Abstract: An apparatus for restraining an assembly suspended by a structure on an offshore platform or vessel, includes a movable carrier configured for controllable movement on a structure of the platform or vessel. A restraining member is movably connected to the carrier via a joint and the restraining member includes an abutment region for abutment with at least one element of the assembly. An assembly-locking device is provided for selectively and releasably locking at least one element of the assembly to the restraining member. A restraining device for a tensioner assembly which is suspended by a structure on an offshore platform or vessel and extending into a moonpool, includes a pair of restraining apparatuses, arranged on opposite sides of the moonpool and individually movable on respective rails by a traction device in interaction with respective racks.

Abstract: A pull back system to install or replace underground utilities that is used with a hammer used in horizontal directional drilling operations. The system comprises a drill bit attached to the hammer. The drill bit comprises a cutting face comprising a first and second passage. The system further comprises a pull back adapter comprising an attachment member, a first member, and a second member. The attachment member may be secured to the cutting face of the drill bit by inserting the first member of the pull back adapter through the first passage of the cutting face and inserting the second member of the pull back adapter through the second passage of the cutting face. The first member secures to the second member within an internal cavity of the drill bit to hold the attachment member for movement with the drill bit. A new pipe may be secured to a shackle on the pull back adapter. The drilling machine will then pull the hammer rearwardly through the borehole which in turn pulls the new pipe into the borehole.

Abstract: A floatable spoolbase for supplying rigid pipe to a reel-lay pipelaying vessel having a storage reel with an upright rotational axis for interim storage of a continuous length of pipe is disclosed. Welding stations upstream of the storage reel add pipe elements to the pipe to be stored on the storage reel. When a pipelaying vessel visits the spoolbase, the pipe is unwound from the storage reel and fed to a pipelay reel of the pipelaying vessel. Where the pipelay reel turns about a substantially horizontal rotational axis, winding the pipe onto the pipelay reel reduces ovalization of the pipe imparted by previously winding the pipe onto the storage reel.

Abstract: Systems and method for utilizing a generally unused and sealed off portion of an underground limestone mine, generally which is still elsewhere in use, to become a portion of a pollution mitigation system for the exhaust gases of a limestone kiln or other co-located industrial process.

Abstract: An object is to provide a drill bit with improved strength of joint between a bit tip and a bit shaft without diminishing dust suction performance of the drill bit. A drill bit 1 includes: a bit tip 3 including at least three cutting edge portions arranged at the distal end of the bit tip 3 such that they are spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction, each cutting edge portion 3c having a rake face 3s and a relief face 3e forming a joint ridge L1 serving as a cutting edge; and a bit shaft 2 having a distal end face 2F welded to a proximal end face of the bit tip 3 such that the bit shaft 2 rotates integrally with the bit tip 3. The bit shaft 2 includes a dust suction passage 4 extending in the longitudinal direction of the bit shaft 2, such that the distal end of the dust suction passage 4 extends to a distal end portion of the bit shaft.

Abstract: A replaceable guide piece (10) for an extraction or coal plough (100) is provided. The replaceable guide piece (10) includes a generally U-shaped guide piece body (12) configured to be inserted into a guide claw (14) of the plough (100). A single recess (22) is formed in a central portion of a guide piece body (12) to extend at an angle (?) from an upper side of guide piece body (12) to a side surface of the same. A locking mechanism (24) is configured to engage with the single recess (22) to prevent movement of the guide piece (10) in the longitudinal direction after insertion of the guide piece (10) into the guide claw.

Abstract: A rigid material for heat-insulation and/or buoyancy, consisting of a mixture of: (a) a matrix of a uniform cross-linked elastomeric polymer mixture and a liquid insulating plasticizer compound and (b) hollow balls dispersed in the matrix. The insulating plasticizer compound being selected from among compounds from inorganic or vegetable oil, and being a material, the phase of which does not change at a temperature of ?10° to +150° C., the weight proportion of the insulating plasticizer compound in the matrix being at least 50%. The hollow balls, dispersed in the matrix are at a volumetric proportion of at least 35% of the total volume of the mixture of the balls with the matrix. The rigid insulating material can be used for the insulation and/or buoyancy of an underwater pipe or underwater-pipe element.

Abstract: A guidance system for mining a seam of material includes a mining machine, a carriage, and a guide assembly. The mining machine includes a cutter head and defines a roll axis extending the length of the machine, a pitch axis extending from one side of the machine to the other side, and a yaw axis extending from a top side of the machine to the bottom side. The carriage includes a first emitter, a second emitter, and a third emitter. The first emitter projects a first laser that is aligned with a seam plane. The second emitter projects a second laser, and the third emitter projects a third laser. The guide assembly includes a first indicator and a target. The first indicator is aligned with the second laser, and the target is aligned with the third laser. The relative positions of the first indicator with respect to the second laser and the target with respect to the third laser indicate the orientation of the roll axis, pitch axis, and yaw axis relative to the seam plane.

Abstract: A method of well casing permitting thermal oil recovery includes drilling a wellbore to the top of productive formation, casing the wellbore with a casing string, drilling through the productive with a smaller diameter bit, running in a sand screen to the productive formation and subsequent drainage or heat carrier injection into the formation. The sand screen contains longitudinally-corrugated pipes with slots, mutually connected by the end cylindrical portions with a limited longitudinal shift possibility. Besides, the sand screen slots are internally hermetically sealed with a thermoplastic material. Running-in of the screen down to the target depth, include creating an internal excess pressure to expand the sand screen along its entire length except for cylindrical sections, fixing and hermetical anchoring to the casing. Pumping-in of a heat-carrier, under influence of which the thermoplastic material melts up, unseals the slots.

Abstract: A conveyor system for an open pit mine may include one or more conveyor lines. The conveyor lines are used to transport material from one location in the mine to another location. The material transported may be a waste material, such as overburden material, or coal. The conveyor lines may move from a first end of the pit to a distal second end. When the conveyor lines reach the second end, they may reverse direction and return towards the first end. During this reversal in direction of travel, equipment may be selectively swapped between the conveyor lines. The conveyor lines may include at least one mobile bridge conveyor. Each mobile bridge conveyor may support one or more conveyors that transport the material.

Abstract: In one aspect of the present invention, a drill string has a drill bit with a body intermediate a shank and a working face. The working face has a plurality of blades converging at a center of the working surface and diverging towards a gauge of the working face. At least one blade has a cutting element with a carbide substrate bonded to a diamond working end with a pointed geometry. The diamond working end also has a central axis which intersects an apex of the pointed geometry. The axis is oriented between a 25 and 85 degree positive rake angle.

Abstract: The invention relates to a shank bit for a road milling machine or the like, having a bit head and a bit shank, the bit shank comprising a first cylindrical segment that is indirectly or directly adjacent to the bit head, and the bit shank comprising a second cylindrical segment that, facing away from the bit head, is indirectly or directly adjacent to the first cylindrical segment, and the diameter of the second cylindrical segment differing from the diameter of the first cylindrical segment. In a shank bit of this kind, improved utilization properties result from the fact that the first cylindrical segment has a diameter in the range between 18 mm and 30 mm, and an extent in the direction of the longitudinal center axis of the bit shank less than 30 mm.

Abstract: A water spray system particularly, but no exclusively, for mineral mining, comprising a pick (1) having an integral shank (4) by which it is releasably receivable in an aperture (17) of a block (16), a heel (7) extending rearwardly from the pick (1), a hole (9) passing through the heel (7) and a pair of spaced-apart cheeks extending beyond the hole, a spray nozzle (24) received in a bore (22) of the block (16) with a head (25) of the nozzle projection above an upper surface of the block (16) to a location between the cheeks (8), with a water discharge orifice of the head (25) so located beneath the heel (7) and with respect to the through hole (9) of the heel (7) that water discharged from the orifice into the through hole and exiting the through hole induces an air flow wholly or partially through the through hole. Other aspects of the invention are the pick (1), the block (6), a releasable latching system, and a drivable member.

Abstract: A longwall shearer is positioned adjacent a face conveyor for transporting material that is cut from a mining face. The longwall shearer includes a chassis, an arm pivotably coupled to the chassis, a cutting drum for engaging the mining face, and a lump breaker for engaging material on the face conveyor. The chassis includes a first end and a second end, and the chassis is movable in at least a first direction that is generally parallel to the mining face. The cutting drum is rotatably supported on the arm. The lump breaker is pivotably coupled to the chassis about an axis, and the lump breaker includes at least one tooth for breaking apart the cut material.

Abstract: An excavation machine having a cutter head with a large diameter while making it possible to excavate excavation objects such as hard bedrock etc. with high efficiency is provided. The excavation machine comprises an outer circumference cutter head 20 having a circular opening and being rotated and contacted to excavation objects and a small diameter cutter head 23 disposed in the opening and rotatable independently from the outer circumference cutter head. Rotation centers of the rotation disk and the rotation plate are gapped and the gap is shorter than a rotation radius of the small diameter cutter head.

Abstract: A tunnel excavation technique using a water jet. A water jet system includes a moving unit movable back and forth with respect to an area to be blasted for tunnel excavation, an articulated robot arm mounted on the moving unit, a water jet nozzle which ejects high-pressure water and an abrasive toward an area to be excavated, and a control unit which controls the moving unit, the articulated robot arm and the water jet nozzle. A free face having a predetermined depth is formed of the area to be excavated in the direction in which the tunnel is to be excavated using the water jet system. Since the blasting is performed after the free face is formed, blast vibration can be effectively restricted.

Abstract: A method for geo-sequestration of a carbon dioxide includes selection of a target water-laden geological formation with low-permeability interbeds, providing an injection well into the formation and injecting supercritical carbon dioxide (SC—CO2) into the injection well under conditions of temperature, pressure and density selected to cause the fluid to enter the formation and splinter and/or form immobilized ganglia within the formation. This process allows for the immobilization of the injected SC—CO2 for very long times. The dispersal of scCO2 into small ganglia is accomplished by alternating injection of SC—CO2 and water. The injection rate is required to be high enough to ensure the SC—CO2 at the advancing front to be broken into pieces and small enough for immobilization through viscous instability.

Abstract: An underwater drilling arrangement for marking a bore in a bed of a lake, sea or river with a service platform which can be lowered for placing on the lake, sea or river bed, a drill drive which is mounted so that it is axially displaceable on the service platform, and a drill rod with drill head which can be driven in rotation via the drill drive. A conveying channel is formed in the drill rod, through which a conveying fluid together with excavated drill cuttings can be conveyed upwards, and a discharge opening for the conveying fluid together with the excavated drill cuttings is provided, via which the conveying fluid can be discharged underwater together with the excavated drill cuttings above the drill drive.

Abstract: A containment boom system for remediating an oil spill in a body of water includes a base support structure and two spaced apart containment booms defining a channel therebetween. An elongated rod has a proximal end and a spaced apart distal end. The proximal end is hingedly attached to the base support structure and extends laterally therefrom. A buoy is coupled to the distal end of the elongated rod. The buoy has sufficient buoyancy so as to remain floating on the liquid body while supporting the elongated rod. A reclamation loop is disposed in the water, a first portion of which is disposed in the oil spill and a second portion is disposed in the channel. The reclamation loop is continuously driven through a reclamation station, which removes oil therefrom.

Abstract: The invention relates to a plowing device having a plow chain which is guided inside a channel (2) having an inner radius (A1) and the chain links of which each have chain bends (5) and chain limbs (6) connecting the latter. In cross section, the chain limbs (6) each have an outside radius that extends along a chord length, wherein the inner radius (A1) of the channel (2) and the outer radius of the chain limbs (6) have a ratio of 1:0.8 to 1:1.2 in relation to one another.