Abstract: A communication system employed during wellbore operations, such as during drilling, cementing, fracturing, or other wellbore operations, which utilizes ultrasound (i.e., acoustic waves characterized by ultrasonic frequencies) to communicate sensor and/or control information from inside a riser and/or blowout preventer (BOP) to outside the riser/BOP, and/or vice versa. More specifically, the communication system may include an internal ultrasonic module (IUM) residing inside the riser/BOP and acoustically coupled to a drill string and/or a centralizer also inside the riser/BOP. The communication system may further include an external ultrasonic module (EUM) residing outside the riser/BOP and acoustically coupled to the riser/BOP.

Abstract: Apparatus and associated methods related to providing safe electrical control and/or communication between a remote controller located in a safe location and interface system for a machine located in a hazardous location. The control and/or communication is provided via industrial-voltage power lines that traverse a barrier separating the safe location from the hazardous location. Control and/or communication is provided by reactively coupling to industrial power lines, which traverse the barrier, so as to superimpose a control and/or communication signal upon AC operating power provided to the machine. Each of the interface system located at the hazardous location and the remote control module located at a safe location provides such reactive coupling to the industrial-voltage power lines so as to communicate therebetween.

Abstract: A bridge device, in communication with a smart device, functions to command one or more controllable appliances in response to communications received from the smart device. The bridge device also includes input elements by which the bridge device can be used to directly command common functional operations of the one or more controllable appliances. In this manner, common functional operations, such as volume control, playback pause/resume control, etc., may be made readily available without necessitating the use of the smart device, whilst the more sophisticated GUI provided by the smart device remote control app may be advantageously utilized when more complex or less frequently used command functions are to be performed.

Abstract: A bulkhead connector configured to be positioned within a tool body of a completion or intervention tool for use in a wellbore, and to provide a pressure and fluid seal between an area or a compartment within the tool body where one or more downhole tools are located and any fluid(s) present in the wellbore. The bulkhead connector includes one or more electrical switches positioned on the “low pressure” or tool side of the bulkhead connector, the electrical switches configured to be actuated by magnetic force(s) provided by one or more magnetic elements positioned on the “high pressure” or fluid side of the bulkhead connector. The bulkhead connector including electrical contact(s) that extend through the bulkhead connector that may be connected and disconnected from leads utilizing the magnetic force(s) provided from the fluid side of the bulkhead connector.

Abstract: Acoustic data can be collected from oil wells having various configurations of tubing and casing and under various operational conditions such as pumping, shut-in, and transition phases such as pressure build up. The acoustic data is collected by a microphone in response to the generation of an acoustic pulse that is transmitted into the well. There is typically substantial noise in the well pipes and this noise can degrade the quality of the reflected data recorded from the acoustic pulse. Much of this noise is produced by the flow of gas in the tubing and associated flow lines. Apparatus for use with the well can be configured to control the state of certain valves which can lead to a reduction of the noise received for the microphone that records the acoustic data.

Abstract: A system for optimizing utility consumption associated with a premises is provided. The system may include a communication device, a processing device and a storage device. Further, the communication device may be configured for receiving utility consumption information, receiving premises information, receiving lifestyle information, and performing at least one of transmitting a utility recommendation associated with the premises to an electronic device and transmitting an actuation data to an appliance associated with the premises. Further, the processing device may be configured for analyzing each of the utility consumption information, the premises information and the lifestyle information and generating at least one of a utility recommendation and the actuation data based on the analyzing.

Abstract: A velocity of a flow of drilling fluid is adjusted to a magnitude that is within the operating range of a mud pulser disposed in the flow of the drilling fluid. A stator in the mud pulser directs the flow of drilling fluid along one or more separate paths. The paths are defined by channels that extend axially along an outer surface of the stator and that are spaced angularly apart from one another. Also in the mud pulser is a rotor that alternatingly blocks the paths. The velocity is adjusted with a plug assembly that blocks flow through a designated channel. One type of plug assembly is a disk with passages that register with less than all of the channels, and that mounts on a downstream end of the stator. Other types of plug assemblies mount in the designated channel to block the flow path.

Abstract: Disclosed is a wearable electric shock recognition device, which includes first to fourth variable resistors and a bridge resistor forming a bridge circuit; a resistance compensator compensating the first to fourth variable resistors in the bridge circuit so that the bridge circuit is in a balanced state. When it is determined that a magnitude of a current flowing through a bridge line exceeds a predetermined electric shock threshold, a determiner determines that an electric shock event has occurred.

Abstract: Apparatuses, systems, and methods for collecting utility meter data are described. An example system may include a flow controller and a server. The flow controller is configured to communicate with a water meter for a property and connected to at least one water outlet of a plurality of water outlets. The server is coupled to one or more infrastructure databases and the flow controller. The server includes a non-transitory computer readable media and is configured to execute instructions stored on the non-transitory computer readable media. The instructions include receiving water usage data from the flow controller and transmitting the water usage data from the water meter for the property to a water utility company.

Abstract: A water utility meter configured for dynamic throttling and arranged to register and manage the amount of water delivered to a consumption site from a distribution network is disclosed. The water utility meter comprises a flow sensor for measuring a flow rate through the water utility meter, a valve for limiting the flow rate from the distribution network to the consumption site, an actuator for changing a valve position so that the valve may be in an open position or a closed position or a variable throttling position and a controller unit arranged to control the actuator. The controller unit is further configured to monitor the flow rate using the flow sensor, to verify if the flow rate exceeds a maximum flow rate limit or does not exceed a minimum flow rate limit and if the limits are exceeded adjust the valve position to change the maximum flowrate.

Abstract: Systems and methods for temperature monitoring and environmentally related calculations are disclosed herein. A system according to embodiments herein may include a memory, a network interface, and one or more processors. The system may receive one or more environmental readings from a sensor taking readings at an environmentally controlled area. The system may further determine a timestamp corresponding to each of the one or more readings and calculate, using the one or more readings and their corresponding timestamps, an exposure of a good stored within the temperature controlled area. The system may further determine that the calculated exposure of the good has surpassed a pre-determined exposure threshold for the good and send an electronic message configured to indicate such determination to a user. The system may use a neural network to predict future readings based on current readings and use the predicted future readings in methods described herein.

Abstract: The disclosure provides an acoustic logging device comprising a first tubular member comprising a plurality of grooves disposed on an exterior of the first tubular member. The acoustic logging device further comprises a ring transmitter module disposed around an exterior of the first tubular member, which comprises a piezoelectric (PZT) ring transmitter, a transmitter sleeve, wherein the PZT ring transmitter is disposed within the transmitter sleeve, and a cage, wherein the transmitter sleeve is disposed between the cage and the exterior of the first tubular member, wherein the transmitter sleeve is disposed over the plurality of grooves. The acoustic logging device further comprises a plurality of dual bender transmitters, wherein there is a gap disposed the plurality of dual bender transmitters in the exterior of the first tubular member, wherein there is an array of holes connecting each of the gaps together and providing fluid communication between the gaps.

Abstract: A downhole well system can use a fiber optic cable that can be positioned downhole along a length of a wellbore. The well system may include a top plug, a bottom plug, or both that are used to contain a cement slurry during a cementing operation. The movement of the top plug and bottom plug may cause acoustic noise along the downhole portion of the casing. A reflectometer may detect the acoustic noise from strain in the fiber optic cable and determine a location of the top plug or bottom plug downhole.

Abstract: Computer implemented methods and systems for detecting noise in cardiac activity are provided. The method and system obtain a far field cardiac activity (CA) data set that includes far field CA signals for a series of beats, overlay a segment of the CA signals with a noise search window, and identify turns in the segment of the CA signals. The method and system determine whether the turns exhibit a turn characteristic that exceed a turn characteristic threshold, declare the segment of the CA signals as a noise segment based on the determining operation, shift the noise search window to a next segment of the CA signal and repeat the identifying, determining and declaring operations; and modify the CA signals based on the declaring the noise segments.

Abstract: A set top box receives from a remote control device one or more of a codeset identifier, data indicative of a brand and model for a consumer electronic device, and remote control diagnostic information. The set top box then causes information representative of the received codeset identifier, data indicative of a brand and model for a consumer electronic device, and remote control diagnostic information to be displayed in a display device associated with the set top box.

Abstract: A method for characterizing a bond between a first tubular disposed in a borehole and a structure outside of the tubular, the method includes transmitting a signal into and through the first tubular using a signal transmitter conveyed through the borehole and detecting a return signal using a return signal receiver conveyed through the borehole to provide return signal information in a time domain. The method also includes transforming the return signal information in the time domain to return signal information in a frequency domain using a transform and determining a difference between the return signal information in the frequency domain and reference frequency domain return signal information. The method further includes characterizing the bond of the first tubular to the structure outside of the first tubular using the difference to provide a characterization of the bond.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention use radar technology to detect features or conditions in a well. A radar unit having an electronics subsystem and an antenna subsystem is positioned downhole in the well. The radar unit is coupled receive power from and communicate with to a surface system. The electronics subsystem generates RF signals which are provided to the antenna subsystem, generating radar wavefronts that are propagated toward areas of interest (e.g., farther downhole). The radar wavefronts may be electronically or mechanically steered in the desired direction. The antenna subsystem receives radar signals that are reflected back to the unit by features or conditions in the well. The received reflected signals are converted to electronic signals that are interpreted by the electronics subsystem of the radar unit or by the surface system to identify the features or conditions that caused the reflections.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes receiving a plurality of sensor signals, each signal of the plurality of sensor signals being tagged with an associated time and depth. The method also includes selecting a baseline signal. The method further includes comparing a selected sensor signal, of the plurality of sensor signals, to the baseline signal. The method also includes determining a difference between the baseline signal and the selected sensor signal exceeds a threshold. The method includes identifying, based at least in part on the difference, a feature of interest associated with the selected sensor signal.

Abstract: An apparatus and system for deploying an acoustic sensor are disclosed. In some embodiments, an acoustic sensor includes a transducer comprising a piezoelectric material layer having a front side from which the transducer is configured to transmit acoustic sensing signals and an opposing back side. A backing material layer comprising an acoustic damping material is coupled at a front side to the back side of the piezoelectric material layer. An acoustic reflector such as may comprise a cavity containing gaseous or liquid fluid is disposed between the front side and a back side of the backing material layer.

Abstract: A hybrid telemetry system includes a plurality of telemetry networks configured to communicate a modulated signal representing digital data along adjoining sections of a pipe string. The plurality of telemetry networks may each be optimized or particularly suitable for the configuration of the pipe string, the well, and/or the environment of the well occurring in each of the adjoining sections. Some of the plurality of telemetry networks may overlap to provide redundancy of the communication of the digital data.