Abstract: A method of recovering oil from an oil sands reservoir comprises first applying cyclic steam stimulation (CSS) to a series of generally horizontally extending wells in the reservoir; then applying steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) to at least one vertically-spaced well pair in which one well in each well pair is part of the series of wells to which CSS was applied, while producing oil from at least one single well in the series of wells. In this case, each single well is adjacent to and offset from at least one of the well pairs. The method can then further comprise applying a SAGD blowdown to an injector well of each well pair and producing oil from a producer well of each well pair and from the single well to economic limit.

Abstract: A system for sensing at least one physical characteristic associated with an engine including a turbine having a plurality of blades turning inside a casing, the system including: a pressure sensor coupled substantially adjacent to the casing and including at least one output; a port in the turbine casing for communicating a pressure indicative of a clearance between the blades and casing to the pressure sensor; a cooling cavity substantially surrounding the pressure sensor; and, an inlet for receiving fluid from the engine and feeding the fluid to the cooling cavity to cool the pressure sensor; wherein, the pressure sensor output is indicative of the clearance between the blades and casing.

Abstract: When the damping time constant D? is changed to D?=0, the sampling period Ts is automatically changed from 100 ms to 50 ms. The sampling time is automatically changed from 60 ms to 30 ms. Thus, when the damping time constant D? is changed to D?=0, a processing unit samples an electrical signal corresponding to the pressure difference of a fluid detected by a differential pressure sensor for the sampling time ts=30 ms in every sampling period Ts=50 ms, and finds the measurement value ?P of the differential pressure by performing a variety of operation processing including a linearization operation and a square root operation on the sampled electrical signal. In the operation processing, the processing unit does not perform a damping operation.

Abstract: The present invention comprises: a unit time calculating unit for calculating, as a unit time, the greatest common denominator of the individual operating cycles of a plurality of programs; an allocating unit for allocating the individual operating cycles of the plurality of programs into each of a plurality of continuous base periods that each have their respective unit times, in sequence beginning with the shortest operating cycle, and for allocating the operating cycles of remaining programs for which the operations have not been completed during one of the plurality of base periods into remaining base periods, in sequence beginning with the shortest operating cycles; and an operating unit for running the plurality of programs that are allocated to operating times.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed at a modular apparatus for a saltwater desalinating system, and a method for using same. The apparatus includes multiple internal modules that are compressively coupled to each other. Each of the internal modules includes a pair of rigid end plates located at opposing ends of the internal module, and a stack of membrane bounded compartments that are layered from one of the end plates to the other. The modular apparatus can be used in a membrane based desalination system, which includes concentration difference energy systems, electrodialysis reversal systems, and membrane distillation systems. The modular apparatus helps to mitigate problems such as leakage and buckling in such systems, and can be used to increase membrane packing density and, accordingly, desalination efficiency.

Abstract: Ring type switches 10X, 10Y that connect to two sub-rings 51, 52 are provided to maintain Ethernet communications between sub-rings even when a fault occurs in a ring type switch. By carrying out redundant control processing based on the operating status of itself and the companion in these ring type switches 10X, 10Y, one operates as the currently used system and carries out relay connections between the sub-rings 51, 52 and the other operates as a standby system and stops relay connections between the sub-rings 51, 52.

Abstract: The present system and method enables water entering a dwelling or structure to be contained and removed, while preventing evaporation of the water into the interior of the dwelling. Embodiments of the present invention can comprise a waterproofing system comprising a waterproofing form, affixable to a first surface of a wall at a mounting angle, and comprising a vapor barrier retainer for detachably affixing a vapor barrier to the waterproofing form, and a gutter channel, disposed at a pitch angle, and in fluid communication with the first surface of the wall, the vapor barrier, and a collection area, where the pitch angle and the mounting angle are the same angle, and where the pitch angle causes the water to flow through the gutter channel to the collection area for removal.

Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods improve particulate filtration. A particulate filtration system is implemented within a fossil fuel power plant combustion system. A gas containing particulates flows through the filtration system. The filtration system comprises a collection hopper for collecting the particulates. Within the collection hopper, a particulate trap, upper baffles, and lower baffles are provided to retain collected particulates in the hopper and, thereby, improve the filtration of particulates from the gas flow. The particulate trap can include two sets of variously oriented, interconnecting retaining members crossing the interior of the collection hopper.

Abstract: A composition for removing mercaptan from a gas stream containing at least one acid gas in addition to a mercaptan, the composition comprising a physical and/or chemical solvent for H2S and an inclusion compound for the mercaptan. A process of treating gas stream using the composition. The inclusion compound is selected from the group consisting of, cyclodextrin, cryptand, calixarene, cucurbituril. The chemical solvent may be monoethanolamine (MEA), diethanolamine (DEA), triethanolamine (TEA, diisopropylamine (DIPA), diglycolamine (DGA) and methyldiethanolamine (MDEA). Examples of useful physical solvents include cyclotetramethylene sulfone (sulfolane) and its derivatives, aliphatic acid amides, NMP (n-methylpyrrolidone), N-alkylated pyrrolidones and corresponding piperidone, methanol and mixtures of dialkethers of polyethylene glycols. The method comprises scrubbing preferably the natural gas with an aqueous solution comprising the above compounds followed by a stripping regeneration step.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system for, and method of, determining whether records and entity representations should be linked. The system and method include assigning to each pair of entity references a match value reflecting the likelihood that the entity references are related. Based on the match values, each entity reference may then associated with a preferred entity reference. Pairs of entity references that are mutually preferred may then be identified and linked. The process may be iterated to generate further links.

Abstract: A semiconductor filter is provided to operate in conjunction with a differential pressure transducer. The filter receives a high and very low frequency static pressure attendant with a high frequency low dynamic pressure at one end, the filter operates to filter said high frequency dynamic pressure to provide only the static pressure at the other filter end. A differential transducer receives both dynamic and static pressure at one input port and receives said filtered static pressure at the other port where said transducer provides an output solely indicative of dynamic pressure. The filter in one embodiment has a series of etched channels directed from an input end to an output end. The channels are etched pores of extremely small diameter and operate to attenuate or filter the dynamic pressure.

Abstract: A system for depressurizing and cooling a high pressure, high temperature dense phase solids stream having coarse solid particles with entrained gas therein. In one aspect, the system has an apparatus for at least partially depressurizing and cooling the high pressure, high temperature dense phase solids stream having gas entrained therein and a pressure letdown device for further depressurization and separating cooled coarse solid particles from a portion of the entrained gas, resulting in a lower temperature, lower pressure outlet of solid particles for downstream processing or discharge to a storage silo for future use and/or disposal. There are no moving parts in the flow path of the solids stream in the system.

Abstract: Certain embodiments of the disclosed technology may include systems and methods for automatically adjusting messaging quota. According to an implementation of the disclosed technology, a computer-implemented method is provided for determining a first user base size; determining a first push message volume corresponding to the first user base size; setting a push message quota based at least in part on the first push message volume; determining a second user base size; determining an estimated push message volume based at least in part on the second user base size and the first push message volume; determining a second push message volume corresponding to the second user base size; comparing the estimated push message volume to the second push message volume; and adjusting the push message quota based at least in part on the comparison of the estimated push message volume to the second push message volume.

Abstract: An oil passage structure of an engine including a crankshaft having an oil feed passage opened at a first end thereof, an oil passage in communication with the oil feed passage and an oil discharge passage in communication with a downstream end of the oil passage that is opened at a second end of the crankshaft. The oil passage allows therethrough feeding of oil to the ends of connecting rods that are coupled to the crankshaft.

Abstract: A pull up artificial tree system is adapted to change from a collapsed storage state to an expanded operable state. The pull up tree system includes a base system, a trunk, and a first tree assembly. The first tree assembly includes a top portion; a plurality of frame assemblies comprising a collar, a plurality of outwardly extending support braces, a perimeter, and branch assemblies; and a connection assembly. The collars are slidably disposed upon the trunk, such that they can be pulled upwardly. The pull up tree system can support a regularly arranged artificial tree and/or an inverted tree. In addition, the pull up tree system can be stored in a shell that is slidably disposable within a storage container.

Abstract: Systems and methods for retrieving data within a linear grid management system are disclosed. Data having multiple dimensions is associated with physical locations, where a first dimension of the data is associated with a set of nodes and a second dimension of the data is associated with a set of memory storage locations. A received data query can be divided into multiple subqueries or data requests, such that each subquery is directed to a particular node identified by the first dimension of data referenced by the data query. When receiving a subquery, a node generates a unique and efficient parsing process to retrieve data from the memory storage locations identified by the second dimension of data referenced by the data query.

Abstract: An ashtray assembly for temporarily storing and containing rubbish, such as the ash and butts of cigarettes and cigars. In one aspect, the ashtray assembly can include a base assembly and an insert assembly. The base assembly can comprise a flexible body. The flexible body can include a storage container adapted to receive the rubbish. The flexible body can be made of a flexible material, such as a silicon-containing polymer, such that the flexible body can be manufactured by a molding process. Because the flexible body can be a silicon-container polymer, it may discolor when a lit end of a cigarette makes contact with the base assembly. The insert assembly can comprise an extinguishing member adapted to extinguish cigarettes, cigars, or both. The extinguishing member is preferably made of a generally non-marking and rigid material. The insert assembly can provide structural integrity and can be removably secured within the base assembly.

Abstract: A gap sub assembly can be used to form an electrical isolation in a drill string, across which a voltage is applied to generate a carrier signal for an electromagnetic (EM) telemetry system. The assembly comprises two conductive generally cylindrical components fashioned with a matching set of male and female rounded coarse threads, held such that a relatively uniform interstitial space is formed in the overlap space between them. The third component is a substantially dielectric electrical isolator component placed into the gap between the threads that effectively electrically isolates the two conductive components. Injecting the dielectric material under high pressure forms a tight bond resistant to the ingress of conductive drilling fluids (liquids, gases or foam), thus forming a high pressure insulating seal.