Abstract: A ducted combustion system is disclosed. The ducted combustion system includes a combustion chamber bound by a flame deck surface of a cylinder head of an internal combustion engine and by a piston top surface of a piston disposed within the internal combustion engine. The system includes a fuel injector including a plurality of orifices, the plurality of orifices injecting fuel into the combustion chamber as a plurality of fuel jets. The system includes a duct structure defining a plurality of ducts and disposed within the combustion chamber between the flame deck surface and the piston top surface, the plurality of ducts being disposed such that each of the plurality of fuel jets at least partially enters one of the plurality of ducts upon being injected into the combustion chamber.

Abstract: An assembly having a sleeve member located over a tubular body, there being a chamber between the two and by increased pressure in the chamber the sleeve member is morphed to secure it to a well bore wall and create a seal between the sleeve and well bore wall to form an isolation barrier. The tubular body is formed in one or more sections so that annular planar faces are created for abutment between the sleeve member and the tubular body so as to remove the requirement for complex fittings and reduce the time of construction.

Abstract: A morphable packer and method of setting the packer in a wellbore. The packer is a tubular member having a throughbore with a central portion having a greater diameter than each end portion with tapered portions there between. Gripping elements are arranged on the tapered portions. Morphing of the tubular member creates a seal between the central portion and an outer cylindrical structure, such as a wellbore or casing, and the gripping elements are moved radially outwards to engage with the cylindrical structure. The gripping elements act as slips which are activated by morphing the tubular member. Embodiments are described with the tubular member being a sleeve on a base pipe and, additionally, sealing and securing features in the form of elastomeric bands, lugs and wedges.

Abstract: A hydraulic fluid delivery tool for morphing a tubular downhole and a method of morphing a tubular downhole. The tool has spaced apart annular elastomer seal assemblies which operate by application of a piston against each elastomer to create a seal against the tubular. A first hydraulic fluid delivery line delivers fluid at a first pressure to operate the pistons. A second hydraulic fluid delivery line delivers fluid at a second pressure, lower than the first, to a location between the seals to morph the tubular and act on a second face of each piston to assist in maintaining the seal.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for sealingly connecting tubular members in a wellbore. In a connector apparatus where a portion of a tubular member is radially expanded into sealing contact within a second tubular member, and the second tubular member has circumferential recesses on an inner surface, an annular resilient band member is arranged in the recesses. The annular resilient band member is acted on by the portion of the tubular member during expansion and maintains sealing contact to the portion after expansion.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for sealingly connecting tubular members in a wellbore. In an arrangement where a portion of a tubular member is radially expanded into sealing contact within a second tubular member, and the second tubular member has circumferential recesses on an inner surface, a resilient member protrudes from a side wall of the recesses. The resilient member is acted on by the portion of the tubular member during expansion and maintains sealing contact to the portion after expansion.

Abstract: A method of casing connection in a multilateral well. A tieback tubular component is located in a wellbore below the casing window. A lateral completion tubular component is installed in the casing window. Tubular members can then be located in the tieback tubular component and the lateral completion component which are expanded by internal pressure to form a seal.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for securing a tubular within another tubular or borehole, creating a seal across an annulus in a well bore, and centralising or anchoring tubing within a wellbore. A sleeve is arranged on a tubular body to create a chamber therebetween. A port provides fluid access through the body to the chamber. Each end of the sleeve is covered by a cylindrical portion of a connector. When fluid is introduced into the chamber the sleeve is morphed to secure it to a well bore wall and the ends of the sleeve are morphed to each cylindrical portion. The connection between the sleeve and body does not require a weld. The cylindrical portions may also be shrink fitted to the ends of the sleeves.

Abstract: It may be necessary to eliminate soot from combustion engine emissions in order to comply with regulatory requirements. It may be desirable to avoid the need for a separate aftertreatment apparatus in order to eliminate soot from combustion engine emissions. A compression ignition engine may be configured to result in combustion having a peak value of equivalence ratio of less than 4.0 at the lift off length of the flame. This may result in particulate emissions of fewer than 1012 particles per kWh.

Abstract: A downhole flow control apparatus comprising: at least one tubular body (1) locatable at a zone of a well, the tubular body (1) having a longitudinal through bore and one or more transverse ports (5a, 5b) and a port covering device (3) which, in use, is movable from a lower position in which the or each port is covered to an upper position in which the or each port is open; and at least one plugging device (6) which is operable to travel downhole from the surface to locate within and seal the through bore of the tubular body, the plugging device including moving means (10) to cause the port covering device (3) to move from the lower position to the upper position thus allowing fluid communication between the through bore and the or each port (5a, 5b).

Abstract: The invention relates to an automated estimation of the position (co-ordinates) of a set of loudspeakers in a ioom Based on measured impulse responses the distances between each pair of loudspeakers are estimated, thereby forming a distance matrix, and the resultant distance matrix is used by a multidimensional scaling (MDS) algorithm to estimate the co-ordinates of each individual loudspeaker An improved co-ordinate estimation can, if desired, be derived by utilizing the stress values provided by the MDS algorithm.

Abstract: The invention relates to simulation of sound fields in enclosures, for instance for application in listening tests, where test subjects assess the sound quality or other sound perception characteristics of the sound field. According to a specific embodiment, the system comprises a binaural synthesis portion which synthesizes sound for instance from a sound-reproduction equipment based on measured impulse responses of an actual room stored in a data base (31) and a binaural recording portion comprising a data base 32 for storing binaural recordings of other sound signals made in the room. Data from these databases are mixed (41) and reproduced by means of a headphone (39) provided with a head tracker (42) for tracking the movements of the listener's head. The invention furthermore comprises the use of cross-fading functions (36, 37) to enable the dynamic listening conditions, where the movements of the listener's head are taken into account during the simulation process.

Abstract: A safety valve for use in well bore operations, for example, in cooperation with a progressive cavity pump or rodpump. One version of a safety valve (1) is designed for use with upper and lower conduits in the form of upper and lower pump rod strings (16, 18) located in wellbore production tubing (50). The safety valve comprises a housing (2) having a longitudinal bore (3) extending therethrough; a coupling member (14) for coupling the upper rod string to the lower rod string, the coupling member sealably mounted within the longitudinal bore; an annular flow passage (8) bypassing the coupling member; and a valve sleeve (23) located in the annular flow passage. In use, the valve sleeve is utilised to control flow of fluid through the flow passage bypassing the coupling member.

Abstract: Loudspeakers in domestic or automotive environments are rarely placed ideally with respect to the sources supplying them, and the stereo and surround images are seldom satisfying. According to the invention there is provided a method and apparatus for combining a precise knowledge about the relative positions of the loudspeakers that were intended (the virtual loudspeakers) and a precise knowledge about the actual placement of listening loudspeakers into a vector space that enables calculation of running corrections to the signals used in order to simulate the presence of the virtual loudspeakers. Specifically the corrections may comprise gain/attenuations determined based on the distances in vector space between the virtual and actual loudspeakers and delays determined from these distances.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to sound reproduction systems and methods and more specifically to the reproduction of low-frequency signal components recorded in a Low Frequency Effects (LFE) channel.

Abstract: The invention relates to an automated estimation of the position (co-ordinates) of a set of loudspeakers in a room Based on measured impulse responses the distances between each pair of loudspeakers are estimated, thereby forming a distance matrix, and the resultant distance matrix is used by a multidimensional scaling (MDS) algorithm to estimate the co-ordinates of each individual loudspeaker An improved co-ordinate estimation can, if desired, be derived by utilising the stress values provided by the MDS algorithm.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and system for reproduction of sound signals con-tained in a low frequency effect (LFE) channel in an audio reproduction system com-prising at least one main loudspeaker—although typically either five main loudspeakers in a surround sound system or two main loudspeakers in a traditional stereophonic system—and at least one low frequency loudspeaker (subwoofer) for reproduction of the lowest portion of the audible frequency range. According to the method and system of the present invention, the frequency range or the LFE channel is subdivided into a first frequency region below a given cutoff frequency, which first frequency region is provided to the subwoofer, and a second frequency region above said cut-off frequency, which second frequency region is provided to at least one of the main loudspeakers.

Abstract: Loudspeakers in domestic or automotive environments are rarely placed ideally with respect to the sources supplying them, and the stereo and surround images are seldom satisfying. According to the invention there is provided a method and apparatus for combining a precise knowledge about the relative positions of the loudspeakers that were intended (the virtual loudspeakers) and a precise knowledge about the actual placement of listening loudspeakers into a vector space that enables calculation of running corrections to the signals used in order to simulate the presence of the virtual loudspeakers. Specifically the corrections may comprise gain/attenuations determined based on the distances in vector space between the virtual and actual loudspeakers and delays determined from these distances.

Abstract: There is disclosed a safety valve for use in well bore operations, for example, in cooperation with a progressive cavity pump or rodpump. In one embodiment of the invention, a safety valve (1) disclosed which is designed for use with upper and lower conduits in the form of upper and lower pump rod strings (16, 18) located in wellbore production tubing (50). The safety valve comprises a housing (2) having a longitudinal bore (3) extending therethrough; a coupling member (14) for coupling the upper rod string to the lower rod string, the coupling member sealably mounted within the longitudinal bore; an annular flow passage (8) bypassing the coupling member; and valve means comprising a valve sleeve (23) located in the annular flow passage. In use, the valve sleeve is utilised to control flow of fluid through the flow passage bypassing the coupling member.

Abstract: The invention relates to simulation of sound fields in enclosures, for instance for application in listening tests, where test subjects assess the sound quality or other sound perception characteristics of the sound field. According to a specific embodiment, the system comprises a binaural synthesis portion which synthesises sound for instance from a sound-reproduction equipment based on measured impulse responses of an actual room stored in a data base (31) and a binaural recording portion comprising a data base 32 for storing binaural recordings of other sound signals made in the room. Data from these databases are mixed (41) and reproduced by means of a headphone (39) provided with a head tracker (42) for tracking the movements of the listener's head. The invention furthermore comprises the use of cross-fading functions (36, 37) to enable the dynamic listening conditions, where the movements of the listener's head are taken into account during the simulation process.