Abstract: A method is made available for monitoring a pressure sensor (18) in a pressure-controlled delivery and metering system for a liquid reactant of a catalytic converter, in particular of an SCR catalytic converter. The delivery and metering system is provided for delivering the reactant from a tank (10) and for metering the reactant via a pressure line (16) and a metering module (19). In order to monitor the pressure sensor (18) which is located in the pressure line (16), a flow rate measurement is carried out in the pressure line (16) and/or in a return path (17) taking into account the relationship between the pressure p and the corresponding flow rate v.

Abstract: A particle monitoring method of monitoring particles included in an exhaust gas from a depressurized processing vessel 12 includes counting the particles included in the exhaust gas from the depressurized processing vessel 12 while cleaning an inside of the depressurized processing vessel 12 by a particle monitor 18; creating a histogram showing a time and the number of particles from a result of the counting of the particles; extracting, from the histogram, a first feature amount indicating a correlation between a mode of the number of the particles and a particle counting period; and extracting, from the histogram, a second feature amount indicating a correlation between the particle counting period and a distribution tendency of the particles during the particle counting period.

Abstract: Techniques for testing a component for compatibility with a depressurization profile associated with a launch vehicle payload fairing during ascent are disclosed. A pressure of air or other gas within a pressure vessel containing the component is raised to a first value substantially higher than one atmosphere absolute pressure. The air/gas pressure within the pressure vessel is lowered, by venting into the ambient atmosphere, at a rate simulating or demonstrating margin with respect to the launch vehicle payload fairing depressurization profile. The component is inspected for damage. The component may be a panel including a honeycomb core sandwiched between two faceskins, the panel having a planar area in excess of twenty five square feet.

Abstract: Certain embodiments described herein are directed to devices that can be used in purging and loading applications. In some examples, a device configured to purge a sorbent tube until a desired water level is reached is provided. In other examples, a device configured to load a sorbent tube with a desired water level is provided. Systems and methods using the devices are also described.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a fluid measuring device comprising a capillary device and a non-linear response device. The capillary device typically having a flow channel comprising a contraction with a sidelet upstream and sidelet downstream of the contraction, the sidelets each comprises a pressure sensor arranged to determine the pressure drop over the contraction, the geometry of the flow channel of the capillary device being adapted to provide a flow response by the linear effects in the fluid, with the least response from the non-linear effects in the fluid. The non-linear response device typically having a flow channel connected to the flow channel of the capillary device, the flow channel of the non-linear response device comprising sidelets arranged to determine a pressure drop over at least a part of the flow channel, wherein the geometry of the flow channel of the non-linear response device being adapted to provide a flow response primarily driven by the non-linear effects in the fluid.

Abstract: There is provided a sensor assembly (200) for measuring physical properties of a gas under pressure within a pressure vessel (100). The sensor assembly (200) comprises a housing and a piezoelectric oscillator (202) for immersion in the gas within the pressure vessel (100). The sensor assembly (200) is arranged, when immersed in said gas, to measure the density of the gas within the pressure vessel (100). The housing comprises a first chamber and a second chamber. The first chamber is in fluid communication with the second chamber and substantially encloses said piezoelectric oscillator. The second chamber is in fluid communication with the interior of the pressure vessel. By providing such an arrangement, the true contents (i.e. mass) of fluid in a pressure vessel such as a cylinder can be measured directly and accurately.

Abstract: A breath alcohol tester calibration station provides a user-friendly system and method for calibrating a breath alcohol tester with a much lower error rate than current systems and methods for calibrating breath alcohol testers. The calibration station includes a data connection to the breath alcohol tester and a fluid connection between the breath alcohol tester and a calibration standard. The calibration station is used to execute calibration processes on the breath alcohol tester using the calibration standard.

Abstract: A gas sensor, for example for use in air conditioning systems, has a gas-sensitive layer that includes a material that is sensitive to carbon dioxide. The material has a cross-sensitivity to air humidity. This is compensated for by measurement at two different temperatures. The measured gas values are calculated together, with the assumption that the sensitivity of the gas sensor to carbon dioxide exhibits a different curve with the temperature of the gas sensor than the sensitivity to water.

Abstract: A method for rebalancing a group of accelerometers in a gravity gradiometer instrument (GGI) includes the steps of defining and implementing a number of group-wise actuation constrainment modes based on a design of the gravity gradiometer instrument and its accelerometers. Implementing one constrainment mode comprises differentially scaling and distributing a single electrical current to multiple accelerometers' rebalance circuitry to cancel a specific acceleration effect experienced by the group of accelerometers or gradiometer as a whole. Superposition of a number of such modes enables rebalancing the full acceleration environment experienced by the group of accelerometers, given negligible local differential acceleration effects specific to, say, an individual accelerometer of the assembly.

Abstract: A sensor arrangement for a vehicle includes a sensor unit, a cable arrangement, and an elastic cap. The sensor unit has a main support, an electronics part connected to the main support, and a sensor element. The cable arrangement has at least one individual wire, and is configured to electrically contact the electronics part via at least one contact-making member. The main support is an open housing defining at least one insertion opening configured to accommodate the at least one contact-making member and an accommodation pocket configured to at least partially accommodate the electronics part. The elastic cap has a member configured to fasten the sensor unit in the vehicle, is configured to be pushed at least partially over the main support, and closes off the accommodation pocket in a sealed manner.

Abstract: An air sampler device has a top plate and a bottom plate, and receives a Petri dish between the top plate and the bottom plate. The top plate includes 283 substantially small holes. The bottom plate has a deepened center well formed in the top surface. Elongated slots are formed in the top surface which extend out from the well. The slots have distal ends which extend beyond the Petri dish. Air is drawn into the sampler by a vacuum tube through an air port which communicates with the center well. Air is pulled into the 283 holes in the top plate and strikes the capture material in the Petri dish. The air then travels up over the sides of the dish, into the distal ends, through the slots, and into the center well, where it exits out of the vacuum air port.

Abstract: The present invention provides a unique method and apparatus for the automatic detection of water in portable electronic devices, such as cell phones, digital music players, pagers, cameras, tablet computers and the like, after these units have been subjected to water, high-humidity conditions, or other unintended deleterious wetting agents that could render such devices inoperable. Such detection can be performed without any disassembly of the device required. At least one embodiment provides a user-controlled vacuum plenum that simultaneously scavenges air from within the portable electronic device while sampling the relative humidity to determine the level of water or moisture within the device. The relative humidity is sampled by a microcontroller and displayed on a user friendly interface to allow repair and retail shops to quickly determine whether the portable electronic device contains water or moisture within its enclosed interior.

Abstract: A device is described that includes a sensor portion and a chassis portion. The sensor portion includes a plurality of sensing devices. The chassis portion is connected to the sensor portion and includes a first track and a second track. The second track is positioned adjacent the first track. The first and second tracks cooperate to substantially cover an entire width of the chassis portion.

Abstract: A calibration method for calibrating a phased array probe that is used for testing girth welds for defects. The method utilizes a calibration device on which is defined a series of reflectors that correspond to a series of target zones. The phased array probe is placed via a wedge relative to the calibration device and the phased array probe is configured with an initial set of acoustic parameters which define at least a transmitting aperture, a receiving aperture and a beam steering angle. Using a Full Matrix Capture (FMC) acquisition process and a ray-tracing module, the values of the initial set of acoustic parameters are optimized to evolve a final set of acoustic parameters which the phased array probe utilizes for testing actual devices for weld defects.

Abstract: An apparatus for determining and/or monitoring at least one process variable of a medium, comprising at least one sensor element sensitive for the process variable, a process connection for securing the apparatus to a container or pipeline and a housing connected with the process connection. The apparatus has at least one, first component of metal and at least one, second component of synthetic material, wherein the first component and the second component are embodied as hollow bodies. An annular, first connection region is formed on the first component, wherein on the second component an annular second connection region is formed, whose outer diameter corresponds at least sectionally to the inner diameter of the first connection region.

Abstract: Various aspects of the present invention provide a testing apparatus and methods for testing a bellows of a sputter machine for air leakage. One such testing apparatus is configured to simulate conditions of the sputter machine and thereby test a bellows for air leakage in both a compressed and an uncompressed configuration. Accordingly, a bellows can be ensured to be in satisfactory working condition before it is installed in the gate valve assembly and also tested for air leakage after removal from the gate valve assembly.

Abstract: Devices, systems and methods for detecting the shape of a moving strip of material with high resolution along the edges thereof. Device and system embodiments may include a plurality of displacement-type shape sensor assemblies that may be collectively linearly displaced in a direction substantially transverse to the direction of a moving strip of material being examined, and also selectively activated or deactivated as necessary so as to provide edge-to-edge strip coverage to the extent possible.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for noninvasively monitoring steam quality and flow and in pipes or conduits bearing flowing steam, are described. By measuring the acoustic vibrations generated in steam-carrying conduits by the flowing steam either by direct contact with the pipe or remotely thereto, converting the measured acoustic vibrations into a frequency spectrum characteristic of the natural resonance vibrations of the pipe, and monitoring the amplitude and/or the frequency of one or more chosen resonance frequencies, changes in the steam quality in the pipe are determined. The steam flow rate and the steam quality are inversely related, and changes in the steam flow rate are calculated from changes in the steam quality once suitable calibration curves are obtained.

Abstract: Cantilever chemical vapor sensors that can be tailored to respond preferentially in frequency by controlling the location of deposition of an adsorbing layer. Cantilever chemical vapor sensor having a base, one or more legs and a tip are fabricated using a gold layer to promote deposition of a sorbing layer of a polymeric material in a desired location, and using a chromium layer to inhibit deposition of the sorbing layer in other locations. Sorbing layers having different glass temperatures Tg and their effects are described. The methods of making such cantilever chemical vapor sensors are described.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to stress compensation in differential sensors. In an embodiment, instead of compensating for stress on each sensor element independently, stress compensation circuitry aims to remove stress-related mismatch between two sensor elements using the sensor elements themselves to detect the mismatch. A circuit can be implemented in embodiments to detect mechanical stress-related mismatch between sensor elements using the sensor elements, and tune the output signal by a compensation factor to eliminate the mismatch. Embodiments are therefore less complicated and less expensive than conventional approaches. While embodiments have applicability to virtually any differential sensor, including magnetic field, pressure, temperature, current and speed, an example embodiment discussed herein relates to magnetic field.