Abstract: A method for totalizing the volume of liquid pumped to or from a vessel by a set of pumps. The method comprises the following steps: Calculating a running time for each of the pumps. Determining a first rate of change of volume when each of the pumps is turned on and a second rate of change a predetermined period after each of the pumps is turned on. Determining a draw down rate for each of the pumps and calculating the volume pumped by each pump based on the running time and draw down rate. Summing the volume pumped by each of the pumps to give a total volume pumped for the vessel over the operating time for the pumps. The totalizing method is incorporated with a control system for controlling the pumping of liquid to or from a vessel using one or more pumps. The control system comprises a level sensor, an actuator for each of the pumps, and a controller. The controller is programmed to issue control signals to the actuators and execute process steps for totalizing the volume of liquid pumped in the vessel.

Abstract: Reservoir flow or surge control systems frequently have large installed lifting or pumping capacity to deal with variations in either inflow or outflow, or both, and may form a part of a larger system of many such reservoirs. Taken together these reservoirs may have significant storage capacity. In operation such systems are large consumers of electricity. Electricity is often priced differently at different times of day. This invention employs this storage capacity to permit energy consumption to be shifted, at least in part, from periods of high electricity prices to periods of low electricity prices. This is done by permitting a greater amount of material to collect during periods of expensive electricity, and then removing the material to a lower level during periods of less expensive electricity, or the reverse, depending on the nature of the system and the material in question. Either an `On-Off` or flow rate control method of pump control may be used.

Abstract: Apparatus for controlling consumer usage of electric power by selective load shedding during peak periods comprises, in combination: a) a transmitter capable of transmitting a burst of a desired duration of electrical pulses of a selected frequency through each phase of a power transmission line; b) at least one group of receivers, each group of receivers including at least one receiver, each receiver being provided with means for detecting the duration of a burst of said pulse and actuating or deactuating an electrical device in response thereto.

Abstract: A method of ore sorting includes distinguishing ore objects or ore containing objects by the light reflected from a laser beam arranged to scan across each of the objects to be sorted. Where the surface of the object is transmitting to the light a halo is produced by certain objects caused by internal scattered reflections of the light. By monitoring the occurrence or degree of occurrences of halos clean distinction of respective objects can be made. In a particular application, the identification of the presence of quartz pebbles in rock specimens can be used for detecting and sorting gold containing objects.

Abstract: For measuring the volume of a particle, for example in ore sorting, the particle is caused to move past radiators which illuminate the particle in two transverse directions. Detectors provide measures of the dimensions of the particle in the transverse directions in each of a number of adjacent zones which extend through the particle in its direction of movement. For each zone a volume measurement is derived from the product of the dimensional measurements and the various volume measurements are accumulated to obtain the final volume measurement.The dimensional measurements may be made in each zone in four or more transverse directions, and may be made by means of scanning cameras to obtain a more accurate final volume measurement.