Abstract: A furnace and a method for expanding an expandable material, such as perlite or vermiculite, comprising a thermally insulated enclosure and a conveyor for conveying the material within the enclosure, the conveyor having a contact surface made of a heat resistant material resistant to at least a predetermined temperature. The furnace also comprises a heating system for heating the contact surface to at least the predetermined temperature. The furnace further comprises feeding means for feeding the material on the contact surface to expand the material through thermal shock and obtain an expanded material. The furnace also comprises removing means for removing the expanded material from the enclosure.

Abstract: A power capacitor controller that adaptively and/or automatically determines a variety of operational parameters, including adaptively and automatically establishing the line phase angle correction value; adaptively and automatically establishing the appropriate electrical levels determining connection and disconnection of the capacitor bank relative to the line; adaptively and automatically establishing appropriate guard voltage levels determining connection and disconnection of the capacitor bank relative to the line; automatically determining when the capacitor bank is inoperative; automatically determining when a reverse power line condition and a reverse current line condition exists; automatically determining when a capacitor bank switching operation is a result of multiple capacitor banks on the line, and automatically determining when the operational set points of the controller are reversed.