Texaco Inc.

Frank L Lankford, Jr

Winthrop K Brown

Ronald L Campsey

Katherine L Greenhill

Chew-Chen Lin

Albert P Richter

Gerald F Rome

Ralph H Clinard, Jr

Ray Tuggle

A safety system and method, for use with apparatus having a conductive member where the apparatus changes the attitude and/or altitude of the conductive member during the operation of the apparatus, includes an antenna mounted on the conductive member which senses an electric field and provides an AC signal representative of the strength of the electric field. The peaks of the AC signal are averaged over several cycles to provide an average peak signal. A reference signal circuit derives the reference signal from either the average peak signal prior to the change in the member's attitude and/or altitude or while the member's attitude and/or altitude is changing. A control device connected to the averaging circuit and to the reference signal circuit prevents further changing of the conductive member's attitude and/or altitude in accordance with the average peak signal and the reference signal when the electric field strength is greater than a safe value.

Safety monitor means and method

A system for stabilizing the temperature of a radiation detector assembly includes a heat pipe device which generally encloses the radiation detector assembly and absorbs the ambient heat of the radiation detector assembly. A temperature sensor senses the ambient temperature in the heat pipe device and provides a constant current signal representative of the sensed temperature. A heating cooling device controls the ambient temperature within the heat pipe device in accordance with a constant current control signal. Apparatus located at a substantial distance from the radiation detector assembly and connected to the temperature sensor and the heating cooling device provides the constant current control signal to the heating cooling device in accordance with the constant current temperature signal from the temperature sensor so as to control the temperature of the radiation detector assembly.

Temperature stabilization system

A system, which controls the content of an impurity in a crude oil stream, includes an injector which injects a demulsifier into a stream of produced wet crude oil in response to a control signal. A three-phase separator receives the produced crude oil with demulsifier and partially separates produced water and gas from the crude oil to provide a separated wet crude oil stream. Apparatus mixes wash water in with the separated crude oil stream in accordance with a control signal to provide a crude oil/wash water stream. A dehydrator removes substantial amount of water from the crude oil/wash water stream to provide a dehydrated crude oil stream. A monitor monitors the content of a predetermined type of impurity in the dry crude oil stream and provides a corresponding impurity content signal to control apparatus. The control apparatus provides the first and second control signals in accordance with the signal from the monitor so as to control the impurity's content of the dry crude oil stream.

Crude oil dehydrator/desalter control system

The present invention is an improvement to a station at a remote location from a distant computer which communicates at a predetermined rate prior to said improvement by way of telephone lines. A modem is connected to the telephone line which converts signals carried by the telephone lines to signals suitable for use with a controller and converts signals from a controller to signals suitable to be carried by the telephone lines. There are at least two controllers, each controller is connected to a plurality of terminals. Apparatus connects the modem to the controllers which derives a set of signals for each controller in accordance with the signals from the modem and derives a set of signals for the modem from signals provided by the controllers in a manner so that the remote station communicates with the computer at substantially a predetermined rate.

Remote station of a computer system

A method which evaluates at least one subject element includes detecting radiation from a plurality of elements including the subject element. Data pulses are provided which are representative of the detected radiation. A spectrum is derived from the data pulses and a shift of the spectrum is determined. The subject element is evaluated in accordance with the energy level of data pulses occurring in a region of interest associated with the subject element which are derived from with the spectrum and the determined shift of the spectrum.

Method for correcting spectrum shift

A safety system for an oil well type derrick that has a crown block and a traveling block and drawworks for raising and lowering the traveling block. It uses electrical sensing means to detect the presence of the traveling block, and it has electronic circuits to control an actuator for braking the drawworks in order to prevent the traveling block from contacting the crown block.

Safety system for an oil well derrick

A system for locating discontinuities in land seismic geophone cables, which cables have plural sections with electrical connectors at the ends of each section. One of the connectors of each section has a relay incorporated with it, and includes a circuit for connecting a short circuit between all of the plural geophone circuit conductors. The short circuit connection is made when the relay is actuated, and the relay is actuated upon command from a recording station.

Growing community of inventors

Bellaire, TX, United States of America

Frank L Lankford, Jr