Abstract: A core for a turbine airfoil casting according to an embodiment includes: a center plenum section; and a plurality of outer passage sections; wherein the center plenum section includes at least one boss extending outwardly from the center plenum to an outer profile of the core.

Abstract: Provided is a mass sensor including a four-corner-adjusting-mechanism capable of reducing the sensitivity of four-corner adjustment without reducing the rigidity of a Roberval mechanism. A mass sensor (1) includes a Roberval mechanism (2) in which a floating frame (21) and a fixing frame (22) are connected by upper and lower sub-frames (23, 24) having thin portions (23b) formed thereon, and a four-corner-adjusting-mechanism (4) to perform parallelism adjustment. The four-corner-adjusting-mechanism (4) includes an adjusting screw (41), and an upper elastic member (42u) and a lower elastic member (42d) disposed in series in the vertical direction so as to sandwich the sub-frame (23) to be subjected to parallelism adjustment.

Abstract: A rotating machine abnormality diagnosing apparatus for diagnosing an abnormality in a rotating machine includes: an analyzing part which performs a time-frequency analysis to a signal S representing intensity and time relationship of an elastic wave generating in the rotating machine; an extracting part which extracts second data representing intensity and time relationship of a predetermined frequency component from first data obtained by the time-frequency analysis; and a determining part which determines that a first rotor and a second rotor are in contact with each other when the second data contains intensity variation having a cycle represented by T1×b=T2×a, in which a rotational cycle of the first rotor is denoted by T1, a rotational cycle of the second rotor is denoted by T2, and a ratio of a number of protrusions to a number of recesses is denoted by a:b.

Abstract: A vibration exciter with load compensation for the dynamic excitation of test specimens includes a base, an actuator, an armature which can be moved by the actuator in an excitation direction relative to the base and guided by a linear guiding element parallel to the excitation direction, and a pneumatic load compensator which compensates for the gravity force of at least the armature and the test specimen being excited. A high-quality low-perturbation exciter signal is generated by minimizing friction and other nonlinearities occurring during the load compensation. The linear guiding element of the vibration exciter with load compensation includes an air bearing, and the load compensator includes the linear guiding element.

Abstract: A portable device such as a key fob includes a piezoelectric component, such as a vibrator or buzzer, and an accelerometer. Self-testing of the piezoelectric component in the portable device may be achieved by applying a test electrical signal to the piezoelectric component and determining whether a vibration is detected by the accelerometer. If a vibration is detected by the accelerometer, then a determination is made as to whether the vibration detected by the accelerometer matches the test electric signal applied to the piezoelectric component.

Abstract: The field of application of present invention relates to weighing systems of vehicles in motion also called WIM systems (Weigh In Motion). The indicated WIM system foresees the placement of a metal plate to the street level, above which vehicles to be weighed may transit, and this metal plate, which is also called loading plate, is mounted above a cavity obtained on the road surface so that it can flex at the passage of the vehicles above it. The system provides that the measurement of the deflection of said loading plate is carried out with the aid of suitable sensors, and that the estimated weight is obtained through the modeling of the flexing of said loading plate depending on the weight of the vehicle passing over. The invention discloses a particularly advantage configuration to achieve a weighing system that can be modelled with the required accuracy.

Abstract: A sound wave sensor, capable of reliably detecting presence or absence of a banknote very easily with use of sound waves, is provided. The sound wave sensor includes a sounding body 2 that outputs a sound wave signal of a predetermined frequency, an echo body 3 opposed to the sounding body 2 in a direction in which the sounding body 2 outputs the sound wave signal, the echo body 3 being provided at a position where the sound wave signal resonates at the predetermined frequency; a slit 5 through which a sheet-like banknote 4 passes, the slit 5 being provided between the sounding body 2 and the echo body 3; and a resonance determination unit 6 that determines a resonant state of the frequency output from the sounding body 2. The resonance determination unit 6 determines a resonant state by detecting variation in power consumption of the sounding body 2.

Abstract: Systems and methods for measuring corrosion rate of an equipment material are provided. A system may comprise a corrosion probe body for insertion within an interior of the equipment through which corrodant fluid flows. At least one sensor on the corrosion probe body includes an ultrasonic source configured to provide an ultrasonic signal into the probe body material, and a receiver configured to receive reflections of the ultrasonic signal from the probe body material and generate electrical response signals indicative of the travel time of the ultrasonic signal. A heat exchanger may be placed in fluid communication with the probe body to deliver heated or cooled fluids to the probe body. A processor is configured to process the electrical response signals and produce corresponding corrosion data.

Abstract: An inspection system includes a first ultrasonic probe positioned on and configured to move along a surface of a component. The first ultrasonic probe transmits ultrasonic energy. The inspection system also includes a second ultrasonic probe positioned on and configured to move along the surface of the component opposite the first probe. The second ultrasonic probe receives the ultrasonic energy transmitted by the first ultrasonic probe. Additionally, the inspection system includes a probe alignment system in communication with the first ultrasonic probe and the second ultrasonic probe. The probe alignment system is configured to analyze an energy characteristic for the ultrasonic energy received by the second ultrasonic probe to determine if a displacement characteristic for at least one of the first ultrasonic probe and the second ultrasonic probe requires adjustment.

Abstract: Methods for ultrasonically imaging a heterogeneous 3D-cell population without physically probing are provided. The method can comprises: pulsing ultrasound waves having a wave frequency of about 10 MHz to about 2 GHz through a lens rod, wherein the lens rod focuses the ultrasound waves onto the cell population via a concave lens-head (e.g., comprising sapphire), and wherein the cell population is positioned on the reflective surface such that the ultrasound waves are reflected back to the lens-head; receiving the reflected waves through the lens head and the lens rod at a signal receiver; scanning the lens-head across multiple points in the x,y plane; and at each point in the x,y plane, moving the lens-head in a z-direction such that a signal is received at multiple intervals in the z-direction for each point in the x,y plane.

Abstract: According to an embodiment, a detection system detects deterioration of a rope through at least one sheave. The system includes a plurality of sensors and a calculator. The sensors are configured to detect an elastic wave generated from the rope and convert the elastic wave into a detection signal. At least one of the sensors is installed near an end portion of the rope. At least one of the sensors is installed at the sheave. The calculator is configured to calculate a position of the rope where the elastic wave has been generated, based on a propagating speed of the elastic wave, time difference information of a plurality of detected times of the elastic waves detected by the respective sensors, and positional information indicating positions of the respective sensors.

Abstract: A system for non-destructive inspection of structural components comprising an ultrasonic probe having a contact face for contacting a surface of a structural component to be inspected and being adapted to emit ultrasonic energy into the structural component when the contact face abuts on a surface of the structural component, a thermal imaging camera adapted to inspect a portion of a surface of the structural component to detect region of the surface of the structural component where an increase of the temperature occurs, and a control unit connected to the ultrasonic probe and the thermal imaging camera. The contact face extends in a plane and is provided with at least two bars which are arranged in parallel and have a common separation distance from each other.

Abstract: This disclosure provides systems and methods for using a health monitoring system with acoustic emissions (AE) signals and the resonance frequency of the damage state of a component in a machine to monitor component health. AE signals collected from sensors on an operating machine are analyzed to identify signal features or events that correspond to component resonance frequencies. The AE signal features proximate to the component resonance frequencies and how those features and the component resonance frequency changes over time enable the identification and monitoring of damage states, such as cracks in the stator vanes of a compressor, gas turbine, steam turbine, or generator.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes a system for predicting explosions in a dissolving tank. The system includes acoustic emission sensors placed in or around the dissolving tank. By filtering the recorded frequencies to the range which is most sensitive for desired explosions “fingerprints,” it is possible to predict a smelt influx before the smelt influx occurs as well as program response actions to prevent compromising explosions.

Abstract: A direct field acoustic testing system includes at least two acoustical transducer groups and a signal modifier for introducing separately controllable time delays or phase shifts for each acoustical transducer group so as to provide an acoustic field conforming to a pre-determined specification with reduced deviations due to constructive or destructive interference between the acoustical transducer groups.

Abstract: A plurality of micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) transducers in a phased array are coupled to a flexible substrate using carbon nanotubes (CNTs) for conformal ultrasound scanning. Each transducer comprises a cantilever, magnetic material deposited on the cantilever, and a solenoid positioned relative to the magnetic material. The carbon nanotubes are grown on the cantilever and mechanically couple the transducer to one side of the flexible substrate. The other side of the flexible substrate is applied to a surface of a part under inspection, and the transducers are electrically connected to a processer to cause movement of the cantilevers when the solenoids are energized by the processor. The movement of the cantilevers results in movement of the carbon nanotubes, which imparts a force to the flexible substrate that results in ultrasound waves, which permeate the part. Returns from the ultrasound waves are interpreted by the processor to generate images of the part.

Abstract: This invention employs an object information acquiring apparatus including a probe for receiving, as a received signal, an acoustic wave which is generated within an object irradiated with light and propagates on an object surface, and a processor for generating object information, which is information based on an internal optical characteristic value of the object, by using intensity of the received signal. The processor corrects the intensity of the received signal by using the reflectance upon the acoustic wave entering the probe which is calculated based on the angle of the acoustic wave entering the probe, and on the acoustic impedance and acoustic velocity of the object and the probe.

Abstract: Processing electronics provide flow data acquisition and telemetry for multiphase flow tomographic arrays. The processing electronics convert sensed flow condition data obtained by ultrasonic transceiver tomography arrays into a serial digital data to minimize both the number of external feedthroughs and also the bandwidth required for transmission. The processing electronics also sends the full measured waveforms from each of the transceivers in the tomographic arrays.

Abstract: A method of monitoring an additive manufacturing process in which a directed energy source is used to create a weld pool at an exposed build surface of a mass of powdered material, and selectively fuse the powdered material to form a workpiece, the method including measuring acoustic energy generated by the weld pool to generate a measured acoustic profile.

Abstract: A system for analyzing fiber reinforced composite including: an ultrasonic transmitter configured to provide ultra-sonic pulses to the fiber reinforced composite; an ultrasonic receiver configured to receive ultrasonic signal data related to the ultrasonic pulses; a filter module configured to filter the ultrasonic signal data; a signal processing module configured to process the filtered ultrasonic signal data; an analysis module configured to analyze the processed ultrasonic signal data by: calculating a characteristic value based on the ultrasonic signal data; comparing the characteristic value to a baseline established for the characteristic value; and determining a percentage of design strength based on the comparison; and an output module configured to output the percentage of design strength.