Abstract: Process comprising the steps of: (i) providing an elongated porous web, said elongated porous web comprising two outermost surfaces; (ii) transporting said elongated porous web downwards between two impregnating heads comprising two slots each with substantially vertical upper and lower slot faces substantially parallel to said elongated porous web providing simultaneously to both surfaces of said elongated porous web metered substantially identical quantities of a dope, comprising at least one membrane polymer and at least one solvent therefor; (iii) thereby impregnating said elongated porous web completely with said dope and providing substantially equally thick dope layers on each surface of said outermost surfaces of said elongated porous web with a thickness independent of the gap between one of said lower slot faces and the surface of said elongated porous web nearest thereto; (iv) subjecting said dope associated with said elongated porous web immediately after dope-impregnation to symmetric phase inver

Abstract: Demand response adaptor provided such that, depending on the device connected to the demand response adapter, the demand response control system can be provided with the second constraints corresponding to the device connected to the demand response adapter, wherein the demand response control system comprises software components for making the decision based on the first constraints, the second constraints and the third constraints, wherein the controller (5) comprises software components for detecting the start of a program by analyzing the amount of electrical power used by the device in function of time detected by the sensor (6) and wherein the controller (5) of the adaptor comprises software components for switching the relay (4) to the nonconductive state when the start of the program is detected until, based on the decision of the demand response control system, the controller (5) switches the relay switch (4) to the conductive state.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system for charge balancing over a plurality of rechargeable energy storage devices coupled in series, said system comprising a plurality of balancing units each assigned to one of the rechargeable energy storage devices, an AC signal generator for providing an AC signal to the plurality of balancing units, and a capacitive coupling between the AC signal generator and each of the plurality of balancing units for common mode rejection. A first balancing unit comprises a plurality of switches for transferring, on the one hand, charge from the AC signal generator or from an energy storage device assigned to another balancing unit for charging the energy storage device assigned to the first balancing unit, and, on the other hand, for transferring charge to the AC signal generator or to an energy storage device assigned to another balancing unit for discharging the energy storage device assigned to the first balancing unit.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for depositing functional groups on a surface of an object, and to the object treated as such, by generating and maintaining a plasma, bringing the object surface close to or in a space between the plasma electrodes, an atmosphere being present between the two electrodes, and depositing a plurality of functional groups on at least part of the surface of the object, whereby the atmosphere between the two electrodes comprises a multi-functional hyperbranched compound which is a polymer based on ABm type monomers, or a derivative of such polymer, whereby m is at least 2, and A and B are two reactive functional groups selected such that group A is able to react at least m times with group B, and whereby the hyperbranched compound is having a degree of branching (DB) in the range of 10.0-99.9%.

Abstract: The current invention concerns a method for identifying the elemental composition of and/or quantifying the presence of mono-isotopic elements in a molecule in a sample by computing a solution of a system of linear equations ??Ei?n?=Fi, whereby the set of numbers Fi comprises said set of relative peak heights from the aggregated isotopic distribution and the coefficients Ei? of said linear system comprise powers and/or power sums of roots r?,i?. The present invention also provides a method for analysing at least part of an isotopic distribution of a sample, comprising obtaining data comprising at least one probability qj with which a j'th aggregated isotopic variant of said molecule with mass number Aj occurs within said aggregated isotopic distribution; and computing a probability qi with which an i'th aggregated isotopic variant occurs within said aggregated isotopic distribution, by taking a linear combination of said at least one probability qj.

Abstract: A process for producing a gas diffusion electrode comprising the steps of: casting a porous electrically conductive web with a suspension of particles of an electrically conductive material in a solution of a first binder to provide a first layer which is an electrochemically active layer (AL); casting a suspension of particles of a hydrophobic material in a solution of a second binder on said first layer to provide a second layer; and subjecting said first and second layer to phase inversion thereby realising porosity in both said first layer and said second layer, wherein said subjection of said second layer to phase inversion thereby realises a water repellent layer; a gas diffusion electrode obtained therewith; the use of a gas diffusion electrode in an membrane electrode assembly; a membrane electrode assembly comprising the gas diffusion electrode; and a method of producing a membrane electrode assembly is realised, said membrane electrode assembly comprising a membrane sandwiched between two electrodes

Abstract: A continuous plasma treatment process, said process comprising the steps of: providing a plasma treatment apparatus, said apparatus comprising at least one plasma treatment zone, said plasma treatment zone comprising a pair of electrodes with endless dielectric belts each having a first and a second side and each covering an electrode of said pair of electrodes; producing a non-thermal plasma in a process gas at a pressure of 100 Pa to 1 MPa in the space between said pair of endless dielectric belt-covered electrodes by applying a voltage between said electrode pair; providing a web material to be treated such that it can be transported by said two endless dielectric belts in such a way that there is an area in the plane of said belt at least about 5 mm on either side of said web material on the side of said endless dielectric belts with no part thereof facing one electrode of said pair of electrodes; transporting said web material using said endless dielectric belts in frictional contact with said electrodes

Abstract: An ultracapacitor energy storage system and in particular a system for packaging and connecting ultracapacitors (15) for energy storage purposes is described which is applicable in automotive and stationary applications. The ultracapacitors (15) in the system can be in series or parallel or a Combination of both. A controller, relays, voltage monitoring and isolation fault detection are used to regulate the system. The mechanical construction of frame and different pluggable modules (2 and 7) lead to an easy in and de-installation of the different parts. The different constructions are designed with a safe handling by the operator in mind.

Abstract: The present invention is related to a method for determining the sensitizing potential of a chemical (test) compound, comprising the steps of: (a) Providing a suitable cell culture of a specific cell type and providing a test sample and a control sample thereof, said test sample and said control sample being identical, (b) Exposing said test sample to a chemical compound in a solvent and exposing said control sample to said solvent for a predetermined period of time, (c) Determining for the test sample and the control sample gene expressions xi for a subset of i=1 to n genes selected from the group of genes corresponding to SEQ ID NOs 1 to 153, (d) For this subset of n genes looking up in a database the gene expressions xi for a set of control and test samples, the test samples being exposed for said predetermined period of time to a set of chemical sensitizing model compounds comprising both sensitizers and non-sensitizers, (e) Using the gene expressions of the said test sample and the said control sample

Abstract: Derivatives of psammaplin A responding to formula (I), a method for their synthesis and their use for the preparation of a medicament for preventing and for treating a tumor or a cancer. Formula (I).

Abstract: A kit of parts is for assembling a diffusive dosimeter for the detection of pollutants, said kit of parts includes a housing (1, 50), a first adsorbant (2) to be placed inside the housing and a first spacer (3) to be placed on top of the adsorbant, to define a thickness (L) and a first surface area (A) of a diffusive layer. The kit also has a first protective layer (5) placed on top of the spacer and a first cover (6) having an opening (7), to be placed on top of the protective layer, in a manner to close off the assembled dosimeter at its circumference. The kit has at least one or more additional spacers (15,16,17), each additional spacer being able to replace the first spacer and each spacer defines a different surface area, so that each spacer allows a measurement with a different uptake rate.

Abstract: A desalination plant, includes a sea water intake, a desalination unit having a reverse osmosis or a thermal desalination unit, a fresh water outlet and a brine outlet. The plant also includes a salinity gradient power unit having a brine inlet, a seawater inlet and a mixed water outlet. The brine outlet is connected to the brine inlet and the salinity gradient power unit is arranged to generate an electrical current. A solar power heater is between the brine outlet and the brine inlet. A method for reducing the power consumption of a desalination plant providing fresh water and brine from sea water, includes a first step of providing a salinity gradient power unit, a next step of feeding the salinity gradient power unit with brine from the desalination plant as high salinity feed and sea water as low salinity feed.

Abstract: A filter element includes an integrated permeate channel membrane (4) which has a flexible structure and includes an upper and lower membrane layer and a substrate material for supporting the membrane layers. The substrate is a 3D spacer fabric having an upper and a lower fabric surface, tied together and spaced apart by monofilament threads at a predefined distance. A frame system supports the membrane and sealing the integrated permeate channel at the edge of the membrane. The frame system includes a first frame profile and a second frame profile each of them having form and dimensions capable of surrounding the membrane. Each of the first and second frame profiles has inner parts and outer parts with the membrane (4) interposed between the first frame profile and the second frame profile. A filter module includes filter elements.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are for disinfection and purification of a liquid, gaseous or solid phase, or a mixture thereof. The apparatus includes: a central electrode, a dielectric layer adjacent to the electrode, a first area adjacent to the dielectric layer, and is configured to introduce a first medium into the first area, a second area adjacent to the first area. The apparatus is also configured to introduce a second medium into the second area, and for creating a plasma in the first medium, while the first medium is present in the first area, by applying a voltage between the first electrode and a second electrode. An injector injects the plasma into the second area, in order to be mixed with the second medium.

Abstract: The present invention relates to novel pervaporation membranes comprising a porous support layer upon which a thin coating is applied. More specifically, the present invention provides pervaporation membranes with an improved performance by applying an aggregate filled PTMSP coating with a maximal thickness of 25 ?m onto the porous support. The present invention further relates to methods of the manufacturing of such pervaporation membranes.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for the modification of metal hydroxide and/or metal oxide surfaces of an inorganic matrix with an organometallic reagent for obtaining an organic functionalized matrix suitable for filtration processes. The method involves the direct covalent binding of organic functional groups by allowing a pre-treated matrix to react with organometallic reagents in the present of a suitable solvent. The present invention further relates to an organic functionalized matrix obtainable or obtained by carrying out a method according to the invention. The invention also provides various uses of a surface-modified matrices as described herein in various industrial applications, including for instance in filtration and/or adsorption and/or separation processes, or as support, e.g. for catalyst systems or for enzyme systems.

Abstract: A device for the filtration of liquids includes membrane curtains (2), each curtain being formed of a singular row of capillary membranes (5). The device has at least one bottom header (3) provided at a lower end of the membrane curtains (lower end of the capillary membranes) and linked to the capillary membranes of at least one membrane curtain and an individual top header (4) for each membrane curtain. The top header is provided at an upper end of the membrane curtain and is linked to the capillary membranes thereof. Top headers of adjacent membrane curtains (41, 42) are arranged at different heights and the capillary membranes (5) of the adjacent membrane curtains (2) have different lengths.

Abstract: A method produces fatty acid esters by transesterification of fats and oils with the aid of an alcohol, at a high pressure and temperature. Unreacted alcohol is separated inline from the reaction mixture and continuously recycled into the transesterification process. The separation is performed by obtaining a vapour phase and higher density phases of the reaction mixture and concentrating the alcohol in the vapour phase.

Abstract: A method produces a fatty acid alkylester by transesterification of a fat or oil and an alcohol. The reaction is catalysed by a heterogeneous catalyst immobilized in a tubular reactor at a temperature between 260 and 420° C. and at a pressure higher than 5 bar. A mixture of the fat or oil and the alcohol is led in a continuous flow through the tubular reactor. The catalyst is preferably a metal oxide or a metal carbonate including an alkaline earth metal. The reaction takes place at reduced residence times and contact times compared to the prior art.

Abstract: A membrane bag comprising a volume for permeate collection, wherein the volume is completely enclosed in seamless membrane substance; a filtration unit comprising at least one above-described seamless membrane bag; the use of at least one above-described seamless membrane bag in a membrane bioreactor; the use of at least one above-described seamless membrane bag in water filtration or waste water purification; and the use of at least one above-described seamless membrane bag for the filtration or separation of a mixture of fluids, vapors and particles.