Abstract: An apparatus and method of obtaining information about a property of interest relating to an earth formation resulting in reduced ringing effects is discussed. A Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) logging tool is conveyed into a borehole in the earth formation. A first pulse sequence is applied having a first associated measurement frequency, and first NMR signals are measured. The first NMR signals include non-formation signals resulting from an excitation pulse and a refocusing pulse in the first pulse echo sequence. A second and third pulse sequence, at different frequencies from each other and from the first frequency, is applied, and corresponding second and third NMR signals are measured. A phase of the non-formation signals resulting from the first pulse echo sequence and a phase of the non-formation signals resulting from the second and third pulse echo sequences are substantially evenly distributed around a unit circle.

Abstract: An alert device for a vehicle including a communications receiver for receiving file fragments for the device, a positioning data receiver for providing vehicle location data, a microcontroller system including a microcontroller and a programmable non-volatile memory system, for building and storing application and data files from the fragments, and executing an alert application of the device by processing at least one application file and associated data identified by configuration instructions included in at least one of the fragments to provide alert data for the vehicle corresponding to the location of the vehicle determined by the application on the basis of the vehicle location data.

Abstract: A sensor for performing micro-conductivity measurements during well logging measurements in a borehole includes a magnetic core having a conductive insert wherein windings are driven with alternating current. Some embodiments include a sensor further having a conductive case. Various aspects of the sensor, such as dimensions and conductive properties of fabrication materials are selected to maximize performance of the sensor. Methods for using the sensor call for, among other things, placing the sensor in a well logging tool, and placing the tool in a well bore. A substantial focusing of the magnetic field on the wall of the borehole is achieved and provides for high quality data.

Abstract: The quality factor of a NMR-antenna depends upon mud conductivity, formation resistivity and the borehole size. The Q of the antenna is measured. From measurement of one of formation conductivity or borehole size, the other can be determined.

Abstract: Estimates of ringing produced by short recovery pulse sequences (CPMG or modified CPMG) are used to improve the effects of ringing in a conventional CPMG or modified CPMG sequences. This is an effective method for removal of ringing when the ringing is varying over a time interval that would be spanned by a phase alternated pair of conventional sequences. By use of frequency dithering, ringing due to the excitation pulse and the refocusing pulses can be removed.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of obtaining information about a property of interest relating to an earth formation resulting in reduced ringing effects is discussed. A Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) logging tool is conveyed into a borehole in the earth formation. A first pulse sequence is applied having a first associated measurement frequency, and first NMR signals are measured. The first NMR signals include non-formation signals resulting from an excitation pulse and a refocusing pulse in the first pulse echo sequence. A second and third pulse sequence, at different frequencies from each other and from the first frequency, is applied, and corresponding second and third NMR signals are measured. A phase of the non-formation signals resulting from the first pulse echo sequence and a phase of the non-formation signals resulting from the second and third pulse echo sequences are substantially evenly distributed around a unit circle.

Abstract: An apparatus (1) and method for fibre processing, in particular, for opening and drafting fibres. The apparatus includes a device (2) having a series of pins (7) coupled to a drive mechanism (8) and arranged for sequential insertion in a feed path (6) along which the fibres are passed, the mechanism being arranged to increase the relative speed between the pins after insertion, to open and draft the fibres.

Abstract: Pulse shaping is used for reducing the interference between echo trains of multiple frequency NMR logging applications in a gradient logging tool. The major contribution to the interference between different logging sequences comes from the sidelobes in the spectra of the excitation signal caused by modulating the RF signal with a square pulse. By shaping the tipping pulse in a CPMG pulse sequence, the interference between logging sequences at proximate frequencies is reduced. The shaped pulse may be a smooth function such as the Chebyshev function or it may be a composite of two rectangular pulses. In an alternate embodiment of the invention, the refocusing pulses are also shaped.

Abstract: A novel nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) probe design for operating in a bore hole to obtaining the NMR characteristics of a region of interest adjacent the bore hole, characterized by a main RF antenna, a magnet, and a spoiler antenna. The spoiler antenna performs as an active shield for generating a resultant RF field that forcefully mismatches the static magnetic field inside the bore hole and substantially does not affects the RF field or antenna sensitivity in the region of interest.

Abstract: The static magnetic field of a permanent magnet used in an NMR tool moves with the tool. NMR measurements made with a moving tool are affected by incomplete polarization of the nuclear spins in the region where the Larmor frequency of static field matches the RF signal frequency. Simulation results show that the in-phase and quadrature components of spin echo signals are affected by the velocity of lateral motion of a logging tool in a borehole. A phase drift indicator is obtained by summing the quadrature and in-phase components over a window and taking the ratio of the windowed sums. The phase drift indicator shows an increase with time. In a tool with a gradient magnetic field, the phase drift indicator increases with time even for no tool motion. The reduction in magnitude of spin echo data due to tool motion alone may be obtained by comparing the magnitude of simulated echoes with and without tool motion.

Abstract: A side-looking NMR logging tool incorporates a permanent magnet arrangement having a magnetization direction oriented towards a side of the tool and a dipole RF antenna displaced towards the front of the tool. The magnet arrangement produces a shaped region of investigation in front of the tool wherein the magnetic field has a uniform field strength and the RF field has a uniform field strength in a direction orthogonal to the static field. The shaping of the static field is accomplished by the magnet arrangement comprising a plurality of magnets having parallel magnetization or by a single shaped magnet. The antenna arrangement includes a gapped core made of non-ferritic soft material for increasing the antenna efficiency. The magnet arrangement also reduces ringing in the core and the antenna. An optional RF shield is used to reduce NMR signals from borehole fluids.

Abstract: A scanning device and method of forming a scanned electronic image include an imaging sensor and at least one navigation sensor. For an embodiment, the imaging sensor enables sensing of color images. In the preferred embodiment, the imaging sensor is a linear array of sensor elements, with a two-dimensional navigation sensor array at each end. The scanning device has three degrees of freedom, since position information from the navigation sensors allows manipulation of an image signal from the imaging sensor to reduce distortion artifacts caused by curvilinear scanning. Acceptable sources of the position information include printed matter and contrast variations dictated by variations in the inherent structure-related properties of the medium on which the scanned image is formed. Inherent structure-related properties can also include color contrast.

Abstract: Circuitry and method for transferring signals from a photoreceiver array to computational circuitry includes parallel transfer amplifiers that receive periodic offset correction and includes DC removal amplifiers. In a first embodiment, each transfer amplifier has a differential circuit that can be switched from a reset mode to a readout mode. In the readout mode, the voltage state at the output is responsive to first and second inputs, with the second input being connected to a source of a reference voltage. In the reset mode, the inputs are both connected to the reference voltage and the output is temporarily connected to a source of a fixed reset voltage. An offset adjustment signal is generated in response to detection of a voltage difference between the reset voltage and the actual voltage state at the output after the output has been disconnected from the source of the reset voltage. A single offset circuit is used to periodically and sequentially refresh the various transfer amplifiers.

Abstract: A scanning device and method for forming a scanned electronic image include using navigation information that is acquired along with image data, and then rectifying the image data based upon the navigation and image information. The navigation information is obtained in frames. The differences between consecutive frames are detected and accumulated, and this accumulated displacement value is representative of a position of the scanning device relative to a reference. The image data is then positioned-tagged using the position data obtained from the accumulated displacement value. To avoid the accumulation of errors, the accumulated displacement value obtained from consecutive frames is updated by comparing a current frame with a much earlier frame stored in memory and using the resulting difference as the displacement from the earlier frame. These larger displacement steps are then accumulated to determine the relative position of the scanning device.

Abstract: A scanning device and method of forming a scanned electronic image include an imaging sensor and at least one navigation sensor. In the preferred embodiment, the imaging sensor is a linear array of sensor elements, with a two-dimensional navigation sensor array at each end. The scanning device has three degrees of freedom, since position information from the navigation sensors allows manipulation of an image signal from the imaging sensor to reduce distortion artifacts caused by curvilinear scanning. Acceptable sources of the position information include printed matter and contrast variations dictated by variations in the inherent structure-related properties of the medium on which the scanned image is formed. Illumination for optimal operation of the navigation system may be introduced at a grazing angle in some applications or in the normal to a plane of the original in other applications, but this is not essential.

Abstract: In an induction logger, a method for nulling the output signal from a pair of series-coupled receiver coils by altering the magnetic flux distribution within the coils by use of one or more magnetic equalization bodies. The shape and aspect ratio of the equalization body are chosen to minimize temperature dependence of the initial permeability. Alternatively, a highly conductive equalization body may be used.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for digitally processing signals received by an induction logging tool having a transmitter and a plurality of receivers. An oscillating signal is provided to the transmitter, which causes eddy currents to flow in a surrounding formation. The magnitudes of the eddy currents are proportional to the conductivity of the formation. The eddy currents in turn induce voltages in the receivers. The received voltages are digitized at a sampling rate well above the maximum frequency of interest. The digitizing window is synchronized to a cycle of the oscillating current signal. Corresponding samples obtained in each cycle are cumulatively summed over a large number of such cycles. The summed samples form a stacked signal. Stacked signals generated for corresponding receiver coils are transmitted to a computer for spectral analysis. Transmitting the stacked signals and not all the individually sampled signals, reduces the amount of data that needs to be stored or transmitted.

Abstract: A suspension system for motor vehicles has each wheel assigned a spring and a hydraulic unit and arranged in series with the latter. The ground clearance of the vehicle body can thus be altered wheel-by-wheel. A hydraulic feed system enables hydraulic fluid to be displaced between hydraulic units and allows pitching and rolling movements of the vehicle body to be counteracted.