1. An apparatus for effecting flow conveyance of particulate material from a hopper, said apparatus comprising:
a hopper that facilitates receipt and storage of said particulate material, said hopper having a longitudinal axis, a wall, an infeed end for receipt of said particulate material in said hopper and an outfeed end for conveyance of said particulate material from said hopper, wherein said longitudinal axis extends between said infeed end and said outfeed end, and said hopper has an outfeed aperture at said outfeed end; and
a base disposed proximate said outfeed end wherein at least a portion of said base is coextensive with said outfeed aperture, and said base has at least one base aperture defined therethrough to facilitate said conveyance of said particulate material from said hopper, wherein the movement of particulate material is unobstructed in said hopper;
wherein at least one of said base and said hopper is rotatable relative to the other of said base and said hopper through multiple revolutions, wherein said rotation is effected relative to an axis of rotation that is parallel to said longitudinal axis of said hopper, such that said base aperture is at least in intermittent particulate flow communication with said outfeed aperture, and apparatus is configured so that said rotation is at a speed in which particulate material flows through said outfeed aperture faster than it would flow by gravity alone.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said outfeed end includes one of a frustoconical portion and a conical portion having said outfeed aperture delineating a terminus thereof.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said wall comprises one of a cylindrical geometry and a conical geometry.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at least one base aperture is selected from a cylindrical geometry, an elliptical geometry and any combination thereof.
5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said at least one base aperture includes at least a pair of apertures.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at least one base aperture is eccentrically disposed relative to said longitudinal axis of said hopper.
7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said at least one base aperture is disposed proximate said edge of said base.
8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said at least one base aperture is substantially sector shaped with an arc at or close to said edge of said base.
9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at least one base aperture is concentrically disposed relative to said base.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said rotation is effected by an actuator in operable communication with at least one of said hopper and said base.
11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said actuator comprises at least one motor connected to a driveshaft.
12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the base is rotatable adjacent said outfeed end.
13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said outfeed end is rotatable relative to at least one of said wall and said base.
14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein at least one of said base and said hopper is rotatable at speeds from above 0 rpm to about 3,000 rpm.
15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein at least one of said base and said hopper is rotatable at speeds between about 2,000 rpm to about 2,500 rpm.
16. A method for conveying particulate material from a hopper, said method comprising the steps of:
a. providing an apparatus comprising:
a hopper having a longitudinal axis, a wall, an infeed end for receipt of particulate material in said hopper, and an outfeed end for conveyance of particulate material from said hopper, wherein said longitudinal axis extends between said infeed end and said outfeed end, and said hopper has an outfeed aperture at said outfeed end; and
a base disposed proximate said outfeed end of said hopper wherein at least a portion of said base is coextensive with said outfeed aperture, and said base has at least one base aperture defined therethrough to facilitate said conveyance of said particulate material from said hopper; and
b. placing particulate material in said hopper; and
c. rotating at least one of said base and said hopper relative to the other of said base and said hopper through multiple revolutions, wherein said rotation is effected relative to an axis of rotation that is parallel to said longitudinal axis of said hopper, such that said base aperture is at least in intermittent particulate flow communication with said outfeed aperture, and said rotation is at a speed in which particulate material flows through said outfeed aperture faster than it would flow by gravity alone.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein at least one of said base and said hopper is rotated at speeds from above 0 rpm to about 3,000 rpm.
18. The method of claim 16, wherein at least one of said base and said hopper is rotated at speeds between about 2,000 rpm to about 2,500 rpm.
19. The method of claim 16, wherein the rate of flow of said particulate material from said outfeed aperture is increased or decreased by rotating the base or hopper at various speeds.
20. The method of claim 16, wherein the rotation is carried out at a speed so that the particulate material moves in said apparatus by mass flow wherein all of the particulate material in said hopper is in motion, including particulate material located along the hopper wall.
21. The method of claim 16, wherein the rotation is carried out at a speed so that the particulate material moves in said apparatus by mass flow wherein particulate flow through said base aperture assumes a first-in first-out behavior.
22. The method of claim 16 wherein said hopper is rotated relative to said base.
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 differential amplifier for providing common-mode rejection while providing differential-mode amplification, comprising:
a. an active differential amplification element electrically coupled to a first input signal, a second input signal and an output signal, the active differential amplification element also electrically coupled to a first voltage and a different second voltage; and
b. a passive bias element, electrically coupled to the active differential amplification element, the passive bias element capable of biasing the active differential amplification element so that the active differential amplification element operates in a saturation mode, thereby generating the output signal so that the output signal corresponds to a voltage difference between the first input signal and the second input signal.
2. The differential amplifier of claim 1, wherein the active differential amplification element comprises:
a. a first transistor having a first source electrically coupled to the first voltage, a first gate electrically coupled to a first node and a first drain, the first node being a bias node;
b. a second transistor having a second drain, a second gate electrically coupled to the first node and a second source electrically coupled to the second voltage different from the first voltage;
c. a third transistor having a third source electrically coupled to the first voltage, a third drain and a third gate electrically coupled to the first node;
d. a fourth transistor having a fourth drain, a fourth gate electrically coupled to the first node and a fourth source electrically coupled to the second voltage;
e. a fifth transistor having a fifth source electrically coupled to the first voltage, a fifth drain electrically coupled to a second node and a fifth gate electrically coupled to the first node;
a sixth transistor having a sixth drain electrically coupled to a third node, a sixth gate electrically coupled to the first node and a sixth source electrically coupled to the second voltage;
g. a seventh transistor having a seventh source electrically coupled to the second node, a seventh drain electrically coupled to the second drain, and a seventh gate electrically coupled to a first input signal;
h. an eighth transistor having an eighth drain electrically coupled to the first drain, an eighth source electrically coupled to the third node and an eighth gate electrically coupled to the first input signal;
i. a ninth transistor having a ninth source electrically coupled to the second node, a ninth gate electrically coupled to a second input signal and a ninth drain electrically coupled to the fourth drain; and
j. a tenth transistor having a tenth drain electrically coupled to the third drain, a tenth gate electrically coupled to the second input signal and a tenth source electrically coupled to the third node.
3. The differential amplifier of claim 2, wherein the passive bias element comprises:
a. a first resistor electrically coupling the first drain to the first node;
b. a second resistor electrically coupling the second drain to the first node;
c. a third resistor electrically coupling the third drain to the output signal; and
d. a fourth resistor electrically coupling the fourth drain to the output signal.
4. The differential amplifier of claim 1, wherein the first transistor, the third transistor, the fifth transistor, the seventh transistor and the ninth transistor each comprise a p-channel device.
5. The differential amplifier of claim 1, wherein the second transistor, the fourth transistor, the sixth transistor, the eighth transistor and the tenth transistor each comprise an n-channel device.
6. The differential amplifier of claim 1, wherein the second voltage is electrically coupled to a common ground.
7. A differential amplifier for providing common-mode rejection while providing differential-mode amplification, comprising:
a. a first transistor having a first source electrically coupled to a first voltage, a first gate electrically coupled to a first node and a first drain, the first node being a bias node;
b. a second transistor having a second drain, a second gate electrically coupled to the first node and a second source electrically coupled to a second voltage different from the first voltage;
c. a first resistor electrically coupling the first drain to the first node;
d. a second resistor electrically coupling the second drain to the first node;
e. a third transistor having a third source electrically coupled to the first voltage, a third drain and a third gate electrically coupled to the first node;
f. a fourth transistor having a fourth drain, a fourth gate electrically coupled to the first node and a fourth source electrically coupled to the second voltage;
g. a third resistor electrically coupling the third drain to an output signal;
h. a fourth resistor electrically coupling the fourth drain to the output signal;
i. a fifth transistor having a fifth source electrically coupled to the first voltage, a fifth drain electrically coupled, to a second, node and a fifth gate electrically coupled to the first node;
j. a sixth transistor having a sixth drain electrically coupled to a third node, a sixth gate electrically coupled to the first node and a sixth source electrically coupled to the second voltage;
k. a seventh transistor having a seventh source electrically coupled to the second node, a seventh drain electrically coupled to the second drain, and a seventh gate electrically coupled to a first input signal;
l. an eighth transistor having an eighth drain electrically coupled to the first drain, and an eighth source electrically coupled to the third node and an eighth gate electrically coupled to the first input signal;
m. a ninth transistor having a ninth source electrically coupled to the second node, a ninth gate electrically coupled to a second input signal and a ninth drain electrically coupled to the fourth drain; and
n. a tenth transistor having a tenth drain electrically coupled to the third drain, a tenth gate electrically coupled to the second input signal and a tenth source electrically coupled to the third node.
8. The differential amplifier of claim 7, wherein the first transistor, the third transistor, the fifth transistor, the seventh transistor and the ninth transistor each comprise a p-channel device.
9. The differential amplifier of claim 7, wherein the second transistor, the fourth transistor, the sixth transistor, the eighth transistor and the tenth transistor each comprise an n-channel device.
10. The differential amplifier of claim 7, wherein the second voltage is electrically coupled to a common ground.