161 results about "Chemical potential" patented technology

The presence of a select analyte in the sample is evaluated in an an electrochemical system using a conduction cell-type apparatus. A potential or current is generated between the two electrodes of the cell sufficient to bring about oxidation or reduction of the analyte or of a mediator in an analyte-detection redox system, thereby forming a chemical potential gradient of the analyte or mediator between the two electrodes After the gradient is established, the applied potential or current is discontinued and an analyte-independent signal is obtained from the relaxation of the chemical potential gradient. The analyte-independent signal is used to correct the analyte-dependent signal obtained during application of the potential or current. This correction allows an improved measurement of analyte concentration because it corrects for device-specific and test specific factors such as transport (mobility) of analyte and/or mediator, effective electrode area, and electrode spacing (and as a result, sample volume), without need for separate calibration values. The analysis can be performed using disposable test strips in a hand held meter, for example for glucose testing.

A method and apparatus for electrochemical detection of analyte in a sample makes use of a binding interaction and relies on the discovery that asymmetric distribution of a redox enzyme between two electrodes that occurs when a redox enzyme-containing reagent is immobilized at the surface of one electrode can be detected as a chemical potential gradient arising from an asymmetry, in the distribution of oxidized or reduced redox substrate. This chemical potential gradient can be detected potentiometrically by observing the potential difference between the electrodes in an open circuit, or amperometrically by observing the current flow between the electrodes when the circuit is closed. In both cases, the observation of asymmetry can be done without the application of an external potential or current to the electrodes.

Shale reactivity is evaluated by testing a preserved test plug of shale sample in a triaxial test machine, the test plug being prepared by collecting a downhole shale sample and keeping it all times immersed in a preserving mineral oil so as to avoid dehydration, then applying radial and axial pressure on the test plug surrounded by mineral oil up to equilibration to overburden pressure, the test fluid being then contacted with the sample and the interaction of fluid and sample being evaluated by axial and radial deformations as measured by a triaxial detector apparatus sensitive to vertical and radial strains occurring across the shale sample, while the shale sample is subjected to any of a set of different conditions including a temperature or thermal potential, a hydraulic potential and/or a chemical potential. Only one fluid is tested on each sample. A sister test at ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure is run in order to constitute a visual counterpart of what is occurring in the triaxial test machine.

Electrochemical cells having molten electrodes comprising an alkaline earth metal provide receipt and delivery of power by transporting atoms of the alkaline earth metal between electrode environments of disparate the alkaline earth metal chemical potentials.

The invention provides a method for molecular analysis. In the method, sidewalls are formed extending through a structure between two structure surfaces, to define an aperture. A layer of material is deposited on the aperture sidewalls and the two structure surfaces. The aperture with the deposited material layer is then configured in a liquid solution with a gradient in a chemical potential, between the two structure surfaces defining the aperture, that is sufficient to cause molecular translocation through the aperture.

A system for storage and dispensing of a sorbate fluid, in which a sorbate fluid is sorptively retained on a sorbent medium and desorption of sorbate fluid from the sorbent medium is facilitated by inputting energy to the sorbent medium including one or more of the following energy input modes: (a) thermal energy input including inductive heating of the sorbent medium, resistive heating of the sorbent medium and/or chemical reaction heating of the sorbent medium; (b) photonic energy input to the sorbent medium; (c) particle bombardment of the sorbent medium; (d) mechanical energy input to the sorbent medium; and (e) application of a chemical potential differential to the sorbate fluid on the sorbent medium.

A method is given for treating a wellbore to increase the production of hydrocarbons from a subterranean formation penetrated by a wellbore, involving a period of injecting into the formation an aqueous injection fluid having a different chemical potential than the aqueous fluid in the formation. If there is water blocking, an osmotic gradient is deliberately created to cause flow of water into the injected fluid; hydrocarbon is then produced by imbibition. If the pore pressure in the water-containing pores in the formation is too low, an osmotic gradient is deliberately created so that water flows from the injected fluid into the water-containing pores, increasing the pore pressure and facilitating hydrocarbon production by imbibition. The method may be repeated cyclically. A semipermeable membrane may be created to enhance the osmosis. Wetting agents may be used to influence imbibition.

The present invention provides a LiCoO₂-containing powder comprising LiCoO₂ having a stoichiometric composition via heat treatment of a lithium cobalt oxide and a lithium buffer material to make equilibrium of a lithium chemical potential therebetween: a lithium buffer material which acts as a Li acceptor or a Li donor to remove or supplement Li-excess or Li-deficiency, coexisting with a stoichiometric lithium metal oxide; and a method for preparing a LiCoO₂-containing powder. Further, provided is an electrode comprising the above-mentioned LiCoO₂-containing powder as an active material, and a rechargeable battery comprising the same electrode.

The present invention enables production of a LiCoO₂ electrode active material which has improved high-temperature storage properties and high-voltage cycling properties, and is robust in composition fluctuation in the production process. Therefore, the present invention provides advantages such as reduction of time and labor required for quality control and process management in the mass-production of the electrode active material, and decreased production costs of LiCoO₂.

Nanoscale chemicals based on polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) and polyhedral oligomeric silicates (POS) are taught as lubricants, mold release agents, and as additives to control the viscosity, lubrication, wear, and thermal properties of conventional lubricous materials. The precisely defined nanoscopic dimensions of POSS materials enable viscosity, miscibility, and thermal properties to be (increased) or reduced (decreased) as desired. A key feature to the successful tailoring of properties is the inherent thermal and chemical stability of the POSS/POS nanostructure and the ability to control its topology and chemical potential to match that of surfaces and other materials.

An oxidation process for reducing the data retention loss (DRL) in a FAMOS device comprising the steps of (1) low temperature deposition of a silicon-enriched silicon oxide (130) over a FAMOS transistor gate stack (116) and (2) annealing said silicon-enriched oxide (130) at a high temperature in oxygen atmosphere to convert said silicon-enriched oxide (130) to a thermal oxide. The silicon enriched oxide (130) acts as both an oxygen getter and diffusion barrier during the annealing step.

A system and method for operating an integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) gas turbine system that utilizes the fuel stream as a means of controlling the operation of the IGCC to achieve a target output and efficiency. The methods and systems enable the IGCC to be operated at reduced output, but without a corresponding drop in efficiency as compared to prior art gas turbine systems. Conversely, the IGCC may be operated at higher outputs. The methods and systems achieve the target output and efficiency by adjusting the chemical potential energy, sensible energy, or both of a fuel stream entering the combustion turbine. The chemical potential energy and sensible energy may be manually or automatically controlled.

An energy recapture system that may be retrofitted to an existing object, such as a vehicle or carrier. The retrofitable system includes means for removably attaching a plurality of wind or fluid driven energy generating modules, such as magnetic or piezoelectric generators, to the exterior of the object, to convert the kinetic energy of a fluid that moves about the object into another kind of energy that may be stored, such as electrical or chemical potential energy. When used to generate chemical potential energy, it is preferred that the kinetic energy of the moving fluid be used to electrolyze a compound such as water into its constituent elements; at least one of these elements, hydrogen and/or oxygen, can be stored for later use in an internal combustion engine associated with the object.

This invention relates to biology and medicine and, in particular, can be used in medicine to make a pharmaceutical composition for targeted delivery of biologically active substances into mitochondria, driven by proton electro-chemical potential in the mitochondria. This invention also relates to the method to affect an organism by the targeted delivery of biologically active compounds to mitochondria. The invention can be useful in treatment of diseases or disorders associated with not normal functioning of mitochondria, in particular diseases associated with increased production of free radicals and reactive oxygen species.

The invention belongs to the technical field of novel function nanometer material preparation, and discloses a preparation method for a copper nanowire. Reducing agent is added to copper source on the premise that morphology control agent and chemical potential control agent are exist in water solution, and the copper nanowire are obtained after separation and under the condition that reaction is carried out for at least one hour in temperature of 25 DEG C to 100 DEG C, wherein the copper source is one or combination of copper hydroxide and copper oxide, the morphology control agent is one kind or combination of more than two kinds of polyethylene polyamine, the chemical potential control agent is one or combination of sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide, and the reducing agent is one or combination of hydrazine hydrate and hydroxylamine. The preparation method for the copper nanowire has the advantages of being simple in technology and device, cheap and easy-getting in raw materials, low in cost, high in productivity, suitable for large-scale industrial production, and the like. Prepared copper nanometers are uniform in diameter, diameters and lengths of the copper nanometers can be controlled through changing concentration of the morphology control agent and concentration and reaction temperature of the copper resource.

The invention discloses a broadband absorber based on a double-ring structure of graphene. With metal as a reflective substrate, an insulating dielectric layer and a graphene layer are above the reflective substrate in order. The graphene layer is formed by a periodic monolayer graphene double-ring structure. Since the graphene exhibits strong metallicity in infrared and terahertz bands, a graphene structure is directly used as a resonant structural unit, a strong resonance coupling between graphene nanostructures realizes a single-layer broadband absorber, and the processing process of the structure is greatly simplified. Because of the unique electrical properties of the graphene, a chemical potential and a surface conductivity can be changed by the change of applied bias voltage, and the absorption frequency range of an absorbing structure is regulated. The broadband absorber has the advantages of a simple structure and high absorption efficiency and has important application prospects in the fields of terahertz imaging, sensing, a continuous light source and the like.

The present invention relates to a large-capacity electric power storage system using saline water, the system being capable of separating saline water into high-density saline water and fresh water and storing them using surplus power, during a low load, and producing power using the density difference between the high-density saline water and fresh water when power consumption increases rapidly, i.e. during a peak load. A super-large-capacity power storage system using saline water comprises: a condensation device for condensing/separating saline water and supplying condensed saline water and fresh water; a condensed saline water storage device and a fresh water storage device for storing the condensed saline water and fresh water supplied from the condensation device, respectively; a salinity difference power generation device connected to the condensed saline water storage device and the fresh water storage device to generate power using the density difference between the condensed saline water and fresh water; and a saline water storage device for storing saline water, which has passed through the salinity difference power generation device, and supplying the condensation device with saline water.

The invention relates to the field of metal welding technology, and provides an arc weld bonding connecting system and method for dissimilar metals. The system comprises an automatic gluing system composed of a gluing hole positioning device and a gluing device, and an automatic arc welding system composed of a welding positioning device, an arc welding system and a robot system. The gluing hole positioning device is connected with the gluing device and transmits a coordinate of the central position of a gluing hole, the robot system is connected with the arc welding system and transmits a control instruction of the arc welding system to implement welding work, and the robot system is connected with the welding hole positioning device and receives the welding hole position information. The arc weld bonding connecting system composites the bonding technology and arc spot welding technology, mechanical property reduction of a joint caused by chemical potential difference of dissimilar metals and electrochemical corrosion in peripheral gaps of welding joint can be effectively inhibited. The arc weld bonding connecting system is low in technical cost, high in efficiency, and easy to popularize and apply in bodywork.

A new type of coated component for use in boiling water reactor (“BWR”) fuel assemblies, particularly Zircaloy spacers, having protective coatings applied to selected surfaces of the spacers in order to prevent the formation and propagation of “shadow corrosion” on adjacent zirconium alloy structures. In its broader aspects, the coating material is applied to those surfaces of the BWR components having electro-chemical characteristics that differ from zirconium alloys, such as Inconel spacers or springs. The new coatings impart an electro-chemical potential to the surfaces of the components that is substantially similar to the adjacent zirconium alloy, thereby preventing or significantly inhibiting shadow corrosion.

There is provided a self driving energy direct conversion system capable of restricting global warming by using a recycle-type and open-system thermoelectric effect device which uses a natural heat energy (reusable, non polluting, and omnipresent) and which is capable of obtaining an energy source. With a group of Peltier effect elements separated at a certain distance and a group of Seebeck effect elements separated at a certain distance, a heat energy transfer section, a power generator section, and an electrolysis section are provided. Making artificially a heat energy transfer, an electric potential energy conversion, and a chemical potential energy source (of a hydrogen gas and an oxygen gas) allows use of the heat energy, an electric power and a chemical potential energy. Hereinabove, the chemical potential energy source is made by a water electrolysis circuit using water that is easy to pressurize, compress, store, accumulate and convey.

An energy efficient membrane based desalination process, which utilizes an osmotically driven energy recovery sub-process. Energy recovery sub-process involves the extraction of water from low salinity first aqueous solution by using a high salinity content, pressurized second aqueous solution to draw the water from first aqueous solution across a semi-permeable membrane. High salinity content, pressurized second solution can be used to generate osmotic pressure on the low salinity content first solution to drive water from first solution to the second solution with respect to chemical potential differences. The process also harvests the Gibbs free energy of mixing in terms of pressure conservation in the second solution, while the volume of second solution is increasing by the drawn water from the first solution.

The invention discloses a low-grade heat energy driven electrode liquid self-circulating hydrogen production method, and belongs to the technical field of new energy. Low-grade heat energy serves as driving force, and continuous hydrogen production is achieved through the concentration change of a working solution. The low-grade heat energy driven electrode liquid self-circulating hydrogen production method comprises the steps: firstly, the low-grade heat energy is converted into chemical potential energy of the working solution through a low-temperature multi-effect distillation method; thenthe chemical potential energy is converted into the potential difference between two electrodes of a cell stack based on the reverse electrodialysis principle; and then hydrogen and oxygen are produced through a reduction reaction or an oxidation reaction occurring on the hydrogen production electrode and the oxygen production electrode in the same electrode liquid. The waste solution losing partof the chemical potential energy is recycled after flowing out from the cell stack, and then regenerated under driving of the low-grade heat energy; the electrode liquid is self-circulated between a hydrogen production electrode liquid cavity and an oxygen production electrode liquid cavity in the two ends of the cell stack; the low-grade heat energy can be continuously, efficiently and steadily converted to be utilized; a hydrogen production system does not need to operate at the high temperature and high pressure, mechanical moving parts are few, and capacity configuration is flexible; and the single-type electrode liquid is adopted and is in an electrolyte closed cycle, and long-time operation can be achieved only by supplying deionized water.