Abstract: A process and apparatus for drying semiconductor wafers includes the controlled-rate extraction of a wafer immersed in rinsing liquid, irradiation of the wafer using high intensity lights or filaments along the wafer-liquid interface, and delivery of gas streams against the wafer along the wafer-liquid interface using a gas delivery system. Heating is controlled to create a temperature gradient without evaporating rinsing fluid adhering to surfaces of the wafer. Heating by the radiation sources creates a temperature gradient in the wafer in the irradiated region that simultaneously generates a surface tension gradient in the water adhering to the wafer. The gas delivery system removes the bulk of the water adhering to the wafer surface, and also suppresses the height of the rinsing liquid adhering to the wafer, providing faster extraction of dry and highly clean wafers from the rinsing liquid. A solvent vapor is optionally injected at the wafer-liquid interface, to reduce adhesion of the liquid to the vapor.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for disinfecting granular material using microwave energy in an applicator that mixes the material with air for consistent and effective insect mortality rates.

Abstract: A register for use in conjunction with kraft recovery boilers or bark-fired boilers utilizes a pair of shaped damper foils to reduce turbulence and induce laminar flow of air from an associated windbox through a port in the boiler. The foils are mounted for constant minimal separation from an exit nozzle to reduce transitional discontinuities which induce turbulence. A curved plenum is also provided to reduce internal turbulence within the plenum.

Abstract: A substrate heater having a chamber, a heating element located in the chamber, and an elevator having a substrate holder. The holder can hold a plurality of planar substrates in a general spaced stacked configuration. The holder can be moved to allow substrates to be inserted and removed from various locations on the holder. In one embodiment the substrates are located very close to each other to accelerate the rate of heat transfer to newly inserted substrates. In another embodiment, the holder has an individual horizontal heater on the elevator for each substrate.

Abstract: A revolving drum containing a rolling element is provided that includes a member for the cleaning of the inner wall areas of the revolving drum which has at least two cleaning zones. The cleaning zones include projecting cleaning elements and lie in tandem in an axial direction of the revolving drum. They include a fastening apparatus disposed on a front end pointing toward the infeed side of the drum and include a revolving articulation by which the rolling element can be fastened to a non-revolving component of a head of the revolving drum. The cleaning zones comprise generated surfaces of the revolving drum which are at an angle to one another.

Abstract: A load lock chamber includes a chamber body having an aperture to allow a substrate to be transferred into or out of the chamber. The load lock chamber is configurable in several configurations, including a base configuration for providing a transition between two different pressures, a heating configuration for heating the substrate and providing a transition between two different pressures, and a cooling configuration for cooling the substrate and providing a transition between two different pressures. Various features of the chamber configurations help increase the throughput of the system by enabling rapid heating and cooling of substrates and simultaneous evacuation and venting of the chamber, and help compensate for thermal losses near the substrate edges, thereby providing a more uniform temperature across the substrate.

Abstract: The object of this invention is to provide an ash-melting furnace which can respond to fluctuations in the load and which will be capable of highly efficient and stable operation. In an ash-melting furnace which heats and melts the primary ash and the fly ash obtained by combustion together, this invention is characterized by supplying the primary ash (ash containing rough particles) from upper end of the furnace to form an upper layer of a two-tiered layer of ash, supplying the fly ash (ash containing minute particles) from an upper end of the furnace to form a lower layer of the two-tiered layer of ash, moving the two-tiered layer together towards the far end of the furnace, and heating and melting the two-tiered layer by a burner to form molten slugs during the moving step. When the burner is an oxygen-enriched burner, this configuration makes it possible to control the volume of oxygen to be added to the burner air (including changing the density of the oxygen).

Abstract: In a once-though steam generator having a double-flue configuration, a first gas flue is followed on the fuel-gas side, by way of a horizontal gas flue, by a second gas flue. In a once-through steam generator of this type, which is to have a particularly long lifetime even in the case of frequent start-up operations, according to the invention a number of steam generator tubes, connected in parallel for a flow medium to flow through them, are connected to one another to form an evaporator heating surface which is part of a containing wall of the first gas flue. The steam generator tubes which form the evaporator heating surface opening on an exit into an outlet header which is common to them and is disposed at a lower height in comparison with the bottom edge of the horizontal gas flue and which is followed, on the flow-medium side, by a bulkhead heating surface.

Abstract: A continuous heat treatment furnace having one of a plurality of furnace zones except for first and last zones as a rapid cooling zone 11 for rapidly cooling a material by blowing an atmospheric gas, which comprises a roll-sealed chamber 3 partitioned at the inlet by first and second roll sealing devices 4A and 4B from the upstream and a third roll sealing device 4C at the outlet as sealing means for atmospheric gas, and in which the inlet of the first roll sealing device and the outlet of the third roll sealing device are connected, and/or the roll-sealed chamber and an uppermost stream portion 6 in the rapid cooling zone are connected, and in which the hydrogen concentration in the furnace is controlled to 10% or higher in the rapid cooling zone and is controlled to 10% or lower in the furnace zone at the inlet of the rapid cooling zone.

Abstract: The invention concerns a blow-suction box or equivalent for a paper machine or board machine, which box comprises at least a pressure chamber and which box is placed in the vicinity of a cylinder, roll, or equivalent, from which cylinder, roll or equivalent, a web and/or a wire is/are fitted to run past the box. In connection with the pressure chamber, a nozzle slot has been arranged, out of which a sealing blowing is fitted to be applied towards the cylinder, roll or equivalent and/or towards the web and/or wire running on its face in order to disintegrate the boundary-layer air flow carried along with the web and/or wire. In connection with the nozzle slot, an air guide made of a resilient material has been fitted in order to direct the sealing blowing and to enhance the sealing further.

Abstract: A clamp holds a semiconductor wafer during an Al reflow process. The clamp is made of a ceramic material, and thereby clamp surface roughening which damages semiconductor wafers and other damaging of the wafer caused by the deformation of the clamp are avoided. A sloped surface of the clamp pad can also reduce the damage on the wafer by reducing the contact area between the clamp pad and the wafer. In addition, the clamp has several features that can reduce heat dissipation from the wafer to outside during the Al reflow. Slots formed on the pad reduce the amount of heat conduction through the clamp, and the polished inner surface of the clamp cap reflects the heat radiated from the wafer back to the wafer.

Abstract: In a delivery pipe for pulverized coal fines from a coal mill to a combustion chamber, a device for diffusing unevenly distributed coal flow evenly across the pipe. In a first form, the invention comprises a plurality of static, lateral, linear diffuser elements comprising rows of protrusions or teeth spaced laterally across the coal flow path in the pipe, preferably in a staggered and overlapping relationship. In a second form, the diffuser elements are rotatably mounted across the coal flow path in the pipe, and may be rotated at different speeds and in different directions. The diffuser elements spaced across the coal flow path in the pipe may be supplemented by peripherally-mounted diffuser elements at the inlet of that portion of the pipe or housing to provide an angled pre-diffusion of the coal flow from the sides of the pipe toward the lateral elements extending across the interior of the pipe.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for driving a cylinder in rotation about its longitudinal axis, and includes a ring gear perpendicular to the cylinder axis; truncated rollers arranged on each side of the ring gear, at least one of which is a drive roller; and at least one actuator acting on at least one roller for pressing it on the ring gear. The actuator supports and the roller supports are linked to a common structure capable of moving to respond to the movements and possible direction changes during its operation. The invention is specifically applicable for a rotary furnace for firing minerals.

Abstract: An integrated HVAC system for an automotive vehicle, including mating forward and rearward shells each have mating portions of left and right duct arms for delivering conditioned air therethrough. The mating shells define a central enclosure within which a drop-in heater core module may be operatively placed.

Abstract: A dual isolation valve comprises: a valve body with opposed inlet and outlet ports that defines an inner cavity; a first valve member; and a second valve member. The first valve member (preferably a plug) has a narrower first end and a wider second end and is rotatably mounted within the valve body cavity for rotation about a first axis of rotation substantially perpendicular to the flow axis defined by the inlet and outlet ports. The first valve member includes a substantially rectangular flow passage.

Abstract: A system and process to provide integrated control for the pyrolytic composition of organic (biomass) waste products especially for municipal solid waste systems. The system includes integrated control that monitors biomass waste stream throughout the entire system and the products produced therefrom and includes presorting, controlling the amount of material processed in a continuous manner, shredding, removing moisture in a continuous process that is controlled and providing the waste stream to the distillation unit for pyrolytic action where it is converted into gaseous fuel and a char residue. The gaseous fuel is scrubbed clean and monitored and stored and reused to provide heat to the system. The entire system may be self-sustaining and continuous with very little or no human intervention. An integrated real time computer control system includes sensors and measuring devices with all the major components to ensure integrated efficiency.

Abstract: The products (1) pass from a charging end (2) to a discharging end (3); at the discharging end side, the furnace exhibits a heating zone (4) equipped with air/fuel burners (41), possibly doped with oxygen, and, on the charging end side, exhibits a flue-gas recuperation or drainage zone (5) in which the flue gases are removed. At least one fuel body in the gaseous state is incorporated into the flue gases, and oxygen is introduced upstream of that possibly doped air/fuel burner (41) which is situated furthest upstream when referring to the direction of travel of the products (1), so as to burn the gaseous fuel body and thus raise the temperature in the recuperation zone (5). Possible use for heating steel-making products prior to rolling.

Abstract: A method for producing a lightweight aggregate by treating flyash and sewage sludge. The flyash and sewage sludge are mixed together and agglomerated into pellets. The pelletized agglomerate is fed into a rotary kiln in a direction that is co-current with the flow of fuel and air through the kiln. The rotary kiln includes at least one port air zone near the infeed end of the rotary kiln to introduce port air beneath the bed of pelletized agglomerate feed stock flowing through the rotary kiln. The introduction of port air beneath the material bed causes the volatized combustible matter to burn in the bed of material, which oxidizes the outer shell of the pelletized agglomerate. As the pelletized agglomerate continues to travel through the rotary kiln, bloating occurs within the interior of the material and results in the formation of the lightweight aggregate material.

Abstract: A water heater enclosure and kit having a box-like configuration, with a top panel, a pair of opposing side panels secured to the top panel at upper ends, front and rear braces which secure the lower ends of the side panels together, and a removable access panel. The top panel has a pair of side rails having inverted U-shaped mounting channels which receive and seat upper edges of the pair of side panels. Once seated, bendable upper-joint tabs on the side panels are bent around end flanges of the mounting channels to secure the side panels with the top panel. The front and rear braces have lower-joint tabs which extend into slots on lower corners of the side panels and are also bent to form and maintain the lower joints.

Abstract: An industrial waste and household waste is treated by a pyrolysis step for carbonizing waste containing organic substance in a condition sealed from an air so as to separate to a pyrolysis gas and a pyrolysis residue; a gas cracking step for introducing the pyrolysis gas after the pyrolysis step so as to react an oxide component in the pyrolysis gas through an oxidization reaction and thermally decompose high molecular hydrocarbon in the pyrolysis gas with a heat generated by the oxidization reaction so as to obtain a cracked gas containing low molecular hydrocarbon; a residue cooling step for cooling the pyrolysis residue generated in the pyrolysis step for solidification; a mechanical processing step for crushing and sorting the pyrolysis residue solidified in the residue cooling step so as to obtain a pyrolysis char essentially consisting of pyrolysed organic substance and inorganic components; and a smelting and gasifying step for burning the pyrolysis char obtained in the mechanical processing step at a