Abstract: A gas injection moulding method comprising injecting a melt into a mould and injecting gas into the melt to form a gas cavity in the melt, wherein the melt is cooled by use of injection gas cooled to below the external ambient air temperature and/or by a continuous flow of injection gas through the mould.

Abstract: An electrical machine comprises a rotor without windings, a stator having an armature winding 24, 25 and a field winding 10 for generating a magnetomotive force in a direction extending transversely of the magnetomotive force generated by the armature winding. An electronic circuit 40 is provided for controlling the current in the armature winding 24, 25 such that periods in which a magnetomotive force in one direction is associated with a first current pulse alternate with periods in which a magnetomotive force in the opposite direction is associated with a second current pulse. A position sensor is provided for monitoring the rotational position of the rotor and for supplying output signals at a rate dependent on the speed of rotation of the rotor. Furthermore a control system supplies control signals to the circuit 40 to control the current in the armature winding 24, 25 in response to the output signals.

Abstract: An electrical machine comprises a rotor without windings, a stator having an armature winding 24, 25 and a field winding 10 for generating a magnetomotive force in a direction extending transversely of the magnetomotive force generated by the armature winding. An electronic circuit 40 is provided for controlling the current in the armature winding 24, 25 such that periods in which a magnetomotive force in one direction is associated with a first current pulse alternate with periods in which a magnetomotive force in the opposite direction is associated with a second current pulse. A position sensor is provided for monitoring the rotational position of the rotor and for supplying output signals dependent on the speed of rotation of the rotor. Furthermore a control system 32 supplies control signals to the circuit 40 to control the current in the armature winding 24, 25.

Abstract: An electrical motor or generator comprises a rotor 79 without windings, a stator 78 having armature windings comprising at least two coils A1, A2 having active portions positioned within armature winding slots 81 in a stator iron, and field windings F having active portions positioned within field winding slots 80 in the stator iron. An electronic control circuit is provided for controlling the currents in the coils A1, A2 in synchronism with rotation of the rotor such that periods in which a magnetomotive force is generated in one direction by current flow in one of the coils alternate with periods in which a magnetomotive force is generated in the opposite direction by current flow in another of the coils. The armature winding slots and the field winding slots are equal in number and alternate with one another in the stator iron.

Abstract: An electrical machine comprises a rotor without windings, a stator having an armature winding (24,25) and a field winding (10) for generating a magnetomotive force in a direction extending transversely of the magnetomotive force generated by the armature winding. An electric circuit (40) is provided for controlling the current in the armature winding (24, 25) such that periods in which a magnetomotive force in one direction is associated with a first current pulse alternate with periods in which a magnetomotive force in the opposite direction is associated with a second current pulse. A position sensor is provided for monitoring the rotational position of the rotor and for supplying output signals dependent on the speed of rotation of the moor.

Abstract: Mass spectrometry apparatus 105 comprises a serial arrangement of an ion source 110, first time of flight means, a field free region 120, means to fragment the molecules, a second time of flight means and a large area detector 160 The second time of flight means includes an ion mirror 150, the ion mirror 150 being arranged to produce a reflecting substantially quadratic field. The first time of flight means is arranged to provide spatial focusing concomitant with time focusing of ions at or near the entrance to the ion mirror 150. The means provided to fragment the ions from the first time of flight means can be a collision cell 140 or in the field free region 220 or in the first time of flight means. The means to fragment the molecules has a potential which is different from the potential at the entrance to the ion mirror 150, and the detecting surface of the detector 160 is mounted in the time focal surface of the ion mirror 150.

Abstract: A method of design and manufacture of an assembly of components including selecting KCs of the type, Product KCs, Assembly KCs or Manufacturing KCs is provided. The method includes the steps of identifying potential KCs and carrying out a risk assessment for variation of the potential KCs based upon four values, namely probability of failure or variation; the severity of the variation; the detectability of the variation, and the repairability of the variation. Scores attributed to each said value may then be multiplied together to produce the risk assessment. Once the KCs have been selected, a process of feature identification and classification for the KC may be carried out, followed by establishment of assembly precedence of features for the KC.

Abstract: The invention relates to supported ligands and catalysts for use in the polymerization of olefinically unsaturated monomers such as vinylic monomers, comprising the use of a compound attached to support, the compound being capable of complexing with a transitional metal. Preferably the compound capable of complexing with a transition metal is a diimine such as a 1,4-diaza-1,3-butadiene, a 2-pyridinecarbaldehyde imine, an oxazolidone or a quinoline carbaldeyde. Preferably the catalysts are used in conjunction with an initiator comprising a homolytically cleavable bond with a halogen atom. The application also discloses processes for attaching ligands to supports, and processes for using the catalysts disclosed in the application.

Abstract: An electrical machine comprises a rotor without windings, a stator having an armature winding 24, 25 and a field winding 10 for generating a magnetomotive force in a direction extending transversely of the magnetomotive force generated by the armature winding. An electronic circuit 40 is provided for controlling the current in the armature winding 24, 25 such that periods in which a magnetomotive force in one direction is associated with a first current pulse alternate with periods in which a magnetomotive force in the opposite direction is associated with a second current pulse. A position sensor is provided for monitoring the rotational position of the rotor and for supplying output signals at a rate dependent on the speed of rotation of the rotor. Furthermore a control system supplies control signals to the circuit 40 to control the current in the armature winding 24, 25 in response to the output signals.

Abstract: The thermal regenerative compressive device 20 has a plurality of sorbent vessels 10 arranged circumferentially about a rotational axis X partly within a toroidal conduit 21. A heat carrier fluid flows from an inlet 22 of the conduit to the outlet 23 in counterflow with respect to the rotational movement of the sorbent vessels 10. Separate fluid channels 29, 30 encase the evaporation/condensation zones 15 of the vessels 10 to enable transfer of heat between the vessels 10 and the fluid flowing in channels 29 and 30. With the compressive device 20 heat is regenerated in a particularly simple and convenient manner. As a result the compressive device is capable of achieving greater efficiencies than existing adsorption devices.

Abstract: A two-phase switched reluctance motor comprises a rotor without windings, a stator having windings, and an electronic control circuit for controlling the current in the windings to effect rotation of the rotor. The control circuit includes a capacitance bridge defining a floating point to which one end of each of the windings is coupled to form a resonance circuit. Switching transistors are connected to the windings and are switched in synchronism with rotation of the rotor so as to produce current pulses which are limited by the build-up of voltage at the floating point of the capacitance bridge. This ensures that the current in the windings returns naturally to zero at the end of each excitation pulse, thus providing more efficient power operation and reducing the acoustic noise of the machine.

Abstract: A catalyst is provided for addition polymerization of olefinically unsaturated monomers comprising a first compound MY, wherein M is a transition metal in a low valency state or a transition metal in a low valency state coordinated to at least one coordinating non-charged ligand, Y is a monovalent, divalent or polyvalent counterion; an initiator compound comprising a homolytically breakable bond with a halogen atom; and an organodiimine, where at least one of the nitrogens of the diimine is not part of an aromatic ring.

Abstract: An electrical machine comprises a four-pole stator 2 provided with a field winding 10 and an armature winding 11, each of the windings 10, 11 being split into two coils 22, 23 or 24, 25 closely coupled and wound so that diametrically opposite portions of both coils are disposed within diametrically opposite stator slots. A two-pole rotor (not shown) without windings is rotatable within the stator 2, and a circuit is provided for energising the armature coils 24 and 25 when direct current is supplied to terminals 26 and 27 of the circuit. Switches 28 and 29 in series with the coils 24 and 25 are switched alternately to effect alternate energisation of the coils 24 and 25 so as to generate, as a result of the opposite winding of the coils, magnetomotive forces in opposite directions.

Abstract: The invention discloses methods of controlling one or more genes in plants. The genes may be exogenous genes and produce a desired phenotypic trait in the plants produced. The genes are operatively linked to a heterologous upstream activating sequence (UAS) recognition site, which is activatable by a transactivating protein. The genes linked to the UAS sequence, and nucleic acid encoding for the transactivating protein may originally be in separate transgenic plants, one of which fertilizes the other to produce reproductive material, such as seed, which may be grown into plants expressing the desired phenotype. The desired phenotype may be herbicide resistance or the production of a polyhydroxyalkanoate, such as polyhydroxybutyrate.

Abstract: A gas-sensing semiconductor device 1 is fabricated on a silicon substrate 2 having a thin silicon oxide insulating layer 3 on one side and a thin silicon layer 4 on top of the insulating layer 3 using CMOS SOI technology. The silicon layer 4 may be in the form of an island surrounded by a silicon oxide insulating barrier layer 4 formed by the known LOCOS oxidation technique, although other lateral isolation techniques may also be used. The device 1 includes at least one sensing area provided with a gas-sensitive layer 18, a MOSFET heater 6 for heating the gas-sensitive layer 18 to promote gas reaction with the gas-sensitive layer 18 and a sensor 16, which may be in the form of a chemoresistor, for providing an electrical output indicative of gas reaction with the gas-sensitive layer 18. As one of the final fabrication steps, the substrate 2 is back-etched so as to form a thin membrane 20 in the sensing area. Such a device can be produced at low cost using conventional CMOS SOI technology.

Abstract: A switched reluctance electrical machine system including a switched reluctance machine, a rechargeable DC energy store and principle voltage terminals connectable to an external power source. The switched reluctance machine comprises a rotor, a stator and windings wherein the windings include at least two closely-coupled coils and a power converter for controlling current flow in the windings. The power converter has first and second circuits. The first circuit contains one of the closely-coupled coils and the principle voltage terminals while the second circuit contains the other of the closely-coupled coils and the energy store. A first switching arrangement is connected in series with the coils in the first circuit and a second switching arrangement is connected in series with the coils in the second circuit.

Abstract: A non-contact apparatus for monitoring the contents of a container, especially but not exclusively for quality control monitoring purposes associated with high speed packaging processes, comprises a non-contact ultrasound generation member, adapted so as to generate an ultrasound signal within the container (1). A non-contact detection scheme is employed to enable the contents of the container to be monitored by analysing ultrasound signals that have propagated through or round the container (1) either transmitted through or reflected from the containers contents. In use, the apparatus may be adapted to provide information about container fill level (h) or the presence or absence of an insert (14) such as a head forming device by analysing the measured signal profiles generated by a ultrasound detection member (3).

Abstract: A thermal compressor (10) comprises two adsorbent beds (11, 12) each with an associated thermal management system (14). The thermal management systems (14) are identical and consist of a circulating supply of a control fluid which passes through the adsorbent bed, a pump (15), a heat exchanger (16) and an inert bed (17, 18). Heat removed from the adsorbent beds (11, 12) by the control fluid is supplied to the inert beds (17, 18) and is store to be subsequently regenerated to heat the adsorbent beds (11, 12) in a later half of the operating cycle of the thermal compressor (10). The thermal compressor (10) is energy efficient by virtue of the heat recycling which is performed.

Abstract: A DNA sequence encoding the CarR gene product or a homologue or variant thereof which, on expression in bacteria, is capable of activating gene expression, especially of a gene coding for a carbapenem antibiotic. A polypeptide coded for by such DNA.

Abstract: The invention discloses methods of controlling one or more genes in plants. The genes may be exogenous genes and produce a desired phenotypic trait in the plants produced. The genes are operatively linked to a heterologous upstream activating sequence (UAS) recognition site, which is activatable by a transactivating protein, such as GAL4. The genes linked to the UAS sequence, and nucleic acid encoding for the transactivating protein may originally be in separate transgenic plants, one of which fertilises the other to produce reproductive material, such as seed, which may be grown into plants expressing the desired phenotype. The desired phenotype may be herbicide resistance or the production of a polyhydroxyalkanoate, such as polyhydroxybutyrate.