Abstract: An electrical automotive liquid pump includes a pump housing, a drive shaft which is co-rotatably connected to a pump wheel, an electrical drive motor having a motor rotor and a motor stator, and a separating tube which fluidically separates the motor rotor and the motor stator to define a wet zone and a dry zone within the pump housing. The motor rotor is co-rotatably connected to the drive shaft. The separating tube has an integral bearing seat structure which includes a bearing seat and a supporting structure. The supporting structure is defined by blades which connect the bearing seat with the separating tube. Each of the blades are arranged at a pitch angle with respect to a rotor axis so that a turbine-type shape is defined for the integral bearing seat structure. The bearing seat is provided with an integral plain bearing shell which directly supports the drive shaft.

Abstract: A radial continuous-flow machine with cooling and lubrication by means of a medium flowing through the machine, wherein the medium flows from a high-pressure side to a low-pressure side of the radial continuous-flow machine, having a housing assembly and a rotor assembly that is rotatably mounted in an interior of the housing assembly, wherein at least one first bearing is provided for mounting the rotor assembly in the housing assembly, wherein the rotor assembly includes a rotor of an electric motor and an impeller, wherein the motor includes, in addition to the rotor, a stator that is a part of the housing assembly, wherein the rotor of the motor is arranged in a first region of the rotor assembly, and the stator is arranged in a first region of the housing assembly, wherein the first region of the housing assembly encloses the first region of the rotor assembly.

Abstract: An underwater hydroelectric turbine comprises a turbine housing having an inlet and an outlet, a central shaft extending axially inside the turbine housing, a self-contained, sealed front bearing unit for rotationally supporting a front end of the central shaft, and a self-contained, sealed rear bearing unit for rotationally supporting a rear end of the central shaft. The front bearing unit and the rear bearing unit each comprises a self-powered lubricant circulation system that draws a fraction of the mechanical power from rotation of the central shaft to circulate lubricant through each respective bearing unit. The turbine may have an equilibrium chamber for automatically balancing lubricant pressure inside a lubricant-containing chamber of the bearing chambers with ambient water pressure outside the bearing housing.

Abstract: The process for preparing a refinery feedstock from black liquor soap comprising adding excess alcohol (preferably methanol) to black liquor soap. Acid is then added to the mixture to drop the pH of the mixture to approximately 2 to convert carboxylate salt of fatty and resin acids to the free fatty and resin acids. In the reaction process, the free fatty and resin acids react with the alcohol, with the aid of the acid catalyst, to yield the desired ester products. The resulting feedstock can be distilled or refined to yield sterols and related alcohols, biodiesel and other fuels.

Abstract: The process for preparing a refinery feedstock from black liquor soap comprising adding excess alcohol (preferably methanol) to black liquor soap. Acid is then added to the mixture to drop the pH of the mixture to approximately 2 to convert carboxylate salt of fatty and resin acids to the free fatty and resin acids. In the reaction process, the free fatty and resin acids react with the alcohol, with the aid of the acid catalyst, to yield the desired ester products. The resulting feedstock can be distilled or refined to yield sterols and related alcohols, biodiesel and other fuels.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for providing feedback control of the ink drop velocity in a drop marking system. The control system maintains essentially constant velocity of the ink drops as they pass through a deflection field which causes certain of the electrically conductive drops to be directed onto a substrate to be marked. The ink flow between two selected points is monitored by a control device to generate ink flow rate data and compared against a reference value. In the event that a flow rate deviation is sensed, appropriate action is taken to change the flow rate. Such action includes altering ink viscosity and/or ink pressure.