Abstract: A rotary slurrifier of this invention comprises a pair of spinning discs, which throw a first fluid into a larger mass of second fluid in paired and flow connected impact cavities, within a counter-rotating cavity shell. The first fluid is to be largely insoluble in the second fluid. Impact of the first fluid with the larger mass of second fluid, in the impact cavities, causes atomization of the first fluid into a slurry of many small first fluid particles suspended in a continuous phase of second fluid. The final slurry flows out of the rotating cavity shell via a slowdown reaction turbine. High viscosity residual petroleum fuels and tars as first fluids can be thusly preatomized in a fuel in water slurry, and can then be cleanly and efficiently burned in small bore, high speed, diesel engines, which now require use of expensive low viscosity distillate fuels, which are in short supply.

Abstract: A modified common rail fuel injection system, for diesel engines, is described, for use with slurry fuels comprising dissolved supplementary atomizing gases. Two separate high pressure fluid circuits are utilized to supply and operate the engine fuel injectors. A high pressure fuel circuit comprises, a high pressure pump delivering engine fuel into a fuel common rail, from which the fuel is delivered into each fuel injector, and from there into each engine combustion chamber. A high pressure hydraulic circuit comprises, a high pressure pump delivering hydraulic fluid into a hydraulic common rail, from which the hydraulic fluid acts on drivers of the injector valves, via timed on-off valves, to operate each fuel injector at the proper time in each engine cylinder cycle. Reliable operation of the fuel injectors is not impaired by slurry fuel degassing or slurry fuel particles.

Abstract: Crucibles for melting titanium alloys having a facecoat including at least one facecoat layer containing an oxide selected from scandium oxide, yttrium oxide, hafnium oxide, a lanthanide series oxide, and combinations thereof, and a backing including at least one backing layer where the crucible has a backing to facecoat thickness ratio of from about 6.5:1 to about 20:1.

Abstract: Methods for making refractory crucibles for melting titanium alloys including providing a form, applying a facecoat to the form, and applying a backing to the facecoat where the facecoat has at least one facecoat layer including an oxide selected from the group consisting of scandium oxide, yttrium oxide, hafnium oxide, a lanthanide series oxide, and combinations thereof and where the backing to the facecoat has a thickness ratio of from about 6.5:1 to about 20:1.

Abstract: A common rail supplementary atomizer of this invention, when used on a piston internal combustion engine, equipped with a common rail fuel injection system, improves slurry atomization, following injection, by expansion of gases, previously dissolved in the water phase of the slurry. This gas expansion separates the several fuel particles in each slurry droplet formed first during fuel injection. The thusly separated fuel particles subsequently burn more rapidly and completely, due to this fuel particle separation improving air access to the fuel. Apparatus is described for dissolving atomizing gas into the water phase of the slurry, in a contactor chamber at a pressure greater than the pressure prevailing in the engine cylinder volume, at the time of slurry injection.

Abstract: A rotary slurrifier of this invention comprises a pair of spinning discs, which throw a first fluid into a larger mass of second fluid in paired and flow connected impact cavities, within a counter-rotating cavity shell. The first fluid is to be largely insoluble in the second fluid. Impact of the first fluid with the larger mass of second fluid, in the impact cavities, causes atomization of the first fluid into a slurry of many small first fluid particles suspended in a continuous phase of second fluid. The final slurry flows out of the rotating cavity shell via a slowdown reaction turbine. High viscosity residual petroleum fuels and tars as first fluids can be thusly preatomized in a fuel in water slurry, and can then be cleanly and efficiently burned in small bore, high speed, diesel engines, which now require use of expensive low viscosity distillate fuels, which are in short supply.

Abstract: A common rail supplementary atomizer of this invention, when used on a piston internal combustion engine, equipped with a common rail fuel injection system, improves slurry atomization, following injection, by expansion of gases, previously dissolved in the water phase of the slurry. This gas expansion separates the several fuel particles in each slurry droplet formed first during fuel injection. The thusly separated fuel particles subsequently burn more rapidly and completely, due to this fuel particle separation improving air access to the fuel. Apparatus is described for dissolving atomizing gas into the water phase of the slurry, in a contactor chamber at a pressure greater than the pressure prevailing in the engine cylinder volume, at the time of slurry injection.

Abstract: As shown schematically in FIG. 1, hot gases, containing molecular oxygen, from generator elements, (14) and (19), pass through a bed of coal chunks in an ODD reactor chamber (2). The molecular oxygen content of these hot gases is less than stoichiometric, relative to the coal volatile matter content, so that partial oxidation of only the volatile matter occurs within the ODD reactor chamber, (2), during devolatilization therein. Two products are thusly created, a partially oxidized, and hence cleaner burning, volatile matter fuel gas, and a solid devolatilized coke. The hot coke is transferred, by overfeed, into a coke reaction chamber, (7), where counterflowing primary air, via air meter, (12), gasifies the coke into carbon monoxide with some carbon dioxide. Finally, the carbon monoxide and the partially oxidized volatile matter, are admixed with overfire air, and burned fully to carbon dioxide in overfire burner chambers, (23), (26).

Abstract: A supplementary slurry fuel atomizer of this invention, when used on a piston internal combustion engine, equipped with a common rail fuel injection system, improves slurry atomization, following injection, by expansion of gases, previously dissolved in the water phase of the slurry. This gas expansion separates the several fuel particles in each slurry droplet formed first during fuel injection. The thusly separated fuel particles subsequently burn more rapidly and completely, due to this fuel particle separation improving air access to the fuel. Apparatus is described for dissolving atomizing gas into the water phase of the slurry, in a contactor chamber at a pressure greater than the pressure prevailing in the engine cylinder volume, at the time of slurry injection.

Abstract: A high-voltage energy regulated conversion circuit (HVERCC) (12) for coupling to a vehicle bus (24) includes a battery bus (28) and a heater bus (29). A high-voltage battery pack (30) is electrically coupled to the battery bus and a resistive load element (42) is electrically coupled to the heater bus (29). A high-voltage energy converter (HVEC) module (22) is electrically coupled to the vehicle bus (24), the high-voltage battery pack (30), and the resistive load element (42). The HVEC module regulates power on the vehicle bus (24), the battery bus (28), and the heater bus (29) and operates in multiple functional modes including a constant voltage mode, a constant current mode, and a constant battery current mode.

Abstract: A high-voltage energy regulated conversion circuit (HVERCC) (12) for electrically coupling to a vehicle bus (24) is provided. The HVERCC (12) includes a high-voltage energy converter (HVEC) module (22) coupled to the vehicle bus (24), a battery-pack high-voltage bus battery bus (28), and a WEG heater bus (29). The battery bus (28) is coupled to a high-voltage battery pack (30) and a WEG heater circuit (32). The HVEC module (22), the high-voltage battery pack (30), and the WEG heater circuit (32) are coupled to a logic controller (14) via a network (36). The logic controller (14) regulates the power on the vehicle bus (24), the battery bus (28), and the WEG heater bus (29). An operational method for the HVEC module (22) is also provided.

Abstract: A method for imparting graphics to a substrate comprises imparting an image to an image carrier sheet comprising an image receptive layer disposed on a carrier sheet. A substrate having a microstructured pressure sensitive adhesive layer disposed on at least a portion of a surface thereof is provided. The image carrier sheet is brought into contact with the adhesive layer of the substrate. Pressure is applied to the image carrier sheet such that one of the carrier sheet and the image receptive layer is adhered to the adhesive layer of the substrate. This method can be utilized for substrates that cannot be easily imaged directly by using, e.g., a conventional ink jet or laser printer.

Abstract: A printing blanket is constructed by electrostatically spraying one or more solvated elastomers onto a sleeve structure. A printing blanket can therefore having a sleeve and at least one layer, said layer comprising first and second compositions that are distinct from one another, wherein the boundary between the compositions is a gradient extending at least 0.002 inches. Another aspect of the invention relates to a method of electrostatically spraying elastomeric material onto printing blankets.

Abstract: The invention is an improved fuel cell system suited for application in a vehicle. Specifically, the invention provides an improved system to remove CO emissions that has a rapid dynamic response (about 1 second) and can operate over a wide range of temperatures (between 0 and 800 degrees Celsius). The fuel cell system comprises hydrogen fuel, a CO removal system based upon non-Faradaic electrochemical modification of catalyst activity (electrochemical promotion), and a fuel cell stack. The CO removal system comprises a catalyst/working electrode, an electrolyte, a counter electrode, and a power source. The CO removal system's intrinsic catalytic rate is greater than an intrinsic electrocatalytic rate. The catalyst can be Pt, Rh, Au, Cu/ZnO, Cu/CuO, ABO3(perovskite), zeolite, and Pd. The power source can be a battery, potentiostat, or galvanostat.

Abstract: A high-voltage energy regulated conversion circuit (HVERCC) (12) for coupling to a vehicle bus (24) includes a battery bus (28) and a heater bus (29). A high-voltage battery pack (30) is electrically coupled to the battery bus and a resistive load element (42) is electrically coupled to the heater bus (29). A high-voltage energy converter (HVEC) module (22) is electrically coupled to the vehicle bus (24), the high-voltage battery pack (30), and the resistive load element (42). The HVEC module regulates power on the vehicle bus (24), the battery bus (28), and the heater bus (29) and operates in multiple functional modes including a constant voltage mode, a constant current mode, and a constant battery current mode.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a printing blanket comprising a sleeve, a compressible layer including a open or closed-cell polymeric foam comprising: an acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer, hydrogenated acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer, carboxylated acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer, acrylonitrile-butadiene-isoprene terpolymer, neoprene, isoprene, epoxidized isoprene, or mixtures thereof; an aromatic oil in an amount between about 5 pph and 30 pph; carbon black, which has an average particle size as measured by the iodine test of 20 to 100, between about 8 to about 70 pph; and a sulfir-based curing agent, and a printing face layer.

Abstract: A printing blanket is constructed by electrostatically spraying one or more solvated elastomers onto a sleeve structure. A printing blanket can therefore having a sleeve and at least one layer, said layer comprising first and second compositions that are distinct from one another, wherein the boundary between the compositions is a gradient extending at least 0.002 inches. Another aspect of the invention relates to a method of electrostatically spraying elastomeric material onto printing blankets.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a printing blanket comprising an inner multilayer spiral wound polymeric sleeve, wherein the sleeve comprises between 2 and 5 layers that are affixed to one another with an adhesive, the winds overlay one another to form the multiple layers, the gap between adjacent edges of each ribbon are less than 0.2 inches apart as measured axially, the total sleeve thickness is between 0.006 to 0.0028 inches, and the layers are formed either from a single continuous ribbon or a plurality of continuous ribbons of polymeric material. The adjacent edges of the ribbon may alternately overlay axially in an amount such that relaxation during curing results in non-overlapping edges.