Abstract: A method for cleaning a surface of an aluminum or aluminum alloy body by immersing the surface in a basic aqueous electrolyte formed essentially from dissolved trisodium phosphate, flowing DC current through the electrolyte and the body for cleaning, and then removing the body from the electrolyte. An additional cleaning step, which may include ultrasonic cleaning, may be performed to remove loose matter adhering to the body after the electrolytic cleaning.

Abstract: A foundry mixture for making molds used for molding cast metal parts includes foundry sand, a non-aqueous binder, and a cleaning agent that includes calcium oxide. Residual foundry mixture remaining on the cast part after removal from the mold is removed by electrolytic cleaning of the cast part.

Abstract: In a rotating disk reactor for growing epitaxial layers on substrate or other CVD reactor system, gas directed toward the substrates at gas inlets at different radial distances from the axis of rotation of the disk has both substantially the same gas flow rate/velocity and substantially the same gas density at each inlet. The gas directed toward portions of the disk remote from the axis may include a higher concentration of a reactant gas than the gas directed toward portions of the disk close to the axis, so that portions of the substrate surfaces at different distances from the axis receive substantially the same amount of reactant gas per unit area, and a combination of carrier gases with different relative molecular weights at different radial distances from the axis of rotation are employed to substantially make equal the gas density in each region of the reactor.

Abstract: A method for cleaning a surface of an aluminum or aluminum alloy body of coatings, contaminants, dirt, or the like by immersing the surface in a basic aqueous electrolyte containing carbonate ions, connecting the body directly to the negative terminal of a DC current source and flowing DC current through the body. After a time, the flow of DC current is stopped and the surface is removed from the electrolyte. The surface is then rinsed off to remove the coating, dirt, contaminants, or the like from the surface.

Abstract: A double-pass reverse osmosis (RO) separator module having two stages of RO filtration in a single assembly, including a radially outer RO assembly that surrounds a radially inner RO assembly, wherein each RO assembly includes an RO separation medium. The outer RO assembly may be used for a first-pass of RO filtration in which a first-pass feed liquid enters the outer RO assembly and is separated via reverse-osmosis to provide a permeate liquid and a concentrate liquid. The permeate liquid exiting the outer RO assembly may flow via fluid passages to the inner RO assembly for a second-pass of RO filtration in which the first-pass permeate liquid enters the inner RO assembly as a second-pass feed liquid and is separated via reverse-osmosis to provide a second-pass (i.e., double-filtered) permeate liquid.

Abstract: A foundry mixture for making molds used for molding cast metal parts includes foundry sand, a non-aqueous binder, and a cleaning agent that includes calcium oxide. Residual foundry mixture remaining on the cast part after removal from the mold is removed by electrolytic cleaning of the cast part.

Abstract: Parameters extracted from high definition manometric measurements of the pharynx and upper esophagus at preidentified locations and times are applied to a supervised learning machine trained using x-ray fluoroscopy data to provide diagnostic information comparable to that of x-ray fluoroscopy without radiation exposure.

Abstract: A method for cleaning a surface of a metal or metal alloy body by immersing the surface in a basic aqueous electrolyte containing carbonate ions, and flowing DC current through the body to make the body anodic. After a time, the flow of DC current is stopped and the surface is removed from the electrolyte. The surface is then rinsed off to remove dirt, corrosion, coatings, and the like from the surface.

Abstract: In a rotating disk reactor (1) for growing epitaxial layers on substrate (3), gas directed toward the substrates at different radial distances from the axis of rotation of the disk has substantially the same velocity. The gas directed toward portions of the disk remote from the axis (10a) may include a higher concentration of a reactant gas (4) than the gas directed toward portions of the disk close to the axis (10d), so that portions of the substrate surfaces at different distances from the axis (14) receive substantially the same amount of reactant gas (4) per unit area. A desirable flow pattern is achieved within the reactor while permitting uniform deposition and growth of epitaxial layers on the substrate.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for generating a Contact Glow Plasma Discharge in an electrolyte such as 7% K2CO3. A Shrouded Toroidal Anode is partially submerged in the electrolyte directly above a Flat Torus Cathode (totally submerged in the electrolyte), spaced approximately 50 mm apart, and the two electrodes are arranged in a concentric manner. A potential difference is applied from the cathode to the anode causing gas to be formed on the cathode. This is followed by a contact glow plasma being formed on the surface of the cathode and electromagnetically confined by a Spheromark formed by the configuration of the electrodes. This confinement of the plasma prevents a plasma arc from consuming the anode, which in turn allows for the application of 12,000 Watts and the occurrence of “non-linear electron resonance heating”. The effects of nonlinear series resonance increase the total power dissipation by factors of 2-5 for low pressure capacitive plasmas.

Abstract: A double-pass reverse osmosis (RO) separator module having two stages of RO filtration in a single assembly, including a radially outer RO assembly that surrounds a radially inner RO assembly, wherein each RO assembly includes an RO separation medium. The outer RO assembly may be used for a first-pass of RO filtration in which a first-pass feed liquid enters the outer RO assembly and is separated via reverse-osmosis to provide a permeate liquid and a concentrate liquid. The permeate liquid exiting the outer RO assembly may flow via fluid passages to the inner RO assembly for a second-pass of RO filtration in which the first-pass permeate liquid enters the inner RO assembly as a second-pass feed liquid and is separated via reverse-osmosis to provide a second-pass (i.e., double-filtered) permeate liquid.

Abstract: A foundry mixture for making molds used for molding cast metal parts includes foundry sand, a non-aqueous binder, and a cleaning agent that includes calcium oxide. Residual foundry mixture remaining on the cast part after removal from the mold is removed by electrolytic cleaning of the cast part.

Abstract: A method for cleaning residual mold material from a sand casting, the mold material comprising sand, a binder, and an electrolytic material, the method comprising exposing the residual mold material to an electrolytic solution; and subjecting the residual mold material to an electric current.

Abstract: A foundry mixture for making molds used for molding cast metal parts includes foundry sand, a non-aqueous binder, and a cleaning agent that includes calcium oxide. Residual foundry mixture remaining on the cast part after removal from the mold is removed by electrolytic cleaning of the cast part.

Abstract: A foundry mixture for making molds used for molding cast metal parts includes foundry sand, a non-aqueous binder, and a cleaning agent that includes calcium oxide. Residual foundry mixture remaining on the cast part after removal from the mold is removed by electrolytic cleaning of the cast part.

Abstract: A method for implementing a financial transaction via a user device is disclosed. The method involves receiving financial transaction information used to generate an alphanumeric Secure Transaction Code that binds the received information to the financial transaction, receiving information from a user device that includes the Secure Transaction Code and a voice entry of the Secure Transaction Code, verifying that the voice entry of the Secure Transaction Code corresponds to a Voice Authentication Master (VAM) file of a registered user, verifying that the received Secure Transaction Code is a valid Secure Transaction Code and, if both are verified authorizing the financial transaction and sending an indication that the financial transaction has been authorized to the user device. In an embodiment the transaction is between a merchant and user of a mobile user device or can be a request for secure access.

Abstract: An electrolytic cell for the generation of a plasma field in an electrolyte that heats the electrolyte forms part of a closed-loop heat transfer device, the electrolytic cell fluidly connected to a heat exchanger. A plasma electrode and a second electrode form part of the flow path of electrolyte from the tank to the heat exchanger. The electrolyte must flow through or along the electrodes when flowing from the tank to the heat exchanger.

Abstract: Parameters extracted from high definition manometric measurements of the pharynx and upper esophagus at preidentified locations and times are applied to a supervised learning machine trained using x-ray fluoroscopy data to provide diagnostic information comparable to that of x-ray fluoroscopy without radiation exposure.

Abstract: In a rotating disk reactor (1) for growing epitaxial layers on substrate (3), gas directed toward the substrates at different radial distances from the axis of rotation of the disk has substantially the same velocity. The gas directed toward portions of the disk remote from the axis (10a) may include a higher concentration of a reactant gas (4) than the gas directed toward portions of the disk close to the axis (10d), so that portions of the substrate surfaces at different distances from the axis (14) receive substantially the same amount of reactant gas (4) per unit area. A desirable flow pattern is achieved within the reactor while permitting uniform deposition and growth of epitaxial layers on the substrate.

Abstract: A method in a server computer connected over a network to a group of participants, where each participant operates a client computer. The method receives a payment for each participant in the group, associates the payments received for the group with a time period, calculates a designated portion of each payment, and creates a fund for the time period by combining the designated portions of the payments. The method receives a notification for each participant in a subgroup of the group of participants, where the notification indicates that during the time period an event occurred. The method calculates a portion of the fund to disburse to each participant in the subgroup, and disburses the fund to the participants in the subgroup, where the portion of the fund to disburse to each participant in the subgroup is a share of the fund.