Abstract: According to one embodiment, a sensor includes a first element. The first element includes first and second magnetic members, an insulating member, first and second wirings, a first magnetic element, and a first conductive member. The second magnetic member is separated from the first magnetic member. The insulating member includes a first insulating region. The first insulating region is provided between the first and second magnetic members. The first wiring includes a first connecting region. The second wiring includes a second connecting region. The first magnetic element includes a first magnetic layer and a first opposed magnetic layer. The first magnetic element includes first to fifth partial regions. The first partial region is between the fourth and fifth partial regions. The second partial region is between the fourth and first partial region. The third partial region is between the first and fifth partial regions.

Abstract: Various systems and methods for modeling a manufacturing assembly line are disclosed herein. Some embodiments relate to operating a processor to receive cell data, extract feature data from the cell data, determine a plurality of faults, determine a priority level for each fault by applying the extracted feature data to a predictive model, determine at least one high priority fault, and generate at least one operator alert based on the at least one high priority fault.

Abstract: There is disclosed a device for determining a strength of an oscillating electric field. The device comprises an absorber to absorb radiation at the frequency of the oscillating electric field, and a thermal insulator transparent to radiation at the frequency of the oscillating electric field, which thermal insulator is arranged to thermally insulate the absorber. The device also comprises a first temperature sensor arranged to measure the temperature of the absorber, and a second temperature sensor arranged to measure the temperature external to the thermal insulator. Methods of measuring electric field using such a device, and methods of calibrating such a device, are also disclosed.

Abstract: A vibration detection instrument assembly includes a vibration detection instrument and a deformable base part. The vibration detection instrument has a body part, including a support surface and an attachment screw extending from the support surface. The attachment screw enables the vibration detection instrument to be assemblable to a device to be monitored. The vibration detection instrument includes a vibration sensor to detect vibration at least in a direction deviating from a longitudinal axis of the attachment screw. The deformable base part is arranged at least partly against the support surface of the body part. The vibration detection instrument assembly includes a direction indicator arranged to indicate the direction of the vibration sensor.

Abstract: A method for determining the direction of travel of a vehicle comprises providing a first sensor for measuring a longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle and at least one second sensor for establishing the rotational movement of a wheel of the vehicle, An acceleration signal containing acceleration information from the first sensor is received by the system. The acceleration signal is filtered resulting in a modified acceleration signal. The direction of travel of the vehicle is determined based on the modified acceleration signal and based on the output signal of the second sensor.

Abstract: A data acquisition system (DAS) for acquiring data from a Hall effect sensor includes one or more state variables, a multiplexer that periodically rotates a signal from the Hall effect sensor, and a controller that resets the one or more state variables in synchronization with rotation of the signal. The state variables may be digital states in a digital memory or voltages of capacitors the controller forces to a reset voltage. The state variables may be included in a noise-shaping SAR ADC, a delta-sigma ADC, a digital filter, an integrator, an analog filter, a VCO, an incremental ADC or an auxiliary ADC-assisted incremental ADC, or an auxiliary ADC of the DAS.

Abstract: In some implementations, a sensing device associated with less than a 360 degree measurement range may obtain a set of signal values. The sensing device may be configured to sense a magnetic field present at the sensing device and collect sensor data based on the magnetic field. The set of signal values may be included in the sensor data collected by the sensing device and may correspond to one or more components of the magnetic field present at the sensing device. The sensing device may determine, based on the set of signal values, a set of calibration points and a set of angular positions. The sensing device may calculate a set of calibration parameters based on the set of calibration points and the set of angular positions. The sensing device may utilize the set of calibration parameters to perform one or more safety checks.

Abstract: The present invention relates to electromechanical device status monitoring and equipment protection applications for industrial automation, HVAC, and other implementations; and, more particularly, to the use of current sensing devices to detect loss-of-flow conditions. Presently described embodiments can comprise simplified, compact current sensing devices that can be economical to build, inventory, distribute, and purchase. Present embodiments can easily be calibrated and/or set by hand prior to installation, and they can be configured for automatically offering proof-of-flow detection based, at least in part, on the initially provided setting.

Abstract: A non-destructive method for characterizing and monitoring the homogeneity of metal parts which are being manufactured by sintering and comprise several distinct zones. Laser radiation is applied successively to each zone and each sintered zone is analyzed simultaneously in real time by lock-in laser-active radiometry.

Abstract: A device for detecting a crack in a battery cell, comprising: an inspection unit comprising a first sensor inducing an eddy current and a second sensor sensing a signal of the eddy current induced by the first sensor, and performing an inspection of the battery by using the eddy current while the battery cell is driven; a transfer unit for sequentially transferring a plurality of battery cells from a point where the battery cells are introduced to a point where the battery cells are taken out; and a control unit which is electrically connected to the inspection unit and receives, evaluates, and controls the eddy current signal sensed by the inspection unit.

Abstract: The invention relates to a flow measuring device comprising a meter body having a conduit for the fluid, two phased-array ultrasonic transducer units spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the conduit, which can emit and receive ultrasonic signals at different angles, a control and evaluation unit for driving the ultrasonic transducer units and evaluating the received ultrasonic signals and determining the flow using the transit time of the ultrasonic signals on the measuring paths.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for determining and transmitting speed and/or direction information for a rotating target by a magnetic field sensor. A reference channel signal is generated for a target from at least one magnetic field sensing element and a virtual channel signal in quadrature with the reference channel signal is generated. A tangent signal is generated. A slope of an arctangent of the tangent signal is determined, wherein the slope corresponds to rotational speed of the target. The speed and/or direction of the target can be transmitted by a sensor IC.

Abstract: A simple, sensitive method and device for detecting the LEAD presence in the water. The test involves a sample of water from a subject; followed by determining the presence of LEAD in the water sample by using a LEAD sensitive solution used in the device.

Abstract: The physical quantity sensor includes a substrate having several areas, a movable body, and a detection electrode. The detection electrode straddles the several areas. When setting a first imaginary straight line which is the smallest in an angle formed with an X-axis direction of imaginary straight lines connecting two of end parts on respective areas of the detection electrode, and a second imaginary straight line extending along a principal surface of the movable body in a maximum displacement state around the oscillation axis, the first and second imaginary straight lines fail to cross each other in an area between a first normal line which passes the end part of the first one of the several areas and a second normal line which passes the end part of the last one of the several areas.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for voltage-less electrical signature analysis for fault protection. The systems and methods described herein may involve determining voltage values for a motor (which may then be used to estimate a speed of the motor) when complete voltage measurements may not be available, or may only be temporarily available. More specifically, the systems and methods described herein may address three scenarios, which may include at least: (1) when only a single phase voltage input is available for a three-phase motor, (2) when no voltage input is available, or (3) when a voltage input is only available for a limited period of time (for example, during a learning phase of the motor).

Abstract: A sensor system and method use channel information to generate redundant angle measurements for sensing rotation of magnets about a given axis of rotation. It was observed that magnetic field strength on a circle, centered on the axis of rotation but in a plane perpendicular to it, have a component parallel to the axis that varies sinusoidally as a function of the angle around the circle. By placing magnetic field sensors equiangularly around such a circle, and summing their field strengths with appropriate weights, the angle of magnet rotation may be computed in a manner that is immune to the presence of stray fields. Moreover, fewer than all channels of sense data may be combined to form redundant estimates of the angle of rotation, to permit continued operation when one of the sensors has failed.

Abstract: A probe 100 includes exciter units 102 arranged in an array and detector units 104 and 106, also arranged in arrays, with the arrays positioned proximal to and in the shape of the exterior circumference of an individual boiler tube 108. The detector units 104 are “absolute” coil detectors which are used to detect and quantify general wall loss, for example, resulting from steam impingement erosion. The detectors 106 are differential, axial pairs which are used for detecting pits in the boiler tubers. The exciter units and detector units are mounted in a stainless steel housing 110 of the probe. The housing 110 is shaped to closely match the contour of the boiler tube 108. The probe can be moved along the boiler tubes by hand to inspect the flame side of boiler tubes, one at a time. Wheels 112 are provided to roll the probe along the boiler tubes.

Abstract: A magnetic sensor includes an MR element and a support member. The support member has an opposed surface including a first inclined portion, and a bottom surface. In a given cross section, the first inclined portion is inclined at a first angle at a first position, and inclined at a second angle smaller than the first angle at a second position. The absolute value of a curvature of the first inclined portion at the first position is less than the absolute value of the curvature of the first inclined portion at the second position. The MR element is provided on the first inclined portion so that the first edge is located above the first position in a given cross section.

Abstract: A method of identifying a fault in a synchronous reluctance electric machine, the method including carrying out a first vibration measurement on a stator in a first radial direction of the stator; carrying out a second vibration measurement on the stator in a second radial direction of the stator; determining, on the basis of at least one of the first vibration measurement and the second vibration measurement, a first vibration frequency; determining, on the basis of the first vibration measurement and the second vibration measurement, a mode shape of the vibration at the first vibration frequency; and determining, on the basis that the first vibration frequency fb and the mode shape m fulfil the following barrier fault conditions: fb=fr, and m=1 where fr is a rotation frequency of a rotor, that a flux barrier of the rotor is defect.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for a magnetoresistive (MR) sensor including a seed layer having a CoFe layer for canceling hysteresis in the MR sensor. The MR stackup can include a free layer and a reference layer. The seed layer having CoFe provides a desired texturing of the stackup to cancel hysteresis effects.