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A steering system comprises a hand wheel positioned for manipulation by a driver, a steering shaft extending from the hand wheel, and a magnetic column lock. The steering shaft is supported by a steering column housing so that it can rotate on its own axis. The magnetic column lock includes a rotor

A steering system comprises a hand wheel positioned for manipulation by a driver, a steering shaft extending from the hand wheel, and a magnetic column lock. The steering shaft is supported by a steering column housing so that it can rotate on its own axis. The magnetic column lock includes a rotor attached to steering shaft, a stator attached to column housing, and magnetorheological fluid filling a space between the rotor and stator. In another aspect of the steering system, the steering shaft extends from the hand wheel through a hand wheel actuator having a position sensor and a motor for providing driver feedback. A steering column extends from a lower portion of said steering shaft to a rack, and includes a pinion at its lower end for engagement with the rack, so that the rack translates left and right when the pinion is rotated in corresponding directions. The rack is connected to the front road wheels and causes the front road wheels to steer when it is translated. An electronic controller receives signals indicative of an angular position of the hand wheel from the position sensor, and a road wheel actuator connected to the steering rack receives signals from the electronic controller and repositions the steering rack in response to the signals from said electronic controller. A magnetic clutch having MR fluid is provided for selectively engaging said steering shaft to said steering column.

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A steering system comprises a hand wheel positioned for manipulation by a driver, a steering shaft extending from the hand wheel, and a magnetic column lock. The steering shaft is supported by a steering column housing so that it can rotate on its own axis. The magnetic column lock includes a rotor

A steering system comprises a hand wheel positioned for manipulation by a driver, a steering shaft extending from the hand wheel, and a magnetic column lock. The steering shaft is supported by a steering column housing so that it can rotate on its own axis. The magnetic column lock includes a rotor attached to steering shaft, a stator attached to column housing, and magnetorheological fluid filling a space between the rotor and stator. In another aspect of the steering system, the steering shaft extends from the hand wheel through a hand wheel actuator having a position sensor and a motor for providing driver feedback. A steering column extends from a lower portion of said steering shaft to a rack, and includes a pinion at its lower end for engagement with the rack, so that the rack translates left and right when the pinion is rotated in corresponding directions. The rack is connected to the front road wheels and causes the front road wheels to steer when it is translated. An electronic controller receives signals indicative of an angular position of the hand wheel from the position sensor, and a road wheel actuator connected to the steering rack receives signals from the electronic controller and repositions the steering rack in response to the signals from said electronic controller. A magnetic clutch having MR fluid is provided for selectively engaging said steering shaft to said steering column. us phase liquids greater than a predetermined minimum thickness; querying said data to determine a most persistent elevation of said water surface as measured within a predetermined deviation range; sorting said thickness measurements of said layer of said non-aqueous phase liquids corresponding to said most persistent measured elevation of said water surface; plotting the thickness of said layer of said non-aqueous phase liquids corresponding to each of said most persistent measured elevations of said water surface as a function of time; examining each of said plotted thicknesses of said layer of said non-aqueous phase liquids for increases over a previous plotted thickness of said layer of said non-aqueous phase liquids; and indicating an increase in the amount of said non-aqueous phase liquids within said layer when an increase in a plotted thickness of said layer of said non-aqueous phase liquids occurs. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein said non-aqueous phase liquids comprise phase separated hydrocarbons. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein said environment comprises an underground environment, and wherein said water in said environment comprises ground water. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein said set of ground water elevation measurements is determined for phase separated hydrocarbon thicknesses greater than one-hundredth of a foot. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein said most persistent measured elevation of said surface of said ground water is within a deviation range of two tenths of a foot or greater. 6. A method for estimating a completion time for a remediation process of a layer of non-aqueous phase liquids from a surface of water in an environment, the method comprising: determining an elevation of said surface of said water and a thickness of said layer of non-aqueous phase liquids at a plurality of discrete times; recording data corresponding to said elevation of said water surface and to said thickness of said layer of non-aqueous phase liquids at said plurality of discrete times; sorting said data to develop a set of water surface elevation measurements for thicknesses of said layer of said non-aqueous phase liquids greater than a predetermined minimum thickness; querying said data to determine a most persistent elevation of said water surface as measured within a predetermined deviation range; sorting said thickness measurements of said layer of said non-aqueous phase liquids corresponding to said most persistent measured elevation of said water surface; plotting the thickness of said layer of said non-aqueous phase liquids corresponding to each of said most persistent measured elevations of said water surface as a function of time; examining each of said plotted thicknesses of said layer of said non-aqueous phase liquids for a downward trend in said plotted thicknesses of said layer of said nonaqueous phase liquids; projecting from said downward trend when said thickness of said nonaqueous phase liquids will reach near zero; and estimating the completion time for said remediation based on a duration for said thickness of said layer of said non-aqueous phase liquids to reach near zero. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein said non-aqueous phase liquids comprise phase separated hydrocarbons. 8. The method of claim 6, wherein said environment comprises an underground environment, and wherein said water in said environment comprises ground water. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein said set of ground water elevation measurements is determined for phase-separated hydrocarbon thicknesses greater than one-hundredth of a foot. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the most persistent measured ground water elevation of said surface of said ground water is within a deviation range of two tenths of a foot or greater.