Patents Assigned to AEA Technology
  • Patent number: 6564467
    Abstract: During use, a wheel of a railway vehicle may become out of round, which will be detrimental to both the vehicle suspension and the railway track. The shape of such a wheel may be monitored to detect any such out of roundness, while the wheel is rolling, by measuring how far the flange of the wheel projects below the upper surface of the rail. This may be achieved by mounting a rigid bar (24) alongside the rail (10), the bar (24) being supported resiliently so as to be depressed by a flange of a wheel (40), and by measuring the vertical displacement of the bar. The bar (24) may be supported by a plurality of flat leaf springs (26), which are inclined to the horizontal at for example 30°. This ensures that the bar (24) remains substantially parallel to the top surface of the rail (10) when depressed by the flange of a wheel (40).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: AEA Technology PLC
    Inventors: Christopher James Kay, Winston Gehan Rasaiah, Alberto Villanueva-Leal
  • Patent number: 6481914
    Abstract: A coupling mechanism secures a radiographic source connector to a drive assembly to prevent unintentional release. The source connector includes a cup sleeve with a sleeve slot cut along its axis. The sleeve is spring-loaded to capture the ball end of a drive assembly by applying a positive locking force from the spring. The sleeve slot provides clearance for the neck of the ball end of the drive connector ball. This clearance allows the source connector to pivot approximately 90° without detaching from the drive cable at any angle or orientation. The source connector cannot be disconnected from the drive assembly due to a force applied in any direction. The only mechanism for release is to intentionally move the sleeve in a direction opposite the urging of the spring and then remove the drive connector ball.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2002
    Assignee: AEA Technology QSA Inc.
    Inventors: Steven J. Grenier, George W. Parsons
  • Patent number: 6430609
    Abstract: A method for configuring and executing a software application with a client user interface, the method including the steps of accessing a master configuration file containing an array of configuration variables controlling the execution of the software application, preselecting a subset of configuration variables from the array of configuration variables contained in the master configuration file, generating the client user interface to modify only the subset of configuration variables, transmitting the client user interface to a client computer, receiving the subset of configuration variables as modified on the client computer, applying the subset of configuration variables against the master configuration file, executing the software application in accordance with the master configuration file on a computational server, the execution of the software application producing an output result, and transmitting the output result to the client computer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2002
    Assignee: AEA Technology plc
    Inventors: Sebastian Dewhurst, Matthew Gerring, Ian Robert Hawkins
  • Patent number: 6306175
    Abstract: A femoral component as herein before described for an artificial hip joint made out of an alloy containing titanium, wherein at least a major load bearing portion of which has been subjected to bombardment by a beam of nitrogen or other light ions having energies in the range of 10 Kev to 200 Kev until a surface fluence of between 1 and 8×1017 ions/cm2 has been implanted. An apparatus for processing such components is described also.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2001
    Assignee: AEA Technology plc
    Inventors: Geoffrey Dearnaley, Alan Thomas Peacock
  • Patent number: 6126779
    Abstract: A plasma enhanced gas reactor including a reaction chamber having a pair of field-enhancing electrodes each of which has an axial passage through it by one of which a reactant gas is admitted to the reaction chamber, and by the other of which reaction products are removed from the reaction chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2000
    Assignee: AEA Technology PLC
    Inventors: Robert Frew Gillespie, Stephen Ivor Hall, David Raybone, Fiona Winterbottom
  • Patent number: 6105431
    Abstract: A plate (12) or pipe wall is inspected by coupling an ultrasonic transducer (14, 16) to its surface so as to generate a compression wave or lateral wave (26) along the surface and a shear wave or head wave (28) along the surface and a shear wave or head wave (28) at the shear-compression critical angle (.theta..sub.c) The same transducer (14, 16), or an additional transducer (15, 16) also coupled to the surface, detects a series of ultrasonic peaks corresponding to each generated ultrasonic pulse. Each such detected peak corresponds to ultrasonic energy traveling, partly as lateral waves (26, 32) on one surface or the other, and partly as head waves (28, 30) crossing a certain number of times between the surfaces. The transducers (14, 15) may be over 0.5 m apart, and substantially all the intervening parts of the plate (12) are inspected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2000
    Assignee: Aea Technology PLC
    Inventors: Colin Duffill, Maurice Geoffrey Silk
  • Patent number: 6096439
    Abstract: An improved polymer film material for the packaging of perishable foodstuffs, wherein the surface structure of the polymer is altered by means of an ion bombardment process so as to reduce the rates of transport of oxygen and water vapor through the polymer material wherein the polymer film material is produced by subjecting at least one surface of the film to ion bombardment with ions selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, helium, and argon at energies of 30-80 KeV and ion doses in the range of 10.sup.12 to 10.sup.18 ions/cm.sup.2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2000
    Assignee: AEA Technology PLC
    Inventors: Stephen John Bull, Adrian Michael Jones, Andrew Robert McCabe
  • Patent number: 6051204
    Abstract: A method of, and apparatus for, preventing the formation of deposits on surfaces downstream of a mixer in which possibly supersaturated mixtures issuing from the mixer are surrounded by a sheath of unsaturated solution. In an arrangement described, the sheath of unsaturated mixture is obtained by bleeding off some of the mixture issuing from the mixer sufficiently downstream of the mixer definitely to be unsaturated and returning this portion of the mixture to surround that issuing from the mixer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2000
    Assignee: AEA Technology PLC
    Inventors: Michael Joseph Bowe, Paul Fallows
  • Patent number: 6037080
    Abstract: A polymeric chain consisting primarily of vinylidene fluoride, onto which is grafted a mono-unsaturated carboxylic acid, ester, or amide, for example acrylic acid, may be combined with a lithium salt and a solvent to form an electrolyte material. This may be used as electrolyte in a lithium cell, or may be combined with an insertion material to make a composite electrode for such a cell. The electrolyte, and so also the composite electrode incorporating this electrolyte, adheres well to a metal current collector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2000
    Assignee: AEA Technology plc
    Inventors: Esam Kronfli, Christine Ruth Jarvis
  • Patent number: 6034572
    Abstract: In a magnetically insulated line oscillator device having a cathode 11, a surrounding slow wave structure 15 has a tapered configuration so that the effective cavity depth in the slow wave structure 15 progressively diminishes along a part of the length of the device towards the power output end of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2000
    Assignee: AEA Technology PLC
    Inventor: James William Eastwood
  • Patent number: 6012326
    Abstract: An apparatus for detecting the presence of volatile substances in a gaseous medium, including apparatus for producing within a sensor chamber a localised electric field the energy density of which is sufficient to excite the gaseous medium to a plasma condition, and apparatus for detecting changes in a parameter of the plasma due to the presence of the volatile substances in the gaseous medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2000
    Assignee: AEA Technology plc
    Inventors: David Raybone, Fiona Winterbottom, Robert Frew Gillespie, Stephen Ivor Hall
  • Patent number: 5964291
    Abstract: Chemical treatment agents are supplied to a well or borehole extending through an earth formation by subjecting the well to a fracturing treatment with a high pressure fluid and proppant particles. The proppant particles are thereby trapped in fractures in the earth formation. Some or all of the proppant particles are of porous insoluble inorganic material, and are impregnated with a chemical treatment agent, such as a scale inhibitor or a corrosion inhibitor. The porous particles may be of a ceramic or oxide material, for example a silica and/or an alumina-based material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1999
    Assignee: AEA Technology plc
    Inventors: Hugh Malcolm Bourne, Peter Arne Read
  • Patent number: 5958242
    Abstract: A filter which can be cleaned in situ consists of a filter membrane (33), and fluid permeable electrodes (34, 35). The membrane may be one of the electrodes, or may be electrically non-conducting but integral with or in contact with one of the electrodes (34). The electrodes (34, 35) are separated from each other only by a fluid permeable electrically insulating sheet. This sheet may be less than 1 mm thick, and may be the filter membrane (33). The filter is cleaned by periodic brief applications of electric current between the electrodes (34, 35) so that gas is generated electrolytically, and the close spacing of the electrodes (34, 35) reduces the electric power required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1999
    Assignee: AEA Technology PLC
    Inventor: Paul Antony Harry Fennell
  • Patent number: 5952542
    Abstract: Electrochemically regenerated RuO.sub.4 (or corresponding oxides of Os, Ir, Rh) is used in the decomposition of matter, especially matter containing organic material. The method has particular advantage in dealing with compounds containing chlorine and, in a development, provides for the removal of heteroatoms N, Cl P, As, S, avoiding contamination with unoxidised organics and/or Ru (or Os, Ir, Rh as the case may be).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1999
    Assignee: AEA Technology
    Inventor: David Frame Steele
  • Patent number: 5941297
    Abstract: Metal matrix composite is made by assembling pre-forms of porous reinforcing material with an array of separator plates in a die in a pressure vessel, and infiltrating molten metal matrix material. Pre-evacuation followed by pressurisation when the molten metal matrix material is introduced into the die aids the infiltration. Re-introduction of gas during initial heating prior to melting speeds the heat-up process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 24, 1999
    Assignee: AEA Technology PLC
    Inventor: Robin Michael Kurt Young
  • Patent number: 5938969
    Abstract: A fire suppressant powder with particle sizes less than 5 .mu.m is made by a chemical reaction between a gas or vapour of a first material and a vapour or an aerosol of a second material. For example an aerosol of sodium hydroxide droplets may be reacted with carbon dioxide gas to produce sodium bicarbonate powder; or boron halide vapour may be reacted with steam to form boric acid powder The powder may be used in fire extinguishers either on its own, or combined with other ingredients such as silica and/or alumina, and calcium stearate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 17, 1999
    Assignee: AEA Technology plc
    Inventor: David Alexander Vodden Morton
  • Patent number: 5916431
    Abstract: During filtration, periodic application of a potential difference between an electrically conducting filter medium and counter electrode (as anode) generates a gaseous product at the filter and cleans the filter. To minimise corrosion the counter electrode is of low chromium stainless steel, for example 9% chromium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1999
    Assignee: AEA Technology plc
    Inventors: Andrew Derek Turner, Ronald Keith Dawson
  • Patent number: 5902457
    Abstract: An apparatus for generating a liquid spray from two jets of fluid which issue from a pair of opposing nozzles and interact, wherein the fluid is supplied to the nozzles under fully turbulent conditions such that random variations in the momentum of the fluid as it leaves the nozzles occur which results in random variations in the orientation of the resultant spray of liquid drops.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 11, 1999
    Assignee: AEA Technology PLC
    Inventors: Lionel Houston Ford, John William Stairmand
  • Patent number: 5900183
    Abstract: A polymer electrolyte suitable for use in a lithium ion cell comprises polyvinylidene fluoride (PVdF) combined with a solution of a salt such as lithium perchlorate, in a compatible solvent such as an ethylene carbonate/N-methyl-pyrrolidone mixture. The PVdF is a homopolymer of high molecular weight, with a melt flow index at 230.degree. C. and 10 kg of less than 1.O g/10 min.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 4, 1999
    Assignee: Aea Technology PLC
    Inventors: Esam Kronfli, Christine Ruth Jarvis
  • Patent number: D453570
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2002
    Assignee: AEA Technology QSA Inc.
    Inventor: Steven J. Grenier