Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a housing. The housing has a top portion with an opening. The housing has a bottom portion having a plurality of discharge openings arranged around a center piece of the bottom portion. A plurality of support members are disposed in an interior of the housing, each extending from an edge of the top portion proximate to the opening to the center piece of the bottom portion. The housing has a plurality of blade receptacles, each of which has a first section disposed in the top portion and a second section extending along an edge of one of the plurality of support members. The housing has first, second, third, and fourth side portions. The apparatus comprises a plurality of blades, each of the plurality of blades disposed in a respective one of the plurality of blade receptacles of the housing.

Abstract: In one aspect, the present invention comprises providing an additive or aggregate to be applied directly to one or more of the components of a ceramic coating and which is constituted by carbonate apatites particles which are maintained as aggregates within a matrix of silicoaluminates at firing temperatures of the ceramic coatings, where the main function of these aggregates is to provide the ceramic coating properties selected from the group comprising: low effusivity, wear resistance, resistance to chemical attack and resistance to staining. In other aspects, the present invention comprises providing a ceramic coating incorporating said additive and a method for providing a ceramic coating with properties selected from the group comprising: low effusivity, wear resistance, resistance to chemical attack and resistance to staining.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a housing. The housing has a top portion with an opening. The housing has a bottom portion having a plurality of discharge openings arranged around a center piece of the bottom portion. A plurality of support members are disposed in an interior of the housing, each extending from an edge of the top portion proximate to the opening to the center piece of the bottom portion. The housing has a plurality of blade receptacles, each of which has a first section disposed in the top portion and a second section extending along an edge of one of the plurality of support members. The housing has first, second, third, and fourth side portions. The apparatus comprises a plurality of blades, each of the plurality of blades disposed in a respective one of the plurality of blade receptacles of the housing.

Abstract: In one aspect, the present invention comprises providing an additive or aggregate to be applied directly to one or more of the components of a ceramic coating and which is constituted by carbonate apatites particles which are maintained as aggregates within a matrix of silicoaluminates at firing temperatures of the ceramic coatings, where the main function of these aggregates is to provide the ceramic coating properties selected from the group comprising: low effusivity, wear resistance, resistance to chemical attack and resistance to staining. In other aspects, the present invention comprises providing a ceramic coating incorporating said additive and a method for providing a ceramic coating with properties selected from the group comprising: low effusivity, wear resistance, resistance to chemical attack and resistance to staining.

Abstract: A linear fluid impulse engine enables efficient conversion of the kinetic energy of large volume flows of fluid at low velocity into useful work. The linear fluid impulse engine uses symmetrically curved blades that are mounted to continuous power transmission belts that revolve on a pair of axles. The blades move in substantially linear paths on both the upstream and downstream sides of the inter-axle plane, which extends between the axes of the shafts. A linear cascade of stationary mid-plane guidevanes, located between the two sets of moving blade cascades, acts as a row of nozzles, accelerating the fluid so that it interacts with the downstream blade cascade with the proper velocity characteristics of an impulse device. Water entering the upstream blade cascade may be accelerated by stationary guidevanes to enable impulse operation.

Abstract: This invention relates to an intrinsically conducting polymer (ICP), a plastics based electrode and a method for making such an electrode. In particular, the plastics based electrode comprises a plastic strip of cellulose acetate acting as a substrate with a thin coating of intrinsically conducting poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) and poly (4-styrnesulphonate) (i.e. PEDOT/PSS) polymer comprising an amount of vinylacetate/ethylene copolymer. The plastics based electrode may be used in apparatus for the detection of dental caries.

Abstract: A method of handling hot particulate material including the steps of producing a flow of liquid coolant in which there is substantially no increase in the width of flow with increasing depth; introducing hot particulate material into the path of flow of coolant to create a temporary barrier arresting the flow of coolant; and allowing accumulated coolant to breach the barrier and carry away with it particulate material of the temporary barrier.