Abstract:
A turbine housing for an engine turbocharger includes a turbine outlet port fluidly coupled to an expansion mechanism, a waste port fluidly coupled to a collector, and a valve assembly rotatable between a first position blocking the turbine outlet port and a second position blocking the waste port. The valve assembly directs exhaust gas through the waste port in the first position and directs exhaust gas through the turbine outlet port in the second position. The valve assembly is in the first position during engine start-up to direct exhaust gas from the engine through the collector and into a catalyst. The valve assembly is in the second position a predetermined time following engine start-up to direct exhaust gas from the engine to the expansion mechanism.
Abstract:
A free space point-to-point signaling system is described in which optical beams generated by two free space transceiver units are optically aligned with each other using beam steering techniques. Once aligned, each transceiver unit detects the received signal strength and transmits this information to the other transceiver unit. This information is used by the other transceiver unit to vary the signal strength of the beam that it transmits and to optimise the alignment between the light beams transmitted by the two transceiver units. The determined received signal strength measure is also used to detect if the two transceiver units have become misaligned or if the beams have been interrupted, so that the transmission power can be reduced if necessary or so that the alignment procedure can be restarted.
Abstract:
A low emission power generating apparatus which comprises a modified two-stroke diesel engine component and a modified turbocharger component which has a relatively low aspect ratio. The diesel engine component is a modification of a conventional two-stroke diesel engine design and includes an exhaust valve cam of unique design that has a cam profile which results in a later than-normal exhaust valve opening and an earlier-than-normal valve closing so that the time during which the exhaust valve remains open is shorter than normal, thereby causing a substantially greater volume of residual gases to remain in the combustion chamber following the scavenge stroke. This increase in the volume of the residual exhaust gases within the chamber leads to an increase in compression temperature and effectively increases the compression ratio and consequently the compression pressure. Because of the heat absorption capacity of these residual exhaust gases, the exhaust gases remaining in the chamber following the scavenge stroke tend to absorb combustion heat and thereby effectively reduce the peak combustion temperature. This reduction in peak combustion temperature advantageously results in the lower than normal formation of nitrogen oxide (NOx) and, therefore, allows advancement of the injection timing, while still maintaining the NOx emissions coming from the engine lower than those legislatively mandated. Advantageously, the advance in injection timing, which increases NOx emissions, by definition has the effect of also reducing particulate matter emissions. Thus, by increasing the volume of residual exhaust gases within the cylinder, substantial particulate matter emission reductions can be achieved, while at the same time maintaining NOx emissions well below mandated limits. The modified turbocharger component provides an additional charge of oxygen-rich air into the combustion chamber which effectively increases the compression pressure, which, in turn, leads to an earlier start of combustion because of the combustible mixture reaching its auto-ignition temperature at an earlier point in the cycle. This phenomenon leads to more thorough combustion of the fuel and also generally leads to higher exhaust temperatures. Higher exhaust temperatures, in turn, lead to a greater oxidation rate of the soluble organic fraction thus lowering the level of emission from the engine of undesirable particulate matter.
Abstract:
A low emission power generating apparatus which comprises a modified two-stroke diesel engine component and a modified turbocharger component which has a relatively low aspect ratio. The diesel engine component is a modification of a conventional two-stroke diesel engine design and includes an exhaust valve cam of unique design that has a cam profile which results in a later-than-normal exhaust valve opening and an earlier-than-normal valve closing so that the time during which the exhaust valve remains open is shorter than normal, thereby causing a substantially greater volume of residual gases to remain in the combustion chamber following the scavenge stroke. Reduction in peak combustion temperature advantageously results in the lower than normal production of nitrogen oxide (NOx) and, therefore, allows advancement of the injection timing, while still maintaining the NOx emissions coming from the engine lower than those legislatively mandated. The modified turbocharger component provides an additional charge of oxygen-rich air into the combustion chamber.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a process for producing organic acids, acid derivatives thereof and/or organic alcohols. In particular, the invention relates to a process for culturing a butyric acid-producing micro-organism in a culture vessel; transferring a portion of the butyric acid which is produced in the culture vessel to a separate compartment; and then reintroducing a portion of the acids from the second compartment in a controlled manner into the culture vessel. The invention also relates to a process for making butanol. The invention further relates to a process for culturing a butyrate-producing micro-organism in a first compartment of an electrochemical reactor, passing a direct current electric field across the electrochemical reactor and harvesting butyric acid or acid derivatives thereof in a second compartment of the reactor. The invention further relates to a process for producing butanol from the butyric acid.
Abstract:
This invention relates to methods for removing chewing gum and residues thereof from substrates using chewing gum modifying compositions comprising ionic liquids. In one embodiment, the chewing gum modifying composition may be used together with one or more oxidising reagents. In another embodiment, the chewing gum removal compositions further comprise one or more enzymes and one or more enzyme mediator compounds. The invention further relates to novel ionic liquid and enzyme compositions that are suitable for use in removing chewing gum residues.
Abstract:
This invention relates to methods for removing chewing gum and residues thereof from substrates using chewing gum modifying compositions comprising ionic liquids. In one embodiment, the chewing gum modifying composition may be used together with one or more oxidising reagents. In another embodiment, the chewing gum removal compositions further comprise one or more enzymes and one or more enzyme mediator compounds. The invention further relates to novel ionic liquid and enzyme compositions that are suitable for use in removing chewing gum residues.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to methods for making recombinant thermophilic bacteria of the family Bacillaceae. In particular, recombinant thermophilic Bacillaceae are provided which have been engineered to produce butanol and/or butyrate. Preferably, heterologous nucleic acid molecules encoding one or more butanol or butyrate biosynthetic pathway enzymes are introduced into a thermophilic Bacillaceae in order to produce a recombinant thermophilic Bacillaceae which is capable of producing butanol. The Bacillaceae is preferably of the genus Geobacillus or Ureibacillus. The invention also relates to a method of producing butanol using the Bacillaceae of the invention.
Abstract:
A rotary power unit, comprising a housing having a circular opening and a plurality of bores extending along a radial axis from a center of the opening, a nodular rotor mounted within the opening of the housing and coaxially rotatable within the opening. The nodular rotor comprises a plurality of nodes equally distributed along the bounding circle thereof and the number of nodes is an odd integer less than the number of bores in the housing. A plurality of replaceable cylinder modules are fixedly receivable within a respective bore within the housing. Each cylinder module comprises a piston slidable within a cylinder, a piston actuating member associated with a each piston and a work unit associated with a cylinder head at a distal end the cylinder. Each piston is displaceable along the radial axis between a Top Dead Center (TDC) and a Bottom Dead Center (BDC), the pistons being biased into the BDC. The nodular rotor is fitted with a radial thrust reducing arrangement for engagement with respective piston actuating members.