Abstract: One or more autonomous devices are deployed in the well to provide a moveable sensor source or obstruction for coupling a tube wave seismic signal into the formation adjacent the well bore. The autonomous devices move in the well and provide moveable obstructions or discontinuities which couple tube waves existing in the well bore or production tubing into the formation adjacent the well bore. Wellbore tube wave energy is converted to body wave energy at minor borehole obstructions or irregularities that become sources of seismic energy. A well bore may contain a plurality of minor obstructions or discontinuities. Each obstruction or discontinuity position along the borehole has an associated unique waveform source coda that may be measured for processing the wavefield radiated into the earth formation surrounding the well bore. A plurality of sensors detects the radiated seismic energy after the seismic energy has transited intervening earth formations.

Abstract: A thermal cycle engine having a heat exchanger for transferring thermal energy across the heater head from a heated external fluid to the working fluid. The heat exchanger has a set of heat transfer pins each having an axis directed away from the cylindrical wall of the expansion cylinder, or, alternatively, a set of fins substantially aligned with the axis of the expansion cylinder. The height and density of the heat transfer pins may vary with distance in the direction of the flow path, and the pin structure may be fabricated by stacking perforated rings in contact with a heater head. A ring burner supplements the main combustor for supplying additional fuel to cause additional combustion of the exhaust gas. A regenerator for the thermal cycle engine has a random network of fibers formed to fill a specified volume and a material for cross-linking the fibers at points of close contact between fibers of the network.

Abstract: A thermal cycle engine having a heat exchanger for transferring thermal energy across the heater head from a heated external fluid to the working fluid. The heat exchanger has a set of heat transfer pins each having an axis directed away from the cylindrical wall of the expansion cylinder. The height and density of the heat transfer pins may vary with distance in the direction of the flow path, and the pin structure may be fabricated by stacking perforated rings in contact with a heater head. Ribs are provided interior to the heater head to enhance hoop strength and thermal transfer.

Abstract: There is provided an electro-optically driven relay system (10) for switching the application of energy to a load (5). The subject relay system (10) comprises: a switch unit (100) operable responsive to a control signal; an electro-optic current generating unit (200) connected to the switch unit (100) for generating the necessary control signal responsive to an actuation signal; and, primary and supplemental drive units (300, 400) connected to the electro-optic current generating unit (200) for collectively generating the actuation signal. The primary drive unit (300) is operable responsive to a first input signal; and, the supplemental drive unit (400) is operable responsive to a second input signal to augment the actuation signal for at least a predetermined time duration. The switching response of the switch unit (100) is thereby accelerated.

Abstract: A method for controlling the fuel-air ratio of a burner having a blower responsive to a blower drive signal for injecting air into the burner. The method is based at least on the concentration of a gas in an exhaust gas product of a combustion chamber of the burner and includes measuring the gas concentration in the exhaust gas product, deriving a gas concentration signal from the measured gas concentration, determining the fuel-air ratio from the gas concentration signal and the sign of the derivative of the gas concentration signal with respect to the blower drive signal, and controlling the fuel-air ratio by adjusting the air flow rate into the burner. The burner may be, for example, in a Stirling cycle engine.

Abstract: A method of combusting fuel and air in a burner of an external combustion engine having a heater head. The fuel and air are combined to form a fuel-air mixture which is characterized by a fuel-air ratio. An exhaust gas product is produced when the fuel-air mixture is combusted in the burner of the external combustion engine. A flame is formed by igniting the fuel-air mixture at a first fuel-air ratio produced by a first air flow rate and a fuel flow rate. The air flow rate is then increased to produce a second fuel-air ratio. The fuel flow rate is also controlled based upon a temperature of the heater head of the external combustion engine. The flame is maintained at the second fuel-air ratio by adjusting the air flow rate based on the fuel flow rate. The external combustion engine may be, for example, a Stirling cycle engine.

Abstract: A Stirling machine having two pistons coupled to a harmonic crank drive linkage for providing a specified phase relationship between sinusoidal displacements of each piston with respect to a fixed fiducial point. The harmonic crank drive linkage has a primary crankshaft and an eccentric crankshaft mounted internally to the primary crankshaft and coupled via a gear set to counterrotate with respect to the primary crankshaft. The eccentric crankshaft may be cantilevered with respect to the primary shaft, with the pistons of the engine coupled to the eccentric crankshaft externally to the supporting bearings. A flywheel coupled to the eccentric crankshaft provides for operation of the engine with a zero net angular momentum. An intake manifold provides for mixing air and fuel for combustion heating of the engine.

Abstract: There is provided an apparatus and method for simultaneously cleaning a plurality of elongated hollow instruments, preferably surgical instruments, each of which has a first opening and a second opening. The apparatus includes a fixture for receiving the plurality of hollow instruments. The fixture includes a clamp for removably securing the instruments to the fixture. The fixture includes a hollow upright cylinder which is attached to a source of fluids. The upright cylinder is attached to a hollow manifold located below the clamp. The manifold includes a plurality of tubes extending therefrom which are adapted to be connected to the first openings in the instruments. Washing, rinsing and drying fluids pass through the fixture and through the instruments on a timed cycle so that the instruments may be cleaned simultaneously.

Abstract: A selenium-containing aqueous stream may be used as a quenching water stream and optionally a cutting water stream in a delayed coking process to effectuate the removal of selenium from the selenium-containing aqueous stream resulting in the formation of a selenium-coke product. In addition, selenium may be concentrated in selenium-containing stripped sour water streams by recycling the stream in one or more hydroprocessing units and one or more sour water stripper units and subsequently removed by using a portion of the selenium-containing stripped sour water stream as a quenching water stream and optionally a cutting water stream in a delayed coking process.

Abstract: A cordless electric device has a main body portion extending along an axis and a handle portion extending at an obtuse angle with respect to the axis, the handle portion receiving therein along a second axis a battery pack. The device has a two-part housing, with the parts respectively defining the front and rear of the body and handle portions.

Abstract: An optical toe/track measurement system includes a pair of toe gauge assemblies respectively mountable on the two wheels at one end of a motor vehicle and a pair of track scale assemblies respectively mountable on the other two wheels of the vehicle. Each toe gauge assembly includes an elongated tubular housing having toe and track projection systems for respectively projecting toe and track light beams from the opposite ends of the housing, the track beam being projected coaxially with the housing onto the track scale on the same side of the vehicle, while the toe beam is projected perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the housing onto a scale carried by the toe gauge assembly on the other side of the vehicle. Light is supplied respectively to the two toe gauge assemblies throught two fiber optic cables from a single remote light source.

Abstract: For protecting a tube to tube plate joint in a tube-in-shell heat exchanger, or for repairing a joint of the same kind which has become defective, a sleeve is employed to bridge the joint and is sealingly secured at one end to the tube plate within the bore thereof and at the other end within the tube. The joint with the tube is a brazed joint. The inside surface of the tube is machined to provide a tapered surface and the exterior surface of the sleeve is machined to provide a matching tapered surface. A land and grooves are formed in the tapered surface, the sleeve is fitted within the tube with the surfaces in engagement, and the brazed joint is made with braze material contained in grooves flowing into a capillary clearance which is of uniform and reproducible dimension from joint to joint.