1. A method for producing carbon nanostructures, the method including:
(a) producing a collection atmosphere in a collection area above a reactant liquid;
(b) injecting a feed material into the reactant liquid, the feed material comprising a quantity of a first type of hydrocarbon compound;
(c) maintaining the hydrocarbon molecules of the first type of hydrocarbon compound and any reaction products in contact with the reactant liquid for a period of time sufficient to liberate carbon atoms from the hydrocarbon molecules of the first type of hydrocarbon compound or reaction products and place the liberated carbon atoms in an excited state; and
(d) enabling the liberated carbon atoms in the excited state to traverse a surface of the reactant liquid and flow along a collection path through the collection area so that the liberated carbon atoms pass over a collection surface in the collection area under conditions in which the liberated carbon atoms are enabled to phase change to the ground state on the collection surface.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the collection surface is maintained at a temperature between approximately 600 degrees Celsius to approximately 950 degrees Celsius.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the reactant liquid includes liquid aluminum at a temperature at or above 650 degrees Celsius.
4. A method for producing carbon nanostructures, the method including:
(a) liberating carbon atoms from hydrocarbon molecules by reduction reaction with a reactant liquid and maintaining the liberated carbon atoms in an excited state;
(b) enabling the liberated carbon atoms in the excited state to traverse a surface of the reactant liquid; and
(c) directing the liberated carbon atoms in the excited state across a collection surface under collection conditions at which the liberated carbon atoms in the excited state phase change to a ground state by carbon nanostructure self-assembly.
5. The method of claim 4 further including the step of directing the liberated carbon atoms in the excited state across at least one seed material on the collection surface.
6. The method of claim 4 further including the step manipulating the flow of gasses traversing the surface of the reactant liquid to produce a low pressure area adjacent to the collection surface.
7. The method of claim 4 further including the step of maintaining the collection surface at temperature of between approximately 600 degrees Celsius to approximately 950 degrees Celsius.
8. The method of claim 4 wherein the reactant liquid includes predominantly aluminum at a temperature of approximately 950 degrees Celsius.
9. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of directing the liberated carbon atoms in the excited state across the collection surface includes deflecting the liberated carbon atoms along a flow path transverse to a line extending perpendicular to the reactant liquid surface and wherein the deflection is accomplished no further than approximately three feet from the level of the reactant liquid surface.
10. The method of claim 4 further including the step of securing one or more types of seed materials on the collection surface prior to directing the liberated carbon atoms in the excited state across the collection surface.
11. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of liberating carbon atoms from hydrocarbon molecules includes trapping the hydrocarbon molecules and other reaction products in a reaction chamber having an upper surface below the surface of the reactant liquid.
12. The method of claim 11 further including the step of directing the liberated carbon atoms in the excited state and other reaction products around a blocking structure extending into the reactant liquid.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein the collection surface comprises an upper surface of the blocking structure and the upper surface of the blocking structure resides above a level of the reactant liquid.
14. An apparatus including:
(a) a reactant liquid vessel for containing a reactant liquid at a reactant liquid level;
(b) an injection arrangement for injecting a stream of feed material into the reactant liquid vessel at a point below the reactant liquid level;
(c) a collection chamber positioned to receive effluent escaping from the reactant liquid in the reactant liquid vessel in an effluent ejection area; and
(d) a collection surface forming a surface in the collection chamber, the collection surface residing at a position above the reactant liquid level and adjacent to the effluent ejection area.
15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the collection surface includes a portion extending in a plane transverse to a device vertical axis.
16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the portion of the collection surface extending in the plane transverse to the device vertical axis includes a portion located no more than approximately three feet above the reactant liquid level of the reactant liquid vessel.
17. The apparatus of claim 14 further including a reaction chamber portion of the reactant liquid vessel, the reaction chamber portion including an upper wall located below the reactant liquid level in the reactant liquid vessel.
18. The apparatus of claim 17 further including at least one flow channel formed at an outlet end of the reaction chamber portion and a blocking structure positioned above the respective flow channel and below the reactant liquid level in the reactant liquid vessel.
19. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the collection surface comprises an upper surface of a structure having a lower surface located below the reactant liquid level, the lower surface extending transverse to a device vertical axis.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. A method comprising:
at a device, opening a first connection to a server;
establishing an information exchange protocol for communicating on the first connection;
at a device, opening a second connection to the server;
selecting an active connection from connections including the second connection; and
communicating information configured for the information exchange protocol using the active connection.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising communicating information configured for the information exchange protocol using the first connection as the active connection prior to selecting the second connection as the active connection.
3. The method of claim 1 in which the second connection is opened prior to establishing the information exchange protocol.
4. The method of claim 1 in which a single one of the connections is selected as the active connection.
5. The method of claim 1 in which two or more of the connections are selected as the active connection.
6. The method of claim 1 in which the second connection includes a wireless connection.
7. The method of claim 1 or 6 further comprising
onitoring the connections for a parameter selected from the group consisting of signal strength, transmittal rate, latency, cost of transmittal, and connection integrity; and
reselecting the active connection to optimize the parameter.
8. The method of claim 1 in which the information is communicated in packets that include aggregated information for more than one application.
9. The method of claim 1, 4, or 6 in which the information includes a command that is effected by a module on the server.
10. The method of claim 1 in which the information comprises an aggregation of information from applications, the extent of aggregation for each application being dependent on an indicator of priority for information exchange associated with each application.
11. The method of claim 9 in which the command causes the server to contact a remote system, receive a reply from the remote system, and effect a response without transmitting the reply to the device.
12. A method comprising:
at a server, accepting connections from a device for communicating information configured by an information exchange protocol;
detecting or selecting one or more of the connections of as an active connection; and
communicating information configured by the information exchange protocol using the active connection.
13. The method of claim 12 in which a single one of the connections is selected as the active connection.
14. The method of claim 12 in which the information is communicated in packets, each of at least some of the packets includes aggregated information for different applications on the device.
15. The method of claim 12 in which the information includes a command for a module.
16. The method of claim 15 further comprising effecting the command.
17. The method of claim 16 in which the module effects the command by contacting a remote server, receiving a reply from the remote server and effecting a response without transmitting the reply to the device.
18. The method of claim 12, 13, or 17 in which the information is an aggregation of information for applications, the extent of aggregation for each application being dependent on an indicator of priority for information exchange associated with each application.
19. An apparatus comprising a processor and software configured to cause the processor to:
open a first connection to a server;
establish an information exchange protocol;
open a second connection to a server;
select an active connection from connections including the second connection; and
communicate information configured for the information exchange protocol using the active connection.
20. The apparatus of claim 19 in which the processor is further configured to monitor the connections for a parameter selected from the group consisting of signal strength, transmittal rate, latency, cost of transmittal, and connection integrity; and
reselect the active connection to optimize the parameter.
21. The apparatus of claim 19 in which the information is communicated in packets, each of at least some of the packets includes aggregated information for different local applications.
22. The apparatus of claim 19 in which the information includes commands that are effected by a module on the server.
23. An article comprising a machine-readable medium that stores machine-executable instructions, the instructions causing a machine to:
open a first connection to a server;
establish an information exchange protocol;
open a second connection to a server;
select an active connection from the connections; and
communicate information configured for the information exchange protocol using the active connection.
24. The article of claim 23 in which a single one of the connections is selected as the active connection.
25. The article of claim 23 in which the instructions further cause the machine to monitor the connections for a parameter selected from the group consisting of signal strength, transmittal rate, latency, cost of transmittal, and connection integrity; and
reselect the active connection to optimize the parameter.
26. The article of claim 23 in which the information is communicated in packets, each of at least some of the packets includes aggregated information for different local applications.
27. The article of claim 23 in which the information includes commands that are effected by a module on the server.
28. A system comprising:
a device, a server, and communication links, in which the device is configured to:
open a first connection to the server using one of the communication links;
establish an information exchange protocol;
open a second connection to the server using another of the communication links;
select an active connection from connections including the second connection;
communicate information configured for the information exchange protocol using the active connection.
29. The system of claim 28 in which at least one of the communication links includes a wireless communication link.
30. The system of claim 28 or 29 in which the device is further configured to monitor the connections for a parameter selected from the group consisting of signal strength, transmittal rate, latency, cost of transmittal, and connection integrity; and
reselect the active connection to optimize the parameter.