Abstract: A device and method to quantitatively measure concentrations of volatile organic compound vapors below the ground surface using a preferably “fully” passive device that is placed in a drilled or bored hole for a specified period of time, wherein the sampler constrains the uptake rate to match values that minimize or eliminate the starvation effect and provide acceptable sensitivity for most soil types as calculated via mathematical models.

Abstract: A container test system includes a test chamber in which a container may be located for testing, for instance, for assessing insulative properties of a container. In the test chamber, the outside of the container is thermally treated, temperature of the air outside the container is measured, and temperature of a liquid inside the container is measured. A related testing method is also disclosed.

Abstract: An integrated-style shear apparatus for testing a rock structural plane includes a frame system, a vertical loading system, a horizontal loading system, and a shearing system. Both the vertical loading system and the horizontal loading system are fixed on the frame system, and the shearing system is installed inside the frame system. The shearing system is used to prepare the sample of structural plane and actualize the shear test. The vertical loading system and the horizontal loading system are used to provide normal stress and shear stress for the shearing system respectively.

Abstract: A system for measuring plant attributes comprises a plant attribute sensor (103, 108, 110); a digital a priori plant location map (118); and an ECU (126) coupled to the plant attribute sensor (103, 108, 110) and configured to retrieve and use the a priori plant map and to anticipate a plant measurement based upon the a priori plant map and to use that anticipation to improve the accuracy of the plant measurement.

Abstract: A device capable of measuring the capacitance of a dielectric elastomer by variably manipulating the voltage applied to the dielectric elastomer includes a capacitance estimating unit that acquires current detection values at a plurality of sampling times in a current reduction period in which, when an output voltage of a power source changes, an energizing current of a dielectric elastomer increases and then gradually decreases according to the change in the output voltage, and estimates the capacitance of the dielectric elastomer on the basis of a model representing a correlation between the time-dependent change of the energizing current and the capacitance of the dielectric elastomer in the current reduction period, and the current detection values.

Abstract: A method capable of accurately measuring, in an object including a columnar shaft section and a tabular section projecting outward radially beyond an outer circumferential surface of the shaft section, a distribution of residual stress near a fillet surface interconnecting the shaft section and the tabular section. The method includes repeating a measurement cycle, which includes cutting the object to form a new cutting surface and measuring residual stress in a plurality of parts on the cutting surface. The cutting surface is a conical or cylindrical surface concentric with the axis of the shaft section, being through a reference position unchanged in the repeated measurement cycle. The reference position is desirably the center position of an arc of the fillet surface having the largest diameter on the central longitudinal cross-section of the object.

Abstract: A method for estimating the temperature of the fuel entering a turbomachine injector, the turbomachine including engine spaces and an oil/fuel exchanger upstream of the injector, the engine spaces and the oil/fuel exchanger having oil passing through them, the oil/fuel exchanger having an efficiency, the engine spaces including a high-pressure spool, the method including (a) measuring the temperature of the oil entering the engine spaces; (b) measuring the rotational speed of the high-pressure spool; (c) calculating the temperature of the fuel leaving the oil/fuel exchanger using the temperature of the oil entering the engine spaces and the rotational speed of the high-pressure spool.

Abstract: Sensor device is provided with body, formed at the interior of which is gas passage into which steam serving as detection target flows; and pressure sensor, which is installed at body so as to be in communication with gas passage and which detects pressure of steam within gas passage. Body has rod-shaped portion having cylindrical inside circumferential surface. Sensor device is provided with sheath pipe (insert) that is formed in the shape of a rod on which helical groove is formed at outside circumferential surface, and that is such that, when inserted within rod-shaped portion of body, helical groove, together with inside circumferential surface of rod-shaped portion, form helically shaped gas passage (helical passage).

Abstract: In a spring body for a force transducer built into a force-transmitting part, a force-input section is provided for receiving a force, a force-output section for transmitting the force, and an elastic deformation body arranged therebetween which couples the force-output section to the force-input section such that the force received by the force-input section is transmitted to the force-output section. The elastic deformation body performs a predetermined elastic deformation movement caused by the force to be transmitted at at least one point. A coding sampling section is provided at the at least one point of the deformation body and which follows deformation movements of the at least one point.

Abstract: A force/torque transducer comprises a first member, a second member for receiving a load, and load cells connecting the first and second members. The load cells include sensors for measuring physical deformation of the load cells. Sensor measurements are convertible into force/torque measurements using a transformation matrix configured with M rows and N columns. M and N are respectively defined by a number of degrees of freedom monitored by the transducer and a number of load cells employed by the transducer, or vice-versa. Each row or column that corresponds to each load cell has values relating to that one load cell. Each row or column that corresponds to each degree of freedom has values relating to that one degree of freedom. A sum of the values in each row or column corresponding to each degree of freedom is substantially equal to zero.

Abstract: A mechanical property tester includes a base, a fixture for fixing the biological soft tissue, a transverse force applying device for applying a transverse force, a vertical force applying device for applying a vertical force, a longitudinal pulling force detector for detecting a longitudinal force, a displacement detecting unit for detecting the displacement of the fixture, an acquisition device and a computer. The transverse force applying device includes a transverse pulling force detector for detecting the transverse force. The vertical force applying device includes a vertical pulling force detector for detecting the vertical force. The acquisition device is used for collecting the longitudinal force, transverse force, vertical force and the displacement. The computer is connected with the acquisition device to analyze the longitudinal force, transverse force, vertical force, and the displacement.

Abstract: An elastic section 13 is configured by a first elastic section 13a that has one end connected to an outer circumferential surface of an inner circumferential section 12, and the other end connected to an inner circumferential surface of an outer circumferential section 11, and a second elastic section 13b that is symmetrical to the first elastic section 13a about a line that passes through a center point P1 of the inner circumferential section 12 and a connection point P2 of the inner circumferential section 12 and the first elastic section 13a. When the outer circumferential section 11 and the inner circumferential section 12 relatively rotate, the first elastic section 13a and the second elastic section 13b are elastically deformed in such a manner that one is compressed and the other is stretched.

Abstract: The present invention aims to apply a vertical load to a specimen with high precision even if the specimen shifts horizontally. A load application device includes: a hydraulic actuator which applies a load to a specimen; a support structural body which supports the hydraulic actuator along a vertical direction; a horizontal guide surface which guides the support structural body along a horizontal direction; and a bearing which is interposed between the support structural body and the horizontal guide surface and bears the support structural body so as to be horizontally shiftable relative to the horizontal guide surface. This bearing includes a plurality of spherical bodies supported so as to be independently rollable, and the plurality of spherical bodies are held in contact with the support structural body or the horizontal guide surface.

Abstract: A mechanical force measurement system is for measuring a force onto an object. The measurement system includes a sound wave generator which is adapted to generate a solid borne sound wave signal within the object. The system further includes a first sound wave receiver which receives a first solid borne sound wave signal based on the solid borne sound wave signal generated within the object by the sound wave generator. In order to compare a phase of the generated solid borne sound wave signal and a phase of the first received solid borne sound wave signal, and to generate a comparison signal based thereon. The system also includes a comparator unit. An evaluation unit of the system determines the mechanical force based on a data base and the comparison signal. The data base has stored a relation of a mechanical force and a comparison.

Abstract: A device for testing a vehicle includes at least one sound recording device, which is designed for recording the sound emitted by a vehicle to be tested, and an evaluation device, which is designed for evaluating the sound recorded by the at least one sound recording device. The device may include at least one image recording device, which is designed for recording at least one image of the vehicle to be tested, and a display device which is designed for representing the source(s) of the recorded sound in at least one image of the vehicle to be tested.

Abstract: A method and a system for introducing a sample into a mobile phase of a chromatography system is provided. The method includes initially directing the mobile phase directly into a separation unit of the chromatography system, bypassing a sample loop, the mobile phase including a combined solvent, metered from a pressurized first solvent and a second solvent; loading the sample into the sample loop, while the mobile phase continues to be directed directly into the separation unit; pressurizing the sample in the sample loop with the pressurized first solvent, while the mobile phase continues to be directed directly into the separation unit; and switching the sample loop into the mobile phase, thereby introducing the pressurized sample to the separation unit.

Abstract: A force sensing compliant enclosure for an electronic device may include at least one deformable housing wall. At least one strain concentration portion may be located on the deformable housing wall where strain caused by application of a force that deforms the deformable housing wall is greater than at other portions of the deformable housing wall. The strain concentrating portion may have a second thickness that is thinner than other portions of the deformable housing wall. One or more sensors may be positioned in the strain concentration portion and may sense strain caused by the application of the force that deforms the deformable housing wall.

Abstract: A pressure testing unit for pressure testing equipment including a test cell having first and second side walls, a cell frame, a lid pivotally mounted on the first side wall, a first tie rod disposed through the cell frame, a second tie rod disposed through the cell frame, a first impact plate removably secured to proximal ends of the first and second side walls and proximal ends of the first and second tie rods, and a second impact plate removably secured to distal ends of the first and second side walls and distal ends of the first and second tie rods. The test cell may be lengthened by attaching a second test cell thereto. One of the impact plates may be removed from the test cell, and receptacles on the test cell may be connected to receptacles on the second test cell.

Abstract: A pressure sensor is provided which produces a measurement of the displacement and a measurement of a natural frequency of the diaphragm which are then combined to produce a compensated measurement of the displacement of the diaphragm, thereby substantially eliminating the dependence of the compensated displacement measurement on strain.

Abstract: A non-invasive method for estimation of strain profile and dynamic evolution of the strain at a location interposed inside a block of soft material, includes forming a tracer grid consisting of microscopic lines or regularly spaced microscopic dots on a single plane buried inside the soft block; preparation of a deformable object embedded with the tracer grid in three primary steps: i. preparing a block of crosslinked material by crosslinking a first predetermined quantity of a pre-polymer solution containing a monomer, a crosslinking agent, and an initiator and promoter all mixed in a solvent at a known stoichiometric weight ratio; ii. transferring a grid comprising of lines or dots onto the face by direct writing or transferring from an easy release surface; and iii. crosslinking a second predetermined quantity of the same pre-polymer solution on the gel surface, such that this second crosslinked material gets welded to the first one.