Abstract: A reinforced MCEI transducer for drill pipe telemetry comprising an annular ferrite trough. The ferrite trough may be a single piece trough or it may be made up of ferrite trough segments arranged intimately end for end. The single piece trough may comprise one or more annular mechanical reinforcements such as a rod, a tube, or a mesh. Trough segments may comprise mechanical reinforcements that when the segments are arranged end for end, they thereby act like continuous annular reinforcements. The annular reinforcements may be embedded radially within the annular ferrite trough. The mechanical reinforcements may be nonelectrically conductive, or they may be electrically conductive. The reinforcements may comprise a metal or a nonmetal, or a polymer. An annular electrically conductive wire coil may be disposed within the ferrite trough. The ferrite trough may comprise one or more perforations. The ferrite trough may be housed within an annular polymeric block.

Abstract: An inductively coupled drillstring includes a drillstring tool such as a drill pipe and other downhole tools. The drillstring tool comprises a threaded pin end comprising male helical threads and a threaded box end comprising female helical threads. The female helical threads comprise a bulbous thread root and a generally keyhole cross section. The male helical threads comprise a bulbous thread crest and a cross section complementary with the cross section of the female bulbous thread root. At least a portion of the female bulbous helical threads comprise at least a portion of a first helical inductive coupler, and at least a portion of the male bulbous helical threads comprise at least a portion of a second helical inductive coupler. When the male and female threads are engaged at least a portion of the respective first and second helical inductive couplers are opposed to each other within the drillstring.

Abstract: A magnetically conductive electrically insulating (MCEI) trough for an inductive coupler in a drill pipe, drill string, and other downhole tools. The MCEI trough may be a ring or two or more ring segments. The trough may comprise interior side and bottom walls forming an open channel. The interior walls may comprise one or more axial flutes. An exterior wall may be spaced apart from the interior walls. The spaced apart interior and exterior walls may form a top surface. The exterior wall may comprise one or more flutes. The flutes may protrude from the respective wall surfaces, or the flutes may protrude into the wall surfaces. A wire coil may be laid within the open channel. The wire coil may comprise axial corrugations. The axial corrugations may couple with the axial flutes of the interior side walls. The wire coil may comprise wire strands laid within the trough.

Abstract: A wired drill string assembly, comprising a plurality of drill pipes extending from a surface into a wellbore. The plurality of drill pipes comprising a coaxial wired transmission line. The assembly comprising a downhole tool comprising a body having a first threaded connector and a second threaded connector, the first threaded connector being connected to one of the plurality of drill pipes. The downhole tool including one or more electrical components comprising a sensor coupled to the body and a signal transmitter configured to transmit a signal representing a measurement taken by the sensor. A first coaxial transmission line extending along the body and electrically connected to the coaxial wired transmission line and with the one or more electrical components. The first transmission line is electrically connected to the transmission wire by a first physical electrical contact on at least a portion of a first removable connector thread flank.

Abstract: A drill string tool comprising a mud motor comprising a driveshaft assembly rotatably disposed within a driveshaft housing, the mud motor comprising sensors and an adjustable bend setting. A bearing mandrel in communication with a drill bit rotatably disposed within a bearing housing. The driveshaft assembly includes a drive shaft adapter having a rotating portion and a stationary portion. The rotating portion comprising a centrifugal brake assembly in communication with an electronics package. The electronics package rotates with the driveshaft assembly at an RPM relative to the driveshaft housing. The electronics package is in communication with the motor, the sensors, the adjustable bend setting, and a collection of wired drill pipe making up the drill string by means of connections and coils. The connections comprise coaxial cables comprising an outer conductor and annular dielectric segments mounted on a center conductor wire. The segments may comprise an embedded mesh structure.

Abstract: A transmission system comprising a tool comprising an annular groove. An inductive coupler comprising a housing disposed within the annular groove, and an annular MCEI trough within the housing. An annular coil wire being laid within the annular MCEI trough; the coil wire being connected to coaxial cable within the tool. The coaxial cable comprising a mesh reinforced polymeric composite dialectic material intermediate a center electrical conductor and an outer electrically conducting sheath. The dialectic material comprising MCEI fibers in sufficient volume to capture an electromagnetic field surrounding the center conductor and shield a signal being transmitted along the center conductor from outside electromagnetic interference. The center conductor may run through MCEI mesh reinforced beads embedded within the dialectic material. The coaxial cable may extend within the tool or to the opposite end of the tool with the center conductor being connected to a similarly configured inductive coupler.

Abstract: A system for transmitting data and power downhole includes an annular groove in a downhole tool such as a drill pipe shoulder or other tool body. A housing for an inductive coupler being disposed within the annular groove. The housing may be a metal ring or a polymeric ring suitable for downhole conditions. An annular MCEI trough may be located within the housing. The MCEI trough may comprise segments. One of the segments may comprise one or more perforations. An electrically conductive coil may be placed in the MCEI trough. The coil may comprise a transmission end and a groundable end. The groundable end may be connected to the tool body by a ground post through the perforations in the MCEI segments and the housing. The transmission end may be connected to a cable within the downhole tool through the other perforation in the MCEI trough and housing.

Abstract: An annular block of polymer comprising an inductive coupler assembly configured to fit within a groove in the shoulder of a drill pipe joint. The assembly comprises a ferrite channel arranged around the interior of the block. At least one turn of a conductive wire is deposed within the channel. The block comprises a bumper comprising jutting from the block. The block comprises internal void openings adjacent its vertical side surfaces. A void opening is disposed proximate the bumper. The block further comprises an internal gasket partially extending from the bottom surface of the block. The external portion of the gasket being formed to fit within a gasket seat in the bottom of the groove. The wire passes through the gasket as it exits the block. When the block is installed into the groove, the gasket seals the wire and the block's components from the downhole environment.

Abstract: A transmission element for a downhole tool comprising an annular housing and an annular ferrite channel within the annular housing. An annular nonlinear coil may be disposed within the annular ferrite channel, and the nonlinear coil may be connected to a cable running within the downhole tool. The housing may be an annular groove or recess within the tool, an annular metal trough, or an annular polymeric block. The polymeric block may comprise a composite of a polymer and a volume of ferrite elements comprising Fe and Mn. The annular nonlinear coil may comprise a wave, a helix, a twisted pair of wires, a transformer comprising a coil and a metal core, or a combination thereof. The polymeric block may comprise and bumper on its periphery and a void opening within the block proximate the bumper. The ferrite channel and the coil may be molded within the polymeric block.

Abstract: A downhole data transmission system comprising a composite polymeric annular block including a ferrite channel molded therein. The block being suitable for being housed within an annular groove or trough in the shoulder of a drill pipe. The annular block comprising a volume of sub-micron and micron elements of Fe and Mn. The ferrite channel defining an annular core region and an insulated helical coil laying within the core region. One end of the insulated helical coil passing through the ferrite channel and the annular block. A gasket molded into the block and extending from the block provides a sealed pathway for the end of the coil to exit the groove and connect to a cable; the other end of the coil being connected to ground. The annular block further includes a bumper protruding from its peripheral wall and a void opening within the annular block proximate the bumper.

Abstract: An inductive coupler system comprising an annular groove formed in the shoulder of a drill pipe. The annular groove housing an annular block comprising an inductive coupler assembly molded therein comprising a magnetically conductive electrically insulating (MCEI) ferrite ring forming an annular interior channel and a conductive wire with one or more turns running along the annular interior channel. The annular block comprising a polymer comprising a volume of micron (m?) and submicron (nm) size MCEI elements. The MCEI elements comprising Fe and Mn. The annular block comprising a planar top surface, bottom surface, and the respective surfaces being joined by inside and outside peripheral side surfaces. The outside peripheral side surface comprising a protruding bumper comprising a dimple molded therein. The annular block further comprising a gasket comprising an axial pathway through which a portion of the conductive wire passes as the conductive wire exits the annular block.

Abstract: A drill string comprising connectable drill pipes. The drill pipes comprise loadable annular shoulders within their pin end and box end tool joints, each having an annular groove therein. The walls of the annular groove may comprise a region harder than the surrounding annular shoulder. An annular channel may be disposed within the annular groove, and a wire coil may be arranged within the annular channel. The annular channel may be comprised of a magnetically conductive electrically insulating (MCEI) soft magnetic material suitable for reducing the signal loss across inductively coupled channels of adjacent connected drill pipes. The MCEI material may comprise manganese and iron sub-micron particles. The annular channel may comprise orifices. An insert may be positioned between the annular channel and the walls of the groove. The insert may be harder than the walls of the groove.

Abstract: A drill pipe joint includes an annular groove formed within its loadable primary or secondary shoulders. The groove may be formed in both shoulders. The groove may have parallel or non-parallel side walls and an undulating bottom wall. One or more of the respective walls may be deformed by peening that may increase the surface hardness of the respective walls. The hardened region may extend a distance from the deformed wall surfaces. An annular wired channel may be disposed within the groove. The channel may comprise a magnetically conductive electrically insulating material enclosing a wire coil on three sides and partially enclosing a top side of the channel. One end of the wire coil may be attached to a backstop that may be grounded to the walls of the groove. The other end of the wire coil may pass through an opening in the channel exiting the shoulder.

Abstract: A game board comprising a tapered playing field with walls rising from a perimeter thereof. The board comprises open receptacles arranged in a pattern or randomly on the playing field. A triangular pattern extends from an apex adjacent to a first wall to a base adjacent to a second wall. Each of the receptacles comprise a depth and a diameter sufficient to capture a ball used in the game. A movable track comprising a pair of rods comprising first and second ends is disposed above the field. The first ends are attached to a pivot disposed on the first wall and the second ends are inserted through an elongate opening in the second wall. The track is inclined from the pivot ends. A ball placed on the track near the pivot ends is urged to travel uphill along the track and dropped into a receptacle by manipulating the rods.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for a reel-to-reel chalk line comprising a first housing comprising a first reel, a first rotatable crank mechanism connected to the first reel, and a first chalk bin comprising apertures for allowing the passage of a continuous impregnable chalk line. The apparatus further comprises an opposed second housing comprising a second rotatable reel, a second crank mechanism connected to the second reel, and a second chalk bin comprising apertures for allowing passage of the continuous impregnable chalk line. The continuous impregnable chalk line is reeled about the first and second reels as the respective crank mechanisms are alternately rotated forward and backward. The chalk may include a variety of substances including powders, reactive powders, liquids, dyes, glass, minerals, plastics, ceramics, metals, and fibers. The continuous chalk line may comprise interconnected impregnable chalk lines joined by mechanical or chemical means forming the continuous impregnable chalk line.

Abstract: The invention is a mobile fueling system for vehicles that includes a fleet of mobile fuel stations, such as trucks. Each mobile fuel station has at least one fuel reservoir adapted for storing either liquid fuel, gaseous fuel and electric fuel. The system also includes a data processing hub and a network providing wireless data communication between vehicles, the fleet of mobile fuel stations, and the data processing hub. The data processing hub receives vehicle data from vehicles and fleet data from each mobile fuel station over the network. The vehicle data is transmitted from a customer's smart device running a customer app.

Abstract: An in-toilet urine sampling and measurement system is disclosed. One or more toilet sensors trigger volatilization, measurement, and analysis of volatile compounds in a urine sample. Volatile urine compounds may be concentrated, measured, and analyzed by a measurement system attached to a toilet bowl. A volatilizer system may use heat generated from one or more measurement devices to assist in volatilization of the urine sample.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are wireless devices operable at intermediate wireless at ranges of thousands of meters, utilizing packets that include a preamble and a data payload. Devices may be such things as keypads, door latches, occupancy monitors, sprinkler controllers and other devices needing a communications link. A digital spread-spectrum frequency hopping rotation is used, wherein packet transmissions rotate through frequency sequences. Used is a spectrum-impact-smoothed channel sequence, each channel specifying a unique preamble frequency relative to the other sequences and channels. The set is traversed as a broadcasted stream is transmitted, thereby distributing the focused radio-frequency emission impact of packets having long preambles over time. Packet acknowledgments are deferred until a group of packets in a stream has been exchanged.

Abstract: A toilet with multiple urinalysis instruments is disclosed. Two or more of the optical instruments are able to take simultaneous measurements. Optical instruments may share a common light source. One or more light source may use amplitude modulation. A cleaning jet may be used to clean and dry a surface tension urine slot. An inductive heater may be used to preheat and control urine temperature while testing the urine.

Abstract: Embodiments of a parking brake and anti-theft apparatus for a vented disc brake system are described herein. Such embodiments may include a brake assembly, an actuator and a rocker or a locking arm. The brake assembly by include a first and second rotor plates separated by spacers and slots. The rocker and locking arm may include pawls extending from an edge, and may be positioned adjacent to a circumference of the rotor plates, aligned between the rotor plates. The actuator may move the rocker and/or locking arm between locked an unlocked positions such that, in the locked configuration, the pawls are inserted into the slots, and in the unlocked configuration, the pawls are disposed outside the slots.