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A drillstring radar comprises a measurements-while-drilling instrument for mounting just behind the drill bit and downhole motor of a drill rod. The instrument includes a radar system connected to upward-looking and downward-looking horn antennas. These are used to electronically probe the interface of a coal seam with its upper and lower boundary layers. A dielectric constant sensor is included to provide corrective data for the up and down distance measurements. Such measurements and data are radio communicated to the surface for tomographic processing and user display. The instrument also includes a navigation processor and drill bit steering controls. The radio communication uses the drillstring as a transmission line and F1/F2 repeaters can be placed along very long runs to maintain good instrument-to-surface communication. A docking mechanism associated with the instrument and its antenna array allows the instrument to be retrieved back inside the drillstring with a tether should the drill head become hopelessly jammed or locked into the earth.
1. A drillstring radar system, comprising:
an upward-looking radar antenna for mounting to a directional-drilling drillstring behind a steerable drillhead;
a downward-looking radar antenna for mounting to said directional-drilling drillstring behind said steerable drillhead,
a ground-penetrating radar transceiver connected to each of the upward-looking and downward-looking radar antennas, and providing for return signal attenuation and phase shift measurements, and for providing from said measurements real-time estimates of the distances transmitted radar signals traveled before being reflected back to a respective antennae; and
a guidance control providing for steering said drillhead according to said real-time estimates;
wherein, said real-time estimates are fetched from a calibration table that has in-phase (I) and quadrature-phase (Q) return-signal amplitude measurements as inputs.
2. The system of
a dielectric-constant sensor associated with the upward-looking and downward-looking radar antennas and providing corrective data to said real-time estimates of the distances provided by the ground-penetrating radar transceiver.
3. The system of
a docking mechanism for remote disconnection of the ground-penetrating radar transceiver from said directional-drilling drillstring; and
a tether for causing the docking mechanism to release the ground-penetrating radar transceiver and allowing it to be withdrawn from within the length of said drillstring.
4. The system of
a docking mechanism for remote automatic connection of the ground-penetrating radar transceiver to said directional-drilling drillstring with the aid of hydraulic pumping to shuttle it to a distal end.
5. The system of
a user display for providing tomographic images of a coal bad to an operator from data provided by the ground-penetrating radar transceiver.
6. The system of
a signal repeater located along said drillstring between the user display and the ground-penetrating radar transceiver and providing for extended communication between them.
7. The system of
a navigation processor connected to sense the course taken by said directional-drilling drillstring and for providing information to the guidance control.
8. The system of
a hydroelectric generator for receiving a hydraulic flow through said drillstring and for powering the ground-penetrating radar transceiver.
9. The system of
a magnetic clutch for coupling in mechanical power to the hydroelectric generator collocated with the ground-penetrating radar transceiver inside an explosion-proof enclosure.
10. The system of
an inductive coupler for supporting a radio communication along said drillstring acting as a transmission line.
11. A method or drilling, comprising:
using a radar antenna mounted to a directional-drilling drillstring behind a steerable drillhead to radar-scan surrounding rock, and to collect in-phase (I) and quadrature-phase (Q) return-signal amplitude measurements;
finding the depth to a boundary rock interface by operating a ground-penetrating radar transceiver connected to the radar antenna, and deriving from said I and O return-signal amplitude measurements boundary rock interface depth estimates fetched from a calibration table.
12. A method of drilling, comprising:
using an upward-looking radar antenna mounted to a directional-drilling drillstring behind a steerable drillhead to radar-scan above, and to collect in-phase (I) and quadrature-phase (Q) return-signal amplitude measurements;
using a downward-looking radar antenna mounted behind said steerable drillhead to radar-scan below, and to collect I and Q return-signal amplitude measurements;
finding the depth to a boundary rock interface by operating a ground-penetrating radar transceiver connected to each of the upward-looking and downward-looking radar antennas, and deriving from said I and Q return-signal amplitude measurements boundary rock interface depth estimates fetched from a calibration table.
13. The method of
steering said drillhead according to said real-time estimates with a guidance control.
14. The method of
manipulating radar frequencies from said ground-penetrating radar transceiver for best transmission penetration and receiver sensitivity on-the-fly as different kinds of media and objects are inspected.
This Application is a continuation-in-part of both U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/820,498, filed Mar. 28, 2001, titled GROUND-PENETRATING IMAGING AND DETECTING RADAR now U.S. Pat. No. 6,522,285; and, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/161,378, filed Jun. 04, 2002, and titled SHUTTLE-IN RECEIVER FOR RADIO-IMAGING UNDERGROUND GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES. The latter of which further claims priority by virtue of U.S. Provisional Patent Applications, serial No. 60/315,149, filed Aug. 27, 2001, and titled RADAR-NAVIGATION TOOL FOR MINING COAL, and Serial No. 60/335,520, filed Oct. 31, 2001. Such Applications are incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to directional drilling navigation of boreholes in coal seams, and more specifically to radars and control systems for keeping the borehole drilling to the vertical center of the coal deposit.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The production of coal and methane depends upon the environment of the original coal bed deposit, and any subsequent alterations. During burial of the peat-coal swamp, sedimentation formed the sealing mudstone/shale layer overlying the coal bed. In deltaic deposits, high-energy paleochannels meandered from the main river channel. Oftentimes, the channels scoured through the sealing layer and into the coal seam.
High porosity sandstone channels often fill with water. Under the paleochannel scour cut bank, water flows into the face and butt cleats of the coal bed. Subsequent alterations of the seam by differential compaction cause the dip, called a roll, to occur in the coal bed. Faults are pathways for water flow into the coal bed.
Drilling into the coal bed underlying a paleochannel and subsequent fracking can enable significant flows of water to enter. The current state of the art in horizontal drilling uses gamma sensors in a measurements-while-drilling (MWD) navigation subsystem to determine when the drill approaches a sedimentary boundary rock. But if sandstone is protruding into the coal, such as results from ancient river bed cutting and filling, then the gamma sensor will not help. Sandstone does not have significant gamma emissions, so this type of detection is unreliable. Drilling within the seam cannot be maintained when the seam is not bounded by sealing rock.
Methane diffusion into a de-gas hole improves whenever the drillhole keeps to the vertical center of the coal seam. It also improves when the drillhole is near a dry paleochannel. Current horizontal drilling technology can be improved by geologic sensing and controlling of the drilling horizon in a coal seam.
One present inventor, Larry G. Stolarczyk, has described methods and equipment for imaging coal formations in geologic structures in many United States Patents. Some of those Patents are listed in Table I, and are incorporated herein by reference.
The present inventor, Larry Stolarczyk, describes the measuring of the thickness of ground deposit layers with a microstrip antenna, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,072,172, issued Dec. 10, 1991. Interpolation tables are used to lookup the layer thickness values corresponding to antenna conductance and resonance measurements. Such resonant microstrip patch antenna (RMPA) and their resulting measurements are used to guide coal-seam drum-cutter equipment for more efficient mining of natural deposit ores. The RMPA driving-point impedance (S11) changes significantly when a solid, gas, or liquid layer thickness overlying the RMPA varies.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,769,503, issued Jun. 23, 1998, to Stolarczyk, et al., describes mounting such RMPA on a rotating drum or arm of a coal, trona, or potash mining machine. A ground-penetrating-radar transmitting antenna and a receiving antenna can be mounted on a cutting drum to detect deeply buried objects and anomalous geology just ahead of the mining. A radar frequency downconverter is used so low-cost yet-accurate measurement electronics can be built. A first phase-locked loop (PLL) is operated at the resonant frequency of the patch antenna or at each sequentially stepped radar frequency. A second PLL is offset from the first PLL by an intermediate frequency (IF) and is called a tracking PLL. The measurement speed can be delayed by the sequential way in which the PLL's lock on to signals, so a solution to that delay is described.
The calibration curves represent an analytical function that has been reconstructed from a set of discrete I and Q data points measured at each height (H). The discrete sensor height calibration data can be used to construct two different polynomials with the independent variable being the physical layer thickness or height (H). The physical height (H) is independently measured with acoustic height measurement electronics during the calibration process or by other means, such as an inclinometer on the boom of a mining machine. The two calibration polynomials are,
U.S. Pat. No. 5,325,095, describes a modulator that sequentially creates in-phase (I) and quadrature phase (Q) shifts in a frequency source signal. The frequency source signal is sequentially shifted by 0� or 180� (in-phase), then by 90� or 270� (quadrature) in passing through the phase modulator to the radar transmit antenna. The electronic circuits employ isolators. Isolators and quadrature modulator transmitters are costly and difficult to build with wide bandwidth. The receiver section of the radar receives the reflected signals from the target and uses a single frequency conversion design to transpose the received radar signal frequency to a lower frequency range where the I and Q signal measurements are sequentially made at each frequency in the stepped-frequency radar method that has become one of the standard ground penetrating radar practices. The I and Q signals contain the antenna sensor information. As is well known in the art, the sensor information is processed in a Fourier transform to convert frequency domain information to time domain information. The time domain information is used to determine the time (to) for the signal energy to travel to and return back to the radar. By knowing the velocity (v) in a dielectric natural media such as coal
where c is the speed of light, εc is the relative dielectric constant of coal (about 6). The distance to the reflective target is
The relative dielectric constant must therefore be known to accurately to determine distance.
The velocity formula is made more complex whenever the natural media layer is not coal, trona, or some other high-resistivity liquid or solid. The velocity of radio waves generally depends on the frequency and resistivity of the natural medium. It is therefore preferable to simultaneously measure the in-situ dielectric constant, e.g., when using radar to measure depths. Stepped-frequency radars have separate transmitting and receiving antennas, and are circularly polarized antennae. But printed circuit antennas radiate front and back. To counter this, U.S. Pat. No. 5,325,095, teaches the placement of radar-energy absorbing material on one side of the printed circuit board to reduce the back lobe.
The antenna pattern is directed only to one side of the printed circuit antenna. Such antennas are preferably oppositely polarized so that they can be operated in continuous wave (CW) mode and in close proximity to each other. The transmitter and receiver sections operate concurrently. The radar return signals from the target will typically be repolarized opposite to the transmitted signal. The reflected wave can thus be readily measured by the receiving antenna and associated electronics. But not all the reflected signals are oppositely polarized. An electromagnetic wave traveling in a first media and into a second media is reflected at the interface.
Electromagnetic wave reflection occurs at the interface of two different dielectric media, and the reflection coefficient can be expressed in Equation (2) as,
where, Es is the reflected electric field component of the electromagnetic wave, a vector; Ep is the incident electric field component of the electromagnetic wave, a vector; ε1 is the relative dielectric constant of the first media; ε2 is the relative dielectric constant of the second media; σ is the electrical conductivity of the media; and, ω=2πf and f is the frequency of the EM wave.
Briefly, a drillstring radar embodiment of the present invention comprises a measurements-while-drilling instrument for mounting just behind the drill bit and downhole motor of a drill rod. The instrument includes a ground-penetrating radar system connected to upward-looking and downward-looking horn antennas. These are used to electronically probe the interface of a coal seam with its upper and lower boundary layers. A dielectric constant sensor is included to provide corrective data for the up and down distance measurements. Such measurements and data are radio communicated to the surface for tomographic processing and user display. The instrument also includes a navigation processor and drill bit steering controls. The radio communication uses the drillstring as a transmission line and F1/F2 repeaters can be placed along very long runs to maintain good instrument-to-surface communication. A docking mechanism associated with the instrument and its antenna array allows the instrument to be retrieved back inside the drillstring with a tether should the drill head become hopelessly jammed or locked into the earth.
An advantage of the present invention is that a drillstring radar is provided that helps keep boreholes in the middle of a coal bed.
Another advantage of the present invention is that a drillstring radar is provided that can guide directional drilling in real-time.
A further advantage of the present invention is better yeilds of method can be realized because the boreholes are restricted to the optimum middle ground within a coal bed layer.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after having read the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment which is illustrated in the various drawing figures.
FIG. 1 is a diagram of a coal mine operation in an embodiment of the present invention that uses directional drilling and measurements-while-drilling radar to guide the drilling of horizontal boreholes in the vertical centers of coal deposits;
FIG. 2 is a cross sectional diagram of a coal deposit, similar to FIG. 1, in which a sandstone paleochannel is protruding from the ceiling of the coal deposit, and in which the drilling of a horizontal borehole has dived down below the paleochannel to stay within the middle of the coal;
FIG. 3 is a diagram of a downhole drilling motor subassembly embodiment of the present invention, and a cross sectional view of the antenna subassembly portion;
FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of a drillstring radar embodiment of the present invention, and shows the electronic components and their relationships as used in the equipment of FIGS. 1-3;
FIG. 5 is a mechanical cross-sectional and electrical functional block diagram of a drill rod radar system embodiment of the present invention, and is one way to implement the antenna subassembly portion of the equipment illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4;
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a ground-penetrating radar system embodiment of the present invention, and is one way to implement the radar electronics portion of the equipment illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4;
FIG. 7 is a graph of the typical driving-point real and imaginary impedance variations seen in the system of FIG. 1 for various thicknesses of a coal layer deposit; and
FIG. 8 is a graph of the theoretical impedance response of a directional-coupler reflection port of FIG. 1.
FIG. 1 illustrates a coal mine operation 100 in its earliest stages of development. An overburden 102 of soils covers a coal layer 104. This in turn overlies a deeper substrate layer 106. The coal layer 104 may be interrupted by a fault or scouring that happened over geologic time and was filled with sandstone, e.g., a paleochannel 108. At a minimum, the coal layer will undulate and vary in thickness.
The sandstone in paleochannel 108 is porous and can be saturated with water. If so, flooding of the coal mine can occur from overhead if the coal layer just under the paleochannel is faulted or cut. It is therefore in the economic and safety interests of mining operations to avoid punching through such paleochannel 108 when taking the coal in coal layer 104.
The coal layer 104 will typically contain valuable reserves of methane gas that can be pumped out through a network of horizontally running boreholes 110 and 112. These boreholes are begun as vertical bores 114 and 116 using a directional drilling method.
FIG. 2 illustrates a horizontal drilling operation 200. An overburden 202 sits on top of a coal bed deposit represented by an upper coal deposit 204 and a lower coal deposit 206. These overlie a deeper substrate 208. The coal bed deposit is preferably drilled such that a horizontal borehole 210 is vertically equidistant between upper and lower coal deposits 204 and 206. In some situations, the horizontal borehole 210 may need to be lined with a perforated plastic pipe that lacks perforations in the water saturated areas.
Such horizontal borehole 210 is drilled by a drillstring 212 that has a steerable, directional drillhead 214. A paleochannel 216 filled with sandstone and probably saturated with water represents a common hazard in such mining. FIG. 2 shows that the horizontal borehole 210 has been drilled to stay in the middle of whatever vertical space there is to work within the upper and lower coal deposits 204 and 206. Such guidance while drilling requires a non-invasive probing of the deposits ahead of the drilling that is provided by embodiments of the present invention.
A natural waveguide occurs in layered coal seam sedimentary geology because there is a contrast between the electrical conductivity of the coal and that of shale, mudstone, and/or fire clay. The conductivity of coal is about 0.0005 S/m (2,000 ohm-meters). So dry coal is a pretty good insulator. The typical bounding layers have electrical conductivity in the range of 0.01 to 0.1 Siemens per meter (S/m). Such 20:1 conductivity contrast creates a natural waveguide, and any induced electromagnetic (EM) waves will travel along inside the coal bed layer.
An electric field (EZ) component of the traveling EM wave is vertically polarized, and the magnetic field (Hy) component is horizontally polarized in the seam. The energy in this part of the EM wave travels laterally in the coal seam from a transmitter to a receiver, e.g., a Stolar Horizon Radio Imaging Method (RIM) receiver. A horizontally polarized electric field (EX) component has a zero value near the vertical center of the seam, and is maximum at the sedimentary rock-coal interface. It is this EX component that is responsible for EM wave signal transmission into the boundary rock layer. The energy in this part of the EM wave travels vertically in the coal deposit.
In such waveguide, the coal seam radiowave magnitude diminishes over distance for two reasons. The first is the attenuation rate of the waveguide. The second is the radial spreading of wave energy as it travels away from the transmitter. The cylindrical spread can be mathematically represented by
where r is the distance from the transmitting to receiving antenna. This compares with a non-waveguide far field spherically spreading factor of
Thus, at hundred meters, the magnitude of the seam EM wave decreases by a factor of only ten in the waveguide, and by a factor of hundred in an unbounded media.
A significant advantage of the seam waveguide is signals can travel farther. Another advantage is that the traveling electromagnetic wave predominantly remains within the coal seam waveguide.
Such coal seam electromagnetic wave is very sensitive to changes in the waveguide geology. The radiowave attenuation rate and the phase shift can be measured and the measurements will reveal structural features of the coal seam. If the waveguide were uniform, then the path would be a straight line. The straight line path is an assumption used in the Algebraic Reconstruction Technique (ART) tomography algorithm. But radiowaves are refracted near significant geologic anomalies causing the travel path of the radiowave to bend and be longer than in the uniform waveguide case. Such bending cannot be accounted for in ART processing and so causes an error. But, by measuring the total path phase shift, the bending effect can be accounted for in Full Wave Inversion Code (FWIC), a tomography reconstruction algorithm. The waveguide attenuation effect reduces the magnitude of the electromagnetic wave along the path.
It has been observed that the coal seam attenuation rate will increase with signal frequency. The wavelength increases as frequency decreases. By lowering the operating frequency, the measurement range increases. But such range still depends on coal seam thickness, the type of bounding sedimentary rock, and the electrical conductivity of the coal.
Intrusions of sandstone sedimentary rock into the coal seam increase the attenuation rate at that point. This is because more of the signal travels vertically into the boundary rock and leaks from the waveguide. If water has invaded the coal, then any wet clay in the coal will cause the electrical conductivity to decrease and the attenuation-rate/phase-shift to increase. Such effects allow tomography to be used to image such geologic anomalies.
The attenuation-rate/phase-shift rapidly increases with decreasing seam height, so coal seam thinning can be easily detected. Higher attenuation-rate areas suggest that the coal seam boundary rock is changing, the seam is rapidly thinning, or/and water has invaded the coal seam.
Faults and dykes in the coal seam will cause signal reflections within the waveguide. Such reflections can appear as excess path loss, but can be differentiated as being caused by faults and dykes in the coal by also taking phase shift measurements.
The preferred operating frequency band extends from a few kilohertz to well over 300 kHz. The few kilohertz lower limit is due to the practical problems in building low frequency antennas with their longer wavelengths, and the high frequency limit is due to the increased coal seam waveguide attenuation rate with frequency. Instrument design and tomographic image processing algorithms can greatly increase coal seam imaging resolution.
Tomographic ART images often have in the direction of the signal wave propagation. The ART algorithm assumes that the coal seam waveguide signal travels on a straight ray path. Severe geologic anomalies can cause signal refraction, in which case the ray-path assumption fails.
Referring again to FIG. 2, the drillstring 212 preferably includes a radar system with both upward and downward looking antennas to non-invasively determine the vertical middle of coal layers 204 and 206. Such further preferably includes a dielectric-constant measuring sensor and an inductive radio for communicating measured data to the surface.
For example, the drillstring 212 includes at its distal end behind drillhead 214 a measure-while-drilling (MWD) instrument with a stepped-frequency radar operating in the 1.7 to 2.5-GHz range. Typically, fifty frequency steps are used to cover the frequency range. At each frequency step, in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) radar return signal values are measured and transmitted to a user display at the ground surface. The I and Q values for all step frequencies are decoded and processed in a fast Fourier transform (FFT) to derive the time domain response from each of the roof and floor to the coal interface. The distances to each interface can then be determined from these measurements by taking into account the relative dielectric constant.
Alternatively, since the object of steering the drillstring 212 is to stay in the vertical middle of the coal seam 204 and 206, the raw measurements from the upward-looking and downward-looking radar antennas can be compared in their raw uncorrected state to see if they are about the same. If so, the measurements can be assumed to have occurred at the vertical middle, e.g., equidistant to ceiling and floor. In such cases, the corrective information for each from the dielectric-constant sensor can be dispensed with.
In order to acquire accurate geologic data while drilling through coal seams, the radar acquired distance data must be corrected for relative dielectric constant (εr) to determine the actual physical distance. In such case, the instrumentation must include a local dielectric-constant measuring capability.
The FFT computations needed for real-time MWD is very computer-intensive. With the present state-of-the-art in microprocessors, the measured data must be processed above ground where larger, more capable computers an be operated. Such computers also demand operating power that is too much for battery operation in the drillstring 212. Therefore the measurements are communicated along the drillstring, e.g., using inductively coupled radio communication.
Such upward-looking and downward-looking radar can also determine the type of boundary rock in the roof and floor. Regions of high coal seam where the relative dielectric constant is high, e.g., greater than 6.0, are unattractive because they produce greater amounts of water in the methane drainage system. Any coal deposit set under a paleochannel and having a dielectric constant under 6.0 suggests that the paleochannel is dry and will contain methane. Drilling near dry paleochannels increases methane production.
Conventional horizontal drilling navigation systems cannot directly determine seam thickness or changes in seam orientation, dips and rolls, without trial-and-error exploratory drilling of the floor and the roof in the same region of the panel. Thus, when the seam horizon changes, the drill will impact the roof or floor. A drilling machine operator with such conventional methods detects when the drill is on the roof or floor horizon by evidence of rock in the cuttings. The drilling technician redirects the drill motor to try to keep the drill within the seam. The borehole that results wanders between the roof and floor of the coal seam along its path. Punching through to roof or floor interfaces can invite ground water to inundate the borehole.
FIG. 3 illustrates a downhole drilling motor subassembly embodiment of the present invention, and is referred to herein by the general reference numeral 300. The downhole drilling motor subassembly 300 comprises a drill bit 302, a directional steering gimbal 304, a downhole motor 306, an antenna subassembly 308 with a radar antenna 310 and a dielectric-constant sensor 312, and a radar electronics 314.
If the drill bit 302 and downhole motor 306 become hopelessly jammed in the earth and cannot be withdrawn or advanced, the radar electronics can be salvaged nevertheless. A docking socket and plug 316 allows the radar electronics 314 to be pulled back inside the length of the drillstring to the surface with a tether 318. The docking socket and plug 316 are also such that the radar electronics 314 can be hydraulically pumped down from the surface inside the drillstring to automatically dock and electrically mate. Alternatively, such docking mechanism can be located so the radar antennas 310 and 312 can also be withdrawn by tether 318 along with the radar electronics 314.
The downhole motor 306 is powered by a flow of water forced down the drillstring from the surface at a pressure of 600-psi and flowrate of 75-gpm. Some of this hydraulic energy can be converted to electricity for use by the downhole electronics. The drill bit 302 is not coaxial with downhole motor 306 by virtue of a bend at gimbal 304. Such bend is on the order of a few degrees and allows directional drilling by rotating the drillstring. For example, rotating the drillstring to 0� the drilling will head up, at 90� and 270� the drilling will turn left or right, and at 180� the drilling will dive down. Alternatively, the gimbal 304 can be articulated so that it can steer the directional drilling without having to rotate the whole drillstring. A gimbal directional drilling control may include four separate hydraulic operated pressure pads orthogonally distributed. When the 180� pad is pushed out, the drill motor will bore upward. The other directional pads are pushed out for different directions.
FIG. 4 illustrates a drillstring radar embodiment of the present invention, and is referred to herein by the general reference numeral 400. The drillstring radar 400 comprises a downhole drillstring 402 connected to a surface collar 404. A graphical user interface (GUI) 406 is positioned at the surface and processes tomographic images of the measurements-while-drilling on a user display 407. A microcomputer (CPU) 408 does data logging and processes raw data received by a transceiver 409 from the downhole equipment. A signal coupler 410 allows the transceiver 409 to use the collar 404 and drillstring 402 as a common transmission line. A radio repeater 411 repeats and amplifies �F1/F2� signals through its couplers 412 and 414. If the drillstring 402 is relatively short, and signal attenuation is not severe, then repeater 411 may not be needed. A measurements-while-drilling (MWD) instrument 416 is connected to the radio signals on the drillstring 402 by a coupler 418. Coupler 418 is operated at about 100-kHz and typical comprises 14-turns of Litz-wire on a 12-inch long coil one inch wide and mounted edge onto the drill rod. An antenna array 420 is associated with the MWD instrument 416 and both are closely associated at the distal end of drillstring 402 behind the drill bit.
The MWD instrument 416 is typically packaged in a pipe section 1-⅝ inch in diameter and nine feet long. It comprises a radio transceiver 422 that is connected to a HMD antenna 424. Such antenna 424 is operated at about 125-kHz and typical comprises 14-turns of Litz-wire on a 24-inch long ferrite rod one inch in diameter. It communicates with other radar imaging equipment collocated in another parallel borehole. A more complete description of how this antenna 424 is used and how associated radar imaging equipment located in associated parallel boreholes can be used to advantage in coal deposit imaging, is provided in other U.S. patent applications of the present inventor, e.g., Ser. No. 10/259,912, filed Sep. 30, 2002, and titled, RADIO-IMAGING OF UNDERGROUND STRUCTURES. Such are incorporated herein by reference.
A processor (PIC) 426 interfaces the raw measurements from a radar electronics system 428 to the transceiver 422. A switching matrix 430 allows the selection of an upward-looking radar horn antenna 432, a resonant microstrip patch antenna (RMPA) 434, and a downward-looking radar horn antenna 436. Such horn antennas are preferably operated in the 2.0-2.5 GHz frequency band and have at least 20-dB of back-lobe rejection. A navigation processor 438 receives control signals in real-time to guide the direction of drilling according to measurements obtained by the radar electronics 428. For example, a model 544 angular orientation sensor manufactured by Applied Physics Systems (APS) can be used for the navigation processor 438. The miniature size is ideal for the MWD tool. The roll and pitch accuracy is �1.5 degrees, and azimuth is �0.2 degrees. Such unit calculates the roll, pitch, and yaw values, and has an RS-232 output format that can be transmitted by the radio data transmission system.
Electrical power for the MWD instrument 416 can be provided by a hydro-generator 440 that taps into the hydraulic fluid flow through the drillstring, or by a rechargeable battery 442, or both.
The MWD instrument 416 is preferably retractable should the drillstring 402 become stuck in the drillhole. For example, the MWD instrument is equipped with a self-docking mechanism to interconnect with the antenna array subsection drill rod. A retractable capability permits the MWD instrument and repeater to be hydraulically pumped-in and pulled out of the drillstring. Such a shuttle mechanism is described by the present inventor in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/161,378, filed Jun. 04, 2002, and titled SHUTTLE-IN RECEIVER FOR RADIO-IMAGING UNDERGROUND GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES. Alternatively, a docking mechanism associated with the MWD instrument 416 and its antenna array 420 allows the MWD instrument to be retrieved back inside the drillstring with a tether should the drill head become hopelessly jammed or locked into the earth.
The antenna array 420 is preferably designed to accommodate the radar and dielectric microwave antennas, the radar transmitter antenna, and the data transmission antenna. For economy, the radar transmitter function can use the transmitter section of the data transceiver 422 during periods that data is not being sent to the surface collar. The MWD instrument 416 is placed inside a beryllium-copper drill rod section, e.g., ten feet long. In one instance, the antenna array and MWD instrument was located fifteen feet behind the downhole motor.
FIG. 5 illustrates a borehole drill rod radar system 500 built with the circuits described in FIG. 4. A dielectrically loaded feed of a conventional horn antenna is mounted flush on the surface of the drum or drill-steel to provide a forward-looking radar with minimum back-lobe to detect geologic anomalies ahead of mining. This radar antenna, when combined with RMPA dielectric constant measurements, enables the accurate measurement of distance.
In general, embodiments of the present invention include methods for measuring a reflection port signal for a three-port directional coupler with its output port directly connected to the driving-point of a conventional horn antenna. The reflection port is connected through a first balanced mixer. A 0�/90� phase shifter rotates the signal phase between a forward coupling port of the three-port directional coupler and a second beat frequency balanced mixer. A first beat frequency balanced mixer injection signal is phase coherent with the reflection signal, thereby canceling the phase shift of the PLL. The impedance of the sensor antenna in close proximity to natural media is made as close as possible to the characteristic impedance of the three-port directional coupler, preferably fifty ohms. The beat frequency occurs with phase-coherent mixing in mixer M4 so as to cancel the phase drift of the crystal oscillator and create in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) signals derived from the reflection port signal. Such can be used in remote sensing and imaging of non-metallic and metallic landmines.
One method of calibrating the sensor antenna uses sets of polynomial equations wherein the independent variable represents the value to be measured. Alternative embodiments include solving for the value of the independent variable (H) from a set of polynomial equations that is the difference between the calibration polynomial equation and the measured values of I and Q. Alternative embodiments include determining the value of the independent variable (Ho) by independent means and using the difference between the measured and calibration polynomial value to detect and image the object. Other embodiments determine the independent variable as being related to a material thickness, dielectric constant, in-situ stress.
The measurements obtained from embodiments of the present invention can be tomographically processed to construct two and three-dimensional images of the object, e.g., a silhouette image of the object and its associated signal-to-noise ratio. The signal-to-noise ratio and the width of the reconstructed object are generally related to the probability of the object's detection.
Referring again to FIG. 5 the drill rod radar 500 represents an alternative construction to the antenna subassembly 308 and radar electronics 314 of FIG. 3. Such drill rod radar 500 comprises an explosion-proof housing 502 into which power must be supplied without using wires or commutator brushes. A pair of coupled magnets 504 and 506 turns on an axle 508 to spin an electrical generator 510. The magnets 504 and 506 form a kind of magnetic clutch that is able to engage through a beryllium-copper wall of the explosion-proof housing 502. The generator 510 supplies operating power to a medium-frequency transmitter 512 and a microwave radar measurement circuit 514.
An RMPA antenna sensor 516 is used to determine a relative dielectric constant (εc) of any coal surrounding the drill rod radar 500. The dielectric constant of coal is affected by how much moisture is in the coal. Upward and downward-looking radar horns 518 and 520 each provide I and Q signals at each stepped frequency that are interpreted by the microwave radar measurement circuit 514. The distance through the coal layer to a sedimentary interface can be determined from the radar data once the dielectric constant of the natural media has been determined.
The drill rod radar 500 is typically operated to step through a range of frequencies, e.g., from 2.7 GHz to 3.1 GHz. Each I and Q measurement preferably provides at least ten bits of digital data. A matching medium frequency receiver and computer at a more convenient location are used to determine the product of distance and the dielectric constant, e.g., using fast Fourier transformation (FFT) methods. The I-and-Q data, and RMPA data can be transmitted as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,268,683, issued to Larry Stolarczyk on Dec. 7, 1993. Such patent is incorporated herein by reference.
The MWD instrument 416 in FIG. 4 is retractable should the drillstring 400 become stuck in the drillhole. The MWD instrument is 1-⅝ inches in diameter and equipped with a self-docking mechanism to interconnect antenna.
FIG. 6 illustrates a ground-penetrating radar system embodiment of the present invention, and is referred to herein by the general reference numeral 600. Such could be used as radar electronics 314 in FIG. 3 or 428 in FIG. 4. The ground-penetrating radar system 600 is used to non-invasively penetrate a coal seam 601 with microwave radio energy to find a boundary rock interface 602. The system 600 includes a local oscillator 603 that produces a reference frequency (FX) with reference phase (θ1). A first phase-locked loop (PLL) 604 synthesizes a radio frequency F0, an integer harmonic of FX. The radio frequency F0 is passed to a forward-coupling port of a power splitter 606. An output port is connected to a wideband isolation amplifier 608. A three-port directional coupler 610 one-way couples the transmit signal out to a directional radar antenna 612 which illuminates the coal seam 601 and produces reflected waves from the boundary rock interface 602 with the coal seam 601. A reflection port of the three-port directional coupler 610 is used for measurements, e.g., where eR=eoΓ cos θR, the reflected energy is a function of the output energy of antenna 612.
During operation, such directional radar antenna 612 is moved close to a natural media or ground surface. A deliberate impedance mismatch is thus created that will result in higher levels of coupler reflection port output voltage or standing wave ratio (VSWR). Any impedance mismatches appearing at any of the ports on a directional coupler will reduce its directivity and isolation between ports. Wideband isolation amplifiers are used to stop reflected waves from reaching the transmitter stages and causing impedance mismatches. The balanced mixers are particularly susceptible to performance degradations under uncontrolled conditions.
Radar signals radiated from the directional radar antenna 612 enter the natural media or ground and are reflected back attenuated and with a change of phase. A wideband isolation amplifier 614 forwards the reflected-wave sample to a first balanced mixer (M1) 616.
A second PLL 618 synthesizes a coherent frequency F1, e.g., 10.70 MHz. A sample of the transmitted signal is provided by the power splitter 606 and a second wideband isolation amplifier 619 to a selectable 0�/90� phase shifter 620. A balanced mixer (M2) 622 provides an intermediate frequency (IF) F5 that is output by a third wideband isolation amplifier 624. The result is a suppressed-carrier signal with upper and lower sidebands offset from the carrier frequency by 10.70 MHz. This in turn mixes with RF in balanced mixer (M1) 616 to produce a first intermediate frequency (IF) F6. A bandpass filter 626 produces an output F6′. A third PLL 628 synthesizes another coherent frequency (F2), e.g., 10.720 MHz. This is combined with F6′ in a balanced mixer 630 to produce a relatively low-frequency IF signal F7, e.g., 20.0 KHz.
Both the oscillator phase shift θ1 and the frequency are multiplied by No to create the output frequency Noω1. The phase shift Noω1, is canceled on mixer M1. The coupler reflection port voltage eR dependence on load plane impedance is mathematically represented by Equation (3). The reflection coefficient (Γ) is a complex number that can be represented as a vector magnitude with phase angle θR. Trigonometric identities are used and filter theory is applied to find that,
The ratio of these direct current (DC) values and the inverse tangent values solves for the reflection phase angle θR. The constant k is determinable after instrument calibration. The magnitude of the reflection coefficient can be found from either of the above two equations. The measured values of Γ and θR can be applied in Equation (3) to determine the load plane impedance.
A bandpass filter 632 produces a signal F7′. A fourth PLL 633 synthesizes another radio frequency (F3). The radio frequency is applied to the LO part of the fourth balanced mixer (M4) 634. Heterodyning produces a signal output F8. An integrating filter 636 processes and outputs a signal F8′. The phase drift (θ1) in local oscillator 603 is automatically cancelled and does not appear in the output. An analog to digital converter (ADC) 638 outputs a digital signal format, e.g., for further processing by a computer.
A control line 640 selects a 0� or 90� phase-shift through the phase shifter, and this will cause the system 600 to output in-phase or quadrature measurements, e.g., as represented by a DC output voltage of the ADC 638. This control line is typically connected to the same microprocessor that receives the digitized estimates from ADC 638. Such arrangement provides time-multiplexed I and Q amplitude estimates that are indexed to a calibration table, like FIG. 7, to find the depth to the boundary rock interface 602 or the thickness of the coal seam 601 covering the object. The microprocessor is preferably further provided with control signals 641-644 so that the F0-F3 frequencies can be digitally manipulated, e.g., for best transmission penetration and receiver sensitivity on-the-fly as different kinds of media 601 and objects 602 are inspected.
The estimates can be processed to provide landmine detection, guide drilling or excavation operations, control mining equipment, find lost buried objects in the soil, etc.
The three-port directional coupler 610 is preferably located near the RMPA antenna 612 and is connected to it by a short coaxial cable or strip line. The RMPA antenna 612 is preferably placed close to a natural media surface so the driving-point impedance of an antenna can be adjusted to match the characteristic impedance of the coupler. This technique will maximize the sensitivity of the coupler reflection port signal to small changes in antenna driving-point impedance. An antenna driving-point impedance adjustment is therefore preferred, e.g., with a variable slot built into the antenna structure capacitor.
The balanced mixer placed between the coupler reflected port and the first balanced mixer is such that the signals that modulate the coupler reflection output are phase coherent with the transmit signal. Sidebands are thus produced that represent the phase and amplitude information in the reflection signals. The rest of the circuitry demodulates the information from the carrier.
The output signal of the second balanced modulator (M2) is mixed with a coherent sample of the transmit signal in the first balanced mixer. After filtering, such signal will faithfully replicate the reflection port signal. This simplifies the transceiver design and enables accurate signal measurements with low cost synchronous detection circuits.
FIG. 7 charts the relationships that typically develop between the RMPA antenna and the depth to the object and measured values for real (in-phase, I) and imaginary (quadrature-phase, Q). The two vector components of RMPA impedance, real and imaginary, vary differently as a nearby media layer thickness changes. Plotting the imaginary on the Y-axis and the real on the X-axis of a graph yields a calibration curve 700 that spirals to a vanishing point with increasing layer thickness, e.g., from 0.25 to twelve inches.
FIG. 8 illustrates the theoretical impedance response 800, e.g., as seen at the reflected-wave sample port of directional coupler 610. The applied signal (eo) from isolation amplifier 608 is assumed to be constant. Detection sensitivity is best on the steepest parts of the curve. Sensitivity is maximum when the RMPA driving point impedance matches the characteristic impedance of the directional coupler.
A method embodiment of the present invention provides for the calibration of such RMPA sensor antennas. Sets of polynomial equations are constructed with independent variables (H) that allow any given antenna driving point impedance value to be measured, and represented as a calibration function with independent variable (H). The difference between the measured and calibration polynomial value is used to detect and image the coal seam.
Method embodiments of the present invention can further define such independent variables to be thickness, dielectric constant, or in-situ stress of a geologic media or buried object. The information gathered can be used to construct visual images of the coal seam and its composition.
Referring again to FIG. 6, the crystal oscillator phase shift θ1 is multiplied by the full multiplication factor No and the frequency of the crystal oscillator is multiplied by No creating the output frequency Noω1. After filtering, the phase shift Noθ1, is canceled on balanced mixer M1. The coupler reflection port voltage eR dependence on driving point impedance is mathematically represented by Equation (3). The reflection coefficient (Γ) is a complex number that can be represented as a vector magnitude with phase angle θR. Using trigonometric identities and applying filter theory, it can be shown that,
The ratio of these direct current (DC) values can be used to solve for the inverse tangent values. And the reflection phase angle θR can be readily determined. Calibration of the instrument will determine the correct constant K. The magnitude of the reflection coefficient can be found from either of the above two equations. The circuits isolate the phase shifter from any blaring reflected signal. The measured values of Γ and θR can be applied in Equation (3) to determine the driving point impedance.
The following equations help further describe the necessary working conditions of the ground-penetrating radar system 600 in FIG. 6, and illustrate what each functional element must do to process the signals involved. FR is the reflected-wave output from the reverse port of directional coupler 610. FX is the output of oscillator 603. F0 is the output of PLL 604. F1 is the output of PLL 618. F2 is the output of PLL 628. F3 is the output of PLL 633. F4I and F4Q are the selected in-phase and quadrature outputs of phase shifter 620. F5 is the output of mixer 622. F6 is the output of mixer 616. F6′ is the filtered output of bandpass filter 626. F7 is the output of mixer 630. F7′ is the filtered output of bandpass filter 632. F8 is the output of mixer 634. F8′ is the filtered output of bandpass filter 636.
Placing the quadrature hybrid into the 0� position yields:
After filtering:
After filtering:
where N2−N1=1,
and applying filter:
Switching the quadrature hybrid to the 90� position and following similar techniques as shown above, reveals that:
Although the present invention has been described in terms of the presently preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not to be interpreted as limiting. Various alterations and modifications will no doubt become apparent to those skilled in the art after having read the above disclosure. Accordingly, it is intended that the appended claims be interpreted as covering all alterations and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.
Patent Citations
Referenced by
Legal Events
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text:
I am 17 and i have this dental problem that i developed when my adult teeth came in and ill be having Dentures i wont get implants until my dad gets a railroad job.. but how long did it take you to get use to dentures and to eat with them?
and how long does it take the dentist to make dentures for you?
& do they hurt inside your mouth? and does the dentist give any pain meds?

subset: commoncrawl


text:
NEW YORK (AP) - A late rally led by energy companies pushed U.S. stock indexes to a higher close.
WASHINGTON (AP) - With higher taxes on the wealthy and billions in new spending, President Barack Obama's no-balance budget lays down an audacious challenge to Republicans who swept to full control of Congress last fall and now claim a mandate to eliminate deficits over the next decade.
NEW YORK (AP) - Mark Miller has survived 19 years of online dating since his 1995 divorce, yet he still has a smile on his face.
PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (AP) - The handlers of Pennsylvania's most famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, said Monday the furry rodent has forecast six more weeks of winter.
PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (AP) - The handlers of Pennsylvania's most famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, said Monday the furry rodent has forecast six more weeks of winter.
ATLANTA (AP) - Messages of support were being offered Monday as people awaited word on singer Whitney Houston's daughter, who authorities say was found face down and unresponsive in a bathtub over the weekend in a suburban Atlanta townhome.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Troubled by consumer complaints and loopholes in state laws, federal regulators are putting together the first rules on payday loans aimed at helping cash-strapped borrowers avoid falling into a cycle of high-rate debt.
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The U.N. Security Council will vote Monday on an Australia-proposed resolution demanding international access to the Ukraine plane crash site and a cease-fire around the area, with diplomats pressuring a reluctant Russia to approve it.
ROZSYPNE, Ukraine (AP) - World leaders called for an immediate cease-fire in eastern Ukraine on Friday and demanded speedy access for international investigators to the crash site of the Malaysia Airlines jetliner shot down over the country's battlefields.
MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - Move over, pot brownies.
HE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) - International passengers from all walks of life, from a prominent AIDS researcher and soccer fans to a nun and a florist, were aboard Malaysia Airlines Flight 17.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - Federal regulators have scheduled a meeting to discuss a radioactive water leak that led to the shutdown of a South Carolina nuclear reactor, officials said Thursday.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Obama administration scrambled Thursday to determine what brought down a passenger jet in Ukraine and whether any Americans were killed in an incident that could worsen the already tense conflict near the Ukraine-Russia border.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - Israeli forces on Thursday launched a ground offensive in the Gaza Strip, the military said.
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Microsoft announced the biggest layoffs in its history Thursday, saying it will cut 18,000 jobs as it streamlines its Nokia mobile device business to focus on using the Windows Phone operating system.
GRABOVO, Ukraine (AP) - Ukraine said passenger plane carrying 295 people was shot down Thursday as it flew over the country, and both the government and the pro-Russia separatists fighting in the region denied any responsibility for downing the plane.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Senate Republicans on Wednesday blocked a bill aimed at restoring free contraception for women who get their health insurance from companies with religious objections, a legislative setback for Democrats that they hope will be a political winner in November's elections.
WASHINGTON (AP) - A group of influential lawyers says it has an answer to the question of what should happen to your Facebook, Yahoo and other online accounts when you die.
WASHINGTON (AP) - New federal guidelines on job discrimination against pregnant workers could have a big impact on the workplace and in the courtroom.
ORACLE, Ariz. (AP) - Protesters carrying "Return to Sender" and "Go home non-Yankees" signs faced off with immigrant rights activists Tuesday in a small Arizona town after a sheriff said a bus filled with Central American children was on its way.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The House voted Tuesday to make permanent a moratorium that prevents state and local governments from taxing access to the Internet.
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Archie Andrews will die taking a bullet for his gay best friend.


text:
- Presentation
- Algebra Yr 7L.pptx
- (957 KB, Microsoft PowerPoint)
Simplifying Expressions
A variety of PowerPoints, worksheets and activities I have made over the past year to teach simplifying expressions. They have been taught to a variety of abilities, so find the PPT that suits your class best. I've also included the &'Algebra Cards&'; ppt, which when cut up, were brilliant for helping my bottom set year 8 to play with forming and simplifying expressions.
24 Reviews
The worksheet on simplifying expresions is good. It wil be very useful as a revision worksheet for my pupils
Thank you for your generosity, very helpful for this first time GCSE Maths lecturer.
Look forward to using this Monday or Tuesday
Thank you
Worksheets are ideal for my lower level students. Thank you.
I really like the idea of the algebra cards - I will use with my Year 7 low set!


text:
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Karine and her group were perfect guests! They respected all house rules, communicated well and didn't abuse their privileges. They even took out the garbage and put all the linens in the bin! They are always welcome back in my home!
With pleasure. !!so keep in touch. If you want to rent an house near bordeaux, contact me !
See you soon


text:
Printable View
Vest will probably cost you but its an investment. I got my 86lb one(i only have 50lb in it right now lol: cost $165 shipped on ebay brand new. You definitely need access to stairs and a vest in this process
Anyway, to address the poster above; you're not going to play for one of the departments organized sports teams while you're a proby. There aren't necessarily any rules about this, but it's just not something that's done too frequently and it's not a good idea.
If you eventually make it to the firehouse, you'll find that probation is tough and tiring. You have a lot on your plate as far as getting the schedule down and learning the ropes in your company. Adding a sport to that is no good. Additionally, if you are injured playing football, hockey, ect, your probation will be extended for the duration equal to what you spent on medical leave. Worse, if you injure yourself in such a manor as to cause concern for your future ability as a firefighter, you will be terminated. You have NO PROTECTIONS. You are on probation and they need no reason to dismiss you.
All that being said, I like the attitude of wanting to get involved. I've said it many times, this is a lifestyle, not a job. You don't leave work at the office, so to speak. There are many groups, sports and social activities to get involved in and you should take advantage of as many as you can. There are good odds your firehouse will have a softball team, hockey team, ect. PLAY! The more guys see you, the better they'll get to know you and the faster you'll become one of the brothers.........because that's were you want to be.
I'll steal this line, "you're on the payroll, you're not in the brotherhood. You're not in the brotherhood until the brothers in the firehouse say you are".
If you're looking for a weight vest you have to go to amazon. This is the exact one I have (was 120 w/ shipping). The vest is very durable. My 3 cats use it to dull there nails and haven't affected it at all(had it about a year now)
They also have a 80lb vest. Which I also linked for everyone
My two cents on weighted vests. I love this vest, got it on Amazon, the weight is adjustable up to 60 lbs (comes with 50), doesn't restrict movement when working out, and the vest itself is machine washable which helps when its all ratty and nasty from sweating in it for weeks
Also, I've seen a lot of people arguing about different stuff. I'm usually the kind of person that just sits back, watch and reserve my opinion if I think its going to offend anyone. Just wanted to say thank you to those taking the time to help others on this forum and keeping it an informative one.
Anyone have grundle chaffing while running? Serious question haha. Couldn't finish my run tonight it was misery.
A couple things:
1. Invest in spandex bike shorts..or if you wanna be really high speed get those Nike/under armour under boxer brief sweat wicking things.. Basically anything that covers the thighs down to your knees..
2. I used to use my wife's body butter from bath and body works.. After a shower.. Apply some and sleep commando, not necessarily naked but allow for some air flow.. Will work wonders..
3. Shower regularly.. Goes without saying.
4. If you chafe..lay off for a day or 2. The only thing worse then applying soap and hot water to a chafed area is applying soap and Hott water to a really chafed area.
Hope this helps.
I heard compression shorts are good for those. I guess they would have to be a really strong pair. I have chubb rubb.
Any body who knows where the squat rack is Chaffes on long runs.. It happens.
Just wearing boxer briefs does it for me.
Compression shorts and baby powder worked wonders for me
As for the race you will ,without a doubt, be lumped up and bruised and cut and muddied up but it will be some of the most fun you've had in your life. The sprints top out at about 4 miles and the super at about 9. There's also a beast which is 12+ miles but I just can't swing the cash to travel for that one. If you like to run and you've raced before this is great to change it up and give a new perspective on running. People are great, girls are beautiful and all in all it's a great time. Plus you get a free beer at the end of the race lol. Check out www.spartanrace.com for more info. If you decide to do any let me know. I'll gladly run with anyone especially someone in the same boat as me.
Anyway, I'm always down for a run. Like I said before I'm not breaking any records but I always prefer training with someone. Whenever you're ready just send me a pm and I'll send you my number to set it up.


text:
Take one knitted dress.... three outfits based around a black and charcoal '60s woven knit mix dress.Related content
Fashion tips you may have missed:
Take one knitted dress.... three outfits based around a black and charcoal '60s woven knit mix dress.Related content
Fashion tips you may have missed:
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Pontypridd 36 v 0 Llandovery match report: Cup holders Ponty ease through to the semi finals with comfortable win


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What kind of Cheese? Ricotta is the easiest. Start with that. You can google it. Here is one I've made.
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The Planet MySQL has been abuzz with
opinions for or against the acquisition of Sun (and in particular MySQL) by
Oracle, but I do not have a strong opinion to chime in with in support of
either groups.
The reason is that I do not know anything about antitrust laws, which is the
legal basis for the EC blocking or not blocking the deal; and also I do not
know what the alternative is to Oracle buying the MySQL part of Sun.
However, that does not mean that I can not join in the speculations about
Oracles reasons for wanting MySQL in the first place ;-)
I think it is basically a matter of obtaining control over MySQL.
The horror scenario for Oracle is that MySQL (or Postgress or another Free
Software program) does to the proprietary databases what Linux has done to the
proprietary Unixes. Which is essentially to kill them, slowly but surely. This
is not an immediate threat to Oracle, but it is a real long-term
threat given how similar the technical challenges are of developing a
kernel/OS and a database/RDBMS. And should it happen, the impact on
the license revenues from the Oracle RDBMS would be devastating.
Compared to that horror scenario, the potential loss of some fraction of
Oracle license sales which will stem from the continued development of MySQL
is of less consequences. And this loss will
happen in any case, if not to MySQL then to Postgress, to a
MySQL fork, or to another free database.
So from this reasoning, it makes the most sense for Oracle to continue
development of MySQL more or less unchanged from what it was in MySQL AB and
later at Sun. At a sufficiently high level (in terms of bug fixes, features,
etc.) that most of the community interest will remain on MySQL and not turn to
forks or other Free databases that are outside of Oracles control. And keeping
the very tight control over the development that MySQL AB and Sun also had,
with the community having basically no influence over what goes into the code
or not. Then, should it ever become necessary, Oracle has the control it needs
to prevent or at least manage the above-mentioned horror scenario.
In fact, this is exactly what Oracle has done with InnoDB since
buying them four years ago. The development has continued more or less as
before, as far as I can tell at a similar pace and with the same team. And
while there is a fork
in XtraDB,
the Oracle-controlled InnoDB is good enough that by far the majority
of the community is using it and not XtraDB.
So basically, after buying InnoDB Oracle has done essentially nothing with it,
one way or the other. Notably, Oracle has not done any of the
following or similar bold and visionary steps with InnoDB:
Nothing I have seen in the statements or discussions so far seems to suggest
that Oracle would treat an acquisition of MySQL differently.
Will this be good or bad for MySQL? Without an alternative scenario to compare
with, I do not know. But it certainly is not sufficient! MySQL development has
been stalling for several years, and we need to invigorate it to make MySQL
meet the new challenges facing existing applications, and to improve MySQL for
use in applications where it is currently weak.
We need improved management of huge databases: tablespace management; buffer
pool control; backup infrastructure; etc. We need replication improvements:
binlog storage inside default storage engine for improved transaction
handling; interleaved logging of transactions; multi-threaded application of
row-based events in MVCC engines; robust automatic handling of fail-over
scenarios, etc. We need refactoring of the core server to enable future
development: new parser; separate abstract syntax tree; move to modern
multi-threading architecture with lock-free operations
and RCU;
etc. We need scalability improvements to multi-core computers. We need
versioned metadata for better support of on-line DDL. We need
server-side cache of already executed statements with access to per-statement
statistics and execution plans. We need merge and hash joins. We need better
integration of the many new storage engines being developed: inclusion by
default in source and binaries to make them easy to try and use; extensions to
the storage engine API to better interface to the new engines and fully
exploit each of their unique features. And lots more.
Will Oracle take the lead on some of these, and give up sufficient control for
the community to take the lead on the rest? Well, we do not know. It does seem
hard to find a motivation for Oracle to drive the development of MySQL into
new areas that will necessarily cannibalise their huge license revenues. On
the other hand, if they do, they will be most welcome, and we look forward to
hopefully working together with them. In any case, we must not blindly rely on
this to happen, not from Oracle or any other company which may end up with the
MySQL assets!
I sincerely hope that whatever happens to MySQL the company, a sufficient part
of the community will remember that we need not just a MySQL (under whatever
name) that is "good enough" today, we also need a MySQL for tomorrow. And for
this the community needs to support those that step up to lead future MySQL
development, whoever it will be.
So will it be MariaDB leading? We still have a way to go before we
have proven ourselves worthy to saying this. But what I can say is that
we are trying!
Tags: developmentprocess, freesoftware, mariadb, mysql, oracle
(1 comment)


text:
Determining the capacity of a container?
tangerine_z6(6)January 12, 2006
What is the equation for determining volume? I want to know the volume of a container that is
22" long
4.5" wide
36" deep
I hope I haven't brought this up if it was recently posted. Thanks.
I hope this helps,
I'll chime in... kind of late on this one, but I'll still chime in. LOL
a cubic feet is 1728 cu in. Not that it matters that much.
If you have a round container, you can calculate one of two ways. First, take the diameter, multiply it by itself then by the height then by .79 and divide by 1728
D * D * H * .79 / 1728 = Volume (cu ft)
Secondly, you can take the radius (diamter divided by 2) multiply it by itself (sqaure it) mulitply it by Pi (3.14) then multiply it by the height and divide by 1728.
R^2 * Pi * H / 1728 = Volume (cu ft)
I hope this helps,


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SERENE SERENDIPITY: face to face LLCRead MoreEvery treatment at Serene Serendipity: face to face, LLC begins and ends in a private suite with decorative candles and soft music foreshadowing the pampering to come. Here, a licensed aesthetician revives tired skin with treatments that incorporate various serums, masks, and techniques. For instance, the 90-minute relaxing luxury spa facial relies on steam to open pores, rotary brushes to dislodge toxins, and various massage techniques to keep the therapist's hands from high-fiving each other. The butter back body J-Lo glow treatment, on the other hand, renders skin soft and radiant through thorough exfoliation and a moisturizing seaweed wrap. On top of these lavish treatments, the center also offers microdermabrasions and waxing with soft and hard waxes from GiGi and Berins, respectively.850 Descendant DrFountain, CO US
Fitbody StudioRead MoreCertified personal trainer Mechelle Haflich is familiar with both the highs and lows of physical health. As a bodybuilder, she has won competitions focused on superior strength, and as a registered massage therapist, she has eased injured muscles back into action. Both titles have proven essential in planning FitBody Studio, where she takes a holistic view on wellness through fitness, massage, and spa services. Alongside a team of highly credentialed instructors, therapists, and aestheticians, Mechelle's team adjusts her programs to suit each client's ambitions, which range from losing inches to being able to deadlift a locomotive. On the exercise side of the curriculum, private training sessions and group classes build endurance—Vinyasa yoga and kickboxing sessions round out the stair climbs and cardio drills of the Bleachers class, which takes place inside the Colorado College football stadium. To repair overworked deltoids, the studio's massage programs relax tendons and target injuries with a mix of modalities. After workouts sculpt bodies, FitBody Studio's spa polishes them smooth with waxing services and custom facials.2402 North Nevada AvenueColorado Springs, CO US
Colorado Mountain Day SpaRead MoreAs children, we often fantasize about opening a business with our best friend. As adults, we rarely follow through with our childhood dreams. But there are always exceptions. Amanda Dani Hernandez and Brittany Ann McMullen, friends since elementary school, made their joint spa-owning dream come true. After both attended beauty school, the ladies polished their skills while working together at a spa in Breckenridge. A few years later, they decided to combine their talents and launch Colorado Mountain Day Spa in their hometown. Before officially opening their spa's doors in 2011, Amanda and Brittany carefully designed the space with a unified mountain theme. Each of the four treatment rooms embodies the essence of one season, and the Garden of the Gods–themed bathroom features floral accents and iconic red rocks. While enjoying luxurious spa services such as facials, massages, and body wraps, clients also relish soothing spa sounds ranging from flowing rivers to birds politely requesting that worms come to the table for dinner.2159 North Academy BoulevardColorado Springs, CO US
Fountain of Youth Skin CareRead MoreFountain of Youth Skin Care?s skilled aestheticians restore skin to a glowing, youthful state with vitamin-infused serums and organic scrubs. Their popular organic enzyme facial, for example, hydrates and rejuvenates skin cells with natural enzymes and fruit extracts. Though they pride themselves on using all-natural ingredients, the spa?s aestheticians don?t shy away from advanced treatments such as chemical peels and MicroPhototherapy facials. The latter of these combats signs of aging with collagen-stimulating pulses of heat and light energy, and its lack of abrasives means that no downtime is necessary for recovery. Waxing treatments keep freshly groomed faces and bodies free of unwanted hair, while micro-needling is designed to help the body form new layers of smoother, younger-looking skin.2140 Academy CirColorado Springs, CO US
Serenity Springs Salon and Day SpaRead MoreThe friendly technicians at Serenity Springs Day Spa and Salon wield the latest in beauty brands while showcasing their expansive skills in hair, skin, nail, and massage services. Aestheticians rejuvenate visages with Dermalogica facials, glo therapeutics chemical peels, and diamond-tip microdermabrasions, which gently peel away layers of aging skin and crude messages graffitied by Father Time. Hairstylists at the Loreal Professional studio tame rebellious manes with Mythic Oil deep conditioning treatments and transform current coifs with So Cap hair extensions. Those looking for a day of indulgence can partake in any of Serenity Springs Day Spa and Salon's five spa packages, each designed to evoke a sense of calm while luring out one's inner beauty.4122 Austin Bluffs ParkwayColorado Springs, CO US
Studio 27Read MoreFramed paintings of sun-soaked landscapes bedeck the walls at Studio 27, where qualified staff strives to keep patrons comfortable during med-spa services or pampering sessions for their hair or nails. Sessions begin with one-on-one consultations during which clients share their goals for the treatment and staff shares "Honk if you love beauty" bumper stickers. Owner and registered nurse Michael Renee Bradburry administers all medical treatments, which include injections of brow-smoothing Botox, Juvaderm, and Radiesse. Obagi?s medical line of skincare products augments microdermabrasions and chemical peels administered by aides, and staffers also beautify heads and hands with hair and nail services.2631 West Colorado AvenueColorado Springs, CO US


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After a construction contract for work at Johnsville Elementary School, Blaine, was challenged and rescinded earlier this month, the school is working out how it will cope should construction extend into October, even November....Read More
An Anoka High School senior project will see some much needed funds sent to a few soldiers stationed overseas this month, thanks to a new relationship between students, staff and the Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Network....Read More
Local school districts are keeping a close eye on legislation that would transform early learning in Minnesota....Read More
Nearly five dozen bibliophiles battled it out for bragging rights as winners of the District 11 Battle of the Books competition....Read More
McKinley Elementary School students welcomed parents and grandparents, siblings and friends to see their best projects, to marvel at their talents and to adore their finest artwork....Read More
The Anoka-Hennepin School Board will tentatively vote March 24 whether to put art, music and physical education teachers in front of kindergartners next school year....Read More
Anoka-Hennepin's 2014 Anti-Bullying Survey results indicate little change in the percentage of students experiencing bullying in the district in recent years. ...Read More
Crossroads Alternative High School intends to redefine its image, starting with its west campus for 18- to 21-year-old students. ...Read More
In 2009, when Alanna Worrall was just a kindergartner, she underwent a surgical procedure at Gillette Children's Hospital in Saint Paul. ...Read More
Anoka-Hennepin Superintendent David Law continues to meet the community for coffee on select Saturdays....Read More
Nine student artists have been named winners in Anoka-Hennepin's annual school bus safety poster contest....Read More


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Home Theater Tickets Musicals The Who's Tommy
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At a time when production increases are becoming difficult, the public sector Coal India Ltd (CIL) is keen on increasing its product prices in order to protect its margins which are coming under increasing amount of pressure due to the inflationary spiral.
This was among the issues discussed following concerns expressed by overseas investors of the newly-listed CIL on production and profitability, at a conference call this week after the declaration of the third quarter results of CIL which was done for the first time, in accordance with the requirements of Clause 41 of the Listing Agreement.
The shares of the public sector behemoth were listed on November 4 last year on the BSE and the NSE following an initial public offering of 10 per cent of CIL's equity in October 2010. The IPO raised a record Rs.15,400 crore which went to the government kitty.
Overseas investors, including major funds, who had given an overwhelming support to the issue, shared the moratorium on production brought about by environmental issues, sources connected with the development said, adding that they were told of the management actions that were being taken in this regard. However, their biggest concern seemed to stem from the likely impact of the low growth in output on CIL's bottom line. The company reported a post-tax profit of Rs.2,626 crore but margins were under pressure during the quarter with net profit (as percentage of sales) showing a drop as compared to last year. Salaries and wages too were up and this component of CIL's production cost will rise further since another round of wage negotiation falls due from June 2011.
Keywords: Coal India, product price


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Soul Survivor of Auschwitz
Anissimov gives Steinberg more trust and attention than he deserves by placing his assumptions and recollections, despite having made them decades after the events, on the same level as those of Levi, which were recorded within a year or so after they took place. She recalls the fact that a German scientist who was Levi's superior in the chemical laboratory wrote to Levi after the war and asked him for news of those companions mentioned in Survival in Auschwitz. He did not, however, ask about Steinberg, who claimed to have worked in the same lab. When Anissimov brought up this discrepancy with Steinberg, he inexplicably claimed not to have remembered Levi being in the lab at all. Instead of simply rejecting Steinberg's assertion (made all the less credible by Levi's detailed description of how he managed to be one of three inmates selected to work in the science lab, which he credited with saving his life) she concludes: "It is a riddle that is bound to remain unsolved." Most readers of Levi would differ, resolving that no such riddle exists and fully understanding Levi's desire never to see "Henri" again.
More troubling, however, than Anissimov's willingness to accept at face value assertions made by such a witness is her failure to show how the artist developed from the constitutive elements that made the man: his cherished Italian heritage--social, cultural and linguistic; his Auschwitz experience; his agnosticism in conflict with--and his accommodation to--his Jewishness; his philosophical and ethical moorings; his abiding love of and profound indebtedness to science.
Although Levi's love of his Italian heritage and culture is everywhere evident in his writing, nowhere is it more dramatically and intensely revealed than in Survival in Auschwitz. Levi depicts himself in the crucial scene trying to recall some lines from Dante's Inferno. His ultimate success in doing so constitutes the essential reminder that despite the brutalization and humiliation he witnessed and suffered, he is--within the tradition of his culture--still a man.
If Anissimov fails to give proper due to Levi's Italian heritage in his development as a man of letters, she evidences another serious critical lapse by suggesting that Levi's agnosticism, a clear result of his scientific rationalism, "was subverted by his fondness for quoting from the Bible." In fact, Levi states that he wrote The Periodic Table, the rich complexity of which does not get the full attention it deserves from Anissimov, at the end of his career to express his gratitude to the profession to which he owed so much. The masterful book reveals Levi to be a writer who, in presenting the interrelated complexities of heritage, society and profession, bridges the worlds of art and science while probing the political and ethical currents of our age.
There are times, however, when Anissimov's interviews and correspondences with Levi's friends and associates pay off. For instance, she reproduces an important speech, "The Camp and Memory," that Levi gave at a conference; one of the attendees gave it to her. And her discussion of the German translation of Survival in Auschwitz is both insightful and informative, detailing Levi's active engagement with the translator, a German who fought against the Nazis in Italy. The German translation was particularly significant to Levi, inasmuch as he had written the work not only to get the poisons out of himself but also to reveal to the Germans the truth of this grotesque chapter in their history. A particularly glaring and troubling omission, however, in the list of those interviewed is Levi's immediate family. Anissimov mentions in a cryptic footnote at the end of her book that Levi's widow has, in effect, denied access to a series of important interviews with Levi that are in the possession of his official biographer. Anissimov doesn't cite reasons for the refusal, or state why his widow and children apparently refused to be interviewed by her.
In the concluding essay of Other People's Trades, a collection of short pieces he wrote for La Stampa over a thirty-year period, Levi, in a mix of humor and seriousness, offers advice to a would-be writer: "After ninety years of psychoanalysis, and successful or failed attempts to pour the unconscious directly onto the page, I have an acute need for clarity and rationality.... Writing means laying oneself bare.... Oh, I forgot to tell you that, in order to write, one must have something to write."
However playfully Primo Levi presents his injunction, it has to be taken seriously. Clarity and rationality must be maintained by the biographer as well, not only in laying bare Levi's self but also in peeling away the textured layers of meaning his works encompass. However well-intentioned, Anissimov's biography does not adequately reveal the extraordinary complexity and depth of the life and work of the man.
During my conversation with Levi in Turin, I asked why he chose to become a chemist. "What I was looking for was a comprehension of the universal meaning--of the stars, of the moon, of the microbes, of the animals, plants, chemistry and so on. Yes, to have something under my fingers which could be checked if true or false. Verified, verified," he said. Unfortunately, even the profound awareness he developed of the affinity of all elements was not enough to save him from the Auschwitz demons that, many decades later, drove him to his death.