Abstract: Disclosed are techniques for managing activity notifications and determining incident scores for a plurality of locations indicating a level of vulnerability to damage or service disruption of an item of utility infrastructure. In an aspect, a method can include receiving an activity notification including an activity location; determining a location incident score for the activity location based a location-score heatmap; determining an activity notification disposition based on the incident score; and transmitting a message including the disposition. In another aspect a method can include training a location scoring model based on features from combined records including historical activity notifications and incident reports corresponding to a plurality of locations.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for preventing split-brain scenarios in high-availability clusters may include (1) detecting, at a first node of a high-availability cluster, a partitioning event that isolates the first node from a second node of the high-availability cluster, (2) broadcasting, from a health-status server and after the partitioning event has occurred, a cluster-health message to the first node that includes at least a health status of the second node that is based on whether the health-status server received a node-health message from the second node, and (3) reacting, at the first node and based at least in part on whether the first node received the cluster-health message, to the partitioning event such that the partitioning event does not result in a split-brain scenario within the high-availability cluster. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Abstract: The problem of penetrating through nets and other objects is solved by cutting the object using various cutter systems, which include, for example a track and a moving carriage containing a cutter, a stationary carriage with a fixed or rotating arm, and/or abrasive cutters. The object is cut by a severing, slicing, or wearing action caused by a moveable blade or abrasive surface. An underwater vehicle incorporating an embodiment of the cutter system can cut a sufficiently large opening in the object to allow the vehicle to pass through.

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 bunk assembly is provided. The bunk assembly includes a first plurality of bunks including a first bunk and a second bunk coupled end-to-end with the first bunk. The first and second bunks each include a cutout that substantially align forming a bunk slot between the first and second bunks when coupled end-to-end. The first plurality of bunks also includes a third bunk stacked on top of the first and second bunks when positioned in the bunk slot.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for preventing split-brain scenarios in high-availability clusters may include (1) detecting, at a first node of a high-availability cluster, a partitioning event that isolates the first node from a second node of the high-availability cluster, (2) broadcasting, from a health-status server and after the partitioning event has occurred, a cluster-health message to the first node that includes at least a health status of the second node that is based on whether the health-status server received a node-health message from the second node, and (3) reacting, at the first node and based at least in part on whether the first node received the cluster-health message, to the partitioning event such that the partitioning event does not result in a split-brain scenario within the high-availability cluster. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Abstract: The problem of penetrating through nets and other objects is solved by cutting the object using various cutter systems, which include, for example a track and a moving carriage containing a cutter, a stationary carriage with a fixed or rotating arm, and/or abrasive cutters. The object is cut by a severing, slicing, or wearing action caused by a moveable blade or abrasive surface. An underwater vehicle incorporating an embodiment of the cutter system can cut a sufficiently large opening in the object to allow the vehicle to pass through.

Abstract: A bunk assembly is provided. The bunk assembly includes a first plurality of bunks including a first bunk and a second bunk coupled end-to-end with the first bunk. The first and second bunks each include a cutout that substantially align forming a bunk slot between the first and second bunks when coupled end-to-end. The first plurality of bunks also includes a third bunk stacked on top of the first and second bunks when positioned in the bunk slot.

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: 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 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: 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 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: 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: 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: 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.

Abstract: Described are Gain Flattening Filters (GFFs) implemented using mechanical translating assemblies to move selected thin film Gain Attenuating Filters (GAFs), and combinations of selected GAFs, into or out of the output path from an optical amplifier. The GAFs may be used singly, or in combinations that synthesize many target filter characteristics. The GFF is primarily adapted for WDM systems operating with a wavelength range of approximately 1520 nm to 1620 nm. Several embodiments are shown for effectively combining different GAFs to provide multiple GFF curves.

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.