A plurality of wire elements for use in an energy recovery device comprising Shape Memory Alloy or other Negative Thermal Expansion (NTE) material, wherein at least one wire element is fixed at one end and free to move at a second end, such that the wire elements are arranged adjacently and are in friction or interference contact with each other and are secured at the outer perimeter of wires utilising a securing means. In such arrangement, during the operation of the bundle arrangement in a heat engine system, the plate elements act to transmit the aggregated force generation of the wire grouping and thus usefully recover and transmit power.

A plurality of wire elements for use in an energy recovery device comprising Shape Memory Alloy or other Negative Thermal Expansion (NTE) material, wherein at least one wire element is fixed at one end and free to move at a second end, such that the wire elements are arranged adjacently and are in friction or interference contact with each other and are secured at the outer perimeter of wires utilising a securing means. In such arrangement, during the operation of the bundle arrangement in a heat engine system, the plate elements act to transmit the aggregated force generation of the wire grouping and thus usefully recover and transmit power.

A wire strand (10) comprises a plurality of wires (12, 16, 20). The wires comprise a central king wire (12), a first layer (14) of wires (16) arranged around the king wire, and a second layer (18) of wires (20) arranged around the first layer. The king wire is formed of steel having a carbon content of at least 0.3 wt %. Each wire of the first layer is formed of steel having a carbon content which is less than the carbon content of the king wire. Each wire of the second layer is formed of steel having a carbon content which is greater than, or the same as, the carbon content of the wires of the first layer.

A wire strand (10) comprises a plurality of wires (12, 16, 20). The wires comprise a central king wire (12), a first layer (14) of wires (16) arranged around the king wire, and a second layer (18) of wires (20) arranged around the first layer. The king wire is formed of steel having a carbon content of at least 0.3 wt %. Each wire of the first layer is formed of steel having a carbon content which is less than the carbon content of the king wire. Each wire of the second layer is formed of steel having a carbon content which is greater than, or the same as, the carbon content of the wires of the first layer.

In a rope of a lifting device, particularly of a passenger transport elevator and/or freight transport elevator, the width of which rope is greater than the thickness in the transverse direction of the rope, which rope includes a load-bearing part in the longitudinal direction of the rope, which load-bearing part includes carbon-fiber reinforced, aramid-fiber reinforced and/or glass-fiber reinforced composite material in a polymer matrix, and which rope includes one or more optical fibers and/or fiber bundles in connection with the load-bearing part and the optical fiber and/or fiber bundle is laminated inside the load-bearing part and/or the optical fiber and/or fiber bundle is glued onto the surface of the load-bearing part and/or and that the optical fiber and/or fiber bundle is embedded or glued into the polymer envelope surrounding the load-bearing part, as well as to a condition monitoring method for the rope of a lifting device.

In a rope of a lifting device, particularly of a passenger transport elevator and/or freight transport elevator, the width of which rope is greater than the thickness in the transverse direction of the rope, which rope includes a load-bearing part in the longitudinal direction of the rope, which load-bearing part includes carbon-fiber reinforced, aramid-fiber reinforced and/or glass-fiber reinforced composite material in a polymer matrix, and which rope includes one or more optical fibers and/or fiber bundles in connection with the load-bearing part and the optical fiber and/or fiber bundle is laminated inside the load-bearing part and/or the optical fiber and/or fiber bundle is glued onto the surface of the load-bearing part and/or and that the optical fiber and/or fiber bundle is embedded or glued into the polymer envelope surrounding the load-bearing part, as well as to a condition monitoring method for the rope of a lifting device.

A braided structure that includes a core and a sheath is provided. The core includes a yarn formed at least in part from an aromatic polymer (e.g., an aromatic polyester/liquid crystalline polymer or an aramid polymer), and the sheath, which includes a plurality of ultra high molecular weight polyolefin yarns, is braided around the core. The sheath has an overall diameter ranging from about 60 micrometers to about 650 micrometers. Despite its small diameter, the braided structure can be creep resistant and abrasion resistant while at the same time exhibiting low elongation, a high load at break, and high stiffness. The braided structure can be used in medical applications such as sutures, load bearing orthopedic applications, artificial tendons/ligaments, fixation devices, actuation cables, components for tissue repair, etc.

Elongated bodies made from high tenacity polyolefin fibers are provided that are useful as fishing lines, and processes for making the lines. Fibers having tenacities of at least 39 g/denier are braided and fused together to form braided bodies having very small diameters.

Elongated bodies made from high tenacity polyolefin fibers are provided that are useful as fishing lines, and processes for making the lines. Fibers having tenacities of at least 39 g/denier are braided and fused together to form braided bodies having very small diameters.

Processes for making high-performance polyethylene multi-filament yarn are disclosed which include the steps of a) making a solution of ultra-high molar mass polyethylene in a solvent; b) spinning of the solution through a spinplate containing at least 5 spinholes into an air-gap to form fluid filaments, while applying a draw ratio DR.sub.fluid; c) cooling the fluid filaments to form solvent-containing gel filaments; d) removing at least partly the solvent from the filaments; and e) drawing the filaments in at least one step before, during and/or after said solvent removing, while applying a draw ratio DR.sub.solid of at least 4, wherein in step b) each spinhole comprises a contraction zone of specific dimension and a downstream zone of diameter Dn and length Dn with Ln/Dn of from 0 to at most 25, to result in a draw ratio DR.sub.fluid=DR.sub.sp*DR.sub.ag of at least 150, wherein DR.sub.sp is the draw ratio in the spinholes and DR.sub.ag is the draw ratio in the air-gap, with DR.sub.sp being greater than 1 and DR.sub.ag at least 1. High-performance polyethylene multifilament yarn, and semi-finished or end-use products containing said yarn, especially to ropes and ballistic-resistant composites, are also disclosed.