Abstract: A heliostat support and drive mechanism (10) includes a fixed pedestal and a central joint attached to the pedestal (12) and attachable to a mirror frame (28), the central joint (22) allowing the mirror frame (20) to be connected to the pedestal (12) and to be movable with respect to the pedestal (12) with at least two degrees of freedom. At least two arms (14) are movably connectable to the pedestal (12). A first (16) and second (18) drive mechanism are connected to the arms (14) and are movable with respect to the arms (14), the drive mechanisms (16, 18) having mirror frame connectors (20) attached thereto to allow the drive mechanisms (16, 18) to connect to a mirror frame (18), the drive mechanisms (16, 18) being movable between an extended position and a withdrawn position.

Abstract: A method of and system for processing stray flux data associated with a synchronous electrical machine; the method comprising capturing stray flux data from the synchronous electrical machine; generating a stray flux waveform using at least the captured stray flux data; analysing the generated stray flux waveform and the captured stray flux data; and storing the generated stray flux waveform and the captured stray flux data in a database.

Abstract: This invention relates to a nuclear reactor plant which includes a nuclear heat source (12), and a cooling system (10). The cooling system (10) includes at least two cooling circuits (26), each of which includes a plurality of coolant chambers (18) each having an inlet (40) and an outlet (42), the coolant chambers (18) being arranged around the nuclear heat source (12). The cooling system (10) further includes pump means (52) for pumping coolant to and from the coolant chambers (18), the volumetric capacity of the coolant chambers (18) being sufficiently large such that, when in a passive mode, the temperature of a water coolant in the coolant chambers (18) will remain below boiling point for at least eight hours.

Abstract: The invention provides a cooling system which includes at least one and preferably a plurality of coolant chambers arranged around a heat source, typically a nuclear reactor. A coolant inlet pipe enters the or each coolant chamber at a high level and extends downwardly through the coolant chamber to a discharge end positioned at a low level within the coolant chamber. At least one anti-siphon bleed opening is provided in that portion of the coolant pipe which is positioned at the highest level within the coolant chamber.

Abstract: The invention provides for improved signal to noise ratios in evaluation techniques. This is done by acquiring a signal, processing it to obtain a complex form thereof, obtaining a filtering factor from the complex form and processing the acquired signal with the filtering factor. The signal may be areturned ultrasonic, radar or sonar signal which may be reflected from a suitably sharp pulse. In particular, the invention may he used to evaluate articles to detect defects therein. In a preferred form, the complex form is filtered with a number of complex filters and the phases of the complex filtered signals determined. These phases are then used to provide the filtering factor.

Abstract: A method of mining an underground ore body includes the steps of: excavating a plurality of laterally spaced first, ventilation tunnels in the ore body using an auger mining machine; excavating a plurality of laterally spaced second tunnels in the ore body, each second tunnel intersecting at least one associated first tunnel and thereby defining a plurality of first support walls for supporting a roof of the mine, the first support walls comprising regions of the ore body intermediate adjacent second tunnels and each first support wall having a portion of at least one first tunnel extending laterally therethrough; providing a plurality of lateral conduits, each of which is aligned across a respective second tunnel between respective first tunnel portions defined in adjacent first support walls, to provide a series of continuos ventilation tunnels; backfilling the second tunnels to provide a plurality of second support walls for supporting the roof of the mine; and excavating the first support walls.

Abstract: A seal assembly (10) includes a first seal element (12) defining a fist sealing surface (14); displacement means including at least one electromagnet (20) operatively coupled with the first seal element (12), the displacement means being operable to displace the first seal element (12) via the, or each, electromagnet (20); and a second seal element defining a second sealing surface (28) associated with the first sealing surface (14), the first and second seal elements providing a seal. The invention extends to a combination comprising a gas turbine and a seal assembly. The invention further extends to a method of controlling a spacial relationship between respective sealing surfaces of two seal elements.

Abstract: A sampling means for sampling a falling stream of a particulate material includes a trough-like sampling receptacle for culling a sample of the particulate material, the receptacle having an inlet defined in an operatively top portion thereof and at least one outlet; a shaftless spiral conveyor rotatably received within the receptacle for discharging the sample through the, or each, outlet; drive means operatively connected to the shaftless spiral conveyor for driving the said conveyor; and displacement means for displacing the sampling receptacle between first and second positions on opposed sides of the falling stream of material, to permit the inlet of the sampling receptacle to cut the falling steam of material at pre-determined intervals.

Abstract: Materials conveying equipment 10 includes a support structure 12. A housing 20 is mounted on the support structure 12, the housing 20 having an inlet opening 26 and a remote discharge opening. A shaftless screw conveyor 18 is arranged rotatably in the housing 20 for conveying materials from the inlet opening 26 of the housing 20 to the discharge opening of the housing 20. A gravimetric unit 16 is mounted at the discharge opening for receiving the materials.

Abstract: A method of treating water comprises pausing sample water through an anode compartment of an electrochemical cell, or of an electrochemical cell stage. The anode compartment is separated from a cathode compartment by a water-impermeable membrane capable of transferring positively charged ions or cations only. At the same time, a direct electric current is applied between electrodes in the anode and cathode compartments, and a demineralized water stream is passed through the cathode compartment. Cations of dissolved salts in the sample water pass or migrate across the membrane. Water also dissociates in the anode compartment to generate hydrogen ions, and these hydrogen ions associate with the anions of the dissolved salts, to form the corresponding acids of the dissolved salts.

Abstract: A system is monitored by an operator choosing a part thereof having a number of items of equipment; determining the values of parameters of components forming the equipment items included in the chosen part of the system; deciding from the values if the parameters are abnormal; determining in which of a plurality of categories each parameter falls and grouping together those parameters that are abnormal in each category for each equipment item; selecting, by an operator, certain types of the equipment items and certain of the categories; and displaying all of the equipment items of the chosen part of the system and all of the categories having abnormal parameters in a graphical manner, with the selected types of equipment items and the selected categories for those selected types of equipment items being displayed in a normal manner and those that have not been selected being "greyed-out".

Abstract: There is provided an inspection device and method for inspecting a pump having a casing defining an internal surface and a plurality of radially spaced diffuser vanes arranged within the casing. The inspection device includes an image providing apparatus for providing a remote picture of surfaces of the vanes and the internal surface of the casing, and a maneuverable carrier apparatus for carrying the image providing apparatus, which is sufficiently manoeuvrable to pass into a space defined between adjacent diffuser vanes and beyond.

Abstract: A method of monitoring a system includes providing a representative structure of the system which has a plurality of levels in a pyramidal form and selecting a part of the system which is at a level that is not a bottom most level of the pyramidal structure and which has a plurality of sections. A first section of the part of the system is chosen and the said part of the system and its sections are displayed in a graphical manner in a first panel of a display. The said first section is displayed in a second panel of the display, with a symbol in the first panel representing the said first section being shown in a differentiated manner to other graphical components representing the said part. The invention also extends to an arrangement for monitoring a system.

Abstract: A method of monitoring a system, includes determining the values of a number of parameters of equipment comprising the system. The values when the parameters become abnormal and when they become normal are determined. Those parameters that become abnormal and those parameters which were abnormal and become normal and the times at which these events occurred are recorded. The parameters are grouped in a plurality of different categories. The number of abnormal parameters in each category in a predetermined time interval is summarized. The number of abnormal parameters in each category in each time interval is displayed for a predetermined time window. The invention also extends to an arrangement for monitoring a system.