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By lizalunstroo
Like I promised last week, this weekend I joined the College Democrats on a campaigning trip to Columbus, Ohio. Extended bus rides, gym floors, canvassing, middle class and beyond, a visit from Charlie Crist and Ted Strickland, and more made this weekend remarkable and unforgettable.
Leaving Friday afternoon, we departed on what was to be a very long and exhaustive bus ride. All in all, it took us 9 hours to get to Columbus. Due to the fact that I tend to compare situations here to situations back home, it is interesting to consider I would already have been in Germany, France, Belgium and Luxembourg when riding on a bus for that amount of time. Notwithstanding, the greatest surprise came when we arrived at the hostel where we were going to stay: it turned out we were literally sleeping on the floor of a gym. Not much fun (I only brought one blanket), and causing a very sore back on the way back home, but it was all worth it 100 percent.
That was it for the less appealing aspects of this trip; the real fun started on Saturday morning, kicked off by a huge sponsored breakfast in a very typical American diner. This all soothed the experiences of the night before and got us ready and fired up to start the actual campaigning. I was very afraid I was going to be out of my league, talking to undecided voters and it was quite hard to come up with a sound rationale as to why they should support Obama, because there is just too much to say on the subject. For that reason I settled for telling people why I support the President: his support for women's and LGBT rights. In addition, the most important reason for me to support Obama is the difference that distinguishes Barack Obama from Mitt Romney: Barack Obama truly cares for all American citizens and this is reflected in his policies of the last four years. His opponent is clearly not, and willing to say anything to appeal to voters, even if the words he speaks are completely the opposite of the truth. This big difference affects every single policy stance and attitude of the candidates, which is why I think the choice this year is easier and clearer than ever. Nevertheless, people need persuasion and encouragement, which is what we were in Ohio for.
Canvassing, or going from door to door to talk to people, is scary in the beginning but becomes encouraging the more people one talks to. Fortunately, no one goes alone, because everyone is divided up into pairs and walks with a partner who you're constantly close to, in case anything happens. I have been to three different neighborhoods in and around Ohio this weekend to canvass, and all had their specificities. There was one which was clearly blue and did not need any more persuasion; people were pro-Obama and proud to tell me about why they supported the President. It was truly moving to hear some stories about why they were so convinced of Obama. One woman showed me pictures of her entire family with a cardboard Obama, another started to tell me everything that was wrong with Romney and his attitude, and another told me about how important the equality of opportunity that Obama stands for is to her.
There was that, and there were the fanatic Romney supporters. These people were less fun to talk to, not because they did not support Obama, but because some of them were just very uncivilized and unpleasant to me. Some did not want to look me straight in the eyes, others opened the door and quickly shut it again, and some just didn't open the door at all. Of course, I can see that it can be annoying when people are bothering you with political talks, but I do not see what is so hard about telling me calmly they are not interested – it is what I would do. Luckily, I have quite a thick skin and was not bothered by these talks at all, and they did not ruin my resolve to knock on people's doors and reach out to the community.
Being in Ohio also showed me another side of the United States. DC is a very urbanized area, where people are used to quite a wealthy lifestyle, especially around campus. In contrast, some of the neighborhoods I canvassed in where clearly poor. Some friends visited places that were truly terrifying and shocking, with drug addicts and criminal practices. Some of the houses I saw were confiscated and shut down with huge locks on the front door: the people who used to live there are now homeless. These things are shocking and clearly show why the elections are so vital, because the policy choices that are being made to revitalize the economy influence people's lives in a very real sense. It also reinforces and strengthens the realization that I need to keep in the back of my mind: I have been very privileged my entire life and am extremely lucky to be able to live up to the opportunities that come across my path.
The second night in the hostel was much better, which I ascribe to our mental preparation of where we were going to sleep, and probably more significantly, our complete exhaustion after the first day. On Sunday we undertook another canvassing session, after which we departed for Washington, DC, on another 9 hour-long bus ride. The commitment that all GW students made this weekend to go all the way to Ohio and try to convince people to vote for Obama was quite impressive, and this commitment was strengthened by a visit from former Governor of Florida, Charlie Crist, and former Governor of Ohio, Ted Strickland. Former Governor of Florida, Charlie Crist, used to be a Republican but basically turned away from this party after he openly embraced President Obama after his inauguration – a very civilized and normal thing to do in his eyes, but not in the eyes of the GOP. These two men were inspiring and made my commitment a little stronger by telling us personally why they are supportive of the President in the upcoming elections. In addition the good care and all the food that was bestowed upon us by the campaigning staff made the weekend a lot more productive. The balance at the end of the campaigning weekend was very impressive: together the GW students knocked on more than 1000 doors and more than 800 people signed up to vote early. This was amazing to hear, and very satisfying.
The journey does not stop here: upcoming is the next presidential debate on Tuesday; on foreign policy no less, and there are 26 days left to election day. A lot can happen this month and hopefully I will be there to report back on some of these events. Until then: FOUR MORE YEARS! (not kidding, I don't like slogans, but I had to put this one out there).


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Thursday, September 17, 2015
What is it?
The Army budget is the fuel that keeps the Army engine running. The Army Financial Management (FM) community is responsible for and professionally manages all aspects of the Army budget, to include audit readiness. Army Financial Management Optimization (AFMO) is a comprehensive management approach to improving FM support to commanders by: leveraging increased capabilities of the General Fund Enterprise Business System (GFEBS), the financial element of the Global Combat Support System-Army (GCSS-A), and Logistics Modernization Program (LMP); expanding a two-star command responsible for delivering financial management support across the Army enterprise; and by ensuring combat readiness of Soldiers while in garrison. AFMO recognizes the impact of dynamic environmental change on financial support over the last decade, including the congressional mandate for audit readiness by 2017, and seeks to achieve success through standardized, end-to-end business processes, optimized workforce and business system efficiencies and accuracies.
Why is this important to the Army?
AFMO is changing delivery of financial management support to enable the Army's success globally. Commanders benefit from improved analytical FM capability resulting in better information for decision-making. Command G8s benefit from more accurate cost information to support real-time cost/performance analysis. The resource management workforce benefits from enhanced skills and knowledge attained through DOD financial management certification. Ultimately, AFMO is important to the Army's ability to attain and maintain audit readiness.
What has the Army done?
The Army fielded GFEBS as its core financial management business system. The United States Army Financial Management Command is transforming to provide enterprise-wide financial services. The Army is piloting the concept of centralized, standardized transactional work processes and enhanced capabilities in the G8/Resource Management organization from workload realignment. A cost management steering group was established to lead standardization in cost capturing and improve cost-centered analytical capabilities.
What continued efforts are planned for the future?
The Assistant Secretary of the Army (Financial Management & Comptroller) (ASA(FM&C)) developed a campaign plan to drive and manage financial management change to achieve strategic objectives. The campaign plan integrates elements of Doctrine, Organization, Training, Materiel, Leadership & Education, Personnel, and Facilities and the full scope of finance functionality across the FM domain. Pilot programs will inform on how to enhance performance and gain efficiencies by best leveraging the technical capability of our new financial systems combined with standardized business processes. ASA(FM&C) continues to collaborate with the Defense Finance and Accounting Service and other stakeholders, as the FM community works together toward improved effectiveness, greater efficiency, and achieving audit compliance. As the environment continues to challenge financial management, the goal of AFMO is to drive change within a changing Army.
Subscribe to STAND-TO! to learn about the U.S. Army initiatives.
September 2015
Sept. 11: Patriot Day
Sept. 27: Gold Star Mothers Day - Visit Gold Star Survivors
Quote of the Day
A highly trained and educated enlisted force is the force of the future. Armies are about people and you have to invest in people. If you invest in the force of the future, it makes for a better force, it makes for a better nation.
- Sgt. Maj. of the Army Daniel A. Dailey, emphasizing the importance of collaborative exchange of ideas between senior enlisted advisors from different armies, during the second Senior Enlisted Leaders Forum at the PACC IX and PAMS XXXIX, Sept. 14-15
- Senior enlisted leaders conduct second enlisted forum during PACC IX/PAMS XXXIX
STAND-TO! is an information paper-based web platform that supports the U.S. Army's strategic communication objectives.
The information papers -- written, approved and submitted by the Army agencies -- provide a broad, objective view of the Army's current operations, doctrine and programs. The "Today's Focus" topics highlight Army Staff initiatives and support Army wide strategic-level issues.
All published editions are sent to subscribers via email and archived daily in the STAND-TO! Archives.
STAND-TO! falls under the management of the Online and Social Media Division (OSMD) in the Office of the Chief of Public Affairs (OCPA).
Subscribe to STAND-TO! to learn about the U.S. Army initiatives.

subset: commoncrawl


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5 Relatively easy (But Important) Important things To keep in mind About Grass Fed Beef NY.
Having A Online Business That Makes Serious Cash
There can be several benefits to working at home, but there can even be many downfalls. By learning the pitfalls as well as the advantages, you have to be a stride ahead of the competition. The following advice will help you succeed at having a home-based business.
If you wish to spend time driving to get things done for your small business, it's crucial that you record your mileage and keep careful tabs on all of your receipts. Travel expenses can actually mount up over time, so take careful notes! It is a great idea to keep track of the explanation for the trip, in the event you ever have to prove it absolutely was work related.
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Teaching someone a skill, like playing a musical instrument, is an excellent home based business ny grass fed beef
Prior to deciding to try selling, you must understand the cost range searching for the things you would like to sell. Explore the competition and try to offer prices that happen to be much more competitive. As opposed to focusing on the competition's negative qualities, placed the concentrate on your product's positive qualities.
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So that you can succeed at becoming a home based business owner, you should be capable of taking knowledge-based risks to broaden your horizons. If you are willing to try interesting things with your business, you can find a lot more people enthusiastic about what you will be doing, which eventually means a larger main point here! Except if you try new things with your routine, you could overlook better, more potent options.
By making use of these ideas, it is possible to give yourself the very best possibility of succeeding in managing a home-based business and avoiding common errors. Which will leave you with more resources to put into pushing your business into growth and profit..


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What is Hormone Imbalance?
Original article from Healthline.com
Hormones are your body's chemical messengers. Produced in the endocrine glands, these powerful chemicals travel around your bloodstream telling tissues and organs what to do. They help control many of your body's major processes, including metabolism and reproduction.
When you have a hormonal imbalance, you have too much or too little of a certain hormone. Even tiny changes can have serious effects throughout your whole body.
Think of hormones like a cake recipe. Too much or too little of any one ingredient affects the final product. While some hormone levels fluctuate throughout your lifetime and may just be the result of natural aging, other changes occur when your endocrine glands get the recipe wrong.
Symptoms of Hormone Imbalance
Your hormones play an integral role in your overall health. Because of that, there's a broad range of symptoms that could signal a hormonal imbalance. Your symptoms will depend on which hormones or glands aren't working properly.
Common hormonal conditions affecting both men and women could cause any of the following symptoms:
weight gain
increased sensitivity to cold or heat
constipation or more frequent bowel movements
dry skin
puffy face
unexplained weight loss (sometimes sudden)
increased or decreased heart rate
muscle weakness
frequent urination
increased thirst
muscle aches, tenderness, and stiffness
pain, stiffness, or swelling in your joints
thinning hair or fine, brittle hair
increased hunger
decreased sex drive
nervousness, anxiety, or irritability
blurred vision
a fatty hump between the shoulders
rounded face
purple or pink stretch marks
Symptoms in women
In women, the most common hormonal imbalance is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Your normal hormonal cycle also changes naturally during:
Symptoms of a hormonal imbalance specific to women include:
heavy or irregular periods, including missed periods, stopped period, or frequent period
hirsutism, or excessive hair on the face, chin, or other parts of the body
acne on the face, chest, or upper back
thinning hair or hair loss
weight gain or trouble losing weight
darkening of skin, especially along neck creases, in the groin, and underneath breasts
skin tags
vaginal dryness
vaginal atrophy
pain during sex
night sweats
Symptoms in men
Testosterone plays an important role in male development. If you aren't producing enough testosterone, it can cause a variety of symptoms.
In the adult male, symptoms include:
development of breast tissue
breast tenderness
erectile dysfunction
loss of muscle mass
decreased sex drive
decrease in beard and body hair growth
osteoporosis, the loss of bone mass
difficulty concentrating
hot flashes


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Columbus Day Weekend offers peak leaf peeping in Adirondacks, Catskills, Chautauqua-Allegheny, Central New York regions
Foliage Update for the Week of October 3-9
This is the fourth 2012 FALL FOLIAGE REPORT for New York State. Reports are obtained from field observers and reflect expected color conditions for the coming weekend. FALL FOLIAGE REPORTS are issued every Wednesday afternoon.
Albany, N.Y. – Leaf peeping and Columbus Day weekend go hand in hand, and this year's holiday weekend will offer some of the best foliage viewing opportunities in New York State in years, according to observers for Empire State Development's I LOVE NEW YORK program. Peak colors are spreading from the Adirondacks to the Catskills, the Chautauqua-Allegheny and Central New York regions, with near-peak and midpoint color in many other areas.
For more information, please go to http://fallgetaways.iloveny.com/LANDING_FOLIAGE_REPORT.html


text: Sony Studios today confirmed that the planned Sony reboot of 'Spider-Man' will be a joint venture with Disney's Marvel Cinematic Universe. The new Spider-Man is set to appear in a Marvel film next year, before getting his own stand-alone movie the following year. This means Spider-Man is very likely to be part of The Avengers line-up for the 'Infinity Wars' double header in 2018/19. The bad news however, is that Andrew Garfield is almost definitely not going to be playing the role of Peter Parker for Sony. Read more here.


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Inductive heating method utilizing high frequency harmonics and intermittent cooling
Heating systems and methods for inductive heating or a combination of resistive and inductive heating. A heater coil is inductively coupled to an article and a current signal is supplied to the heater coil. The heater coil generates a magnetic flux, based on the applied current signal, for inductively heating the article. Current pulses of a certain profile are used to enhance the rate, intensity and/or power of inductive heating delivered by the heating element or coil and/or to enhance the lifetime or reduce the cost of the inductive heating system.
This application claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/884,851, filed Jul. 2, 2004, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/612,272, filed Jul. 2, 2003, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to heating systems and methods which include, in various implementations, utilizing inductive heating or a combination of resistive and inductive heating; furthermore, the heating may be localized (directed to particular areas), and/or the heating may be continuous or intermittent.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is common practice to inductively heat a cylinder or tube of a ferromagnetic (high magnetic permeability) material, such as steel, by an induction (eddy) current. The eddy current is induced in the ferromagnetic material by an applied magnetic flux, and the magnetic flux is generated by passage of an alternating current through one or more heater coils disposed around the cylinder or tube. This method of inductive heating can be adapted to various other types of materials, work pieces and loads, including fluid, semisolid or solid materials (e.g., molten steel or magnesium filled and non-filled polymers, billets and ceramics).
The article to be heated may itself be heated by an induction current, and/or it may be in thermal communication (e.g., by conduction or radiation) with another article or substrate being inductively heated, for example, when heat inductively generated in a ferromagnetic substrate is transferred to a semiconductor wafer. In this regard, the electrical resistivity of the heating element or coil may be varied, for example using a more resistive material to increase the amount of resistive heat generated in the coil and transferred to the article (by conduction or radiation). Nichrome, a nickel chromium (NiCr) alloy having about sixty times the electrical resistivity of copper, has been used for the coil to generate both a magnetic flux for inductive heating of an article lying within the flux, and resistive heat (in the coil), which is then transferred by conduction and/or radiation to the same article.
Traditional inductive heating coils are made of copper and are water cooled to prevent overheating of the coil. Also, an air gap is provided between the water-cooled coil and the article being heated, to avoid removal of heat from the article by the coil cooling medium. The air gap and cooling requirements increase the complexity and cost of the heating system. They also reduce the strength (structural integrity) of the apparatus, which can be critical in applications where pressure is applied, e.g., a compression mold. However, without cooling, the coil is subject to failure (melting or burn out at elevated temperatures). Traditional inductive heating systems do not utilize more highly resistive (e.g., NiCr) coils, because the enhanced resistive heating of the coil would make coil cooling even more difficult, requiring still larger cooling channels and/or lower cooling temperatures, each of which results in greater energy consumption and cost. Furthermore, a resistive load cannot be driven by a traditional inductive power supply.
There is an ongoing need for heating systems and methods which address some or all of these problems and/or for energy sources to power such heating systems more efficiently and preferably at a lower cost.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Systems and methods consistent with the present invention include the following implementations.
According to one implementation, a heating apparatus includes a heater coil inductively coupled to an article and a current signal is supplied to the heater coil. The heater coil generates a magnetic flux, based on the current pulse signal, for inductively heating the article. The current signal is preferably a current pulse signal with high frequency harmonics.
The high frequency harmonics may be used to vary the inductive heating power. The harmonics may enhance a relative proportion of inductive heating, compared to resistive heating, of the heater coil. The high-frequency harmonics may enable use of a lower fundamental (or root) frequency supply current (e.g., line frequency of 50-60 Hz). The effective frequency of the current pulse, based on a combination of the root and harmonic frequency components, and their amplitudes, may enhance the lifetime of the heater coil in particular applications and/or enable more rapid heating of the coil.
In one embodiment, a heater coil is inductively coupled to a load which includes the article. The load includes a ferromagnetic core and ferromagnetic yoke, and the heater coil is in contact with, disposed between, and/or embedded within at least one of the core and yoke. In some cases the core has a passage for a flowable material, such that the core heats the flowable material. The heater coil may be positioned in the core so that heating is concentrated in the passage.
In another implementation, an article forms at least a part of a substantially closed loop for the magnetic flux. The article includes a first portion in which inductive heating is more concentrated, compared to a second portion of the article. The second portion may cause discontinuities in, or restrict the flow of, the eddy current, for example, by having slots, air gaps or a less ferromagnetic material in the second portion.
In another implementation, a power source is provided which supplies a current signal to a heater coil. The current is preferably supplied as current pulses with an adjustable harmonics energy content to the heater coil.
In one embodiment, a heater coil is positioned at least partially within an article having a passage for a flowable material to be heated, and heat generated inductively in the article is delivered by conduction and/or convection to the flowable material in the passage. The power source delivers current pulses which vary in amplitude and/or frequency spectrum (frequencies of the harmonics), to the heater coil for adjusting the delivery of inductive heating to the flowable material in the passage. The flowable material may itself be ferromagnetic such that eddy current are induced in the material (in addition to or instead of in the article).
According to another implementation, a method is provided which includes the steps of providing a heater coil inductively coupled to an article, and providing a current signal to the heater coil. The current signal is preferably a current pulse signal with high frequency harmonics.
According to another implementation, the method steps include providing a heater coil in thermal communication with and inductively coupled to an article, and providing an adjustable current pulse signal to the heater coil for adjusting the ratio between inductive and resistive heating of the article.
According to various implementations, the method steps may include simultaneous, discontinuous, intermittent and/or alternating periods of heating, cooling, and/or temperature control; adjusting the energy content of the current pulse signals with respect to amplitude, pulse width and/or frequency spectrum; and/or providing a cooling mechanism (cooling medium or heat sink) to withdraw heat from the article being heated. Particular structures are disclosed for accomplishing these method steps. Various embodiments of such heating systems and methods may provide one or more benefits such as more uniform heating, reduced thermal gradients, reduced thermal stresses, reliable high temperation operation, compact design, shorter cycle time, and reduced heat-up time.
These and other implementations will be described in the following figures and detailed description.
It has been determined that current pulses of a certain profile can be used in various embodiments described herein to enhance the rate, intensity and/or power of inductive heating delivered by a heating element or coil and/or to enhance the lifetime or reduce the cost of an inductive heating system. This may be accomplished, in select embodiments, without requiring a corresponding increase of current in the heater coil. It may also enable use of a lower frequency (e.g., 50-60 Hz) supply current and may be coupled with structural heating and cooling elements that enable directed (localized) heating and cooling effects for producing tighter temperature control or a reduced cycle time.
More specifically, these current pulses have a rapidly changing current profile which enhances the inductive heating performance. The current pulses are discrete narrow width pulses with steep edges (large first derivatives), which include harmonics of a fundamental or root frequency of the coil current. These harmonics, above the root frequency, are described herein as high frequency harmonics, which preferably occur above the border frequency of the heating coil and/or heating system. The provision of such pulses to a heater coil may be used to significantly increase the power inductively delivered to a ferromagnetic or other inductively heated load, without requiring an increase of the Root Mean Square (RMS) current in the coil. This may in turn decrease the energy consumption or cooling requirements of and/or increase the lifetime of the heater coil.
One problem that may be addressed by use of these current pulses, alone or coupled with the structural heating and cooling elements described herein, is the maximum tolerable coil current, or limit current (IC-limit) which a heater coil can withstand and still provide a useful lifetime. Thus, for a given IC-limit(RMS), number of coil turns N, and coefficient of electromagnetic connection KC, one problem addressed here is how to increase the inductive heating power.
In the prior art, a solution is to increase the frequency of the power supply, in which case powerful capacitors are provided in parallel with the coil as a "resonant converter" to adjust (tightly control) the resonant frequency of the sinusoidal current supplied to the heater coil. One problem with this solution is that the power supply is not adapted to work with a resistive load (resistive coil).
Furthermore, the prior art's use of inductive heating for surface heating requires tight control of the depth of penetration, which in turn requires tight control of the frequency. As a result, harmonics are a disfavored and consequently insignificant (minimized) portion of the current signal supplied to the heater coil. This is consistent with the general disfavor of high frequency harmonics—e.g., when providing sinusoidal 60 Hz line current, the current providers use huge capacitors to rid their systems of harmonics because their customers do not want harmonics, referred to as noise, in the supplied signal interfering with their electrical equipment and computers, and altering the effective frequency.
In contrast here, current pulses are deliberately provided with harmonics above the root frequency of the coil current. These discrete narrow current pulses have steep edges (changes in amplitude) and relatively long delays between pulses. They appear as a chopped or compressed wave with a relatively large delay between pulses in each cycle.
The harmonics provide an increase in the effective frequency of the current pulse signal, particularly where the amplitudes of the harmonics are kept high so that the inductive heating power is high. Viewed with a spectrum analyzer, the current pulses would include multiple current components, at each of multiple harmonic frequencies. It is understood as used herein that current and voltage are interchangeable and equivalent.
Preferably, the harmonics are above the border frequency of the coil or heating system, and the root frequency of the current pulse signal is also preferably above the border frequency (as the root frequency may provide the largest amplitude component of the current pulse signal). The amplitudes of the harmonics may be enhanced, for example, by use of a transformer or the like. Various implementations are described below of systems and methods for configuring the current pulse signals, as well as select applications illustrating their use.
One benefit of this approach can be the provision of a simpler and less costly power supply, compared to the resonant sinusoidal high-frequency power supplies of the prior art inductive heating systems. In such prior art systems, an air gap provided between the heater coil and the inductively heated core constitutes a high magnetic resistance (low permeability) to flux, which produces a high border frequency. To resolve this problem, the prior art systems utilize a high frequency and a high amplitude current signal in a resonant circuit, which is believed to be necessary to overcome the effects of the air gap and enable rapid inductive heating of the core.
In contrast, select embodiments of the present invention provide better magnetic coupling between the coil and the substrate, for example, by eliminating the air gap and more preferably embedding the coil wholly or at least partially in the substrate, and by providing a partially or substantially closed loop for the magnetic flux (a ferromagnetic yoke to close the loop with the core), one or both of which can be used to decrease the border frequency of the system. This reduction of the border frequency can then be advantageously used to provide larger amounts of energy within the harmonic current pulses above the border frequency of the system. This may enable use of a lower (root) frequency current supply and/or without significantly increasing the root mean sequence (RMS) current in the coil.
The desired current pulses are provided, in select embodiments, by a lower cost power supply which includes a pulse generator supplied with a low or line frequency signal. Line frequency is typically defined as the Hertz (Hz) level of power sources generally used or readily available for personal, commercial and industrial users, e.g. 50 or 60 Hz. Various signal generating or switching devices, including thyristors, gate-turn-off (GTO) thyristors, silicon controlled rectifiers (SCR), and integrated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) devices, can be used as the pulse generator to provide the short current pulses from a line frequency or direct current (DC). The pulsed, nonsinusoidal current signal, does not require a resonant circuit; in fact it is desirable not to provide a resonant circuit so that the high frequency harmonics in the pulses are maintained. The presence of these harmonics can significantly increase the power transferred inductively to the article to be heated.
The desired current pulses may substantially improve the performance of heating systems which utilize either a combination of inductive and resistive heating, or primarily inductive heating. The current pulses may be used in a system with a substantially closed magnetic loop, but they will also improve performance in inductive heaters that do not have a closed magnetic loop. The lack of a closed magnetic loop may occur in a system having an air gap between the heater coil and the substrate, an air gap in any portion of the magnetic loop, or in a system for heating an electrically-conductive, but non-magnetic core or load material.
The following equations illustrate a surprising improvement in performance obtainable in select embodiments with these current pulses. Equation (1a) is used to calculate the expected resistance to the flow of eddy currents (Re) in a ferromagnetic material forming a cylinder; equation (1b) is a comparable equation for a flat plate. Here it is assumed that the cylinder or plate is part of a closed magnetic loop, and a sinusoidal current is applied to a heater coil wrapped around the cylinder, or surface mounted in snake (serpentine) shape on the flat plate, at a frequency above the border frequency. For the cylinder, the equivalent resistance to the flow of eddy currents (Re) is:
D is the diameter of the cylinder,
L is the length of the cylinder,
ρ is the resistivity of the cylinder material,
μ is the permeability of the cylinder material, and
ω is the angular frequency of the eddy currents in the cylinder,
and for a plate:
L is the length of the coil conductor,
p is the perimeter of the coil conductor,
ρ is the resistivity of the flat plate material,
μ is the permeability of the flat plate material, and
ω is the angular frequency of the eddy currents in the plate,
and in both cases (cylinder and plate) where ω=2πf, f is the fundamental frequency, and f=1/T for a period T.
Thus, for sinusoidal currents, the equivalent eddy current resistance Re increases as the square root of the frequency ω. In contrast, it has been experimentally determined that the equivalent eddy current resistance may increase much faster with use of the current pulses described herein. Without limiting the scope of the invention, it may be theorized that this increased resistance is due to the effective frequency of such current pulses being higher than their root (nominal or fundamental) frequency, because the pulses include high frequency harmonics. Thus, by providing current pulses with a high rate of change of current, with respect to time, the current pulses can actually be provided at a lower fundamental frequency than the sinusoidal current which these pulses are replacing, because the steeply varying portions of these current pulses provide high frequency harmonics that more than make up for their lower fundamental frequency. As a result, more power than expected is inductively provided to the core or load.
The desired current pulses can be generated by a variety of electronic devices which provide rapid switching to produce much of the pulse energy in high frequency harmonics. The use of multi-phase devices can further be used to boost the fundamental frequency of the pulses. These aspects are described in various embodiments below and with respect to a comparative experiment (see the text accompanying
Various implementations of an inductive heating system will now be described that may advantageously utilize these current pulses.
More specifically,
A heater coil which includes a wire conductor 20 surrounded by an electrical insulator 36, is embedded within core 22. Heater coil 20 is wrapped in a helix-shaped groove 34 around the outer diameter 23 of core 22. This provides close physical contact and enables the heat resistively generated in the coil 20 to be transferred to the core 22.
Coil 20 is highly magnetically coupled to the core 22, as shown by the flux lines 19. Coil 20 can be made from a solid conductor such as copper, or from a more highly resistive material such as nickel chromium. Core 22 is fabricated of a magnetically permeable material such as iron, or other ferromagnetic material to facilitate magnetic coupling.
Coil 20 is also thermally coupled by close physical contact with core 22 and yoke 28. The coil 20 is covered by a thermally-conductive, electrically-insulating material (e.g., layer or coating 36). Suitable materials include magnesium oxide and various alumina oxides; other electrically insulating materials can be used as well.
A central hollow passage 26 through the ferromagnetic core 22 is defined by internal wall 24. The substance to be heated, which can be a gas, liquid, solid or some combination thereof, is positioned in (or passes through) the passage 26. Heat inductively generated in core 22 is transmitted to the material in passage 26 via thermal conduction and/or radiation.
Yoke 28 is made of a magnetically permeable material such as iron or steel, or other ferromagnetic material. Yoke 28 is located adjacent to and in thermal communication with heater coil 20. Core 22 and yoke 28 are in direct contact (substantial elimination of air gap) to provide a closed magnetic loop, as well as enhanced thermal conduction. The close coupling of coil 20 to core 22 and yoke 28, substantially reduces the border frequency of coil 20.
A second embodiment of a similar heating system is shown in
The pulse generator 40 may include one or more high-speed switching devices, such as thyristors 48A, GTO thyristors 48B, or IGBT device 48C, as shown in
Referring to
For medium power level applications, in the hundreds of kilowatts range, a pair of oppositely oriented GTO thyristors 48B (see
For low (tens of kilowatts) and medium (hundreds of kilowatts) power level applications, an integrated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) device 48C as shown in
In each of
One example is a three-phase, three-pulse unipolar commutator 57 shown in
Alternatively, a three-phase, six-pulse bipolar commutator 61 is shown in the circuit of
As a further alternative, a one-phase, two-pulse unipolar pulsator supply 63 is shown in the circuit of
As a still further alternative, a three-phase, six-pulse unipolar pulsator supply 65 shown in the circuit of
Finally, a three-phase supply 67 is shown in the circuit of
In each of
Providing the additional pulses (for each period of a multi-phase supply) increases the fundamental (root) frequency, which further multiplies the effect provided by the high frequency harmonic component of the individual pulses. As such, the higher fundamental frequency provided by these more complex arrangements, combined with the high frequency of the steeply varying current pulse itself, provide significantly enhanced inductive heating.
An experiment was performed which illustrates an improved performance of a combined inductive and resistive heating system powered by the current pulses described herein, compared to the same heating system powered by a 60 Hertz sinusoidal signal voltage.
As shown in
This article was first heated with a 60 Hz sinusoidal signal (industrial power supply). Then, after cooling to ambient temperature, the article was heated with current pulses from an IGBT source, similar to that shown and described in
With a sinusoidal 60 Hz signal voltage applied across coil 72, a voltage was measured of 9 volts RMS, thus providing a current of 10 amps RMS. The power delivered to the coil 72 and disc 70 was calculated to be 117 Watts. The measured rate of change of temperature of the disc 70, plotted in
From an analysis of electromagnetic processes under inductive heating, and for frequencies higher than the border frequency, Kirchoff's equation for a heater coil circuit can be represented by:
Ups=Ic(Rc+Kc2N2Re)+Icjω(1−Kc2)Lc (2)
Ups is the RMS voltage of the power supply source;
ω is the frequency of the power supply source above the border frequency;
Ic is the current in the heating coil (RMS);
Re is the eddy current equivalent resistance;
Rm is the equivalent magnetic resistance of the magnetic flux circuit;
N is the number of turns of wire in the heating coil;
Rc is the resistance of the heating coil;
Lc is the inductance of the heating coil;
Kc<1 is the coefficient of electromagnetic connection between the heating coil and the eddy currents;
j=sqrt(−1) is the imaginary unit; and
where the border frequency ωb=RmRc=2πfb.
For the 60 Hz sinusoidal supply signal, a total resistance of about 1.2 ohms was measured from the voltage and current at the coil. The eddy current equivalent resistance Re was calculated (from Equation 1b) to be 0.1 ohm. Adding in the resistance of the nickel chromium wire itself of 1.17 ohms, the total resistance expected to be measured at the coil was 1.27 ohms. The actual measured resistance of about 1.2 ohms was reasonably close to this expected value. It can be seen from these numbers that only about 8% of the power was delivered inductively using the 60 Hz sinusoidal supply signal. Most of the power delivered can thus be accounted for by resistive heating of the nickel chromium wire.
In comparison, when the 60 Hz supply signal was replaced with current pulses from an IGBT similar to that shown in
The eddy current equivalent resistance for 5 KHz current pulses was calculated from Equation 1b, which shows that the eddy current equivalent resistance Re increases as the square root of the frequency. With a 5 KHz frequency, which is almost 100 times higher than the 60 Hz line frequency, the eddy current resistance is expected to be about 10 times higher, or about 1.8 ohms. In practice, the eddy current equivalent resistance at 5 KHz was actually measured to be about 10 ohms (dividing 114 volts by 10 amps and subtracting the 1.17 ohms resistance of the coil itself. The much larger equivalent eddy current resistance actually measured shows that the eddy current resistance increased much more than the 10 fold increase expected from the less than 100 fold increase in fundamental frequency. Thus, the effective frequency increase must have actually been much higher than 5 KHz. To account for the almost 6 fold greater equivalent resistance, the effective frequency increase must have been about 180 KHz. This much higher frequency could be obtained because of high frequency harmonics in each of the pulses, as shown in
A Fourier transform of the pulses would show the high level of energy in these high frequency harmonics. The Fourier transform for periodic functions (the current pulses are periodic functions) leads to a Fourier series:
F(t)=A0+A1 sin(ωt)+A2 sin(2ωt)+A3 sin(3ωt)+ . . .
ω=2πf=fundamental angular frequency,
f=1/T=fundamental frequency,
T=period of this periodic function,
A0=constant, and
A1, A2, A3, . . . =amplitudes of first, second, third, . . . harmonics.
For example, a unity square wave function Fsw(ωt), with fundamental frequency ω, has the Fourier series:
Fsw(ωt)=4/π[sin(ωt)+⅓ sin(3ωt)+⅕ sin(5ωt)+ 1/7 sin(7ωt)+ . . . ]
In the present case, the 6-fold increase in Re means that about ⅚=83% of the pulse energy was in high frequency harmonics. Thus, the much higher than expected eddy current resistance can be explained by the presence of these high frequency harmonics in each pulse. As a result, a far greater proportion of the power is provided to the heated article (here a metal disc) from inductive heating, rather than from resistive heating.
In various implementations, providing greater than 15%, and more particularly at least 50% of the pulse energy in high frequency harmonics would be desirable. In particular embodiments, the higher end of this range, at least 70%, may be desirable (e.g., for rapid melting of a frozen plug in a nozzle; to allow the flow of a material through a bore; or for uniform heating of an extruder barrel); a middle range of 50-69% may comprise a second preference, and a lower range of 25-49% as a third preference. The operating range may vary from initial heat up to a steady state operating range.
As a basis of comparison, a rectangular shaped wave (instead of sinusoidal and with the same amplitude) has about 25% of its energy in high harmonics, while a triangular shaped wave (with the same amplitude) has about 10%.
In select embodiments described herein, where it is desired to utilize both inductive and resistive heating, the heating power which is consumed from the power supply includes two portions:
a) power of the resistive heating
b) power of the inductive heating
where Ic is the current in the heater coil (RMS); Rc is the resistance of the heater coil; Re is the equivalent eddy current resistance; N is the number of coil turns; and Kc is a coefficient of electromagnetic connection between the heating coil and the eddy currents. In the combined resistive/inductive implementations described herein, the resistive component PR will contribute to the overall heating efficiency when this heat is transferred to the article to be heated, as compared to prior art systems which cool the heater coil and thus lose this resistive component of the heating power. Where the heating coil is embedded in the heated article, the coefficient of electromagnetic connection is increased almost to Kc=1, which increases the induction portion of the heating power PI under the same coil current. With Ic (a maximum allowed current for a given coil), N and Kc fixed, the inductive component of the heating power PI is increased by increasing the eddy current equivalent resistance Re (as previously described with respect to Equation 1).
An analysis of electromagnetic processes of inductive heating under an arbitrary input current (not necessarily sinusoidal variation), indicates that the eddy current resistance Re is a function of the rate of change of current in the coil. The experimental data suggests that:
where n>1, Ic is the current in the coil, and t is time. In view of this relationship, the proportion of heating from inductive heating can be significantly increased, without increasing the current in the coil, by replacing a high fundamental frequency sinusoidal current supply, with current pulses having steeply varying portions. These pulses can be provided at a lower fundamental frequency than the sinusoidal current they are replacing, because the steeply varying portions of the current pulses provide harmonics that more than make up for the lower fundamental frequency.
In select embodiments, with better coupling provided by eliminating the air gap, embedding the coil in the substrate, and/or providing a yoke to ensure a closed loop for magnetic flux, the border frequency can be decreased. This facilitates an improvement in inductive heating performance by providing current pulses with high frequency harmonics above the border frequency.
As described above, a lower cost power supply for induction heating can be provided, which includes a pulse generator excited with a low or line frequency. Signal generating devices, including thyristors, GTOs, and IGBT devices can be used to provide short current pulses from the line frequency or direct current. The high frequency harmonics in these current pulses are preserved (in the absence of a resonant circuit) to increase the power transfer to the inductively heated object. Also, cooling of the heater coil may not be required, in contrast to prior systems.
An IGBT device, capable of higher voltage and current than used in the described experiment, can be run at a frequency higher than 5 KHz, thus providing more power to the load for heating with the same coil and with the same current in the coil as provided in the 60 Hz experiment.
A thermal spray (TS) method may be used to manufacture an integrated layered heating element in the various structures described above in
An alternative thermal-sprayed implementation is shown in
In a traditional nozzle heating assembly, resistive heater bands are located on the outer circumference of the injection nozzle. Heat resistively generated in the heater bands must then be thermally conducted from the outer surface of the nozzle to its the inner surface, where a material (to be heated) flows through a central nozzle passage. This is a relatively inefficient method of heating, and it is difficult to provide either a uniform temperature or rapid heating. If the nozzle is heated too rapidly, thermal gradients are produced which may lead to structural failure (e.g., cracks) in the nozzle. The nozzle itself is an extension of an extruder/barrel apparatus, and typically is subjected to several tons of force, e.g. 5-10% of the clamp tonnage. Thus, small cracks induced by excessive thermal gradients are likely to grow and lead to ultimate failure.
Also in the prior art design, a separate cooling circuit is provided in the injection nozzle to prevent "drool" or "stringing' of the plastic melt when the mold is opened for removal of the molded object. Thus, every molding cycle, the movable side of the injection mold is opened and, for the duration of the mold disengagement, the flow of molten plastic to the nozzle must stop. If drool or stringing occurs from the separated melt passages (in the mold and nozzle), it must be removed, causing down time and a loss of material. Alternative methods to control this problem are expensive, or in many cases not practical. Decompression of the extruder or mechanical shut-off of the nozzle may help prevent drool, but certain molding materials do not allow for decompression because it creates defects (air inclusion) in the molded part. Mechanical shut-off devices are problematic because they require extra moving components, electrical sensors, hydraulic hoses (with an accompanying risk of hydraulic leak and fire), wear of components, accurate fit of shutoff pins, and maintenance.
Thus, it would be desirable to control a melt passage orifice temperature at a precise level and/or allow rapid heating and cooling of the orifice. This could reduce or eliminate the need for mechanical shut-off devices. Further, such thermal control of the melt would enable formation of a solidified segment, partially solidified segment, or an increase of viscosity of the melt such that it does not drool or string.
It would also be desirable to provide a more compact and energy efficient heating apparatus, compared to the traditional resistive heater bands applied to the outer surface of the nozzle. With these prior known devices, heating and cooling are applied far away from the desired area (central passage) to be heated or cooled, thus resulting in poor thermal response time. As a result, the heating and cooling hardware are increased in size to compensate for the thermal inefficiencies, making the heating and cooling apparatus very bulky. Still further, the lifetime of a resistive heater, at temperatures such as 600° F., is very limited, increasing the down time when the heater needs to be replaced.
A plastic melt passes through the central passage, coming from an extruder, through the nozzle 200, through a hot runner system, and into the mold. Following injection of a predetermined amount of plastic melt from nozzle 200 into the mold, and following some cooling time in the mold, the mold is opened, i.e., separated from the nozzle, at which time the flow of plastic melt through the nozzle must cease. The heating and cooling elements of the present nozzle enable an energy efficient and relatively simple mechanism for controlling that melt flow during the injection cycle.
During a first portion of the injection cycle, molten plastic will flow through the central passage 208 of the heated nozzle assembly. A current pulse signal is applied to the heating element 206, which generates an alternating magnetic field. This field generates an induced eddy current in the ferromagnetic tube 214 of the inner nozzle, heating the inner nozzle tube. Heat in the inner nozzle tube is transmitted to the molten plastic flowing through the central passage 222 of the inner nozzle. The heating element 216 is positioned relatively close to the central passage 222, compared to the prior art resistive heating bands applied on the outer surface of the nozzle assembly.
In the embodiment shown, the heater coil is a nickel chromium alloy (NiCr) coiled element having a relatively large cross section to reduce the amount of resistive heat generated in the coil. The coil is covered by an electrically insulating material in order to electrically isolate the heating element from the inner and outer nozzle components 202,204. Furthermore, a passage 230 is formed between the inner and outer nozzle components through which a cooling medium can be passed. During a second portion of the injection molding cycle, the current pulse signal can be partially or totally reduced, to reduce or eliminate the inductive heating generated in the ferromagnetic inner nozzle 202 and thus reduce the heat transmitted to the molten plastic in the passage 222. To cool the ferromagnetic inner nozzle 202, a cooling medium is passed through the cooling passage 230 in order to draw heat out of the inner nozzle tube 214. This enables rapid cooling of the plastic melt during the second portion of the cycle. The mold can then be opened and plastic will no longer flow through the nozzle, due to formation of a solidified segment, partially solidified segment, or increased viscosity of the plastic.
The outer nozzle 204 need not be formed of a ferromagnetic material, where inductive heating of the outer nozzle is not desired. Alternatively, the outer nozzle can be made of a ferromagnetic material where it is desired to inductively heat the outer nozzle as well as the inner nozzle.
This nozzle design enables rapid heating to achieve a uniform or steady state heating, as well as rapid cooling during another portion of the injection cycle. At relatively low temperature applications, it is possible to use a copper heating coil 206 without any cooling period. However, for higher temperature applications, e.g. 600° F., a copper coil would oxidize and incinerate within a short period of time. In higher temperature applications it is preferred to use a Nichrome (NiCr) coil which can withstand higher temperatures.
Furthermore, this implementation provides a compact and efficient nozzle design. Heat is generated closer to the central passage 222, where it is transmitted to the material to be heated. Cooling is also applied closer to the inner nozzle, to enable rapid cooling of the inner nozzle and melt during the mold open (disengagement) portion of the injection cycle.
A benefit of this nozzle and heater sleeve assembly is the ability to rapidly remove the heater sleeve assembly 247 from the nozzle 242 in order to clean or otherwise service the nozzle. In contrast, prior heating elements required a close tolerance fit to the nozzle making service much more difficult and time-consuming. For example, if a resistive heating element fails and needs to be replaced, it often must be pried loose from the nozzle. Here, the relatively loose fitting ceramic sleeve can provide, for example, up to a half millimeter gap between the inner sleeve 250 and nozzle cylinder 244, and still provide effective inductive heating of the nozzle. Also, the heater sleeve assembly can be economically manufactured by providing an inner ceramic tube 250, spraying the heating element 248 over the outer surface of the tube 250, and then casting the outer ceramic layer 254 over the heating element 248 and tube 250. The cast outer layer 254 may provide the majority of the structural integrity of the sleeve.
Conventional thermal conditioning processes utilize a high mold temperature to condition a plastic container within the blow mold. This high mold temperature requires the use of air cooling, on the internal surface of the blown container, in order to permit removal of the container from the mold without excessive shrinkage or distortion. These conventional molds may have surface temperatures of 260-280° F., and require the constant introduction and exhausting of compressed air at pressures of 600 psi (40 bars), to cool the internal surface of the container while the outer surface is in contact with the hot mold. Depending upon the polymer used, this type of thermal processing may be used to provide increased levels of crystallinity.
The use of high mold temperatures and internal air flushing/cooling reduces the throughput, compared to a lower operating temperature mold. For example, at a lower mold temperature of 190° F., a bottle manufacturer may be able to produce 1400 containers per mold per hour; in contrast, at a higher mold temperature of 260-280° F., this number may be reduced to 1200 bottles per hour or less. This reduction in process throughput is a significant cost disadvantage, in addition to the greater cost and complexity of the molding apparatus required by air cooling.
At the beginning of a new cycle, a heated preform (from which the bottle will be formed) is inserted into the mold (duration 0.1 sec). The preform enters the mold at a temperature of about 190° F., about the same as that of the outer mold base. The mold insert is being heated to the desired maximum temperature, namely 280° F. Inductive heating of the mold insert will continue for 1.5 seconds of the cycle. The mold is closed (at t=0.1 sec in the cycle), and stretch blow molding of the preform is initiated (duration 0.2 seconds). The expanded preform container contacts the heated mold insert, and the sidewall temperature continues to rise until it reaches the mold insert temperature of 280° F. (at about t=0.7 sec in the cycle). The pressure is held in order to maintain the bottle sidewall in contact with the mold for purposes of thermal conditioning (duration 1.2 seconds; from t=0.3 to 1.5 sec in the cycle). At this point in the thermal conditioning, the inductive heating is reduced or turned off and cooling of the mold insert begins. The lower temperature outer mold base now draws heat from the mold insert, and as a result the bottle wall, still in contact with the mold insert, drops in temperature (from t=1.5 to 1.9 sec in the cycle). Next, as the blow pressure is exhausted (at t=1.9 sec), the cooled bottle wall reaches a temperature acceptable for ejection from the mold. The mold is opened (at t=2.1 sec) and the container is ejected (at t=2.3 sec). Once the part is ejected, heating of the mold insert begins again for the next cycle. The desired maximum mold insert temperature is reached and the next preform is inserted to begin a new cycle. The total cycle time (from insertion of the perform to ejection of the container), which includes heating, expanding and conditioning the container over a temperature range from 190° F. up to 280° F., is abut 2.4 sec.
In this example, inductive heating enables rapid heating of the thin film ferromagnetic molding surface (i.e., the mold insert 304). By terminating (or substantially reducing) power to the heating coil 302, the thin ferromagnetic film quickly cools to the lower outer mold temperature (190° F. of mold base 306); this eliminates the need for internal air circulation of the blown container. There are considerable capital, energy and maintenance savings by eliminating the need for internal air cooling of the container. The rapid thermal cycling of the blow molding surface may provide a container having improved properties from thermal conditioning, such as sharper detail in the sidewall and/or a stiffer feel to the container. This is achieved without the need for the slower throughput of a higher mold base temperature, and without the costs associated with internal air cooling.
This apparatus and method may also provide significant benefits over the prior art two-mold process used to produce containers with high levels of thermal conditioning. In the two-mold process, a container is blown in a first mold, removed and subjected to radiant heat in a conditioning oven, and then transferred to a second blow mold and reblown into a final desired shape. The resulting containers are typically used for very high use temperatures (e.g., pasteurization applications). By use of the present inductive heating elements, and molding over a longer cycle time, the required high crystallization levels can be achieved utilizing a single mold process. This significantly reduces the capital and operating cost requirements. As a still further alternative, it is possible to incorporate ferromagnetic additives to the polymer from which the bottle is blown in order to inductively heat the bottle wall directly, as well as by a transfer of heat from the molding insert.
- core 402;
- ring 404;
- mold insert 406;
- upper dielectric layer 408;
- heating element 410;
- lower dielectric layer 412;
- heater plate 414;
- cooling plate 416;
- insulating board 418; and
- backing plate 420.
The assembled components are shown in cross section in
A schematic partial cross section in
According to one method embodiment described in
In a first step at the start of a new cycle, the mold insert 406 has been heated to a maximum temperature of 430° F. During an initial 30 seconds of the cycle, the temperature of the heater plate 414 increases from 230 to 430° F. During a latter portion of this heat-up step, the molding material is loaded into the mold (at t=20-25 sec of the cycle). When the mold surface temperature reaches the high temperature of 430° F., the mold can be closed and compression applied (at t=25-30 sec of the cycle). During a hold and cure stage (t=30-70 sec), the mold temperature is maintained at 430° F. After holding the molded article for 40 seconds at 430° F., the cooling portion of the cycle begins. A cooling medium is applied (at t=70 sec) to the cooling channels in the mold base, and heat is drawn out of the heater plate 414, and consequently out of mold insert 406 and the molded article 430. The temperature of heater plate 414 steadily drops (from t=70-115 sec) until the mold can be opened (after 45 seconds) and the part ejected (at t=115 sec). The temperature of the mold insert is now 230° F. The cooling channels are then purged of cooling fluid (from t=115-120 sec) so that the heater plate 414 is at its low temperature of 230° F.; at the same time, heating element 410 is turned on to resume heating of the mold insert 406. This last step takes about 5 seconds. The overall cycle time is about 2 minutes.
Additional Embodiments and Alternatives
The heater coil may be any type of material or element that is electrically conductive (with varying levels of resistivity) for purposes of generating an alternating magnetic field when supplied with an alternating electric current. It is not limited to any particular form (e.g., wire, strand, coil, thick or thin film, pen or screen printing, thermal spray, chemical or physical vapor deposition, wafer or otherwise), nor to any particular shape.
A nickel chromium heater coil is described in one or more implementations herein, as being a substantially more resistive material than copper. Other "resistive conductor" heater coil materials include for example alloys of nickel, tungsten, chromium, aluminum, iron, copper, etc.
The article being heated can be any object, substrate or material (gas, liquid, solid or combination thereof which is wholly or partly ferromagnetic and itself can be inductively heated by the application of a magnetic flux to induce eddy currents therein, or which receives heat by transfer from another article that is directly or indirectly being inductively heated. There is no restriction on the geometry, dimensions and/or physical location of the article with respect to the heater coil.
The article which undergoes inductive heating is not limited to a single article, e.g., a magnetic core as described in certain embodiments, but may include multiple articles. In addition to (or instead of) a core as the heated article, the ultimate material to be heated may be an electrically conductive material (such as aluminum or magnesium) passing through a flow passage in the core. The material in the flow passage can itself be heated by induction and/or by transfer of heat from the core.
A slotted yoke is described as one implementation of an article which closes the magnetic flux loop (with the core), but is less efficient in terms of inductive heating because the slots (essentially air gaps) create discontinuities or restrictions in the magnetic field. Many other structures can be used to create such discontinuities or restrictions, for example, portions of the yoke can be made of materials (other than air) which are not magnetically permeable or substantially less permeable, than the ferromagnetic core, or the yoke can be made from ferrite, fluxtron or similar materials with high resistivity to the flow of eddy currents. Also, yoke is used broadly and is not limited to a specific structure, shape or material.
The heater coil may be formed in a serpentine pattern disposed on or adjacent a surface of the article and provide a magnetic field in alternating directions (with respect to position) across the article. The heater coil may be formed in a cylindrical pattern wrapped around a three dimensional article and provide a magnetic field in the same direction (with respect to position) inside the coil. In various embodiments, the electrical conductor can be a hollow element or a solid element and it can take various shapes and forms, such as spiral, serpentine, looped spiral or looped serpentine. One benefit of a looped spiral or looped serpentine element is that both electrical leads can exit at the same location. The conductive coils can have a variable pitch (distance between coils), which will affect the resulting magnetic field generation. Depending on available space and desired heating power, the shape and distance between coils can be varied to vary the heating power density. A description of basic heater coil designs is found in S. Zinn and S. L. Semiaten, "Coil Design and Fabrication," a 3 part article, published in Heat Treating, June, August and October 1988.
The heating output of the coil is a function of the frequency, current and number of turns of the heating element. This correlation can be described as:
where α is a function of the material and geometry.
N=number of turns
Q=frequency of power source
Preq=power required to heat material
The heating and cooling channel configurations can be varied to obtain a desired heating profile or pattern for speed, uniformity and efficiency.
The following formulas can be used, for example, to calculate the inductive power PI produced by a coil having the respective shape:
Looped Spiral:
- R=eddy current resistance of ferromagnetic load
- jgen=current density in the coil
- d=diameter of the coil
- Δ1=distance between coils
- μ=magnetic permeability of ferromagnetic load
- ρ=resistivity of ferromagnetic load
- ω=angular frequency of eddy currents in load
The RMS current in the coil and power provided by the coil can be controlled by varying the period (the fundamental frequency) of the pulses at constant pulse width, or by varying the width of the pulses at the constant fundamental frequency of the pulses provided to the coil, or by both.
By fundamental frequency it is meant the frequency of a pulse repetition. Each pulse may contain multiple sloping portions or steep edges (the harmonic portions), but between each pulse is a relatively larger delay period. The fundamental frequency is the frequency of the lowest periodic division which includes one such delay.
By effective frequency it is meant the frequency of a pure sinusoidal signal which provides the same inductive heating effect as the current pulse signal.
By high-frequency harmonics it is meant the harmonics at frequencies above (at a multiple of) the fundamental or root frequency.
A spectrum analyzer can be used to analyze a current pulse signal with high frequency harmonics. By way of comparison,
In a heater circuit, the two things that generally dictate the amount of power (heat) generated are the frequency and the current. The current has a much bigger effect than the frequency as seen by the equation:
Thus, preferably, the current is kept high while increasing the frequency.
The current pulse signal with high frequency harmonics is a wave with steep edges and long pauses between the jumps in voltage. It may be referred to as a chopped wave. The chopped wave can provide ten times the power of a sine wave of the same root frequency where the amplitude of the high frequency harmonics is kept high.
In summary, the "root frequency" is the smallest time one can break a wave into and still have it be periodic. The high frequency harmonics are waves of frequency above the root frequency and together with the root frequency "build" the desired wave. Generally, it is desirable is to generate large amplitudes within the harmonics so that the power stays high. It can be desirable to use a root frequency of 50-60 Hz because it is readily available from the grid; the power supply can then "chop" the sinusoidal wave coming off the grid to generate the high frequency harmonics that are desired.
A current pulse signal with high frequency harmonics has been described as including both the fundamental (root) frequency, or first harmonic, and higher harmonics above the root frequency. The signal may thus be understood as being constructed from such components. Such construction should be understood to include, in the physical world, constructing a pulse signal by starting with a root frequency signal (e.g., sinusoidal) and removing portions of waves to retain one or more harmonic components. It would also include, for example, starting from a rectangular pulse and changing the shape of the rectangular pulse.
In addition, the previous examples (
Select embodiments described herein utilize a cooling medium for reducing the temperature of the heated article, e.g., intermittently, while not heating the article.
Other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope of the invention being indicated by the following claims.
1. A method of controlled heating comprising:
- providing a heater coil inductively coupled to a ferromagnetic substrate;
- supplying non-sinusoidal current pulses having steeply varying portions providing high frequency harmonics in the heater coil for inducing an eddy current to heat the ferromagnetic substrate;
- transmitting the heat from the ferromagnetic substrate to an article to be heated; and
- intermittently cooling the ferromagnetic substrate by reducing the signal supplied to the heater coil to reduce the induced heating.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein:
- the intermittent cooling includes one or more of: supplying a cooling medium to cool the substrate, and drawing heat from the substrate.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein:
- the cooling medium is supplied within the substrate.
4. The method of claim 2, wherein:
- the heater coil is an electrically conductive tube having an electrically insulating cover in contact with the ferromagnetic substrate, and the cooling medium is supplied within a bore of the tube to cool the ferromagnetic substrate.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein:
- the pulse signal generates primarily inductive heating power.
6. The method of claim 2, wherein:
- the generated power includes less than 10% resistive power.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein:
- the generated power includes less than 5% resistive power.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein:
- the generated heating power includes less than 1% resistive power.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein:
- the ferromagnetic substrate has a layer thickness of no greater than about 3δ, where δ is the depth of penetration of the induced eddy current.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein:
- the layer thickness of the substrate is about 3δ.
11. The method of claim 1, including:
- providing a thermally insulating outer layer;
- providing a thermally conductive inner layer for transmitting heat from the substrate to the article; and
- wherein the ferromagnetic substrate is between the outer and inner layers.
12. The method of claim 1, including:
- providing a thermally insulating and ferromagnetic outer layer;
- providing a thermally conductive inner layer for transmitting heat from the substrate to the article; and
- wherein the ferromagnetic substrate is between the inner and outer layers.
13. The method of claim 1, wherein:
- a flow passage is provided in or adjacent to the ferromagnetic substrate; and the heater coil and ferromagnetic substrate provide controlled heating of a flowable material in the flow passage.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein:
- the ferromagnetic substrate is part of a nozzle or melt channel.
15. The method of claim 13, wherein:
- the ferromagnetic substrate is part of a compression molding apparatus.
16. A method for temperature control of a flowable material in a passage, the method comprising:
- providing a ferromagnetic substrate with a passage for a flowable material and a heater coil inductively coupled to the ferromagnetic substrate;
- applying non-sinusoidal current pulses having steeply varying portions providing high frequency harmonics in the heater coil for inducing an eddy current to heat the ferromagnetic article to effect a rate of flow of the material in the passage; and
- intermittently cooling the ferromagnetic substrate by one or more of reducing the applied signal to the heater coil and drawing heat from the substrate to effect the flow of the material in the passage.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein:
- the intermittent cooling includes supplying a cooling medium to cool the ferromagnetic substrate.
18. The method of claim 17 wherein:
- the heater coil has a thermally conductive cover in contact with the ferromagnetic substrate, and includes a cooling passage through which the cooling medium flows.
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|June 17, 2003
|August 19, 2003
|October 7, 2003
|Bassill et al.
|February 24, 2004
|Nadot et al.
|April 6, 2004
|August 24, 2004
|September 28, 2004
|Fishman et al.
|January 31, 2006
|Fishman et al.
|April 25, 2006
|April 25, 2006
|May 23, 2006
|Tanino et al.
|November 13, 2007
|Alvaro et al.
|July 3, 2003
|December 18, 2003
|Centanni et al.
|September 1, 2005
|Ueno et al.
|April 13, 2006
|May 4, 2006
|April 1992
|July 1956
|April 1957
|January 1975
|May 1990
|May 1990
|May 2003
|January 2003
- Invitation to Pay Additional Fees and International Search Report mailed Dec. 12, 2004 in related application PCT/US2004/021533.
- Stanley Zinn and S.L. Semiatin: "Coil design and fabrication: basic design and modifications," (pp. 32-26), Heat Treating, Jun. 1988.
- Stanley Zinn and S.L. Semiatin: "Coil design and fabrication: part 2, specialty coils," (pp. 29-41). Heat Treating, Aug. 1988.
- Stanley Zinn and S.L. Semiatin: "Coil design and fabrication: part 3, fabrication principles," (pp. 39-41), Heat Treating, Oct. 1986.
- Induction Calender Profiler System Control Card Programmers' Manual, PCB version 1.0, Comaintel Inc., 2001.
- Induction Calender Profiler System Operator's Manual, Comaintel Inc., 2001.
- Watlow Press Release: Dec. 5, 2005, Multi-Loop Controller (www.watlow.com).
- European Search Report mailed Feb. 9, 2007 in corresponding European Application No. 06 07 06980.
- European Search Report mailed Sep. 14, 2007 in corresponding European Application No. 06 07 06980.
Type: Grant
Filed: Apr 10, 2006
Date of Patent: Aug 3, 2010
Patent Publication Number: 20060219709
Inventor: Valery Kagan (Colchester, VT)
Primary Examiner: Quang T Van
Attorney: Price, Heneveld, Cooper, DeWitt & Litton, LLP
Application Number: 11/401,152
International Classification: H05B 6/04 (20060101);


text:
AbstractAtmospheric responses and feedback to meridional ocean heat transport (OHT) have been investigated using a global climate model that is interactively connected with a high-resolution regional ocean model embedded in the western North Pacific. Compared with a global climate model without the regional model, the net heat supply into the Kuroshio–Oyashio Extension (KOE) region is increased as a result of the increase of the mean northward ocean heat transport (OHT) by the western boundary currents and mesoscale eddies. Resultant sea surface temperature (SST) rise sharpens the meridional SST gradient and reinforces the cross-frontal difference of the surface heat flux and thereby enhances lower-tropospheric baroclinicity. These changes cause northward deflection and strengthening of the wintertime storm track over the North Pacific, which leads to the Pacific–North American (PNA)-like pattern anticyclonic response of the mean westerly jet. The increase of the eddy northward atmospheric heat flux (AHF) associated with the enhanced storm-track activity is compensated by the decrease of the mean northward AHF. The changes of the atmospheric circulations reduce the mean northward OHT in the eastern North Pacific that compensates the increase of the mean northward OHT in the KOE region. The atmospheric responses, which have once been excited by the SST fronts in the KOE region, stabilize the trans–North Pacific OHT. The modeling results herein suggest that basinwide Bjerknes-like compensation works in air–sea coupled processes for the formation of the climatic mean state in the North Pacific.
Journal of Climate – American Meteorological Society
Published: Aug 8, 2017
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'Like' us on Facebook@Muskoka Silver LiningsGet Your Discount Code!
Plus Check-out Our Canadian pet products Specials for more Savings!
Drinkwell Hydro-Go Pet Canteen
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The Hydro-Go™, the newest in a line of products from the maker of Drinkwell ® The Original Pet Fountain ®, features a convenient fold out bowl which allows for easy drinking when you're away from home. And, its unique design allows for quick cleanup. The bowl and canteen work together to form a funnel, easily allowing the unused water to be poured back into the canteen. This is truly a must-have product for road trips or outdoor adventures with Fido!
Invented By a Veterinarian
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Traveling with your pet has never been easier!
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Decadent Mansion
Paperback, 62 Pages
Price: $6.14
Prints in 3-5 business days
The second book in the Brood X series, Decadent Mansion follows Erebus & Eden.
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Product Details
- 9781329753907
- Copyright
- Kyle Richtig (Standard Copyright License)
- Edition
- Firs Edition
- Publisher
- Richtig Haus
- Published
- January 8, 2016
- Language
- English
- Pages
- 62
- Binding
- Perfect-bound Paperback
- Interior Ink
- Black & white
- Weight
- 0.31 lbs.
- Dimensions (inches)
- 6 wide x 9 tall
- Product ID
- 22517367
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Gordon Walters
Painting No. 1
Artwork Detail Request a print
Gordon Walters made his first studies using the koru motif in 1956. His early interest in Māori art was reinforced in the 1940s by émigré Dutch artist Theo Schoon and in the '50s by experience of abstract art in Europe. Over the following decade he developed and simplified the ideas expressed in those early studies, culminating in the painting Te Whiti, 1964, and this work, exhibited at the artist's first major one-person show in 1966. For Walters, the koru motif was a way of making sense of his environment. It reflected the obvious influence of Mäori köwhaiwhai and tä moko, but also of Oceanic art in general. To this potent mix he added a sophisticated understanding of geometric abstraction, with its ideas of clarity and structure, interest in the relationship of figure and ground, and the needfor precise technique. Walters' koru paintings can thus be understood as a profound meeting of Polynesian and European art traditions, where the value of each is upheld. In Painting Number One two clusters of black-and-white koru forms are balanced at each side of the composition. Different in number, the black and white forms have the same visual weight, thanks to Walters' understanding of positive and negative effects and his subtle tempering of their spacing. Walters continued to work with the koru over the next three decades, exploring every possible variation of the motif to produce one of the most consistent bodies of painting in New Zealand art. (from The Guide, 2001)
- Title
- Painting No. 1
- Artist/creator
- Production date
- 1965
- Medium
- PVA on hardboard
- Dimensions
- 930 x 1233 x 32 mm
- Inscription
- (verso - ink) Gordon Walters/painting No. 1 1965
- Credit line
- Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, purchased 1966
- Accession no
- 1966/4
- Other ID
- 66/13 Old Accession Number
- Copyright
- Copying restrictions apply
- Department
- New Zealand Art
- Display status
- Not on display
If you're interested in reproducing this artwork, you can enquire here.Request a print


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Thank You
We have brought the curtain down on our 2019 season.
Over the summer we have had the pleasure of receiving hundreds of comments from patrons in the lobby and on the street telling me how much they enjoyed the season as a whole and specific shows in particular. It is heartening to hear these remarks because it tells me that our goals, excellence and producing an entertaining season, are being achieved.
On behalf of everyone involved with the Highlands Summer Festival, thank you for your loyalty this year and in past seasons. Thank you for endorsing our efforts by buying tickets. Thank you for your donations and support for our fund-raising projects. And thank you to our business supporters who see the Highlands Summer Festival as an important part of summer in the Highlands.
Planning is already underway for 2020. We should have details on the season on our website (www.highlandssummerfestival.on.ca) in early November. In the meantime….
See you at the theatre next summer,
Brian Kipping,
TD Waterhouse 2018 Curtain Talks
Once again this year, the Highlands Summer Festival was pleased to present "Curtain Talks", sponsored by TD Waterhouse. After selected performances, the audience was invited to stay to talk to the cast and crew of the production. We will be offering TD Waterhouse Curtain Talks during the 2018 season. See the Calendar on the Tickets Page for the schedule and view the ones already recorded below.
Romeo & Juliet
July 8: https://vimeo.com/279747935
Not Quite Sherlock with Chris Gibbs
Weimar to Vaudeville
The Dining Room
TD Curtain Talks From Past Seasons
Please click here to enjoy the Curtain Talks from our past seasons as recorded by Sticks and Stones Media.
Here are all our social media links:
Front of Line service when you make a donation
When purchasing your tickets, please consider making a donation to the Highlands Summer Festival one of the most vibrant community theatre companies in Ontario. As a not-for-profit registered charity, we will provide you with a receipt which you can use for income tax purposes. The more than 150 artists and volunteers who make the annual Highlands Summer Festival season happen are heartened by endorsement of their efforts through the purchase of season passes. However, additional funds are needed to ensure the continued viability of the company.
Your donation has additional benefits for you, including front of line ticket ordering priority, recognition on our website and in the program and the satisfaction of supporting one of Ontario's outstanding summer theatre companies. Note: donations are receipted for the tax year in which they are received.
See you at the theatre
Brian Kipping


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Fountain Grass
I bought a tub of red fountain grass and forgot to plant it. It died in the container or so it looks. Is it just plain dead or can I still plant it to come up next year?
Certified GKH Gardening Expert
How long had it been neglected? If it wasn't too long a period, there is a chance that a good soaking will revive it (though right now it should be entering its dormancy period). Unless you live in a relatively warm climate, planting it outdoors will only kill it, as these plants are warm-season grasses and do not tolerate cold. In fact, in cooler climates, they are often treated as annuals or overwintered indoors. You could try watering the plant and leaving it be (indoors) over winter (watering once a month) and put it outdoors in spring to see what happens. Unfortunately, you might need to replace it in the event that it doesn't show signs of life.
You must be logged into your account to answer a question.
If you don't have an account sign up for an account now.


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Watch Kahin Door Movie – Enjoy Sakshi Tanwar's movie in HD with Mavshack. Sign-up Now! www.mavshack.com
If Vikrant played a lead role in December 1971 by blockading Pakistan in the Bay of Bengal, enabling Indian victory and the liberation of Bangladesh, its story is intricately linked with that of Vice-Admiral Nilakanta Krishnan, then Flag Officer Commanding, Eastern Naval Command, Visakhapatnam. His autobiography, A sailor's story, published in 2011, documents first-hand the Navy's war-winning feat in the East. At the launch of the book in Bangalore on Thursday, his son Arjun Krishnan said, "His strategy to lure [Pakistan's deadly submarine] PNS Ghazi to the mouth of Visakhapatnam harbour and sink her on the first day of Pakistan's attack on India on December 3, 1971 still ranks as one of the great sea-faring victories in Indian naval history."
Starting his military career at age 16, Vice-Admiral Krishnan (1919-82) fought in pre- and post-Independence battles, in Europe and Asia, and in World War II. In 1961, he led the winning naval push that brought down the Portuguese flag and liberated Goa, Diu and Daman. He was one of the only two Indian soldiers to win the Distinguished Service Cross, Mr. Krishnan, his US-based son, said.
Back in 1971, the much-admired vice-admiral had to give up the prestigious Western Command posting at Mumbai for another senior officer and move to what was presumed to be the less challenging Eastern Command. Then came Pakistan's strike, catapulting him and his command into the thick of action in the east.
His strategy won Vice-Admiral Krishnan the Padma Bhushan.


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Spiced Plum Butter
Sarah West
4 pounds Italian prune plums
2 cups sugar
1 cinnamon stick
2 whole cloves
- Pit and quarter the plums and put them in a heavy 4-quart pot. Add the sugar, the cinnamon stick, and the cloves. Stir well and let sit overnight or for 8 hours.
- The next day, heat the oven to 350 degrees. Put the pot, un-lidded, into the oven and cook for 2 hours, stirring the mixture occasionally.
- Sterilize the glass jars in boiling water for 10 minutes.
- When the plums have broken down and the liquid has reduced to a thick jam, remove pot from the oven and fish out the cinnamon stick (if you can find the cloves, fish them out too).
- Puree the jam with an immersion blender until it resembles a fruit butter, and then fill the sterilized jars with the hot puree, screw on tops and process in a boiling waterbath for 10 minutes. If you prefer a jam with discernible chunks of fruit, however, don't puree the jam; simply ladle the hot jam into the sterilized jars.


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Research Update – Developing a new and improved urinary catheter
Combining his love of chemistry with medical science, Dr Ingo Koeper, Research Leader in the Centre for Nanoscale Science and Technology at Flinders University, is in the process of developing a urinary catheter with improved antibacterial properties. With a PhD under his belt and having been at Flinders for six years, Dr Koeper has always been interested in the relationship between chemistry and biology and the potential this has for medical research. read more


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$SPX BTC 5/4 2730/2700 BECS for 1.80 STO at 5.65 Thank you @jeffcp66
Closed Early
$SPX BTC 5/4 2730/2700 BECS for 1.80 STO at 5.65 Thank you @jeffcp66
#Shortputs #Shortcalls. Afternoon all. Set up a few orders this morning then headed out to the Deere dealership. Looking to pick up a new Deere as the old one is wearing out after 27 years of use. Should get the new toy in a week or so.
Sold these for May 4th Expiry
XOP 95.5 Calls @.50 against my long stock when XOP was at 34.41
FAS 66 Call @ 1.02 against long stock when FAS was at 65.58
I adjusted the remaining in the last 20 minutes or so of the day.
Sold QQQ 164 Call @ 0.45 against my long 2020 161 call when QQQ was at 161.37
Sold MU 48 Call @ .40 against my June 50 call when MU was at 46.07
Sold FAS 64 Put @ 1.20 when FAS was at 64.12
Sold ERX 35.5 Put @ .80 when ERX was at 35.82
Sold ERX 35 Put @ .70 when ERX was at 35.52.
Missed getting out of the SPX May 18th debit spread. Rats.
#SPXcampaign Closed the iron condor I sold last week for this Friday's expiry. Pulled in decent profit today rather than giving it the chance to blow me up on either end.
Closed $SPX May 4th 2625/2600 put spreads for 3.95. Sold for 10.00 last Wednesday.
Closed $SPX May 4th 2690/2715 call spreads for 2.00. Sold for 6.40 on Thursday.
Also, right at the closing bell, filled on: SPX June 1st 2490/2465 put spreads for 1.75.
#LongCalls #LEAPS #DisasterPuts – Been throwing around this idea for awhile. Taking a shot as an experiment. Instead of buying expensive put protection I'm buying some cheap ones but at twice the size. If this thing implodes I'll take profits and buy more LEAP calls. If it doesn't implode I won't even notice the cost of these in a few weeks of weekly call sales.
Bought to Open TQQQ JAN 18 2019 32.5 Puts @ .80
Using 2019 since there weren't any cheap ones in 2020. I'll look at those if they add lower strikes…
Not much more is going to happen today so I am going to the gym and the tread mill.
#Earnings Selling $SHOP May 4th 115/150 strangles. Trying for 1.90, no fill yet.
#LongCalls #LEAPS – Going back in here….had pretty good luck last time. Earnings on Friday before the open so I'd like to capture as much of that premium as possible. After earnings I'll decide whether to keep it long term or not. Might make a few bucks on an earnings pop and get out. I like the ticker either way…
Bought to Open BABA JAN 17 2020 180.0 Calls @ 34.50
Max loss 34.50 with 90 weeks to run. Need 38 cents per week to cover. That seems reasonable…
Sold BABA MAY 4 2018 185.0 Calls @ 1.81
I may adjust those a little depending on where the stock is Thursday afternoon.


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© Shag Spa and Salons, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Shag Spa and Salons regularly runs promotions and contests, see below for details.
Purchase 3 retail products and receive 10% off your entire retail purchase
Shag reserves the right to amend or withdraw any or all contest and/or promotions at any time.
Shag reserves the right to amend or withdraw any or all contest and/or promotions at any time. Some promotions are while supplies last. Some promotions are "limited time only".
Shag proudly introduces our latest promotion - the Shag Selfie Contest (10/2016)
Shag Rewards are issued for client referrals to your service provider at Shag. Your provider must participate in the Shag Rewards program (providers are not required to participate). To accumulate Shag Rewards points, ask your provider for a referral card. Enter your name and your Shag providers name on the card and refer your provider to friends or family. Your referral MUST present the referral card to Shag's staff upon arrival for their appointment to receive credit. Your Shag Rewards will post to your account automatically and may be utilized 24 hrs. after posting. One referral is worth 1000 Shag Rewards points!


text:
Everybody loves music. That's the thing about music there are so many different types there's something for everyone. Pop, R&B, Jazz, Classical, Rock, Dubstep (I could literally go on for hours).
There are hundreds of thousands of people who want to become musicians. It's a hard business to get into. But I truly believe that everyone should have a change to make their dreams come true, so I did a little research and found this formula for writing song lyrics. It's flawless.
This Tuesday how to write a song!
First of all, you need to find a fun word for butts. Maybe booty, badonkadonk (my personal favourite), junk in the trunk (this one already rhymes), tooshy (so cute)!
Use this word as often as possible.
Next, bring up your exes. The rougher the breakup the better! Tell us all the dirty and painful details, but don't tell us who it's really about. Keep us guessing!
B*tch! Yep, you guessed it. Use this word at least once. (I tried to think of the male equivalent, but douchebag just doesn't have the same powerful ring to it.)
Throw your own name in there somewhere. It doesn't matter when, just shout out your name at random. It has no extra meaning for the song, but who cares! People need to know who's singing, right?!?
Do a bit in another language! It doesn't even have to make sense, just use google translate! It makes you sound interesting and smart!
And last but not least, talk about sex in some symbolic way. Letting her dance around my pole, toasting her buns, bumby rides, testing the bed, dirtying up the sheets. Just make something up. Have fun with it.
This is all you need!
Have a nice Tuesday.


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On Monday, January 9th, we're hosting an off-flavor sensory course. Certified Cicerones Jeremy Teel and Alan Moreno will walk you through six of the most common off-flavors in beer as you taste them.
Whether you're looking to improve your abilities for a beer exam or would just like the opportunity to improve your beer experience, this training is for you.
The evening includes beer samples spiked with these common off-flavors:
We'll be closed to the public that evening. Ticket holders may arrive as early as 4 p.m. to grab a beer and relax. We will begin the sampling at 6 p.m. We'll hang out afterward if you'd like to drink away the off-flavors with some beer from a finely tuned draught system.
Grab your tickets here: