Abstract: An apparatus is used for determining at least one parameter relating to an elongate member disposed within a vessel. The apparatus includes at least one measurement unit having a light emitting component and a corresponding light receiving component. The light receiving component is positioned apart from the light emitting component such that the elongate member is positionable between the light emitting component and the light receiving component. Additionally, the light emitting component is adapted to emit light towards the light receiving component, and the light receiving component is adapted to generate a signal corresponding to the light received from the light emitting component. A method for determining at least one parameter relating to the elongate member disposed within the vessel is also provided.

Abstract: Provided is a measuring apparatus and method of train wheel wear, the apparatus including a speed measuring unit measuring speed of a train, a position measuring unit measuring a position of the train, and a calculation unit calculating abrasiveness of a train wheel on a train based on the measured speed and position of the train, whereby status of the train wheel can be accurately learned to minimize the number of devices that may be additionally installed, and to quickly measure abrasiveness of the train wheel as well.

Abstract: An apparatus for estimating a rate-of-penetration of a drill bit is provided, which in one embodiment includes a first sensor positioned on a drill bit configured to provide a first measurement of a parameter at a selected location in a formation at a first time, and a second sensor positioned spaced a selected distance from the first sensor to provide a second measurement of the parameter at the selected location at a second time when the drill bit travels downhole. The apparatus may also include a processor configured to estimate the rate-of-penetration using the selected distance and the first and second times.

Abstract: A method of analyzing particles of a material which include a constituent is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of exposing particles of the material to x radiation having a range of x-radiation energies, detecting x-radiation intensities at two different energy levels transmitted through the particles, and determining the concentration of the constituent in particles from the detected intensities.

Abstract: A system for tracking movable crane components to assist maneuvering the crane within a jobsite includes a computing device having a processor which calculates a 3D geospatial location and orientation of a 3D coordinate system for an upperworks that has an origin chosen along an axis of rotation between the upperworks and a lowerworks. The processor calculates a 3D position of the origin of the upperworks based on local coordinates and transforms the 3D position of the origin of the upperworks from the local coordinates to global 3D coordinates using absolute position sensing data from first and second positioning sensors attached to the crane (for instance on the upperworks and the hook, respectively) and using global 3D coordinates specific to the jobsite where the crane is located. The upperworks 3D coordinate system is useable to determine line segments in the upperworks 3D coordinate system for various movable components.

Abstract: A digital down-conversion acquisition function, includes a key spectral analysis function, in time-interleaved acquisition systems to enable acquisitions at very high sample rates and bandwidths. Digital down-conversion allows data compression into acquisition memory for down-converted complex baseband I/Q data within a given frequency range of interest. With a fixed-size acquisition memory, this enables acquisitions over a longer time span, thus enabling a lower spectral resolution bandwidth. These approaches allow down-converted complex baseband I/Q data from a narrow frequency band of interest to be acquired efficiently. Reconstruction of the acquired down-converted waveform from the time-interleaved components stored in each acquisition memory of each distributed acquisition components to result in a coherent waveform is also disclosed.

Abstract: A semiconductor manufacturing system includes circuitry configured to execute: displaying a screen for selecting an inspection set including inspection items having a manipulation item and/or a check item; retrieving the inspection items, arranging the inspection items in the order of workflow, and displaying each inspection item on a screen with an execution attribute indicating whether each inspection item is “automatic” or “manual” execution; receiving an inspection start command and reading the first inspection item from a storage unit. The circuitry also executes steps corresponding to the following cases (a) to (d) until there are no more inspection items: (a) the read-out inspection item being the manipulation item and “automatic”; (b) the read-out inspection item being the manipulation item and “manual”; (c) the read-out inspection item being the check item and “automatic”; and (d) the read-out inspection item being the check item and “manual”.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, article of manufacture, and a memory structure for providing advertisements with a media program transmitted to a user device are described. The method permits the user to manage the provision of user information such as surveys and advertisement feedback to the media program provider to improve the advertising experience.

Abstract: A management server of a sample inspection system includes sample processing information generated on the basis of inspection request data, facility data, a simulation execution portion and a window generation portion for generating a monitor window. The inspection request data contains a priority, an order time, a required time and inspection items and the sample processing information contains an inspection start time and an inspection estimate finish time. The monitor window has a work area in which the samples represented by sample bars parallel to the abscissa are arranged in a vertical direction and a past record and a future schedule are allocated to this abscissa with the present time as the base. The sample bars display a simulation execution portion for executing simulation on the basis of the inspection start time, the inspection estimate finish time and a delay time. The management server displays the simulation result.

Abstract: Systems and methods for improved propped fracture geometry for high permeability reservoirs are provided. In one embodiment, a method of determining a pad volume and proppant volume for fracturing a subterranean formation is provided comprising selecting a proppant volume for placement in a fracture to be created in a subterranean formation; determining a desired fracture geometry for the fracture; calculating a pad volume sufficient to create the desired fracture geometry in the subterranean formation at a lower fluid efficiency value; calculating a fracture length that would result from injecting the pad volume into the subterranean formation at an upper fluid efficiency value; calculating a fracture width that corresponds to the calculated fracture length; and calculating a proppant volume sufficient to fill a fracture having the calculated length and width.

Abstract: Systems and methods of estimating an efficiency of a section of a steam turbine are disclosed. The systems and methods include determining a set of measurement data obtained directly from a set of sensors on the steam turbine, determining a set of derived data relating to measurements that cannot be obtained directly from the set of sensors, and estimating the efficiency of the section using the set of measurement data and the set of derived data. The systems and methods disclosed use physics-based models combined with nonlinear filtering techniques to estimate steam turbines' efficiencies when physical sensors are not available. These models capture the behavior of different components of the power plant, including all steam turbine sections, admission and crossover pipes, flow junctions, admission and control valves.

Abstract: A signal processing method includes inputting a digital signal, providing a plurality of coefficients; and determining an output. The output is approximately equal to an aggregate of a plurality of linear reference components, and each of the linear reference components is approximately equal to an aggregate of a corresponding set of digital signal samples that is scaled by the plurality of coefficients.

Abstract: A system and method for improving energy usage and conservation of at least one air-management unit in a data center where a multiplicity of rack mounted power distribution units are used for power distribution to a multiplicity of electronic devices mounted on a plurality of racks in at least one computer room of the data center. A group of power load, temperature, humidity and differential pressure sensors are provided throughout the racks, and coupled to a computer through a network interface for automatically calculating multiple air-management effectiveness and energy efficiency indices (e.g., rack cooling index RCI, rack humidity index RHI, rack airflow index RAI, rack differential pressure index RPI and return temperature index RTI) based on the data from the sensors, such that the operation of the air-management unit can be adjusted accordingly to achieve an optimal efficiency of safe energy usage and conservation.

Abstract: A transmission quantification approach that is effective at quantifying the concentration of key atmospheric gases, including water vapor and methane, does not require a background spectrum and is immune to changes between background and absorbance spectra. By using local minima and maxima in transmission of a target gas, this approach creates two spectral arrays as long as a single beam input spectra. One of these spectral arrays represents the points in wave-number space that are less absorbing points, and the other represents the more absorbing points. A concentration for a given gas is calculated by determining what reference concentration creates a residual after division by a pure gas spectrum that forces these two arrays to converge.

Abstract: A method of determining accuracy of predicted system behavior can include creating a plurality of noise adjusted analytical models, wherein each noise adjusted analytical model is associated with a set of predefined analytical model parameters. A set of inferred analytical model parameters for each noise adjusted analytical model can be derived. Each set of inferred analytical model parameters can depend upon a current noise adjusted analytical model and each prior noise adjusted analytical model. For each set of inferred analytical model parameters, a measure of error between the set of inferred analytical model parameters and the set of predefined analytical model parameters associated with the noise adjusted analytical model from which the set of inferred analytical model parameters was derived can be determined.

Abstract: A two-wire process variable transmitter for use in an industrial process, including a process variable sensor configured to sense a process variable of a fluid of the industrial process. Output circuitry is configured to provide an output on a two-wire process control loop which is related to the sensed process variable. Loop current measurement circuitry measures a loop current flowing through the two-wire process control loop and terminal voltage measurement circuitry measures a voltage related to a terminal voltage of the process variable transmitter. The terminal voltage can be a voltage measured across an electrical connection of the two-wire process variable transmitter to the two-wire process control loop. Input circuitry is configured to receive a diagnostic command from the two-wire process control loop.

Abstract: Disclosed is a safety sensor provided with a plurality of input signal lines for inputting signals for setting. Specifically disclosed is a safety sensor wherein at least one input signal line is provided with a high-level detection circuit and a low-level detection circuit. In an initialization process wherein setting of an operation mode is permitted, a CPU registers in a memory the on-off states of detection signals from the respective detection circuits on condition that the on-off states of detection signals are mutually opposite, and the CPU identifies the connection state of the input signal line on the basis of the on-off states and sets an operation mode corresponding to the connection state.

Abstract: A method for enabling concurrent testing is described. The method includes generating a plurality of test objects on a computing device. The plurality of test objects is generated using derived classes that are based on a base test class and each of the plurality of test objects corresponds to a separate block in a Device Under Test (DUT). The method also includes adding the plurality of test objects to a queue and sending information based on the plurality of test objects to an Automated Test Equipment (ATE). The method also includes causing the ATE to concurrently test the separate blocks in the DUT using the plurality of test objects.

Abstract: An online method and apparatus for determining state of charge (SoC) and state of health (SoH) of batteries on platforms that present dynamic charge and discharge environments is disclosed. A rested open circuit voltage (OCV) may be estimated online using a battery dynamic model along with measured terminal voltage, current and temperature. The SoC and SoH can then be determined from this estimated OCV. The apparatus and methods may estimate SoC and SoH of a battery in a real-time fashion without the need to a) disconnect the battery system from service; b) wait for a predefined rest time; or c) depolarize the battery.

Abstract: The power consumption detecting device is without external power supply. It installed on the electric equipment. This self-powered detecting device comprises at least one thermoelectric element, a processor and a wireless transmitter. As the electric equipment working, the temperature difference on the surface of the electric equipment drives the thermoelectric element to generate a voltage signal. Therefore, a self-powered thermoelectric detecting device will decrease standby power demand. The amplitude of voltage signal is proportion to the temperature difference. In the same time, the power generated by thermoelectric element can be a power source of the wireless transmitter and the chip or processor, so the supply of exterior power is no needed. The wireless transmitter transmits a signal, which is according to the power consumption of electric equipment or electric appliance, to the control center.