Patents Examined by J M Saint Surin
  • Patent number: 9909918
    Abstract: An ultrasonic scanning device for scanning a turbine component. The device includes an ultrasonic transducer attached to a moveable fluid distribution block, wherein the block includes a block opening and an internal passageway for receiving a fluid. The device also includes a fluid pad having a fluid pad opening that is in fluid communication with the block opening, wherein the fluid pad and block openings form a channel that extends between the ultrasonic transducer and the turbine component. Fluid received by the internal passageway moves to the channel and forms a fluid column between the ultrasonic transducer and the turbine component that facilitates transmission of ultrasonic energy generated by the ultrasonic transducer. In addition, the device includes a control module for controlling operation of the ultrasonic transducer and an encoder for providing travel information to the control module for determining a position of the device relative to the turbine component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: Siemens Energy, Inc.
    Inventor: Ranier Valentin
  • Patent number: 9903839
    Abstract: Embodiments include subsea ultrasonic inspection systems employing electromagnetic acoustic transducers (EMATs) to inspect subsea objects, such as subsea tubular items, conduit, piping, pipelines, risers, vessels, structures, and so forth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: Oceaneering International, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Alan Adams, John Joseph Boyle
  • Patent number: 9897522
    Abstract: A tool having at least one vibration sensor and at least one standoff is disposed in a contact with a material and the at least one standoff of the tool is pushed into the material. Vibration is excited by the at least one vibration source and at least one coupling frequency of the tool is measured by the at least one vibration sensor. Based on the determined coupling frequency determining a contact stiffness of the at least one standoff and the mechanical properties of the material are determined taking into account mechanical properties of the at least one standoff.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yamid Pico
  • Patent number: 9899788
    Abstract: Disclosed are a solid-state laser device having an advantage of achieving simplification of a configuration and reduction in size, and a photoacoustic measurement device. In a solid-state laser device which accommodates a solid-state laser medium and an excitation light source having a rod-shaped portion, the excitation light source is provided to be pulled out of a laser chamber. An optical element which bends light is provided at a position separated from the rod-shaped portion such that at least a part of the optical element and at least a part of the rod-shaped portion are at the same position in the longitudinal direction of the rod-shaped portion. One resonator mirror is disposed at a position where bent light is incident. Optical components between the optical element and the resonator mirror are provided at positions separated from a path along which the excitation light source is pulled out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Koki Nakabayashi, Takuji Tada
  • Patent number: 9891123
    Abstract: An wheel fastening inspection method includes: directly or indirectly applying vibration to a turbine shaft to be inserted to a bearing housing, the turbine shaft being provided with wheels at both ends protruding from the bearing housing, at least one of the wheels being fastened by a fastening member, and a rotary member being fastened by a fastening force generated by the fastening member to the turbine shaft to be integrally rotated with the wheel; measuring the vibration of the turbine shaft; and determining whether or not a vibration frequency at which a peak of the measured vibration of the turbine shaft is given is included in a setting range previously set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: IHI Corporation
    Inventors: Yutaka Uneura, Shinichi Kaneda, Yuichi Daito
  • Patent number: 9885689
    Abstract: A sensor includes an inflow section into which an analyte liquid flows; a first cover member; a detection element including an element substrate located on an upper surface of the first cover member, and a detection section which is located on an upper surface of the element substrate and is configured to detect a target contained in an analyte liquid; an intermediate cover member including a first upstream portion; a second cover member including a second upstream portion; and a flow channel which is surrounded by the intermediate cover member and the second cover member, is continuous with the inflow section, and extends at least to the detection section. A contact angle ?2a of a lower surface of the second upstream portion of the second cover member with the analyte liquid is smaller than a contact angle ?3 of an upper surface of the detection element with the analyte liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: KYOCERA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroyasu Tanaka
  • Patent number: 9885690
    Abstract: An ultrasonic inspection tool has a chassis with a two part body, an aperture for providing a clear line of sight between an array and a workpiece, and a series of feet for sliding along the workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: AIRBUS OPERATIONS LIMITED
    Inventors: Andrew Bond-Thorley, Neil Hankinson, Richard Freemantle
  • Patent number: 9885691
    Abstract: A multimode ultrasonic probe tip and transducer integrated into a micro tool, such as a nano indenter or a nano indenter interfaced with a Scanning Probe Microscope (SPM) is described. The tip component may be utilized to determine mechanical properties or characteristics of a sample, including for example, complex elastic modulus, hardness, friction coefficient, and strain and stress at nanometer scales and high frequencies. The tip component is configured to operate at multi-resonant frequencies providing sub-nanometer vertical resolution. The tip component may be quasi-statistically calibrated and contact mechanics constitutive equations may be utilized to derive mechanical properties of a sample. Contact mechanical impedance and acoustic impedance may also be compared.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: Nanometronix LLC
    Inventor: Antanas Daugela
  • Patent number: 9880047
    Abstract: Methods for determining separate velocity components of an acoustic wavefield that are incident on a distributed fiber optic sensor are disclosed. A fiber optic sensor includes fiber that is spatially distributed in non-parallel planes of a three-dimensional volume having three orthogonal axes. The fiber includes a first fiber pattern that is spatially distributed within a first plane of the three-dimensional volume, and a second fiber pattern that is spatially distributed within a second plane of the volume. The fiber patterns are interrogated separately by a distributed fiber optic interrogation system. The individual responses from each pattern are combined and processed to determine separate velocity components of the acoustic wavefield relative to the orthogonal axes of the three-dimensional volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: James Martin, Daniela Donno, Bence Papp, Arthur Hartog
  • Patent number: 9880046
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining properties of at least one of a surface or materials adjacent to a portable device. The method includes windowing a segment of the received signal to remove an edge transients, computing the FFT power spectral density of the signal, determining a peak in the spectral energy at a frequency, finding local peaks by determining the difference in the signal amplitude is relation to a pre-determined threshold, and computing harmonic energy according to the local peaks and the difference and determining at least one property of the surface or material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Amardeep Sathyanarayana, Nitish Murthy, Sourabh Ravindran, Brian Paul Burk
  • Patent number: 9874545
    Abstract: A photoacoustic microscope includes an objective lens that irradiates a specimen with excitation light, a light scanning unit that deflects the excitation light to scan the specimen, an acoustic lens that converts a wavefront of a photoacoustic wave generated by the specimen due to irradiation with the excitation light, a photoacoustic wave detection unit that detects the photoacoustic wave from the acoustic lens, a drive unit that displaces at least one of the acoustic lens and the photoacoustic wave detection unit, and a control unit that controls the drive unit, in synchronization with scanning of the excitation light by the light scanning unit, so that the photoacoustic wave is incident on the photoacoustic wave detection unit perpendicularly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ikutoshi Fukushima, Hisashi Ode, Tomio Endo
  • Patent number: 9869660
    Abstract: A non-destructive testing system for testing a work piece. The non-destructive testing system includes an ultrasonic probe, including a matrix of transducers, and a control unit including a display. The control unit is configured to control the ultrasonic probe. The ultrasonic probe and the control unit are configured to obtain multiple S-scan images. The ultrasonic probe and the control unit are configured to obtain a first S-scan image at a first direction orientation, and the ultrasonic probe and the control unit are configured to obtain a second S-scan image at a second direction orientation different from the first direction orientation. The control unit is configured to process the first and second S-scan images to provide at least an image upon the display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: York Oberdoerfer, Weiwei Zhang
  • Patent number: 9869602
    Abstract: A pipeline leak detection device for detecting leaks in a pipe includes a sensor assembly guided into a pipe to detect evidence of a leak, and a position assessing device provides an indication of a location of the sensor assembly. The sensor assembly may be a hydrophone, and the position assessing device may be a guide wire with markings for measuring lengths of the guide wire, or a transmitter. An injector plug can be inserted in an access port of the pipe to create a liquid tight seal for insertion of the sensor assembly. A pressurizing device may also be connected to the access port to pressurize the pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Inventor: Darren E. Merlob
  • Patent number: 9863826
    Abstract: A sensor device, comprising two symmetrically disposed sonolucent wedges (5), and a connecting piece for fixedly connecting the two sonolucent wedges (5); the upper surfaces of the sonolucent wedges (5) are provided with inclined planes; installation holes are formed on the inclined planes; transducers (3) are installed in respective installation holes; one transducer (3) is used to generate ultrasonic waves, and the other transducer (3) is used to receive the ultrasonic waves generated by the previous transducer (3). The residual stress detection system comprises a sensor device, an ultrasonic transmission card, and a data acquisition card.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: BEIJING INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Chunguang Xu, Lang Xu, Qinxue Pan, Dingguo Xiao, Xiao Li, Jun Guo, Wentao Song, Haiyang Liu
  • Patent number: 9863916
    Abstract: A sensor apparatus includes a first cover member; a detection element including an element substrate located on the first cover member, and a detection portion configured to detect an analyte, the detection portion being located on the element substrate; a terminal located on the first cover member and electrically connected to the detection element; an intermediate cover member located on the first cover member and having a space with the detection element; a filler member located in the space between the detection element and the intermediate cover member; a second cover member configured to cover at least a part of the detection element and joined to at least one of the first cover member and the intermediate cover member; an inlet into which the analyte flows; and a flow passage which is continuous with the inlet, and extends at least to the detection portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: KYOCERA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyasu Tanaka, Yasutaka Ohashi
  • Patent number: 9857272
    Abstract: A wheel monitoring system comprising a wheel, a bearing mechanically coupled to the wheel, an axle mechanically coupled to the bearing, and a wheel speed transducer (WST) disposed in the axle. The WST may be configured to detect vibrations. A method of monitoring a bearing is also provided and may comprise measuring a vibration of the bearing, comparing the vibration of the bearing to a predetermined vibration, and estimating a remaining useful life of the bearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Goodrich Corporation
    Inventors: Paul Summers, Steven Keller, Todd Rook, Michael Kordik
  • Patent number: 9851242
    Abstract: A combined driver and pick-off sensor component (200, 300) for a vibrating meter is provided. The combined driver and pick-off sensor component (200, 300) includes a magnet portion (104B) with at least a first magnet (211). The combined driver and pick-off sensor component (200, 300) further includes a coil portion (204A, 304A) receiving at least a portion of the first magnet (211). The coil portion (204A, 304A) includes a coil bobbin (220), a driver wire (221) wound around the coil bobbin (220), and a pick-off wire (222) wound around the coil bobbin (220).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: Micro Motion, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher George Larsen, Matthew Joseph Rensing, Amy Mai Nilsen, Roger Scott Loving
  • Patent number: 9851244
    Abstract: Vibration sensor comprising a membrane, which can be excited to vibrate by means of a drive, wherein the drive has at least one piezo actuator, which is designed so as to be bonded with the membrane, wherein the membrane has at least one centering device that is designed to be suitable for orienting and keeping the drive centered relative to the membrane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: Vega Grieshaber KG
    Inventor: Holger Gruhler
  • Patent number: 9851285
    Abstract: A digital densitometer for a fluid gauging system includes a frequency detection device configured to be disposed within a fluid tank, wherein a frequency detected by the frequency detection device is indicative of a density of a fluid within the fluid tank, frequency detection circuitry configured to obtain the frequency from the frequency detection device and output the frequency in a digital form, and an interface for digital communication with an electronic controller, the digital communication comprising transmission of the digital form of the frequency for the electronic controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventors: Phillip Andrew Bahorich, Nalin Joshi
  • Patent number: 9846144
    Abstract: An apparatus for detecting a defect of a press panel includes: an acoustic emission sensor unit configured to detect at least one elastic wave signal emitted from the press panel as a detection target during press work, a period measurer configured to measure a period as a section in which there are consecutive signals with a greater voltage than a threshold voltage among the at least one detected signals, and a defect existence determination unit configured to determine that a defect is generated in the press panel when the measured period is greater than a first reference value, and to determine that the press panel is in a normal state when the measured period is smaller than a second reference value which is smaller than the first reference value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation, UNIST Academy-Industry Research Corporation
    Inventors: Jae Ryeon Hwang, ByungHun Kim, Franklin Bien, Hyon Gi Yoo, Chan Woo Jeong, Nguyen Ngoc Quang, Liu Zhenyi, Seul Ki Rom Kim