Abstract:
A method of preparing dissolving pulp. The method includes physically separating a kraft pulp or a kraft hydrolysis pulp into first and second fractions, the first fraction having a relatively low lignin content and the second fraction having a relatively high lignin content.
Abstract:
Systems and methods are provided for refining and reclaiming rejects in a sulfite pulping process. Wood chips and sulfite cooking liquor are provided to a digester for delignification. The slurry obtained from the digester is screened to obtain a reject portion containing sulfite rejects. The sulfite rejects are disintegrated in a refiner, such that the rejects are refined to a freeness suitable for digestion in a subsequent re-cooking step. Refined rejects are then returned to the digester for re-cooking with wood chips.
Abstract:
A process using a multicomponent enzyme preparation to treat chips that have been crushed using a device that combines shear and compressive forces where treatment occurs mainly during decompression and reduces the specific energy consumption and/or increasing production of subsequent refining while maintaining or increasing handsheet physical properties. The enzyme preparation is to have a major endoglucanase activity, a significant mannanase activity and a slight cellobiohydrolase activity. This enzyme mixture is prepared from a genetically modified strain of Trichoderma reseii.
Abstract:
Described are methods and associated uses for the treatment of resorptive bone disease using peptides comprising part of the C-terminal portion of soricidin. Also described are methods and associated uses for inhibiting osteoclast activity and/or bone resorption using the peptides.
Abstract:
A method of pyrolysis of Kraft lignin is disclosed, including the steps of providing a microwave generator system, providing a Kraft lignin feedstock in the system, providing a biochar in the system as a microwave receptor, providing nitrogen atmosphere in the system, and heating the feedstock and receptor using microwave energy to make a biooil. A biooil made using the above method is also disclosed as is a biooil having a high phenolic content, in the range of 86.6% to 97.9%.
Abstract:
MPC controller systems and methods are disclosed that may be applied to various different types of MPC controllers and methods for use in any desired or appropriate controller settings, such as physical systems with non-linearities that require careful modelling tactics, which are considered complex systems. Complex systems include fast systems which are those where solving the descriptive model of the system has the potential to surpass the closed loop sampling time required to control the system. Examples of complex fast systems are robot manipulators, quadracopters and injection speed of an injection molding process.
Abstract:
Method and system for determining a confinement size in a porous media, including subjecting the media to a substantially uniform static magnetic field, applying a magnetic resonance pulse sequence to the media, detecting magnetic resonance signals from the media, determining non-ground eigenvalues from the magnetic resonance relaxation spectrum, and determining a confinement size of the media from the eigenvalues.
Abstract:
A model predictive controller for a performing stateless prediction. Using dosed form algebraic expressions for the step test in a dynamic matrix eliminates the requirement for individual calculation on each element. With both the dynamic matrix and the vector of predicted errors written in terms of discrete algebraic equations, the control law is written as a function of the current state of the system. The control law is then be reduced to its minimal form, which leaves the next control action to be a function of the system parameters, the past errors, and the past control actions. Since the system parameters are constant, this controller is then be reduced into a single discrete equation. This greatly reduces the computations required in each control loop iteration.
Abstract:
Methods are provided for controlling a powered lower limb device. A stance phase control method is disclosed in which the required joint torque is determined based on the difference between two joint angles, such as the knee joint and the ankle joint. A swing control method is also disclosed that employs feedback-based minimum jerk trajectory control. A joint assembly for use in a modular lower limb device is also provided. The joint assembly includes a reconfigurable slider-crank mechanism that is configurable to provide a plurality of different ranges of rotational travel, rotational speeds, and torques, for customization according to different anatomical joints. The joint assembly may include a compact coupling device for coupling a ball screw of the slider-crank mechanism to an output shaft of a motor. When employed to form a modular orthosis, the joint assembly may be adapted for self-alignment as its length adjustment method during setup.
Abstract:
Systems and methods are provided for configuring a human-machine interface according to a user's relative preference, or weighting, of a set of utility factors, such that a user can customize a human-machine interface in the absence of the direct selection of interface parameters. In some example embodiments, a total utility function (associated with overall utility of a human-machine interface) is calculated based on the sum of a set of weighted utility functions, with each utility function being weighted according to a respective user-tunable weight, and with each user-tunable weight prescribing a relative importance of a respective utility factor to the total utility function. A set of parameters of the human-machine interface that optimize the overall utility function for a selected set of user-tunable weights is determined and employed to configure the human-machine interface.