Abstract: Disclosed is a method for treating oil sands tailings. The tailings are conditioned with an aluminate and treated with a silicate-containing stream from a hydrocarbon operation or from a geothermal source to produce chemically-induced micro-agglomerates (CIMA) and water.

Abstract: A screed die box includes a screed die bucket, a screed die box gate, a screed die box lever, a screed plate, and a positioning member. The screed die box gas is slidably connected at the bottom of the screed die bucket. The screed die box lever is rotatably connected to the screed die bucket and the screed die box gate for sliding the screed die box gate between an open position and a closed position. The screed plate is slidably connected along an aft side of the screed die bucket and includes a positioning aperture. The positioning member is located in the screed die bucket and engages the screed plate, the positioning member sliding the screed plate as the positioning member is rotated.

Abstract: A drywall feed pump system supplies drywall joint compound to a fill port assembly that allows for the connection of tools with various couplings, such as continuous flow pump tools and conventional automated hand tools. The assembly includes a feed hose, a mounting plate, a coupling plate, and a quick-connect adapter. An inlet of the feed hose connects to the feed pump system to supply the assembly with joint compound. The mounting plate provides a location for the outlet of the feed hose and accessory couplings to attach. The coupling plate facilitates the attachment to the drywall feed pump system. The quick-connect adapter extends from the mounting plate and facilitates the connection of various accessory couplings.

Abstract: A system and method for treating tailings from a bitumen froth treatment process such as TSRU tailings. The tailings are dewatered to at least 50 wt percent solids content, and then combusted to convert kaolin in the tailings into metakaolin. Calcined fines and heavy minerals may be recovered from the combustion products, namely from the flue gas or bottom ash or both. A trafficable deposit may be formed from the ash when mixed with tailings, such as mature fine tailings (MFT).

Abstract: A screed die box includes a screed die bucket, a screed die box gate, a screed die box lever, a screed plate, and a positioning member. The screed die box gas is slidably connected at the bottom of the screed die bucket. The screed die box lever is rotatably connected to the screed die bucket and the screed die box gate for sliding the screed die box gate between an open position and a closed position. The screed plate is slidably connected along an aft side of the screed die bucket and includes a positioning aperture. The positioning member is located in the screed die bucket and engages the screed plate, the positioning member sliding the screed plate as the positioning member is rotated.

Abstract: A flame safety system for a thermoplastic applicator comprises a gas burner and a flame indicator. The gas burner expels a jet of pressurized combustible gas from an outlet nozzle, and includes an attachment groove near the nozzle. The flame indicator includes an attachment ring configured to fit into the groove, thereby securing the flame indicator to the gas burner, and a flame path portion extending from the attachment ring into the jet of pressurized combustible gas. The flame path portion is formed from a material which incandescently glows whenever the jet of combustible pressurized gas is lit.

Abstract: An optical switch for performing high extinction ratio switching of an optical signal includes a beam polarizing element and one or more optical elements. The optical elements are configured to direct an optical signal along a first or second optical path based on the polarization state of the optical signal as it passes through the optical elements. The optical switch performs high extinction ratio switching of the optical signal by preventing unwanted optical energy from entering an output port by using an absorptive or reflective optical element or by directing the unwanted optical energy along a different optical path.

Abstract: An optical switch for performing high extinction ratio switching of an optical signal includes a beam polarizing element and one or more optical elements. The optical elements are configured to direct an optical signal along a first or second optical path based on the polarization state of the optical signal as it passes through the optical elements. The optical switch performs high extinction ratio switching of the optical signal by preventing unwanted optical energy from entering an output port by using an absorptive or reflective optical element or by directing the unwanted optical energy along a different optical path.

Abstract: A screed die box includes a screed die bucket, a screed die box gate, a screed die box lever, a screed plate, and a positioning member. The screed die box gas is slidably connected at the bottom of the screed die bucket. The screed die box lever is rotatably connected to the screed die bucket and the screed die box gate for sliding the screed die box gate between an open position and a closed position. The screed plate is slidably connected along an aft side of the screed die bucket and includes a positioning aperture. The positioning member is located in the screed die bucket and engages the screed plate, the positioning member sliding the screed plate as the positioning member is rotated.

Abstract: A mobile thermoplastic applicator comprises a kettle, a main gas burner, a heat exchanger plenum, and a screed die box. The kettle has walls which define an interior space for melting thermoplastic. The main gas burner is situated beneath the kettle, and is configured to heat the kettle. The heat exchanger plenum is situated inside the thermoplastic kettle and is configured to subdivide the interior space and circulate heated air from the main gas burner. The screed die box is configured to receive molten thermoplastic from the kettle and deposit that molten thermoplastic on a surface.

Abstract: A flame safety system for a thermoplastic applicator comprises a gas burner and a flame indicator. The gas burner expels a jet of pressurized combustible gas from an outlet nozzle, and includes an attachment groove near the nozzle. The flame indicator includes an attachment ring configured to fit into the groove, thereby securing the flame indicator to the gas burner, and a flame path portion extending from the attachment ring into the jet of pressurized combustible gas. The flame path portion is formed from a material which incandescently glows whenever the jet of combustible pressurized gas is lit.

Abstract: A screed die box includes a screed die bucket, a screed die box gate, a screed die box lever, a screed plate, and a positioning member. The screed die box gas is slidably connected at the bottom of the screed die bucket. The screed die box lever is rotatably connected to the screed die bucket and the screed die box gate for sliding the screed die box gate between an open position and a closed position. The screed plate is slidably connected along an aft side of the screed die bucket and includes a positioning aperture. The positioning member is located in the screed die bucket and engages the screed plate, the positioning member sliding the screed plate as the positioning member is rotated.

Abstract: A process for tailings flocculation and dewatering is disclosed. In particular, disclosed is a method for generating chemically-induced micro-agglomerates (CIMA) of fine particles in a fluid tailings stream and using the micro-agglomerates to enhance tailings flocculation and dewatering.

Abstract: A fill port assembly for coupling accessories to a feed pump system comprises a feed hose, a mounting plate and a quick-connect adapter. The feed hose has an inlet end for connecting to a feed pump manifold, and an outlet end. The mounting plate comprises a linkage coupled to the mounting plate for joining the fill port assembly to a feed pump system, and a discharge orifice extending through the mounting plate for receiving the outlet end. The quick-connect adapter extends from the mounting plate for joining accessory couplings to the mounting plate adjacent the discharge orifice.

Abstract: An optical performance monitoring system includes a four-port tap coupling a tunable optical filter to a light detector. The four-port tap is configured as an optical tap and an optical splitter combined into a single optical element, where the optical tap directs a portion of an optical signal from an optical fiber to the tunable optical filter, and the optical splitter directs the optical signal from the tunable optical filter to the light detector. The optical performance monitoring system may employ tunable optical filters as a double-duty tunable filter or a double-pass tunable filter. As a double-duty tunable filter, optical signals to be monitored are passed through the tunable filter in opposite directions. As a double-pass tunable filter, a reflecting element is arranged on the output side of the tunable filter so that a filtered optical signal can be fed back into the tunable filter.

Abstract: Z-swivel 10 is comprised of a female coupling 12 designed to attach to a hose 30 (or application device 32) and in turn is attached to an inlet stud 14 which is rotatably located in seal housing 16. Seals 18 and 20 seal and allow rotation between stud 14 and seal housing 16. Similarly, seal housing 16 contains seals 34 which allow rotation of seal housing 16 relative to center stud 22. Outlet coupling 24 is rotatably attached to center stud 22 with seals 28 and retained in place by retaining ring 26. Pipe plug 36 seals the end of center stud 22. Passages 38, 42, 40, 46 and 44 connect in that order to allow flow of fluid including thick and viscous fluids such as drywall mud through the swivel.

Abstract: An optical device is configured to perform both switching and attenuation of an optical beam in response to a single control signal. The optical device includes a liquid-crystal-based beam-polarizing element having polarization-conditioning regions that are controlled using a common electrode. The first polarization-conditioning region conditions the polarization of the input beam in order to separate the input beam into a primary component and a residual component. The second and third polarization-conditioning regions change the polarization of the primary component and the residual component, respectively. The primary component is directed to an output port after it has been attenuated based on its polarization state. The residual component, after passing through the third polarization-conditioning region, has its intensity further reduced based on its polarization state.

Abstract: A pump 24 with speed control is utilized. A dispenser 12 may have a trigger 16 which actuates a valve 16. Dispenser control 18 has “up” and “down” buttons, 20 and 22 respectively. The controls 28 (comprising elements 18, 20 and 22) for the pump 24 are remote from pump 24. The controls communicate with the pump via wires or radio frequency (RF) 26 to regulate pump speed. Quick button (20 and 22) presses will incrementally change the flow setting while long button (20 and 22) presses will change the settings at a higher rate. This control method can also be tied to the controls located on the pump 24. The potentiometer 30 on the pump 24 will set a max setting, and any adjustments at the valve can go below this setting and back up to it, but never exceed it.

Abstract: A coupler utilizes a conventional sanitary clamp member 12 having a handle 14 releasably clamping first and second halves 16 and 18 together. The inner surface of halves 16 and 18 is provided with a groove 20 having angled sides 20a and 20b which serve to axially press together male 22 and female 28 members together as handle 14 is tightened. Male member 22 has a generally cylindrical plug 24 with end 30 which extends into socket 28b of female member 28. An O-ring 26 is located on the circumference of plug 24 and seals against the inner cylindrical surface of socket 28b.

Abstract: An optical device for a wavelength division multiplexing system has a telecentric lens system and a signal-processing optical element, where the signal-processing optical element performs switching, attenuation, or other optical signal processing for the optical device. The telecentric lens system acts as a self-compensating optical system to minimize sensitivity of the optical device to unwanted displacement of an input image from the optical axis of the optical device. The optical device may include multiple telecentric lens systems, in which case the optical device is also less sensitive to precise alignment between the telecentric lens systems.