208results about How to "Minimized pressure drop" patented technology

A bioreactor with substance injection capability. In one embodiment, the bioreactor includes a first substrate having a first surface, an opposite second surface and edges. The bioreactor further includes a second substrate having a first surface and an opposite second surface, defining a cavity with a bottom surface, where the bottom surface is located therebetween the first surface and the second surface. The first surface of the first substrate is received by the second surface of the second substrate to cover the cavity so as to form a chamber for receiving cells and a liquid medium. A port is formed in the second substrate between the bottom surface and the first surface of the second substrate. As formed, the port is in fluid communication with the chamber to allow a stream of substance to be introduced into the chamber. The stream of substance is controlled so as to provide a gradient, or a concentration gradient of the substance, to the chamber. The stream of substance includes a substance affecting the growth of cells such as chemokine.

Described herein are temperature-controllable devices, and methods for using them. In some variations, the devices comprise a fluid passageway region, which is configured to allow a fluid to flow therethrough, and a splint. The splint may be moldable to at least a portion of a subject's anatomy, e.g., a nose. In other variations, the devices comprise a fluid passageway region configured to allow a fluid to flow therethrough, and an absorbent pad. In some variations, the devices comprise three layers, in which two of the layers form a fluid passageway region and the third layer forms a pocket or pouch. In this way, the pouch may be configured to receive at least one splint therein, e.g., in order to provide support to an injured area such as a nose. Methods for using the devices to treat an injured area are also described. Kits are also described.

A filter, for use in removing residual fuel vapors from within an engine's intake system, includes a filter element having a plurality of fibers, for placement in communication with an intake air flow passage. Each of the fibers has an internal cavity formed therein, and a longitudinally extending slot formed therein extending from the internal cavity to the outer fiber surface. The filter also includes a hydrocarbon-absorbing material disposed within the internal cavities of the fibers. The hydrocarbon-absorbing material may be a solid material such as, e.g., carbon, or may be a liquid such as a relatively non-volatile organic solvent. Alternatively, the material may be a combined solid and liquid. In one embodiment, each of the elongated fibers includes a central stem and a plurality of lobes extending outwardly from the central stem, with a longitudinally extending slot defined between adjacent lobes. Specific useful filter configurations are detailed.

A method for storing heat from a solar collector CSTC in Concentrating Solar Power plants and delivering the heat to the power plant PP when needed. The method uses a compressed gas such as carbon dioxide or air as a heat transfer medium in the collectors CSTC and transferring the heat by depositing it on a bed of heat-resistant solids and later, recovering the heat by a second circuit of the same compressed gas. The storage system HSS is designed to allow the heat to be recovered at a high efficiency with practically no reduction in temperature. Unlike liquid heat transfer media, our storage method itself can operate at very high temperatures, up to 3000° F., a capability which can lead to greater efficiency. Due to material constraints and cost considerations in the rest of the system the maximum temperature is presently limited to between 1700° F. and 2000° F. The method can be applied to all current solar collector designs. This Abstract is not intended to define the invention disclosed in the specification, nor intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.

A method for storing heat from a solar collector CSTC in Concentrating Solar Power plants and delivering the heat to the power plant PP when needed. The method uses a compressed gas such as carbon dioxide or air as a heat transfer medium in the collectors CSTC and transferring the heat by depositing it on a bed of heat-resistant solids and later, recovering the heat by a second circuit of the same compressed gas. The storage system HSS is designed to allow the heat to be recovered at a high efficiency with practically no reduction in temperature. Unlike liquid heat transfer media, our storage method itself can operate at very high temperatures, up to 3000° F., a capability which can lead to greater efficiency. Due to material constraints and cost considerations in the rest of the system the maximum temperature is presently limited to between 1700° F. and 2000° F. The method can be applied to all current solar collector designs. This Abstract is not intended to define the invention disclosed in the specification, nor intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.

The present invention relates to delivery containers designed to deliver fluids for infusion to patients in a predetermined sequence, and methods for their construction and use. The containers described herein integrally comprise a plurality of non-fluidly connected chambers. The containers may be configured to deliver a volume of each medication of an infusion therapy in a predetermined sequence, duration, and / or interval from these chambers; alternatively, a container may be part of a larger device that provides the necessary hardware to perform such predetermined delivery. The container provides improved infusion therapy administration by reducing opportunities for error, infection, adverse drug interactions, or other complications.

A method for storing heat from a solar collector CSTC in Concentrating Solar Power plants and delivering the heat to the power plant PP when needed. The method uses a compressed gas such as carbon dioxide or air as a heat transfer medium in the collectors CSTC and transferring the heat by depositing it on a bed of heat-resistant solids and later, recovering the heat by a second circuit of the same compressed gas. The storage system HSS is designed to allow the heat to be recovered at a high efficiency with practically no reduction in temperature. Unlike liquid heat transfer media, our storage method itself can operate at very high temperatures, up to 3000° F., a capability which can lead to greater efficiency.

A thermal energy store comprising a chamber having a gas inlet and a gas outlet and a plurality of successive, downstream, gas permeable thermal storage layers disposed between them, each layer comprising gas permeable thermal storage media, the store being configured for gas flow from the gas inlet to gas outlet through the layers for transfer of thermal energy to or from the thermal storage media, wherein at least one of the layers is a valved layer provided with at least one valve operable selectively to allow or prevent at least some gas flow through that layer via the valve so as to bypass the thermal storage media. A control system may selectively alter the flow path of the gas flowing from inlet to outlet in response to the progress of a thermal front, so as to bypass thermal storage layers upstream of the thermal front, where transfer is complete, or downstream thereof, where transfer is minimal.

A cooling device has a large number of closely spaced impinging jets, adjacent an impingement gap, with parallel return paths for supplying coolant flow for the impinging jets with the least possible pressure drop using an interdigitated, branched hierarchical manifold. Surface enhancement features spanning the impingement gap form U-shaped microchannels between single impinging jets and single outlets.

Apparatus and methods are provided for microchannel cooling of electronic devices such as IC chips, which enable efficient and low operating pressure microchannel cooling of high power density electronic devices. Apparatus for microchannel cooling include integrated microchannel heat sink devices and fluid distribution manifold structures that are designed to provide uniform flow and distribution of coolant fluid and minimize pressure drops along coolant flow paths.

A cooling apparatus and method of fabrication are provided for facilitating removal of heat from a heat generating electronic device. The cooling apparatus includes an integrated coolant inlet and outlet manifold having a plurality of inlet orifices for injecting coolant onto a surface to be cooled, and a plurality of outlet openings for exhausting coolant after impinging on the surface to be cooled. The inlet orifices and the outlet openings are interspersed in a common surface of the integrated manifold. A plurality of exit openings are also provided on at least one edge surface of the manifold. These exit openings are in fluid communication through the manifold with the outlet openings to facilitate exhausting of coolant through the outlet openings and minimize pressure drop through the manifold. At least one surface plane projection of the at least one edge surface intersects a surface plane projection of the common surface.

An apparatus providing high efficiency heat exchange between two fluids is disclosed. The apparatus most commonly comprises multiple thin panels with fluid channels directing the flow of the two fluids, specifically: one or more flat panels aligned at some angle to the flow of the fluid traveling through the shortest channel of the thin panels. The panels are arranged in series and parallel, so that the hot fluid travels through multiple thin panels. The coolant is delivered to the thin panels through tubes or manifolds while the hot fluid is delivered through a duct or other piping.

A cooling apparatus and method of fabrication are provided for facilitating removal of heat from a heat generating electronic device. The cooling apparatus includes an integrated coolant inlet and outlet manifold having a plurality of inlet orifices for injecting coolant onto a surface to be cooled, and a plurality of outlet openings for exhausting coolant after impinging on the surface to be cooled. The inlet orifices and the outlet openings are interspersed in a common surface of the integrated manifold. A plurality of exit openings are also provided on at least one edge surface of the manifold. These exit openings are in fluid communication through the manifold with the outlet openings to facilitate exhausting of coolant through the outlet openings and minimize pressure drop through the manifold. At least one surface plane projection of the at least one edge surface intersects a surface plane projection of the common surface.

A paintball gun is sized and designed to appear like and operate in a manner similar to a conventional handgun. A removable magazine stores projectiles and propellant. The entire magazine is small enough to fit into a handle of a pistol. The magazine may be integrated with propellant and projectile portions locked together or separable. Standard carbon dioxide cartridges fit within the magazine. Paintballs may be staggered to increase the maximum magazine load. A user may selectively release just the projectile portion of the magazine, in order to leave the propellant undisturbed until fully expended. The magazine can be completely removed without substantial loss of propellant.

An ultraviolet flux multiplying air sterilization chamber comprises inner surfaces having a diffuse reflective behavior. The sterilization chamber includes an inlet aperture and an outlet aperture for air to flow through said chamber and a light source emitting an ultraviolet light. Due to the reflectivity of the inner surfaces of the chamber, a flux of the ultraviolet light is multiplied by reflecting multiple times from the inner surfaces of the chamber. The inlet and outlet apertures are advantageously configured to reduce the amount of light that escapes from the chamber and increase the amount of photons available in the chamber. In an exemplary embodiment, perforated end panels having diffuse, reflective interior surfaces may be provided over at least a portion of the inlet and outlet apertures.

An offshore power generation structure comprising a submerged portion having a first deck portion comprising an integral multi-stage evaporator system, a second deck portion comprising an integral multi-stage condensing system, a third deck portion housing power generation equipment, cold water pipe; and a cold water pipe connection. The heat exchangers in the evaporator and condenser systems include a multi-stage cascading heat exchange system. Warm water conduits in the first deck portion and cold water conduits in the second deck portion are integral to the structure of the submerged portion of the offshore platform.

The gas turbines of the present invention have multiple combustion chambers, and within each chamber are multiple fuel nozzles. Each nozzle has its own fuel control valve to control the fuel flowing to the nozzles. To minimize the pressure drop through the fuel control valves, multiple manifolds are employed. Each manifold supplies at least one fuel nozzle in multiple combustion chambers with fuel. The fuel control valves are mounted on the manifolds such that the weight of the fuel control valves and nozzles are carried by the manifolds, not the multiple combustion chambers. A plurality of thermocouples for measuring exhaust gas from said multiple combustion chambers are employed to sense gas exhaust temperature. In carrying out the methods of the present invention for tuning a gas turbine, it is essential to note that the most efficient gas turbine is one which has the least nitrous oxides, the least amount of unburned hydrocarbons, and the least amount of carbon monoxide for a specified energy output. In order to tune the gas turbine to accomplish these objectives, it is desirable that each combustion chamber in the gas turbine be well balanced relative to the remaining combustion chambers. It is an aim of the present invention to tune each of the multiple combustion chambers such that no specific combustion chamber is rich or lean, and all are operating within about 1% of the remaining combustion chambers.

A ceramic wall-flow filter for filtering particulate matter from gases and methods for manufacturing such wall-flow filters are disclosed. The filter includes an array of porous ceramic walls defining a pattern of end-plugged inlet and outlet cells, and heat absorbing elements disposed within at least some of the outlet cells such that a bulk heat capacity of the outlet cells is greater than a bulk capacity of the inlet cells. The heat absorbing elements increase a bulk heat capacity of the filter without substantially interfering with a flow of gas through the porous ceramic walls by allowing thinner walls. According to the method, during the step of extruding or thereafter, heat absorbing elements are formed within at least some of the outlet cells such that a heat capacity of the outlet cells is greater than the inlet cells.

An array of airfoil-shaped micro-mixers that enhances fluid mixing within permeable membrane channels, such as used in reverse-osmosis filtration units, while minimizing additional pressure drop. The enhanced mixing reduces fouling of the membrane surfaces. The airfoil-shaped micro-mixer can also be coated with or comprised of biofouling-resistant (biocidal / germicidal) ingredients.

A pneumatic gun wherein a dual-action firing bolt moves forward, assisting in launching a projectile, under gas pressure. The bolt then releases the compressed gas to carry the projectile down the barrel. Return springs operate to move the bolt and its valves to a ready-to-fire position. Similarly, trigger actuation mechanisms are spring-actuated to return to the ready-to-fire position.

A new apparatus for design and scale-up of photocatalytic and thermocatalytic processes is disclosed. The apparatus is based on optimizing photoprocess energetics by decoupling of the process energy efficiency from the DRE for target contaminants and is applicable to both low- and high-flux photoreactor design and scale-up. The low-flux apparatus is based on the implementation of natural biopolymeric and other low-pressure drop media support for titanium dioxide and other band-gap photocatalysts and is further based on the implementation of multifunctional metal oxide aerogels and other media in conjunction with a novel rotating fluidized particle bed reactor.

A centrifugal oil separator which includes a disk separator disposed in a housing and has a plurality of spaced disks between which paths of flow for a gas to be cleaned are provided. The paths of flow connect an intake space located at the radial exterior of the disk separator with an inner, axial discharge channel. The intake space is supplied with pressurized gas via a rotation element that is configured as a compressor wheel and that is disposed in the area of an axial end face of the disk separator.

An autonomous vacuum cleaner comprising a chassis, a traction part for supporting the vacuum cleaner on a surface, a driving part for driving the traction part and a control system configured to control the driving part to guide the vacuum cleaner across a surface to be cleaned. The vacuum cleaner further includes a cleaner head having a dirty air inlet facing the surface to be cleaned and a separating apparatus carried by the chassis and communicating with the cleaner head in order to separate debris from an airflow entering the separating apparatus via the dirty air inlet. The separating apparatus comprises a first upstream cyclone and a plurality of second cyclones arranged in parallel with one another and located downstream of the first cyclone.

Methods and devices for negating scale buildups on interior surfaces of a sliding sleeve valve housing above the flow tube. In some aspects, a wiper member provides additional clearance between the flow tube and housing to compensate for scale buildup. In other aspects, the interior surface of the valve housing is provided with a sleeve that is disposed between the interior surface of the valve housing and the general flowbore passing through the valve housing to protect the interior surface against scale buildup.

A method and system for optimal model-based multivariable balancing for distributed hydronic networks based on global differential pressure / flow rate information. A simplified mathematical model of a hydronic system can be determined utilizing an analogy between hydronic systems and electrical circuits. Thereafter, unknown parameters can be identified utilizing the simplified mathematical model and a set of available measurements. Next, balancing valve settings can be calculated by reformulating the simplified mathematical model based on the parameterized model. The sum of pressure drops across selected balancing valves can be then minimized to achieve optimal economic performances of the system. The data can be collected and transferred to a central unit either by wireless communication or manually by reading the local measurement devices. Such a multivariable balancing approach provides a fast and accurate balancing of distributed hydronic heating systems based on a centralized and non-iterative approach.

A method and system for optimal model-based multivariable balancing for distributed hydronic networks based on global differential pressure / flow rate information. A simplified mathematical model of a hydronic system can be determined utilizing an analogy between hydronic systems and electrical circuits. Thereafter, unknown parameters can be identified utilizing the simplified mathematical model and a set of available measurements. Next, balancing valve settings can be calculated by reformulating the simplified mathematical model based on the parameterized model. The sum of pressure drops across selected balancing valves can be then minimized to achieve optimal economic performances of the system. The data can be collected and transferred to a central unit either by wireless communication or manually by reading the local measurement devices. Such a multivariable balancing approach provides a fast and accurate balancing of distributed hydronic heating systems based on a centralized and non-iterative approach.

A filter including alternating layers of filter medium and diffusion medium. The filter provides optimum distribution of fluid over the filtering medium, a reduced pressure drop and an increased filter life, without a reduction in filter rating. The diffusion medium has a first plane of spaced-apart, substantially parallel strands defining first longitudinal passages having a first height dimension and a first width dimension, and a second plane of spaced-apart, substantially parallel strands defining second longitudinal passages having a second height dimension and a second width dimension. The strands of the second plane of the diffusion medium are oriented in a non-parallel manner with respect to the strands of the first plane, such that the first and the second planes define lateral openings having side dimensions. The first and the second longitudinal passages include at least one dimension that is smaller than any of the side dimensions of the lateral openings. At least a portion of the layers of filter medium have bypass apertures, wherein such portion defines at least one pre-qualifying filter medium layer.