A self-cleaning transfer gear pump for transferring molten metal includes the following features: a transfer conduit extends upward from an outlet of a base, two rotatable gears are formed of refractory material and disposed in the gear chamber and engage each other during rotation. A boss functioning as a bearing extends from the drive gear and is adapted to be received in an opening in the base. A shaft is fastened at a lower end to the drive gear. A filter is fastened to the base so as to cover the inlet and prevents particles and objects in the molten metal from entering the gear chamber. In operational mode, a motor rotates the shaft and the drive gear whereby the drive gear and the second gear engage each other while being rotated so as to positively displace molten metal from the inlet to the outlet and along the transfer conduit to the remote location. In self-cleaning mode, the motor rotates the shaft and the drive gear effectively to draw molten metal from the transfer conduit by positive displacement, through the outlet, and toward the inlet therefore cleaning the filter by removing the particles adhering to the filter. Also included are a system with optional filter and optional self-cleaning mode but including an inlet portion of a die casting machine, and a method for operating the gear pump. A flow sensor may be used to transmit pulses into and from the transfer conduit so as to enable determination of a volume of molten metal being charged. The control of the molten metal volume being charged is not solely controlled by the flow sensor.

An internal combustion engine includes a combustion chamber, a fuel injector injecting fuel into the combustion chamber, a cylinder, a piston having a crown and reciprocating in the cylinder, the crown being exposed to the combustion chamber, and an ignition delay enhancer prolonging an ignition delay of a fuel-air mixture in the combustion chamber. A ceramic member is disposed on at least a fuel injection port, to which fuel is injected from the fuel injector, of the crown of the piston.

A pump is disclosed. The pump may include at least one pumping mechanism. The at least one pumping mechanism may include a barrel formed of a substrate having a bore and a plunger formed of a substrate and slidably disposed within the bore in the barrel. The pump may further include a coating disposed on the plunger. The coating may include a main layer containing a tribological material and a sacrificial break-in layer disposed on the main layer, the break-in layer containing a tribological material.

A torque transmitting key for electrical submersible pumps (ESP). An ESP system includes a rotatable shaft and a sleeve coupled to the rotatable shaft by an elongate key, the elongate key made of a carbide composite material, the carbide composite material including a carbide selected from the group consisting of tungsten carbide, titanium carbide and silicon carbide, and a composite material selected from the group consisting of cobalt, nickel and a combination of cobalt and nickel. An ESP system includes an elongate torque transmitting key, the elongate key coupling an ESP rotatable component to an ESP shaft such that the ESP rotatable component rotates with the ESP shaft, the elongate torque transmitting key seated in a keyway of the ESP rotatable component and a keyway of the ESP shaft, and the elongate torque transmitting key having a load optimizing cross-sectional shape.

The disclosed technology includes pumps, pipes, valves, seals, and systems for pumping and controlling high temperature fluids, such as liquid tin, at temperatures of between 1000-3000 C. The systems and device may be partially or entirely constructed using brittle materials, such as ceramics, that are capable of withstanding extreme heat without significantly degrading, and may be secured using components made of refractory metals, such as tungsten. The systems and devices may utilize static and dynamic seals made from brittle materials, such as graphite, to enable the high temperature operation of such pumps, pipes, valves, and systems without leakage.

A natural gas fueled vehicle, includes a natural gas fueled Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) to provide motive power to the vehicle. A pressurizable tank is disposed on the vehicle to contain a natural gas. A natural gas adsorbent is disposed in the tank. A fuel supply tube is to convey the natural gas to the ICE. A scroll compressor is on the vehicle to receive the natural gas from the tank and to deliver a first mixture of compressed natural gas and an oil to a gas and oil separator. The gas and oil separator is to receive the first mixture of the compressed natural gas and the oil from the scroll compressor and to separate the oil from the compressed natural gas and to deliver the compressed natural gas to the fuel supply tube substantially free from the oil.

In a spark ignition engine, a thermal insulation thin layer is formed over a wall surface, facing an inside of a combustion chamber, of a base material forming the combustion chamber, and for a thermal conductivity [W/(m.Math.K)], a thermal diffusivity [mm.sup.2/s], and a thickness L [m] of the thermal insulation thin layer, L16.7 and L207.4().sup.0.5 are satisfied. With such a configuration, a heat loss Q_total escaping from gas in a cylinder to the wall of the combustion chamber over all strokes can be reduced, and the thermal efficiency can be improved without inducing degradation of knocking due to an increase in an amount of heating Q_intake of the gas in the cylinder during an intake stroke.

A vacuum pump and a vacuum pump rotor blade that can effectively limit deposition of reaction products are provided. The vacuum pump includes a rotating shaft held rotationally, a drive mechanism for the rotating shaft, a first rotor blade made of a first material, a second rotor blade made of a second material having higher heat resistance than the first material, and disposed further toward a downstream side than the first rotor blade, and a casing enclosing the rotating shaft, the first rotor blade, and the second rotor blade. The second rotor blade is disposed, via a heat insulating portion, on the first rotor blade.

A pumping mechanism is disclosed. The pumping mechanism may include a barrel formed of a barrel substrate and including a first end surface, a second end surface opposite the first end surface, and a bore between the first and second end surfaces. Each of the first and second end surfaces and the bore is coated with a metal plating. The pumping mechanism may further include a plunger formed of a plunger substrate and configured to be slidably disposed in the bore in barrel, the plunger substrate having a tribological coating.

A sliding vane pump is provided including a pump assembly having a housing with a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet formed therein, a lining member received in the housing defining a substantially cylindrical inner surface and a rotor arranged inside the lining member, defining a substantially cylindrical outer surface. The inner surface of the lining member and outer surface of the rotor define a working space therebetween. The pump assembly also comprises a plurality of vanes received in slots formed about the rotor outer surface. Each vane is arranged to slide in the radical direction with respect to the rotor such that an outer edge of the vane contacts the lining member inner surface, thereby dividing the working space into working chambers. Rotation of the rotor draws fluid from the fluid inlet working into the working chambers, which is ejected into the fluid outlet.