A sealant for an oil or geothermal well capable of setting within about 3 to about 6 hours at temperatures less than about 250° F. for shallow wells less than about 10,000 feet and deep wells greater than about 10,000 feet having MgO present in the range of from about 9.9 to about 14.5%, KH2PO4 present in the range of from about 29.7 to about 27.2%, class C fly ash present in the range of from about 19.8 to about 36.3%, class F fly ash present in the range of from about 19.8 to about 0%, boric acid or borax present in the range of from about 0.39 to about 1.45%, and water present in the range of from about 20.3 to about 21.86% by weight of the sealant.

A method of sealing wells is disclosed as are compositions for very high temperature wells is disclosed as is a composition for treating oil field wastes.

The phase and strength of a predefined harmonic field, such as the 3^rd harmonic field, are adjusted relative to a fundamental field to cause a field emission cathode to emit electrons at predefined times for the generation of high-brightness electron beams. The emission time is gated responsive to the combined harmonic and fundamental fields and the response of the FE cathode to the combined fields. A planar focusing cathode includes a selected dielectric material, such as a ceramic material, to provide an electron beam emission surface. Metal surfaces are provided both radially around and behind the dielectric material to shape the electric fields that accelerate and guide the beam from the cathode surface.

A process of washing plastics contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) is provided to reduce the concentration of the PCBs. A two-step process includes a first washing step using a selected washing solution or solvent, such as, a non-flammable solvent, and followed by a second step using thermal desorption. The two-step process enables reducing the concentration of PCBs in polymers, such as recovered from shredder residue, for example, to as low as 0.253 PPM. One of the preferred solvents is Perchloroethylene.

Methods and apparatus for implementing robust and efficient cryoloop auto-centering for crystal location and alignment to the x-ray beam are provided. Image processing techniques are used for recognition of the small protein crystals. The detected crystal location enables crystal positioning in the x-ray beam, and optimization of the x-ray optics such as beam profile and intensity to the size and shape of the protein crystals.

A system for encapsulating and storing disused radiological sources in sealed capsules is provided, the system having:

• a basket to removably position capsules relative to each other, the capsules containing the radiological sources;
• a containment vessel for receiving the basket;
• and a cask reversibly encapsulating or otherwise housing the containment vessel.

Also provided is a method for packaging, transporting and storing disused radiological sources. The method having the steps of:

• transporting sealed capsules containing radiological sources from water pools to baskets;
• placing the basket in a containment vessel and sealing the vessel with helium backfill;
• placing the vessel in a cask and reversibly capping the cask;
• surrounding the cask with personnel a shield and crumple zones to create a construct;
• and transporting and storing the construct until its final disposal at a geological repository or a deep borehole, all without repackaging of the disused radiological sealed capsules.

A mixerless high frequency interferometric Doppler radar system and methods has been invented, numerically validated and experimentally tested. A continuous wave source, phase modulator (e.g., a continuously oscillating reference mirror) and intensity detector are utilized. The intensity detector measures the intensity of the combined reflected Doppler signal and the modulated reference beam. Rigorous mathematics formulas have been developed to extract bot amplitude and phase from the measured intensity signal.

Software in Matlab has been developed and used to extract such amplitude and phase information from the experimental data. Both amplitude and phase are calculated and the Doppler frequency signature of the object is determined.

This invention comprises a nonlinear micro- and nano-mechanical resonator that can maintain frequency of operation and amplitude of operation for a period of time after all external power has been removed from the device. Utilizing specific nonlinear dynamics of the micromechanical resonator, mechanical energy at low frequencies can be input and stored in higher frequencies modes, thus using the multiple degrees of freedom of the resonator to extend its energy storage capacity. Furthermore, the energy stored in multiple vibrational modes can be used to maintain the resonator oscillating for a fixed period of time, even without an external power supply.

An autonomous oscillator synchronizes to an external harmonic force only when the forcing frequency lies within a certain interval, known as the synchronization range, around the oscillator’s natural frequency. Under ordinary conditions, the width of the synchronization range decreases when the oscillation amplitude grows, which constrains synchronized motion of micro- and nano-mechanical resonators to narrow frequency and amplitude bounds.

The present invention shows that nonlinearity in the oscillator can be exploited to manifest a régime where the synchronization range increases with an increasing oscillation amplitude. It also shows that nonlinearities in specific configurations of oscillator systems, as described herein, are the key determinants of the effect. This invention presents a new configuration and operation régime that enhances the synchronization of micro- and nano-mechanical oscillators by capitalizing on their intrinsic nonlinear dynamics.