Abstract:
A homogeneous, high nitrile melt processable acrylonitrile olefinically unsaturated multipolymer and a process for making the multipolymer, comprising polymerizing a mixture of acrylonitrile monomer and one or more olefinically unsaturated monomers, in which the rate of addition of the multimonomer mixture is set by the rate of polymerization so that the concentration of unreacted acrylonitrile monomers and unreacted olefinically unsaturated monomer(s) is low and the polymerization process is in a monomer starved condition.
Abstract:
A compact endothermic reaction apparatus employing metallic reaction tubes (28; 152) in a close-pack arrangement using offset nozzle tubes (90; 167) and an air distribution plate (68; 160) for introducing fuel and air into a combustion chamber to produce long and thin flames thereby to avoid excessive localized heating of the reaction tubes and provide high reaction tube life expectancy. Also, excessive localized heating of the reaction tubes at the inlet ends of exhaust tubes (94; 172) is eliminated and provision is made for preventing buckling of individual reaction tubes thatr may be subjected to higher than average reaction tube temperatures.
Abstract:
An acoustic transducer (102) having a curved surface (102) to match the inner (108) or outer surfaces of a target surface (100) such as a cylindrical borehole tubular is disclosed. A sequence of excitation pulses causes the transducer to launch a series of high-frequency pulses (308) toward the tubular. The characteristics of the tubular surfaces, including the location, area and depth of any corrosion pits on the tubular surfaces, are determined from a full echo waveform. A rule-based Expert System analyzes the full waveform of the echo pulses returned from the tubular to determine the most likely characteristics of the surfaces which produce the full echo waveform. More specifically, the Expert System uses expertise about the acoustic properties of the target medium, as well as constraints chosen by an expert, to determine which signal structures are informational and which signal structures are confounding. The present invention also involves preprocessing and transmitting information. The present invention reduces the absolute amount of information that is transmitted without reducing the amount of meaningful information that is conveyed. The present invention transmits more meaningful information than conventional transmission systems. It also reduces the amount of information processing at the destination.
Abstract:
A light pen (7) for converting a conventional graphics plotter into a photoplotter includes a housing (21, 22, 23) containing an electrically powered light source (42), a battery (61) and a normally open switch (50). The housing has an aperture (26) opposite the light source (42). The light pen (7) replaces an ink pen in the plotter. When the light pen (7) is urged against a photosensitive sheet in the plotter, the normally open switch (50) is closed, the light pen (7) is energized and the light pen (7) is transmitted to the sheet to illuminate it. The self-contained light pen (7) is free of trailing electrical and optical cable that might interfere with plotter speed and accuracy.
Abstract:
A catalyst and a liquid phase process are provided for the dimerization of acrylic coumpounds. The process includes contacting an acrylic compound with the catalyst in the presence of hydrogen, wherein the catalyst comprises an inorganic oxide catalyst support, trivalent pendant atoms covalently bonded to the support and ruthenium complexed with said trivalent pendant atoms.
Abstract:
A process is provided for the production of superconducting wires (10), ribbons, tapes, fibers and the like including the steps of forming an amorphous metal alloy containing at least one of scandium, yttrium or the rare earths; copper; and at least one alkaline earth as an elongated body, and reacting the amorphous metal alloy with oxygen at a temperature below the crystallization temperature of the alloy to form a sheath (11) of superconducting oxide exterior to a core (12) of amorphous metal alloy. Included in the invention are the elongated bodies thus produced and superconductor devices fabricated from said bodies.
Abstract:
A sensor and method for measuring the concentration of alcohol in an alcohol-hydrocarbon mixture for use with flexible fuel vehicles. The sensor and method are characterized by a pair of detectors or sensing elements (27, 28) which detect absorbance of two different wavelength bands of energy transmitted through the fuel. The first wavelength band is absorbed by the alcohol and substantially unabsorbed by the hydrocarbons and other non-alcohols in the fuel mixture. The second or reference wavelength band is selected where the absorbance of alcohols and hydrocarbons is essentially the same and preferably essentially zero. The output of the two detectors or sensing elements (27, 28) is ratioed to provide a signal representative of the alcohol content of the fuel mixture. In a preferred embodiment, the sensing elements (27, 28) are included in a differential thermopile (98).
Abstract:
An endothermic reaction furnace (102) includes one or more elongated tubes (110) defining therein an endothermic reaction flow path and a combustion flow path for providing heat to drive the endothermic reaction. The combustion flow path is arranged so that fuel and combustion air are separately heated by the heat inside the furnace (102) to significantly above their autoignition temperature before being combined in a combustion zone (116) where they mix, autoignite and burn.
Abstract:
Oxygen is separated from an oxygen-containing gas by introducing the gas into a first zone (1) of a gas separation apparatus, the apparatus comprising first (1) and second (2) zones separated by a mixed metal oxide membrane (8), the membrane (8) having a first surface (7) open to the first zone (1), a second surface (10) open to the second zone (2), and an empirical formula of Bi Ax My Mz' On, where A is at least one of Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Y, Th, U, and the lanthanide elements; M is at least one of Sc, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu and Zn; and M' is at least one of Co, Rh, Pd, Pt or Ru. The oxygen separated from the oxygen-containing gas can be recovered from the second surface (10) of the membrane (8) either as molecular oxygen, or it can be reacted with an oxygen-consuming substance, such as a hydrocarbon gas, which can be introduced into the second zone (2) of the separation apparatus and brought in contact with the second surface (10) of the membrane (8).