Abstract: A method of processing medical waste which includes the steps of continuously feeding medical waste into a tube and heating the medical waste passing through the tube with electromagnetic radiation so as to heat and disinfect the medical waste.

Abstract: A heater control apparatus wherein a voltage level of the power supply is discriminated by an input voltage discrimination circuit, and in case that an input voltage applied by an AC power supply is the lowest level, the heater is excited by a current corresponding to a full-wave of the input voltage. In case that the input voltage applied by an AC power supply is a level other than the lowest level, the heater is excited by a current substantially equal to that in the case of the input voltage of the lowest level. The exciting current control circuit is composed of a bridge diode, a current limiting resistor for limiting a current flow from the AC power supply, a Zener diode for setting an input voltage discrimination standard value for discriminating a level of the input voltage, a photo coupler for generating an input voltage discrimination signal, and an exciting current signal generating circuit for generating an exciting current signal.

Abstract: Cooling device with panels for electric arc furnaces, employed in an electric furnace in cooperation with the vertical sidewall located above the lower shell (11) of the furnace and/or with the roof (18), the furnace comprising a lower shell (11) to contain the bath of liquid metal (12) and an overhead upper shell defined by a plurality of panels (16) consisting of cooling tubes (17), the upper shell being covered by the roof (18), the lower shell (11) including a containing element (15) made of metal on the outer part, the internal refractory including an upper edge (11a) located approximately at the upper line of the layer of slag (14) present above the bath of molten metal (12), each panel (16) including an outer layer (19a), an intermediate layer (19b) and at least an inner layer (19c) of cooling tubes (17), the layers developing vertically along the vertical sidewall of the furnace above the refractory edge of the lower shell (11), the cooling tubes (17), the layers developing vertically along the vertic

Abstract: A heating device suitable for use as a fixing means for fixing a toner image onto a recording medium in, e.g., an electrophotographic image forming apparatus is provided so as to provide images free from image blurring or fixing failure while improving the anti-offset performance. The heating device includes a heating member, and a heat-resistant film having a first surface to be moved relative to and in contact with the heating member and a second surface to be in contact with a member to be heated, so that the member to be heated and the heat-resistant film are moved together over the heating member to heat the member to be heated. The heat-resistant film comprises at least a base layer and an elastic layer, wherein the elastic layer contains a filler exhibiting a thermal conductivity of at least 0.04 cal/cm.sec. °C.

Abstract: A blood pump preferably has a magnetically suspended rotor that rotates within a housing. The rotor may rotate about a stator disposed within the housing. Radial magnetic bearings may be defined within the stator and the rotor in order to suspend the rotor. The radial magnetic bearings may be passive magnetic bearings that include permanent magnets disposed within the stator and the rotor or active magnetic bearings. The pump may further include an axial magnetic bearing that may be either a passive or an active magnetic bearing. A motor that drives the rotor may be disposed within the housing in order to more easily dissipate heat generated by the motor. A primary flow path is defined between the rotor and the stator, and a secondary flow path is defined between the stator and the rotor. Preferably, a substantial majority of blood passes through the primary flow path.

Abstract: A consumable electrode is suspended by a stub. The stub includes upper and lower hangers between which is vertically mounted a loadcell for weighing the electrode attached to the lower hanger. An electrical conductor is joined between the upper and lower hangers for carrying electrical current therebetween to power the electrode without damaging the loadcell.

Abstract: Fine metallic particles are melted in a furnace having an upper region surrounded by a crucible coil and a lower region forming a channel holding a core of a channel inductor. The particles are filled from above into the vessel while simultaneously electrically energizing the inductor with alternating current to inductively heat and fuse the particles and thereby form a melt in the vessel and electrically energizing the coil with alternating current to mix the melt in the vessel while energizing the inductor.

Abstract: The invention relates to a heating device for a moveable part of a motor vehicle such as an automobile which can be held, such as a steering wheel. The heater is connected to a source of electrical energy in a stationary part of the vehicle by a contact unit having a stator and a rotor. A voltage converter of the heating device is provided in the stationary part of the vehicle, before the contact unit or in the stator of the contact unit. The voltage converter enables the generation of a higher voltage than the normal 12 volt standard voltage of the vehicle.

Abstract: A ceramic heater that may be used in an oxygen sensor for automotive air-fuel ratio control systems and includes a ceramic square rod formed with a laminate of a heater substrate on which a heater-patterned layer consisting of a heater element and leads is formed and a covering substrate covering the heater-patterned layer. Metallic terminals are connected electrically to the leads of the heater-patterned layer, respectively, and mounted on surfaces of the ceramic square rod opposed to each other in a direction of lamination of the heater substrate and the covering substrate, respectively. At least one outer lead is joined to one of the metallic terminals through a bonding layer.

Abstract: This invention provides a ceramic heater comprising a core, an insulation layer and a resistance heating element of high-melting metal as embedded between the core and insulation layer, wherein the operating temperature is not less than 300° C., the insulation layer comprising a sintered compact composed of 88 to 95 weight % of Al2O3 supplemented with, as sintering aids, 3 to 10 weight % of SiO2, 0.4 to 1.0 weight % of MgO and 1.0 to 2.5 weight % of CaO and having a density of not less than 3.60 and a thickness of 100 to 300 &mgr;m.

Abstract: An electric arc furnace is provided for the production of steel by melting metal between electrodes. The electric arc furnace comprises gas injectors provided with respective cooling chambers placed in a wall of the furnace, wherein at least one single chamber is associated with at least two injectors in order to cool each injector. Each injector is angled in a manner appropriate with respect to a corresponding gas injected thereby and to a corresponding function thereof, wherein the orientation axes of the injectors are not parallel.

Abstract: A soft heater utilizing metal fiber containing, carbon, metal or conductive ink coated threads, embroidered on, laminated between or woven into a nonconductive substrate to form electrical heating circuits. The heating element may be manufactured in a form of strip, sheet, sleeve or strand of threads for incorporation into plurality of articles. The soft heating element core may contain localized treatment such as positive temperature coefficient (PTC) material for temperature self-limiting control. The electrode conductors are attached to said heating element core which is connected in parallel or in series. The heating element core is shaped in a desired pattern. The whole assembly is sealed by at least one electrically insulated layer which envelopes the strips, sheets, sleeves, ropes or strands of threads.

Abstract: A sporting equipment warmer adapted to receive a first piece of sporting equipment that imparts or receives energy to another object for raising the temperature of at least a portion of the first piece of sporting equipment. The warmer includes a rechargeable, microwaveable heat source positioned within the interior chamber of the warmer. The first piece of sporting equipment is positioned within the interior chamber of the warming shell, and the heat pack provides a source of heat energy for transfer from the heat pack to the first piece of sporting equipment. The heat pack raises the temperature of the first piece of sporting equipment through convective and conductive heat transfer mechanisms. The warming shell can be sized and shaped to accommodate a specific piece of sporting equipment, and is particularly well suited for use with a baseball or softball bat, a baseball or softball, a golf club head, or a golf ball.

Abstract: The present invention is directed toward a method for plasma assisted laser surface alloying. Specifically, the present invention is directed toward a method for surface alloying using a laser beam having a rectangular cross sectional area and a plasma arc, in order to produce an alloyed substrate on the surface of the material.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for the detection of dental caries. The method comprises the steps of placing at least one probe electrode in electrical contact with a surface of a patient's tooth, placing a second electrode in electrical contact with another part of the body of the patient, passing an alternating electrical current between said probe and second electrodes, and measuring the electrical impedance between the electrodes.

Abstract: Device to cool and protect a cathode in an electric arc furnace, wherein the cathode comprises at least a consumable column, a structure, hollow on the inside and containing a cooling liquid, arranged around the column and provided with a first lower chamber in which a liquid is suitable to evaporate and a second upper chamber in which the condensation of steam is suitable to occur, at least two vertical conduits being provided to connect the two chambers.

Abstract: A power source for an arc furnace having an intermediate circuit transformer including a magnetic decoupled booster transformer and an AC main-driven converter. Such a power source comprises a current controller and a zero voltage switch. The current controller and the zero voltage switch are integrated in the intermediate circuit transformer. The zero voltage switch short-circuits the main reactance of the booster transformer whenever the current controller faces a current cut off and is blocked.

Abstract: An assembly includes a tapping device for flow therethrough of molten material and a cooled inductor to be connected to an electrical source and mounted with respect to the tapping device to be inductively coupled to one of the tapping device and the molten material flowing therethrough. The inductor includes an electrically conductive induction coil having therethrough at least one cooling passage. Each cooling passage has connected thereto at least one supply line for supply thereto of cooling fluid and at least one discharge line for discharge therefrom of the cooling fluids.

Abstract: A heat treatment table is divided into two or more regions, a heater is disposed for each region. On a predetermined portion of the heat treatment table, a plurality of sensors are disposed separately each other. A relation between temperatures of the respective portions on the heat treatment table and temperatures detected by the sensors is grasped in advance, thereby enables to surmise a temperature of the respective portion of the heat treatment table from the temperature detected by the sensors. In the case of an wafer being actually treated by placing on the heat treatment table, the temperatures detected by the sensors are observed, from these detected temperatures, the temperatures of the respective portions on the heat treatment table, that is, temperatures affecting the wafer, are surmised.

Abstract: A sleeve heater is made by first cutting in one face of a flat metal plate a continuous groove and then fitting to the groove a heater wire with at least one end of the wire projecting past an edge of the plate. The plate is then plastically deformed with the wire to a tubular shape centered on an axis with the one face directed radially inward. The installation on a body to be heated is completed by fitting the deformed plate over the body to be heated and tightening the plate on the body to grip it snugly. The plate is formed of a heat-conducting metal, for instance brass, copper, or aluminum. The face of the plate from which the wire projects is directed radially inward so the wire directly engages the body. The tightener, which can be a band that circumferentially surrounds the sleeve or fittings provided at edges of the sleeve, bridges edges of the plate.