What is claimed is:
1. A method for producing a nickel metal-hydride storage battery that includes positive electrodes containing nickel hydroxide and negative electrodes containing a hydrogen-absorbing alloy, and has a nominal capacity of C (ampere-hour), the method comprising:
(i) assembling a battery by enclosing the positive electrodes, the negative electrodes, separators, and an electrolyte in a case;
(ii) charging the battery with electric current in a range of 0.05 C (ampere) to 0.2 C (ampere) until a state of charge rises to a range of 10% to 30%;
(iii) overcharging the battery having been subjected to the charging with electric current in a range of 0.2 C (ampere) to 1 C (ampere), and thereafter discharging the same until the state of charge lowers to 10% or below; and
(iv) subjecting the battery after the discharging to a plurality of charging-discharging cycles, each charging-discharging cycle being composed of charging the battery with electric current in a range of 0.2 C (ampere) to 5 C (ampere) until the state of charge rises to a range of 60% to 95% , and discharging the same until a battery voltage lowers to a range of 0.70 V to 1.05 V,
wherein in the charging-discharging cycles, the battery is cooled with a coolant at a temperature in a range of 30 C. to 60 C.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the charging-discharging cycle is carried out 5 times to 60 times.
3. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the charging-discharging cycles, the battery is cooled with a coolant at a temperature in a range of 30 C. to 45 C.
4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the coolant is water.
5. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the charging-discharging cycles, the battery is cooled using a cooling frame.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A biocatalytic process for the continuous production of precooked and partially debranned corn flour for snack and tortilla foods, comprising the steps of:
precooking cleaned corn kernel with hot water to form a suspension of corn and water, having a corn to water ratio between 1:1 and 1:2.0,
further precooking the corn kernel at a neutral-pH with a solution comprising at least one endoenzyme selected from the group consisting of a xylanase, endoamylase and endoprotease, to effect a partial hydrolysis of insoluble heteroxylans, and starchy and proteinaceous bran cell-walls,
washing said precooked kernel to remove soluble solids and denatured said at least one endoenzyme, stabilizing a moisture content of said washed precooked kernel,
milling said washed precooked corn kernel and drying said milled corn kernel for further pregelatinization,
cooling and further drying said milled and dried corn kernel with ambient air,
sifting said milled corn to obtain a fine fraction, under 20 to 100 mesh to produce a corn flour with fine particle size, and a coarse fraction, and
aspirating said sifted coarse fraction to remove an hydrolyzed corn bran for integral flour or feed diet.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein said solution in said further precooking step comprises a mixture of a xylanase, endoamylase and endoprotease.
3. The method according to claim 1 wherein said hydrolysed corn bran is a light fraction, representing a minimum yield from 2% to about 4% of the total weight of corn kernel.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein wastewater produced by the neutral enzymatic precooking and washing steps comprises a corn solids reduction in a range of 35% to about 40%.
5. The method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising rehydrating said corn flour by mixing with warm water from a 1:0.8 to about 1:1.0 weight ratio to form a corn dough.
6. The method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a step of treating said corn flour with 0.05% to 0.25% by weight lime to produce a masa flour.
7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising a step of rehydrating said masa flour with water from a 1:1 to about 1:1.3 weight ratio to form a masa dough.
8. The method of claim 5, wherein the corn dough has a final moisture content between 45% and 50% used in snack elaboration.
9. The method of claim 7, wherein the masa dough has a moisture in a range of 50% to 55% used in tortilla and corn-based foods.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the hot water used in the precooking step is recycled from a downstream washer.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one endoenzyme is selected from microbially derived enzymes that are recognized as at least one of GRAS substances and used as processing aids.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein the further precooking step is performed up to a denaturing temperature of one of said xylanase, endoamylase and endoprotease.
13. The method of claim 1, wherein in the milling and drying step, the drying is performed with a high temperature-short time drier.
14. The method of claim 1, further comprises remilling the aspirated coarse fraction.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein the remilled coarse fraction is recycled to the sifting step.
16. The method of claim 2, wherein the solution is provided in an amount representing 0.025% to about 0.25% of the corn kernel by weight.
17. The method of claim 1, wherein the further precooking step is performed at a temperature lower than the temperature of the preceding precooking step.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the further precooking step is performed at a temperature in the range of about 50\xb0 C. to 70\xb0 C.
19. The method of claim 2, wherein the neutral pH of the further precooking step is within a range of about 6.0 to about 8.0.
20. The method of claim 1, wherein the solution in the further precooking step comprises endoprotease and xylanase.
21. The method of claim 1, wherein the solution in the further precooking step comprises endoprotease and endoamylase.
22. The method of claim 1, wherein the further precooking step heats only a mixture consisting essentially of the corn kernel, the steepwater, and the solution.
23. The method of claim 22, wherein the solution consists essentially of the at least one endoenzyme and an endozyme carrier.
24. The method of claim 2, wherein the further precooking step heats only a mixture consisting essentially of the corn kernel, the steepwater, and the solution.
25. The method of claim 24, wherein the solution consists essentially of the endoenzymes and an endozyme carrier.
26. The method of claim 19, wherein the neutral pH of the further precooking step is within a range of 7.0 to 8.0.
27. The method of claim 16, wherein the solution is provided in an amount representing 0.025% to about 0.180% of the corn kernel by weight.