1. A horse hoof protective device, comprising
(a) a boot comprising:
a bottom portion, the bottom portion defining at least one bottom portion hole;
(ii) an upper portion coupled to the bottom portion, the upper portion having an upper edge, wherein the upper edge defines an opening configured to receive a horse hoof;
(b) a reinforcement insert positioned within the boot and in contact with the bottom portion, the reinforcement insert defining at least one insert hole;
(c) a horseshoe positioned adjacent to the boot and in contact with the bottom portion such that the bottom portion is positioned between the reinforcement insert and the horseshoe, the horseshoe defining at least one horseshoe hole; and
(d) at least one fastener configured to fasten together the boot, the reinforcement insert and the horseshoe, wherein the at least one fastener is positioned through the insert hole, the bottom portion hole, and the horseshoe hole.
2. The device of claim 1, further comprising a securement strap coupled to the upper portion of the boot, the securement strap comprising first and second securement pieces configured to be positionable around a front portion of a horse leg and further configured to be coupleable to each other.
3. The device of claim 2, wherein each of the first and second securement pieces comprise a fastening component.
4. The device of claim 1, further comprising a tightening component coupled to the upper portion of the boot.
5. The device of claim 1, further comprising a gap defined in a front portion of the upper portion.
6. The device of claim 5, further comprising a tightening component coupled to the upper portion of the boot, wherein the tightening component comprises a first attachment component positioned on one side of the gap and a second attachment component positioned on an opposing side of the gap.
7. A horse hoof protective device, comprising
(a) a boot comprising:
a bottom portion, the bottom portion defining at least one bottom portion hole;
(ii) an upper portion coupled to the bottom portion, the upper portion having an upper edge, wherein the upper edge defines an opening configured to receive a horse hoof;
(b) a horseshoe positioned adjacent to the boot and in contact with the bottom portion, the horseshoe defining at least one horseshoe hole;
(c) at least one fastener configured to fasten together the boot and the horseshoe, wherein the at least one fastener is positioned through the bottom portion hole and the horseshoe hole; and
(d) a securement component coupled to the upper portion, the securement component comprising:
an attachment component coupled to the upper portion;
(ii) a rear support component integral with the attachment component; and
(iii) first and second securement pieces extending from the rear support component, each of the first and second securement pieces comprising a fastening component.
8. The device of claim 7, wherein the first and second securement pieces comprise an elastic material.
9. The device of claim 7, wherein the first and second securement pieces are configured to be positioned around a leg of a horse, wherein the first securement piece fastening component is configured to couple to the second securement piece fastening component.
10. The device of claim 7, further comprising a reinforcement insert positioned within the boot and in contact with the bottom portion such that the bottom portion is positioned between the reinforcement insert and the horseshoe, the reinforcement insert defining at least one insert hole, wherein the at least one fastener is further configured to fasten together the reinforcement insert, the boot, and the horseshoe, wherein the at least one fastener is positioned through the insert hole, the bottom portion hole, and the horseshoe hole.
11. The device of claim 7, further comprising a tightening component coupled to the upper portion of the boot.
12. The device of claim 11, wherein the tightening component comprises
(a) a first attachment component coupled to the upper portion;
(b) a second attachment component coupled to the upper portion; and
(c) a connector coupling the first and second attachment components.
13. The device of claim 11, wherein the tightening component is a latch component.
14. The device of claim 7, wherein the boot further comprises a gap defined in a front portion of the upper portion.
15. The device of claim 14, further comprising a tightening component coupled to the upper portion, wherein the tightening component is positioned across the gap.
16. The device of claim 14, further comprising a first tightening component coupled to the upper portion on a first side of the gap and a second tightening component coupled to the upper portion on a second side of the gap.
17. A horse hoof protective device, comprising
(a) a boot comprising:
a bottom portion, the bottom portion defining at least one bottom portion hole;
(ii) an upper portion coupled to the bottom portion, the upper portion having an upper edge, wherein the upper edge defines an opening configured to receive a horse hoof;
(b) a reinforcement insert positioned within the boot and in contact with the bottom portion, the reinforcement insert defining at least one insert hole;
(c) a securement component coupled to the upper portion, the securement component comprising:
an attachment component coupled to the upper portion;
(ii) a rear support component integral with the attachment component; and
(iii) first and second securement pieces extending from the rear support component, each of the first and second securement pieces comprising a fastening component; and
(d) at least one fastener configured to fasten together the boot and the reinforcement insert, wherein the at least one fastener is positioned through the insert hole and the bottom portion hole, wherein the at least one fastener is further configured to be capable of fastening a horseshoe to the boot.
18. The device of claim 17, further comprising the horseshoe fastened to the bottom portion of the boot, the horseshoe comprising at least one horseshoe hole, wherein the at least one fastener is positioned through the a horseshoe hole.
19. The device of claim 17, further comprising a tightening component coupled to the upper portion, wherein the tightening component is configured to be moveable between a non-tight configuration and a tight configuration.
20. The device of claim 19, wherein the tightening component is positioned across a gap defined in the upper portion.
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. (canceled)
2. (canceled)
3. (canceled)
4. (canceled)
5. (canceled)
6. (canceled)
7. (canceled)
8. (canceled)
9. (canceled)
10. (canceled)
11. (canceled)
12. (canceled)
13. (canceled)
14. (canceled)
15. (canceled)
16. (canceled)
17. (canceled)
18. (canceled)
19. (canceled)
20. (canceled)
21. (canceled)
22. (canceled)
23. (canceled)
24. (canceled)
25. (canceled)
26. (canceled)
27. (canceled)
28. (canceled)
29. (canceled)
30. (canceled)
31. (canceled)
32. (canceled)
33. (canceled)
34. (canceled)
35. (canceled)
36. (canceled)
37. (canceled)
38. (canceled)
39. (canceled)
40. (canceled)
41. (canceled)
42. (canceled)
43. (canceled)
44. (canceled)
45. (canceled)
46. (canceled)
47. (canceled)
48. (canceled)
49. (canceled)
50. (canceled)
51. (canceled)
52. (canceled)
53. (canceled)
54. (canceled)
55. (canceled)
56. (canceled)
57. (canceled)
58. (canceled)
59. (canceled)
60. (canceled)
61. (canceled)
62. (canceled)
63. (canceled)
64. (canceled)
65. (canceled)
66. (canceled)
67. (canceled)
68. (canceled)
69. (canceled)
70. (canceled)
71. (canceled)
72. (canceled)
73. (canceled)
74. (canceled)
75. (canceled)
76. (canceled)
77. (canceled)
78. (canceled)
79. (canceled)
80. An apparatus for producing a fuel or fuel additive suitable for use in a diesel engine, the apparatus comprising:
a porous membrane for separating a reaction mixture from a permeate, the reaction mixture comprising an oil-in-alcohol emulsion and a catalyst for converting oil in said oil-in-alcohol emulsion to products including said fuel or fuel additive;
wherein said fuel or fuel additive is substantially miscible in said alcohol, said porous membrane being substantially impermeable to oil droplets in said emulsion, and substantially permeable at least to said fuel or fuel additive, and optionally to said alcohol.
81. The apparatus of claim 80, wherein said catalyst is a transesterification catalyst, and said oil includes triglycerides (TG), such that transesterification of said TG in said reaction mixture generates fatty acid alkyl esters (FAAE) as said fuel or fuel additive.
82. The apparatus of claim 80, wherein a passage of said fuel or fuel additive from said reaction mixture to said permeate is facilitated by a pressure differential across said porous membrane, preferably of from 3 kPa-70,000 kPa.
83. The apparatus of claim 80, wherein said reaction mixture is supplied to a reaction mixture side of said porous membrane via a reaction mixture stream, with optional premixing of oil and alcohol components, andor said permeate is drawn away from a permeate side of said porous membrane as a permeate stream.
84. The apparatus of claim 80, further comprising a reaction mixture pump to pump a reaction mixture stream to said reaction mixture side of said porous membrane, said reaction mixture pump optionally causing turbulence optionally with the aid of a device to promote shearing forces such as a turbulence promoter or ultrasonicator in said reaction mixture stream, thereby generating shearing forces to assist in oil droplet break-up and generation of said oil-in-alcohol emulsion.
85. The apparatus of claim 84, wherein alcohol rich phase in said permeate is recycled back to said reaction mixture stream.
86. The apparatus of claim 80, wherein the oil comprises any combination of one or more monoglycerides, diglycerides, triglycerides, and free fatty acids.
87. The apparatus of claim 80, wherein the temperature of the reaction mixture is from 15\xb0 C. to 150\xb0 C.
88. The apparatus of claim 80, wherein the pores in the porous membrane have a size of from 1 nm to 3 \u03bcm.
89. The apparatus of claim 85, further comprising permeate separation means, for separating the permeate into a fuel-rich fraction, an alcohol-rich fraction, and optionally a glycerol-rich fraction.
90. The apparatus of claim 80, further comprising a reservoir for containing or temporarily holding a volume of one or more components of the reaction mixture in a location remote from the porous membrane, for example in a continuous loop of the apparatus.
91. Use of an apparatus of claim 80, for generating a fuel or fuel additive suitable for use in a diesel engine.
92. A method for generating a fuel or fuel additive suitable for use in a diesel engine, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a porous membrane;
placing a reaction mixture on a reaction mixture side of the porous membrane, the reaction mixture comprising an oil-in-alcohol emulsion and a catalyst for converting oil in said oil-in-alcohol emulsion to products including said fuel or fuel additive, said fuel or fuel additive being substantially miscible in said alcohol, said porous membrane being substantially impermeable to oil droplets in said emulsion, and substantially permeable to said fuel or fuel additive, and optionally said alcohol; and
causing at least said fuel or fuel additive to permeate said porous membrane to form a permeate on a permeate side of said porous membrane opposite said reaction mixture side.
93. The method of claim 92, wherein said catalyst is a transesterification catalyst, and said oil includes any combination of monoglycerides (MG), diglycerides (DG), triglycerides (TG), such that transesterification of said MG, DG, and TG in said reaction mixture generates fatty acid alkyl esters (FAAE) as said fuel or fuel additive.
94. The method of claim 92, wherein the step of causing at least said fuel or fuel additive to permeate said porous membrane is facilitated by a pressure differential across said porous membrane, preferably of from 3 kPa-70,000 kPa.
95. The method of claim 92, wherein the step of placing comprises supplying said reaction mixture to the reaction mixture side of said porous membrane via a reaction mixture stream with optional pre-mixing of the oil and alcohol in the reaction mixture stream.
96. The method of claim 95, wherein the step of placing comprises pumping the reaction mixture to the reaction mixture side via a reaction mixture pump, wherein said pump optionally causes turbulence in said reaction mixture stream to cause shearing forces to assist in oil droplet break-up and generation of said oil-in-alcohol emulsion.
97. The method of claim 95, further comprising one or more of the following steps:
recycling any alcohol in said permeate back to said reaction mixture stream;
recycling catalyst back to said reaction mixture stream; and
drawing off permeate from said permeate side to form a permeate stream.
98. The method of claim 92, wherein the temperature of the reaction mixture is from 15\xb0 C. to 150\xb0 C.
99. The method of claim 92, further comprising a step of: temporarily holding a volume of one or more components of the reaction mixture in a reservoir located remote from the porous membrane, for example in a continuous loop of the apparatus.
100. The method of claim 92, wherein the pores in the porous membrane have a size of from 1 nm to 3 \u03bcm.
101. The method of claim 92, further comprising: separating the permeate into a fuel-rich fraction, an alcohol-rich fraction, and optionally a glycerol-rich fraction.