What is claimed is:
1. An oxygen fueled combustion system for use in aluminum scrap recovery, comprising:
a furnace for containing molten aluminum at a predetermined temperature, the furnace having at least one burner;
an oxygen supply for supplying oxygen having a purity of at least about 85 percent; and
a carbon based fuel supply for supplying a carbon based fuel,
wherein the oxygen in the oxygen supply and the carbon based fuel are fed into the furnace in a stoichiometric proportion to one another to limit an excess of either the oxygen or the carbon based fuel to less than 5 percent over the stoichiometric proportion, and wherein the combustion of the carbon based fuel provides a flame temperature in excess of about 4500 F., and wherein an exhaust gas stream from the furnace has a temperature of not more than about 1100 F.
2. The oxygen fueled combustion system in accordance with claim 1 including a control system for controlling the supply of carbon based fuel and for controlling the supply of oxygen to the furnace.
3. The oxygen fueled combustion system in accordance with claim 2 wherein the supply of fuel follows the supply of oxygen to the furnace.
4. The oxygen fueled combustion system in accordance with claim 2 wherein the supply of oxygen and the supply of carbon based fuel is controlled by the predetermined molten aluminum temperature.
5. The oxygen fueled combustion system in accordance with claim 2 including a sensor for sensing the temperature of the molten aluminum.
6. The oxygen fueled combustion system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the carbon based fuel is a gas.
7. The oxygen fueled combustion system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the gas is natural gas.
8. The oxygen fueled combustion system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the carbon based fuel is a solid fuel.
9. The oxygen fueled combustion system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the carbon based fuel is a liquid fuel.
10. A scrap aluminum recovery system for recovering aluminum from scrap, comprising:
a furnace for containing molten aluminum at a predetermined temperature, the furnace having at least one burner;
an oxygen fueled combustion system;
an oxygen supply for supplying oxygen to the furnace through the oxygen fueled combustion system, the oxygen supply having an oxygen purity of at least about 85 percent; and
a carbon based fuel supply for supplying a carbon based fuel,
wherein the oxygen in the oxygen supply and the carbon based fuel are fed into the furnace in a stoichiometric proportion to one another to limit an excess of either the oxygen or the carbon based fuel to less than 5 percent over the stoichiometric proportion, and wherein the combustion of the carbon based fuel provides a flame temperature in excess of about 4500 F., and wherein an exhaust gas stream from the furnace has a temperature of not more than about 1100 F.
11. The scrap aluminum recovery system in accordance with claim 10 wherein the combustion of oxygen and carbon based fuel creates energy and wherein the energy used for recovering aluminum from the scrap is about 1083 BTU per pound of aluminum recovered.
12. The scrap aluminum recovery system in accordance with claim 10 wherein the carbon based fuel is a gas.
13. The scrap aluminum recovery system in accordance with claim 12 wherein the gas is natural gas.
14. The scrap aluminum recovery system in accordance with claim 10 wherein the carbon based fuel is a solid fuel.
15. The scrap aluminum recovery system in accordance with claim 10 wherein the carbon based fuel is a liquid fuel.
16. The scrap aluminum recovery system in accordance with claim 10 wherein heat from the furnace is recovered in a waste heat recovery system.
17. The scrap aluminum recovery system in accordance with claim 16 wherein the heat recovered from the furnace is converted to electrical energy.
18. The scrap aluminum recovery system in accordance with claim 10 including a cryogenic plant for separating oxygen and nitrogen from air.
19. The scrap aluminum recovery system in accordance with claim 18, wherein the oxygen is stored.
20. A method for recovering aluminum from scrap aluminum including the steps of:
feeding aluminum scrap into a melting furnace;
combusting oxygen and a carbon based fuel in the furnace, the oxygen and carbon based fuel combusted in the furnace wherein the oxygen in the oxygen supply and the carbon based fuel are fed into the furnace in a stoichiometric proportion to one another to limit an excess of either the oxygen or the carbon based fuel to less than 5 percent over the stoichiometric proportion, and wherein the combustion of the carbon based fuel provides a flame temperature in excess of about 4500 F., and wherein an exhaust gas stream from the furnace has a temperature of not more than about 1100 F.;
melting the aluminum in the furnace;
removing contaminant laden aluminum from the furnace; and
discharging substantially pure molten aluminum from the furnace.
21. The method for recovering aluminum from scrap in accordance with claim 20 including the step of recovering waste heat from the furnace.
22. The method for recovering aluminum from scrap in accordance with claim 20 including the step of recovering aluminum from the contaminant laden aluminum laden and charging the recovered aluminum into the furnace.
23. The method for recovering aluminum from scrap in accordance with claim 20 including the step of recovering waste heat from the furnace.
24. The method for recovering aluminum from scrap in accordance with claim 23 including the step of converting the waste heat to electricity.
25. An oxygen fueled combustion system comprising:
a furnace having at least one burner;
an oxygen supply for supplying oxygen having a purity of at least about 85 percent; and
a carbon based fuel supply for supplying a carbon based fuel,
wherein the oxygen in the oxygen supply and the carbon based fuel are fed into the furnace in a stoichiometric proportion to one another to limit an excess of either the oxygen or the carbon based fuel to less than 5 percent over the stoichiometric proportion, and wherein the combustion of the carbon based fuel provides a flame temperature in excess of about 4500 F., and wherein an exhaust gas stream from the furnace has a temperature of not more than about 1100 F.
26. The oxygen fueled combustion system in accordance with claim 25 wherein the carbon based fuel is a gas.
27. The oxygen fueled combustion system in accordance with claim 26 wherein the gas is natural gas.
28. The oxygen fueled combustion system in accordance with claim 25 including a cryogenic plant for producing the oxygen.
29. The oxygen fueled combustion system in accordance with claim 25 wherein the carbon based fuel is a solid fuel.
30. The oxygen fueled combustion system in accordance with claim 25 wherein the carbon based fuel is a liquid fuel.
31. A furnace for recovering aluminum from scrap aluminum, comprising:
a bath region for containing molten aluminum at a predetermined temperature;
at least one burner;
an oxygen supply for supplying oxygen having a purity of at least about 85 percent; and
a carbon based fuel supply for supplying a carbon based fuel,
wherein the oxygen in the oxygen supply and the carbon based fuel are fed into the furnace in a stoichiometric proportion to one another to limit an excess of either the oxygen or the carbon based fuel to less than 5 percent over the stoichiometric proportion, and wherein the combustion of the carbon based fuel provides a flame temperature in excess of about 4500 F., and wherein an exhaust gas stream from the furnace has a temperature of not more than about 1100 F.
32. The furnace in accordance with claim 31 wherein the furnace is formed from steel plate, steel beams and refractory materials.
33. The furnace in accordance with claim 31 wherein the furnace has walls, and wherein the walls are configured having a steel beam and plate shell, at least one layer of a crushable insulating material, at least one layer of a refractory brick, and at least one layer of a castable refractory material.
34. The furnace in accordance with claim 31 wherein the furnace has a floor and wherein the floor is configured having a steel beam and plate shell and at least two layers of refractory material, at least one of the layers being a castable refractory material.
35. The furnace in accordance with claim 31 including four oxygen fueled burners.
36. An oxygen fueled combustion system comprising:
a furnace having a controlled environment, the furnace having substantially no in-leakage from an external environment;
an oxidizing agent supply for supplying oxygen having a predetermined purity; and
a carbon based fuel supply for supplying a carbon based fuel,
wherein the oxygen in the oxidizing agent supply and the carbon based fuel are fed into the furnace in a stoichiometric proportion to one another to limit an excess of either the oxygen or the carbon based fuel to less than 5 percent over the stoichiometric proportion, and wherein the combustion of the carbon based fuel provides a flame temperature in excess of about 4500 F., and wherein an exhaust gas stream from the furnace has substantially zero nitrogen-containing combustion produced gaseous compounds from the oxidizing agent.
37. The oxygen fueled combustion system in accordance with claim 36 wherein the carbon based fuel is a gas.
38. The oxygen fueled combustion system in accordance with claim 37 wherein the gas is natural gas.
39. The oxygen fueled combustion system in accordance with claim 36 including an oxygen producing plant.
40. The oxygen fueled combustion system in accordance with claim 36 wherein the carbon based fuel is a solid fuel, and wherein any nitrogen-containing combustion produced gaseous compounds are formed from the solid fuel.
41. The oxygen fueled combustion system in accordance with claim 36 wherein the carbon based fuel is a liquid fuel, and wherein any nitrogen-containing combustion produced gaseous compounds are formed from the liquid fuel.
42. The oxygen fueled combustion system in accordance with claim 36 wherein the controlled environment has substantially no nitrogen.
43. A salt-less method for separating aluminum from dross-laden aluminum comprising the steps of:
introducing the dross-laden aluminum into a furnace, the furnace having an oxygen fuel combustion system producing a flame temperature of about 5000 F., and having substantially no excess oxygen, the dross-laden aluminum melting within the furnace;
skimming an upper portion of the melted dross-laden aluminum to produced a heavily dross-laden product;
pressing the heavily dross-laden product in a mechanical press to separate the aluminum from the heavily dross-laden product to produce a concentrated heavily dross-laden product.
44. The salt-less method for separating aluminum from dross-laden aluminum in accordance with claim 43 including the step of returning the concentrated heavily dross-laden product to the furnace.
45. The salt-less method for separating aluminum from dross-laden aluminum in accordance with claim 43 including near direct flame impingement introduction of the dross-laden aluminum into the furnace.
46. A furnace comprising:
a combustion region;
a burner;
a carbon based fuel supply for supplying a carbon based fuel into the combustion region through the burner; and
an oxidizing agent supply for supplying oxygen at a predetermined purity into the furnace for combustion with,the carbon based fuel,
wherein the combustion produces a flame temperature of more than about 3000 F. and wherein an exhaust gas stream from the furnace has a temperature of not more than about 1100 F.
47. The furnace in accordance with claim 46 including an air supply for supplying air containing oxygen to the combustion region for combustion with the carbon based fuel and the oxygen at a predetermined purity.
48. The furnace in accordance with claim 46 including a fuel conduit for supplying the carbon based fuel to the burner, and wherein the oxygen at the predetermined purity is supplied to the furnace through the fuel conduit.
49. The furnace in accordance with claim 46 wherein the oxygen at the predetermined purity is supplied to the furnace separate and apart from the carbon based fuel.
50. The furnace in accordance with claim 46 wherein the oxygen purity is at least about 85 percent.
51. A furnace for producing steam from a liquid comprising:
a combustion region, the combustion region configured for heating the liquid to produce steam;
a burner;
a carbon based fuel supply for supplying a carbon based fuel into the combustion region through the burner; and
an oxidizing agent supply for supplying oxygen at a predetermined purity into the furnace for combustion with the carbon based fuel,
wherein the combustion produces a flame temperature of more than about 3000 F. and wherein an exhaust gas stream from the furnace has a temperature of not more than about 1100 F.
52. The furnace for producing steam in accordance with claim 51 including an air supply for supplying air containing oxygen to the combustion region for combustion with the carbon based fuel and the oxygen at a predetermined purity.
53. The furnace for producing steam in accordance with claim 51 including a fuel conduit for supplying the carbon based fuel to the burner, and wherein the oxygen at the predetermined purity is supplied to the furnace through the fuel conduit.
54. The furnace for producing steam in accordance with claim 51 wherein the oxygen at the predetermined purity is supplied to the furnace separate and apart from the carbon based fuel.
55. The furnace for producing steam in accordance with claim 51 wherein the oxygen purity is at least about 85 percent.
56. The furnace for producing steam in accordance with claim 51 wherein the steam is transferred to a steam turbine for producing electricity.
57. A waste incinerator comprising:
a combustion region;
a burner;
a fuel supply for supplying a fuel;
an oxidizing agent supply for supplying oxygen at a predetermined purity; and
a waste supply,
wherein the waste is fed into the combustion region and wherein the fuel and oxygen are combusted at the burner to produce a flame for incinerating the waste, and wherein the flame has a temperature in excess of about 4500 F.
58. The waste incinerator in accordance with claim 57 wherein the oxidizing agent has an oxygen concentration of at least about 85 percent.
59. The waste incinerator in accordance with claim 57 including a further oxygen injector for injecting oxygen into the combustion region.
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 communication card as a card-shaped communication device that is used being inserted into a card slot of an information device,
said communication card including:
an antenna for receiving or outputting communication waves; and
an antenna matching means for establishing a conjugate match between an input impedance of the antenna and an output impedance of a matching circuit so as to have resistors which are equal to each other and reactances which have opposite signs but equal absolute values,
said antenna being placed to be electromagnetically coupled with a metallic body which constitutes the information device, via an internal wall of the card slot, and
said antenna matching means varying a circuit parameter as well as detecting a reflected signal from the antenna at transmission, and deciding the circuit parameter such that the reflected signal has a minimum amplitude at receiving.
2. The communication card of claim 1 wherein
the antenna matching means includes:
a variable matching unit which can vary the circuit parameter in accordance with a control signal;
a directional coupling unit for extracting the reflected signal from the antenna;
a detection unit for detecting the amplitude of the reflected signal that is extracted by the directional coupling unit; and
a control unit for outputting the control signal to the variable matching unit on the basis of the amplitude of the reflected signal that is detected by the detection unit.
3. The communication card of claim 2 wherein
the directional coupling unit includes:
two microstrip lines each having a length corresponding to a wavelength;
two coupling resistors; and
one end resistor, and
both ends of the two microstrip lines are connected with each other by the two coupling resistors, respectively, as well as
an end of one of the two microstrip lines and a grounding conductor are connected by the end resistor.
4. The communication card of claim 2 wherein
the variable matching unit includes:
plural capacitors and coils;
first switches for making effective an arbitrary capacitor and coil among the plural capacitors and coils; and
a first switch selector for controlling the first switches.
5. The communication card of claim 2 wherein
the variable matching unit includes one microstrip line, plural capacitors, first switches for making effective an arbitrary capacitor among the plural capacitors, and a first switch selector for controlling the first switches.
6. The communication card of claim 5 wherein
the plural capacitors included in the variable matching unit are connected to the microstrip line and a grounding conductor at predetermined intervals on the microstrip line, and
the microstrip line is connected between an input terminal of the antenna and an input terminal of the variable matching unit.
7. The communication card of claim 2 wherein
the control unit carries out:
a first step of extracting the reflected signal from the antenna;
a second step of deciding the circuit parameter of the variable matching unit according to the amplitude of the reflected signal that is extracted in the first step; and
a third step of generating the control signal on the basis of the circuit parameter that is decided in the second step, repeatedly in this order.
8. The communication card of claim 7 wherein
in the second step,
one of a matching executing routine for executing matching of the antenna, and a matching monitoring routine for monitoring matching of the antenna is selected, and
the selected routine is executed so that, in the matching executing routine, random circuit parameters are generated to decide a circuit parameter at which the reflected signal from the antenna is minimized, and
in the matching monitoring routine, start of the conjugate match is decided when a deterioration degree of the conjugate match exceeds a threshold from viewpoints of a level and time.
9. The communication card of claim 2 wherein
the variable matching unit includes:
one microstrip line;
two varactor diodes;
two variable voltage devices generating voltages which are to be applied to the two varactor diodes;
two capacitors;
two coils; and
two resistors.
10. The communication card of claim 9 wherein
the capacitors, the coils, and the varactor diodes are connected in series between both ends of the microstrip line included in the variable matching unit, and grounding conductors, respectively, and
the resistors and the variable power supplies are connected in series between connections of the coils and the varactor diodes which are connected in series, and grounding conductors, respectively.
11. The communication card of claim 2 wherein
the variable matching unit includes a variable phase shifter which can vary a phase amount of a signal that passes through the shifter itself.
12. The communication card of claim 11 wherein
assuming that the variable matching unit employs two of the variable phase shifter, and one of the variable phase shifters is a first variable phase shifter and the other is a second variable phase shifter,
the first variable phase shifter is connected between an input terminal of the antenna and an input terminal of the variable matching unit, and
the second variable phase shifter is connected between the input terminal of the variable matching unit and a grounding conductor.
13. The communication card of claim 12 wherein
the variable phase shifter is a voltage variable phase shifter in which passed phase amounts vary with voltages, and
includes a variable power supply that generates a voltage that is applied to the voltage variable phase shifter.
14. The communication card of claim 11 wherein
the variable phase shifter includes:
one hybrid coupler that uses a microstrip line; and
two varactor diodes.
15. The communication card of claim 1 wherein
plural antennas having different polarized waves are included as the antenna, and
a selectively switching means for selecting one of the plural antennas.
16. The communication card of claim 15 including:
an antenna switch as the selectively switching means.
17. The communication card of claim 15 wherein
the plural antennas having different polarized waves are two rectangular loop antennas which employ lines of a printed board.
18. The communication card of claim 15 wherein
the plural antennas having different polarized waves are antennas which generate two elliptical polarized waves having opposite rotations.
19. The communication card of claim 15 wherein
the plural antennas having different polarized waves are two dipole antennas which are placed orthogonally with each other.
20. The communication card of claim 15 wherein
the plural antennas having different polarized waves includes:
lines of a printed board;
a folded conductor plate; and
a PIN diode switch.
21. The communication card of claim 15 wherein
the plural antennas having different polarized waves generate three electric fields having different polarized waves by controlling electric fields which are generated by a waveguide antenna and a -wavelength linear antenna.
22. The communication card of any of claims 15, 16, and 21 wherein
the plural antennas having different polarized waves include:
a waveguide antenna that is constituted by lines of a printed board and a folded conductor plate; and
one linear antenna having a length corresponding to a wavelength in the vicinity of an opening surface of the waveguide antenna, and
the linear antenna is placed so as to generate an electric field that is perpendicular to an electric field which is generated by the waveguide antenna, as well as
an opening wall of the waveguide antenna and the linear antenna are connected via a switch.
23. The communication card of claim 15 wherein
an antenna switch button as the selectively switching means is provided on an end surface of the communication card, and
one of the plural antennas having different polarized waves is selected when the switch button is pushed.
24. The communication card of claim 15 wherein
one of the plural antennas having different polarized waves is selected by software included in an information device that is capable of using the communication card.
25. An information device that is used being attached to a connector of an information device,
said information device including:
an antenna for receiving or outputting communication waves;
an antenna matching means for establishing a conjugate match between an input impedance of the antenna and an output impedance of a matching circuit so as to have resistors which are equal to each other and reactances which have opposite sings but equal absolute values,
said antenna being placed to be electromagnetically coupled with a metallic body which constitutes the information device, and
said antenna matching means varying a circuit parameter as well as detecting a reflected signal from the antenna at transmission, and deciding the circuit parameter such that the reflected signal has a minimum amplitude at the receiving.