Abstract: Method and apparatus for identifying a filamentous organism of the type present in a biological waste water treatment process. A magnified image of an unstained filamentous organism is obtained (122, 124), and initially evaluated for the presence or absence of attached growth and the presence or absence of sulfur granules (142). A computer routine (140) resident in a computer workstation (104) is executed which, for each combination of the presence or of attached growth and the presence or absence of sulfur granules, provides a separate user interactive search tree (144, 146, 148, 150), each search tree leading to a different set of possible types of filamentous organism.

Abstract: A heavy weight drill pipe member is disclosed for use in drilling high angle and horizontal well bores in a corrosive environment. The heavy weight drill pipe member consists of a tubular member with a longitudinal bore therethrough, and includes connectors or tool joints attached at each distal end for connecting additional heavy weight drill pipe members. The tubular member and tool joints are preheated, water quenched and tempered to obtain a unique combination of hardness, a yield strength and impact strength for improved resistance to stress corrosion cracking and hydrogen embrittlement in a hydrogen sulfide environment. The tubular member includes a plurality of wear pads or protectors equidistantly spaced along the longitudinal axis of the tubular member to reduce bending stress in the pipe by limiting the degree of bend when the pipe is placed in compression in a high angle well bore.

Abstract: An ultra high torque double shoulder tool joint (see FIG. 1) for maximizing the torsional strength of a threaded connection by correlating a transverse cross-sectional counter-bore area of the box (12) and pin (10). The pin 10 includes a base section 74 and a nose section 24. The nose section 24 defines a cross-sectional nose area 28. The pin external threads 22 include a taper no greater than 1/12. The box 12 includes a cross-sectional counterbore area 46 and a cross-sectional box area 52. The overall strength of the tool joint is dependent upon the torsional strength of the threaded connection, the cross-sectional nose area (28) and the cross-sectional counter-bore area (46).

Abstract: A tubular drill pipe section to be used in a well bore is disclosed. The drill pipe section includes upper and lower tool joints, a main steel tubular portion extending upwardly from the lower joint and terminating near the upper tool joint, and an elongated steel protector tube extending downwardly from the upper tool joint and secured to the upper end of the main portion. The main portion has a much lesser wall thickness throughout substantially its entire length than the protector tube. The protector tube is made of AISI 4100 series chrome-molly steel that is quenched and tempered to give it high strength and high hardness (30-38 HR.sub.c) with a Martensite small, close knit, grain size. This hard material reduces the penetration of the slip teeth into the wall of the pipe section and increases the fatigue life of the protector to beyond that of the main steel tubular portion.

Abstract: A joint of drill pipe is disclosed that has a tube section with upset ends to increase the wall thickness of the tube at its ends and tool joints connected to each end of the tube. Each tool joint has a cylindrical section connected to a weld neck of diameter by a tapered section. The connection between the tapered section and the weld neck has a radius of curvature and the weld neck has a wall thickness equal to that of the upset end of the tube that is welded to the weld neck. An external, stress relief groove is located in the weld neck to increase the fatigue life of the tube section of the drill pipe when the drill pipe is subjected to varying stresses produced by rotating the drill pipe while bent. One end of the relief groove is arcuate and is an extension of the radius of curvature between the tapered section and the weld neck. The groove may be arcuate in cross-section or it may have arcuate end sections with a cylindrical section between the end sections.

Abstract: The fatigue life of the tube section of a joint of drill pipe is increased by locating a stress relief groove in the weld necks of the tool joints adjacent the welds.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for drilling a well bore having a vertical portion, a curved kick-off portion, and a horizontal portion. The length of the horizontal portion is extended by using drill pipe having an aluminum tube and steel tool joints to reduce the weight of the pipe string in the horizontal portion and reduce the friction resisting movement of the drill pipe along the low side of the well bore. In addition, the length of the joints of aluminum drill pipe is reduced to between 14-16 feet to substantially increase the buckling strength of each joint.

Abstract: An aluminum pipe joint is disclosed for use in a drill string for drilling wells having a well bore with a substantially non-vertical section where the portion of the drill string located in the non-vertical section is in compression and is urged into engagement with the low side of the hole by gravity. The pipe joint includes an elongated tubular member of aluminum the outer surface of which is a machined surface. The tubular member has an outside diameter equal to the outside diameter of a standard joint of drill pipe over a substantial portion of its length. A section of increased diameter is located about midway between the ends of the joint and portions of enlarged diameter are located adjacent each end of the pipe joint. The latter portions have a diameter equal to the diameter of the external upset required for tool joints. They also increase the buckling strength of the joint. Steel tool joints are attached to each end of the tube.

Abstract: A flexible quilt collects and absorbs solar energy, and transfers heat to the underlying ground, water or other medium. It includes insulating gastight compartments which are located between an upper film and a lower film. The upper film has a high transmissability of ultraviolet and infrared energy directed downwardly therethrough, and it is reflective of infrared energy impinging on its lower surfaces. The lower film is absorbtive of solar energy and is modified to enhance the thermal conductivity through its thickness. To promote heat transfer to the underlying medium, the lower film is deformed to increase its surface area, a plurality of downward projections extending from each area of the lower film associated with each gastight compartment.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for treatment of particulate mixtures such as a mixture of solid particles, which is to be depleted in, enriched by or treated with a fluid, or wherein the mixture acts as a treatment medium for a fluid passing through same. The apparatus is of the type operating with an advancing bed of the particulate material. It utilizes walls permeable by at least a portion of the fluid. The apparatus is of the type of tubular, rectangular or the like vessel having only stationary parts and subdivided by a selected combination of permeable and non-permeable walls into separate chambers into or from which the fluid can be delivered or removed. The movement of the particulate mixture is effected solely by forcing same through a passage having preferably but not exclusively an annular chamber, by pumping, by gravity or by a combination of both. Additional throttling or valve means are employed to selectively control the advancement of the bed through the device.

Abstract: A novel device is described for unloading and orienting articles, such as cartons, stacked in tiers on a pallet. The device includes a tiltable pallet receiver which receives a loaded pallet in horizontal position and then tilts the pallet and tiered articles thereon onto their sides with the article tiers forming a series of substantially vertical, adjacent stacks. A means is provided for intermittently advancing the pallet and tiers horizontally in a direction away from the receiver when in a tilted position towards a single tier receiver which receives a single vertical stack of tiered articles from the pallet. The tier receiver is horizontally movable for moving the received stack laterally away from the next adjacent stack and support devices are provided for securely holding the stack in the tier receiver and the next adjacent stack in the pallet during this movement of the tier receiver.

Abstract: A tubular drill pipe section to be used in a well bore is disclosed. The drill pipe section includes upper and lower tool joints, a main steel tubular portion extending upwardly from the lower joint and terminating near the upper tool joint, and an elongated steel protector tube extending downwardly from the upper tool joint and secured to the upper end of the main portion. The main portion has a much lesser wall thickness throughout substantially its entire length than the protector tube. The protector tube is made of AISI 4100 series chrome-molly steel that is quenched and tempered to give it high strength and high hardness (30-38 HRc) with a Martensite small, close knit, grain size. This hard material reduces the penetration of the slip teeth into the wall of the pipe section and increases the fatigue life of the protector to beyond that of the main steel tubular portion.