Abstract: Apparatus suitable for venting and dispensing gas from an area of ground. The apparatus comprising a passage arrangement locatable in the ground extending generally horizontally and formed from a plurality of self-supporting open units. One or more columns extends downwardly from the passage, the columns being formed of a core material having an open permeable structure. The or each column has a fluid permeable exterior, and is in communication with the passage.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and system that electronically collects monies from donor individuals and organizations and distributes these collected monies to designated charitable and other non-profit organizations such as churches. The donor will supply information related to the identity of the designated recipient organization, the amount or percentage of the donation and the frequency of the donations. At designated donation intervals, the specified or calculated monetary amount is transferred from the donor account to the collecting agency. The funds are then transferred to the recipient organization account by the collecting agency. At the completion of this transfer, both the donor and the recipient organization can receive verification of the amount of the transfer. During the time interval between transfers from the donor account, the donor can modify the information that controls the amount of a monetary transfer and the frequency of the transfers from the donor account.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of supplying a tariff to a tariff recipient, the method comprising the steps of: a) receiving one or more cost curves from one or more suppliers, each cost curve being indicative of variations in the cost of a product or service expected by a respective associated supplier over time; b) receiving a load curve, the load curve being indicative of expected variations in consumption of the product or service over time; c) calculating a tariff from the load curve received in step b) and the cost curve received in step a) in accordance with a predetermined algorithm; and d) transmitting the tariff calculated in step c) to the tariff recipient.

Abstract: Apparatus suitable for venting and dispensing gas from an area of ground. The apparatus comprising a passage arrangement locatable in the ground extending generally horizontally and formed from a plurality of self-supporting open units. One or more columns extends downwardly from the passage, the columns being formed of a core material having an open permeable structure. The or each column has a fluid permeable exterior, and is in communication with the passage.

Abstract: An arc furnace which includes a shell with a hearth, a roof for the shell, the roof including a plurality of segments which are substantially electrically isolated from each other and from the shell, an electrode and a refractory section on the roof, and wherein the refractory section is at least partly electrically conductive.