Abstract: A process for producing diluent for use in a hydrocarbon recovery process includes heating a dilbit feed stream comprising hydrocarbons produced from a hydrocarbon reservoir and an added diluent, to a temperature of 350° C. or less, fractionating the dilbit feed stream after heating to produce a light fraction and a heavy fraction, the light fraction comprising the diluent, additional light hydrocarbons, and sour water, separating the sour water from a remainder of the light fraction, and stabilizing the remainder of the light fraction to provide recovered diluent and cooling the recovered diluent. A volume of the recovered diluent is greater than a volume of the added diluent.

Abstract: A process for producing diluent for use in a hydrocarbon recovery process includes heating a dilbit feed stream comprising hydrocarbons produced from a hydrocarbon reservoir and an added diluent, to a temperature of 350° C. or less, fractionating the dilbit feed stream after heating to produce a light fraction and a heavy fraction, the light fraction comprising the diluent, additional light hydrocarbons, and sour water, separating the sour water from a remainder of the light fraction, and stabilizing the remainder of the light fraction to provide recovered diluent and cooling the recovered diluent. A volume of the recovered diluent is greater than a volume of the added diluent.

Abstract: A cutting device, such as a circular saw, is disclosed with a laser-generating alignment mechanism. The alignment mechanism is mounted on a fixed component of the cutting device, such as a fixed linkage between the base of the device and the upper blade guard, thereby eliminating any significant variation in the length of the laser beam and resulting in a more accurate cut. A method of generating an accurate cut is also provided. The method includes placing a cutting device, such as a circular saw, adjacent to a workpiece and cutting the workpiece along a laser beam created by a laser generator mounted on a fixed component of the cutting device, such as a fixed linkage between the base of the device and the upper blade guard.

Abstract: A timing network for a wireless communication network includes first and second Timing Unit Board (TUB) and processor boards for processing speech channels of the radio network, each processor board having a local timer that is slave to “PSTN time” from a Public Switch Telephone Network (PSTN). The first and second TUB each alternately transmits a timing cell containing time information to each processor board over a transport network. Each processor board realigns its local timer with the time information contained in a received timing cell whenever its local timer drifts from the time information contained in the received timing cell by a predetermined time offset. When one of the TUBs fails to transmit timing cells to the processor boards or transmits timing cells containing erroneous time information, the processor boards rely on the remaining TUB for timing cells to realign their local timers.

Abstract: A Base Station Controller (BSC) that reduces the occurrence of audible noise in a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) radio network is provided. The BSC according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a Media Stream Board (MSB) for compressing groups of 160 PCM speech samples from a Public Switch Telephone Network (PSTN) into vocoded frames, and a Special Purpose Board (SPB) for reformatting the vocoded frames from the MSB into over-the-air CDMA vocoded frames. The MSB and SPB each have a local timer that is slave to “PSTN time”. The BSC further comprises a Timing Unit Board (TUB) connected to a GPS receiver. The TUB receives “GPS time” from the GPS receiver. The TUB generates timing cells, each containing time-of-day information according to “GPS time”. The TUB distributes the timing cells to the MSB and the SPB over an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) network. The MSB and SPB use the received timing cells to compare their local timer, which tracks “PSTN time”, to “GPS time”.

Abstract: A timing network for a wireless communication network includes first and second Timing Unit Board (TUB) and processor boards for processing speech channels of the radio network, each processor board having a local timer that is slave to “PSTN time” from a Public Switch Telephone Network (PSTN). The first and second TUB each alternately transmits a timing cell containing time information to each processor board over a transport network. Each processor board realigns its local timer with the time information contained in a received timing cell whenever its local timer drifts from the time information contained in the received timing cell by a predetermined time offset. When one of the TUBs fails to transmit timing cells to the processor boards or transmits timing cells containing erroneous time information, the processor boards rely on the remaining TUB for timing cells to realign their local timers.