Abstract: Proposed is a cheap and durable high-temperature heat store which utilizes ambient air as a heat carrier medium and which is at least partially filled with a granular and/or porous storage medium (6).

Abstract: A process for lowering the carbon content in ash includes introducing the ash having a carbon content of 1 to 20 wt.-% into a reactor where the ash is burnt at a temperature between 700 and 1100° C. Fuel is also introduced into the reactor. During combustion, microwave radiation is fed into the reactor. At least part of the energy released during the combustion is recovered.

Abstract: A process for producing metal oxide from metal salts includes cleaning a metal salt in a filter. After cleaning, the metal salt is dried in a drying apparatus. Steam is formed in the drying apparatus. The metal salt is preheated in at least one preheating stage. The metal salt is calcined to metal oxide in a fluidized-bed reactor. The metal oxide is cooled. The steam formed in the drying apparatus is recirculated into the filter.

Abstract: A method for carbon deposition using a pulsed, plasma-supported vacuum arc discharge, having an anode, a target cathode made of carbon, a pulsed energy source and at least two ignition units. The at least two ignition units are positioned in the edge area of target cathode and each have two planar metallic electrodes and a planar ceramic insulator positioned between the electrodes. The planar shape of ignition units and their positioning on target cathode enables homogeneous utilization of the entire target surface and homogeneous coating of workpieces.

Abstract: A process for producing metal oxide from a metal salt includes supplying a first part of the metal salt to a hydrate drier so as to indirectly heat the first part of the metal salt in the hydrate drier using a heat transfer medium from a first stage of a multi-stage indirect cooler so as to dry the first part of the metal salt in the hydrate drier and so as to control a waste gas temperature of the process. A second part of the metal salt is guided as a partial stream past the hydrate drier. The metal salt is preheated in a first preheating stage and precalcined in a second preheating stage. The metal salt and a fluidizing gas having a temperature of 150° C. or less are supplied to a fluidized bed reactor so as to calcine the metal salt to form a metal oxide product. The metal oxide product is cooled in at least one suspension heat exchanger and then in the multi-stage indirect cooler.

Abstract: A process for producing metal oxide from metal salts includes cleaning a metal salt in a filter. After cleaning, the metal salt is dried in a drying apparatus. Steam is formed in the drying apparatus. The metal salt is preheated in at least one preheating stage. The metal salt is calcined to metal oxide in a fluidized-bed reactor. The metal oxide is cooled. The steam formed in the drying apparatus is recirculated into the filter.

Abstract: A pump piston and/or elements sealing the pump piston, in particular a sealing ring of elastomeric material with an additionally applied coating are/is proposed. To improve the durability characteristics, the pump piston and/or the elements sealing the pump piston have a coating which is formed at least predominantly of halogen-, silicon-, carbon-containing and/or metal-organic monomers. Furthermore, a device and a method for coating an object of elastomeric material utilizing a plasma are proposed.

Abstract: A process for heat treatment of fine-grained mineral solids includes passing fine-grained mineral solids through a flash reactor so as to contact the fine-grained mineral solids with hot gases in the flash reactor at a temperature of 450 to 1500° C. so as to obtain hot solids. The hot solids arc passed through a residence time reactor at a temperature of 500 to 890° C. The hot solids are withdrawn from the residence time reactor after a residence time of 1 to 600 minutes. A waste gas of the residence time reactor is recirculated to at least one of the flash reactor and a preheating stage.

Abstract: A process for refining raw materials containing oil and/or bitumen includes supplying the raw materials to a reactor. The reactor is operated under a pressure of from 0.001 to 1 bar and at a reactor temperature of from 300 to 1000° C. so as to volatize fuel gases and obtain solids and non-evaporated fractions of heavy hydrocarbons. The solids and non-evaporated fractions of heavy hydrocarbons are introduced into a furnace. The non-evaporated fractions of heavy hydrocarbons are burned in the furnace at a furnace temperature of from 600 to 1500° C. so as to obtain hot solids in the furnace. The hot solids are recirculated from the furnace into the reactor. An oxidizing atmosphere of the furnace is separated from an atmosphere of the reactor by a sealing device.

Abstract: For refining oil-containing solids, in particular oil sand or oil shale, there is proposed a process with the following steps: supplying the oil-containing solids to a reactor and expelling an oil-containing vapor at a temperature of 300 to 1000° C., supplying the oil-containing vapor expelled in the reactor to a cracker, in which the heavy oil components are broken down, separating the products obtained in the cracker and withdrawing the product streams, introducing the solids left in the reactor including the unevaporated fraction of heavy hydrocarbons into a furnace, burning the heavy hydrocarbons left in the solids in the furnace at a temperature of 600 to 1500° C., preferably 1050 to 1200° C., recirculating hot solids from the furnace into the reactor, wherein the oxidizing atmosphere of the furnace is separated from the atmosphere of the reactor by a blocking device.

Abstract: A method and device for sterilizing containers in which a plasma treatment is executed through excitation of an electromagnetic oscillation so that the plasma is excited in a vacuum in the vicinity of the container regions to be sterilized. Between arrival and discharge, the container regions to be sterilized are moved closer to the oscillation-generating device in the chamber, with continuous movement of the container and/or of the oscillation-generating device for one or more predetermined time intervals in such a way that a plasma is excited in these regions inside and/or outside the container. The chamber is provided with a transport apparatus inside it, which produces an essentially rotating motion of the container during the transport from the arrival to the discharge in the chamber.

Abstract: A pump piston and/or elements sealing the pump piston, in particular a sealing ring of elastomeric material with an additionally applied coating are/is proposed. To improve the durability characteristics, the pump piston and/or the elements sealing the pump piston have a coating which is formed at least predominantly of halogen-, silicon-, carbon-containing and/or metal-organic monomers. Furthermore, a device and a method for coating an object of elastomeric material utilizing a plasma are proposed.

Abstract: A method and device for sterilizing containers in which a plasma treatment is executed through excitation of an electromagnetic oscillation so that the plasma is excited in a vacuum in the vicinity of the container regions to be sterilized. Between arrival and discharge, the container regions to be sterilized are moved closer to the oscillation-generating device in the chamber, with continuous movement of the container and/or of the oscillation-generating device for one or more predetermined time intervals in such a way that a plasma is excited in these regions inside and/or outside the container. The chamber is provided with a transport apparatus inside it, which produces an essentially rotating motion of the container during the transport from the arrival to the discharge in the chamber.

Abstract: A pump piston and/or elements sealing the pump piston, in particular a sealing ring of elastomeric material with an additionally applied coating are/is proposed. To improve the durability characteristics, the pump piston and/or the elements sealing the pump piston have a coating which is formed at least predominantly of halogen-, silicon-, carbon-containing and/or metal-organic monomers. Furthermore, a device and a method for coating an object of elastomeric material utilizing a plasma are proposed.

Abstract: A subassembly of an internal combustion engine is described, in particular an injection system or a fuel injector having a tribologically stressed component, in particular an injection needle, having a surface area which moves relative to a mating body during operation and is thus tribologically stressed, the surface area having an at least mostly an inorganic hard material coating. The subassembly is suitable in particular for use in an internal combustion engine which is operated with a dry gas such as natural gas or hydrogen as the fuel or under oil-free and/or water-free combustion conditions. In addition, a gas engine having such a subassembly is described.

Abstract: The invention is based on a method for coating at least one wiper blade element (10) made of an elastomer material, in which first, the surface of the wiper blade element (10) is cleaned and activated by means of a plasma, and then in a CVD process, a coating material is brought into a plasma state and at least one protective coating (64) forms on the surface of the wiper blade element (10), where a high-frequency voltage is applied to the region of the wiper blade element (10) oriented away from the protective layer (64) by means of an electrode (56). The invention proposes that before being brought into a treatment chamber (32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 74), the wiper blade element (10) be cut to a useful length (66) from a profiled band and placed on an electrode plate (56) so that its wiper lip (18) stands approximately perpendicular to the electrode plate (56), which extends to both sides of the wiper blade element (10), and is subjected to a plasma flow (50).

Abstract: Simple and multipurpose traffic information is made possible by a method for selecting traffic information which is to be sent to a mobile wireless terminal from a traffic information center and which pertains to a geographic area of a road traffic network selected on the mobile wireless terminal side and/or selected based on the position of the mobile wireless terminal. On the basis of selection information representing the selection of a geographic area, map information pertaining to the selected area is selected in the traffic information center from a digital map of a traffic network, which digital map is available in the traffic information center. On the basis of the selection information, traffic status information pertaining to the geographic area of the road traffic network and representing the traffic status on road sections of the road traffic network are selected from the traffic status information available in the traffic information center.

Abstract: The invention is based on a method for coating at least one wiper blade element (10) made of an elastomer material, in which first, the surface of the wiper blade element (10) is cleaned and activated by means of a plasma, and then in a CVD process, a coating material is brought into a plasma state and at least one protective coating (64) forms on the surface of the wiper blade element (10), where a high-frequency voltage is applied to the region of the wiper blade element (10) oriented away from the protective layer (64) by means of an electrode (56).

Abstract: An apparatus is proposed for producing a plasma polymer protective layer on workpieces, in particular headlamp reflectors (10), which has a coating chamber (18) into which a polymerizable monomer can be introduced and in which microwaves produce, in the region of the magnetic field of permanent magnets, a plasma for depositing the polymer protective layer on the workpieces held on the workpiece carriers (11). The permanent magnets are arranged on the workpiece carriers (11). Furthermore, there is provided a transport device (12) which conveys the workpiece carriers (11) through the coating chamber (18), which transport device possesses a return line, having a cleaning station (22), for the workpiece carriers (11) outside the coating chamber (18) for returning the workpiece carriers (11) from the exit to the entrance of the coating chamber. By this means, the known ECR coating process can, with continuous cleaning of the magnets, be used in an in-line process.

Abstract: An apparatus for treating substrates, in particular for applying a protective layer to the surface of optical reflectors (17) in a microwave-generated gas-supported plasma (16), which comprises a vacuum bell jar (1, 2), which is preferably of drum-type design and has a gas inlet (6), for receiving the substrates (17) to be treated. The vacuum bell jar has a passage window (7) sealed by a quartz-glass pane (8) or the like, for the microwave energy generated by a generator (11) disposed outside the bell jar (1, 2). The microwave energy is injected into the interior of the bell jar (1, 2) by a microwave aerial (12) adjoining the window (7).