Patents Assigned to British Gas PLC
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Patent number: 5123288Abstract: To measure speed of gas flow along a pipe a flowmeter is used comprising a gas flow sensor connected by tubing with an averaging pitot probe formed by first and second tubes of circular cross-section disposed side by side and closed at their one and the same ends and mounted in a gas tight manner in the wall of the pipe. The two tubes are identical in shape and dimensions and each has four circular holes through its tube wall. All the holes are of the same shape and size, and each has a diameter in the range 0.4 mm to 1.00 mm. The internal diameter of each tube is at least 1.59 mm, and the ratio of the cross-sectional area of each tube to the cross-sectional area of each hole is at least 9:1. The positions of the holes in one tube are identical to the positions of the holes in the other tube except that the holes in the first tube face directly upstream with respect to the gas flow whilst the holes in the second tube face directly downstream.Type: GrantFiled: October 10, 1990Date of Patent: June 23, 1992Assignee: British Gas PLCInventors: Robert B. Tench, David A. Churchill
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Patent number: 5116507Abstract: The invention relates to a method of treating an aqueous liquor, such as effluent liquor formed during coal gasification. The method comprises subjecting the liquor to dephenolation and ammonia stripping treatment to remove phenolic compounds and "free" ammonia from the liquor and then subjecting the resulting liquor, which still contains ammonium compounds and thus "fixed" ammonia, to reverse osmosis treatment to produce a permeate which is substantially free from impurities, including "fixed" ammonia.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 1990Date of Patent: May 26, 1992Assignee: British Gas plcInventors: James R. Ebbins, Simon F. Lopez, Christopher Taylor
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Patent number: 5105847Abstract: The cartridge (10) has a bulkhead (14) carrying a housing (16) on which is mounted a hollow inlet member (20). A valve member (24) is accommodated in the housing and is attached to a valve operating rod (26) extending through the bulkhead and having a pilot control system mounted on the opposite side of the bulkhead from the housing. A valve seat (28) is supported on the inlet member, which defines with the housing an outlet (30), across which the valve member travels when moving towards and away from the valve seat. The pilot control system has an outlet tube passing through the bulkhead and communicating with the interior of the inlet member and having an outlet tube passing through the bulkhead and opening outside the housing and the inlet member. The cartridge has a slam-shut valve member (32) slidable in the lower end of the inlet member operated by a cable (42) and an actuator (46).Type: GrantFiled: August 2, 1991Date of Patent: April 21, 1992Assignee: British Gas plcInventor: Kenneth R. Wood
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Patent number: 5093810Abstract: An acoustic matching member for a sonic transducer is disclosed which comprises a solid material, for example, a glass, in which a plurality of voids have been formed. A method is also included of forming an acoustic matching member for a transducer which includes the steps of forming the member from a material in which a plurality of voids have been introduced whereby the velocity of sound in the material with voids is substantially less than that of the material without voids in the direction of sound propagation of the member.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 1989Date of Patent: March 3, 1992Assignee: British Gas PLCInventor: Michael J. Gill
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Patent number: 5091891Abstract: A seismic pulse generator comprises a body 1 having an internal gas-pressurizable first chamber 2 adjoining a second chamber 6 for containing a fluid. A flap valve member 21 is rotatable about a pivot axis for closing a bore 24 communicating with the first chamber. A latch 22 releasably retains the flap valve member in the closed position and a gas operated piston 13 slidably moves within an associated cylinder 12. When the first chamber 2 is pressurized with gas and the flap valve member 21 is released from its closed position to uncover the bore 24, the piston 13 moves to cause communication between the chambers 2,6 and generation of a shock wave in the second chamber. The second chamber has outlet means 7 to permit a pulse of energy to be transmitted from the second chamber in response to the shock wave generated in the second chamber.Type: GrantFiled: April 23, 1990Date of Patent: February 25, 1992Assignee: British Gas plcInventors: Keith M. Thomas, Michael R. Dongworth, Alec Melvin
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Patent number: 5086731Abstract: A gas fired direct contact water heater in which the heated water is led off from a reservoir in a lower part of the heater through an outlet conduit including a continuously running pump pumping the heated water along the conduit to a user's valve which is opened when the user requires heated water. To replace that water a water supply conduit controlled by a ball-cock valve conveys water to a first spray bar in an upper part of the heater above heat transfer means through which passes the downward flowing water and upward flowing products of combustion resultant from the burning fuel gas. A return conduit opens into the outlet conduit between the user's valve and the pump. The return conduit leads to a second spray bar in the heater above the heat transfer means.Type: GrantFiled: November 5, 1990Date of Patent: February 11, 1992Assignee: British Gas plcInventors: John F. Lockett, Aik B. Lua
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Patent number: 5080390Abstract: Four wheeled vehicle supporting a ground probing radar antenna 52 has an aluminium alloy square plate 10 and four wheel mountings 14 supported by four pairs of equal-length arms 18,20. The arms as seen in plan are arranged in a square. One arm 18 in any pair extends lengthwise of the vehicle from an anchorage 30 on the vehicle to a mounting 14 and the other 20 extends transversely of the vehicle from an anchorage 32 on the vehicle to the mounting 14. Each mounting carries a buffer 36 which on upward movement presses against one of two spring arms 38 carried by mountings 42, one arm being locked in its mounting. The vehicle has an overcover 70 and an undercover 72. In a modification pneumatic spring units instead of arms 38 control vertical wheel motion.Type: GrantFiled: November 2, 1990Date of Patent: January 14, 1992Assignee: British Gas plcInventor: Roger P. Ashworth
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Patent number: 5063527Abstract: A monitor system for safety critical situations such as burner control receives at inputs 17-21 control information from a programmable logic control and reference information at inputs 12-16 from plant interlocks. This information passes via opto-isolators 40 and buffers 41 to the address bus of an EPROM so as to access information stored therein which normally mirrors the PLC information so as to control relays RL1-5 via drivers 45 to conform to the PLC instructions. The EPROM also contains reset and clock information for use by a counter 48 which allows different areas within the EPROM to be accessed. The reset information is also available to a parity check circuit 49 via oscillator 46 for dynamically testing the monitor for integrity of operation. Failure of the PLC or monitor components will cause access to shutdown addresses of the EPROM and operation of the appropriate relays including lockout relay RL6.Type: GrantFiled: March 26, 1990Date of Patent: November 5, 1991Assignee: British Gas plcInventors: Barry L. Price, Christopher J. Thornhill
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Patent number: 5059115Abstract: A fuel fire burner has a plenum chamber to which fuel and air are supplied. One of the walls of the plenum chamber is generally flat and has a plurality of substantially rectangular slots extending therethrough, the slots serving as combustion ports for the fuel. The wall also has an integral rim extending therefrom on a side thereof opposite the plenum chamber.Type: GrantFiled: February 5, 1990Date of Patent: October 22, 1991Assignee: British Gas plcInventor: David M. Sutton
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Patent number: 5054677Abstract: A pipe burster for cracking gas and other pipes preparatory to inserting a replacement pipe in the passage so formed. The burster comprises an elongated body tapering in the lengthwise direction and made up first and second parts 2,14 extending in said direction. The parts are connected by a transverse pivot pin 20. The first part 12 is received within the second part and carries a piston and cylinder 22 by which the parts are separable. The circumference of the body is substantially a closed curve and within the length of the first part the circumference is increased by said separation. Therefor the burster makes a clearance by said separation into which the burster can be advanced. In a modification more than one piston and cylinder is provided.Type: GrantFiled: June 8, 1990Date of Patent: October 8, 1991Assignee: British Gas plcInventor: Alec R. Carruthers
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Patent number: 5048174Abstract: A liner 30 of polyethylene housing an SDR of 33 or less is pulled through a die 36 and through the pipe 10 and allowed to revert to the internal diameter of the pipe. The force of pulling is half the yield strength of the liner or less. The die has an entry; a throat and an exit, the entry decreasing in diameter towards the throat and the exit increasing in diameter away from the throat. The liner has a maximum diameter before the die, a minimum diameter in the die and intermediate diameter after the die. The liner bending inwards before first contacting the die at the entry, then continuously bending through its minimum diameter as it passes the throat and then undergoing die swell resulting in said intermediate diameter. The throat is defined by the merger in a continuous curve of a radius joining the entry and a radius joining the exit.Type: GrantFiled: April 12, 1990Date of Patent: September 17, 1991Assignee: British Gas plcInventor: Brian E. McGuire
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Patent number: 5002886Abstract: An oxidoreductase is provided which, in the presence of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD.sup.+) as a co-enzyme, will catalyse the oxidation of polyols having at least one hydroxyl group on each of at least two adjacent carbon atoms, e.g. 1,2-ethanediol. The enzyme has an apparent relative molecular mass M.sub.r of about 330,000 has substantially no specificity for monohydric alcohols and may be isolated from a micro-organism belonging to the genus Microbacterium.Type: GrantFiled: September 14, 1987Date of Patent: March 26, 1991Assignee: British Gas PLCInventors: Paul E. Gisby, Roger D. Newell, Peter B. Park
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Patent number: 5002137Abstract: A percussive-action mole 10 is energized by compressed air supplied through hollow rods 36 in a string 12 connected to the mole. A hydraulic motor 18 rotates the string and mole. The mole head 30 has a slant face 32 and a transverse permanent magnet 34. After each new rod is added to the string, the air is stopped to halt the mole which continues to be rotated. The field fluctuations from the magnet are detected by a magnetometer 24 using its probe at three positions 50, 52, 54 determiend by a triangular frame 22 placed flat on the ground. Calculations using the three readings each representing the distance of the magnet from the respective position on the frame enable the position and depth of the magnet to be determined. After completion, the passage 38 can be reamed to larger diameter to receive a gas pipe or other service.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 1989Date of Patent: March 26, 1991Assignee: British Gas plcInventors: Alan J. Dickinson, Peter Ward
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Patent number: 4994959Abstract: An air-fuel ratio programmable control method for a fuel burner installation, and a fuel burner installation adapted to operate by the control method. In the method, an error (Ep) is determined by subtraction of an input (Po) representative of the existing firing rate and an input (Pn) representative of the required firing rate; depending on whether Ep is positive or negative, fuel and air supplies to the burner are modulated in either air-led or fuel-led manner, respectively, to set the firing rate to the desired value (Pn); in addition, the error (Ep) is compared to a predetermined breakpoint (Xp) so that if Ep exceeds Xp fuel and air supplies to the burner can be modulated simultaneously for fast control action.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 1988Date of Patent: February 19, 1991Assignees: British Gas plc, Osaka Gas Co., Tokyo Gas Co. Ltd.Inventors: Neil A. Ovenden, Tsuyoshi Kimura, Keiichi Minamino
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Patent number: 4987018Abstract: Members especially hollow members 10, 12 such as pipes and pipe fittings one member 12 of cross-linked polyethylene say and the other member 10 of medium density polyethylene say are joined by fusion using a butt fusion machine. End surfaces of the members are pressed at higher pressure against a hot plate 18 to upset only the medium density material to form beads 20, 22. No cross-linked material is upset to form beads. The pressure is reduced during a soak stage then the plate is removed and the surfaces are mutually engaged at the higher pressure. The beads formed are adjacent the interface between the members and both beads are offset towards the medium density material, member 10. Careful alignment will avoid faults caused when the beads do not cover exposed parts of end surfaces. Other materials include polypropylene, copolymer or monopolymer types. Natural gas distribution systems can be fabricated using the invention.Type: GrantFiled: February 21, 1989Date of Patent: January 22, 1991Assignee: British Gas plcInventors: Alan J. Dickinson, Trevor G. Stafford
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Patent number: 4986899Abstract: The invention relates to a method of operating an adsorption system using only two adsorption beds, for control of output quality of a gas containing a hydrocarbon. In the method before complete changeover of one bed A from adsorption to regeneration and of the other bed B from adsorption to regeneration, the adsorption feed gas flow is split into two streams of equal flow rate in the embodiment described, flowing in parallel through the beds and recombining the gas from the adsorbing bed A and the regenerating bed.Type: GrantFiled: September 14, 1989Date of Patent: January 22, 1991Assignee: British Gas plcInventor: Peter J. Parsons
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Patent number: 4985385Abstract: A catalyst precursor is prepared by intimately mixing a nickel-aluminium Feitknecht compound with a non-calcined aluminosilicate clay mineral and at the same time and/or subsequently with at least one additive comprising an alkaline earth and/or rare earth metal compound. The resulting mixture is then calcined to produce the catalyst precursor which can be reduced to the catalyst form. The catalyst may be used, for example, in the methanation of gases and the presence of the additive reduces silicon species loss from the catalyst during use.Type: GrantFiled: September 25, 1989Date of Patent: January 15, 1991Assignee: British Gas plcInventors: Alan Williams, John D. Wilson, Roger D. Wragg, Stephen D. Jones, Costa Komodromos, Timothy J. Reynolds
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Patent number: 4983225Abstract: A thermoelectric semiconductor multicouple array comprises a substrate of semi-insulating material 10, alternate n-type and p-type strips or legs ion implanted into said substrate and connected together electrically in series, and terminal means 11 connected to said series-connected strips or legs. The array may be incorporated in an integrated circuit chip. A method of making such thermoelectric semiconductor multicouple arrays is also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: August 16, 1989Date of Patent: January 8, 1991Assignee: British Gas plcInventor: David M. Rowe
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Patent number: 4971632Abstract: A thermoelectric semiconductor multicouple array comprises a substrate of semi-insulating material 10, alternate n-type and p-type strips or legs ion implanted into said substrate and connected together electrically in series, and terminal means 11 connected to said series-connected strips or legs. The array may be incorporated in an integrated circuit chip. A method of making such thermoelectric semiconductor multicouple arrays is also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: June 22, 1988Date of Patent: November 20, 1990Assignee: British Gas plcInventor: David M. Rowe
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Patent number: RE33716Abstract: A coupling device (1) for use with an electrofusion fitting (14) so as to identify the fitting and to provide an indication of the period of time for which such fittings should be electrically energized to provide a satisfactory bond to thermoplastic pipes, the device comprising relatively rotatable parts (2) and (3) which are brought into register with fixed identification locations (18) and (19) on the fitting, and when in register automatically select an electrical parameter which is representative of that particular fitting and the energization period required.Type: GrantFiled: January 26, 1989Date of Patent: October 15, 1991Assignee: British Gas PLCInventor: Alan Johnson