Abstract: Two human MATER proteins as well as their use for fertility disorders, therapy and diagnosis are described.

Abstract: Two human MATER proteins as well as their use for fertility disorders, therapy and diagnosis are described.

Abstract: A method of autoclaving porous piece-goods, by steam under pressure, wherein the autoclaving operation includes sequential phases of heating with steam, holding, and then relaxing the pressure and temperature, wherein the holding phase includes a drying process. In order to obtain as dry a product as possible with the smallest possible energy input, it is provided that a drying process is carried out within the holding phase in which the autoclave is heated more than to compensate for heat losses and to a temperature above the temperature of vaporization of the water so that the material is dried by controlled discharge of steam from the interior of the autoclave. The steam discharged from one or more autoclaves during the drying process is used to heat up at least partially an autoclave to be heated.

Abstract: A dry cooling installation for coke includes an upright cooling shaft having an upper inlet for coke to be cooled and a lower inlet for a recirculating counterstream of cooling gas. Two gas discharge ducts are connected at two opposite points to the cooling shaft and communicate respectively with dust separators. A waste gas heat boiler is arranged between the separator and communicates with the same so as to receive clean gas in a direction which is substantially perpendicular to the movement of separated dust particles.

Abstract: Method for gasifying carbonaceous fine-grained or sludgy material, such as powdered brown coal or biomass, in fixed bed reactors. Carbonaceous material to be gasified is pre-heated and dried, and mixed with coarse-grained, non-carbonaceous ballast material. This mixing is carried out prior to, during or after the pre-heating and drying of the carbonaceous material, to thereby obtain a pre-heated and dried mixture of the carbonaceous material and the ballast material, and to also obtain vapor from the pre-heating and drying of the same. The heated and dried mixture is contacted with a gasification medium within a fixed bed reactor, at a temperature sufficiently high to gasify the carbonaceous material. The gasification medium includes the vapor from the pre-heating and drying of the carbonaceous material. The ballast material provides sufficient gas permeability to the fine-grained or sludgy carbonaceous material, to permit gasification thereof in the fixed bed reactor.

Abstract: A method of generating a low-tar generator gas includes contacting the hot tar-containing generator gas in a contact zone with ballast bodies to cool the generator gas and capture tar and dust on the exposed surfaces of the ballast bodies, and admixing the thus heated ballast bodies to the wet solid fuel to be gasified to dry and pre-heat such fuel in preparation for the actual gasification which is performed in two separate gasification zones which are arranged one above the other by reacting the solid fuel with an oxygen-containing gasification medium that is introduced from above into the upper one, and from below into the lower one, of the gasification zones with attendant formation of two conflagration fronts in the gasification zones. The generator gas which is thus generated in the two gasification zones is discharged through a common discharge conduit which has the contact zone incorporated therein.

Abstract: Method for the continuous gasification of solid carbonaceous fuel, especially fuel having a high water content such as biomass and brown coal, in which the fuel is indirectly heated by condensing steam. Steam removed from the fuel during drying is then utilized to aid in the gasification of the same, thus producing generator gas, which is directly recovered.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for cooling hot bulk material, such as red-hot coke, sinter, or clinker, and, in particular, for relieving a gas stream flowing through the hot bulk material to cool the same includes continuously charging hot bulk material into a cooler housing and onto the free surface of spread bulk material already contained within the cooler housing and cooling the hot bulk material by absorbing and removing the intensive heat radiation radiated from the surface of the hot bulk material in a radiation cooling surface extending over in facing relationship to the free surface of hot bulk material.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for cooling hot bulk material in a cooling bunker by passing cooling gas streams therethrough in a manner such that the bulk material is cooled in a uniform manner while avoiding temperature fluctuations of the outflowing heated cooling gas. The cooling gas is passed through the hot bulk material in at least two gas streams, one of which is directed through a core zone of the hot bulk material and another of which is passed through a peripheral zone thereof. The flow rates of the respective cooling gas streams are regulated according to the temperature of the outflowing heated cooling gas which may be sensed by the temperature of a fluid flowing through heat exchanger over which the heated cooling gas passes.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for cooling hot bulk material, such as glowing coke, clinker, or sinter material, include a vertically oriented cooling tank into which the hot bulk material is introduced and in which the material flows downwardly under gravity and is discharged from an outlet. At least two partial currents of cooling gas are fed into the cooling tank at respective feeding points therein, the feeding point being respectively arranged one over the other so that the cooling gas fed into the tank flows upwardly around the bulk material as the latter flows downwardly to cool the same with the cooling gas being correspondingly heated.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for mixing a first relatively cool gas current and a second relatively hot gas current in a manner such that the resulting gas current has a relatively uniform temperature immediately subsequent to the point of mixing. The first gas current is separated into first and second partial gas currents, the first partial gas current being directed to a conduit which branches from the conduit in which the second partial gas current is directed. The first partial gas current is directed at a relatively high velocity into a central nozzle in fluid communication with the second gas current while the second partial gas current is directed into a ring nozzle which also is in fluid communication with the second gas current and which concentrically surrounds the central nozzle. The flow of the first gas current is regulated by throttling the second partial gas current while maintaining the flow of the first partial gas current.

Abstract: An arrangement for storing energy to cover peak-load conditions and serve as a stop-gap reserve in steam power plants. A live steam generator is connected to a steam turbine, and a storage vessel is provided with a steam cushion volume and a water content volume. The water content of the storage vessel is connected, on the one hand, to a single-or multi-stage secondary steam generator which is connected, in turn, on the steam side to the turbine by a working steam line. A hot-water return line connects the secondary steam generator on the water side to the feed water line and/or a compensation vessel connected to the feed water line. The steam cushion volume of the storage vessel is connected, on the other hand, by a steam line, to a point of the main steam cycle of the plant which is upstream of the entry point of the working steam line. In particular, the steam cushion is connected to the live steam line. The secondary steam generator may be in the form of one or several flash tanks or heat exchangers.

Abstract: Apparatus for supplying feedwater to a steam generator, such as a waste-heat boiler, includes the feature of degassing feedwater at a degassing station by way of a suitable degassing means, the feedwater being degassed by being heated to boiling temperature. Prior to reaching the degassing means at the degassing station the feedwater supplied thereto is heated by being placed in a heat-exchanging relationship with respect to water which has already been degassed by the degassing means at the degassing station. The degassed water which is thus cooled by giving up its heat to the water supplied to the degassing means is then delivered to the steam generator at a temperature which is substantially less than the temperature of the water at the degassing means.

Abstract: A steam generator having an elongated vessel provided with opposed upper and lower ends and having in its interior adjacent its upper end a single transversely extending tube plate and a partition extending upwardly from said tube plate and dividing the interior space of the vessel above the tube plate into a heating-medium receiving chamber and a heating-medium discharge chamber. A bundle of tubes are connected with and extend downwardly from the tube plate to the region of the lower end of the vessel, each of these tubes having an inlet end communicating with the receiving chamber and an outlet end communicating with the discharge chamber and each of these tubes having a substantially U-shaped configuration at the region of the lower end of the vessel.

Abstract: A steam accumulator has an upright vertically elongated vessel provided internally with a guide that subdivides a body of hot water in the vessel into an outer upflow column and a central downflow column. This guide is at least partially formed as a downwardly tapering frustocone and may have an upper portion carried on a float so as to maintain the upper edge of its upper portion a predetermined distance below the surface of a body of water within the vessel. A discharge conduit opens at the extreme upper end of the vessel and may have a section extending downwardly through the liquid body in the vessel.

Abstract: A body of water is confined in a closed vessel and heated to above 100.degree.C. This water is then drawn in a liquid state from this vessel and passed through a first expander where it is separated into steam and condensate. The steam from this first expander is used to drive the first stage of a load and the condensate is passed to another expander where it is again transformed into steam and condensate, the steam being used to drive the second stage of the load. Several such expanders are provided and the condensate from the last expander is fed to a low-pressure storage vessel. The high-pressure vessel is filled almost to the top with water during periods of low power consumption and the water is drawn off during peak-power periods. Superheaters may be provided in the outlet conduits of the expanders and the water at above 100.degree.C may be fed directly into the lower-pressure expanders to maintain their operating efficiency.