Abstract: A tubular string comprises a plurality of torque connectors connecting a plurality of tubular members. At least one torque connector of the plurality of torque connectors comprises a pin component threadably connected to the box component. The pin comprises a three torque shoulders corresponding to three surfaces of the box component. In at least one embodiment, a sacrificial material is deposited between one of the torque shoulders and one of the surfaces to provide additional torque capacity to the torque connector. Additional apparatus, methods, and systems are disclosed.

Abstract: A valve stem arrangement for use in an adjustable choke, the valve stem being configured to prevent damage to components of the adjustable choke during downstream overpressure conditions. The valve stem generally connects a valve gate to an actuator for moving the valve gate within the choke. A set of shear screws couple components of the valve stem together. During overpressure conditions, the shear screws shear, permitting retraction of the valve gate towards an open position, thereby relieving loads on various choke components.

Abstract: A mobile device can be used as an intermediary to allow a client device to obtain licensing authentication. The mobile device can connect to the client device whenever the mobile device is within a proximity threshold to the client device. The mobile device can also control when a licensing message window is opened. When the mobile device is connected to the client device, and the licensing message window is open, the mobile device can act as an intermediary between the client device and the authentication server. Messages from the authentication/licensing server can be queued in the mobile device, and messages to the mobile device can be queued in the client device for later delivery if there is no communication or if the licensing message window is closed.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides systems and methods for identifying socially relevant landmarks that can facilitate wayfinding providing a landmark based route map that is easy to read and is dynamically updated by known and new landmarks based on their social relevance. GPS (Global Positioning System) locations help in identifying active zones and social media data associated with users in the zone help to identify candidate landmarks in the active zone that may be registered as new landmarks. Weights may be assigned to the landmarks based on periodicity and temporal factors to make the landmarks socially relevant and hence effective in wayfinding.

Abstract: A method for designing a core bit to control and reduce the cutting forces acting on a core of rock is disclosed. The method includes generating a model of a core bit including a plurality of cutting elements on a plurality of blades. The method may additionally include simulating a coring operation with the model of the core bit. The method may further include calculating at least one force vector generated by at least one of the plurality of cutting elements on the model of the core bit during the coring operation. The method may further include determining at least one force acting on a core in the model of the core bit based on the at least one force vector and generating a design of the core bit based on the at least one force acting on the core.

Abstract: A closed-loop system and method for heating of target contaminant treatment zones (150) having environmental contaminants of concern present in the groundwater and the soil by thermal conduction, and subsequent enhancement of physical, biological and chemical processes to attenuate, remove and degrade contaminants in the target contaminant treatment zones, is disclosed. The system and method collects solar or other heat and transfers that heat via a closed-loop and a set of borehole exchangers (120) to subsurface soil in the proximity of and/or directly to the target contaminant treatment zones. The target contaminant treatment zone may comprise contaminated soil, contaminated groundwater in an aquifer, or industrial waste comprising water and/or solids. Solar collectors or heat exchangers capturing waste heat from industrial processes may be used as the heat source (110).

Abstract: A robotic orchard spraying system having autonomous delivery vehicles (ADV), each autonomously delivering an amount of a premixed solution over a non-overlapping path verified by a forward-looking sensor, video, or both. Also, a mobile control center, configured to wirelessly inform the autonomous delivery vehicle of the path within the areas and to confirm that the autonomous delivery vehicle is following the path within the area. Additionally, a mapper vehicle generates the path within the area, the mapper vehicle being configured to communicate information about the path and the area to the command center. The mapper vehicle senses the path with a forward-looking LiDAR sensor, and senses the area with a GPS sensor. Moreover, a nurse truck has a reservoir of premixed solution for replenishing a tank of the ADV. ADVs and the control center communicate over a radio network, which may be a mesh network, a cellular network, or both.

Abstract: Systems, tools, and methods are disclosed that utilize at least one integrated computational element to measure a property of a substance in close proximity to the substance's source. More specifically, systems, tools, and methods are presented that allow the interaction of electromagnetic radiation and the optically-processing of interacted electromagnetic radiation in proximity to an emergence of a fluid from the fluid's source. The integrated computational elements optically-process the interacted electromagnetic radiation into a weighted optical spectrum. The weighted optical spectrum enables the determination of various chemical or physical characteristics of the fluid.

Abstract: Various embodiments disclosed relate to acidizing compositions and methods of using the same for treatment of subterranean formations, wherein the acidizing compositions comprise an acid; and a compound having a structure chosen from: Formula (I, II), wherein R1 at each occurrence is independently chosen from —H and substituted or unsubstituted (C1-C30)hydrocarbyl, R2 at each occurrence is independently chosen from —CN, CONRA2, and —COORA, wherein RA at each occurrence is independently chosen from —H and substituted or unsubstituted (C1-C30)hydrocarbyl, R3 at each occurrence is independently chosen from substituted or unsubstituted (C1-C30)hydrocarbyl, a substituted or unsubstituted (C1-C10)heterocyclyl, and a (Ci-C3o)hydrocarbyl substituted by a substituted or unsubstituted (C1-C10)heterocyclyl and interrupted by 0, 1, 2, or 3 groups independently chosen from -0-, —S—, and substituted or unsubstituted —NH—, and M is a Michael-addition donor.

Abstract: Various embodiments disclosed relate to crosslinked polymers including sulfonic acid groups or salts or esters thereof as viscosifiers and fluid loss additives for subterranean treatment. In various embodiments, the present invention provides a method of treating a subterranean formation. The method includes placing in a subterranean formation a composition including a crosslinked viscosifier polymer including an ethylene repeating unit including an —S(O)2OR1 group wherein at each occurrence R1 is independently chosen from —H, substituted or unsubstituted (C1-C20)hydrocarbyl, and a counterion.

Abstract: A digital analytics system comprises a data management system including data extraction modules and a data storage system. The data extraction modules extract data from data sources and store the data in storage units. An analytics engine system including analytics engines and interfaces to retrieve data relevant to the analytics engines from the storage units. The analytics engines may perform prescriptive or descriptive analytics on the retrieved data. An applications interface and storage stores applications. The applications may be executed using information generated by the prescriptive or descriptive analytics performed by the analytics engines.

Abstract: In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, a travel joint includes a tube disposed at one end of the travel joint and a mandrel disposed at an opposite end of the travel joint. The mandrel is partially disposed in a hollow portion of the tube, and the tube and the mandrel are axially slidable relative to each other to extend or compress the travel joint. The travel joint also may include a housing coupled to the tube and disposed around the mandrel and a locking mechanism between the housing and the mandrel disposed in a position to selectively lock the mandrel and the tube in an axial position relative to each other to partially compress the travel joint. In some embodiments, the travel joint may include a fluid brake having a fluid chamber disposed between the mandrel and the tube to dampen axial movement between the mandrel and tube.

Abstract: A connection for connecting a first member with a second member, including a torque transmitting connection between the first member and the second member and an axial force transmitting connection between the first member and the second member, wherein the axial force transmitting connection includes a first exterior shoulder on the first member, a second exterior shoulder on the second member, a first collar having a first interior shoulder for engaging with the first exterior shoulder, a second collar having a second interior shoulder for engaging with the second exterior shoulder, and a collar connection between the first collar and the second collar for transmitting an axial force between the first collar and the second collar.

Abstract: A robotic orchard spraying system having an autonomous delivery vehicle (ADV), autonomously delivering an amount of a premixed solution over path, the path identified by a forward-looking sensor. The ADV uses GPS to sense an area containing the path, and LiDAR as the forward-looking sensor. Also, a mobile control center, configured to wirelessly inform the autonomous delivery vehicle of the path within the areas and to confirm that the autonomous delivery vehicle is following the path within the area. Additionally, a mapper vehicle generates the path within the area, the mapper vehicle being configured to communicate information about the path and the area to the command center. The mapper vehicle senses the path with a forward-looking LiDAR sensor, and senses the area with a GPS sensor. Moreover, a nurse truck has a reservoir of premixed solution for replenishing a tank of the ADV.

Abstract: In some embodiments, an apparatus and a system, as well as a method and article, may operate to measure one or more properties associated with a fracture in a geological formation to provide a measured property. Further activities may include determining a predictive fracturing model based on the measured property, determining an objective function comprising at least one fracturing objective, generating an actuator input level that satisfies the predictive fracturing model and the fracturing objective of the objective function, and operating a controlled device according to a the actuator input level. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a method and system that allows for GNSS tracking of race participants in a race. Wireless enabled GNSS receivers monitor the position of race participants during a race and transmit position back to a central aggregating unit using a TDMA radio frame structure. The central aggregating unit provides the position data as a repeated data feed during the race to a mapping device that converts the 2D position data to one dimensional race data, showing position of race participants along the race course from start to finish. This one dimensional data may be directly output to end users, and/or used to calculate various “in-game” probabilities of outcomes of the race. The probabilities may then be output to end user, for example for betting or other gaming purposes.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for generating signature ambient sounds and maps thereof to assist in navigation based on a start location, a destination location, start time and average walking speed. The maps are generated by concatenating two or more of the signature ambient sounds and two or more of voice based navigation guidance. The signature ambient sounds for up to all location coordinate pairs in a map, for up to all time ranges and for up to all walking speed ranges are generated and tagged to the corresponding location coordinate pair, the corresponding time range and the corresponding average walking speed. The signature ambient sounds are generated by applying digital signal processing techniques on ambient sounds recorded by client devices, that are filtered and outlier removed.

Abstract: A method for estimating travel demand in a transportation network includes receiving a dataset of trips. The trips were taken in the transportation network and are each represented by an origin-destination pair and a departure time. A trip can include a sequence of legs. Each trip is described by a vector of modalities. For trips that include the sequence of legs, boarding and alighting stops are estimated. An empirical trip distribution is generated for each modality for given origin-destination stops. The empirical trip distribution is fitted to a specific family of probability distributions. At least one of the generating the empirical trip distribution for a given modality and the fitting the empirical trip distribution to the probability distributions is performed with a processor.

Abstract: In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, systems and methods for reconfiguring a vertical storage silo used to store proppant (or other dry material) so that the storage silo may be used in a desired orientation at a worksite are provided. The disclosed embodiments may include a vertical storage silo assembly used to selectively deliver material from one of two different outlet orientations. The silo assembly may offer two distinct orientations for an outlet chute relative to a transportation chassis used to transport and erect the vertical silo. The silo assembly may include a storage silo and a base for supporting the storage silo in a vertical orientation, the storage silo being removably coupled to the base. The storage silo may also be rotatable relative to the base to transition or reposition the outlet chute between a right-hand orientation and a left-hand orientation relative to the base.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to constructs, compositions and methods for modulating platelet-type 12 lipoxygenase (12-LO) in adipose tissue in vivo. Specifically, the invention provides constructs encoding expression-inhibiting oligonucleic acids, e.g. antisense and RNA interfering (RNAi) molecules, targeted to a platelet-type 12-LO gene or a transcript thereof, which are capable of reducing or silencing platelet-type 12-LO expression specifically in adipocytes and pre-adipocytes. Vectors comprising these constructs (including, but not limited to, viral vectors), compositions comprising them and methods of using same for the treatment and amelioration of conditions associated with excess fat cell mass and obesity are also provided.