31results about How to "Less-expensive to maintain" patented technology

An MPC Control system provides a life extending control that includes life-extending goals in the performance index of the MPC controller and limits in the inequality equations. The MPC controller performs the normal functions of a control system for a physical system, but does so in a manner that extends the life or time-to-next maintenance or reduces the number of parts that need to be replaced. If the life extending functions do not degrade other control functions, they can be always enabled, making the system less expensive to maintain. If the life extending functions degrade some other control functions, they can be adjusted in-the-field or on-the-fly to stretch the time-until-maintenance until it is more convenient, but with some impact on performance.

A high efficiency gasification process for converting carbonaceous solids to methane and apparatus for its practice are described. The process includes reacting steam and carbonaceous solids comprising ash in the presence of alkali metal catalyst in a gasification reactor to produce combustible gases and char particles comprising ash and alkali metal catalyst constituents, treating a stream of such char particles in an alkali metal catalyst recovery system to recover the catalyst constituents as alkali metal compounds, and recycling such recovered compounds. Within the alkali metal catalyst recovery system the process includes quenching the stream of char particles with water whereby such particles are cooled and fractured, dissolving soluble alkali metal catalyst constituents from the fractured solids to form a first alkali metal catalyst solution and washed solids, optionally reacting the washed solids in alkaline solution to form a second alkali metal catalyst solution, upgrading said first and optional second alkali solution to recover the alkali metal catalyst constituents as said alkali metal compounds.

A plural bin metering system for broadcasting material ingredients contained therein over a ground surface. The system includes at least two material ingredient hoppers, each of the hoppers having a material ingredient discharge port. At least one of the material ingredient hoppers includes a variably controllable metering unit associated therewith for variably controlling the discharge of material ingredients therefrom independently from the rate of discharge of material ingredients from the other material ingredient hopper. A conveyor is disposed below the hoppers for receiving material ingredients discharged from the hoppers, and a material ingredient broadcasting device disposed off of one end of the conveyor for receiving material ingredients conveyed thereon, received from the hoppers, for broadcasting the material ingredients over a ground surface. The metering unit is capable of metering material ingredients from its associated hopper at ultra low rates. In a preferred embodiment the system has three hoppers for broadcasting, for example fertilizer across a field in one pass.

A variable area exhaust nozzle with a variable thrust vector angle for a turbo-fan engine and mounted on the aft portion of the nacelle which wraps said engine. The nozzle may include a fixed structure having at least two lateral arms separating two radial cutouts. The cutouts are positioned one above the other, one being located above the engine axis, the other one below the engine axis. At least two shells close the fixed structure cutouts and are pivotally mounted on the fixed structure to form a portion of the exhaust nozzle of the engine. A sealing means ensures fluid tightness between the shells and the fixed structure for any angular position of said shells. Actuator means are provided for pivoting the shells either to a symmetrical configuration for changing of the value of the exhaust area of the nozzle or to an unsymmetrical configuration for changing the angle of the thrust vector of the exhaust nozzle. In operation, the value of the exhaust area and the thrust vector angle of the exhaust nozzle are varied during flight to optimize performance of the aircraft.

A chip discharge system with a fluid dispersing means which inhibits clogging, which has a simple structure, which can spray out a uniformly-spreading flow, and which can adjust the momentum of dispersing flow without requiring an additional device.

An information handling system mezzanine circuit board disposed in a parallel configuration over a motherboard is selectively coupled and de-coupled at the motherboard with a retraction and latching device that translates retraction force applied at an accessible actuation portion to push upward from below the mezzanine circuit board. A retraction portion of the retraction and latching device provides an upward force at the bottom surface of the mezzanine circuit board to separate the mezzanine circuit board connector from the motherboard connector so that an end user can lift the mezzanine circuit board away from the motherboard.

A novel tar-free gasification process and system is disclosed that involves the partial combustion of recycled dry solids and the drying of a slurry feedstock comprising carbonaceous material in two separate reactor zones in a two stage gasifier, thereby producing mixture products comprising synthesis gas. The synthesis gas produced from the high temperature first stage reaction zone is then quenched in the second stage reaction zone of the gasifier prior to introduction of a slurry feedstock. The temperature of the final syngas exiting the second stage reaction zone of the gasifier is thereby moderated to be in the range of about 350-900° F., which is below the temperature range at which tar is readily formed, depending upon the type of carbonaceous feedstock utilized.

The invention relates to a method for the simultaneous production of a solid transformation product of the substrate and crude ethanol comprising the following steps: •preparing a substrate from milled or flaked biomass comprising proteinaceous matter which originates from soya bean, rape seed, or mixtures thereof, optionally in further mixture with proteinaceous matter originating from fava beans, peas, sunflower seeds, lupine, cereals, and / or grasses, •mixing said substrate with live yeast in a dry matter ratio of from 1:1 to 10,000:1 and adding water in an amount which provides a ratio of wet bulk density to dry bulk density from 0.60 to 1.45 in the resulting mixture; •incubating said mixture for 1-48 hours at a temperature of about 20-60° C.; and •separating crude ethanol and wet solid transformation product from said mixture; further comprising that the incubation is performed as a continuous plug-flow process in a vertical, non-agitated, closed incubation tank with inlet means for said mixture and additives and outlet means for the solid transformation product and crude ethanol. The invention further relates to the products of this method as well as uses thereof.

The invention relates to cell culture methods, kits and cell lines for producing recombinant products, e.g. therapeutic proteins and antibodies, in the presence of reduced levels of one or more contaminants and further to methods of purifying those products.

A conveyor system includes first and second upstanding posts disposed in longitudinally spaced apart relation to one another. Each post is surmounted by forward and rearward support arms that form a “V”-shape. A forward drive belt is mounted for rotation along a path of travel perpendicular to the forward support arms. A first embodiment cradles a product container between the forward drive belt and a rearward primary support arm. A second embodiment includes the first embodiment structure and adds a rearward secondary support arm. A third embodiment includes the primary but not the rearward secondary support arm, the forward drive belt and a forward secondary support arm. A fourth embodiment includes the rearward primary and secondary support arms, the forward drive belt and a forward secondary support arm. The product container is tilted from vertical so that the conveyor follows a path of travel including curvatures having no guide rails.

A transceiver including, a codec, microcontroller, and radio. The codec including an analog to digital converter for receiving a first audio program and converting it to a first digital signal; a digital to analog converter for receiving a second digital audio signal and converting it to a second audio program; and, a control function for managing characteristics of the codec. The microcontroller is in electrical communication with the codec: for receiving the first digital audio signal from the codec and packetizing it into a first packet for transmission over a TCP / IP network; for receiving a second packet from network and converting it into the second digital audio signal and sending it to the codec; and for receiving control signals from the network. The radio is in electrical communication with the microcontroller for connection to the network to transmit the first packet to the network and receive the second packet from the network.