Abstract: A pressure stabilizer for use in hydrocarbon storage facilities which acts as an orifice and also permits the pressure in the system to be stabilized when it reaches a given amount. The stabilizer has a casing with a valve seat and a heavy ball located above the valve seat so that the ball is forcibly displaced upwards when the pressure in the hydrocarbon storage facility reaches an amount sufficient to lift the weight of the ball. Support members extending from the side of the valve seat suspend the ball away from the valve seat a sufficient distance to form the appropriate sized orifice and to minimize contact of the ball to the casing so that the possibility of the stabilizer being frozen closed is minimized.

Abstract: A system for injecting a predetermined amount of additive fluid into a main stream of fluid which controls the amount of additive injected by a timing circuit. A pump continuously circulates the additive through a circuitous path having a valve which diverts the additive into the main stream. A control system receives signals from a turbine meter in the main stream and opens the valve a predetermined length of time at a frequency depending on the signals received from the turbine meter, thereby maintaining a constant concentration of the additive in the main stream.

Abstract: Alkyladamantanes and/or alkyladamantanols of the C.sub.12 -C.sub.19 range containing 1-3 alkyl groups of the C.sub.1 -C.sub.3 range are converted to hydrocarbon dimers in which two adamantane nuclei are linked to each other through an alkylene radical derived from and having the same number of carbon atoms as an alkyl group of the starting material. The reaction is effected by contacting the starting material with sulfuric acid having a strength in the range of 94-102% H.sub.2 SO.sub.4 in the absence of any other reactant material. When the reactant is a dimethyladamantane or ethyldimethyladamantane or a monool corresponding thereto, ether products in which two adamantane nuclei are joined both through an ether linkage and through a methylene or ethylene radical can also be produced. Some of the linked products are oily liquids while others are normally solid. Usually a small amount of alkyladamantanone is formed.

Abstract: A manifold system for use in an underground hydrocarbon storage system is disclosed. The vent lines from each individual tank are connected to the manifold, and one manifold vent line extends from the manifold to a point above the surface level. A vapor return line from the manifold to a surface location for connection to a tank truck can be provided to recover the vapors displaced when the underground tanks are filled. The manifold design features a removable top for access to the float valves, thereby eliminating the need for excavation down to the manifold for maintenance. Also included in the manifold design is a feature which prevents the contamination of the unleaded gasoline by leaded gasoline.

Abstract: A system for detecting the presence of a contaminating fluid in other, normal fluids. In one embodiment the system detects the presence of hydrocarbons in a liquid which is normally water. A barrier which is soluble in hydrocarbons but insoluble in water has one side in contact with the liquid. A liquid sensitive switch is positioned on the other side of the barrier. If hydrocarbons are present, they will dissolve the barrier and close the switch which will set off an alarm. In a second embodiment wherein water is the possible contaminant in hydrocarbons, a barrier which is soluble in water but insoluble in hydrocarbons is utilized.

Abstract: A valve operator circuit normally operates to compare the pulse rates of two trains of pulses and to step an associated valve open or closed depending on which of the two pulse rates is the higher. The circuit includes a manually-operated presetting arrangement which, when operated, causes the normal pulses to be inhibited from moving the valve, and causes the valve to move to a desired position.

Abstract: An agricultural spray oil composition comprising a major amount of a petroleum hydrocarbon oil having an unsulfonated residue of at least 75 and a viscosity at 100.degree. F. in the range of 60 to 350, and a minor amount of a vegetable oil. The spray oil composition provides a particularly improved carrier which enhances the effectiveness of selective herbicides.

Abstract: A system for automatically releasing the pressure built up inside a tank when the liquid level falls below a predetermined level. This system is particularly applicable for use on a hydrocarbon tank truck which receives the vapors from the underground tank being filled, so that the pressure built up during filling can be released into the atmosphere through a filter in order to minimize the hydrocarbons released into the atmosphere when the connections to the underground tank are uncoupled. The system includes a pressure relief line connected to a float valve located inside a tank compartment on one end and to a filter on the other end. The filter can be made out of an adsorbant material which permits it to be cleaned and used over again.

Abstract: In order to prevent malfunctioning of an automatic liquid fuel dispensing nozzle which is being used for vapor recovery while dispensing, the pressure inside the tank (into which liquid fuel is being dispensed) is used as a reference pressure for the actuating diaphragm of the nozzle cut-off arrangement, rather than using atmospheric pressure for this purpose. Displaced vapors from the tank are directed through a vapor recovery boot having a flexible, exterior cylindrical sleeve and an interior of reticulated material which provides passageways for the vapors to travel through.

Abstract: A system for collecting and storing solar energy which includes solar panels which are installed between the joists of the roof so that the collector surface of each panel acts as part of the roof of each panel, and also includes a heat storage system connected to the back side of each panel. Each heat storage system has a plurality of heat storage cylinders containing a phase change, heat storage mixture and a heat pipe for conducting the heat collected by the collector surface to the heat storage material. The containers of heat storage material extend into ductwork connected to a conventional forced air heating system so that the air is heated when it is circulated around the heat storage cylinders. The heat storage system can be used with a flat solar collector surface as well as with a parabolic reflector for focusing sunlight on the end of the heat pipe.

Abstract: A system for performing an on-stream analysis of the chemical composition of a refinery stream. A U-shaped radiation waveguide having a plurality of small apertures therein is inserted into the refinery stream. Far infra-red radiation is introduced into one end of the waveguide. The apertures in the waveguide allow the chemical stream to circulate freely within it, resulting in selective absorption of the radiation traveling through the waveguide which is dependent upon the chemical composition of the stream. A detector detects radiation exiting from the waveguide, and produces a graph of radiation intensity versus wavelength for the far infra-red portion of the spectrum. A spectroscopic analysis of the graph indicates the chemical composition of the stream.

Abstract: Improved method of coldworking a metal workpiece involves using a low smoking lubricating composition containing certain amounts of water, potassium nitrite, potassium soap of a sulfurized fatty acid, glycerine, defoaming agent and a block copolymer of ethylene oxide grafted on a polypropylene oxide which copolymer has both a molecular weight range and contains an amount of ethylene oxide content sufficient to cause the composition to remain homogeneous between ambient temperature and the composition's boiling temperature.

Abstract: A system for preventing substantial pollution of the atmosphere by benzene vapors displaced from a tank truck during loading of the truck with benzene. The benzene is loaded into the truck at its ambient temperature, and benzene vapors displaced from the truck are cooled to condense them to a liquid state. The system for cooling the benzene vapors is one in which natural gas at high pressure is expanded to a lower pressure, and the cooling effect which takes place during the expansion is utilized to cool and condense the benzene vapors.

Abstract: A work platform for oil drilling, oil production, or other purposes is constructed in arctic waters by locating a natural ice island of suitable area and thickness, and moving it to the desired platform location. The ice island is anchored to the sea floor by installing at least one, but preferably a number of, generally cylindrical sheaths beneath it which extend from the island to the sea floor below. The sheaths are filled with water, and a thermosiphon is installed interiorly of the sheath. As the thermosiphon extracts heat from the water within the sheath, the water is converted to ice, and eventually the entire body of water within the sheath is frozen, thereby forming a column of ice which anchors the island to the sea floor in the desired location.

Abstract: A rotary control valve which is actuated by a steel bellows mechanism for use in a gas chromatograph. The steel bellows mechanism changes the valve positions as required by the gas chromatograph operation. An improved spring design provides an even pressure to the disc rotating against the valve body as well as allowing this pressure to be varied. Use of steel bellows and the proper materials for construction of the control valve will allow complete installation in the oven of a gas chromatograph for operation at a maximum temperature of 600.degree. F.

Abstract: The radio frequency resistance between a pair of conductive elements, for example, adjacent pipe sections of a pipeline, which are coupled together through an insulator, may be determined by contacting each pipe section with one of a pair of probes or electrodes connected across the output of a radio frequency oscillator which is coupled to the input of a rectifier and filter circuit. The probes are connected across the oscillator output through a resistor which insures that the direct current output of the rectifier is directly proportional to the RF resistance between the pipe sections. The output of the rectifier is coupled to a meter through an operational amplifier. The meter, which provides a direct readout of the resistance being measured, may be provided with a current limiting circuit which protects the meter from excessive DC current. Calibrating means may be provided to enable adjustment of the gain of the operational amplifier for resistance readings within several ranges.

Abstract: A process for recovering mesitylene and ethyltoluenes contained in a petroleum naphtha reformate by sulfonating the naphtha reformate with sulfuric acid and hydrolyzing the sulfonate product at reduced pressure.

Abstract: A train of fluid pulses representative of a process variable is processed by digital fluidic circuits and is then converted into an analog fluid pressure signal which is compared to an analog command signal, the difference between the two compared signals being caused to appear in the form of a displacement. This displacement is amplified by means of a fluid servo system, the amplified output of which is utilized for directly driving a control element for a process.

Abstract: A novel oil-containing rubber composition is prepared by admixing a rubber from the group consisting of natural rubber, homopolymers of conjugated diolefins, and copolymers of conjugated diolefins with ethylenically unsaturated monomers, with mineral oil having at least 10 weight percent aromatic compounds which has been obtained byA. mixing a mineral oil starting material with an acidic reagent comprising anhydrous hydrogen fluoride in amount from 10 to 40 percent by weight of said starting material; thereby to form an acid phase insoluble in said mineral oil and containing components extracted from said starting material, and an oil phase comprising unextracted components of said starting material and containing dissolved acidic material,B. separating said acid phase from said oil phase,C. mixing said oil phase with an alkaline reagent to neutralize said dissolved acidic material and form neutralization products, andD. separating said neutralization products from said oil phase.

Abstract: A low smoke point (e.g., 29) jet fuel can be used to produce a higher smoke point fuel (e.g., 40+) by blending with an additional more highly paraffinic fuel (e.g., high in C.sub.10 -C.sub.12 normal paraffins) boiling mainly within the fuel oil boiling range (e.g., 10% point of at least 270.degree.F and 90% point less than 540.degree.F). A preferred group of paraffinic fuels comprises n-decane, n-dodecane and mixtures thereof. Hydrogenated butylene and/or propylene polymers (e.g., trimer, tetramer), preferably hydrogenated propylene "tetramer" boiling mainly above 350.degree.F (e.g., 10% point of 360.degree.F), can also be used as additional components. The preferred 29+ smoke point fuel for blending with n-dodecane is obtained by a two stage hydrogenation of a paraffinic straight run kerosene having an API gravity of at least 42, and containing 12 to 16 weight percent aromatics and at least 45 weight percent paraffins. The blended fuel also can have a desirably low freeze point.