Abstract: A method to upgrade oil wherein an oil containing material is heated with a catalyst in a turbulent environment of less than about 1 volume percent oxygen to produce a vapor phase comprising an upgraded oil. Also disclosed is a thermal desorption process in which an oil contaminated substrate is contacted with an acidic reagent to form a peptizate, and the peptizate is mixed with a combustion effluent gas under turbulent conditions at a temperature above 200° C. to form the catalyst for the oil upgrading method.

Abstract: A method to reclaim and purify an oil bound to a substrate, and a reclaimed oil obtained thereby having, relative to the oil in the bound liquid in the substrate, a lower aromatic content, improved rheological properties, improved handling properties, or a combination thereof.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for purifying water, without the addition of salts, for treating swimming pool water, which comprises the simultaneous application of electrolysis and ultraviolet radiation techniques on the water to be treated, which takes place in a single reactor. It also relates to a reactor for purifying water, without the addition of salts, according to the preceding method comprising, within a tubular body, at least one bundle of electrodes with at least two electrodes each, at least two ultraviolet lamps, and a water inlet connection and a water outlet connection.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for recovering oil from oil-containing sorbents, such as drill cuttings obtained from drilling with an oil-based mud. The method includes peptizing the substrate with an acid reagent and direct thermal desorption with combustion effluent gases at high temperature under turbulent mixing conditions. Another method disclosed includes upgrading the oil in the substrate to improve one or more of the properties of the recovered oil relative to the oil in the substrate, such as, lower aromatics content, lower sulfur content, lower functional group content, higher saturates, higher viscosity, higher viscosity index, and any combination thereof. The apparatus provides for efficient recovery of oil from the substrate with a short residence time, high throughput, low residual oil content in the treated solids and/or high percentage of oil recovery. The apparatus may be transported to a remote location for on-site treatment of drill cuttings or other oil-containing solids.

Abstract: An emulsion treating unit and process. A subcooled boiling zone in the unit comprises a heat transfer surface to contact an emulsion at a temperature in excess of the saturation temperature of an aqueous phase in the emulsion, wherein the boiling zone is atmospherically vented. The unit also provides means for recovering an oil-rich layer from adjacent a vapor-liquid interface; and means for recovering an aqueous-rich layer from below the oil-rich layer. The process provides operation of the treating unit to heat an emulsion in the subcooled boiling zone, wherein the boiling zone is atmospherically vented, recovering an oil-rich layer and recovering an aqueous-rich layer from below the oil-rich layer. In one embodiment the boiling zone comprises a heat transfer surface having a temperature in excess of the saturation temperature of the aqueous-rich layer, wherein the vapor-liquid interface is subcooled with respect to the saturation temperature of the aqueous layer.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for recovering oil from oil-containing sorbents, such as drill cuttings obtained from drilling with an oil-based mud. The method includes peptizing the substrate with an acid reagent and direct thermal desorption with combustion effluent gases at high temperature under turbulent mixing conditions. Another method disclosed includes upgrading the oil in the substrate to improve one or more of the properties of the recovered oil relative to the oil in the substrate, such as, lower aromatics content, lower sulfur content, lower functional group content, higher saturates, higher viscosity, higher viscosity index, and any combination thereof. The apparatus provides for efficient recovery of oil from the substrate with a short residence time, high throughput, low residual oil content in the treated solids and/or high percentage of oil recovery. The apparatus may be transported to a remote location for on-site treatment of drill cuttings or other oil-containing solids.

Abstract: Computer-aided method to predict the location of an impact on an aircraft of debris shed off from the own aircraft comprising the following steps: a) providing the nominal position on the aircraft of said debris before its detachment; b) represent the debris by a body of a size and density appropriate to its characteristics; c) calculating a predetermined number of trajectories in three dimensions of said body in a predetermined fluid field when it is detached from the aircraft using an analytical model for calculating said trajectories and randomly varying one or more of the following initial conditions: the initial position of the body; the dimensions of the body; the damping coefficients of the angular velocity; the initial angles of roll, pitch and yaw; d) calculating the points of impact of said trajectories in the aircraft.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for recovering oil from oil-containing sorbents, such as drill cuttings obtained from drilling with an oil-based mud. The method includes peptizing the substrate with an acid reagent and direct thermal desorption with combustion effluent gases at high temperature under turbulent mixing conditions. Another method disclosed includes upgrading the oil in the substrate to improve one or more of the properties of the recovered oil relative to the oil in the substrate, such as, lower aromatics content, lower sulfur content, lower functional group content, higher saturates, higher viscosity, higher viscosity index, and any combination thereof. The apparatus provides for efficient recovery of oil from the substrate with a short residence time, high throughput, low residual oil content in the treated solids and/or high percentage of oil recovery. The apparatus may be transported to a remote location for on-site treatment of drill cuttings or other oil-containing solids.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for recovering oil from oil-containing sorbents, such as drill cuttings obtained from drilling with an oil-based mud. The method includes peptizing the substrate with an acid reagent and direct thermal desorption with combustion effluent gases at high temperature under turbulent mixing conditions. Another method disclosed includes upgrading the oil in the substrate to improve one or more of the properties of the recovered oil relative to the oil in the substrate, such as, lower aromatics content, lower sulfur content, lower functional group content, higher saturates, higher viscosity, higher viscosity index, and any combination thereof. The apparatus provides for efficient recovery of oil from the substrate with a short residence time, high throughput, low residual oil content in the treated solids and/or high percentage of oil recovery. The apparatus may be transported to a remote location for on-site treatment of drill cuttings or other oil-containing solids.

Abstract: A method and system for designing a smooth surface for a vehicle part, such as the hull of an aircraft, covering an area of the body of the vehicle part organized around an axis X. The method includes providing data indicating a profile, area, and position of a plurality of sectors perpendicular to axis X of the smooth surface, generating a first surface from the data by using a NURBS mathematical methodology, modifying N1 equidistant profiles (Py) of the surface until their area (APy) is consistent with the area determined by the area curve resulting from the data of the first step, and generating a second surface from the profiles (Py) and validating that the second surface adjusts to the area curve by using N2 equidistant profiles of the surface, where N2>N1.

Abstract: An emulsion treating unit and process. A subcooled boiling zone in the unit comprises a heat transfer surface to contact an emulsion at a temperature in excess of the saturation temperature of an aqueous phase in the emulsion, wherein the boiling zone is atmospherically vented. The unit also provides means for recovering an oil-rich layer from adjacent a vapor-liquid interface; and means for recovering an aqueous-rich layer from below the oil-rich layer. The process provides operation of the treating unit to heat an emulsion in the subcooled boiling zone, wherein the boiling zone is atmospherically vented, recovering an oil-rich layer and recovering an aqueous-rich layer from below the oil-rich layer. In one embodiment the boiling zone comprises a heat transfer surface having a temperature in excess of the saturation temperature of the aqueous-rich layer, wherein the vapor-liquid interface is subcooled with respect to the saturation temperature of the aqueous layer.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for treating for disposal oil contaminated substrates, such as drill cuttings from drilling with an oil-based mud, by steam distillation. If necessary, the contaminated substrate 10 can be pretreated with an emulsion breaker 14. The contaminated substrate 10 can be treated with steam 16 in a first mixing still 12. The substrate can be optionally treated with a second steam source 20 in a second mixing still 18. The steam provides heat to vaporize the oil, moisture to treat the substrate and water to the reaction mixture. Recoverable constituents in the vapor can be condensed in a vapor collection system 24. The treated substrate 22 is essentially free of oil and can have a controlled water content. The process exhibits low energy consumption, rapid treatment, compact equipment and a high degree of process control.

Abstract: Method and system to optimise the surface design of an object by optimising one or more of its objective functions J, which includes the following stages: a) Provide an initial geometry (51) of the surface, including its NURBS definition, and define as optimisation parameters p of the same a subset of the NURBS control points; b) Generate a computational mesh (53) of this defined surface by a set of points Pi; c) Determine for each point Pi of the computational mesh (53) the corresponding point in the NURBS geometry (51); d) Evaluate the objective functions J of the surface by a numeric simulation; e) Optimise the objective functions J by modifying the values of the optimisation parameters p; f) Generate a modified computational mesh (53?) corresponding to the modified NURBS geometry (51?) derived from those new values of the parameters p, and return to the stage d).

Abstract: A method for the preparation of activated clays and cement additives from contaminated drill cuttings is provided. The substrate can be mixed with a mineral acid in a first reactor. The acidified substrate is then mixed with alkaline earth in a second reactor. The reactions are exothermic and provide heat to vaporize the contaminants, reaction products, and water. Recoverable constituents in the vapor can be condensed in a vapor collection system. The treated substrate can be heated and/or further reacted with acid, resulting in the formation of activated clays. For production of cement additives, the treated substrate can then be heated in a kiln and combined with cement clinker material for the preparation of cement and/or concrete.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and system for designing a smooth surface (13) for a vehicle part, such as the hull of an aircraft, covering an area of its body (11) organized around an axis X, comprising the following steps: Providing data indicating the profile, area and the position of a plurality of sectors (15) perpendicular to axis X of said smooth surface (13); Generating a first surface from said data by using a NURBS mathematical methodology; Modifying N1 equidistant profiles (Py) of said surface until their area (APy) is consistent with the area determined by the area curve resulting from the data of the first step; Generating a second surface from said profiles (Py) and validating that it adjusts to the area curve by using N2 equidistant profiles of said surface, where N2>N1.

Abstract: Self-help device for handling socks, support stockings and stockings in general, especially designed for people with difficult or impaired mobility, which comprises two essentially tubular pieces, which have a longitudinal opening and which can be attached to one another by the introduction of one in the other, where in one of said pieces the upper part of the garment is fixed to be put on passing it through its interior and then disposing it in surrounding manner thereof, whilst the second piece is hingedly attached to pull-rods to simultaneously place both pieces progressively putting the garment on the user's foot, whose toes are from the beginning in contact with the toe of the garment as this is totally housed inside the tubular pieces previously attached to one another.