Abstract: A pressure sensor assembly includes an external housing unit; a sensor unit received within the external housing unit, the external housing unit has an external surface including a mounting surface; a sensing element mounted within the sensor unit and including a pressure-sensing surface; a substrate upon which the mounting surface is mounted; an air passage to enable air to impinge on the sensing element; and a filling passage, separate from the air flow passage, for the introduction of an encapsulation material onto the sensor unit, during assembly. The encapsulation material covers at least a part of the external surface of the sensor unit but does not cover the pressure-sensing surface of the sensing element which remains directly exposed to air within the air passage.

Abstract: A leakage of liquid inside a differential pressure detection device is reliably preventable. A diaphragm portion that detects a differential pressure as a pressure difference between a high pressure side and a low pressure side includes an annular member, a strain gauge provided in a hollow portion of the annular member, and a first plate and a second plate provided such that the annular member and the strain gauge are sandwiched. The first plate and the second plate each abut on a first annular packing. A first groove and a second groove (the first annular packing) overlap with the annular member when viewed from a first direction along an axis of the first hole.

Abstract: An accelerometer structure, a method for preparing the accelerometer structure and an acceleration measurement method are provided. The accelerometer structure includes a substrate having a groove structure, a test mass, a plurality of nano-tethers, and a nano-photonic-crystal measurement unit. The test mass, nano-tethers, and the nano-photonic-crystal measurement unit are suspended above the groove structure. A nano-photonic-crystal resonant cavity is formed in the nano-photonic-crystal measurement unit, and an acceleration of the test mass is characterized by a resonant frequency of the nano-photonic-crystal resonant cavity. The present disclosure provides a photoelasticity-based opto-micromechanical accelerometer structure, which uses a cavity resonance tension sensor in a nano-photonic-crystal cavity to measure a tension of the nano-photonic-crystal resonant cavity.

Abstract: An improved fluid level sensor includes a radially magnetized magnet integrated into a float, and a Hall sensor adapted to monitor the magnet field emitted from the magnet. This arrangement provides a continuously variable signal across a range of travel, such that a controller receiving the signal can produce precise fluid level measurements and detect operational states of an associated device based on fluid behavior. In addition, the present fluid level sensor is suitable for use in harsh service environments, both because it is physically resilient to fouling, and because the controller is capable of detecting fouling by sensor behavior. In the context of a steam cooker, the present fluid level sensor can also sense low-water, overfill and fouling conditions, while remaining relatively insensitive to food residue, water scale buildup, corrosion and foaming.

Abstract: An inclination sensor for determining an angle of inclination relative to the gravitational vector includes comprising a fluid container and a first pressure sensor pair configured to measure a hydrostatic pressure in the connecting fluid. Temperature sensors are assigned to the sensors. A processor is configured to determine: a relative height (h) in the direction of gravity between the pressure sensors, an angle of inclination with respect to the gravitational vector based on the determined relative height (h) and the fixed locations of the pressure sensors, and relative height in the direction of gravity and the angle of inclination, also based on the measured temperatures.

Abstract: A pressure sensor is provided. The pressure sensor includes a housing with a control and evaluation unit. A plurality of pressure ports are arranged at the housing of the pressure sensor, with a pressure measuring cell being associated with every pressure port. The pressure measurement cells are connected to the control and evaluation unit, and the pressure sensor has at least one digital output interface. At least one pressure port is a port for inserting a pressure line, with the pressure line being installable without tools and with the pressure line being surrounded by a seal of the pressure port and being secured against being pulled out.

Abstract: A method and arrangement of fibre optic distributed sensing for detection of an event at an event location within a blind region including using at least one optical fibre arranged at least partly along an object to be monitored and at least one light pattern interrogator coupled with the optical fibre; injecting light patterns at subsequent times; detecting backscatter light from the light patterns; and analyzing the backscatter light to determine the event location so that a detection range of the fiber optic distribution range of the fiber-optic distributed sensing system is extended into a blind region conventionally not accessible for detecting acoustic disturbances or acoustic events.

Abstract: A method providing an increased signal-to-noise (SNR) characteristic for coherent distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) systems, the method employing fiber coils (microphones) made from sections of an optical sensing fiber that collect acoustic signals and uses multiple differential pairs of the microphones for signal averaging to improve the SNR. An analysis determines complex products (beating products) for a pair of locations that are part of a fiber microphone along the length of the optical sensing fiber that are used to determine a phase change in-between locations along the length of the optical sensing fiber.

Abstract: The vertical counterforce loading device includes a concrete support member, four transfer components, four connection components, a vertical force transmission component and a load test soil layer. The concrete support member is formed by pouring and concreting below the load test soil layer. The four transfer components are divided into two groups to be symmetrically and parallelly anchored in the concrete support member. The vertical force transmission component includes a load plate, a jack, a primary beam and a secondary beam arranged in sequence from bottom to top. The load plate is installed on the load test soil layer. Two secondary beams are connected crosswise to both ends of the primary beam, where end portions of the secondary beams are respectively connected to second ends of the connection components through reinforcement components. The device can improve work efficiency, reduce construction costs and improve safety.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are embodiments of apparatuses, systems and methods configured to monitor vibrations and other signals in a pipeline to detect activities associated with theft of a substance flowing through the pipeline. To this end, such activities are determined by correlating pipeline sensor signals to anomalistic reference signals characterizing activity(ies) known to be associated with theft of a substance flowing through a pipeline—e.g., formation of a hole within a tubular member of the pipeline, a liquid being pumped into the pipeline through a wall of a tubular member thereof, a metallic article (e.g., drill) coming into contact with a tubular member of the pipeline, and the like.

Abstract: A rarefied piezometric uptake apparatus and method for measuring gaseous uptake for large solid samples with little or no sample preparation. Past systems and methods require extensive sample preparation. The method includes providing a rarefied piezometric uptake apparatus having a dosing chamber and uptake chamber in an improved selective fluid communication. The apparatus and method improve the measurement of gaseous uptake into solid samples resulting in improved prediction of gas migration through solid samples such as geologic formations.

Abstract: Systems and methods for operating a distributed fiber optic sensing (DFOS)/distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) system include a length of optical sensing fiber suspended aerially by a plurality of utility poles and in optical communication with a DFOS interrogator/analyzer. The method includes operating the DFOS/DAS system while manually exciting more than one of the poles to obtain frequency response(s) of the excited poles; contrastively training a convolutional neural network (CNN) with the frequency responses obtained; classifying the utility poles using the contrastively trained CNN; and generating a profile map of the excited poles indicative of the classified utility poles.

Abstract: A tensile testing fixture and a tensile testing device with improved specimen tensile stress accuracy are provided. The fixture includes a base, an adjusting mechanism disposed on the base, a floating mechanism disposed on and connected to the adjusting mechanism, a lower head disposed on and connected to the floating mechanism, and an upper head disposed above the lower head. The floating mechanism is configured to transmit a pulling force of the lower head to the adjusting mechanism. The adjusting mechanism is configured to adjust a position of the floating mechanism in a horizontal direction under the pulling force. The floating mechanism is further configured to adjust a position of the lower head in the horizontal direction, causing the lower head and the upper head to be coaxial in a vertical direction.

Abstract: A pressure sensor includes a base substrate, a first insulating layer at the base substrate, a stationary electrode at the first insulating layer, a side-wall portion around the stationary electrode at the first insulating layer, and a membrane having electrical conductivity, facing the stationary electrode across a space, and supported by the side-wall portion. The side-wall portion includes a shield electrode on the first insulating layer and a second insulating layer on the shield electrode. A distance between the stationary electrode and the membrane is less than a distance between the shield electrode and the membrane.

Abstract: A strain gauge includes a flexible resin substrate; a functional layer formed of a metal, an alloy, or a metal compound, directly on one surface of the substrate; a resistor formed of a film including Cr, CrN, and Cr2N, on one surface of the functional layer; and an insulating resin layer with which the resistor is coated.

Abstract: A distributed optical fiber sensing (DOFS)/distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) method employing polarization diversity combining and spatial diversity combining for a DOFS/DAS system wherein the polarization diversity combining determines a temporal average product for each beating product, determines one having a max average power, rotates that one having max average power for its phase shift to produce a reference, determines a phase difference for each beating product as compared to the reference, compensates any phase difference such that all beating products exhibit a well-aligned phase; and combining the beating products; and wherein the spatial diversity combining uses the combined beating products for each location, determines a temporal average power, determines a location having a greatest average power; and combines the results and provides an indicia of the combined result(s).

Abstract: A method of providing a hybrid distributed fiber optic sensing system (DFOS) that extends an existing fiber optic telecommunications network thereby providing that existing fiber optic telecommunications network with DFOS capabilities.

Abstract: A gauge pressure transducer assembly having anti-icing features to allow for easy drainage of fluids to prevent pooling and icing. The assembly can include a header having one or more atmospheric ports extending therethrough, a differential sensing element mounted to the header, a header cap attached to at least a portion of the header, a gauge adapter attached to the header and in communication with the one or more atmospheric ports of the header, an elongated tube attached to the header cap, and a front port attached to the elongated tube. The gauge adapter includes a plurality of through-holes to facilitate drainage and de-icing, which is an improvement over conventional transducers that can trap water within the ports that can freeze and cause damage. The header and the gauge adapter of the gauge pressure transducer assembly can reduce or eliminate regions where water can pool and freeze.

Abstract: There is provided a system for determining multiple baselines for detecting events in a conduit. The system comprises an optical fiber interrogator for interrogating optical fiber; and one or more processors communicative with the optical fiber interrogator and memory having stored thereon computer program code configured, when executed by the one or more processors, to cause the one or more processors to perform a method. The method comprises, for each of multiple channels of the conduit, each channel comprising a portion of the conduit: obtaining phase data for the channel, the phase data being obtained by causing the optical fiber interrogator to interrogate optical fiber positioned alongside the conduit; and determining one or more baselines from the phase data. As a result, events in the conduit may be detected with fewer false positives.

Abstract: A controller configured for detecting a disturbance using a comparison of outputs of at least two sensors and for determining a pressure from the outputs of the at least two sensors. A ratio of the measurement sensitivity and the disturbance sensitivity should be different for the at least two sensors. A method for monitoring disturbances of a sensor assembly includes comparing the outputs of the at least two sensors. The controller and related method provide, while requiring only two sensors, a redundant system that is also able to detect excessive disturbances on a sensor assembly.