound in a reaction product which is transportable in a gas flow which is not capable of permeating through the exchange wall, and wherein along the secondary side of the exchange wall there is conducted a carrier gas flow which conveys off the reaction product.

Abstract: The invention relates to methods for the determination of the concentration of substances dissolved in a solution by means of an osmotic cell, using a pressure measurement device, and an apparatus incorporating the aforesaid osmotic cell with pressure measurement device. According to a first method, the concentrations of the substances are determined by the formation of the differences between a final pressure which is established after contact with the solution and an original and minimum pressure. According to a second method, the pressure/time course of biphasic response curves is analyzed in the vicinity of the minimum pressure, along with the rate constant for the exponential pressure increase which takes place after the minimum pressure, and the concentrations of the substances are then computed.

Abstract: Proportional counters for the detection and measurement of radioactive surface contaminations are provided with at least two flat window faces enclosing an angle and being formed by a thin foil spread or stretched by a framework including thin rods arranged along the inner edges of contacting window faces, to which rods the foil may be adhered. A perforated lattice or grid cage serves in particular to protect the thin window against any contact, the cage provides for a spacing of about double rod thickness between the framework and the controlled surface. Preferred is a polygonal and in particular hexagonal lattice whose grid wires or strips do not lie in the main scanning direction. Particularly convenient for checking pipelines are, for example, cylindrical measuring probes comprising window foils extending over and perhaps adhered to a circularly arranged frame of thin rods.

Abstract: A process for separating ceramic nuclear fuels out of metallic support mers or support member parts in which there adhere the nuclear fuels, especially subsequent to the burning down of the nuclear fuels in nuclear reactors. The ceramic nuclear fuels are washed off from the support member or carrier member part by means of a liquid jet which stands under a high pressure. The liquid jet is directed against the nuclear fuel, and the pressure of the liquid is set so high, that the nuclear fuel which adheres to the support member is completely removed. The liquid jet finds the transition from the ceramic nuclear fuel to the metallic support member material such that, even at a swelling of the fuel rod, and deformation of the support member part, there is achieved an efficient detaching of the nuclear fuel. The metallic support members or support member parts hereby remain intact and are segregated after the washing off of the nuclear fuel. Only the nuclear fuel fragments are introduced into the chemical solvent.

Abstract: The chamber for treating cells in an electric field includes an interior ce for a cell suspension having a region between the electrodes inside of which the cells are exposed to the electric field. In order to provide an improved chamber the region in which the cells are treated--up to an inlet or outlet for the cell suspension--is bounded by surfaces of the electrodes which are positioned equidistant from each other. Preferable these electrode surfaces are coaxial or concentric. In one specific embodiment of my chamber a first electrode is the inner electrode and a second electrode is the outer electrode and the surfaces of the inner electrode and the inside surfaces of the outer electrode are cylindrical so that the region between the electrodes is a cylindrical annular space.

Abstract: A hydrogen permeation membrane in the form of a metal coating such as palium and alloys of palladium less than 100 microns in thickness supported by a fabric with a mesh width not exceeding 50 microns. A diffusion blocking material such as nickel and alloys of nickel may be provided. The metal coating may be in the range of about 10 to 30 microns, and the mesh width may be in the range of about 2 to 20 microns.

Abstract: A ball-bed (pebble-bed) nuclear reactor, instead of having fuel elements e or less continuously withdrawn and new or reconstituted fuel elements more or less continuously reintroducted, is initially partly filled with fuel balls of which two-thirds have a fissionable material content 12% below and the upper third 24% higher than the average content. This filling meets the requirements of criticality in order to begin operation. Thereafter, fuel balls are added slowly, a few hundred per day, having 150 to 250% of the average fissionable material content of the initial loading, thus preserving the criticality requirments, while keeping the temperature within safe limits until the reactor cavern is filled. Thereafter, the reactor is shut down, cooled off, pressure relieved and emptied, the last step typically from above. An ordered array of the fuel balls in regular layers avoids excess pressure loads on the reflector over the life time of the filling.

Abstract: A process and arrangement for the formation of single crystals from the gas phase, in which the single crystal which is located in the gas phase, and which is in the process of growth originating from only one adhering surface, is subjected to a static temperature gradient between the exposed crystal surface and the surroundings about the crystal. When the crystal which is in the process of growth, within the metastable range of supersaturation is warmer than its surroundings, than homogeneous crystals of larger dimension can be formed. During the formation of HgI.sub.2 (.alpha.) crystals, the crystal is irradiated for purposes of observation with only orange-colored light during the growth process.

Abstract: One or both plates of a capacitor, caused to vibrate so as to permit measment of the contact potential between the electrodes, is coated with a sensor material for which the electron work function, and therefore the related contact potential, are sensitive to adsorption of a particular substance to be detected and measured in a gas or liquid to be analyzed. Two different materials may respectively be provided on the fixed and movable electrodes of the capacitor, for example nickel and molybdenum for measurement of ammonia content in air. The gas or liquid to be analyzed is introduced into a chamber in which the sensitized vibrating capacitor is located. Different substances can be detected and measured with the same sensor material if the temperature in the chamber is caused to run up or down through a temperature range and if the substances to be detected affect the sensor work function at different temperatures.

Abstract: The invention relates to apparatus for the separation of hydrogen and/or terium and tritium from an inert gas flow which is contaminated with hydrogen and/or deuterium and/or tritium, wherein the inert gas which is to be purified is conducted along the primary side of an exchange wall for hydrogen isotopes. The secondary side of the exchange wall has applied thereto an agent which so chemically reacts with the permeating hydrogen isotopes that the hydrogen isotope or the hydrogen isotopes which are to be separated out of the inert gas flow which is to be purified, are bound in a reaction product which is transportable in a gas flow which is not capable of permeating through the exchange wall, and wherein along the secondary side of the exchange wall there is conducted a carrier gas flow which conveys off the reaction product.