Abstract: A combined power steering hydraulic fluid reservoir and cooling unit (12, 112) includes a housing (14, 114) having a reservoir tank (16, 116) for receiving and collecting hydraulic fluid from a power steering gear (18) and holding the hydraulic fluid in readiness for supply to a hydraulic pump (20). The housing has a heat exchanger (22, 122) with a cooling liquid flow path therethrough in heat transfer relation with the hydraulic fluid, eliminating a hydraulic fluid cooler otherwise connected in series between the power steering gear and the reservoir tank, and eliminating two extra hose connections therefor.

Abstract: An air filter (10) is provided by a housing (12) having an air inlet (26) and an air outlet (28), a main filter element (30) in the housing, a plastic outlet tube (44) having a sidewall (60) with a pressure tap opening (62) therethrough, a metal fitting (68) in the pressure tap opening and affixed to the plastic outlet tube, for receiving a pressure sensor connector (70), and an auxiliary filter element (74, 90) in the pressure tap opening (62) and affixed to the plastic outlet tube (44) and unaffixed to the metal fitting (68) such that the auxiliary filter element (74, 90) remains in the pressure tap opening (62) if the metal fitting (68) becomes dislodged from the plastic outlet tube (44) and falls out of the pressure tap opening (62), such that the auxiliary filter element (74, 90) continues to protect the clean side (38) of the main filter element (30) and eliminates a possible contaminating bypass thereto through the pressure tap opening (62).

Abstract: A lubricant filtering and monitoring system and method is provided for a lubricant circulation system circulating lubricant through a filter to a lubricated component. A combination of sensors senses a condition of the lubricant before and after passage through the filter and before and after passage through the component and provides an output indicative of a condition in the circulation system. A sensor senses a condition of lubricant flowing through the filter, and another sensor senses a condition of lubricant flowing through a reference section for comparison against and normalizing of the output of the first sensor. A method of actively monitoring the component is provided by comparing influent to the component with effluent from the component to ascertain how lubricant is being modified by the component, by sensing a condition of lubricant passing through the filter. An effective method is provided for determining when to change or clean the filter.

Abstract: An adaptive acoustic attenuation system has distributed nodal processing and a shared state nodal architecture. The system includes a plurality of adaptive filter nodes, each preferably having a dedicated digital signal processor. Each adaptive filter node preferably receives a reference signal and generates a correction signal that drives an acoustic actuator. Each adaptive filter node also shares nodal state vectors with adjacent adaptive filter nodes. The calculation of the nodal correction signals depends both on the reference signal and nodal state vectors received from adjacent adaptive filter nodes. The calculation of nodal state vectors shared with adjacent adaptive filter nodes depends on nodal state vectors received from other adjacent adaptive filter nodes as well as nodal reference signals inputting the adaptive filter node.

Abstract: A fluid conduit system, including silencer systems, including intake and exhaust systems for engines, blowers, compressors, pumps, and the like, includes first (16), second (22), and third (28) pipes, and first (34, 36) and second (38, 40) flex joints each flexibly and sealingly interconnecting respective outlets and inlets of respective pipes. The flex joints include double O-ring sealing gaskets provided by first and second annular meshes (46, 48) received in respective annular grooves (50, 52) separated by a land (54), and a cloth (56) wrapped around the annular meshes and having a central web portion (58) spanning the land.

Abstract: An acoustic resonator (20) has a resonator cavity (22) with a resonator port (24) for communicating with an exhaust flow passage (26) conducting acoustic waves therethrough. Adjustable port structure varies acoustic impedance of the port by various combinations including translation to vary area along an arcuate surface, translation between discrete areas, translation to cumulatively open port area, multiple translation, multiple ports, rotational area change, and rotational length change. Adaptive control may be provided. A combined passive and active acoustic system may also be provided.

Abstract: An improved outlet tube (60) is provided for an air filter (10) of the type including a housing (12) having distally opposite axial ends (14 and 16), and a cylindrical filter element (34) in the housing (12), the cylindrical filter element (34) having an annular sidewall (40) with a hollow interior (58) and extending between distally opposite axial ends (48 and 50), wherein air flows radially inwardly through the annular sidewall (40) into the hollow interior (58) and then axially through the hollow interior (58). The outlet tube (60) is mounted to the axial end (14) of the housing (12) in snap-in relation and is rotatable relative thereto about the axis (62) of the cylindrical filter element (34) and communicates with the hollow interior (58) of the cylindrical filter element (34) for exhausting clean filtered air therefrom (64, 66).

Abstract: A fluid filter (10) includes a housing (14), a mounting head (16), a filter element (34), and a pressure sensor (54) mounted to the housing (14) and having a high pressure port (58) communicating with the high pressure side (36) of the filter element (34) and having a low pressure port (60) communicating with the low pressure side (38) of the filter element (34) to sense the pressure drop across the filter element.

Abstract: An acoustical silencer (10) includes a housing (12) extending generally axially vertically upwardly from an inlet (14) to an outlet (16). A laterally extending upper divider wall (18) is attached to the housing and has a plurality of apertures (22) therethrough. A plurality of tubes (24, 34) extend axially vertically through respective apertures and have an integral bulge (26) crimped radially outwardly to a larger radius than the aperture and engaging the topside of the upper divider wall to suspend the tube therefrom. A laterally extending lower divider wall (28) has a plurality of apertures (30) therethrough. The tubes extend axially vertically through the apertures of the lower divider wall and some have integral bulges (32) crimped radially outwardly to a larger radius than the aperture of the lower divider wall and engage the underside of the lower divider wall to suspend the latter from the tubes.

Abstract: An air conduit system (10) has a male air tube (22), a plurality of annular gaskets (26, 28, 30) around the male air tube (22), and a female air tube (24) receiving the male air tube (22) and engaging the gaskets (26, 28, 30) in sealing relation. The interface of the tubes is adjustable along three degrees of freedom, including a degree of freedom differentially compressing and expanding different of the gaskets such that one of the gaskets compresses while another expands.

Abstract: A filter (102) for filtering fluid from a machine (104) includes a filter housing (106, 250) having a first inlet (114) receiving a first fluid from the machine, a first outlet (116) returning the first fluid to the machine, a second inlet (118) selectively receiving a second fluid from a source (120) of cleaning fluid, and a second outlet (122) for exhausting the second fluid and for exhausting the first fluid from the dirty side of the main filter element (124) in the housing backwashed by the second fluid. The filter housing has a first flow path (126) therethrough from the first inlet then through the filter element in one direction then to the first outlet, and has a second flow path from the second inlet then through the filter element in the opposite direction then to the second outlet, the first and second flow paths having common but opposite direction portions through the filter element. A second filter element (156) is provided in the second flow path.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for removing free and emulsified water as well as solid contaminants from an oil/water mixture produced in lubricating the bearings of a steam turbine employs a singular, closed housing having a lowermost, filter-free gravity chamber, an uppermost filter element chamber, and a filter-free water collection chamber between the gravity chamber and the filter element chamber. The oil/water mixture introduced into the housing has its free water component removed in the gravity chamber and has its emulsified water and solid contaminant components removed by coalescence in the filter element chamber. Free water, emulsified water and solid contaminants are collected, monitored and selectively drained from the water collection chamber and gravity chamber.

Abstract: A reusable oil filter adapted to filter oil used in an engine includes a housing operatively connected to the engine, filter media disposed within the housing, a singular backwashing inlet operatively connected on the housing and an oil drain operatively connected with the housing. Pressurized air delivered through the backwashing inlet forces filtered oil to backflow through the filter media displacing contaminated oil from the filter media and creates an air-oil foam for further cleaning the filter media while the housing remains connected to the engine.

Abstract: An active acoustic system provides attenuation and spectral shaping of an acoustic wave. A phase lock loop (304) phase locks to the input acoustic wave (6) and generates (306) a desired signal or tone (308) in given phase relation therewith. An error signal (44) from an error transducer or microphone (16) is summed (302) with the desired signal (308) and the resultant sum is supplied to the error input (202) of an adaptive filter model (40) which outputs a correction signal (46) to an output transducer or speaker (14) to introduce the canceling and shaping acoustic wave. In other embodiments, various combinations sum the desired signal (308) with the error signal (44), the model output correction signal (46), and the model input signal (42). Speaker and error path compensation (146, 318, 320) and feedback compensation (340) is provided.

Abstract: An active acoustic attenuation system attenuates a correlated input acoustic wave and eliminates the need for an input transducer sensing such wave and also eliminates the need to sum a filtered modification of the model output correction signal with the error signal as an input to the model. The error signal is instead summed with the model input signal provided through a model copy, and the output resultant sum is supplied as the input to the model. A summer sums the error signal from the error transducer and the output of a copy of the adaptive filter model and supplies the resultant sum to the model input. Another copy of a model modeling the output transducer and the error path between the output transducer and the error transducer is connected in series between the model input and the input of the first noted model copy.

Abstract: A vertical exhaust system for an internal combustion engine that incorporates a provision for receiving and trapping water, such as rain, that may enter the open upper end of the exhaust conduit. The exhaust system includes a vertical outer body and a perforated tube is disposed within the outer body and spaced therefrom to provide an annular chamber therebetween. A plug or closure is secured within the tube and is spaced from the lower end of the tube, thus closing off the tube. An annular flange interconnects the inner tube with the outer body and is spaced longitudinally below the plug, to thereby enclose the lower end of the chamber. A drain hole extends through the outer body and connects the chamber with the exterior. The drain hole is spaced above the flange, so that the space between the flange and the drain hole comprises a trap to collect water that may enter the upper end of the exhaust system.

Abstract: A vortex air precleaner having snap-fit, self-sealing vortex tubes. Each vortex tube includes a flexible lip projecting laterally outward from the tube and spaced from an end of the tube. An annular shoulder is located between the lip and the tube end and spaced from the lip to provide a groove therebetween. The portion of the tube extending from the shoulder to the tube end is tapered inwardly and is formed with a plurality of longitudinal slits to provide the tube end portion with radial flexibility. When the tube end is inserted within an opening in the wall of the precleaner, the end portion will flex inwardly enabling the precleaner wall to be engaged with the groove, and the flexible lip engages the surface of the precleaner wall to provide a tight sealed joint.

Abstract: Detection of higher order mode transverse modal energy is suppressed for an acoustic wave propagating longitudinally through a duct. First and second microphones are placed in respective first and second nodal planes of the second higher order mode, and the outputs of the microphones are summed. For the first higher order mode, the output of the first microphone is equal in amplitude and opposite in phase to the output of the second microphone, and the resultant sum is zero. For the second higher order mode, the output of each of the first and second microphones is zero, and the resultant sum is zero.

Abstract: An active acoustic attenuation system prevents overdriving of the canceling output transducer or speaker (14) by shunting at least part of the correction signal (46) to a parallel shunt path (306) and away from the output transducer (14) Variable gains (308 and 310) are provided in the shunt path (306) and the input to the output transducer (14) for varying the ratio between the part of the correction signal (46) supplied to the output transducer (14) and the part of the correction signal (46) shunted to the shunt path (306). A first adaptive filter model (40) has an error input (202) from the error signal and outputs the correction signal (46). A second adaptive filter model (142) models the output transducer (14) and the error path (56) between the output transducer (14) and the error transducer (16).

Abstract: A multi-channel active acoustic attenuation system has a plurality of adaptive filter channel models each of which is intraconnected to each of the remaining channel models such that each channel model has a model input from each of the remaining channel models. The correction signal from each model output to the respective output transducer is also input to each of the remaining channel models, and each channel model has an error input from each error transducer. A generalized system is provided for complex acoustic fields.