Abstract: The invention relates to a floating craft such as a ship (5) that comprises at least one tank (1) of a polluting fluid and at least one rescue connector communicating with said tank (1). The floating craft such as a ship (5) is characterised in that the connector (11a, 11b) is connected to the tank (1) by linking means (25, 27, 31), at least a portion of which is dedicated to at least one function that is operational outside rescue situations.

Abstract: A method for processing daily consumption, demand and time of use meter reads for electric, gas, water and other metered entities. The meter reads are collected by any of the well known Automated Meter Reading (AMR) technologies and loaded into a meter data warehouse. At a minimum daily meter reading, reads that are tagged as Good, Stale, Partial, Incomplete and Missing are required for properly identifying usage patterns, applying rules for error patterns and estimating the reads which will provide quality meter reads to the utilities thereby identifying meter problems before they become billing problems. The overall process involves loading the daily meter reads into a database, comparing each meter read against its previous day's read and applying a set of rules that help in validating, editing and estimating (VEE) of this data. The VEE rules that are applied can be broadly classified into five (5) categories.

Abstract: The invention relates to a plant for recovering a polluting fluid contained in the tank (4) of a sunken vessel (1) comprising a plurality of pipes (5) fixed to a deck (2), wherein each pipe comprises a first and second ends and, according to the beaching position of the sunken vessel, can form means for introducing a pressurised water into the tank or means for removing the polluting fluid outside thereof. Said invention is characterised in that said pipes are positioned in such a way that the ends thereof enters near each top corner of the tank and the second ends thereof are accessible from the inside of the sunken vessel.

Abstract: A pump (60, 160) has a pair of working members (preferably diaphragms 1, 2, 101, 102) and a pump chamber (3, 4, 103, 104) associated with each working member is communicated via check valves (32-35, 132-135) to a suction manifold (30, 130) and to an outlet manifold (31, 131). A drive mechanism (10, 110) couples the working members so that they reciprocate together and a first of the working members performs an outlet stroke while a second of the working members performs a suction stroke. The suction and outlet manifolds (30, 130, 31, 131) are incorporated in a manifold assembly that connects the pair of diaphragms (1, 2, 101, 102) for coordinated reciprocation. A pair of manually-operated levers (J, 8, 107, 108) are connected together for opposite reciprocation and are drivingly connected to the working members (1, 2, 101, 102).

Abstract: An internal combustion engine with a new combustion chamber comprising: short-flap pistons having an absolutely flat head; a cylinder cover having an absolutely flat bottom surface, and a distance “X” between the piston head and the bottom surface of the cylinder cover when the piston is at its TDC, which forms the combustion chamber, i.e., the space comprised between the piston's top surface or piston head, the walls of the cylinder, and the bottom flat surface of the cylinder cover.

Abstract: Disclosed is a water treatment system (10) including: (a) a water permeable wall portion (12) defining a water treatment portion (18) of a waterway to be treated; and (b) a treating portion (20) retained in a desired position relative to the permeable wall portion (12) by retaining means (26) wherein water to be treated permeates through said wall portion (12), said retaining means (26) and said treating portion (20) for removing pollutants contained therein prior to discharge of water from the system (10).

Abstract: A hazardous fluid removal and storage apparatus for the fail-safe removal and storage of hazardous liquids. An electrically monitored and electro-pneumatically controlled system provides safe pumping and storage of hazardous liquids with automatic pump shut-down and warning signals for leak detection and full storage tank conditions.