Abstract: A method for conducting an in situ combustion process in a hydrocarbon-bearing subsurface geologic formation wherein water and essentially pure oxygen are injected into a well at essentially the same time but physically separated from one another so that a combined hot water/steam and in situ combustion drive is set up in the formation for the tertiary recovery of hydrocarbons therefrom.

Abstract: A method for the cathodic protection of metal conduit in a wellbore in permafrost wherein a predetermined electric current is impressed between said conduit and an anode, the improvement comprising setting said anode in the permafrost away from the wellbore a distance which is greater than the distance between the bottom of the anode and the bottom of the permafrost, and increasing the voltage sufficiently to match the increased resistivity of the permafrost to thereby maintain the predetermined current between the wellbore and anode.

Abstract: A method for refining silicon to produce a high purity silicon product for re-use in industries which demand high purity silicon starting material, comprising vacuum refining said silicon to remove gaseous CO and SiO followed by mixing with an effective fluxing material of at least one fluoride of alkali metals and/or alkaline earth metals, heating the mixture at a temperature and time sufficient to produce a molten silicon phase and a slag phase, and separating the slag from the silicon for recovery of the silicon for re-use.

Abstract: A method of recovering silicon from an aqueous slurry containing finely divided silicon particles comprising mixing at least one flocculating agent with the slurry, allowing silicon flocs to form and physically separating the silicon flocs from the slurry for re-use of the silicon contained therein.

Abstract: A photovoltaic device composed of a luminescent member having a plurality of large area sides connected by an edge face, and at least one photovoltaic means carried by at least one of said sides.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for growing sea life in an enclosed habitat in the sea which employs an enclosed module for containing the sea life with conduit means connected thereto for communicating with the interior of the module, one or more modules being supported on a support means which is carried by a base that rests on the sea floor.

Abstract: A quick coupling device for use in cold environments such as the Arctic to joint two shafts in an end-to-end relation which comprises a first hollow cylindrical body on one shaft end which has a cut out portion and carries a hollow, internally threaded stud opposite the cut out portion, and a second hollow cylindrical body carried by the other shaft end which has a corresponding cut out portion so that the first and second bodies can be mated together to form a continuous cylindrical body from one shaft end to the other shaft end, the second cylindrical body having a plate across the cut out portion with an aperture therein which aperture registers with the open end of the stud means when the first and second cylindrical bodies are mated whereby a threaded pin means can then be screwed into the stud means from outside the first cylindrical body and said pin means will extend through said stud means and into the plate aperture to physically join the first and second cylindrical bodies and, therefore, the two s

Abstract: Apparatus for growing sea life in an enclosed habitat in the sea which employs a plurality of enclosed modules for containing the sea life and a plurality of feed riser conduits which pass through the plurality of modules but each riser feeds only a single module regardless of the order of stacking of the modules.

Abstract: An ore carrier having an ore chamber and a buoyancy chamber and a door at the top and bottom thereof. The doors being rectractable into the buoyancy chamber when the doors are open for either loading or unloading the ore chamber.

Abstract: A method for purifying silicon which employes an electrolytic step using a metal fluoride electrolysis to generate silicon fluoride followed by a chemical reaction step which produces elemental silicon in a highly pure form.

Abstract: A single pole mounting solar panel assembly comprising at least one solar panel and upper and lower brackets fixed to the panel and to the pole, the upper bracket having a first flange means for mating with the pole and a first base plate fixed to the panel, the lower bracket means having a second flange means fixed to and encompassing a substantial portion of the circumference of the pole and a plane surface which extends out to the panel, the width of the plane surface varying from about the width of the pole to the width of the panel, the flange means for the lower bracket having upstanding side means extending longitudinally of the plane surface for about the full length of the plane surface, the side means and plane surface terminating at a second base plate fixed to the panel.

Abstract: An ice barrier module for disposition around at least part of the periphery of an island in an ice bearing body of water wherein the module is a closed, hollow triangular shaped body whose hypotenuse side faces the ice and whose first and second sides opposite the hypotenuse side rest on a bottom support and abut the island, respectively, the hypotenuse side having an upper and lower section, the upper section being at a steeper angle of inclination than the lower section, the hypotenuse side having means for heating same. An island in an ice bearing body of water which has around at least part of its periphery a plurality of the aforesaid ice barrier modules.

Abstract: An underground mining method and apparatus which utilizes at least first and second spaced-apart shafts extending essentially downwardly into the earth and at least one lateral opening connecting the two shafts at a location below the earth's surface. An empty ore carrier is dropped into a first of said shafts and allowed to gravitationally fall towards the bottom of said shaft, its rate of descent being controlled by regulating the flow of air out of the bottom of said shaft. When the empty ore carrier reaches its stopping point in the first shaft, the carrier is transferred into the lateral opening filled with ore, then into a watertight compartment which is sealed and filled with water, and then into the second water-filled shaft. The ore-bearing carrier then floats to the earth's surface, is emptied, and returned empty to the first shaft for a repeat of the above procedure. Several carriers are kept in service at the same time.

Abstract: An offshore well drilling and/or production operation which is carried out on top of a layer of ice which extends over unfrozen water. A ring of thermal insulation is formed on top of the ice around the area of the drilling and/or production operation so that the ice thickness under the ring is thinner than the ice adjacent the ring thereby forming an annular depression in the underside of the ice. The depression will capture and hold any hydrocarbons or other fugitive materials that may escape under the ice in the area of the drilling and/or production operation.

Abstract: A process for cleaving boules of single crystal materials such as silicon or germanium into thin wafers. The process comprises creating an inward-directed radial stress concentration completely around a boule which intersects its crystallographic plane of minimum bond strength; and subsequently, triggering the cleavage of a thin wafer from the boule via a shock wave applied normal to its crystallographic plane of minimum bond strength.

Abstract: A solar panel assembly comprising at least one solar panel, support means for carrying said panel, and at least one support pad having a base plate, upstanding longitudinal sides, and spaced apart flange means for connection to said support means, said upstanding sides and opposed flange means defining an interior volume for receiving and holding weighting material.

Abstract: A composition for use in cementing a string of pipe or other apparatus in the permafrost region of a borehole of a well which composition is a dry cementitious mix which can be mixed with water on site for pumping into the wellbore and consists essentially of from about 40 to about 60 weight percent aluminate cement, from about 20 to about 30 weight percent alkaline earth metal sulfate, from about 10 to about 30 weight percent of at least one halide salt of an alkali metal and/or alkaline earth metal, from about 3 to about 8 weight percent attapulgite, from about 0.1 to about 1 weight percent of a mixture of at least one water soluble hydroxy carboxylic acid and a sulfoalkylated lignin, and from about 0.1 to about 1 weight percent of an alkali metal citrate.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing solar cells from a silicon wafer having a p-n junction therein and front and back contacts thereon, the improvement comprising washing said wafer with a buffered hydrofluoric acid solution having a pH of from about 3.5 to about 6.5 and containing from about 2 to about 10 weight percent hydrofluoric acid based on the total weight of the solution.

Abstract: In a batten-seam roof construction employing at least one photovoltaic cell module, the electrical conduits employed with the at least one photovoltaic cell module are disposed primarily under the battens of the roof.

Abstract: A method for reducing the nitrogen content of a feed stream derived from oil shale and/or coal comprising hydrodenitrogenating the feed stream, subjecting the hydrodenitrogenated feed stream to first flashing conditions to remove hydrogen, hydrogen sulfide, and ammonia, dehydrogenating the remainder of the feed stream, and subjecting the dehydrogenated feed stream to second flashing conditions to separate hydrogen from the process product.