2851results about How to "Reduce erosion" patented technology

An electrosurgical generator for supplying RF power to an electrosurgical instrument for cutting or vaporising tissue has an RF output stage (42) with an RF power bridge (Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4), a pair of output lines (74) and a series-resonant output network (48). The output impedance of the output stage (42) at the output lines (74) is less than 200 / √P ohms, where P is the maximum continuous RF output power of the generator. The generator offers improved cutting and vaporising performance, especially in relation to the reliability with which an arc can be struck when presented with an initial low impedance load. Overloading of the output stage is prevented by rapidly operating protection circuitry responsive to a predetermined electrical condition such as a substantial short-circuit across the output lines. In the preferred embodiment, the output stage is capable of maintaining output pulses at least 1kW peak by supplying the power bridge from a large reservoir capacitor (60). Pulsing is dynamically variable in response to load conditions by controlling the maximum energy per pulse in response to the reservoir capacitor voltage.

A method and apparatus for activating and dissociating gases involves generating an activated gas with a plasma located in a chamber. A downstream gas input is positioned relative to an output of the chamber to enable the activated gas to facilitate dissociation of a downstream gas introduced by the gas input, wherein the dissociated downstream gas does not substantially interact with an interior surface of the chamber.

The present invention provides pharmaceutical compositions for controlled release of pharmaceutically active agents, especially those with a high water solubility, high dose, and / or short half-life. In addition, the present application provides methods for preparing and using such pharmaceutical compositions.

A self-sticking disintegrating cleansing block to be attached directly to a wall of a toilet bowl or urinal, above the water-line and in the stream of flush water, by pressing the cleansing block to the wall. The cleaning block includes 25% to 99% of a solid surfactant, and 1% to 25% of a liquid component. The cleansing block may include a substrate removably attached to a surface of the cleansing block. In use, the substrate is removed from the cleansing block and the exposed surface of the cleansing block is pressed to a surface in a position above any waterline that is contacted by a rinse liquid that disintegrates the cleansing block. Rinse liquid is then allowed to contact the cleansing block such that an amount of the cleansing block is mixed with rinse fluid to clean the surface or a liquid reservoir adjacent the surface.

Plating accelerator is applied selectively to a substantially-unfilled wide (e.g., low-aspect-ratio feature cavity. Then, plating of metal is conducted to fill the wide feature cavity and to form an embossed structure in which the height of a wide-feature metal protrusion over the metal-filled wide-feature cavity is higher than the height of metal over field regions. Most of the overburden metal is removed using non-contact techniques, such as chemical wet etching. Metal above the wide feature cavity protects the metal-filled wide-feature interconnect against dishing, and improved planarization techniques avoid erosion of the metal interconnect and dielectric insulating layer. In some embodiments, plating of metal onto a substrate is conducted to fill narrow (e.g., high-aspect-ratio feature cavities) in the dielectric layer before selective application of plating accelerator and filling of the wide feature cavity.

The invention provides a silver nanowire-based transparent conductive thin film and a preparation method thereof. The preparation method is characterized by comprising the following steps of: forming a uniform adhesive layer on a substrate by organic polymer fluid; and forming a silver nanowire conductive layer on the adhesive layer, wherein silver nanowires can be firmly adhered to the adhesive layer. Through the adhesive layer, the firmness and the reliability of the silver nanowire transparent conductive thin film are greatly improved, the problem of easiness of falling of the silver nanowires is solved, and the selection range of the substrate is expanded. If the adhesive layer is formed by polyvinyl alcohol on a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) substrate, the visible light transmittance reaches 84 percent when square resistance is 130.

Provided are coated sleeved oil and gas well production devices and methods of making and using such coated sleeved devices. In one form, the coated sleeved oil and gas well production device includes one or more cylindrical bodies, one or more sleeves proximal to the outer diameter or inner diameter of the one or more cylindrical bodies, hardbanding on at least a portion of the exposed outer surface, exposed inner surface, or a combination of both exposed outer or inner surface of the one or more sleeves, and a coating on at least a portion of the inner sleeve surface, the outer sleeve surface, or a combination thereof of the one or more sleeves. The coating includes one or more ultra-low friction layers, and one or more buttering layers interposed between the hardbanding and the ultra-low friction coating. The coated sleeved oil and gas well production devices may provide for reduced friction, wear, erosion, corrosion, and deposits for well construction, completion and production of oil and gas.

Catalytic converter or diesel particulate filter or trap having edge protectant which reduces erosion of a lateral edge of an intumescent mounting mat when exposed to hot, impinging gases.

Provided herein are methods of treating or ameliorating hypercholemia or a cholestatic liver disease by administering to an individual in need thereof a therapeutically effective amount of an Apical Sodium-dependent Bile Acid Transporter Inhibitor (ASBTI) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. Also provided are methods for treating or ameliorating a liver disease, decreasing the levels of serum bile acids or hepatic bile acids, treating or ameliorating pruritis, reducing liver enzymes, or reducing bilirubin comprising administering to an individual in need thereof a therapeutically effective amount of ASBTI or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

Plating accelerator is applied selectively to a substantially-unfilled wide (e.g., low-aspect-ratio feature cavity. Then, plating of metal is conducted to fill the wide feature cavity and to form an embossed structure in which the height of a wide-feature metal protrusion over the metal-filled wide-feature cavity is higher than the height of metal over field regions. Most of the overburden metal is removed using non-contact techniques, such as chemical wet etching. Metal above the wide feature cavity protects the metal-filled wide-feature interconnect against dishing, and improved planarization techniques avoid erosion of the metal interconnect and dielectric insulating layer. In some embodiments, plating of metal onto a substrate is conducted to fill narrow (e.g., high-aspect-ratio feature cavities) in the dielectric layer before selective application of plating accelerator and filling of the wide feature cavity.

A method is provided for extracting a foreground object and a background sprite, wherein a provisional sprite is generated, the foreground and the background is separated on the basis of the provisional sprite, and the background sprite is generated. Another method is provided for extracting a segmentation mask by using a difference image, including a first step of regarding each of first macro-blocks as the foreground when an value of the first macro-block is larger than a first predetermined value and a second step of regarding each of second macro-blocks as the foreground when an value of the second macro-block is larger than a second predetermined value, the second macro-block being close to a macro-block which is determined as the foreground in the first step.

Implantable medical articles having a coating formed of hydrophobic derivatives of natural biodegradable polysaccharides are described. The coatings can include a bioactive agent, and demonstrate desirable bioactive agent release profiles and can be prepared to have high drug loading. The coated implantable medical articles can be used to treat medical conditions, such as those requiring prolonged administration of the bioactive agent at a target location in the body.

Steam injection pipe string apparatus is disclosed comprising an elongated tubular structure with first and second ends, and a plurality of orifices formed in the elongated tubular structure. The sizes of the orifices vary from one end of the elongated tubular structure to the other, and, in one embodiment, the sizes of the orifices increase from one end of the elongated tubular structure to the other. The elongated tubular structure may comprise a plurality of blank pipes in threaded engagement with one another or a plurality of subs with different sized orifices in the subs. The orifices may be formed in the elongated tubular structure using milling techniques or by inserting a nozzle in a threaded aperture formed in the structure. A system utilizing the steam injection pipe string apparatus is especially suitable for use in a steam assisted gravity drainage system.

In a particular illustrative embodiment, a method of fabricating a semiconductor device is disclosed that includes forming a metal layer over a device substrate, forming a via in contact with the metal layer, and adding a dielectric layer above the via. The method further includes etching a portion of the dielectric layer to form a trench area, and depositing a perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) structure within the trench area.

A method and apparatus to maximize spark plug life in pre-chamber spark plugs operating with ultra-lean mixtures and / or elevated engine BMEP is presented. Electrode erosion is reduced by spreading discharge energy over a wider surface area, maintaining fuel concentration in the spark gap, controlling gas static pressure during discharge, and maintaining safe electrode temperature. Energy is spread via a swirling effect created by periphery holes in an end cap, resulting in a lower specific energy discharge at the electrodes. Divergently configured electrodes reduce the spark voltage at high operating pressures and the energy required for ignition. The flow field generated at the electrodes prevents electrical shorts due to water condensation and avoids misfire. The center electrode insulation provides an effective heat transfer path to prevent electrode overheating and pre-ignition. The volume behind the electrodes provides a volume for burnt products from previous combustion cycles and leads to more reliable ignition.

The present invention harvests and utilizes fluidized bed drying technology and waste heat streams augmented by other available heat sources to dry feedstock or fuel. This method is useful in many industries, including coal-fired power plants. Coal is dried using the present invention before it goes to coal pulverizers and on to the furnace / boiler arrangement. Coal can be intercepted on current coal feed systems ahead of the pulverizers. Drying fuel, such as coal, is done to improve boiler efficiency and reduce emissions. A two-stage bed utilized in the process first “pre-dries and separates” the feed stream into desirable and undesirable feedstock. Then, it incrementally dries and segregates fluidizable and non-fluidizable material from the product stream. This is all completed in a low-temperature, open-air system. Elevation of fan room air temperature is also accomplished using waste heat, thereby making available to the plant system higher temperature media to enhance the feedstock drying process.

A polishing slurry including an oxidant, a metal oxide dissolver, a metal inhibitor and water and having a pH from 2 to 5. The metal oxide dissolver contains one or more types selected from one or more acids (A-group) selected from acids of which the dissociation constant (pKa) of a first dissociable acid group is less than 3.7 and from which five acids of lactic acid, phthalic acid, fumaric acid, maleic acid and aminoacetic acid are excluded, ammonium salts of the A-group and esters of the A-group, and one or more types selected from one or more acids (B-group) selected from acids of which the dissociation constant (pKa) of a first dissociable acid group is 3.7 or more and the five acids, ammonium salts of the B-group and esters of the B-group. The metal inhibitor contains one or more types selected from the group consisting of aromatic compounds having a triazole skeleton and one or more types selected from the group consisting of aliphatic compounds having a triazole skeleton and compounds having any one of pyrimidine skeleton, imidazole skeleton, guanidine skeleton, thiazole skeleton and pyrazole skeleton. The polishing slurry having a high metal-polishing rate, reducing etching rate and polishing friction, results in the production, with high productivity, of semiconductor devices reduced in dishing and erosion in metal wiring.

A method and apparatus to maximize spark plug life in pre-chamber spark plugs operating with ultra-lean mixtures and / or elevated engine BMEP is presented. Electrode erosion is reduced by spreading discharge energy over a wider surface area, maintaining fuel concentration in the spark gap, controlling gas static pressure during discharge, and maintaining safe electrode temperature. Energy is spread via a swirling effect created by periphery holes in an end cap, resulting in a lower specific energy discharge at the electrodes. Divergently configured electrodes reduce the spark voltage at high operating pressures and the energy required for ignition. The flow field generated at the electrodes prevents electrical shorts due to water condensation and avoids misfire. The center electrode insulation provides an effective heat transfer path to prevent electrode overheating and preignition. The volume behind the electrodes provides a volume for burnt products from previous combustion cycles and leads to more reliable ignition.

The present invention provides a flexible printed circuit that is less likely to suffer from erosion (corrosion) of electrode terminals even in severe environments and a display device using the flexible printed circuit. According to the present invention, a flexible printed circuit includes a flexible FPC film, FPC interconnections formed of a given pattern on the FPC film, a solder resist covering the FPC interconnections, and FPC terminals provided at ends of the FPC interconnections to make external connection. According to the invention, the FPC terminals include at least one terminal that has an end located inside of an outline of the FPC film.

In a particular illustrative embodiment, a method of forming a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) device is disclosed that includes forming a trench in a substrate. The method further includes depositing a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) structure within the trench. The MTJ structure includes a bottom electrode, a fixed layer, a tunnel barrier layer, a free layer, and a top electrode. The method also includes planarizing the MTJ structure. In a particular example, the MTJ structure is planarized using a Chemical Mechanical Planarization (CMP) process.

In mesic environments, erosion control measures usually employ the establishment of vegetative cover by vascular plants in order to hold the soil in place. The current art often includes the application of seeds, chemical fertilizers, tackifiers, and mulches to promote the growth of vascular plants. However, arid environments so not support dense vegetative cover, but are instead dominated by photosynthetic microorganisms, primarily cyanobacteria and lichens. The cyanobacteria not only hold the soil in place, but also are the primary source of fixed nitrogen in arid environments. Disclosed herein, is a description of an apparatus and methods for the production and preservation of a photobiofertilizer as a means for repairing disturbed arid soils.

The invention relates to a restoration method for a damaged ecosystem in a steep-slope area in a water-level-fluctuating zone of a reservoir. The method comprises the following steps:when the impounded water level is at the lowest point, cleaning the upstream slope in the water-level-fluctuating zone, and manually tamping; digging planting holes at the top of the slope, and planting Chinese red pines and the like to form a multifunctional protective forest belt; digging planting grooves and planting holes within the range of the water-level-fluctuating zone, laying jute geotextile, planting vetiver within the range with the water-level-fluctuating depth of 2m to form a hedgerow; and mixedly planting vetiver and wire grass within the range with the water-level-fluctuating depth of 2-10m to form a combined vegetation slope restoration belt. The protective forest belt, the hedgerow and the combined vegetation slope restoration belt form a three-dimensional restoration space together, thereby ensuring that plants can take roots and restore in the steep-slope area in the water-level-fluctuating zone. By restoring the vegetation in large area, the invention effectively reduces the overland flow and the soil erosion, and improves the fertility and the properties of the soil, thereby restoring the damaged ecosystem. The invention has the advantages of convenient construction and less investment, can not be easily damaged by water, and is applicable to the water-level-fluctuating zone of a reservoir with large water-level-fluctuating range and precipitous topography.

In a particular illustrative embodiment, a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) structure is disclosed that includes a bottom electrode, a fixed layer, a tunnel barrier layer, a free layer, and a top electrode. The bottom electrode is coupled to a bottom surface of the fixed layer and extends along at least one sidewall of the fixed layer.

The invention discloses a polymeric aluminum sulfate synthesis method and discloses a preparation method of a novel alkali-free liquid accelerator based on synthesis of polymeric aluminum sulfate. According to the alkali-free accelerator, an aluminum sulfate solution is neutralized by ammonia water, active aluminum hydroxide gel is prepared, active aluminum hydroxide is filtered, dried and ground into powder, then the aluminum sulfate solution is added, and the polymeric aluminum sulfate is prepared. The alkali-free accelerator comprises, in percentage, 45%-55% of the polymeric aluminum sulfate, 0%-5% of inorganic acid, 0%-2% of a stabilizer, 0%-2% of an organic early strength agent, 0%-2% of an organic tackifier and the balance of water. The cement setting time and the colloidal mortar strength of the accelerator can meet the requirement of first-class accelerators for JC477-2005 sprayed concrete under the condition of the lower mixing amount, and meanwhile, the accelerator is an alkali-free liquid accelerator and can effectively avoid adverse effects caused by excessively high alkali content. The cement types of the accelerator have good adaptability.

The invention relates to a growth media including a charred organic matter, a hydrophilic polyurethane prepolymer, and water for mixing said hydrophilic polyurethane prepolymer and said charred organic matter together into a malleable mixture. The invention also relates to a method of providing the growth media.

A system and method are provided for promoting vegetation growth on a steeply sloping surface. The system of the present invention includes anchors that are secured to the sloping surface, an inner mesh layer in contact with the slope, a geosynthetic layer placed over the inner mesh layer, and seeded compost material placed in the gap or space between the geosynthetic layer and the inner mesh layer. An outer mesh layer is placed over the geosynthetic layer to help stabilize the geosynthetic layer. The geosynthetic layer and outer mesh layer are also secured to the protruding anchors. Vegetation grows in the compost material and roots of the vegetation penetrate the inner mesh layer into the slope. An established root system stabilizes the slope. The seeded compost material provides an environment that greatly enhances the growth of vegetation on steeply sloping surface which otherwise do not have adequate soil to promote growth. The anchors provide additional structural stabilization for the slope and also provide a means to attach the layers of materials.

Methods for reducing wear in pumping components during fracturing operations. A coated proppant is used that causes less wear on the pumping components as the proppant is pumped into the wellbore. The proppant coating consists of a substrate having a coating thereupon which eliminates sharp edges on the substrate and functions as a lubricant to materially reduce mechanical erosion of the pumping components. The proppant substrate may consist of any of a number of materials, including sand, ceramic, resin coated sand, or resin coated ceramic particle. The coating preferably comprises one or more layers of one or more of the following materials (or the coating having low friction coefficients is part of a mixture of the coating): antimony trioxide, bismuth, boric acid, calcium barium fluoride, copper, graphite, indium, fluoropolymers (FTFE), lead oxide, lead sulfide, molybdenum disulfide, niobium dielenide, polytetrafluoroethylene, silver, tin, or tungsten disulfide or zinc oxide. The coating material may be applied to the substrate in a number of ways known in the art.