1. In a gaming system having one or more gaming devices, each of said one or more gaming devices facilitating a play of a game of chance, and a central computer coupled to said one or more gaming devices, a sweepstakes method that awards promotional awards, said sweepstakes method comprising:
configuring, at said central computer, a sweepstakes eligibility criterion defining a grouping of players eligible for a promotional award and a sweepstakes entry criterion defining play activity of said game of chance to achieve an entry in the form of a ticket;
determining whether said sweepstakes entry criterion has been met by a player at one gaming device based on a monitored play activity related to play of said game of chance;
determining whether said sweepstakes eligibility criterion has been met by said player of said one gaming device;
issuing a virtual sweepstakes ticket with respect to said player of said one gaming device if said sweepstakes eligibility criterion has been met by said player at said one gaming device and said sweepstakes entry criterion has been met by said player at said one gaming device, said issuing adding a said virtual sweepstakes ticket to a pool of tickets;
closing said pool of tickets to prevent adding of any additional virtual sweepstakes ticket to said pool;
randomly selecting at least one virtual sweepstakes ticket from said pool of tickets, the selected ticket serving as a winning ticket; and
awarding at least one of said promotion awards in response to said winning ticket.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one sweepstakes entry criterion is based on accumulated points based on play, machine outcome, or coin in.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein said sweepstakes eligibility criterion is based on a machine group, a machine denomination, a machine type, a machine manufacturer, a game manufacturer, a game theme, a game title, or a player wager amount.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a trigger to initiate a random selection of a winning ticket from the pool of tickets.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein said awards include a sweepstakes award comprising one or more of cash, credit, promotional items, free game play, bonus game play, feature game play, and comps.
6. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a setup wizard to configure sweepstakes entry criterion and sweepstakes eligibility criterion.
7. The method of claim 1, further comprising announcing said winning ticket.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein said announcing step further comprises announcing said winning ticket via a secondary display.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein said secondary display comprises at least one of a secondary display at a gaming device and a secondary display apart from a gaming device in a gaming environment.
10. A gaming system in communication with one or more gaming devices for play by players for providing sweepstakes awards, said system comprising:
a central authority including a computer processor and a data structure;
a network in communication with said gaming devices and said central authority;
a configuration manager in communication with said network that configures sweepstakes eligibility criterion defining a grouping of players eligible for a promotional award and sweepstakes entry criterion defining play activity of said game of chance to achieve an entry in the form of a ticket to award a sweepstakes award to a player;
said central authority configured to monitor activity related to play of said game of chance by a player in order to determine satisfaction of a sweepstakes entry criterion, determine whether said sweepstakes eligibility criterion has been met by said player of said gaming device, generate a virtual sweepstakes ticket with respect to said player of said gaming device if said sweepstakes eligibility criterion has been met by said player at said one gaming device and said sweepstakes entry criterion has been met by said player at said one gaming device, add said virtual sweepstakes ticket in a pool of virtual sweepstakes tickets at said data structure, randomly select from said pool at least one virtual sweepstakes ticket, the selected virtual sweepstakes ticket serving as a winning ticket and issue an award based upon said winning ticket.
11. The system of claim 10, wherein said at least one sweepstakes entry criterion is based on accumulated points based on play, machine outcome, or coin in.
12. The system of claim 10, and further including a sweepstakes announcer.
13. The system of claim 12, wherein said sweepstakes announcer further determines a trigger to initiate a random selection of a winner from the pool of sweepstakes tickets.
14. The system of claim 12, wherein said announcer further announces said sweepstakes award.
15. The system of claim 12, wherein said announcer announces via a secondary display.
16. The system of claim 15, wherein said secondary display comprises a secondary display at a gaming device.
17. The system of claim 10, wherein said sweepstakes eligibility criterion is based on a player group, a machine group, a machine denomination, a machine type, a machine manufacturer, a game manufacturer, a game theme, a game title, a player wager amount, or a number of sweepstakes tickets for the player.
18. The system of claim 10, wherein a said sweepstakes award comprises one or more of cash, credit, promotional items, free game play, bonus game, feature game play and comps.
19. The system of claim 10, further comprising a setup wizard to configure said sweepstakes entry criterion and said sweepstakes eligibility criterion.
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. Apparatus for the production of single-walled carbon nanotubes having a radio frequency (RF) inductively coupled plasma torch with a central hollow probe extending in an axial direction for axial delivery of a carrier gas and reactants to a plasma zone;
a torch body disposed around the central probe having an induction coil for coupling to a power supply, the torch body being spaced from the central probe to define a plasma zone,
a plasma confinement tube disposed adjacent to the torch body on an interior surface thereof and having a first pre-determined internal diameter ID1;
an intermediate tube disposed between the plasma confinement tube and the central probe,
first gas inlet means to deliver a stabilizing gas between the intermediate tube and the central probe,
second gas inlet means to deliver a sheath gas between the plasma confinement tube and the intermediate tube,
a reactor body having a second pre-determined internal diameter ID2 coupled to the torch body and extending in said axial direction, the reactor body being adapted to maintain a stable induction plasma favourable to the growth of single-walled carbon nanotubes, and
a quenching body having a third pre-determined internal diameter ID3 commensurate with said second predetermined internal diameter ID2 coupled to the reactor body, the quenching body being adapted to terminate the growth of single-walled carbon nanotubes.
2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which a ratio of the first pre-determined internal diameter ID1 to the second pre-determined internal diameter ID2 is selected to maintain laminar flow in the plasma zone and inside the reactor body, the ratio ID1:ID2 being between 0.5 and 1.
3. (canceled)
4. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which at least one of the reactor body and the quenching body is lined with at least one refractory insert tube extending along the length of the reactor body andor quenching body, the refractory insert tube having a predetermined length, diameter, thickness, and thermal conductivity to control temperature gradients inside the reactor body and quenching body.
5. Apparatus according to claim 4 in which the refractory insert tube is made of graphite.
6. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which at least one of the reactor body and the quenching body has apertures defining at least one access port disposed in the reactor body or the quenching body to allow the introduction of materials into the reactor body or the quenching body.
7-11. (canceled)
12. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the quenching body extends in said axial direction, and has filter assembly coupled to the quenching body by a transverse connection so as to be disposed in parallel to the reactor body and the quenching body, for long-term continuous operation of the apparatus.
13. Apparatus according to claim 12 having a collection assembly disposed axially beneath the filter assembly to receive deposits released from the filter assembly, and a valve disposed between the filter assembly and the collection assembly to control access to the collection assembly.
14. (canceled)
15. Apparatus according to claim 12 in which the filter assembly is coupled to vacuum means to exhaust gases from the filter assembly and to retain single-walled carbon nanotube deposits on filter media, the filter assembly having means to blow back deposits for collection by gravity into a removable collection assembly for removal from the apparatus.
16. Apparatus according to claim 12 in which the filter assembly has a porous material for retaining single-walled carbon nanotubes deposited in sheets at elevated temperatures.
17. Method of operating apparatus according to claim 1 for the production of single-walled carbon nanotubes, in which a mixture of carbonaceous material and a carrier gas is fed into the central probe of the plasma torch.
18. Method of operating apparatus according to claim 1 for the production of single-walled carbon nanotubes, in which the induction plasma torch is operated at 0.5 to 0.8 atmospheric pressure to maintain a laminar flow.
19. Method according to claim 17 in which the carbonaceous material is solid.
20. Method according to claim 19 in which the carbonaceous material is selected from the group consisting of: carbon black, graphite, and mixtures thereof.
21. Method according to claim 17 in which the carrier gas is argon, helium, or mixtures thereof.
22. Method according to claim 17 in which an argon stabilizing gas is fed through said first gas inlet means.
23. Method according to claim 17 in which a helium sheath gas is fed through said second gas inlet means.
24. Method according to claim 17 in which the carrier gas is argon, an argon stabilizing gas is fed through said first gas inlet means and a helium sheath gas is fed through said second gas inlet means.
25-29. (canceled)
30. Method according to claim 17 in which a catalyst is fed into the central probe of the plasma torch, the catalyst being selected to enhance radiative properties in the plasma by higher emissivity and radiation coupling in the plasma.
31. Method according to claim 30 in which the catalyst is selected from the group consisting of: at least two metals, at least two metal oxides, at least two metal salts, and mixtures thereof.
32. Method according to claim 31 in which the selected catalyst contains at least one element selected from the group consisting of: nickel, cobalt, cerium and yttrium.
33. Method according to claim 17 in which the quenching body has apertures defining at least one access port disposed in the quenching body to allow the introduction of materials into the quenching body, in which an inert gas is injected through said at least one access port for cooling reactants and to terminate reactions.
34. Method according to claim 17 in which the quenching body has apertures defining at least one access port disposed in the quenching body to allow the introduction of materials into the quenching body, in which an oxidizing agent is injected through said at least one access port for the selective oxidation of carbon soot at predetermined temperatures for purification of single-walled carbon nanotubes.
35. Method according to claim 34, in which the oxidizing agent is selected from the group consisting of: water, air, oxygen, ozone, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide.
36. Method according to claim 17 in which a functionalizing agent is injected through an access port in the reactor body or quenching body.
37. (canceled)
38. Method according to claim 36, in which the functionalizing agent is selected from the group consisting of: halogen compounds, alcohols, acids, organic chains and rings, amines, peroxide compounds, and azo compounds.
39-40. (canceled)