Abstract: Radial gap measurement on turbines by a microwave measuring method and an evaluation of a Doppler effect which varies according to the size of the radial gap is described. At least one radar sensor embodied as a transmission and reception unit is provided in the wall of a turbine housing which is radially oriented towards the centre of the turbine. The relative speed of an outer end of a turbine blade, dependent on the size of the radial gap, is evaluated many times in relation to the radar sensor during the passage of the blade end past the same, and the course of the relative speed over time on the zero crossing constitutes a measure for the radial gap on the basis of the relation between the absolute value of the relative speed and the incline thereof in the zero crossing.

Abstract: There is described a backscatter system comprised of a base station and of a completely passive transponder. The transponder is capable of reading out quantities from sensors and an energy stand-alone manner, of transmitting the readout quantities to the base station, and to carry out a runtime-based and thus highly precise distance measurement between a completely passive tag and base station. The power supply of the transponder ensues from the radio field emitted by the base station.

Abstract: In order to ignite fuel/air mixtures in at least one combustion chamber of a spark ignition engine, the following steps arc carried out: an HF gas discharge as the main discharge (6) is ignited in order to produce a plasma channel (11) in the region of the border between an ignition element and the combustion chamber, and an HF gas discharge as an auxiliary discharge (5) is previously or, at the most, simultaneously ignited in order to generate a flow (12) oriented towards that of the plasma channel (11). The auxiliary discharge (5) is positioned, from the combustion chamber, behind the main discharge (6), such that the oriented flow (12) presses the plasma channel (11) of the main discharge into the combustion chamber.

Abstract: When recording data to optical media, data to be recorded is selected using a client application. An image mastering application programming interface is provided which is comprised of a collection of COM objects and integrated into the operating system. The plurality of COM objects includes a disc master, a file, a disc recorder, and a burn engine. The data selected for recording is sent through an application format interface to the file that is part of the image mastering application interface. The selected data in the file is recorded to optical media directly from Kernel Mode of the operating system.