A flow direction collar is positionable in an electrical zone sensing apparatus with an elongated bore therein disposed in substantial... Show moreA flow direction collar is positionable in an electrical zone sensing apparatus with an elongated bore therein disposed in substantial alignment with an aperture through which particles carried by a liquid pass while being electrically sensed. The collar is positioned immediately upstream of the aperture to cause a directional flow of the liquid along a path substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis for the aperture. The flow through the collar directs the particles to flow along paths substantially parallel to the aperture axis thereby reducing the turbulence about the particle created by abrupt changes in velocity. Preferably, the collar includes a housing for telescoping on the bottom of a detection tube. Sponsorship: IIT Research Institute United States Patent Show less
A method for removing a contaminant from a treatment region of a contaminated region of a site in the earth having water therein and being... Show moreA method for removing a contaminant from a treatment region of a contaminated region of a site in the earth having water therein and being contaminated with the contaminant includes heating the earth by establishing an electric field through the treatment region. The electric field gives rise to an electric conduction or displacement current through the treatment region. The electric current electrically heats at least a portion of the treatment region to a temperature below the boiling point of water to evaporate the water. A vacuum is drawn in a nether region of the site to collect water vapor evolved from the water and contaminant vapor evolved from the contaminant by movement of air from the surface of the earth, while the water vapor strips the contaminant from the earth. The contaminant vapor is disposed of in an innocuous manner. Sponsorship: IIT Research Institute United States Patent Show less
A process for recovery of chromium in an aqueous solution comprising converting the chromium to chromyl chloride, separating the chromyl... Show moreA process for recovery of chromium in an aqueous solution comprising converting the chromium to chromyl chloride, separating the chromyl chloride from the aqueous solution, either as a heavy underlayer, or by extraction into a solvent, purifying the chromyl chloride, hydrolyzing the purified chromyl chloride to form a solution, and drying or precipitating the solution to form chromium, either as chromic acid or a chromate salt. Sponsorship: Illinois Institute of Technology United States Patent Show less
The present invention is directed to a novel steamflooding process which utilizes three specific stages of steam injection for enhanced oil... Show moreThe present invention is directed to a novel steamflooding process which utilizes three specific stages of steam injection for enhanced oil recovery. The three stages are as follows: As steam is being injected into an oil-bearing reservoir through an injection well, the production rate of a production well located at a distance from the injection well is gradually restricted to a point that the pressure in the reservoir increases at a predetermined rate to a predetermined maximum value. After the maximum pressure has been reached, the production rate is increased to a value such that the predetermined maximum pressure value is maintained. Production at maximum pressure is continued for a length of time that will be unique for each individual reservoir. In some cases, this step of the steamflooding process of the invention may be omitted entirely. In the third stage of the steamflooding process of the invention, production rates at the producing well are increased gradually to allow the pressure to decrease down from the maximum pressure value to the original pressure value at the producing well. The rate of pressure reduction will be unique for each reservoir. After completing stage three, the three stages can be repeated or the steamflood may be terminated as considered desirable. Sponsorship: IIT Research Institute United States Patent Show less
Infectious medical materials are rendered harmless by heating heterogeneous medical materials having wet and dry portions with a radio... Show moreInfectious medical materials are rendered harmless by heating heterogeneous medical materials having wet and dry portions with a radio-frequency electric field. The medical materials may be comminuted prior to heating. The medical materials are exposed to the radio-frequency electric field in order to heat the medical materials. The medical materials may include sorted medical or veterinary waste which after heat treatment may be recycled. Sponsorship: IIT Research Institute United States Patent Show less
A heterodyning interferometric monitoring apparatus for simultaneously measuring in situ and in real time the optical and physical thicknesses... Show moreA heterodyning interferometric monitoring apparatus for simultaneously measuring in situ and in real time the optical and physical thicknesses of a sample during a deposition process. A linearly polarized monochromatic light beam is passed through a frequency shifter which produces therefrom a dichromatic light beam having two orthogonally linearly polarized components at respective different frequencies. The dichromatic beam is applied to a modified Twyman-Greene interferometer, from which two heterodyne light beams emerge. The first of the two light beams is a combination of light at the first frequency reflected from the sample and light at the second frequency reflected from a reference plate, from which the physical thickness of the sample can be determined using a heterodyne signal detector. The second light beam is a combination of light at the first frequency passed through the sample and light at the second frequency passed through the reference plate, from which the optical thickness of the sample can be determined using another heterodyne signal detector. Sponsorship: IIT Research Institute United States Patent Show less
A fast digital logic circuit for comparing two binary numbers and outputting the greater of the two is disclosed. Sponsorship: Illinois... Show moreA fast digital logic circuit for comparing two binary numbers and outputting the greater of the two is disclosed. Sponsorship: Illinois Institute of Technology United States Patent Show less
A method and system for detecting environmental contamination, such as subsurface contamination, include a test probe located in a medium. The... Show moreA method and system for detecting environmental contamination, such as subsurface contamination, include a test probe located in a medium. The probe is adapted to collect a fluid sample from the medium for determining the presence of a contaminant having a vapor pressure. Pneumatic communication lines extend from a test point and connect to the probe. A detector/analyzer is connected to the distal end of the communication lines of the probe. While connected, a fluid sample is taken into the probe and transported in the pneumatic communication lines by a carrier gas to the detector/analyzer for analysis of the contaminant. The general principle is applicable for contaminant detection and/or analysis in soil masses, liquid masses and gases. Sponsorship: IIT Research Institute United States Patent Show less
A collapsible personnel isolation apparatus for preventing unwanted contaminations of hazardous biological and chemical materials including a... Show moreA collapsible personnel isolation apparatus for preventing unwanted contaminations of hazardous biological and chemical materials including a base. A cover connects to the base by way of a zipper. A plurality of glove box ports are provided to allow rapid and convenient treatment of the patient. Sponsorship: IIT Research Institute United States Patent Show less