Abstract: Structural health monitoring systems for building structures created by additive processes can include at least an orientation sensing subsystem, a strain sensing subsystem, and a local processor. Orientation sensors can collect data from a first set of strategic locations and strain gauges can collect data from a second set of strategic locations on a 3D-printed building component. The sensors can be embedded during or after the 3D-printing process. A simulation engine can determine the strategic locations by modeling 3D geometry and material properties and simulating results from the application of various loads to determine the likely structural failure locations of the building component. The local processor can receive sensor data, filter the data, format the data for analysis, store the data, and forward the formatted data to a remotely located processing system for analysis.

Abstract: Provided is a method for simultaneous detection of parameters of membrane electrode assemblies of a fuel cell stack, which includes: supplying hydrogen to an anode of the fuel cell stack and inert gas to a cathode of the fuel cell stack, controlling operating conditions of the fuel cell stack at respective preset values; applying different voltage excitations or micro-current excitations to the fuel cell stack, collecting a current signal of an entire stack and a voltage signal of each fuel cell; and analyzing a hydrogen crossover current, a catalyst electrochemical surface area, a double-layer capacitance, and a short-circuit resistance of a membrane electrode assembly of each fuel cell based on an excitation-response formula of a fuel cell. The present disclosure does not limit a form of a current or voltage excitation, thereby improving accuracy of a parameter test of a membrane electrode assembly while reducing the test cost.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes receiving a first input associated with an incident location of an incident. A second input associated with a measurement zone surrounding the incident location is received. The method further includes producing, via a display monitor, a set of waypoints associated with a flight path of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) based on the first input and the second input. The set of waypoints is displayed on a satellite aerial map including the incident location.

Abstract: A monitoring system and method are provided for determining at least one property of an integrated circuit (IC) comprising a multi-layer structure formed by at least a layer on top of an underlayer. The monitoring system receives measured data comprising data indicative of optical measurements performed on the IC, data indicative of x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements performed on the IC and data indicative of x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) measurements performed on the IC. An optical data analyzer module analyzes the data indicative of the optical measurements and generates geometrical data indicative of one or more geometrical parameters of the multi-layer structure formed by at least the layer on top of the underlayer.

Abstract: A method can include receiving seismic data responsive to stimulation of an anisotropic formation via a well disposed in the formation; receiving crosswell calibrated velocity model information that spans a depth range of the anisotropic formation; locating a microseismic event generated by the stimulation based at least in part on a portion of the received seismic data and based at least in part on the crosswell calibrated velocity model information; and rendering the located microseismic event to a display with respect to one or more dimensions of the anisotropic formation.

Abstract: A method may comprise: modeling a complex fracture network within the subterranean formation with a mathematical model based on a natural fracture network map and measured data of the subterranean formation collected in association with a fracturing treatment of the subterranean formation to produce a complex fracture network map; importing microseismic data collected in association with the fracturing treatment of the subterranean formation into the mathematical model; identifying directions of continuity in the microseismic data via a geostatistical analysis that is part of the mathematical model; and correlating the directions of continuity in the microseismic data to the complex fracture network with the mathematical model to produce a microseismic-weighted (MSW) complex fracture network map.

Abstract: A tight-integrated navigation method assisted by Elman neural network when GNSS signals are blocked based on the tight-integrated navigation system model of the INS and GNSS, where the dynamic Elman neural network prediction model is used to train the inertial navigation error model and the GNSS compensation model, so as to solve the problem of tight-integrated navigation when the GNSS signals are blocked. When the GNSS signals are blocked, the trained neural network is used to predict the output error of GNSS and compensate the output of inertial navigation, so that the error will not diverge sharply, and the system can continue to work in the integrated navigation mode. The low-cost tight-integrated navigation module is used, and the collected information is preprocessed to form the sample data for training the neural network to train the Elman neural network model.

Abstract: A plurality of sensor devices are placed at a plurality of locations at which concrete is to be poured, wherein each sensor device is adapted to measure humidity. For example, the plurality of sensors may be placed at selected locations within a form at a construction site associated with a construction project. Concrete is poured at the plurality of locations. Data representing humidity measurements is received from the plurality of sensor devices. For each of the plurality of sensor devices, a respective spike in humidity and a respective time associated with the spike in humidity are determined, thereby determining a plurality of spikes in humidity and a plurality of corresponding times. A build rate is determined for the construction project based on the plurality of spikes in humidity and a plurality of corresponding times.

Abstract: A quality check module for characterizing a specimen and/or a specimen container. The quality check module includes an imaging location within the quality check module configured to receive a specimen container containing a specimen, one or more cameras located at one or more viewpoints adjacent to the imaging location, and one or more spectrally-switchable light source including a light panel assembly located adjacent the imaging location and configured to provide lighting for the one or more cameras, the spectrally-switchable light source configured to be operatively switchable between multiple different spectra. Methods of imaging a specimen and/or specimen container and specimen, and specimen testing apparatus including a quality check module adapted to carry out the method are described herein, as are other aspects.

Abstract: A method of and a system for detecting a fuel leak in an aircraft, the aircraft comprising a first engine and a second engine. The method comprises upon determining that the aircraft has reached a first mode of operation: acquiring a first baseline fuel flow of the first engine; acquiring a second baseline fuel flow of the second engine. The method further comprises monitoring a first current fuel flow measured at the first engine and a second current fuel flow measured at the second engine; and triggering a fuel leak detection based on an analysis of the first baseline fuel flow, the first current fuel flow, the second baseline fuel flow and the second current fuel flow.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for estimating an airspeed of a rotorcraft by analyzing its rotor. The rotorcraft includes a fuselage and a main rotor that is equipped with a plurality of blades and that rotates about an axis of a hub of the rotor, and in which the free end or “tip” of each blade describes a path in the vicinity of a tip-path plane. The method makes it possible to determine said airspeed of the rotorcraft in a frame of reference united with the tip-path plane by solving a model of the rotor that puts a pitch angle of at least one blade relative to the tip-path plane into relation with the airspeed of the rotorcraft and with an auxiliary speed. The auxiliary speed may be an induced velocity of the air flowing through the rotor or else an axial airspeed at the upstream infinity of the rotorcraft.

Abstract: The disclosure provides methods and systems for identifying a subset of compounds in a plurality of compounds. The identifying includes obtaining, for each compound, a vector including a set of elements, where each element includes a measurement of a different feature of an instance of a cell context upon exposure to the compound. The identifying includes repeating the obtaining for a plurality of cell contexts, to obtain a plurality of vectors for each compound across different cell contexts. The identifying includes combining the vectors for each compound to form a combined vector for each compound, thereby forming a plurality of combined vectors representing different compounds. The identifying includes pruning the plurality of compounds to the subset of compounds based on a similarity between respective combined vectors in the plurality of combined vectors corresponding to compounds in the plurality of compounds.

Abstract: A method for obstacle detection and recognition for an intelligent snow sweeping robot is disclosed, comprising: 1) disposing ultrasonic sensors at a front end of the snow sweeping robot to detect distance information from an obstacle ahead; and disposing radar sensors at the front and rear of the snow sweeping robot to detect whether a creature suddenly approaches; 2) processing signals detected by each of the ultrasonic sensors and radar sensors, and calculating a forward distance of the snow sweeping robot; and 3) determining a snow cover extent of a working road, detecting a change of the distance from the obstacles, and recognizing the obstacles for conditions of an ultrasonic ranging variation ratio and a variation of the forward distance of the snow sweeping robot, a change of the signal detected by radar sensors, and a descriptive statistic of the snow cover extent within a specific time period.

Abstract: A method includes receiving a drill bit design. The design specifies a design parameter for a plurality of cutter elements of a drill bit. The method also includes estimating a temperature value for the cutter elements based on the design parameter and a drilling parameter; estimating a wear value for the cutter elements based on the design parameter and the temperature value; updating a value of the design parameter for at least one of the cutter elements based on the wear value and a time period; and using the updated design parameter value, repeating the steps of estimating the temperature value, estimating the wear value, and updating the design parameter value until the design parameter value for the at least one of the cutter elements reaches a threshold value.

Abstract: A method to continuously monitor for tube leakage in a shell and tube thermosiphon reboiler for heating feedstock in a fractionating column includes: determining the column is in service by continuously monitoring an input flow of the feedstock into the column; determining the reboiler is inactive by continuously monitoring an output valve of tube-side heating fluid from the reboiler; determining the reboiler is losing the heating fluid by continuously monitoring an output flow of the heating fluid from the reboiler; determining the reboiler is heat exchanging by continuously monitoring a temperature difference between input and output flows of shell-side bottoms fluid with the column; and determining the tube leakage in the reboiler is taking place when the column is determined to be in service, the reboiler is determined to be inactive, the reboiler is determined to be losing the heating fluid, and the reboiler is determined to be heat exchanging.

Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods are provided for enhanced sensor alignment. A device may determine a first array of displacement sensors proximate to a first test structure. The device may determine a second array of displacement sensors proximate to a second test structure. The device may apply a test condition to the first array, the second array, the first test structure, and the second test structure. The device may collect a first output from applying the test condition to the first test structure. The device may collect a second output from applying the test condition to the second test structure. The device may generate a first deviation vector associated with the first output. The device may generate a second deviation vector associated with the second output. The device may determine a first design status of the first structure based on the first deviation vector. The device may determine a second design status of the second structure based on the second deviation vector.

Abstract: Disclosed is a malfunction early-warning method for production logistics delivery equipment. After a sensor obtains past signal data, performing feature extraction and dimensionality reduction so as to obtain a feature vector; using a growing neural gas (GNG) algorithm to divide normal state data into different operation situations so as to obtain several cluster centers, and calculating the Euclidean distance between the feature vector and the cluster centers obtained from current operation data, so as to obtain a similarity trend; constructing a past memory matrix, using an improved particle swarm algorithm to optimize an LS-SVM regression model parameter, and calculating the residual value of the current state. Finally, combining the residual value and the similarity trend to obtain a risk coefficient, assessing the equipment state, and issuing an early warning for an equipment malfunction.

Abstract: A utility meter includes a consumption measurement unit for generating consumption data, a meter processor, and a RTC for time stamping the consumption data to provide interval meter data during interval meter operation. A memory stores the interval meter data. The meter processor implements/initiates responsive to a power loss that suspends RTC operation, switching from interval to relative time operation where consumption data is stored as relative consumption data together with a relative time as relative meter data. Responsive power restoration and receiving a current time, the meter switches from relative time to interval meter operation. The restoration time is calculated using the current and an elapsed time since the restoration. The time of restoration and current time is used to generate calculated times. The consumption data from relative time operation is time stamped with the calculated times to provide time-corrected relative meter data that is stored to the memory.

Abstract: A method and system for providing health-monitoring alarm management have been disclosed. In a first aspect, the method comprises detecting at least one vital sign signal using a wearable sensor device and managing an alarm mechanism of the wearable sensor device based on the at least one vital sign signal. In a second aspect, the system comprises a sensor for detecting at least one vital sign signal, a processor coupled to the sensor, and a memory device coupled to the processor, wherein the memory device stores an application which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to manage an alarm mechanism of the wearable sensor device based on the at least one vital sign signal.

Abstract: Determining when a barometric-based approach for estimating an unknown altitude of a mobile device should not be used. Different approaches determine if estimating an unknown altitude of a mobile device using a measured atmospheric condition will result in an estimated altitude having acceptable or unacceptable error. If use of the measured atmospheric condition would result in acceptable error, the measured atmospheric condition is used to estimate the unknown altitude. If use of the measured atmospheric condition would result in unacceptable error, the measured atmospheric condition is not used to estimate the unknown altitude. The resultant altitude estimate is then used to locate the mobile device.