Abstract: The present invention relates to motor fuel compositions comprising at least one diesel fuel of mineral origin and at least one biodiesel fuel, characterized in that the fuel composition contains at least 20% by weight of diesel fuel of mineral origin and 0.05% to 5% by weight of at least one polymer which comprises ester groups and contains repeating units that are derived from ester monomers having 16 to 40 carbon atoms in the alcohol radical, and repeating units that are derived from ester monomers having 7 to 15 carbon atoms in the alcohol radical. The present invention further describes the use of polymers comprising ester groups as flow improvers, and also a process for operating a diesel engine.

Abstract: In order to protect against any damage caused by electrostatic discharges, an integrated circuit layout is provided with at least one circuit connection which is connected via one of two diodes, respectively, to a first supply line and a second supply line. The diodes are reverse biased, i.e., one of them becomes conductive if a potential exists at the circuit connection that is either higher or lower than the supply potentials applying to the supply lines. The circuit layout is provided with an overvoltage suppression device connecting the two supply lines. The overvoltage suppression device is switched into a low impedance state by a steep rate increase or rise in a supply voltage applied between the supply lines such that a discharge current counteracting the increase in the supply voltage will flow via the overvoltage suppression device from the one supply line to the other supply line, and the discharge energy is converted into heat in the overvoltage suppression device.

Abstract: A switch is described with a bipolar transistor as first switching element having a high breakdown voltage when operated in the reverse direction. This can be accomplished by a second switching element provided in the switch, a switching transistor, e.g. an MOS transistor, through which the base and the collector of the bipolar transistor are joined together, is activated in the reverse mode of the switch, i.e. when the bipolar transistor is in inverse mode, in such a way that the second switching element becomes conductive. The collector-emitter breakdown voltage of the bipolar transistor, i.e. its maximum permissible collector-emitter voltage, is thus brought closer to its higher base-emitter breakdown voltage.

Abstract: A speakerphone for a telephone circuit includes an output stage that comprises a loudspeaker amplifier coupled to a loudspeaker through a coupling capacitor. An auxiliary circuit includes a reference input element that provides first and second reference voltages which are used to charge the coupling capacitor to a given level prior to the input signal being coupled to the loudspeaker through the coupling capacitor to insure a click-free switch-on of the loudspeaker.

Abstract: A high-speed, temperature- and parameter-stable, controllable CMOS oscillator is suitable for low to very high frequencies, e.g., clearly above 100 MHz. The oscillator includes a two-stage differential amplifier (D) and two controlled current sources (I1, I2) which are interconnected via a frequency-determining capacitor (C). The two current sources (I1, I2) are connected to the inputs (IN1, IN2) of the differential amplifer (D) through a first resistor (R1) and a second resistor (R2), respectively. By means of a first switching unit (S1) connected to the inputs of the differential amplifier (D), a first current path is completed in response to the voltage drop across the first resistor (R1) to charge the capacitor to a first state, and by means of a second switching unit (S2), a second current path is completed in response to the voltage drop across the second resistor (R2) to discharge the capacitor (C) to a second state.

Abstract: A gas washing device for supplying gas through a metallurgical vessel to molten metal therein includes a gas permeable sink positioned to extend through a wall of the metallurgical vessel. The sink has an inner end to be exposed to the molten metal and subject to wear thereby and an outer end. A gas inlet supplies an operational flow of gas from a gas supply to the outer end of the sink. A device is operatively mounted with respect to the sink and is responsive to a temperature rise indicative of a predetermined extent of wear of the inner end of the sink by the molten metal, to reduce the flow of the gas to a reduced flow less than the operational flow upon the inner end of the sink being worn or eroded to the predetermined extent. A detector detects or measures the reduced flow of gas.

Abstract: A metal band is mounted about the periphery of a cover plate, particularly a ceramic sliding plate for use with a sliding gate nozzle for controlling the discharge of molten metal from a vessel, such that the cover plate can be mounted on a supporting frame by means of releasable clamps acting on the metal band. The peripheral surface of the cover plate is covered with a layer of thermally setting mortar, and a heated steel ring is positioned around the mortar layer. The steel ring is cooled, such that the steel ring shrinks about the mortar layer, while the mortar layer is heated and thereby set, such that the cooled steel ring is bonded about the peripheral surface by the mortar layer. Alternatively, the cover plate may be positioned within a mold having a peripheral rim such that there is defined between the mold rim and the peripheral surface a space surrounding the peripheral surface.