Abstract: Disclosed herein is a nozzle tip that atomizes a liquid entering a vessel or reaction zone that contains circulating fluidized particulates where the nozzle tip comprises a first elongated slot that intersects with a second elongated slot to define a single orifice. The first elongated slot may have members protruding into it and the slots may intersect substantially orthogonally and bisect each other. The length of the minor axis of the first slot ranges form about 5% to about 50% of the length of the major axis of the first slot and the length of the minor axis of the second slot ranges form about 1% to about 10 % or the major axis of the second slot. This nozzle tip affords erosion reduction caused by the circulating fluidized particulates and therefore provides longer operational lifetimes for the nozzle tip.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a nozzle tip that atomizes a liquid entering a vessel or reaction zone that contains circulating fluidized particulates where the nozzle tip comprises a first elongated slot that intersects with a second elongated slot to define a single orifice. The first elongated slot may have members protruding into it and the slots may intersect substantially orthogonally and bisect each other. The length of the minor axis of the first slot ranges form about 5% to about 50% of the length of the major axis of the first slot and the length of the minor axis of the second slot ranges form about 1% to about 10% or the major axis of the second slot. This nozzle tip affords erosion reduction caused by the circulating fluidized particulates and therefore provides longer operational lifetimes for the nozzle tip.

Abstract: The present invention relates to pre-distortion in transmitter circuits and provides a circuit for introducing pre-distortion into the output of a transmitter, wherein said pre-distortion comprises a pre-cursor, a cursor and a post-cursor, the circuit comprising: a first driver arranged to switch an output drive between said pre-cursor and said cursor; a second driver arranged to switch an output drive between said post-cursor and said cursor; a third driver arranged to switch an output drive between a positive cursor drive and a negative cursor drive. The arrangement provided give flexibility when setting the pre-cursor, cursor and post-cursor levels.

Abstract: A data transfer circuit is provided for sending digital data at high rates across short but significant distances within an integrated circuit. The data is sent on parallel conductors that are divided into a number of groups. At the receiving end, a multiplexer selects each of the groups in turn and presents them at a set of conductors that are the same in number as one of the groups. At the transmitting end, a data marshalling circuit takes the bitstream to be transmitted and places it on the conductors in a particular redundant fashion so that the bitstream appears to advance across the set of outputs of the multiplexer. That is particularly useful where those outputs are presented to a pre-emphasis filter and line driver. The apparent data rate can be changed by making two or more of the groups of conductors have identical data.

Abstract: A reference circuit. Included are first and second reference circuit blocks, first and second controllable current sources connected to supply current through the first and second reference circuit blocks respectively, an amplifier having non-inverting and inverting inputs responsive to the voltages developed by the first and second reference circuit blocks respectively and having an output connected to control the currents provided by the first and second current sources, and an output stage having a reference output controlled by the output of the amplifier. The reference circuit further comprises start-up circuitry, including a latch having an output indicating its state and being responsive to a signal indicative of the output from the reference output to latch from a first state into a second state when that signal passes a first threshold, and a switch that is responsive to the output of the latch to supply a control signal.

Abstract: There is provided a power supply monitor circuit comprising a positive supply monitoring input, a negative supply monitoring input, and a voltage divider connected between the positive and negative supply monitoring inputs and having an intermediate node providing a potential intermediate those on the positive and negative supply monitoring inputs. A sampling circuit is connected to sample the potential at each of the positive supply input the negative supply input and the intermediate node. Also provided is a method of monitoring noise on a power supply whereby phase information from those samples is derived about the noise signals at the two said points.

Abstract: A data transfer circuit is provided for sending digital data at high rates across short but significant distances within an integrated circuit. The data is sent on parallel conductors that are divided into a number of groups. At the receiving end, a multiplexer selects each of the groups in turn and presents them at a set of conductors that are the same in number as one of the groups. At the transmitting end, a data marshalling circuit takes the bitstream to be transmitted and places it on the conductors in a particular redundant fashion so that the bitstream appears to advance across the set of outputs of the multiplexer. That is particularly useful where those outputs are presented to a pre-emphasis filter and line driver. The apparent data rate can be changed by making two or more of the groups of conductors have identical data.

Abstract: The present invention relates to pre-distortion in transmitter circuits and provides a circuit for introducing pre-distortion into the output of a transmitter, wherein said pre-distortion comprises a pre-cursor, a cursor and a post-cursor, the circuit comprising: a first driver arranged to switch an output drive between said pre-cursor and said cursor; a second driver arranged to switch an output drive between said post-cursor and said cursor; a third driver arranged to switch an output drive between a positive cursor drive and a negative cursor drive. The arrangement provided give flexibility when setting the pre-cursor, cursor and post-cursor levels.

Abstract: A method for process control, said method comprising: (a) providing a computational fluid dynamics model of a first process, (b) inputting to the computational fluid dynamics model data on the feed to said first process, said data representing the situation at an initial time t0, such that the model generates a real-time simulation of one or more properties of said first process at a future time, t2, and (c) using the simulation for control of said first process or for control of a second process to which the first process is linked.

Abstract: A reference circuit. Included are first and second reference circuit blocks, first and second controllable current sources connected to supply current through the first and second reference circuit blocks respectively, an amplifier having non-inverting and inverting inputs responsive to the voltages developed by the first and second reference circuit blocks respectively and having an output connected to control the currents provided by the first and second current sources, and an output stage having a reference output controlled by the output of the amplifier.

Abstract: The present invention provides a reactor design that enables an auto-thermal cracking process to be conducted at any suitable pressure wherein the gaseous reactants are preheated separately before mixing and then presented to the reaction zone in a uniformly distributed manner.

Abstract: There is provided a power supply monitor circuit comprising a positive supply monitoring input, a negative supply monitoring input, and a voltage divider connected between the positive and negative supply monitoring inputs and having an intermediate node providing a potential intermediate those on the positive and negative supply monitoring inputs. A sampling circuit is connected to sample the potential at each of the positive supply input the negative supply input and the intermediate node. Also provided is a method of monitoring noise on a power supply whereby phase information from those samples is derived about the noise signals at the two said points.

Abstract: A process for the oxidation of a hydrocarbon, said process comprising partially oxidising in a reaction zone, a mixture comprising a hydrocarbon and an oxygen-containing gas in the presence of a catalyst which is capable of supporting oxidation of the hydrocarbon, wherein prior to said partial oxidation, said mixture comprising the hydrocarbon and the oxygen-containing gas is passed through a heat exchanger. Preferably the heat exchanger is a compact heat exchanger. Prior to passage through the heat exchanger a mixture of hydrocarbon and oxygen-containing gas may be passed through a baffle zone which comprises a housing containing at least one baffle plate. In a preferred embodiment, the invention relates to a process for the production of an olefin such as ethylene by the catalytic oxidative dehydrogenation of a hydrocarbon or mixture of hydrocarbons.

Abstract: The present invention provides a support grid having the form of a web of vertically disposed plates said web of plates comprising (a) a network of strands of plate segments connected by junctions, the said strands terminating only at the periphery of the grid, and (b) one or more internal plate branches, each plate segment being joined at one end to a junction with at least two other plate segments and at the other end either being joined to a junction with at least two other plate segments or terminating at or near C the periphery of the grid, said internal branch comprising a plate having a free end within the grid and being joined at one end thereof to a segment or to another branch, characterised in that in horizontal cross-section through the grid each segment has at least two angular and/or curved portions which alternate in direction.

Abstract: A driver amplifier for a bus feeds single polarity signals of controlled slew rate to the bus. The slew rate control is effected by a feedback capacitor connected from the output to the input of the amplifier. A clamp is provided for selectively connecting the input of the amplifier through a low impedance path to a point of reference voltage so that when the amplifier is quiescent signals on the bus cannot be fed through the capacitor to turn on the amplifier. A current source and a switchable current sink are connected to the input of the amplifier to change the capacitor to produce the slew rate controlled transitions. Another driver amplifier of the same design but using components of the opposite conductivity type can be used to apply signals of the opposite polarity to the same bus.

Abstract: The present invention relates a process for uniformly mixing heterogeneous or multiphase systems comprising a continuous phase and at least a solid, dispersed phase in a pulsatile flow reactor (PUFR) as herein defined wherein the uniform mixing is carried out by actuating means for pulsing the continuous phase. The PUFR can be used in its horizontal or vertical orientation. The PUFR is useful for example to carry out the catalytic polymerization of olefins in a heterogeneous phase.

Abstract: There is described a semiconductor switch device having two semiconductor components, the first component receiving drive signals from the second. The first component contains either a single power bipolar switch element for single ended control of the energisation of a load or a bridge of such elements enabling energisation of a load with different polarities. The switch elements, which may be transistors or darlington multiple transistors, have voltage dropping elements connected in the leads to their control bases, so that the drive signals from the second component can be produced by low impedance connection to one or the other supply conductor, thereby keeping the power dissipation of the second component to a low value. The voltage dropping elements may be a series resistor or a constant current circuit.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for effecting mass or heat transfer between the bulk of a fluid and a transfer surface boundary layer comprises a conduit having transverse baffles spaced apart from the transfer surface such that vortex mixing is induced in fluid passed along the conduit in pulsed flow. The transfer surface may be a membrane suitable for microfiltration, ultrafiltration or pervaporation.

Abstract: A voltage overstress protection device consists of a four-layer diode having a buried region of higher impurity concentration adjacent the central junction of the device. The buried region is divided into a plurality of small regions to ensure an even distribution of energy dissipation across the structure. The cathode of the device may be perforated by shorting dots of the material of the second layer to determine the holding current of the device, and where this is done the small buried regions are aligned with parts of the cathode and not with the shorting dots. Two devices may be formed in opposite senses in the same body of semiconductor material and connected together in antiparallel to provide protection against voltage surges of either polarity. Two antiparallel pairs of devices may be formed in a single semiconductor body to provide protection against separate voltage surges on two lines and also against different voltage surges between the two lines.

Abstract: There is described a semiconductor switch device having two semiconductor components, the first component receiving drive signals from the second. The first component contains either a single power bipolar switch element for single ended control of the energization of a load or a bridge of such elements enabling energization of a load with different polarities. The switch elements, which may be transistors or darlington multiple transistors, have voltage dropping means connected in the leads to their control bases, so that the drive signals from the second component can be produced by low impedance connection to one or other supply connductor, thereby keeping the power dissipation of the second component to a low value. The voltage dropping means may be a series resistor or a constant current circuit.