Abstract: A Rankine cycle power plant has a vaporizer member responsive to heat input for vaporizing a working fluid and producing vaporized working fluid, a turbogenerator responsive to vaporized working fluid for generating power and producing heat depleted working fluid, a condenser member responsive to said heat depleted working fluid for condensing the same and producing condensate, and suitable piping for returning said condensate to the vaporizer. The working fluid is in the form of a liquid having a plurality of fractions; at least one fraction is distilled from said liquid to produce a distillated fluid. It is this distillated fluid that is supplied to the power plant as the working fluid.

Abstract: A Rankine cycle power plant includes a pair of multistage turbine modules each of which has an input for receiving vaporized working fluid and an output shaft, and each of which is responsive to vaporized working fluid applied to its input for expanding the working fluid and producing work at the output shaft and heat depleted working fluid that is superheated. An electrical generator is located between the modules and directly coupled to their output shafts. Superheated, heat depleted working fluid from one of the modules is supplied to the input of the other of the modules.

Abstract: Apparatus for producing from a source of geothermal fluid that contains a mixture of high pressure steam, brine and noncondensable gases includes a heat exchanger for receiving geothermal fluid and transferring heat to water thereby vaporizing the same to produce steam. At least one power plant module is involved, the module having a steam turbine responsive to steam produced by the heat exchanger for producing work, a steam condenser containing an organic fluid and responsive to low pressure steam that exits the steam turbine for condensing the steam into a liquid and vaporizing the organic fluid. The module also contains an organic vapor turbine responsive to vaporizer organic fluid for producing work, and an organic vapor condenser responsive to the low pressure organic fluid that exits the organic vapor turbine condensing the organic vapor to a liquid that is returned to the steam condenser. The cooled geothermal fluid leaving the primary heat exchanger is conducted to a rejection well.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for spraying a starting solution into a gaseous medium under certain conditions. The method includes the steps of a) supplying the starting solution by delivering means using a pump to spray head members and spraying the starting solution through the spray head members, each spray head member having a plurality of holes for producing droplets of substantially constant radius substantially independent of spray head operating pressure, and b) washing the spray head members connected to at least one starting solution supply conduit substantially at its surface and purging them from foreign material with starting solution in the supply conduit.

Abstract: A method for evaporating a starting solution to produce an end solution by spraying the starting solution into a gaseous medium under the conditions that the heat content of the starting solution in contact with the gaseous medium is smaller than the heat content of the gaseous medium; the duration of contact is such that most of the evaporation of solution takes place under conditions of constant enthalpy; and the vapor pressure of the gaseous medium is less than the vapor pressure of the liquid/gas interface of the end solution including the step of spraying the starting solution supplied by delivering devices using a pump through spray heads, each spray head includes a member having a plurality of holes the radii of which are not less than 0.025 mm and the distance between them is at least 0.3 mm for producing a shower of starting solution droplets of substantially constant radius substantially independent of spray head operating pressure. An apparatus for evaporating a starting solution is also provided.

Abstract: An alternator of an internal combustion engine is cooled by oil circulated from an engine crankcase. The oil is sprayed directly on the rotor and stator components. Two pumps deliver oil to and from the alternator, respectively.

Abstract: Combustible gases from a solid fuel are produced by pyrolyzing the fuel in a pyrolyzer which also produces carbonaceous material. The carbonaceous material from the pyrolyzer is combusted in a furnace to produce combustion products that include hot flue gases and ash particulate. The combustion products are separated into a plurality of streams, one of which contains flue gases, and another of which contains hot ash which is directed into the pyrolyzer. Finally, the stream of flue gases from the furnace is used to dry the fuel that is supplied to said pyrolyzer.

Abstract: A portion of solid fuel is pyrolyzed in a pyrolyzer to produce combustible gases and carbonaceous material, the carbonaceous material being supplied from the pyrolyzer to a furnace. A further portion of the solid fuel is added to a furnace and is combusted with the carbonaceous material therein to produce combustion products that include hot flue gases and ash particulate. The combustion products are separated into a plurality of streams, one of which contains coarse ash and another of which contains flue gases and fine ash. A portion of the coarse ash is directed into the pyrolyzer while a further portion is disposed of, preferably by being used to heat air entering the furnace.

Abstract: Weather in the vicinity of a land mass such as a continental arid zone near, and usually eastward of a body of water is modified by preferably propelling a ship pulling a submerged body having plurality of vertically displaced foils having an angle of attack that effects an upward displacement to the water in response to the surface displacement of the ship. The upward displacement of the water moves cooler sub-surface water toward the surface thereby cooling the surface water and reducing its heat loss in the summer. As a result, the heat capacity of the water is increased and additional heat will be stored in the water as a consequence of the greater absorption of solar radiation thereby increasing winter storms and the amount of rainfall over the land mass during the winter.

Abstract: An anti-skid tire guard has three main components. The first component is a pair of spaced strips of material, each of the strips comprising three slats connected end to end by hinge pins. The strips are maintained in spaced relation by a plurality of metal or plastic tread members having studs projecting from one surface thereof. The ends of both of the strips are provided with female connectors. A plurality of blanks comprise each tread member and are connected by wires which are attached to the hinges by adjacent slats forming the strips. The second component comprises two slats attached end to end by a hinge, the free ends of each of these slats comprising male connector members designed to securely fit within the female members. A tread member similar to those used in the first component is provided, which is attached to the hinged portion between the two slats at one end and which has a hook at its other end.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for introducing water-soluble substances, especially plant treatment substances, such as fertilizers, plant protectives, weed killers and the like, into a water stream, the apparatus having a casing for carrying a water stream and a container for taking up said substances. The container is arranged within said casing for rotation around a rotational axis and has a completely closed peripheral wall, laterally limiting the interior of said container, and has a completely closed bottom wall section. At least one opening is provided at the upper side of said container, the edge of said opening being nearer to the rotational axis of the container than at least a part of the inner surface of the peripheral wall, said part being arranged in between the bottom wall section and the opening.

Abstract: A single-hand operated tool comprising: first and second relatively movable elements adapted to be associated with a head assembly for application of pressure to a workpiece; a housing; a hydraulic pump disposed within the housing; hydraulic fluid communication means associated with the pump for exerting hydraulic force on the relatively movable elements; articulated lever means associated with the pump and arranged such that reciprocal motion of the lever means provided by the action of a single hand, unassisted, operates the pump and produces a desired force on the workpiece; release valve means for releasing the force exerted by the hydraulic fluid in response to a manual actuation produced by the single hand and including a valve stem and seat wherein the force urging seating of the valve stem against the valve seat is smaller than the desired force.

Abstract: A fan beam of the type described herein is oriented so as to be coplanar with the cross-section of a body to be reconstructed. Pure rotational movement is imparted to the fan beam by rotating the same about a fixed center of rotation such that the fan beam sweeps out an area in the plane of the cross-section; and the absorption coefficients over such area can be computed in a known manner from measurements of the intensities of the beams emerging from the area swept out thereby.When one extremity of the fan beam passes through the fixed center of rotation, the area swept-out by the fan beam during one revolution thereof is circular, the center of which is coincident with the fixed center and the periphery of which is tangent to the other extremity of the fan beam. When the fixed center lies outside the fan beam, the area swept-out is annular and is defined by concentric circles whose centers are coincident with the fixed center and whose peripheries are respectively tangent to the extremities of the fan beam.

Abstract: Light coupling means interposed between the photosensitive surfaces of an array of photodetectors and a scintillation crystal has a recess associated with at least one of the photodetectors, the recess being located in the light coupling means within the volumetric projection of the photosensitive surface of said at least one of the photodetectors. The recess is filled with material having an index of refraction different from the index of refraction of the light coupling means such that the index, throughout the recess, is uniform. The provision of the material with a different index in the recess serves to alter the direction of light from a light event in the crystal as the light passes through the light coupling means thereby modifying the relative amount of light received by each of the photodetectors of the array, and thereby improving spatial linearity, uniformity and resolution.

Abstract: Apparatus for examining a body by means of penetrating radiation such as X- or .gamma.- rays has a radiation beam assembly comprising a member with a radiation source for producing a collimated beam of penetrating radiation, and a member with detector means for receiving radiation from the source. Guide means slidably mount the members on a support structure containing a circle of reconstruction within which the body is located. The members are located on opposite sides of the center of the circle of reconstruction and are translatable as a unit in parallel paths to cause the beam to sweep through and define the plane of the circle of reconstruction. A flexible connection links the members together for maintaining a fixed spatial relationship therebetween during translation at least while the beam sweeps through the circle of reconstruction.

Abstract: A wind-driven energy-generating device comprises a shroud having a throat within which the rotor blades of a turbine are mounted, an intake section upstream of and having an inner face converging towards the throat, and a diffuser section downstream of and having an inner face diverging away from the throat. To prevent premature air separation along the inner surface of the diffuser section, the device includes boundary layer control means comprising a plurality of air channels leading from an external surface of the shroud to the internal surface of its diffuser section for injecting a flow of air of high kinetic energy from the air stream external of the shroud to the boundary layer of the air stream within the diffuser section of the shroud.

Abstract: The normality of a cell labelled with a lipid soluble fluorescent dye and excited with a beam of polarized light can be evaluated by measuring the time dependence of the state of polarization of fluorescence emitted by the cell which is determined by simultaneously measuring the intensities of fluorescence polarized in directions parallel and perpendicular to the direction of polarization of the excitation beam.The state of polarization of a cell changes markedly as a function of excitation time when the cell is abnormal (i.e., malignant), while the state of polarization of a cell remains substantially constant when the cell is normal. Classification of cells in a population by way of the stability of the state of polarization provides guidance in determining the presence of malignancy in the population.

Abstract: A vehicle drive system comprising a source of rotational energy, a flywheel, continuously variable transmission apparatus comprising first and second drive terminals, and apparatus for selectable coupling of the variable transmission apparatus and the source of rotational energy to said flywheel and drive wheels in a vehicle and including first apparatus for coupling in a first mode of operation, the flywheel and the source of rotational energy to the first drive terminal, and the second drive terminal to the drive wheels of a vehicle, and second apparatus for coupling in a second mode of operation, the flywheel to the second drive terminal, the rotational energy source and the first drive terminal to the drive wheels, and control apparatus for governing the operation of the continuously variable transmission apparatus and the operation of the source of rotational energy and being capable of independent control of the speed of the flywheel and of the source of rotational energy.

Abstract: An input audio frequency analog signal, for example, speech, which is to be passed through a noisy transmission channel, is scrambled at the sending end by repetitively performing a modulo-v (MOD v) addition of an n-level, m-pulse codeword with an n-level digitized transformation of the input signal under the condition that m and v are integers. The resultant sum signal, after transmission through a noisy channel (which may be an acoustic medium, a conventional telephone link, a conventional CB radio link, etc.), is received at the receiving end and descrambled. Descrambling is achieved by carrying out a Mod v subtraction process involving repetitively subtracting the same codeword from an n-level digitized transformation of the received signal, the subtraction being carried out in synchronism with the addition at the sending end. The resultant difference signal is a representation of the input signal and is relatively insensitive to noise present in the transmission channel.