Abstract: Systems, apparatus and methods for quantifying and identifying diversion of electrical energy are provided. Bypass and tap diversions may be identified in an electric utility power distribution inventory zone having both bypass and tap diversions. Bypass diversion factors for consumer nodes in an inventory zone are determined by finding a solution to a system of load balance equations having slack variables representing aggregate tap loads for the inventory zone and in which consumer load profile data is scaled by the bypass diversion factors, which solution minimizes an objective function whose value is positively related to the sum of the slack variables representing the aggregate tap loads.

Abstract: Born Scattering Inversion (BSI) systems and methods are disclosed. A BSI system may be incorporated in a well system for accessing natural gas, oil and geothermal reserves in a geologic formation beneath the surface of the Earth. The BSI system may be used to generate a three-dimensional image of a proppant-filled hydraulically-induced fracture in the geologic formation. The BSI system may include computing equipment and sensors for measuring electromagnetic fields in the vicinity of the fracture before and after the fracture is generated, adjusting the parameters of a first Born approximation model of a scattered component of the surface electromagnetic fields using the measured electromagnetic fields, and generating the image of the proppant-filled fracture using the adjusted parameters.

Abstract: Provided are a thickness measuring apparatus and a thickness measuring method. The thickness measuring method includes irradiating a first laser beam of a first wavelength ?1 to a transparent substrate and measuring intensity of the first laser beam transmitting through the transparent substrate; irradiating a second laser beam of a second wavelength ?2 to the transparent substrate and measuring intensity of the second laser beam transmitting through the transparent substrate; and extracting a rotation angle on a Lissajous graph using the first and second laser beams transmitting through the transparent substrate. A phase difference between adjacent rays by multiple internal reflection of the first laser beam and a phase difference between adjacent rays by multiple internal reflection of the second laser beam is maintained at ?/2.

Abstract: A system and method are provided that allow for direct measurement of relative movement and relative velocity of movement of a crane (10) boom tip (14) in relation to a target load (24) on an adjacent vessel deck (20) allowing real-time determination of work load parameters under then-current conditions. A rangefinder (32) is located proximate boom tip (14) without requirement of a device on the target load or load vessel. A method accumulates relative movement, environmental data and as-built crane design to determine rated capacity of crane (10).

Abstract: A coordinate sensing system includes a magnetic member, a direction sensor, a first magnetic sensor and a processor, wherein the processor communicates with the direction sensor and is electrically connected to the first magnetic sensor. The magnetic member has a magnetic dipole moment. The direction sensor is used for sensing a direction of the magnetic dipole moment. The first magnetic sensor is used for sensing a first magnetic field of the magnetic member. The processor is used for calculating a first distance between the magnetic member and the first magnetic sensor and calculating a direction of the first distance according to a value of the magnetic dipole moment, the direction of the magnetic dipole moment and the first magnetic field. The processor is further used for calculating a coordinate of the magnetic member according to the first distance and the direction of the first distance.

Abstract: Systems for reliability testing include a picometer configured to measure a leakage current across a device under test (DUT); a camera configured to measure optical emissions from the DUT based on a timing of the measurement of the leakage current; and a test system configured to apply a stress voltage to the DUT and to correlate the leakage current with the optical emissions using a processor to determine a time and location of a defect occurrence within the DUT by locating instances of increased noise in the leakage current that correspond in time with instances of increased optical emissions.

Abstract: Vibration amplitudes are recorded as a function of rotation speed and of frequency and the data is analyzed to estimate a noise floor amplitude threshold for each of a plurality of different speed and frequency sub-ranges. On the basis of training data known to be normal speed-frequency areas which contain significant spectral content in normal operation are deemed “known significant spectral content”, so that during monitoring of new data points which correspond to significant vibration energy at speeds and frequencies different from the known significant spectral content can be deemed “novel significant spectral content” and form the basis for an alert. The estimation of the noise floor is based on a probabilistic analysis of the data in each speed-frequency area and from this analysis an extreme value distribution expressing the probability that any given sample is noise is obtained.

Abstract: A system and method of identifying changes utilizing radio frequency polarization includes receiving a reflected and/or transmitted polarized radio frequency signal at a receiver, filtering, amplifying and conditioning the received signal, converting the received signal from an analog format to a digital format, processing the digital signal to elicit a polarization mode dispersion feature of the received signal, and comparing the polarization mode dispersion features to a known calibration to detect a change in a characteristic of the target object.

Abstract: A method for analyzing a three-dimensional stress concentrating feature of a component (60), such as a borehole (62), using a two-dimensional probabilistic technique. A circumferentially-dependent stress concentration profile around the stress concentrating feature is determined, and then a probability of failure of the component is calculated using a 2D probabilistic failure analysis of the stress concentration profile. The probabilistic failure analysis may include a Monte Carlo theta integration approach.

Abstract: A method for monitoring position of and controlling a second nanosatellite (NS) relative to a position of a first NS. Each of the first and second NSs has a rectangular or cubical configuration of independently activatable, current-carrying solenoids, each solenoid having an independent magnetic dipole moment vector, ?1 and ?2. A vector force F and a vector torque are expressed as linear or bilinear combinations of the first set and second set of magnetic moments, and a distance vector extending between the first and second NSs is estimated. Control equations are applied to estimate vectors, ?1 and ?2, required to move the NSs toward a desired NS configuration. This extends to control of N nanosatellites.

Abstract: In some embodiments, vehicle-based natural gas leak detection methods include assembling a collection of measured concentration peaks originating from a common natural gas leak according to wind direction, wind variability and inter-peak distance data, and selecting from the collection a subset of one or more representative peaks for display. Assigning peaks to a collection may be performed according to a peak overlap condition dependent upon a scaling (overlap) factor which scales the spatial reach of a peak, and according to a wind condition which determines whether a downwind event points toward an upwind event. The scaling factor may depend on wind variability and on an orientation of an inter-peak vector relative to a representative wind direction. Peak filtering is particularly useful in urban environments, where buildings channel gas plumes and one leak may lead to sequential detections of multiple concentration peaks along a path.

Abstract: Various embodiments manage the operation of a substrate penetrating device. In one embodiment, a set of location information associated with a substrate penetrating device is received. At least one database including information associated with obstructed objects is queried based on the set of location information. A determination is made, based on the querying, that the area where the substrate penetrating device is operating includes at least one obstructed object. A probability is calculated with respect to the substrate penetrating device encountering the at least one obstructed object while operating in the area.

Abstract: A method for increasing a reliability of a transducer is provided. The transducer has a first and a second IC, wherein the two ICs each have substantially the same monolithically integrated circuit components with one sensor apiece, and a signal contact for bidirectional data transmission. A reference contact on each of the two ICs is connected to or disconnected from the signal contact by a controllable switch, and a signal generated as a function of the physical quantity sensed by the relevant sensor is applied to the signal contact. The two ICs are integrated into a common IC package, and a supply voltage contact of the first IC is connected to a first package contact, and the first package contact is connected to a first terminal of a control unit, and the supply voltage contact of the second IC is connected to a second package contact.

Abstract: A method for measuring verticality of a container having a base and vertical wall comprises measuring at each rotational position of the container, at least the position along a first measurement axis, of at least one first measuring point located on the base, and a second measuring point located on the base diametrically opposite to the first measuring point, the position along a third measurement axis, of at least one third measuring point located on the vertical wall at a distance from the base. An angle defined between a first segment passing through the first and second measuring points and a second segment intersecting the first segment and passing through at least the third measuring point is selected to be representative of the container verticality. For each rotational position of the container, a quantity depending on the angle is calculated. Verticality is measured from the variations of the calculated quantity.

Abstract: Efficient production testing of integrated circuits (ICs). A first production test is implemented on a group of ICs and failures among the test group are assessed. Specifically, the results of the first test are analyzed such that ICs having a recoverable fail and ICs having a non-recoverable fail are differentiated. The ICs are integrated based on the analyzed results and a second production test is implemented. The second production test tests the ICs responsive to the segregation, such that the second production test is limited only to ICs with a recoverable fail. The next succeeding production test will then use the new test program in the second production test with the handler bin designated as having ICs not to be re-tested.

Abstract: A method for performing self-calibration and compensation of a detector offset is provided. The method includes: detecting for a calibration flag; if the calibration flag is detected, transmitting a first signal; reading and accumulating detector codes in response to the first signal; and calculating a detector offset based on the detector codes.

Abstract: One or more embodiments are directed to a magnet configured to be coupled to an object under test, an array of sensors configured to measure a magnetic field associated with the magnet, and a circuit configured to obtain voltage readings based on the measured magnetic field from the array of sensors and compute a distance between the array of sensors and the magnet based on the obtained voltage readings.

Abstract: One or more embodiments are directed to a magnet configured to be coupled to an object under test, an array of sensors configured to measure a magnetic field associated with the magnet, and a circuit configured to obtain voltage readings based on the measured magnetic field from the array of sensors and compute a distance between the array of sensors and the magnet based on the obtained voltage readings.

Abstract: Method for determining the composition of a material, including obtaining a reference model of composition (MoC) of the material based on a molecular formula distribution of the material, and reconciling, using at least one computer processor, the reference MoC to match at least one target property of the material, is provided. The reference MoC can be expressed as a combination of molecular lumps with associated reference percent. The reconciliation can be carried out using by constrained optimization of information entropy, and the optimization can be performed on a more coarse-grained basis relative to the reference MoC.

Abstract: Efficient production testing of integrated circuits. A first production test is implemented on a group of integrated circuits and failures among the test group are assessed. Specifically, the results of the first test are analyzed such that integrated circuits having a recoverable fail and integrated circuits having a non-recoverable fail are differentiated. The integrated circuits are integrated based on the analyzed results and a second production test is implemented. The second production test tests the integrated circuits responsive to the segregation, such that the second production test is limited only to integrated circuits with a recoverable fail. The next succeeding production test will then use the new test program in the second production test with the handler bin designated as having integrated circuits not to be re-tested.