1. A polymer finishing process comprising:
recovering a polymer powder from a polymerization reactor;
feeding the polymer powder to an inlet end of a mass flow screw conveyor, the mass flow screw conveyor comprising:
a housing;
at least one helical auger at least partially contained within the housing for conveying the polymer powder axially through the mass flow screw conveyor; and
one or more mass measuring devices for determining a mass of polymer powder within at least a portion of the housing;
rotating the at least one helical auger to convey the polymer powder axially through the screw conveyor;
recovering the polymer powder at an outlet end of the screw conveyor;
measuring at least one of a mass of the polymer powder in the screw conveyor and a combined mass of the screw conveyor and the polymer powder within the screw conveyor with the one or more mass measuring devices; and
determining a mass flow rate of the polymer powder through the mass flow screw conveyor based on the at least one of the measured mass of the polymer powder in the mass flow screw conveyor and the measured combined mass.
2. The process of claim 1, wherein the polymer powder comprises at least one of a polyethylene and a polypropylene polymer.
3. The process of claim 1, wherein the determining comprises:
determining an average mass of the polymer powder in the mass flow screw conveyor per unit length of the at least a portion of the housing using the measured mass of the polymer powder;
determining an axial displacement velocity of the polymer powder caused by the rotating of the at least one helical auger using a rotation speed thereof;
determining the mass flow rate of the polymer powder based on the average mass per unit length and the axial displacement velocity.
4. The process of claim 1, further comprising:
adjusting the mass flow rate by adjusting a rotation speed of the one or more helical augers in response to the determined mass flow rate of the polymer powder.
5. The process of claim 1, further comprising:
feeding at least one additive to the mass flow screw conveyor intermediate an inlet end and an outlet end of the mass flow screw conveyor;
measuring a mass of the polymer and the at least one additive within the outlet end of the mass flow screw conveyor using a second mass measuring device.
6. The process of claim 5, further comprising:
determining a mass flow rate of the at least one additive based upon the measured mass of the polymer and the at least one additive within the outlet end;
calculating a ratio of the mass flow rate of the polymer powder to the mass flow rate of the at least one additive based upon the determined mass flow rate of the polymer and the mass flow rate of the at least one additive;
adjusting at least one of a polymer powder feed rate to the mass flow screw conveyor, a rotation speed of the helical auger, and an additive feed rate to the mass flow screw conveyor based on the calculated ratio.
7. The process of claim 1, further comprising:
filling a surge hopper with the polymer powder;
stopping a flow of polymer powder to the surge hopper;
feeding the polymer powder from the surge hopper to the inlet end of the mass flow screw conveyor;
measuring a mass of the polymer powder in the surge hopper using at least one mass measuring device; and
determining a mass flow rate of polymer powder from the surge hopper to the mass flow screw conveyor as a function of the decrease in the measured mass in the surge hopper over time.
8. The process of claim 7, further comprising:
generating a calibration curve for the mass flow rate of polymer through the mass flow screw conveyor as a function of helical auger rotation speed based upon the determined mass flow rate of polymer powder from the surge hopper to the mass flow screw conveyor.
9. The process of claim 7, further comprising:
when a flow of polymer powder to the surge hopper is stopped, adjusting at least one of a polymer powder feed rate to the mass flow screw conveyor, a rotation speed of the helical auger, and an additive feed rate to the mass flow screw conveyor based on the determined a mass flow rate of polymer powder from the surge hopper to the mass flow screw conveyor; and
during the filling of the surge hopper with the polymer powder, adjusting at least one of a polymer powder feed rate to the mass flow screw conveyor, a rotation speed of the helical auger, and an additive feed rate to the mass flow screw conveyor based on the determined mass flow rate of the polymer powder through the mass flow screw conveyor.
10. A system for polymer finishing comprising:
at least one device for providing a flow of polymer powder to a surge hopper during a filling cycle and not providing a flow of polymer powder during an emptying cycle;
a flow line fluidly connecting the surge hopper to a mass flow screw conveyor, the mass flow screw conveyor comprising:
a housing;
at least one helical auger at least partially contained within the housing for conveying the polymer powder axially through the mass flow screw conveyor; and
one or more mass measuring devices for determining a mass of polymer powder within at least a portion of the housing;
at least one mass measuring device for determining a mass flow rate of polymer powder from the surge hopper to the mass flow screw conveyor;
at least one mass measuring device for determining a mass flow rate of the polymer powder through the mass flow screw conveyor;
at least one of a digital control system and a programmable logic controller for:
during an emptying cycle, adjusting at least one of a polymer powder feed rate to the mass flow screw conveyor, a rotation speed of the helical auger, and an additive feed rate to the mass flow screw conveyor based on the determined a mass flow rate of polymer powder from the surge hopper to the mass flow screw conveyor; and
during a filling cycle, adjusting at least one of a polymer powder feed rate to the mass flow screw conveyor, a rotation speed of the helical auger, and an additive feed rate to the mass flow screw conveyor based on the determined mass flow rate of the polymer powder through the mass flow screw conveyor.
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 method for playing a wagering game having a special payout with a first payout and a second payout, the method comprising:
conducting a basic game having a randomly selected outcome;
presenting a side-wager option for a player to be eligible for the special payout; and
in response to the player selecting the option to be eligible for the special payout, crediting the player the first payout when a first randomly selected outcome occurs in the basic game and crediting the player the second payout when a second randomly selected outcome occurs in the basic game.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising crediting the player a third payout when a third randomly selected outcome occurs in the basic game.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the special payout is a progressive payout.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first payout is a bonus game.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the randomly selected outcome comprises a plurality of symbols.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of symbols is a card from a deck of playing cards.
7. The method of claim 5, wherein the wagering game is a slot machine and each of the plurality of symbols is a reel symbol.
8. A method for playing a wagering game on a gaming terminal, the wagering game having a progressive payout with a first payout and a second payout, the method comprising:
conducting a basic game having a plurality of symbols that indicate a randomly selected outcome of the basic game;
presenting an option for a player to be eligible for the progressive payout; and
in response to the player selecting the option to be eligible for the progressive payout, awarding the first payout when a first randomly selected outcome is achieved in the basic game and awarding the second payout when a second randomly selected outcome is achieved in the basic game.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the conducting step comprises choosing at least one of a plurality of paylines to play and choosing a wager amount for each of the plurality of paylines chosen.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the presenting step only occurs if all of the plurality of paylines are chosen.
11. The method of claim 8, wherein the awarding step is performed by a controller in the gaming terminal.
12. A gaming system for playing a wagering game having a special payout with a first payout and a second payout, the gaming system comprising a gaming terminal for playing a basic game having a randomly selected outcome, the gaming terminal having a side-wager input device for allowing a player to be eligible to win the special payout wherein, in response to activation of the side-wager input device, the gaming terminal credits the player the first payout when a first randomly selected outcome is achieved in the basic game and the gaming terminal credits the player the second payout when a second randomly selected outcome is achieved in the basic game.
13. The system of claim 12, wherein the special payout is a progressive jackpot.
14. The system of claim 12, wherein the first payout is a bonus game jackpot.
15. The system of claim 12, wherein the side-wager input device is a button or a key.
16. The system of claim 12, wherein the first and second randomly selected outcomes comprise a plurality of symbols.
17. The system of claim 16, wherein each of the plurality of symbols is a card from a deck of playing cards.
18. The system of claim 16, wherein the gaming terminal is a slot machine and each of the plurality of symbols is a standard slot machine symbol.
19. The gaming system of claim 12, further comprising a plurality of gaming terminals for conducting wagering games, each of the plurality of gaming terminals having the side-wager input device.
20. The gaming system of claim 19, further comprising signage located above and coupled to the plurality of gaming terminals, the signage displaying the special payout and for receiving a signal from one of the plurality of gaming terminals that it is eligible to win a special payout.
21. The gaming system of claim 20, wherein the signage includes a signage controller for controlling an outcome of the special payout on one of the plurality of gaming terminals.
22. The gaming system of claim 21, wherein each of the plurality of gaming terminals includes a gaming terminal controller, the gaming terminal controller being in communication with the signage controller.
23. The gaming system of claim 19, wherein each of the plurality of gaming terminals are identical machines.
24. The gaming system of claim 19, wherein the special payout is a progressive payout.
25. The gaming system of claim 19, wherein the first payout is a bonus game payout.
26. A gaming terminal for playing a wagering game, comprising:
a basic game having a plurality of symbols that indicate a randomly selected outcome of the basic game;
a progressive payout having a first payout and a second payout; and
an input device for allowing a player to become eligible for the progressive payout;
wherein, in response to the input device being activated, the gaming terminal awards the player the first payout when a first randomly selected outcome is achieved and awards the player the second payout when a second randomly selected outcome is achieved.
27. The gaming terminal of claim 26, wherein in response to the input device being activated, the gaming terminal awards the player a third payout when a third randomly selected outcome is achieved.