Abstract: In the control of adhesion between a vehicle and a track, an adaptive control is provided for reapplying the tractive effort between the vehicle and the track in accordance with the known tractive effort level at which a loss of adhesion was sensed.

Abstract: A solar energy utilization system employing a glazed, insulated, collector box that houses a plurality of swingably mounted, conduit type, energy absorber assemblies; together with associated, arcuately shaped booster mirrors for collecting solar rays and reflecting them toward the absorber assemblies; and in which each absorber assembly includes an absorber tube provided with surrounding, overlapping, cylindrical baffles that may be said to function like iris diaphragms to control an aperture which receives the reflected rays.

Abstract: In the soil pasteurizing apparatus disclosed herein, soil to be treated is placed within elongate canisters which are then inserted in an enclosure in the form of a shallow box having a transparent window constituting one of the broad faces thereof. The canisters are spaced from each other and from the walls of the enclosure. Reflective means are provided for directing, onto the canisters, solar radiation which impinges in regions of the enclosure not actually occupied by the canisters. Thermally-induced circulation around the canisters further facilitates overall heating. The elongate configuration of the canisters permits even the interior portion of a usable volume of soil to be heated to pasteurizing temperatures using only the solar energy available in a convenient time interval, e.g. 3 hours.

Abstract: A solar energy collector comprises a heat conducting sheet having a front surface exposed to the sun and a system of liquid-receiving open-top troughs projecting from the back surface into an air space, with liquid supply means delivering liquid to the troughs and drain means receiving any liquid overflowing the troughs. Inlet and outlet air conduits communicate with the air space, and a blower causes a flow of air from the inlet conduit, through the air space, and to the outlet conduit; whereby the heat of vaporization of any liquid vaporized is transferred from the sheet to the outlet air conduit in addition to the heat transferred by the sensible temperature rise of the air and the vapor. Also disclosed are a heat storage unit, for use with such an energy collector, in which the heat storage medium may be stones, water, or it may be formed from Glauber's Salt, and a complete solar energy utilization system comprising such a collector, such a heat storage unit, and a heat exchanger (e.g.