Abstract: A method and an electronic circuit for regenerating an electrical contact are provided in order to remedy the problem of electrical contacts becoming highly resistive over time. Electrical contacts become highly resistive over time, particularly when the contacts are thermally highly stressed and/or exposed to corrosive gases. To remedy this undesired effect and to reestablish the low resistance of the contacts, an electrical regenerating signal is applied to these contacts.

Abstract: A method and an electronic circuit for regenerating an electrical contact are provided in order to remedy the problem of electrical contacts becoming highly resistive over time. Electrical contacts become highly resistive over time, particularly when the contacts are thermally highly stressed and/or exposed to corrosive gases. To remedy this undesired effect and to reestablish the low resistance of the contacts, an electrical regenerating signal is applied to these contacts.

Abstract: A device for controlling a throttle cross-section of at least one control orifice in a bypass line extending around a throttle valve of an air intake pipe of an internal combustion engine, for regulating an idle speed of the internal combustion engine, and comprising a throttle member, a spring element for biasing the throttle member to an initial position thereof, and a positioning motor for moving the throttle member from its initial position against a bias force of the spring element, upon failure of the spring element and when the positioning motor is actuated, to establish a safety cross-section in the bypass line, a quantity of operating medium flowing through the safety cross-section being less than a quantity of operating medium flowing through a complete cross-section of the control orifice whereby idle operation of the internal combustion engine is insured.

Abstract: In the continuous epoxidation of olefins with percarboxylic acids, the alkane component which normally accumulates during the circulation of the olefin is reduced by branching off a partial current from the recycled olefin and by additional epoxidation of this olefin with percarboxylic acids as well as a subsequent separation from the epoxide.

Abstract: A method for the continuous saponification of epoxides with 3-8 carbon atoms at low pressures, preferably atmospheric pressure, and low boiling temperatures with small amounts of water. Yields and selectivities are very high.

Abstract: The continuous production of 1,2-diols by means of saponification of aliphatic, linear or branched epoxides with 8-30 carbon atoms or high molecular weight cycloaliphatic epoxides with water and acidic catalyst at pressures of 1-5 bar using a vapor-liquid mixture of a solubilizing agent which is stationary in a column. The yields obtained are high and exhibit a high degree of purity. The water added can be recycled as such.

Abstract: Aliphatic or cyclic epoxides containing 3 to 8 carbon atoms which are present in aromatic hydrocarbons or halohydrocarbons are saponified continuously and directly to vicinal diols without the use of high temperatures and pressures which would otherwise be necessary. The saponification is acid catalyzed.

Abstract: There is provided a process for the continuous production of pentanediol-1,2 comprising epoxidizing pentene in a completely homogeneous phase with perpropionic acid in benzene to 1-pentene oxide and directly saponifying the pentene oxide-1 without isolation. High yields and a high degree of purity of pentanediol-1,2 are obtained.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and device for regulating the preparation of fuel-and-air mixture in a carburetor, fuel injection system and the like of an internal combustion engine. The device includes an oxygen probe directly communicating with the combustion chamber of the engine. Periodically fluctuating output signal of the probe is applied to an averaging circuit which produces an average output signal over a predetermined number of engine cycles. The shape and length of the averaged output signal is indicative whether the mixture ratio is lean or rich. The averaging can be made by means of a lowpass filter, an integrator or at least one counter counting in response to the angular position of the crankshaft or the predetermined time intervals. When the probe output voltage has the form of a hump or bulge, its length or area is used for determining the actual .lambda. value in the rich range of ratios of the mixture.

Abstract: The linearity of response of a polarographic sensor, of the diffusion-limited current type, having a solid electrolyte (1) and being particularly adapted for measuring oxygen content in exhaust gases from combustion processes, is improved by providing the anode (2b) of the sensor's first, measuring cell with a constant, internal supply of reference oxygen. Preventing the oxygen concentration at the anode (2b) from fluctuating eliminates a non-linearity which would otherwise occur in the plot of oxygen concentration versus diffusion-limited current, as the fuel/air ratio of the mixture being combusted passes 1.The oxygen supply takes the form of a second, pumping cell (3a,3b) which can utilize the same solid electrolyte layer (1) as the first cell, and which pumps oxygen ions across the electrolyte to the second cell's anode (3b), where they become oxygen molecules and are directed through a duct (8) to the measuring cell's anode (2b).

Abstract: An elongated plate element, for example of aluminum oxide, or a metal plate which is coated with an insulator such as aluminum oxide, is retained within a hollow spark plug insulator (15) by a sealing mass (38), for example a sinter compound, sintering together the plate element (37) and the insulator body (35). The plate element carries a strip or conductive track layer electrode (25) thereon, located, for example, on one major surface of the plate; at the ignition end, the plate may have a through-hole (52), plated through, so that the ignition electrode will have conductive portions at both sides of the plate, faced by ground electrode portions which likewise can be retained on plate-like carrier elements, and connected to the metal housing (11) of the spark plug via conductive tracks (60, 61) and a conductive sealing ring (17").

Abstract: An apertured shield is disclosed having spring tongues, pointing radially inwards, each of the tongues having two lateral limiting edges and a longitudinal extent terminating in an irregular edge all of which edges define together an aperture. Adjacent spring tongues are overlapped in an area on the limiting edges, and are connected together at the circumference of the shield by being flanged into a retainer ring. The apertured shield is disposed in close proximity to the injection valve to cause a turbulence with superimposed spin flow of the medium flowing into the combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine.

Abstract: A separately ignited internal combustion engine and/or an ignition chamber insert for insertion into the combustion wall of an internal combustion engine is proposed with an ignition chamber which is connected to the main combustion chamber via several overflow channels. The ignition chamber is composed of a forward section with a small, and a rear section with a large diameter into which a straight center electrode protrudes which is surrounded with an insulator in the manner of a common spark plug. The ignition takes place at the transition between the forward section and the rear section between ignition chamber wall and center electrode. The forward section of the ignition chamber is connectable to the main combustion chamber via first overflow channels which discharge tangentially into said forward section and via a second overflow channel discharging coaxially to the ignition chamber insert.

Abstract: An apparatus is proposed for controlling the exhaust recirculation rate in an internal combustion engine, in particular an engine with auto-ignition, which includes preferably one mixture valve in the area of the discharge opening of the exhaust recirculation line and which is characterized in that the control is accomplished via the mixture valve position ahead of the inlet valves in accordance with the concentration of at least one component of the air-exhaust gas mixture and/or at least one component of the exhaust gas. Thus it is possible to operate the engine with a relatively emission-free exhaust. An exhaust gas reservoir is further provided, with which peaks in the exhaust gas concentration due to a dynamic driving mode can be intercepted. Finally, it is also proposed that the exhaust recirculation be realized solely via a pressure, which can be controlled in open-loop or closed-loop fashion, in the exhaust line by means of a valve.

Abstract: To permit cleaning of the window of a combustion process sensor, a light pick-up element (12) is located in a housing holder (11) which is formed with a terminal flange (11b), seated against an extended flange (6) of a window structure (5) fitted in an opening (3) with a seating step (4) in the cylinder block of an internal combustion (IC) engine. A nut, or clamping plate, or similar attachment element holds the flanges of the window and of the housing against the abutment surface (4) in the cylinder block. To clean or replace the window (5), it is only necessary to disassemble the housing from the bore and thereby permit removal of the window therefrom, without requiring replacement of the light sensitive pick-up or components thereof as well.

Abstract: To provide for improved cleaning of an optical combustion sensor, particularly to determine knocking in an internal combustion (IC) engine, a pick-up element made of glass, glass-coated or covered metal or the like, and, for example, hollow inside and filled with a vaporizable and condensable medium to define a heat pipe, has a sensing end portion which is formed with a mushroom-shaped enlarged head (14). The unit may be combined with the functions of a spark plug by extending a conductor therethrough, making the pick-up of electrically conductive glass or ceramic, placing a metal foil or other conductor at the outside, separated from the metallic housing by an insulating sleeve or the like.

Abstract: An ignition chamber device is described which has an elongated, rotationally symmetrical form. The wall of the ignition chamber which protrudes into the main combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine has a coaxial overflow conduit embodied by a nozzle and radially extending discharge conduits which extend into the annular chamber which surrounds the nozzle. The ignition chamber is provided with an ignition device which has a central electrode that leads from the outside into the interior and by means of this central electrode the ignition voltage is carried via a conductor path, disposed in the wall, to a wall location opposite the nozzle, from where the ignition spark can leap the gap. A heat pipe is disposed in the nozzle and includes a portion arranged in close proximity to the cylinder wall, which prevents the ignition chamber from becoming overheated and on the other hand also enables the inflowing mixture to be heated up in optimal fashion on the way to the ignition location.

Abstract: The sensor arrangement to determine oscillations arising upon knocking of a combustion engine uses at least one optical receiver, known per se, in the combustion chamber, preferably a glass rod 12 or a light guide cable of glass fibers 20. The optical receivers are either integrated in the spark plug, or connected to a pre-chamber, or inserted in the cylinder head seal.

Abstract: To render output of a polarographic sensor essentially independent of aging of electrodes and temperature effects of the solid electrolyte body, within the operating ranges of the sensor to measure the oxygen composition of exhaust gases, the solid electrolyte plate of, for example, 50 mm length, 8 mm width and 1 mm thickness has a sensing electrode system including a cathode (2), and an anode (3) applied thereto, connected to a voltage source (7) of controllable output voltage. An oxygen molecule diffusion barrier (6) is applied to the cathode electrode. Additionally, a further electrode pair (5,4) is applied to the solid electrolyte body (1), serially connected in the current limiting circuit including the control voltage source.

Abstract: To guide gas to the electrode of a high temperature sensor, a substrate (1), for example of ceramic or ceramic-coated metal has electrodes (3, 4; 7, 8; 16, 17) applied thereto, for example in meander pattern, spaced from each other. A heater is applied to the substrate, either on the same side (FIGS. 2, 3) or on the backside (FIG. 1). Gas is guided to the electrodes by projecting ridges and posts (11, 12) to thereby prevent fouling of the electrodes by gas; the ridges and posts, additionally, can be protected by a cover (18) FIG. 3, thereover. The spacing 13 between the ridges and posts, and the cover, if provided, is so arranged that resonance chambers are formed which are resonant at the expected frequencies of, for example, engine knocking or unusual combustion conditions.