A screw conveyor for introducing organic matter into a biogas digester that is under internal gas pressure. A biogas plant may be provided with such a screw conveyor, and methods for feeding organic solids to such a biogas plant may be performed. A plug section of the screw conveyor has an expansion region in which the passage cross-section between the conveying screw and the screw pipe widens in the conveying direction and a constriction region located downstream from the expansion region, in which the passage cross-section between the conveying screw and the screw pipe is reduced in the conveying direction.

A screw conveyor for introducing organic matter into a biogas digester that is under internal gas pressure. A biogas plant may be provided with such a screw conveyor, and methods for feeding organic solids to such a biogas plant may be performed. A plug section of the screw conveyor has an expansion region in which the passage cross-section between the conveying screw and the screw pipe widens in the conveying direction and a constriction region located downstream from the expansion region, in which the passage cross-section between the conveying screw and the screw pipe is reduced in the conveying direction.

An optical network comprising an optical network element comprising a first optical transmitter, a first controller, an optical receiver, a second optical transmitter, a second controller and optical receiver apparatus. Said first controller is arranged to control said first optical transmitter to generate and transmit a first optical signal in response no second optical signal being detected. Said first controller is arranged to iteratively generate and transmit said first optical signal at different wavelengths of a plurality of wavelengths until said second optical signal is detected, and is further arranged to subsequently maintain generation and transmission of said first optical signal at said wavelength at which said second optical signal is detected. Said second controller is arranged to control said second optical transmitter to generate and transmit said second optical signal following detection of said first optical signal by said optical receiver apparatus.

An optical network comprising an optical network element comprising a first optical transmitter, a first controller, an optical receiver, a second optical transmitter, a second controller and optical receiver apparatus. Said first controller is arranged to control said first optical transmitter to generate and transmit a first optical signal in response no second optical signal being detected. Said first controller is arranged to iteratively generate and transmit said first optical signal at different wavelengths of a plurality of wavelengths until said second optical signal is detected, and is further arranged to subsequently maintain generation and transmission of said first optical signal at said wavelength at which said second optical signal is detected. Said second controller is arranged to control said second optical transmitter to generate and transmit said second optical signal following detection of said first optical signal by said optical receiver apparatus.

A screw conveyor for introducing organic matter into a biogas digester that is under internal gas pressure. A biogas plant may be provided with such a screw conveyor, and methods for feeding organic solids to such a biogas plant may be performed. A plug section of the screw conveyor has an expansion region in which the passage cross-section between the conveying screw and the screw pipe widens in the conveying direction and a constriction region located downstream from the expansion region, in which the passage cross-section between the conveying screw and the screw pipe is reduced in the conveying direction.

A screw conveyor for introducing organic matter into a biogas digester that is under internal gas pressure. A biogas plant may be provided with such a screw conveyor, and methods for feeding organic solids to such a biogas plant may be performed. A plug section of the screw conveyor has an expansion region in which the passage cross-section between the conveying screw and the screw pipe widens in the conveying direction and a constriction region located downstream from the expansion region, in which the passage cross-section between the conveying screw and the screw pipe is reduced in the conveying direction.

The disclosure pertains to separably driven rotor portions for a combine harvester and a method for threshing grain using separably-driven rotor portions. The combine harvester is moved through harvest material comprising grain material and material-other-than-grain (MOG). The grain material is separated from the MOG using multiple processing areas. The auger portion may be stopped or rotated at a slower speed with respect to rotation of the threshing portion to simulate the gathering of a large amount of crop material even when small plots are involved, thereby providing the benefits of large-plot harvesting to small-plot applications.

An outlet tube for a material transfer system. The outlet tube comprises a body and at least one restrictor. The body is adapted to be connected to a feed system. The body has an inner wall that defines an opening adapted to receive material from the feed system such that the body is adapted to allow a flow of the material through the opening and out of the tube. At least one restrictor extends inwardly from the inner wall of the body into the opening. The restrictor(s) is adapted to extend into the flow of the material to impede the flow. In addition, the restrictor(s) is configured to enable the material to flow around it to exit out of the tube.

An extruder (100) for use in a dispenser (1) of a loose product (30) for the preparation of beverages, comprising: a housing (110), defining a product inlet (112), a product outlet (114), and a bore (116) that interconnects the product inlet and the product outlet; a screw feeder (120) including a screw blade (124) that is both rotatably and translatably received in the bore (116), such that it is axially movable along the longitudinal axis (/) between a first position and a second position; and a first sealing device (126b) that is configured to releasably fluidtightly seal a portion of the bore (116) interconnecting the product inlet (112) and the product outlet (114) in dependence of the axial position of the screw blade (124).

An extruder (100) for use in a dispenser (1) of a loose product (30) for the preparation of beverages, comprising: a housing (110), defining a product inlet (112), a product outlet (114), and a bore (116) that interconnects the product inlet and the product outlet; a screw feeder (120) including a screw blade (124) that is both rotatably and translatably received in the bore (116), such that it is axially movable along the longitudinal axis (/) between a first position and a second position; and a first sealing device (126b) that is configured to releasably fluidtightly seal a portion of the bore (116) interconnecting the product inlet (112) and the product outlet (114) in dependence of the axial position of the screw blade (124).