Having Plural, Diverse Forms Of Radiant Energy Patents (Class 73/601)
  • Patent number: 4651000
    Abstract: An improved method for determining the performance of detergents in the removal of proteinaceous soils, which centers upon the use as test soil of radiolabelled blood hemoglobin and upon the evaluation of detergency by both light reflectance and scintillation counting measurements. The method is particularly applicable to the determination of the performance of laundry detergent formulations containing enzymes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 1985
    Date of Patent: March 17, 1987
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Louis Kravetz, William T. Shebs, Atwood C. Page, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4641529
    Abstract: A pipeline inspection apparatus is disclosed for the detection of corrosion pit type defects, employing one or more ultrasonic transducers to produce a parallel beam for direction toward the pipe wall from inside a pipe, with a sufficiently large beam width to permit comparison of time displayed signal components in defect depth determination, with the signal propagating through a gaseous medium. An additional embodiment combines the same with photographic apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 1984
    Date of Patent: February 10, 1987
    Assignee: Magnaflux Pipeline Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Donald E. Lorenzi, Helmut F. Wagerer, Lev Spevak
  • Patent number: 4621521
    Abstract: An apparatus for simulating the actual conditions of foam formation during crude oil production includes a transparent cylindrical measuring vessel having a circumferential flange formed at its open top. A ring-shaped member is seated on the flange and defines a chamber in communication with the measuring vessel. The ring-shaped member and the measuring vessel are connected in a gas-tight manner. A supply line for the liquid to be dissolved or distributed in the crude oil sample and a discharge line for the liquid evaporating under measurement conditions open into the chamber. The supply line is connected to a supply reservoir via a metering valve for the liquid. A stop valve is provided in the discharge line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 1985
    Date of Patent: November 11, 1986
    Assignee: Th. Goldschmidt AG
    Inventors: Horst Lattek, Hans-Ferdi Fink, Gotz Koerner
  • Patent number: 4611493
    Abstract: For carrying out several mutually complementary microscopic examinations, beams of different types or frequencies, for example light beams or acoustic beams, are focused simultaneously or successively on an object and recorded or visibly displayed in a known manner. The object is maintained stationary and is scanned in a grid pattern in two mutually perpendicular directions by at least one of the beams. A pillar arrangement is provided to receive different microscopic instruments which may be selectively pivoted by means of a rotary mounting plate into and out of a locked, exactly reproducible observation position. The instruments may be released for rotation out of the observation position independently of any vertical coarse-fine focusing displacement. Underneath a stationary object holder further microscopic instruments, such as an inverted optical microscope, may be mounted in such a manner that their height may be adjusted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1984
    Date of Patent: September 16, 1986
    Assignee: Ernst Leitz Wetzlar GmbH
    Inventor: Karl-Heinz Muth
  • Patent number: 4601336
    Abstract: A steam-foam-forming surfactant effective for displacing the oil in a particular reservoir is selected by comparing the capabilities of foams formed by different surfactants for both flowing preferentially into permeable porous materials which contain that reservoir oil and displacing that oil from those materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1984
    Date of Patent: July 22, 1986
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Richard E. Dilgren, Kenneth B. Owens
  • Patent number: 4593565
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for nondestructive inspection and detection of flaws in a workpiece according to four techniques is disclosed. Elastic waves are thermoelastically or electrodynamically induced in a workpiece by electric current energization of an elastic wave inducing source adapted to be disposed in contact with the workpiece remote from a defect. An acoustic sensor is disposed in elastic wave transmitting contact with the workpiece remote from the source and produces an output signal having an amplitude representative of received elastic waves. The presence of a crack, flaw or defect in the workpiece is detectable as a variation in the amplitude or other characteristics of the acoustic sensor output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 1983
    Date of Patent: June 10, 1986
    Assignee: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
    Inventor: Jacques R. Chamuel
  • Patent number: 4589276
    Abstract: The foaming characteristics of a foamant to be used in the recovery of oil from a subterranean oil-bearing formation by carbon dioxide foam flooding, are determined by passing carbon dioxide through a sample of the foamant in a test cell containing a porous medium under pressure conditions simulating reservoir conditions and measuring the quantity of foam formed. The pressure drop along the cell is also monitored in order to indicate the resistance to gas flow imposed by the foam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 1984
    Date of Patent: May 20, 1986
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventor: Nizar F. Djabbarah
  • Patent number: 4577491
    Abstract: A method for determining the stability of live foam comprises a sample pressurizing vessel connected to a sample injection chamber leading to a sample cell linked to a reference cell maintained at constant pressure. The link between the sample cell and the reference cell comprises a link fitted with a valve for initially equalizing the pressure between the two and subsequently isolating them. A differential pressure transducer is provided for determining the subsequent change in pressure of the sample with reference to the reference cell as the foam collapses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 1984
    Date of Patent: March 25, 1986
    Assignee: The British Petroleum Company, p.l.c.
    Inventors: Ian C. Callaghan, Clive M. Gould
  • Patent number: 4562727
    Abstract: Steam mobility-reducing capability of an olefin sulfonate-containing surfactant formulation for reducing the mobility of steam of a selected quality within a selected subterranean oil-containing reservoir is tested. Steam of the selected quality and a steam-containing fluid which has substantially the same quality containing the surfactant formulation, an electrolyte and a noncondensable gas upflow through columns of permeable porous mediums containing the reservoir oil. The mass flow rates through the columns are substantially equivalent to a selected flow rate in a near-well portion of the reservoir. Steady-state pressure within the columns are measured and the permeability reducing factor of the surfactant formulation is calculated from the pressure measurements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 1984
    Date of Patent: January 7, 1986
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Richard E. Dilgren, Kenneth B. Owens
  • Patent number: 4547464
    Abstract: A quick and inexpensive test for the detection of fetal pulmonary maturity comprising the steps of acidifying a given volume of amniotic fluid, adding a given volume of an ether, agitating and observing the number of bubbles existing in the ether layer. The number of bubbles existing in the ether layer after a certain observational period may be correlated with the existence of pulmonary immaturity in a fetus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 1984
    Date of Patent: October 15, 1985
    Inventor: Michael Socol
  • Patent number: 4512197
    Abstract: An apparatus for generating a focusable and scannable ultrasonic beam for e in nondestructive internal examination of an object. In one embodiment an optical mask modifies a pulsed light beam to form an optical zone pattern. The zone pattern is imaged on the surface of an optically absorbing thermoelastic layer in contact with a propagation medium. An ultrasonic beam is thereby generated which focuses at a point in an object submerged in the propagation medium. An optical lens and a mirror respectively focus and scan the modified light beam, whereby the ultrasonic beam is also focused and scanned. A second embodiment utilizes an acousto-optic modulator to modify the light beam and cause scanning and focusing of the ultrasonic beam. Suitable detectors and instrumentation may be provided to analyze the ultrasonic beam after it has traversed the object under examination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 1983
    Date of Patent: April 23, 1985
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Robert J. von Gutfeld, Sherman S. Wang
  • Patent number: 4497209
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to a nondestructive method of measuring stress in a ferromagnetic structural material. One method involves the measurement of the change in ultrasonic velocity induced by an externally applied magnetic field; the method enables nondestructively determining the magnitude, the direction, and the sign (i.e., tensile or compressive) of a stress in a ferromagnetic material. The magnetically induced velocity change of an ultrasonic wave is caused by the magnetoelastic coupling in the ferromagnetic material. This magnetically induced velocity change is characteristically dependent on the magnitude and the sign of the stress and also on the relative orientation of the stress, the magnetic field, and the polarization and propagation direction of the ultrasonic wave. The dependence of magnetically induced velocity changes can be utilized for nondestructive stress measurements. In one version, for measuring bulk stresses, either a longitudinal ultrasonic wave or a shear ultrasonic wave is used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 1983
    Date of Patent: February 5, 1985
    Assignee: Southwest Research Institute
    Inventors: Hegeon Kwun, Cecil M. Teller, II
  • Patent number: 4493217
    Abstract: Laser beams are modulated by ultrasonic pulses transmitted through gaseous media as a means of determining flow field patterns and temperatures without disturbing the test media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 1982
    Date of Patent: January 15, 1985
    Assignee: Deutsche Forschungs- und Versuchsanstalt fur Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V.
    Inventors: Rolf Engler, Rudolf Wulf
  • Patent number: 4444044
    Abstract: A method for determining the foaming characteristics of a crude oil stream at the wellhead comprising introducing the production crude oil stream from the wellhead into an elongated, horizontal separator under reduced pressure at a controlled flow rate, withdrawing evolved gas from the upper portion of the separator and measuring the flow rate thereof, withdrawing oil from the lower portion of the separator and measuring the flow rate thereof, controlling the pressure on the separator at a lower pressure than the wellhead pressure, controlling the liquid level of the oil in the separator, measuring the volume of oil in the separator, and measuring the volume of foam in the separator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 1982
    Date of Patent: April 24, 1984
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventors: Curtis L. Humphries, Melwyn L. Mathis, Eddie F. Schultz, Henry A. Seal
  • Patent number: 4426879
    Abstract: Measuring the foaming characteristics of crude oil comprises saturating the crude oil with a gas inert to the crude oil under high pressure and passing the gas-saturated oil into a flash separator. The amount of foam formed is measured with respect to the amount of gas withdrawn from the flash separator and the amount of oil contained therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 1982
    Date of Patent: January 24, 1984
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventors: Curtis L. Humphries, Eddie F. Schultz, Alan M. Winkelman
  • Patent number: 4418574
    Abstract: A pulsed magnetic procedure and apparatus for measuring wall thickness. It is especially applicable to pipelines. It includes pulsing a magnetic reluctance coil that is located close to the wall, and measuring the inductance of the pulsed coil. Also the distance of the coil from the wall is accurately determined so that the inductance is a measure of the wall thickness.Apparatus may include the combination of an ultrasonic transducer mounted fixed relative to the magnetic pulse coil and arranged so that ultrasonic energy pulses are directed toward the wall. In this manner reflected ultrasonic pulses will provide a measure of the distance. In addition, by proper angle thereof, ultrasonic pulses may also determine the presence of any anomaly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 1981
    Date of Patent: December 6, 1983
    Assignee: Texaco Inc.
    Inventor: Norman E. Flournoy
  • Patent number: 4412453
    Abstract: A method for detecting brazing defects in a plate-fin type heat exchanger with a brazed core structure having a number of wavy fin members alternately with a number of parallelly spaced plate members, in which a pulsed sound in the frequency range of several tens KHz to several hundreds KHz is transmitted across the fin and plate members from a pulser located on one outermost plate member to a sensor located on the other outermost plate member, detecting the positions and sizes of brazing defects two-dimensionally on a plane on the basis of the level of sound received by the sensor. Three-dimensional detection of the position of the defect is also possible by combining therewith a radiographic inspection using a radiant ray source which is located on one lateral side of the core structure to irradiate a radiant ray in a direction substantially parallel with the plate members of the core structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1981
    Date of Patent: November 1, 1983
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Sekio Sho
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Nagai, Eiji Takahashi, Yoji Matsumoto, Hideaki Ohtsu
  • Patent number: 4333344
    Abstract: A crystalline bar is doped with a rare earth. The bar is transparent to ration, such as from a laser, at a light wavelength which excites the rare earth ions in the bar and the light is modulated at the frequency at which the bar mechanically resonates.The excited ion decay radiatively by light or non-radiatively by phonons. As the phonons decay, they excite the bar to resonate mechanically. The mechanical resonance may be coupled by a piezoelectric material and measured to give information respecting the phonon activity of the excited rare earth ions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1980
    Date of Patent: June 8, 1982
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventors: Clyde A. Morrison, Joseph P. Sattler
  • Patent number: 4326417
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a nondestructive acoustic electric field probe and its method of use. A source of acoustic pulses of arbitrary but selected shape is placed in an oil bath along with material to be tested across which a voltage is disposed and means for receiving acoustic pulses after they have passed through the material. The received pulses are compared with voltage changes across the material occurring while acoustic pulses pass through it and analysis is made thereof to determine preselected characteristics of the material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 1980
    Date of Patent: April 27, 1982
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
    Inventor: Albert Migliori
  • Patent number: 4309905
    Abstract: The method for detecting non-uniformities of magnetic materials resides in the use of the direct and inverse electromagnetic-acoustic conversion, effected in the zone of magnetic non-uniformities of magnetized articles. The method is characterized by effecting said conversion in an intermediate layer located in the vicinity of the material being inspected. As the intermediate layer, materials with great values of dynamic magnetostrictive constants are used. The use of the intermediate layer of a predetermined configuration enables estimation of the non-uniformity value not only singularly by the amplitude of the established elastic vibrations, but also by the number of recurrent pulses whose pulse-height distribution is conditioned by the damping factor of the intermediate layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 1979
    Date of Patent: January 12, 1982
    Inventors: Mikhail I. Maizenberg, Mikhail D. Kaplan, Stanislav V. Veremeenko, Vladimir T. Bobrov, Vladimir U. Moshkovich, Petr F. Shapovalov, Vladimiru A. Troitsky, Petr G. Zhukovsky, Igor B. Komsky
  • Patent number: 4233032
    Abstract: A simple rapid STAT test and test kit are provided for the reliable determination of prenatal lung maturity as well as other surfactant lipid dependent determinations. The method involves a shake test employing a plurality of vials having graduated volumes of ethanol, including a dye, normally in combination with a positive control. A predetermined amount of the sample is introduced into each of the vials, the vials shaken in a reproducible manner, and the highest ethanol volume fraction which provides for a stable foam determined. Based on statistical evaluations, an ethanol volume fraction above 0.45 will generally be regarded as positive, meaning healthy lung maturity, while a value below about 0.45 will generally indicate that further investigation is warranted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 1979
    Date of Patent: November 11, 1980
    Assignee: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
    Inventors: Bernard E. Statland, Geoffrey Sher
  • Patent number: 4167878
    Abstract: An apparatus for non-destructively testing materials by ultrasound and eddy current, which includes an ultrasound material testing device operating in conformity with the electrodynamic converter principle, and also includes an eddy current material testing device. The testing coils of both testing devices are centrally arranged with regard to each other in such a way that the workpiece regions controlled by the testing coils have an at least approximately common central axis. The apparatus furthermore includes a control device which in conformity with the energization of the coil for creating the strong magnetic field for operation of the electrodynamic converter is operable briefly alternately respectively to turn-on and turn-off the respective testing coil of the ultrasound and eddy current material testing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 1977
    Date of Patent: September 18, 1979
    Assignee: Hoesch Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Wolfgang Bottcher, Hermann-Josef Kopineck
  • Patent number: 4148217
    Abstract: A method for evaluating foam-producing surfactants by measuring the resistance to the flow of a gas, for example, nitrogen, through a standard sand pack containing a solution of the surfactant. The resistance is also measured when the sand pack contains water, thereby allowing the surfactant solution's resistance factor to be determined. The resistance factor for a surfactant solution is defined as the ratio of the maximum pressure drop observed across the sand pack when the pore space was filled with the surfactant foam to the maximum pressure drop when the sand pack was filled with water and was being displaced by a gas flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 1977
    Date of Patent: April 10, 1979
    Assignee: Phillips Petroleum Company
    Inventor: Charles J. Engle
  • Patent number: 4084426
    Abstract: A foam monitor senses the dissipation of foam within a transparent tube and employs a series of vertically spaced light emitting diodes which are cyclically pulsed to provide repetitive sequential scanning of the tube contents and a series of photo-responsive elements are axially spaced along the diametrically opposite side of the tube and positioned to monitor corresponding intermittent light paths that may be received from the corresponding light emitting diodes. The intermittent light paths are monitored during each scanning cycle to provide a pulse train which is indicative of the relationship between scanned levels containing foam and scanned levels void of foam. The pulses produced over a predetermined number of repetitive scans are totalized to provide an analytical measurement of the foam dissipation qualities for the liquid involved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1976
    Date of Patent: April 18, 1978
    Assignee: Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company
    Inventor: Peter W. Gales
  • Patent number: 4061016
    Abstract: In order to measure the life of the foam of an effervescent beverage a predetermined quantity of the liquid is held in an upper vessel. This liquid is then allowed to fall rapidly into a lower vessel formed of transparent material and rotated about a vertical axis. As soon as the liquid is poured violently into the lower vessel a timer is started. Simultaneously a light source directs a beam of light upwardly through the vessel and a photocell situated above the vessel receives this light. When the foam has decreased sufficiently to allow the beam to pass through to the photocell, circuitry connected between the photocell and the timer is arrested. The elapsed time is proportional to the life of the head on the beverage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1976
    Date of Patent: December 6, 1977
    Assignee: Ste Anonyme Dite Brasseries Kron Enbourg
    Inventors: Jean Pierre Noel, Gilbert Bauer