Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing an object includes a first assembly including a laser for laser-based additive manufacturing of a powder material for forming the object, and a second assembly coacting with the first assembly for cooling at least a portion of said object during said additive manufacturing. An apparatus for manufacturing an object may also include a first assembly including a laser for laser-based ablation of a material structure for forming the object, and a second assembly coacting with the first assembly for cooling at least a portion of said material structure during said ablation manufacturing. Related methods are also provided.

Abstract: A furnace for treating metal parts includes a treatment atmosphere provided at an interior of the furnace; at least one burner operatively associated with the furnace for heating the treatment atmosphere to a temperature below a melting point of the metal parts; a passageway interconnecting the interior and the at least one burner, the passageway directing at least a portion of the heat treatment atmosphere exhausted from the furnace interior to the at least one burner for combustion; and a source of oxygen in fluid communication with the at least one burner for enriching combustion of the heat treatment atmosphere portion with oxygen at said burner. A related method is also provided.

Abstract: A method for producing an energy source from excess electricity is disclosed. The method uses excess electricity from a power grid when electrical demand is low. The method produces the energy source by performing the steps firstly in the storage phase of feeding the excess electricity to a thermal reactor wherein solid carbon and gaseous hydrogen are produced from the thermal reaction of a hydrocarbon; feeding the gaseous hydrogen to a hydrogen storage unit; feeding the solid carbon to a carbon storage unit; and secondly in the discharge phase, feeding the solid carbon to a combustion unit wherein steam is produced; and feeding the steam to an engine or a turbine thereby producing electricity.

Abstract: This invention is directed to a process for joining materials comprising providing an assembly comprising at least one material layer; at least one metal heat source; and at least one solder layer, each solder layer disposed between each metallic heat source and each material layer; placing the assembly in a controlled atmosphere; and initiating a chemical reaction in the metal heat source so as to enable the solder to join the material layer.

Abstract: This invention is directed to a process for joining materials comprising providing an assembly comprising at least one material layer; at least one metal heat source; and at least one solder layer, each solder layer disposed between each metallic heat source and each material layer; placing the assembly in a controlled atmosphere; and initiating a chemical reaction in the metal heat source so as to enable the solder to join the material layer.

Abstract: A system for processing a substrate having solder bumps includes a first region having a first pressure and adapted to receive the substrate for heating; a second region having a second pressure greater than the first pressure and adapted to receive the substrate for cooling; a support member constructed and arranged for supporting the substrate in the first region and the second region, the support member adapted to conductively cool the substrate disposed thereon; and a spray assembly disposed in the second region for providing a cooling spray to the second region and the substrate.

Abstract: A system for solder processing includes a heating zone at a first pressure; a cooling zone at a second pressure higher than the first pressure, the heating and cooling zones in communication with each other and adapted for receiving a component to be soldered; and an outlet in communication with the heating zone for exhausting atmosphere from the heating zone and enabling a flow of gas from the cooling zone to the heating zone.

Abstract: A cap assembly for collecting cooling gas from a coolant chamber tube is disclosed. The cap assembly having connecting means and outlet means extending from its side walls being generally shaped and sized for detachable mounting on the body of the cooling gas chamber tube. The cap assembly is also employed in a hot optical fiber process which is being cooled by helium.

Abstract: The present invention provides for a method for delignifying softwood or hardwood pulp in a fiber line of a pulp and papermaking system having a slurry at low consistency by adding to the pulp slurry oxygen and adding this pulp slurry reaction mixture to a reaction system comprising an efficient mixer and contact tank. The reaction system is preferably physically located after the knotters and before the brown stock washers to make more effective use the residual alkali and heat content in the incoming black liquor.

Abstract: A cap assembly for collecting cooling gas from a coolant chamber tube is disclosed. The cap assembly having connecting means and outlet means extending from its side walls being generally shaped and sized for detachable mounting on the body of the cooling gas chamber tube. The cap assembly is also employed in a hot optical fiber process which is being cooled by helium.

Abstract: A cap assembly for collecting cooling gas from a coolant chamber tube is disclosed. The cap assembly having connecting means and outlet means extending from its side walls being generally shaped and sized for detachable mounting on the body of the cooling gas chamber tube. The cap assembly is also employed in a hot optical fiber process which is being cooled by helium.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for removing nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, mercury and mercuric oxide from gas streams such as furnace or utility boiler flue gas streams, particularly those derived from coal-fired utility boilers, or from a gas stream from another pollutant abatement process. Ozone will react with the impurities in the gas stream to form mercuric oxide and higher oxides of nitrogen which can be removed by scrubber means. Additionally, and alternatively, the present invention provides for the use of ozone and ultraviolet radiation to remove nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides and mercury from gas streams.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for removing nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxides and mercury from gas streams such as furnace or utility boiler flue gas streams, particularly those derived from coal-fired utility boilers. A stream containing relatively low concentration of ozone from an ozone concentrator is feed to a barrier discharge reactor. Nitrogen oxides and mercury in the flue gas are oxidized by oxygen and hydroxyl radicals formed in the reactor. The flue gas is then directed to a reactor duct along with the ozone at a greater concentration wherein the remaining nitrogen oxides and mercury in the gas stream will react with the ozone to form nitric acid, nitric acid precursors, mixtures thereof and mercuric oxide. These impurities can then be removed from the gas stream by use of an aqueous scrubber, a wet electrostatic precipitator, a dry scrubber or a semi-dry scrubber.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for removing nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, mercury and mercuric oxide from gas streams such as furnace or utility boiler flue gas streams, particularly those derived from coal-fired utility boilers, or from a gas stream from another pollutant abatement process. Ozone will react with the impurities in the gas stream to form mercuric oxide and higher oxides of nitrogen which can be removed by scrubber means. Additionally, and alternatively, the present invention provides for the use of ozone and ultraviolet radiation to remove nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides and mercury from gas streams.

Abstract: A cap assembly for collecting cooling gas from a coolant chamber tube is disclosed. The cap assembly having connecting means and outlet means extending from its side walls being generally shaped and sized for detachable mounting on the body of the cooling gas chamber tube. The cap assembly is also employed in a hot optical fiber process which is being cooled by helium.

Abstract: An improved rotary hearth furnace having a cylindrical enclosure containing a radially moving belt for transporting pellets containing metal oxide and carbon is disclosed. One or more oxy-fuel burners preferably having a flat flame shape are positioned so as to provide a mixture of fuel and oxidant to the pellets countercurrent to the direction of the pellets. The oxy-fuel burners are operated so as to provide a pre-determined quantity of oxygen in addition to that necessary for combustion so that the additional oxygen oxidizes the carbon monoxide and hydrogen present in the hot combustion gases. Oxygen injectors may also be used to introduce additional oxygen into the furnace.

Abstract: Iron ore is reduced to molten iron by introducing the ore into a reactor while combusting coal with pure oxygen in the reactor. The molten iron phase, which forms at the bottom of the reactor, is stirred by injecting carbon monoxide into the molten iron. In a preferred embodiment, finely pulverized iron ore is injected with pure oxygen tangentially into a cyclone section of the furnace situated on top of a converter section, thereby causing melting and preliminary reduction of the ore to take place in the cyclone section. Primary reduction of the iron oxide occurs in the converter section of the furnace.

Abstract: Nitrogen oxides are removed from a waste gas stream by contacting the waste gas stream with ammonia, thereby reducing the nitrogen oxides to nitrogen. Residual nitrogen oxides and unreacted ammonia in the waste gas stream leaving the nitrogen oxides reducing step are oxidized to nitrogen pentoxide or nitric acid by contacting this gas stream with ozone. Contact of the ozone and waste gas is preferably carried out in the presence of an aqueous solution at a pH above about 9 and at a temperature above about 75° C., and this step is preferably carried out in the presence of an ammonia-oxidizing catalyst.

Abstract: An improved rotary hearth furnace having a cylindrical enclosure containing a radially moving belt for transporting pellets containing metal oxide and carbon is disclosed. One or more oxy-fuel burners preferably having a flat flame shape are positioned so as to provide a mixture of fuel and oxidant to the pellets countercurrent to the direction of the pellets. The oxy-fuel burners are operated so as to provide a pre-determined quantity of oxygen in addition to that necessary for combustion so that the additional oxygen oxidizes the carbon monoxide and hydrogen present in the hot combustion gases. Oxygen injectors may also be used to introduce additional oxygen into the furnace.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for removing nitrogen oxides from gas streams such as furnace or utility boiler flue gas streams. An ozone adsorption system is used to adsorb and concentrate ozone. A slip stream containing nitrogen oxides is introduced into an ozone adsorption system to desorb ozone and the ozone-containing slip stream gas is then directed to a reactor duct along with the primary nitrogen oxide-containing gas stream where the nitrogen oxides are converted to N.sub.2 O.sub.5.