Abstract: This invention relates to a method and apparatus for high-speed fluid flow control. More particularly, the invention is directed to a valve formed, at least in part, of an actuating material, such as piezoelectric or anti-ferro-electric material. The valve is used for controlling fluid flow (including air flow) in a variety of devices including imaging devices (e.g. printers, copiers, etc.) for which air flow is used to handle paper. In one embodiment, the subject valve takes advantage of the phenomenon of buckling, resultant bistability and other structural mechanics to efficiently, and in a high-speed manner, open and close to regulate fluid flow. In another embodiment, the valve includes implementation of the actuating material to bend an s-shaped blocking element within the valve. The valve is also advantageously implemented in matrices and formed using batch fabrication techniques.

Abstract: A low cost, reusable electric paper that uses ferrofluidic colored fluids and an external magnetic writing instrument. The paper can be formed from laminated rolls of polymeric media that are roller die cut, inked, aligned, bonded and cut to an appropriate size. The paper is formed from layers that define a hidden reservoir and a visible reservoir for each of an array of print cells that form a grid on the paper. A ferrofluidic coloring fluid is permanently contained within the paper and can move from the hidden reservoir to the visible reservoir. The size of the cells define the resolution of the paper. Initially, the paper appears white. However, after passing a writing instrument, such as a stylus, over desired print cells, these cells switch from a first hidden bistable state to a second visible bistable state. In the second visible bistable state, the ferrofluidic coloring fluid forms a desired image in a desired color or colors.

Abstract: Fine-grained aragonite precipitated calcium carbonate is produced on a commercial scale by seeding with a coarse-grained aragonite precipitated calcium carbonate. The coarse-grained seeding material is produced by interrupting, after the production of 0.1 to 0.6 g/L min. of calcium carbonate, the supply of carbon dioxide to the quicklime slurry early in the reaction to allow subsequent nucleation of the crystals and then continuing the supply of carbon dioxide at reaction rates of 0.1 g/L min. to 0.6 g/L min. This coarse-grained seeding material has a Blaine surface area which may be less than 30,000 cm.sup.2 /g, the solids of which are 35 to 70 weight percent aragonite, and is added to subsequent batches as a slurry at about 1 weight percent, based on the total weight of the slurry of the material to be seeded. For the seeded batches, carbonation is carried out at reaction rates of up to 1.8 g/L min. at the commercial scale resulting in fine-grained aragonite product.

Abstract: A decoupling mechanism is provided for passively or actively decoupling an exhaust from a modular air transport system by diverting an amount of air exiting a channel in a first module in a direction other than the process direction through use of the Coanda effect. This decouples the amount of air from a downstream module. This is achieved by providing edge surfaces of the channel outlet, formed on top and bottom plates of the first air module, so that one of the two edge surfaces has a larger radius of curvature than the other. An air vent formed by a gap between the other of the edges and the second module is also provided to assist in the Coanda effect.