Abstract: The invention relates to a method of, and apparatus for, determining the clearance between wear surfaces of a reciprocating piston engine and the surrounding cylindrical bore of the engine block, without need for physical contact with the piston. As particularly distinguished from the prior art, the present invention employs an energy wave source, collimated to impinge against selectable portions of the piston head either during its reciprocation, or at rest, in the so-called combustion or compression chamber between the moving piston and the engine cylinder. The energy source may be optical, electro-optical, acoustico-optical, or electromagnetic, generating continuous waves or high frequency pulses, or which are capable of reflecting such energy back to a plurality of detectors Such detectors are capable of measuring exceptionally high frequency (short wave lengths) signals to measure time (and hence distance) from the source to the piston head back to the detector.

Abstract: A method for compressing seismic data to reduce data storage and transmission requirements applies wavelet transforms to digitized trace sequential data obtained from plural arrays of multiple acoustic sensors. The wavelet transforms are applied in at least three dimensions, and, in the case of underwater exploration, four dimensions. The transformed data is ordered and quantized to increase the number of zero data values, and the quantized data is compressed using rim-length encoding and entropy coding. The entropy coded data is stored for later retrieval or transmitted to a remote location. The retrieved or received data is decompressed, dequantized and inverse wavelet transformed to construct a representation of the original data. The compression can be selected to be in excess of 100:1 to significantly reduce the data storage and transmission requirements without significant degradation of the reconstructed data.

Abstract: A light-weight and easily manufacturable catalyst support structure is provided, which allows fluid flow into a catalyst bed in uniform distribution. The support structure is formed in a cone-like shape in which the diameter enlarges upward. The support structure comprises a shell-like support member, a first mesh layer comprising thick mesh elements, and a second mesh layer having a mesh size which does not allow catalytic particulates to pass through. The first mesh layer overlays the support member, and the second mesh layer overlays the first mesh layer. The shell-like support member includes a circular bottom plate extending perpendicular to the center line of the reactor, and a side wall having a truncated cone shape which extends upward from the edge of the bottom plate. The bottom plate and the side wall are primarily made of perforated plates through which the fluid passes. A plurality of cylindrical flow guides of different diameters are provided underneath the shell-like support member.

Abstract: A sleeve suitable for making a cable splice case comprises a matrix material and a recoverable fabric by virtue of which the sleeve is recoverable. The sleeve comprises recoverable weft fibres in bundles of 2-6 running circumferentially, and longitudinal heat-stable warp fibres.

Abstract: A wellbore packer capable of sealing a tubing string within a wellbore casing or wellbore is described.

Abstract: A frequency shifted cavity apparatus for electromagnetic radiation.

Abstract: An optical well logging cable and method of fabrication is provided which utilizes the combination of optical fiber means having a proof test stress value of at least about 150,000 pounds per square inch with a surrounding and protecting arrangement of helically wound strength elements in a construction that minimizes the inelastic part of the cable elongation by minimizing the deformability of the structure within the arrangement of strength elements. This arrangement of strength elements includes two torque balancing layers wound in opposite helical directions. It is a feature of this invention that the construction has such a low permanent radial contraction under repeated loading to about 90% of the design breaking strength of the cable that its permanent elongation is no greater than about 0.4% and preferably 0.25% or less.

Abstract: A mechanically stacked module package is described. The package permits the effective mechanical stacking of two solar cells in a compact arrangement. The design also permits the easy wiring of the package into a voltage matching configuration for module wiring thus eliminating the problems of current matching the top and bottom cells. The package design can be used with any mechanically stacked cells although the design is most suitable for concentrator solar cell configurations where the removal of heat to avoid degradation and shortening of lifetime is a major concern.

Abstract: A hermetically sealed optical fiber tube and process of fabrication. The hermetically sealed tube is fabricated from rolled wires into shaped sectors such that when the sections are joined a cylindrical tube is formed having a sufficient inside diameter to accept one or a plurality of buffered optical fibers.

Abstract: Tractable doped electroactive polymers, comprising recurring units of a fused nitrogen-containing unsaturated heterocyclic ring system, are fabricated from the virgin polymer by contacting the polymer with donor or acceptor conductivity modifier atoms or groups of atoms.

Abstract: The apparatus is capable of coating thin objects, such as wires, optical fibers, and the like, with fluids such as enamels, photoresist primers, photoresists, and the like. The apparatus is configured so that the area over which the object is coated and the thickness of the coating can be adjusted. The coating is applied in a reproducible manner. The coating is applied without damaging the articles, such as thin wires and optical fibers having diameters on the order of about 5 to 50 micrometers.

Abstract: Improved age and heat stabilized photovoltaic solar cells comprising a semiconducting layer, a barrier layer containing the metal M.sub.1 and a stabilizing metal electrode containing two or more metals, one of which is M.sub.1, such that the tendency for M.sub.1 to diffuse between the electrode and the barrier layer is approximately zero.

Abstract: Hydrocarbyl carbonates and their fuel compositions are provided. The hydrocarbyl carbonates are deposit control additives in gasoline compositions.

Abstract: Combination deposit and rust control additives for internal combustion engines are provided which maintain cleanliness of intake systems without contributing to combustion chamber deposits and corrosion. The additives are salts of organic C.sub.3 -C.sub.30 monocarboxylic acids and hydrocarbyl poly(oxyalkylene)aminocarbamates comprising a hydrocarbyl-terminated poly(oxyalkylene) chain of 2-5 carbon oxyalkylene units bonded through an oxycarbonyl group to a nitrogen atom of a polyamine. Fuel and lube oil compositions containing these additive salts are provided for use in internal combustion engines.

Abstract: Combination deposit and rust control additives for internal combustion engines are provided which maintain cleanliness of intake systems without contributing to combustion chamber deposits and corrosion. The additives are salts of hydrocarbyl oxyacid esters of phosphorus and of hydrocarbylpoly(oxyalkylene) aminocarbamates comprising a hydrocarbyl-terminated poly(oxyalkylene) chain of 2-5 carbon oxyalkylene units bonded through an oxycarbonyl group to a nitrogen atom of a polyamine. Lube oil and fuel compositions containing these additive salts are also provided for use in internal combustion engines.

Abstract: A fuel composition for gasoline engines which keeps combustion chambers clean, does not contribute to octane requirement increase and even serves to decrease the octane requirements of an engine which has undergone octane requirement increase while operating on other fuel compositions. The fuel composition comprises a major amount of gasoline and at least 0.4 weight percent of a hydrocarbyl poly(oxyalkylene) aminocarbamate.

Abstract: Oil-soluble dithiophosphate esters of a dithiophosphoric acid and a poly(oxyalkylene) alcohol, and salts thereof, are provided for lubricating oil compositions.