Abstract: A method and system for determining a hardness of a component to be tested by utilizing an ultrasonic meter. The method and system both comprise selecting a component to be tested which has a longitudinal axis; positioning a probe of the ultrasonic meter for emitting a signal from an emitter of the probe into an end surface of the component to be tested and along the longitudinal axis of the component; emitting the signal from the emitter of the probe into the first surface of the component to be tested; passing the emitted signal through the component to be tested; reflecting the emitted signal via an opposed second surface of the component to be tested back toward a detector of the probe; detecting the reflected signal via the detector of the probe; and determining a hardness of the component to be tested based upon a velocity of the emitted signal.

Abstract: A gyroscope includes a resonator, a transducer, and a comparator. The comparator is designed to receive an input signal from the transducer and compare the input signal with a reference signal to produce an output signal. Rising and falling edge transitions of the output signal are substantially synchronized with a motion of the resonator along a sense-axis of the transducer.

Abstract: System and method can support a measurement module on a movable object. The measurement module includes a first circuit board with one or more sensors. Additionally, the measurement module includes a weight block assembly, wherein the weight block assembly is configured to have a mass that keeps an inherent frequency of the measurement module away from an operation frequency of the movable object. Furthermore, said first circuit board can be disposed in an inner chamber within the weight block assembly.

Abstract: The invention consists in a method of characterizing a part made of composite material (30), the method comprising a step of determining a characteristic of a longitudinal ultrasound wave (41) traveling along a path within the part (30), and being characterized in that the travel time of a longitudinal ultrasound wave (42) transmitted by the part (30) is measured (E4).

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure include systems, methods, and program products for evaluating the condition of a component using an acoustic sensor embedded within a lighting device. A system according to the present disclosure can include a first lighting device configured to illuminate an area of an industrial plant; a first acoustic sensor embedded within the first lighting device and configured to detect an acoustic signature of a component in the industrial plant; a computing device communicatively connected to the first acoustic sensor and configured to evaluate a condition of the component in the industrial plant based on the acoustic signature.

Abstract: A micromechanical sensor that can detect shock effects in order to prevent false measurements. The sensor includes a substrate having a measurement axis and a detection axis that are disposed orthogonally to each other, and first and second driving masses disposed in a plane containing the measurement and detection axes. Each of the driving masses is rotatably coupled to the substrate via a central suspension disposed on the detection axis. The sensor includes drive electrodes that generate rotary motions in each of the driving masses about a drive axis thereof. At least one elastic connecting element allows the driving masses to deflect in opposite directions in response to a rate of rotation about the measurement axis but deflect in the same direction in response to a shock condition.

Abstract: A measurement container supply device. A supply section transfers the measurement container to the predetermined supply position includes a holding section (50) that holds the measurement container, and the holding section (50) has a first groove (52) that is formed to have a width that corresponds to the outer diameter of a body of the measurement container, and a second groove (54) that is formed to have a width that corresponds to the outer diameter of a neck of the measurement container. When the holding section (50) holds the measurement container, the first groove (52) comes in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the body, the second groove (54) comes in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the neck, and a step (56) that is formed by the first groove (52) and the second groove (54) comes in contact with a step that is formed by the body and the neck.

Abstract: A microelectromechanical-systems (MEMS) device includes a driven mass and has a natural stiffness or damping. An actuator applies force to the mass, movement of which is measured by a sensing capacitor. A control circuit operates the actuator per displacement or velocity of the driven mass, so that a characteristic stiffness or damping of the mechanical subsystem is different from the respective natural value. A method of transforming a MEMS device design includes determining an aim performance value of the design and a baseline performance uncertainty of the design, selecting candidate sets of parameter values, determining a candidate, first, and second performance value for each, scoring the candidates, and repeating until one of the candidates satisfies a termination criterion, so the transformed design using that candidate set has the aim performance value and the respective first and second performance values closer to each other than the baseline performance uncertainty.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of, and system for, obtaining an indication of the soil strength of soil over which a compactor roller travels. The method includes determining the depth to which a drum of the compactor roller penetrates into and depresses the soil when the compactor roller travels over a soil surface. The system includes a compactor roller, a measuring arrangement and a processor which is operatively connected to the measuring arrangement and which is configured to process data received from the measuring arrangement. The measuring arrangement includes an inertial measurement unit which is operatively connected to the compactor roller, wherein the arrangement is configured to obtain an indication of the soil strength of soil over which the compactor roller travels during operation, by determining the depth to which the drum penetrates into and depresses the soil over which it travels.

Abstract: A rocker device for a micromechanical Z sensor includes: two trough-shaped rocker arms mountable around a torsion pivot, the rocker device being configured asymmetrically with respect to the torsion pivot; and for each rocker arm, a strike region having at least one first strike element is provided, the strike region on each rocker arm being configured in definedly elevated fashion relative to a sensing region of the rocker device.

Abstract: A sound focusing mechanism for generating a focused source of sound provides for identifying a transmission loss of an object, areas of acoustic or thermal leakage within or acoustic flanking paths associated with the object. The sound focusing mechanism includes a housing having at least one wall formed from a material having high sound transmission loss properties. A sound generating device for generating a sound is located with a central cavity within the housing. An actuator assembly is operatively connected to the sound generating device for selectively operating the sound generating. The sound focusing mechanism is used in a method of determining the sound transmission loss and flanking paths of an object, as well as thermal loss.

Abstract: An inertial device that is integratable in a portable electronic device includes: an inertial sensor for generating at least one raw acceleration signal in response to accelerations caused by movements of walking and running of a user of the pedometer; and a processing unit, associated to the inertial sensor for counting a number of steps of the user of the pedometer on the basis of the raw acceleration signal. The inertial sensor and the processing unit are both encapsulated within a single package for integrated circuits, which can be coupled to a circuit board of an electronic device and is provided with at least one connection terminal for making the number of steps available to the outside world.

Abstract: Analytical instruments are provided that can include a sample inlet component with the sample inlet component including a first sampling port; a plurality of sample capturing assemblies; and a first valve assembly in fluid communication with both the sampling port and the sample capturing assemblies. The instrument can further include a sample analysis component in fluid communication with the first valve assembly of the sample inlet component; and an instrument control component in controlling communication with both the sample inlet component and the analysis component. Instrumental analysis methods are provided that can include continuously providing sample to at least one of a plurality of sample capturing assemblies; and selectively analyzing the contents of at least one of the plurality of sample capturing assemblies.

Abstract: A micromechanical sensor is provided as including a substrate having a main extension plane and a mass element movable relative to the substrate, the movable mass element being coupled to the substrate via a spring structure, the spring structure including a first and a second spring element, the first and second spring elements extending essentially in parallel to each other in sections and being coupled to each other in sections, the spring structure including a first and a second compensation element for quadrature compensation, the first compensation element being connected to the first spring element, the second compensation element being connected to the second spring element, the first spring element having a first spring structure width extending along a transverse direction, the second spring element having a second spring structure width extending along the transverse direction, the first compensation element in a first subarea extending in parallel to the transverse direction along a first width, t

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a scanning device for performing ultrasonic nondestructive testing of a tube, comprising a housing; the housing having bottom surface that is concavely curved with cavities to accommodate a waveguide assembly and an encoder assembly; where the waveguide assembly comprises a waveguide and a probe that are in communication with one another; the waveguide having at least one surface that is contoured to match an outer surface of the tube; where the waveguide facilitates the transmission of ultrasonic signals into the tube generated by the probe; and where the encoder assembly comprises a spring loaded wheel that contacts the tube; and where the encoder assembly provides a signal indicative of a location of the probe relative to a position on the tube as the scanning device is moved in a direction of a longitudinal axis of the tube.

Abstract: A compression assembly (5) forms an airborne sound sensor for detecting sound pressure level. The airborne sound sensor includes a piezo electric transducer (11) compressed against a top element (9) and a lower element (12) so as to compress the transducer (11) across a first face and a distal second sensing face.

Abstract: A sampling point for use with an aspirating particle detection system. The sampling point includes: a body; a plurality of apertures in the body for drawing an air sample from an ambient environment; an outlet for delivering the sampled air, at a predetermined sample flow rate, from the body into a sampling pipe of the network of sampling pipes; and a means for maintaining the predetermined sample flow rate regardless of the presence or absence of ambient flow of air about the body. A particle detection system, and air sampling system are also described.

Abstract: A fixed value residual stress test block, comprising a main body (1) and two welded blocks (2); the main body (1) and the welded blocks (2) are all rectangular metal blocks; the welded blocks (2) are welded onto the two opposite side surfaces of the main body (1); the main body (1) is deformed under the upper and lower pressures and generates residual stress. The fixed value residual stress test block has a simple structure.

Abstract: A hemispherical resonator gyro includes: a vibration mode shape extractor to extract, based on sine and cosine wave signals corresponding to an actuator drive frequency and radial displacement of a hemispherical resonator, a vibration mode shape excited in the hemispherical resonator; a drive frequency corrector to cause, based on a resonance phase characteristic of the hemispherical resonator, the actuator drive frequency to match resonance frequency of the hemispherical resonator; a nodal quadrature vibration controller to generate, based on a vibration amplitude of a nodal quadrature vibration and azimuth orientation of wave antinode of a resonance mode, an actuator DC drive signal to suppress the nodal quadrature vibration; and a resonance controller to generate an actuator AC drive signal to control the vibration amplitude to be a constant value, and detect a rotational angle in an angle measurement axis direction from the azimuth orientation of wave antinode of the resonance mode.

Abstract: A method for determining the thickness of a brake disk of a pneumatic-tired vehicle, in particular a passenger vehicle or a commercial vehicle, including the steps of applying an ultrasonic measuring head on the brake disk, without dismounting the wheel associated with the brake disk; and carrying out an ultrasonic measurement for determining the thickness of the brake disk.