Abstract: Globally our environment comprises structures built to perform a meet different requirements including residential, commercial, retail, recreational and service infrastructure. Whilst, millions of tons of construction materials are deployed annually the quality control procedures in many instances have not changed to reflect today's demands. Accordingly, it would be beneficial to provide construction companies, engineering companies, infrastructure owners, regulators, etc. with means to automated testing/characterization of construction materials during at least one of its manufacture, deployment in construction and subsequent infrastructure life. It would be further beneficial for such automated methods to exploit self-contained data acquisition/logging modules allowing them to be employed with ease at the different points in the life cycle of a construction material and/or construction project.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium for receiving an indication of damage to a building from a sensor network associated with the building, where the sensor network is responsive to damage to the building. Determining a location and an extent of the damage to the building based on the indication of damage. Automatically coordinating a repair for the damage in response to determining the location and the extent of the damage.

Abstract: A method for determining a switching state of a valve, an inductance variable being determined on the basis of current and voltage measurements and the switching state being determined on the basis of the inductance variable. Also disclosed is a solenoid valve assembly for carrying out such a method.

Abstract: A system, apparatus, and method for estimating remaining useful life of a bearing are provided. The method includes receiving a request for analyzing a defect in the bearing from a source. The request includes operational data associated with the bearing. An impact of the defect on the bearing is monitored over a period of time. A time period during which the impact of the defect on the bearing is higher than a threshold range is determined using a machine learning model. A severity of the impact associated with the defect is computed during the time period. A remaining useful life of the bearing is determined based on the severity and the operational data during the time period.

Abstract: The current disclosure relates to the design of an apparatus for enhancing the operation and reliability of high-power multi-chip modules, which are used in the design and implementation of power electronics converters. This apparatus is especially useful for modules containing recently commercialized, high-performance wide band-gap semiconductors such as Silicon Carbide (SiC), which commonly emit undesirable high-frequency ringing and oscillation in the “Near-RF” spectral band between 1-30 MHz. The disclosed apparatus provides near-complete elimination of this high frequency spectral content, while leaving the desired frequency range (1-100 kHz) of the module unaffected. In addition to the suppression of this undesirable high-frequency content, the disclosed apparatus also provides for accurate, galvanically-isolated, high-bandwidth, real-time current measurement, which is essential for some types of power electronics converters.

Abstract: An apparatus for testing a transducer module includes a test signal generator coupled to a common-mode terminal common to a plurality of transducers, and a signal processing circuit configured to receive output signal from each of said transducers and to produce an output signal. If the transducers are well matched to one another, the output signal will have little or no output amplitude. If there is a mismatch between the transducers, however, the output signal will have an amplitude proportional to the mismatch. The amplitude of the output signal may be compared to a predetermined threshold in order to produce a mismatch output signal indicating the existence of, and/or the degree of, mismatch between the transducers.

Abstract: An apparatus for providing a bias current to a hall sensor includes: a bias provider configured to provide the bias current to the hall sensor; and a processor configured to produce a bias current control value based on a node voltage between the hall sensor and the bias provider, wherein the bias provider is configured to vary the bias current based on the bias current control value.

Abstract: The present disclosure enables apparatus and methods for tracking medications and/or product units via smart-packaging concepts. Embodiments include sensors that monitor the state of a blister-card package having an unpatterned lidding film by measuring the impedance of each dispensing region of the lidding film that defines a portion of a blister. In some embodiments, the impedance is measured via a plurality of contact points arranged on opposite sides of each dispensing region, where the contact points are resistively or capacitively coupled with the lidding film. In some embodiments, the impedance map of a measurement region on the blister card is derived via electrical impedance tomography or electrical resistance tomography, where the measurement region includes a plurality of dispensing regions.

Abstract: An apparatus and a corresponding method used, in the field of medical analysis, to determine erythrocyte sedimentation rate, as well as other connected parameters.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for measuring an unknown impedance. The apparatus comprises a first input to receive a first signal generated by a first portion of a sensor circuit, the first portion comprising an unknown impedance and a first known resistance, the unknown impedance to vary based upon a phenomenon to be measured by the sensor circuit. The apparatus also comprises a second input to receive a second signal generated by a second portion of the sensor circuit, the second portion of the sensor circuit comprising a known impedance and a second known resistance. And the apparatus comprises control logic to, based on a difference in time at which each of the first input and the second input reach a reference voltage, determine a measurement of the sensor circuit.

Abstract: Hundreds of thousands of concrete bridges and hundreds of billions of tons of concrete require characterization with time for corrosion. Accordingly, protocols for rapid testing and improved field characterization systems that automatically triangulate electrical resistivity and half-cell corrosion potential measurements would be beneficial allowing discrete/periodic mapping of a structure to be performed as well as addressing testing for asphalt covered concrete. Further, it is the low frequency impedance of rebar in concrete that correlates to corrosion state but these are normally time consuming vulnerable to noise. Hence, it would be beneficial to provide a means of making low frequency electrical resistivity measurements rapidly. Further, prior art techniques for electrical rebar measurements require electrical connection be made to the rebar which increases measurement complexity/disruption/repair/cost even when no corrosion is identified.

Abstract: An ultrasonic transverse wave is transmitted or ultrasonic longitudinal wave and transverse wave are transmitted in a perpendicular direction to a bonding interface between materials by transmission such as a probe. A reflection signal of the transmitted transverse wave reflected by the bonding interface and/or a transmission signal of the transmitted transverse wave transmitted through the bonding interface and the longitudinal wave, a reflection signal of the transmitted longitudinal wave reflected by the bonding interface and/or a transmission signal of the transmitted longitudinal wave transmitted through the bonding interface are received by reception such as the probe.

Abstract: A fault identification may be triggered by a component of a power generation system (PGS), such as a hardware component, a controller of a hardware component, a device of the PGS, a computer connected to the PGS, a computer configured to monitor the PGS, and/or the like. The fault identification may be the result of a failure of a component of the PGS, a future failure of a component of the PGS, a routine maintenance of the PGS, and/or the like. The fault is converted to a notification on a user interface using a mapping of faults, root-causes, notification rules, and/or the like. The conversion may use one or more lookup tables and/or formulas for determining the impact of the fault on the PGS, and/or the like.

Abstract: A current sensor for a detection target current using a shunt resistor includes: a resistance value correction circuit having a correction resistor; a signal application unit that applies an alternating current signal to a series circuit of the shunt resistor and the correction resistor; a voltage detection unit that detects terminal voltages of the shunt resistor and the correction resistor; and a correction unit that calculates a resistance value of the shunt resistor and corrects the resistance value for detection; and a power supply circuit having a first power supply generation unit that generates a first power supply of the signal application unit from an input power supply of an outside; and a second power supply generation unit that generates a second power supply of the voltage detection unit.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for uniquely identifying buried utilities in a multi-utility region by sensing magnetic fields emitted from the buried utilities.

Abstract: A time point is acquired by steps including a data acquisition step of acquiring time-series data indicating a time change of a displacement of a structure based on a physical quantity generated at a predetermined observation point in the structure as a response caused by a movement of a formation moving object formed with one or more moving objects on the structure; a removing step of removing a vibration component included in the time-series data; and a time point acquisition step of acquiring an entry time point at which the formation moving object enters the structure and an exit time point at which the formation moving object exits from the structure, based on the time-series data after the vibration component is removed.

Abstract: A method for determining a remaining useful life of a bearing having a surface defect includes determining a defect size of the surface defect based on oscillations of the bearing. The method also includes determining, based on the defect size, at least one of the principal stresses or a contact force of the bearing caused by the surface defect. The method also includes determining the remaining useful life of the bearing based on at least one of the principal stresses and/or the contact force.

Abstract: A non-contact non-destructive inspection system according to an embodiment includes a sensor, a velocity detection unit, and a damage detection unit. The sensor detects a second elastic wave emitted to a medium surrounding an inspection object due to a first elastic wave propagating through the inspection object. The velocity detection unit detects a velocity of the first elastic wave based on a wavefront angle of the second elastic wave and a velocity of the second elastic wave. The damage detection unit detects damage to the inspection object based on the velocity of the first elastic wave.

Abstract: Methods and systems for RF pulse monitoring and RF pulsing parameter optimization at a manufacturing system are provided. A radio frequency (RF) signal is pulsed within a processing chamber in accordance with a set of process parameters. Sensor data is received from one or more sensors that indicates a RF pulse waveform detected within the processing chamber. One or more RF signal characteristics are identified in the detected RF pulse waveform. Each identified RF signal characteristic corresponds to at least one RF signal pulse of the RF signal pulsing within the processing chamber. A determination is made, based on the identified one or more RF signal characteristics, whether the detected RF pulse waveform corresponds to the target RF pulse waveform. An indication of whether the detected RF pulse waveform corresponds to the target RF pulse waveform is provided to a client device.

Abstract: Evaluation arrangement for a thermal gas sensor with at least one heater and at least one detector. The evaluation arrangement is configured to obtain information about an amplitude of a detector signal of a first detector, and information about a first phase difference between a heater signal and the detector signal of the first detector. In addition, the evaluation arrangement is configured to form as an intermediate quantity, dependent on the information about the amplitudes of the detector signal and dependent on the information about the first phase difference, a combination signal, and to determine information about a gas concentration or information about a thermal diffusivity of a fluid on the basis of the combination signal.