Abstract: A volumetric expander configured to transfer a working fluid and generate useful work via a variable drive system is disclosed. The expander includes an inlet port configured to admit relatively high-pressure working fluid and an outlet port configured to discharge to a relatively low-pressure working fluid. The expander also includes first and second twisted meshed rotors rotatably disposed in the housing and configured to expand the relatively high-pressure working fluid into the relatively low-pressure working fluid. Each rotor has a plurality of lobes, and when one lobe of the first rotor is leading with respect to the inlet port, one lobe of the second rotor is trailing with respect to the inlet port. The expander additionally includes an output shaft coupled to the variable speed drive that can deliver power from the output shaft to the engine and/or to a load storage device.

Abstract: An engine assembly is provided that includes an engine throttle and a supercharger placed in series with one another in air flow to the engine. The throttle and supercharger can be controlled so that throttling losses are selectively distributed across the throttle and/or the supercharger. Throttling losses placed across the supercharger can create torque that can be converted to stored energy.

Abstract: An extraction system and process for extracting bitumen from a slurry containing bitumen, solids and water. The system comprises a cyclone separation facility for separating the slurry into a solids component stream and a bitumen froth stream with the bitumen froth stream including water and fine solids. The bitumen froth stream is then delivered to a froth concentration facility for separating the bitumen froth stream into a final bitumen enriched froth stream, and a water and fine solids stream. The final bitumen enriched froth stream is suitable for further processing. The system of the present invention is preferably mobile so that the cyclone extraction facility and the froth concentration facility can move with the mine face at an oil sands mining site, however, it is also contemplated that the system can be retrofitted to existing fixed treatment facilities to improve the operational efficiency of such fixed facilities.

Abstract: An improved system and method for publishing content in marketing communications across digital media is provided. Marketing communications, including marketing emails, may include information about offers and advertising information for using the offers in online advertising such as advertising channel information, monetization information, and social sharing information. Upon receiving the marketing communications, offer information and advertising information may be extracted from the marketing communications. Offers may be generated from the offer information extracted from the marketing communications, and the offers and advertising information may be stored in persistent storage. A request may be received, for instance from an advertisement server or advertisement exchange network, to serve an advertisement for an advertising channel to the user. And an offer extracted from the marketing communications sent to the user may be served as an advertisement to a device operated by the user for display.

Abstract: An improved system and method for publishing content in marketing communications across digital media is provided. Marketing communications, including marketing emails, may include information about offers and advertising information for using the offers in online advertising such as advertising channel information, monetization information, and social sharing information. Upon receiving the marketing communications, offer information and advertising information may be extracted from the marketing communications. Offers may be generated from the offer information extracted from the marketing communications, and the offers and advertising information may be stored in persistent storage. A request may be received, for instance from an advertisement server or advertisement exchange network, to serve an advertisement for an advertising channel to the user. And an offer extracted from the marketing communications sent to the user may be served as an advertisement to a device operated by the user for display.

Abstract: A system for digesting biodigestible feed that preferably includes the steps of comminuting the feed, introducing feed, an oxygen-containing gas, an accelerant, and bacteria into a digestion zone, the bacteria being suitable for digesting the feed under aerobic, anaerobic, and anoxic conditions. The contents of the digestion zone can be changed from aerobic operation to either anoxic or anaerobic operation, or vice versa, without changing the bacteria in the digestion zone.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a simplified roots-type blower having an improved sound signature. The roots-type blower includes a rotor bore housing having a molded, one-piece polymeric construction. The rotor bore housing defines a first rotor bore and a second rotor bore. The rotor bore housing also defines a first bearing pocket corresponding to the first rotor bore and a bearing pocket corresponding to the second rotor bore axis. The rotor bore housing further defining a timing gear chamber.

Abstract: An inline bitumen froth steam heater system including steam injection and static mixing devices is provided. The system heats and de-aerates input bitumen froth without creating downstream processing problems with the bitumen froth such as emulsification or live steam entrainment. The system is a multistage unit that injects and thoroughly mixes steam with bitumen resulting in output bitumen material having temperature of about 190° F. The system conditions a superheated steam supply to obtain saturated steam at about 300° F. The saturated steam is contacted with bitumen froth flow and mixed in a static mixer stage. The static mixers provide surface area and rotating action that allows the injected steam to condense and transfer its heat to the bitumen froth. The mixing action and increase in temperature of the bitumen froth results in reduction in bitumen viscosity and allows the release of entrapped air from the bitumen froth.

Abstract: An improved system and method for personally curating an offer list of promotional offers from multiple offer sources in an online service is provided. Components for personally curated offer lists support operations accessible through a graphical use interface for creating, editing, sharing, and updating personally curated offer lists, as well as curating and viewing offers of the offer lists. A user may author and manage a personal list of promotional offers curated from multiple offer sources, such as brands, product types, places, deal clubs, shopping pals, and offer lists. The personally curated offer list may be shared with others such as shopping pals who may have similar interests. New offers may be added to the personally curated offer list, and the present invention may further notify others with whom the list is shared of such updates to the offer list.

Abstract: An improved system and method for personally curating an offer list of promotional offers from multiple offer sources in an online service is provided. Components for personally curated offer lists support operations accessible through a graphical use interface for creating, editing, sharing, and updating personally curated offer lists, as well as curating and viewing offers of the offer lists. A user may author and manage a personal list of promotional offers curated from multiple offer sources, such as brands, product types, places, deal clubs, shopping pals, and offer lists. The personally curated offer list may be shared with others such as shopping pals who may have similar interests. New offers may be added to the personally curated offer list, and the present invention may further notify others with whom the list is shared of such updates to the offer list.

Abstract: An improved system and method of providing offer groups to curate an offer list of promotional offers from multiple offer sources in an online service is provided. Components for offer groups support operations accessible through a graphical use interface for creating, editing, joining, and searching for offer groups, as well as curating and viewing offers of offer groups. Such operations may be governed according to rules of membership of an offer group, roles of members of an offer group, rules of visibility of an offer group, and rules of curating promotional offers for the list of promotional offers of the offer group. A user may create an offer group which others may join to participate in curating offers of interest to the group. Or users may identify and join offer groups of interest to browse curated lists of promotional offers pertaining to those interests.

Abstract: An improved system and method of providing offer groups to curate an offer list of promotional offers from multiple offer sources in an online service is provided. Components for offer groups support operations accessible through a graphical use interface for creating, editing, joining, and searching for offer groups, as well as curating and viewing offers of offer groups. Such operations may be governed according to rules of membership of an offer group, roles of members of an offer group, rules of visibility of an offer group, and rules of curating promotional offers for the list of promotional offers of the offer group. A user may create an offer group which others may join to participate in curating offers of interest to the group. Or users may identify and join offer groups of interest to browse curated lists of promotional offers pertaining to those interests.

Abstract: An improved system and method for generating offers from marketing communications is provided. Marketing communications, including marketing emails, may be received, and offer information may be extracted from the marketing communications. A marketing message retrieved may be parsed to identify and extract offer information including the brand, headline text, description, and other content. Offers may be generated from the offer information extracted from the marketing communications, and may be stored in persistent storage for serving to users of an online offer service through a variety of user interfaces. In various embodiments, messages identified from recognized brands may be presented in a graphical user interface for a user to read with messages from unrecognized brands. Furthermore, either the message or an offer generated from a message may be displayed in various embodiments through a variety of user interfaces where its relevance may be specified by a user's interests.

Abstract: An improved system and method for generating offers from marketing communications is provided. Marketing communications, including marketing emails, may be received, and offer information may be extracted from the marketing communications. A marketing message retrieved may be parsed to identify and extract offer information including the brand, headline text, description, and other content. Offers may be generated from the offer information extracted from the marketing communications, and may be stored in persistent storage for serving to users of an online offer service through a variety of user interfaces. In various embodiments, messages identified from recognized brands may be presented in a graphical user interface for a user to read with messages from unrecognized brands. Furthermore, either the message or an offer generated from a message may be displayed in various embodiments through a variety of user interfaces where its relevance may be specified by a user's interests.

Abstract: An improved system and method of providing offer groups to curate an offer list of promotional offers from multiple offer sources in an online service is provided. Components for offer groups support operations accessible through a graphical use interface for creating, editing, joining, and searching for offer groups, as well as curating and viewing offers of offer groups. Such operations may be governed according to rules of membership of an offer group, roles of members of an offer group, rules of visibility of an offer group, and rules of curating promotional offers for the list of promotional offers of the offer group. A user may create an offer group which others may join to participate in curating offers of interest to the group. Or users may identify and join offer groups of interest to browse curated lists of promotional offers pertaining to those interests.

Abstract: A separation process and system for extracting hydrocarbons from a mixture. In some embodiments, a process for separating a bitumen froth stream containing bitumen froth, water and fine solids into a bitumen enriched froth stream and a water and fine solids stream, comprises: (a) receiving the bitumen froth stream in a concentrator vessel, (b) distributing the bitumen froth stream in the concentrator vessel as a substantially uniform and generally horizontal flow of the bitumen froth stream at a first flow velocity, (c) slowing the bitumen froth stream to a second flow velocity, slower than the first flow velocity, in a separation region of the concentrator vessel to promote separation of the bitumen froth from the water and fine solids, and then (d) collecting a bitumen enriched froth stream and (e) collecting a separate water and fine solids stream. Related embodiments of systems and apparatus may also be provided.

Abstract: A system for digesting biodigestible feed that preferably includes the steps of comminuting the feed, introducing feed, an oxygen-containing gas, an accelerant, and bacteria into a digestion zone, the bacteria being suitable for digesting the feed under aerobic, anaerobic, and anoxic conditions. The contents of the digestion zone can be changed from aerobic operation to either anoxic or anaerobic operation, or vice versa, without changing the bacteria in the digestion zone.

Abstract: A system that allows a material to be marked while still on the CNC tooling table and allows an operator to input marking information just prior to, or even during, the tooling cycle. The present invention comprises a sequence controller associated with a computer readable medium and adapted for communication with the CNC controller. An HMI device and a marker controller are also connected with the sequence controller. A lifter assembly is connected with the sequence controller to raise and lower a marker assembly. The lifter assembly is connected to the gantry of the CNC tooling system with an adaptor block. The present invention provides the advantage of reduced time when compared to marking the part at a separate station remotely located from the CNC system, and allows the operator to input marking information just prior to or during the CNC tooling cycle.

Abstract: An extraction system and process for extracting bitumen from a slurry containing bitumen, solids and water. The system comprises a cyclone separation facility for separating the slurry into a solids component stream and a bitumen froth stream with the bitumen froth stream including water and fine solids. The bitumen froth stream is then delivered to a froth concentration facility for separating the bitumen froth stream into a final bitumen enriched froth stream, and a water and fine solids stream. The final bitumen enriched froth stream is suitable for further processing. The system of the present invention is preferably mobile so that the cyclone extraction facility and the froth concentration facility can move with the mine face at an oil sands mining site, however, it is also contemplated that the system can be retrofitted to existing fixed treatment facilities to improve the operational efficiency of such fixed facilities.

Abstract: An extraction system and process for extracting bitumen from a slurry containing bitumen, solids and water. The system comprises a cyclone separation facility for separating the slurry into a solids component stream and a bitumen froth stream with the bitumen froth stream including water and fine solids. The bitumen froth stream is then delivered to a froth concentration facility for separating the bitumen froth stream into a final bitumen enriched froth stream, and a water and fine solids stream. The final bitumen enriched froth stream is suitable for further processing. The system of the present invention is preferably mobile so that the cyclone extraction facility and the froth concentration facility can move with the mine face at an oil sands mining site, however, it is also contemplated that the system can be retrofitted to existing fixed treatment facilities to improve the operational efficiency of such fixed facilities.