Abstract: A test force generating spring that is interposed between an indenter shaft provided with an indenter at a distal end and a press that linearly displaces the indenter shaft toward a sample stage so as to press the indenter into a surface of a sample is configured as an annular spring having left/right symmetry, the annular spring including a left/right pair of through-holes that are formed running from one side surface of a substantially rectangular metal block to another side surface on a rear side of the block and a slit that is formed so as to connect the pair of through-holes. With this configuration, a highly accurate test force can be generated and a hardness test can be favorably performed by a hardness tester.

Abstract: A hybrid cooler/dryer that conditions a sample gas includes a heat exchanger, a condensate-removal device, and a membrane dryer. In some embodiments, the hybrid cooler/dryer also includes passive cooling, as embodied by an air amplifier and heat sink, or a length of tubing that exposes the sample gas to ambient temperature. The hybrid cooler/dryer requires no electrical power.

Abstract: A method and device are described for making in situ measurements of the density and viscosity of downhole fluids at subterranean wells. An oscillator circuit is deployed in the well comprising an amplifier, a feedback loop, and an electromechanical resonator. The electromechanical resonator is a component in the feedback loop of the oscillator circuit, and has a resonance mode that determines the frequency of the oscillator circuit. The electromechanical resonator is also in contact with the fluid such that the density and viscosity of the fluid influence the resonant frequency and damping of the resonator. The frequency of the oscillator is measured by a microcontroller. In one embodiment, the oscillator circuit periodically stops driving the electromechanical resonator such that the oscillation decays and the rate of decay is also measured by the microcontroller. The density and viscosity of the fluid are determined from the frequency and rate of decay of the oscillation.

Abstract: A snubber includes a head portion, a shank portion, and a threaded portion. The shank portion is attached to the head portion, and the shank portion defines a shank diameter. The threaded portion is attached to the shank portion, and the threaded portion includes an external helical thread wrapped around a central shaft. The external helical thread defines a threaded diameter, and the central shaft defines a central shaft diameter. The shank diameter and the thread diameter are sized such that the shank portion and the threaded portion define at least one fluid flow path when the snubber is installed in a pressure sensor.

Abstract: A real time and quantitative method of measuring traction force of living cells include the following procedures. Place AT-cut and BT-cut quartz crystals of the same frequency, surface morphology and/or modified with the same cell adhesion molecules in petri dishes or detection cells; add the cells to the petri dishes or detection cells, the cell traction force at arbitrary time t during adhesion of the cells or under different internal/external environmental stimulations is estimated by the following equation: ?St=(KAT?KBT)?1[tqAT?ftAT/frAT?tqBT?ftBT/frBT]. The method can be used to track the dynamic changes of cells generated force during the adhesion of cells and under different internal/external environmental stimulations, such as the effects of drugs. The drugs can be added before or after the adhesion of the cells. This method is suitable for all adherent cells, including primary cells and passage cells.

Abstract: Example implementations relate to determining a correction factor that converts a measured sensor distance to a calibrated sensor distance. The measured sensor distance may be based on an amount of substrate advancement through a web printing press between detecting a mark on the substrate at a first sensor and detecting the mark at a second sensor. The calibrated sensor distance may be the separation between the first sensor and the second sensor.

Abstract: Fiber-optic equipment is often deployed in various locations, and performance of fiber-optic transmissions may be monitored as a gauge of equipment status to prevent costly and inconvenient communication outages. Events that damage equipment that eventually result in outage and may be desirable to address proactively, but the occurrence of such events may be difficult to detect only through equipment performance. Presented herein are techniques for monitoring and maintaining fiber-optic equipment performance via enclosure sensors that measure physical properties within a fiber-optic equipment enclosure, such as temperature, pressure, light, motion, vibration, and moisture, which are often diagnostic and predictive of causes of eventual communication outages, such as temperature-induced cable loss (TICL), incomplete flash-testing during installation, exposure to hazardous environmental conditions, and tampering.

Abstract: A downhole sensor includes a sensor housing with one or more of a pressure sensor or a temperature sensor. A cable segment having a conductor is coupled to the sensor housing. A spacer or retention element is coupled to or secured to at least a portion of the conductor at a location proximate an interface between the cable segment and the sensor housing. Downhole sensor arrays include such sensor housings. Methods relate to forming such sensor arrays.

Abstract: A vibration monitoring system described herein is used to detect and analyze mechanical characteristics such as vibrations emanating from a rotating system (including the shaft and bearing system). The analysis of the mechanical characteristics yields decision data as to whether and which component connected with the rotating system is faulty so that it may be replaced. An example of a rotating system would be any of the rotating accessories present in an automotive vehicle.

Abstract: Method and systems of determining when to replace an air data probe are provided. The method includes measuring a temperature of a heating element of an air data probe; tracking an amount of time the heating element is within at least one temperature range; and providing an air data probe replacement indication when a replacement threshold is met that is at least in part based on reaching a cumulative amount of time the heating element has a measured temperature within the at least one temperature range.

Abstract: A system for estimating a substance level in a storage unit is disclosed. In one embodiment, the system includes a cable and a control device. The control device sense pulses down the cable and based on the time of reflected pulses determines the level of substance in the storage unit.

Abstract: The present invention is a device for analyzing sensitivity to deposit formation in a fuel notably used in aircraft, comprising a tank (10) for the fuel to be analysed, at least one test section (18) with a heated tube (46) along which the fuel flows and a filter (66) associated with a deposit measurement system (68). According to the invention, the device comprises at least two identical test sections (181 to 186) arranged in parallel and a control unit (72) independently controlling at least one of the operating conditions of at least one of the two test sections.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for determining a soil roughness measure. A transducer transmits an ultrasonic signal towards a soil surface and receives a first echo signal of the ultrasonic signal and a second echo signal of the ultrasonic signal. A first distance between the transducer and a first point on the soil surface is calculated based on the first echo signal of the ultrasonic signal. A second distance between the transducer and a second point on the soil surface is calculated based on the second echo signal of the ultrasonic signal. A soil roughness measure of the soil surface is determined based on a difference between the first distance and the second distance.

Abstract: A cooling unit (cryo-focus unit) cools breath introduced into a carrier gas from a sample introduction unit, to trap volatile components in the breath into a column. A heater heats the volatile components trapped in the column to desorb the volatile components. Amass spectrometry (MS) section detects the volatile components desorbed by the heater and separated in a process of passing through the column. The breath introduced into the carrier gas from the sample introduction unit is cooled by the cooling unit, whereby more volatile components in the breath are trapped, and those volatile components can be desorbed, and can be detected by the MS section.

Abstract: A leaking tank testing device, including a main body, a tubing system disposed within at least a portion of the main body to receive contents therein from a tank container, a selector rotatably disposed on an outer surface of the main body to select a vacuum testing mode in a first position, and a pressure testing mode in a second position, a vacuum monitor disposed on at least a portion of the main body to display a gradient in pressure between the contents in the tubing system and an external pressure outside of the main body in response to the selector being moved to the vacuum testing mode, and a seal disposed on at least a portion of the main body to cover at least a portion of the tubing system in response to the selector being moved to the pressure testing mode.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to an electronic monitoring system having various sensors for monitoring a pumping unit and/or well head. In an embodiment, the system includes a load cell and position sensor that generate dynamometer information. The monitoring system is suited for remote well applications as the system is self-powered (e.g., solar powered) and has wireless communication capabilities allowing remote monitoring in substantially real-time.

Abstract: A hydration bladder fluid level detection system includes a pack having a hydration bladder removably secured therein; a display in communication with a power source and to attach to the pack, the display having; a high level indicator; and a low level indicator; a detector system, including a high level probe in communication with the high level indicator and to detect fluid at a first level in the hydration bladder; a low level probe in communication with the low level indicator and to detect fluid at a second level in the hydration bladder; and a power supply probe in communication with the power source and to complete an electrical circuit with the high level and low level probes as circuit components; fluid dropping below the first level deactivates the high level indicator by breaking a circuit leg running between the high level probe and the power supply probe; and fluid dropping below the second level deactivates the low level indicator by breaking a circuit leg between the low level probe and the pow

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for determining and/or monitoring the breakdown voltage of a transformer oil, comprising the steps of a) performing an acoustic impedance measurement of the transformer oil, the impedance of a medium partially or entirely disposed in the transformer oil and capable of naturally vibrating and/or transmitting vibrations to the transformer oil is determined in at least one frequency band of defined frequency width; and b) calculating a resonator quality factor for the frequency band based on the determination performed in step a); and c) calculating an acoustic disbalance of the transformer oil based on the calculation performed in step b); and d) ascertaining the breakdown voltage of the transformer oil based on the calculation performed in step c). Furthermore, the disclosure relates to a device (100, 200) for determining and/or monitoring the breakdown voltage of a transformer oil.

Abstract: A miniaturized microsystem device including at least one of electrical, optical and mechanical components in a hermetically or non-hermetically sealed housing with respect to air humidity or encapsulated, which contains a desiccant. The humidity-dependent lifetime of the arrangement is determined by measuring the absorptivity of the desiccant.

Abstract: A sensor assembly is disclosed. The sensor assembly includes a housing that includes a top housing and a bottom housing that clamp together. The sensor assembly also includes a printed circuit board assembly (PBA). The sensor assembly also includes at least one piece of elastic material that is located in between the top housing and the PBA and in between the bottom housing and the PBA. When the PBA is clamped in the housing, the sensor assembly allows the PBA to maintain alignment relative to the housing across different environments in order to enable proper operation of the sensor assembly. A top surface of the PBA and a bottom surface of the PBA each have at least one three-dimensional feature that is designed to increase friction with the elastic material.