The present invention generally describes apparatuses and methods used to perform an annealing process on desired regions of a substrate. In one embodiment, pulses of electromagnetic energy are delivered to a substrate using a flash lamp or laser apparatus. The pulses may be from about 1 nsec to about 10 msec long, and each pulse has less energy than that required to melt the substrate material. The interval between pulses is generally long enough to allow the energy imparted by each pulse to dissipate completely. Thus, each pulse completes a micro-anneal cycle. The pulses may be delivered to the entire substrate at once, or to portions of the substrate at a time. Further embodiments provide an apparatus for powering a radiation assembly, and apparatuses for detecting the effect of pulses on a substrate.

A method of making a hot surface igniter is described. A silicon carbide composition that includes both fines fraction and a coarse fraction is sintered in a nitrogen and argon reducing atmosphere in a manner that controls the incorporation of nitrogen with in the lattice of recrystallized silicon carbide. The controlled incorporation of nitrogen in the lattice provides enhanced control over heating and electrical properties, while simultaneously achieving a lower surface area fully recrystallized structure for oxidation resistance and long service life.

Systems and methods of non-contact tensioning of a metal strip during metal processing include passing the metal strip adjacent a magnetic rotor. The magnetic rotor is spaced apart from the metal strip by a first distance. The systems and methods also include tensioning the metal strip through the magnetic rotor by rotating the magnetic rotor. Rotating the magnetic rotor induces a magnetic field into the metal strip such that the metal strip is tensioned in an upstream direction or a downstream direction. In other aspects, rotating the magnetic rotor induces a magnetic field into the metal strip such that a force normal to a surface of the metal strip is applied to the metal strip.

A second-level liquid slag cache system with flow and temperature monitoring and control functions is disclosed. A slag inlet is located at an upper portion of the slag ladle casing; at least one slag discharging unit is located at a side of a lower portion of the slag ladle casing; one slag discharging unit is corresponding to one stopper; the stopper includes a stopper head, a stopper rod and a stopper control mechanism; the stopper control mechanism is configured to control the flow area between the stopper head and the sizing nozzle; a sealing cover is disposed outside the sizing nozzle; a slag control tube is installed at a bottom of the sealing cover. The present invention is able to achieve liquid slag buffer, flow control and heat compensation, so as to allow liquid slag to continuously stably perform a subsequent granulation process.

Recycling of low and medium radioactivity nuclear waste from VVER and RBMK reactors and other nuclear installations.

The invention uses a recycling plant consisting of a waste feed unit; a plasma shaft-type furnace with a melter in the hearth of the furnace and a slug discharge unit connected with a receiving tank for molten slug; an air supply unit delivering air to the furnace to a pyrolysis gas combustion chamber; an evaporative heat exchanger for sharp reduction of the flue gases temperature; a gas purification unit with a sock-type filter; a heat-exchanger and a scrubber; pumps and tanks for agents and recycled products; fittings; and at least, one control module which is electrically connected to the slug discharge control module, an interior environment control module, an equipment status control module and, at least, one gas analytical module.

Methods for controlling the position of a lance supplying oxygen to a furnace containing a bath of molten metal. The methods include the steps of continuously detecting actual conditions associated with the furnace, continuously comparing the actual conditions to target parameters corresponding to the actual conditions, and continuously adjusting the position of the lance with respect to the furnace based on the comparison of the actual conditions to the target parameters.

A method and a control device for operating a furnace, in particular an anode furnace, formed by a plurality of heating channels and furnace chambers, the furnace chambers serving to receive carbonaceous products, in particular anodes, and the heating channels serving to control the temperature of the furnace chambers. The furnace includes at least one furnace unit that contains a heating zone, a fire zone and a cooling zone, which for their part are formed by at least one section that has furnace chambers. A suction ramp of the furnace unit is disposed in a section of the heating zone, and a burner ramp of the furnace unit is disposed in a section of the fire zone. Process air in the heating channels of the fire zone is heated by the burner ramp, and exhaust gas is suctioned from the heating channels of the heating zone by the suction ramp, while operation of the ramps is controlled by a control device of the furnace unit. The control device is used to determine respective enthalpy flow rates for at least two sections, where a difference of the respective enthalpy flow rates being determined as a characteristic, to compare such characteristic to a presupposed characteristic, and to determine a status of the furnace based on this comparison.

The present invention generally describes apparatuses and methods used to perform an annealing process on desired regions of a substrate. In one embodiment, pulses of electromagnetic energy are delivered to a substrate using a flash lamp or laser apparatus. The pulses may be from about 1 nsec to about 10 msec long, and each pulse has less energy than that required to melt the substrate material. The interval between pulses is generally long enough to allow the energy imparted by each pulse to dissipate completely. Thus, each pulse completes a micro-anneal cycle. The pulses may be delivered to the entire substrate at once, or to portions of the substrate at a time. Further embodiments provide an apparatus for powering a radiation assembly, and apparatuses for detecting the effect of pulses on a substrate.

A steel sheet temperature control device including: a sheet temperature measurement unit; a furnace temperature measurement unit; an influence coefficient calculation unit; a control model setting unit that sets a control model; a state variable/disturbance estimation unit that estimates values of a state variable and a temperature disturbance variable of the control model at the same time; a furnace temperature change amount calculation unit that calculates a furnace temperature change amount of each of heating zones of a heating furnace under a constraint condition such that square sum of a deviation between a target value and the actual value of the temperature of the steel sheet at the outlet side of the heating furnace becomes minimum; and a furnace temperature control unit that controls a fuel flow rate used in each of the heating zones to achieve the calculated furnace temperature change amount.

A temperature-controllable process chamber configured to process substrates may include one or more vertical walls at least partially defining a chamber portion of the process chamber. Multiple zones may be located about a periphery of the one or more vertical walls and multiple temperature control devices are thermally coupled to the periphery of the one or more vertical walls in each of the multiple zones. A controller coupled to the temperature control devices may be configured to individually control temperatures of the multiple temperature control devices to obtain substantial temperature uniformity across a substrate located in the chamber portion. Other systems and methods of manufacturing substrates are disclosed.