Abstract: A membrane electrode assembly includes a cathode layer, an anode layer, and a polymer electrolyte sandwiched between the cathode layer and the anode layer. The polymer electrolyte layer is a polymer film having a plurality of sections. The sections are radiation grafted and sulfonated, wherein the sections are separated from each other by separation bands. The separation bands are untreated sections of the polymer electrolyte layer.

Abstract: A reactor for direct utilization of external radiation heat includes a containment can having a longitudinal axis, an external driving mechanism for controllable rotating the containment can and a cavity having a cylindrical shape. The cavity is partially lined with an insulation layer and disposed in the containment can. The cavity has a gas inlet, a gas outlet and an aperture for allowing to insert the external radiation heat into the cavity. A feeder mechanism is moveable along the longitudinal axis into and out of the cavity for supplying the material subject to the thermal or thermo-chemical material process. The gas outlet is formed as a ring channel tube having an inner and an outer surface, wherein the feeder mechanism is at least partially hosted within a tube cavity defined by the inner surface. Cooling means are associated with the inner and/or outer surface.

Abstract: A supercapacitors voltage balancing device (2) to be connected to a supercapacitor module (1) having N individual supercapacitors (10) connected in series, for optimizing the voltage of the individual supercapacitors in the module.

Abstract: It is the aim of the invention to provide a technology for the stimulation of the crystallization of biomolecules contained in a liquid solution that leads to significant improvements in the reliability of crystal growth processes and shortens the time and the number of attempts to grow a certain biomolecule crystal, also under the condition that only very small amounts of the biomolecules are available.

Abstract: In a method for preparing a membrane to be assembled in a membrane electrode assembly, such as a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell, a base polymer film is irradiated with at least one of electromagnetic and particle radiation in order to form reactive centers within the polymer film. The irradiated film is exposed to a mixture of monomers amenable to radical polymerization to form a graft copolymer in the irradiated film. The mixture includes ?-methylstyrene and methacrylonitrile. The grafted film is sulfonated to introduce sulfonic acid sites providing ionic conductivity of the material.

Abstract: The present invention is an electro mechanical component, such as a nano-electro-mechanical component, having a first, a second and a third portion arranged such that the second portion is used to functionally connect the first and the third portion. In the present invention, the second portion is a bilayer having a first and a second layer made from two dissimilar at least semiconductive materials; the two materials have different lattice constants; and the first layer harbors tensile strain close to an interface connecting the first and the second layer and harbors compressive strain at its surface; and the second layer harbors compressive strain close to the interface connecting the first and the second layer and tensile strain at the relaxed outer section.

Abstract: A system for generating periodic or quasi-periodic patterns on a sample by means of an interference lithography technique includes a photon source, a mask and a sample holder. The mask has a grating for generating a predetermined pattern, wherein the mask is positioned at a first distance from the photon source. The sample holder is disposed at a second distance from the mask on a side facing away from the photon source. The second distance is selected to be where an intensity distribution is substantially stationary and distance-invariant, or the second distance is varied to obtain a desired average intensity distribution on the sample surface.

Abstract: A fuel cell has an electrochemical process area having a cathode area, an anode area and an ion-exchanging membrane that separates these areas. The cathode area has a gas passage way having a gas inlet, a gas channel and a gas outlet, wherein the gas passage way is for an oxygen-containing gas to flow from the gas inlet through the gas channel to the gas outlet. The fuel cell includes further a humidity transfer area having a dehumidifying zone, a humidifying zone and a humidity transfer membrane that separates these zones. An exhaust channel connects the gas outlet to the dehumidifying zone, and an inlet channel connects the gas inlet to the humidifying zone. Humidity is extracted from the oxygen-containing gas in the dehumidifying zone, and added to the oxygen-containing gas in the humidifying zone via the humidity transfer membrane.

Abstract: An electrical power train for a vehicle, the power train comprising an electrical line (61), a fuel cell (3) connected to the electrical line (61), an electrical energy management unit (6) comprising a module controlling the fuel cell, a control device available to the driver of the vehicle for controlling deceleration of the latter, the control device being connected to the management unit, at least one electrical machine (4) connected to at least one driving wheel (40) connected to the electrical line (61) by means of an electronic module controlling the electrical machine, the electrical machine (4) being connected to a second cooling circuit (2) in which a cooling liquid circulates, independent of the first cooling circuit (1), an electrical dissipation element (8), and means for ordering the control module of the fuel battery to stop the process of producing electrical energy while connecting the said dissipation element (8) to the electrical line (61), in the event of a deceleration demand and when the

Abstract: An inorganic scintillating mixture includes at least a first and a second component, each having a characteristic behavior in response to the irradiation with charged particles, such as protons and heavy ions, showing a typical Bragg peak with respect to a relative depth dose. The first component has a quenching characteristic in the Bragg peak region and the second component shows an increased efficiency in the Bragg peak region both related to a reference curve for the relative dose.

Abstract: Fluid distribution plate (1) for a fuel cell assembly, comprising a first plate (11) made of an electrically conductive material impermeable to all the fluids used in a fuel cell assembly, said distribution plate having a useful section (S) which is the surface over which the gases used by the electrochemical reaction are distributed, said useful section (S) being bordered all around by a peripheral section (P), said first plate having a given thickness e1 in the peripheral section and a smaller thickness e2 in the useful section so as to form a recess from the side facing the outer face and so as to have a flat inner surface, a flexible graphite foil (11C) being applied against said first plate (11) over the entire surface of the recess, the visible face of the flexible graphite foil having a distribution channel (111) for one of the fluids, said network being formed completely in the graphite foil.

Abstract: An electric power train for a vehicle, the power train comprising an electrical line (61), an installation for producing electrical energy, the installation being connected to the electrical line (61), the installation having a first cooling circuit (1) using a cooling liquid, an electrical energy management unit (6), at least one electrical machine (4) connected to at least one driving wheel (40), connected to the electrical line (61) by means of an electronic control module for the electrical machine, the electrical machine (4) being connected to a second cooling circuit (2) in which a cooling liquid circulates, independent of the first cooling circuit (1), and an electrical dissipation element (8) being able to be electrically connected to the electrical line, wherein the electrical dissipation element (8) being immersed in the first cooling circuit (1).

Abstract: A system for treating a patient by proton therapy, also called gantry, includes a proton beam guide involving, in particular, magnets, quadropoles, and the like and having an outlet aperture for guiding and directing the proton beam to the side in the patient that is to be treated. In addition, a patient table that cab en displaced in a controllable manner is provided for moving the patient into a desired position relative to the proton beam. The inventive proton beam guide and control device is mounted down from the patient table in the direction of the beam guide in a supported manner whereby being able to rotate or pivot about a horizontal axis.

Abstract: A vehicle (1) equipped with a tank (2) for storage of a fluid under pressure on the vehicle, the tank being connected to at least one vent channel (3 and 33), the vent channel leading to a discharge orifice (34), the vent channel being connected to the tank by means of at least one safety valve, wherein in that the safety valve is a thermal release valve (5), normally closed and capable of opening spontaneously under the effect of a rise in temperature, the safety valve being installed in a predefined zone of the vehicle and the discharge orifice being remote from the predefined zone.

Abstract: A vehicle (1) equipped with a tank (2) for storage of a fluid under pressure on the vehicle, the tank being connected to at least one vent channel (3 and 33), the vent channel leading to a discharge orifice (34), the vent channel being connected to the tank by means of at least one safety valve, wherein in that the safety valve is a thermal release valve (5), normally closed and capable of opening spontaneously under the effect of a rise in temperature, the safety valve being installed in a predefined zone of the vehicle and the discharge orifice being remote from the predefined zone.

Abstract: A process for an intensity-modulated proton therapy of a predetermined volume within an object includes discretising the predetermined volume into a number of iso-energy layers each corresponding to a determined energy of the proton beam. A final target dose distribution is determined for each iso-energy layer. The final target dose distribution or at least a predetermined part of this final target dose distribution is applied by parallel beam scanning by controlling the respective beam sweepers, thereby scanning one iso-energy layer after the other using an intensity-modulated proton beam while scanning a predetermined iso-energy layer.

Abstract: In a process for the synthetic generation of methane from a feed gas mixture, a feed gas mixture including carbon monoxide, hydrogen, water vapor, CO2, volatile hydrocarbons comprising C2 and higher, unsaturated C2 components and aromatic hydrocarbons in the range of 1 to 10 vol % is provided. The feed gas mixture is contacted with a fluidized bed catalyst having catalyst particles having a catalytic active component selected from the group consisting of a metal, a metal compound and combinations thereof. The contacting occurs at an elevated temperature in the range of 250 to 450° C., a feed gas pressure in the range of 0.8 to 70 bar, a gas hourly space velocity of 1000 to 50000 h?1, and a concentration of H2/CO in the gas mixture in the range of 0.25 to 5.

Abstract: An assay chip for investigation the functionality of membrane proteins and their interactions with molecules includes a nanopore array having a plurality of nanopores in a suitable support layer deposited on the nanopore substrate and being a substantially planar support layer having a plurality of nanopores corresponding to the nanopores of the nanopore substrate. The chip includes further a biologically effective layer capable to host at least a non-lipid molecule or functional molecule, deposited on the support layer and covering the plurality of nanopores, resulting in accesible nanopores from both sides of the biologically effective layer for measurement or imaging. The structured support allows generating a biologically effective membrane, such as a lipid bilayer membrane, having high and reliable stability in a manner that its fluidity is sustained in order to keep integrated membrane proteins in the lipid bilayer in its full biological functionality.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for radioactive labeling of a protein or peptide, by providing a protein or peptide having at least one glutamine or lysine residue; adding a metal chelating agent having at least one lysine or glutamine residue, respectively, which metal chelating agent is optionally complexed with a radioactive or paramagnetic metal; reacting the protein or peptide and metal chelating agent in the presence of a transglutaminase to obtain a protein or peptide with a metal chelating group covalently bound thereto, and optionally complexing the metal chelating group with a radioactive or paramagnetic metal. The invention also relates to proteins and peptides thus labeled and to proteins and peptides that have been coupled to a metal chelating agent but not yet labeled.

Abstract: Protection of a water solid interface from cavitation, pitting, or the like, is achieved by the introduction and maintaining of bubbles on and/or along the surface of the solid exposed to the liquid. To facilitate the maintaining, selectively placed protrusions and other deformations to the surface are introduced along with a bubble source.