Abstract: An apparatus for rerounding plastic pipe includes a housing having a pipe passage extending therethrough. The housing has a moveable outer frame top positionable between an open position and a closed position to enclose a pipe to be rerounded. A pair of opposing jaws are positioned within the housing and on opposite sides of the pipe passage and have a generally symmetrical configuration with respect to one another. A drive mechanism is connected with respect to at least one of the jaws for compressing the jaws with respect to each other resulting in compression of the pipe to be rerounded.

Abstract: An apparatus for rerounding plastic pipe includes a housing having a pipe passage extending therethrough. The housing has a moveable outer frame top positionable between an open position and a closed position to enclose a pipe to be rerounded. A pair of opposing jaws are positioned within the housing and on opposite sides of the pipe passage and have a generally symmetrical configuration with respect to one another. A drive mechanism is connected with respect to at least one of the jaws for compressing the jaws with respect to each other resulting in compression of the pipe to be rerounded.

Abstract: A process for application of a protective coating to a steel, concrete, or wooden structure so as to provide protection against corrosion, weathering, or other environmental damage in which the surface to be protected is heated to a temperature in a range of about 75.degree. F. to about 150.degree. F. after which a liquid thermoset primer is applied to the heated material in two stages. The first portion is solidified by heating and then coated with a second portion, forming an uncured liquid thermoset outer primer layer. A melted polymer powder layer is then applied by flamespraying over the uncured liquid thermoset primer layer, forming an intermediate polymer powder layer embedded in the uncured liquid thermoset primer layer.

Abstract: A hot tap apparatus for insertion of a controllable device into an in-service pipeline comprising a housing adapted to be sealably secured to a pipe and enclose a portion of the pipe. The housing forms a chamber which is partitioned into an insertion chamber and a discharge chamber, the insertion chamber being disposed adjacent to an insertion end of the housing and the discharge chamber being disposed adjacent the discharge end of said housing. The insertion end of the housing is sealable. The apparatus further comprises a cutting apparatus for cutting an opening in the pipe sized to receive the controllable device disposed in the housing.

Abstract: A parallel porting valve assembly having a parallel valve body. The parallel valve body forms an inlet channel cavity and an outlet channel cavity. A plurality of plug valves are each mounted within the parallel valve body between the inlet channel cavity and the outlet channel cavity for selectively permitting an preventing communication between the inlet channel cavity and the outlet channel cavity. An actuator is used to open and close each plug valve.

Abstract: An interchangeable plug valve having a valve body with a first through hole. An outer valve plug having a second through hole. The outer valve plug is rotatably and sealably seated within a first cavity of the valve body. The second through hole of the outer valve plug rotatably aligns with the first through hole of the valve body. The outer valve plug is retained in a seated and sealed position within the valve body. An inner valve plug is non-rotatably and sealably seated within a second cavity of the outer valve plug. A plurality of interchangeable plug valves combine to form a parallel porting valve assembly. The parallel porting valve assembly has a parallel valve body with an inlet channel cavity and an outlet channel cavity. Each interchangeable plug valve has one side of the second through hole of the outer valve plug aligned with the inlet channel cavity and the opposite side of the second through hole of the outer valve plug aligned with the outlet channel cavity of the parallel valve body.

Abstract: An apparatus and process for heating a regeneration stream in a thermal regenerative desiccant system having a process stream and a regeneration stream in which a desiccant component rotates through both the process and regeneration streams. The regeneration stream providing the heat required for regeneration of the desiccant is separately heated by each of a plurality of adjacent regeneration stream segments being independently heated. When desired to reduce the total heat provided the regeneration stream, the heat is first reduced only in a first of the regeneration segments contacting the desiccant component as it rotates from the process stream to the regeneration stream. The heat supplied to the first segment is further reduced until it is completely discontinued. Then when still less heat is required for regeneration, heat is reduced to a second adjacent regeneration stream radial segment until it is completely discontinued.

Abstract: A process and system for fluid distribution from a principal intelligence and fluid distribution center to multiple users through a plurality of distributed intelligence sub-centers. Each distributed intelligence sub-center has intelligence computing, analyzing, decision making, and direction capability to provide control for its portion of the system. The process and apparatus of this invention provides flow control, leak detection, pipe condition assessment, user meter readings, pipeline locator signals, robot control, and pipeline repair and cleaning. The process provides a total system approach providing improved safety and reduced operating costs and is particularly suited for underground distribution of natural gas services.

Abstract: A process and system for fluid distribution from a principal intelligence and fluid distribution center to multiple users through distributed intelligence sub-centers. Intelligence transmission from individual user valves and meters to the distributed intelligence sub-centers and from the distributed intelligence sub-centers to the principal intelligence and fluid distribution center is achieved in conjunction with the piping by means such as wires within the cavity, wires embedded in the structure of the piping, wires along the exterior of the piping, fiber optics, or acoustic, electromagnetic or optical methods through the piping itself. The process and apparatus of this invention provides flow control, leak detection, pipe condition assessment, user meter readings, pipeline locator signals, robot control, and pipeline repair and cleaning.

Abstract: A pipe worm comprises radially inflatable toroids spaced along an axially inflatable tubular body. The worm inches through piping through sequential inflation and deflation of the toroids and tubular body. The worm includes a fluid supply source, pipe maintenance instrumentation and automatic, semiautomatic or manual controls which are remote, on-board or trailered, as desired. The worm is inexpensive, reliable, capable of turning 90 degree corners, and further uniquely advantageous.

Abstract: A photoacoustic speaker and method for producing photoacoustic sound by utilizing a laser beam, modulating the intensity of the laser beam in response to audio signal inputs and passing the modulated laser beam into a gas absorption chamber wherein gas capable of absorption of the modulated laser beam upon such absorption produces photothermic pressure waves corresponding to the audio signal inputs and which produce sound upon impingement on walls of the absorption chamber. The photoacoustic speaker achieves high fidelity sound reproduction and is capable of projecting a column of sound thereby providing an acoustic dimension effect.

Abstract: An apparatus and process for detecting a single specific chemical solid or gas in the presence of other chemical solids or gases or for detecting a number of specific mixed chemical solids or gases. The apparatus and process passes multiple beams of electromagnetic radiation incident on the material in a sample chamber producing acoustic signals at specific frequencies when light of specific wavelengths is absorbed. The electromagnetic radiation is selected to have wavelengths corresponding to optical absorption features of at least one specific chemical in the sample chamber. The acoustic signals are detected by at least one beat tone or combination tone characteristic of and representative of the degree of absorption by a specific chemical or multiple specific chemicals desired to be detected. The apparatus and process are especially useful in leak detection in natural gas systems and for detection of pollutants, explosive gases and the like.

Abstract: A gas filtration apparatus and process is disclosed combining heating to maintain undesired material in the form of liquid droplets, sonic agglomeration and porous cross flow filtration. The apparatus and process are particularly suited to gas streams comprising particulates and/or liquid droplets of under 10 microns in diameter, such as the effluent gas stream of coal gasifiers, which are at a high temperature and high pressure. Liquid droplets in the gas stream are agglomerated by sonic agglomeration, and a portion of the gas stream is then passed through a porous cross flow filter element for separation of the agglomerates resulting in a clean gas stream by a continuous, low pressure drop and self-cleaning filtration process. The gas stream may be seeded to enhance agglomeration and/or to induce chemical reaction of undesired gaseous components for their removal as liquids.

Abstract: A gas filtration apparatus and process combining sonic agglomeration with porous cross flow filtration. The apparatus and process is particularly suited to gas streams comprising particulates of under 10 microns in diameter, such as the effluent gas stream of coal gasifiers, which are at a high temperature and high pressure. The smaller particles are agglomerated by sonic agglomeration and a portion of the gas stream is then passed through a porous cross flow filter resulting in a particulate-free gas stream while not requiring the high pressure drop normally associated with filtration of small particulates. The gas stream through the sonic agglomeration portion may be seeded to enhance particulate agglomeration and/or to induce chemical reaction of undesired gaseous components for their removal as solids.

Abstract: Efficiency of an open-cycle air conditioning apparatus and method for heating and cooling is improved and the economy of external power is increased both with respect to cost and energy consumption by providing a combination of a primary heater and a secondary heater for heating the regeneration stream for regenerating the desiccant means in the air conditioning apparatus. The thermal source for the primary heater may utilize waste heat or solar energy which is transferred to a solid phase thermal storage means by a gaseous phase heat exchange medium. The thermal energy may be transferred from the thermal storage means to the regeneration stream of the open-cycle air conditioning apparatus either directly by passing the air stream over the solid phase thermal storage means or indirectly by passing liquid in an enclosed system through the solid phase thermal storage means and the regeneration stream.

Abstract: A solid adsorption air conditioning apparatus for cooling and heating which is compact in size and particularly adapted to low capacity and which may be at least partially solar powered and air cooled. The apparatus utilizes water vapor as refrigerant working within a hermetically sealed module. The hermetically sealed module has opposing thermally conductive walls which are internally coated with water vapor adsorbent material and thermally insulated from each other.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for drying air by a continuous atmospheric pressure and low pressure drop system wherein the adsorbent body is a wheel of thin sheets or layers of fibrous material containing about 10 to 90% by weight of a finely divided crystalline molecular sieve material. The process and apparatus is especially useful for drying air for confined areas down to and less than 0.001 lbs. of moisture per pound of air.

Abstract: A solid adsorption air conditioning apparatus and process for cooling and heating which is compact in size and particularly adapted to low capacity and which may be at least partially solar powered and air cooled. The apparatus and process utilizes water vapor as refrigerant working within a hermetically sealed module. The hermetically sealed module has opposing thermally conductive walls which are internally coated with water vapor adsorbent material and thermally insulated from each other.

Abstract: A process for open-cycle air conditioning which affords economy of external power both with respect to cost and energy consumption by providing a low-temperature heater and a high-temperature heater for regenerating the sensible heat exchanger and desiccant when the apparatus is used for cooling and the enthalpy exchanger when the apparatus is used for heating. The power source for the low-temperature heater can utilize solar energy, waste boiler heat, waste process heat, nuclear reactor heat and the like. The power source for the high-temperature heater can be an open flame burner or other conventional heater.

Abstract: Efficiency of an open-cycle air conditioning apparatus and method for heating and cooling is improved and the economy of external power is increased both with respect to cost and energy consumption by providing a combination of a primary heater and a secondary heater for heating the regeneration stream for regenerating the desiccant means in the air conditioning apparatus. The thermal source for the primary heater may utilize waste heat or solar energy which is transferred to a solid phase thermal storage means by a gaseous phase heat exchange medium. The thermal energy may be transferred from the thermal storage means to the regeneration stream of the open-cycle air conditioning apparatus either directly by passing the air stream over the solid phase thermal storage means or indirectly by passing liquid in an enclosed system through the solid phase thermal storage means and the regeneration stream.