Abstract: A process is described for directly converting a high fructose feedstock to a product mixture including one or more lower polyols in which 1,2-propanediol is produced in preference to any other lower polyols, wherein a high fructose feed and a source of hydrogen are supplied to a reaction vessel and reacted in the presence of a copper-containing, supported ruthenium catalyst to provide the product mixture.

Abstract: A method of etherifying glycols or other diols by employing renewable reagents is disclosed. In particular, the method involves contacting a diol with an alkylating agent in an alcoholic solvent, catalyzed with a catalyst (carbonic acid) generated in situ (from CO2). The mono- and di-ether products can serve as valued precursors to an array of renewable surfactants, dispersants, and lubricants, among others.

Abstract: A process is described for making a biobased propylene glycol product at least in part from a carbohydrate-derived feed, wherein a feed comprised of a lactic acid ester is reacted with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst, in a nonaqueous solvent in which lactide may be essentially wholly solubilized at the conditions under which the reaction is carried out, so that lactide does not precipitate out to an extent whereby plugging of the reactor or fouling of the hydrogenation catalyst is observed.

Abstract: A gas burner includes a gas reservoir, a combustion device, and a tilt safety device fluidly connecting to one another. The tilt safety device includes first and second seats including first and second gas passages respectively, an elastomer disposed on the second seat and including a section defining a stop, a control mechanism including a lever adjacent to the elastomer and including a first contact area and at least one second contact area selectively engaging with a pusher which engages with the stop, and a gas flow channel connecting to the second gas passage and a hole extending through the elastomer and the first gas passage and including the first and second ends thereof including the stop disposed therebetween. The first and at least one second contact areas space from the elastomer at first and second heights respectively. The second height is less than the first height.

Abstract: A system and method for compressed-sensing ultrafast photography for two-dimensional dynamic imaging is disclosed. The system and method may capture non-repetitive time-evolving events at up to about 100 billion frames per second. In an aspect, a digital micromirror device (DMD) may be added as the spatial encoding module. By using the DMD and applying the CUP reconstruction algorithm, a conventional 1D streak camera may be transformed to a 2D ultrafast imaging device. The resultant system may capture a single, non-repetitive event at up to 100 billion frames per second with appreciable sequence depths (up to about 350 frames per acquisition). In another aspect, a dichroic mirror may be used to separate signals into two color channels, and may further expand CUP's functionality into the realm of four-dimensional x, y, ?, t ultrafast imaging, maximizing the information content that may be simultaneously acquired from a single instrument.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods for synthesizing 1,2,5,6-hexanetetrol (HTO), 1,6 hexanediol (HDO) and other reduced polyols from C5 and C6 sugar alcohols or R glycosides. The methods include contacting the sugar alcohol or R-glycoside with a copper catalyst, most desirably a Raney copper catalyst with hydrogen for a time, temperature and pressure sufficient to form reduced polyols having 2 to 3 fewer hydoxy groups than the starting material. When the starting compound is a C6 sugar alcohol such as sorbitol or R-glycoside of a C6 sugar such as methyl glucoside, the predominant product is HTO. The same catalyst can be used to further reduce the HTO to HDO.

Abstract: An improved process for making bioderived propylene glycol from a feed composition including at least one of lactic acid, glycerol, a five carbon sugar, a five carbon sugar alcohol, a six carbon sugar and a six carbon sugar alcohol, wherein production of four carbon and higher diols is reduced by adding base after the initiation of the reaction. In preferred embodiments, the process pH and other process conditions are initially established at targeted values for obtaining the highest conversion for a given catalyst consistent with the production of substantially no pentanediol byproducts in the product mixture, and base is added thereafter to control the process pH proximate to the initially targeted value.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods for synthesizing 1,2,5,6-hexanetetrol (HTO), 1,6 hexanediol (HDO) and other reduced polyols from C5 and C6 sugar alcohols or R glycosides. The methods include contacting the sugar alcohol or R-glycoside with a copper catalyst, most desirably a Raney copper catalyst with hydrogen for a time, temperature and pressure sufficient to form reduced polyols having 2 to 3 fewer hydoxy groups than the starting material. When the starting compound is a C6 sugar alcohol such as sorbitol or R-glycoside of a C6 sugar such as methyl glucoside, the predominant product is HTO. The same catalyst can be used to further reduce the HTO to HDO.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods of synthesizing shorter chain polyols. Methods of hydrolyzing polysaccharides are further disclosed. The present invention is also directed towards methods of selectively synthesizing sorbitol.

Abstract: A method and a system for operating a wind turbine (10) during a fault. The system includes a pitch motor for rotating each rotor blade (18), second pitch sensors (72) for determining when the rotor blade (18) is rotated to a set point, and a backup pitch controller (80). After a fault is detected, the method determines whether the wind speed in the vicinity of the wind turbine (10) is less than or greater than or equal to a maximum rated velocity of the wind turbine (10). The backup pitch controller (80) then rotates the rotor blades (18) to a specific set point based on the determination.

Abstract: A gas device with increased fuel evaporation efficiency includes a fuel reservoir with an outlet and a combustion device connecting to the fuel reservoir with a joint, with the joint engaging with the outlet of the fuel reservoir. The combustion device includes a burner head for fuel combustion disposed apart from the joint, with the burner head disposed at different horizontal positions and different vertical positions, and with the burner head disposed at a height from the fuel reservoir lower than a height of the burner head from the fuel reservoir. The combustion device also includes a communication channel interconnecting the joint and the burner head.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for hybrid video encoding. An example method includes: acquiring image information; extracting a background image based at least in part on the image information; detecting whether the background image is stable; and performing encoding switching between a background-based encoding method and a non-background encoding method based at least in part on the detection.

Abstract: A gas burner includes a gas reservoir, a combustion device, and a tilt safety device fluidly connecting to one another. The tilt safety device includes first and second seats including first and second gas passages respectively, an elastomer disposed on the second seat and including a section defining a stop, a control mechanism including a lever adjacent to the elastomer and including a first contact area and at least one second contact area selectively engaging with a pusher which engages with the stop, and a gas flow channel connecting to the second gas passage and a hole extending through the elastomer and the first gas passage and including the first and second ends thereof including the stop disposed therebetween. The first and at least one second contact areas space from the elastomer at first and second heights respectively. The second height is less than the first height.

Abstract: A transistor device may include a substrate that has a recess and a substrate surface, wherein the recess is recessed with respect to the substrate surface. The transistor device may further include a source and a drain that overlap the substrate. The transistor device may further include a gate structure that has a first gate structure portion and a second gate structure portion, wherein the first gate structure portion is positioned inside the recess, and wherein the second gate structure portion is connected to the first gate structure and is positioned outside the first recess.

Abstract: A gas device with increased fuel evaporation efficiency includes a fuel reservoir with an outlet and a combustion device connecting to the fuel reservoir with a joint, with the joint engaging with the outlet of the fuel reservoir. The combustion device includes a burner head for fuel combustion disposed apart from the joint, with the burner head disposed at different horizontal positions and different vertical positions, and with the burner head disposed at a height from the fuel reservoir lower than a height of the burner head from the fuel reservoir. The combustion device also includes a communication channel interconnecting the joint and the burner head.

Abstract: A transistor device may include a substrate that has a recess and a substrate surface, wherein the recess is recessed with respect to the substrate surface. The transistor device may further include a source and a drain that overlap the substrate. The transistor device may further include a gate structure that has a first gate structure portion and a second gate structure portion, wherein the first gate structure portion is positioned inside the recess, and wherein the second gate structure portion is connected to the first gate structure and is positioned outside the first recess.

Abstract: A method for reducing contaminants in the production of a bio-derived glycol product of polyol hydrogenolysis is described. The method involves subjecting an aqueous, polyol product mixture (from the hydrogenolysis conversion of biologically-derived carbohydrate feedstock) to ion-exclusion chromatography to separate and reduce impurities from an eluant fraction containing a desired product, and distilling the eluant fraction to yield the desired product (e.g., propylene glycol or ethylene glycol). The reaction product mixture can be introduced into a continuous ion-exclusion chromatography system to reduce the impurities and produce in a high-throughput manner a finished otherwise commercially acceptable glycol product.

Abstract: A process for regenerating catalysts that have been deactivated or poisoned during hydrogenation of biomass, sugars and polysaccharides is described, in which polymerized species that have agglomerated to catalyst surfaces can be removed by means of washing the catalyst with hot water at subcritical temperatures. A feature of the process regenerates the catalysts in situ, which allows the process to be adapted for used in continuous throughput reactor systems. Also described is a continuous hydrogenation process that incorporated the present regeneration process.

Abstract: A process is described for improving the performance of certain multiphase reaction systems including a solid catalyst, one or more reactants in the gas phase and one or more reactants in the liquid phase, wherein a targeted maximum concentration of a reactant in the liquid phase is identified for providing improved value in terms of byproduct formation, catalyst deactivation and yields of desired products, and this targeted concentration is closely approached and preferably achieved, but not substantially exceeded, downstream in a continuous process or later in time from the initiation of a batch in a semibatch mode of operation of such processes.

Abstract: A method for reducing contaminants in the production of a bio-derived glycol product of polyol hydro-genolysis is described. The method involves subjecting an aqueous, polyol product mixture (from the hydrogenolysis conversion of biologically-derived carbohydrate feedstock) to ion-exclusion chromatography to separate and reduce impurities from an eluant fraction containing a desired product, and distilling the eluant fraction to yield the desired product (e.g., propylene glycol or ethylene glycol). The reaction product mixture can be introduced into a continuous ion-exclusion chromatography system to reduce the impurities and produce in a high-throughput manner a finished otherwise commercially acceptable glycol product.