Abstract: Flame sprayed aluminum coatings have been shown to be of excellent value in providing cathodic protection to steel structures in a marine environment. The common method of applying flame sprayed aluminum to a steel substrate comprises providing an anchor pattern to the substrate. Such anchor pattern can result in fatigue cracking of the substrate developing within the surface discontinuities of the anchor pattern. The present invention provides a method for providing a layered, ion sputtered aluminum base coating of the substrate to which a flame sprayed aluminum coating may adhere without the need for a roughened surface on the substrate with its consequent potential for reduction of fatigue strength.

Abstract: A process for establishing well-to-well flow communication between a plurality of wells penetrating a subsurface formation is provided. A common fracture network is created by initiating a fracture from a first well, and then propagating that fracture from the first well to a second well. When the fracture has reached the second well, fracturing fluid is injected into the second well and thereby further propagates the fracture to a third well, and so on, so that the fracture is successively propagated to all of the wells. Such a fracture can be located adjacent either a lower or an upper boundary of a tilted subsurface formation, as desired. Techniques are also provided for reducing uneven areal distribution of injection fluids which are injected into fractures.

Abstract: Personnel evacuation apparatus for use with an offshore platform. A launching ramp that is mounted to the platform by a gimbal is stowed in a vertical position with a survival vessel secured in the entry end of the ramp. A release mechanism activatable from the deck of the platform enables flotation members secured to the exit end of the ramp, to pivot the ramp about the gimbal to its deployed position. The gimbal further permits the ramp to maintain a usable orientation in spite of inclination of the deck of the platform by 25.degree. due to pitch, roll or yaw. The exit end will pivot under wave action so as to gravity launch the survival vessel downwind and, upon release of the boat securement, carry the vessel safely away from the platform.

Abstract: Flue gas resulting from combustion of sulfur-containing fuel is treated for reduction of its sulfur dioxide content by creating in it a suspension of finely divided sorbent such as lime, and then contacting it at elevated temperature in a vertical contacting zone with a descending shower of sulfur dioxide oxidation catalyst. The resulting sulfur trioxide is captured as a powdered sulfate.

Abstract: A machine process for identification and extraction of magnitude and direction of edges and lines in noisy multidimensional imagery data. A digital picture function is viewed as a sampling of the underlying reflectance function of the objects in the scene or pattern with noise added to the true function values. The edges or lines relate to those places in the image where there are jumps in the values of the reflectance function or its derivatives. By expressing the function in some parametric form in the local neighborhood of the pixel under consideration, the edges or lines and the types of edges (left to right or right to left) or lines (peak to trough) may be inferred from the values of the parameters. Assuming the noise is Gaussian, significant edges or lines are detected by performing the statistical hypothesis tests on the parameters of the function. Recursive relations are used for efficiently estimating the parameters of the function.

Abstract: An underwater storage structure comprising an internally segmented tetrahedron and/or hexahedron, said self supporting structure having a fluid impermeable covering and an internally segmented skeleton. The structure can be subdivided internally by fluid impermeable coverings allowing ballast, such as water or sand slurry or the like, to be utilized to counter the bouyancy of internal voids formed by the subdivisions of the structure.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a logging tool having electrodes for introducing a current into a downhole formation and for detecting a voltage produced in the formation by the current. The current is provided by a transmitter circuit, and the voltage is received and processed by a receiver circuit including a computer programmed to provide induced polarization and resistivity measurements based on the detected voltage. The electrodes are equidistantly spaced but are adjustable (either on a single logging tool or as between different logging tools) so that various logging runs can be made to obtain different measurements whereby the intrinsic complex resistivity (induced polarization) of formation layers can be suitably resolved. The apparatus also includes a contact resistance measurement circuit for making measurements used by another computer means to determine the contact resistance of each of the electrodes.

Abstract: An apparatus for incremental cylinder length control in a hydraulic vibrator of the type having a reaction mass with a cylinder bore disposed therein, first and second end sleeves disposed in sealed movable position in the ends of the cylinder, a piston rod sealed and slidably disposed through the first and second sleeves with a piston attached to the piston rods where the improvement comprises threading the ends of the cylinder bore and forming mating threads on the first and second sleeves with means for rotating the sleeves with respect to the cylinder so that the sleeves move toward or away from the piston thereby reducing the volume of hydraulic oil between the end of the piston and the end sleeves.

Abstract: An enhanced oil recovery technique includes the predetermination of a desired steam distribution within a steam flood pattern, which preferably is proportional to the volumes of oil in place within various sectors of an area of a subsurface formation. These sectors are associated with the various producing wells of the steam flood pattern. Initial steam distribution is then determined. Subsequently, one or more of the producing wells has its production rate modified so that the final steam distribution within the formation will more closely approximate the predetermined preferred steam distribution.

Abstract: A computer implemented method for representation and recognition of waveforms uses information derived from several groups of such waveforms of general similarity. Each signal is considered as an additive combination of the common signal of the respective group and a noise term. The common signals of the groups of waveforms are extracted using a set of data-derived orthonormal basis waveforms, and a criterion is developed to evaluate the combination of individual basis waveforms used for the common signal extraction. The estimated common signals then represent a template pattern of the waveform or signal groups that can be used in waveform recognition.

Abstract: A method for developing a novel seismic data attribute enables improvements in seismic data processing and interpretation. Seismic signals or trace data are first rectified and then Hilbert transformed and processed with the arc tangent function to develop a new instantaneous phase parameter referred to as phase of rectified trace (PORT). Output data may be further enhanced with tri-modal, interactive color display.

Abstract: Apparatus for generation of shear or compressional type vibrations within a borehole wherein oppositely oriented first and second acoustic energy sources are energized to produce output tube waves which, in turn, are equally deflected to propagate energy toward opposite sides of the borehole. Energization of the sources in-phase effects output of compressional wave energy and energization of sources 180.degree. out of phase results in shear wave generation.

Abstract: A multicurvature reinforcing body comprising a pair of abutting bowl shaped members is fitted within a tubular chord member in the area of a complex joint. Cylindrical surfaces of contact of the multicurvature reinforcing body are positioned so that the longitudinal axis of an intersecting bracing member attached to the chord member passes through both of the surfaces of contact. The use of a multicurvature reinforcing body constitutes an improvement over the commonly used stiffening rings in that direct translation of tensional and compression forces acting along a bracing member which intersects at an angle other than perpendicular to the chord member to a large surface of contact within the chord member is effected.

Abstract: Method for automated hydro-blast de-coking of delayed coke drums wherein programmed central control receives input of drill stem tension, drill bit elevation and drill stem rotation along with indications as to hydraulic hoist power and air pressure input to the drill stem rotary motor, and functions to provide control outputs to automatically control the pilot and main bed cutting procedures attendant an entire drum de-coking operation.

Abstract: A flame sprayed aluminum coating of high strength steel components offers excellent seawater corrosion protection, increased fatigue life and uniform low level cathodic protection that avoids hydrogen embrittlement. Marine mooring and riser elements fabricated from such components are superior in the above respects to steel components protected from corrosion by common sacrificial anode cathodic protection systems. In addition, the need of welding a stud to the steel to insure electrical continuity between the steel and the sacrificial anodes is eliminated.

Abstract: A drum lifting apparatus includes a lifting beam having first and second ends. A first flange is fixedly attached to the first end of the beam and extends laterally therefrom. A first drum lip engagement extends from the first flange for engaging an annular lip of a first end of the drum. A second end of the beam has a shoulder defined thereon and has a threaded rod fixedly attached to the beam and extending from the shoulder. A releasable second flange has an opening therethrough through which the threaded rod is loosely received so that the second flange may slide on the rod and engage the shoulder of the lifting beam. The second flange extends laterally from the rod and has a second drum lip engagement extending therefrom toward the first flange for engaging a second annular lip on a second end of the drum. A threaded nut engages the threaded rod on a side of the second flange opposite the shoulder of the lifting beam for clamping the second flange against the end of the drum.

Abstract: An aqueous solution of an alkaline earth salt of a low molecular weight carboxylic acid, such as calcium formate, is sprayed into a sulfur dioxide containing flue gas upstream of a solids particulate separator in amount sufficient to produce a flue gas temperature at least about 10.degree. C. above its dew point at the separator.

Abstract: An encode-decoder system for generating highly accurate, coinciding synchronizing signals at each of plural separated locations; for example, a system generating start signals for a seismic data acquisition system. The system transmits psuedo random code data over selected communication link to a respective position decoder which samples the incoming code and compares it with a standard code. If there can be established a predetermined number of successive code matches, an output start signal is enabled when the code match count first peaks and then decreases.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for high accuracy simultaneous calibration of electrical measuring systems wherein a calibration signal which has frequency spectra which interleave but do not interfere with the data spectra is injected into the electrical system during data acquisition to simultaneously correct for the response of the particular detection system. In a particular geophysical application, a calibration signal at a source system or receiver system, or both, is injected into each individual system as the data and calibration signals are measured so that an overall system response can be applied to the data signals in order to remove system response effects therefrom.

Abstract: Flue gas is desulfurized by mixing into the combustion zone a finely divided sorbent such as calcium carbonate and, downstream of the mixing point, reactivating the sorbent by spraying the gaseous suspension with an aqueous solution of solubilizing agent such as a deliquescent compound or a strongly ionizing inorganic salt.