Abstract: Method and apparatus for determining the deflection or curvature of a rotating blade, such as a wind turbine blade or a helicopter blade. Also, methods and apparatus for establishing an inertial reference system on a rotating blade.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for the detection of irregularities in a thin film by measurement of transient thermal response.

Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for determining one or more performance related characteristics (such as state of charge and/or health) of one or more electrochemical cells that store and release electrical energy are disclosed. Embodiments include pressure and/or temperature sensors that sense a change in pressure resulting from the tendency of the electrochemical cell to change volume and/or the temperature of the one or more electrochemical cells as the electrochemical cell(s) are charged or discharged. Alternate embodiments include one or more calculating members that receive pressure and/or temperature information from the pressure and/or temperature sensing members and calculate a performance related characteristic of the electrochemical cell.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for identifying the location of the load on a structure. Various embodiments include calculating a plurality of potential loading sites, assessing the statistical order of each of those predictions, and selecting regions of the structure where the load most likely occurred based on the orderliness (or randomness) of the assessments.

Abstract: Apparatuses and methods are disclosed for determining whether a structure of bonded layers includes locations where the layers are weakly bonded. Embodiments include evaluating the frequency response of the structure in response to vibrational inputs. Alternate embodiments include evaluating the non-linear response of the structure using a modal analysis. Further embodiments include obtaining the vibrational information with an accelerometer contacting the structure, while additional embodiments include exciting the structure with an impact force, which may be applied at multiple locations on the structure's surface. Still further embodiments include performing a MAC, COMAC, and/or FRF analysis. Still other embodiments include varying the amplitude of the input vibration. Additional embodiments locate the areas of weakened bonding. Still other embodiments include methods and apparatuses for simulating a laminated structure with defective bonding, such as kiss bonding.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for the detection of irregularities in a thin film by measurement of transient thermal response.

Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for determining one or more performance related characteristics (such as state of charge and/or health) of one or more electrochemical cells that store and release electrical energy are disclosed. Embodiments include pressure and/or temperature sensors that sense a change in pressure resulting from the tendency of the electrochemical cell to change volume and/or the temperature of the one or more electrochemical cells as the electrochemical cell(s) are charged or discharged. Alternate embodiments include one or more calculating members that receive pressure and/or temperature information from the pressure and/or temperature sensing members and calculate a performance related characteristic of the electrochemical cell.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for exciting a structure and determining its structural integrity. In particular, methods of nonlinear analysis are used to compare first and second response datasets, each dataset resulting from a different excitation amplitude that the other dataset.

Abstract: Apparatuses and methods are disclosed for determining whether a structure of bonded layers includes locations where the layers are weakly bonded. Embodiments include evaluating the frequency response of the structure in response to vibrational inputs. Alternate embodiments include evaluating the non-linear response of the structure using a modal analysis. Further embodiments include obtaining the vibrational information with an accelerometer contacting the structure, while additional embodiments include exciting the structure with an impact force, which may be applied at multiple locations on the structure's surface. Still further embodiments include performing a MAC, COMAC, and/or FRF analysis. Still other embodiments include varying the amplitude of the input vibration. Additional embodiments locate the areas of weakened bonding. Still other embodiments include methods and apparatuses for simulating a laminated structure with defective bonding, such as kiss bonding.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for diagnosing the condition of a vehicle. Some embodiments include providing an input to a vehicle suspension similar to an impact, and then measuring the response of the vehicle as it drives over an instrumented member. The motion of the instrumented member is recorded and corrected, and in some embodiments a fault index is calculated. The fault index can be displayed to a user to indicate a maintenance condition of the vehicles, such as a worn or broken component.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for control and monitoring of wind turbines. Various embodiments pertain to the operational analysis of vibratory modes of the blades of the wind turbine. This real time analysis of blade modal response can be used as feedback in a control system to change the yaw angle of the hub and nacelle to capture higher power from the wind stream, change the pitch on one or more blades to reduce uneven blade loading, to identify damage to a blade, and further to identify the accumulation of ice on a blade.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for determining the charge of a battery are disclosed. Embodiments include determining the charge in batteries that exhibit mass diffusion during charging or discharging, such as by evaluating the response of the battery to vibration. Alternate embodiments include evaluating the amplitude response of the battery and the phase shift response of the battery. Still other embodiment include evaluating the H11 response of the battery to vibration. Further embodiment include vibrating the battery, for example, with a chirp frequency that may be in the acoustic range. Still further embodiments include performing a Fourier analysis of the battery response to vibration.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for identifying the location of the load on a structure. Various embodiments include calculating a plurality of potential loading sites, assessing the statistical order of each of those predictions, and selecting regions of the structure where the load most likely occurred based on the orderliness (or randomness) of the assessments.

Abstract: Structural health monitoring systems can be limited to a minimum number of sensors due to cost, complexity, and weight restrictions. Some embodiments described herein pertain to a load and damage identification techniques that utilize one sensor. Several passive force estimation techniques are presented. Some techniques use either the shape or the amplitude of the magnitude of the applied force in the frequency domain. Several techniques iteratively reduce an underdetermined set of equations of motion into many overdetermined systems of equations to solve for the force estimates. The techniques are shown to locate and quantify impulsive impacts with over 97% accuracy and non-impulsive impacts with at least 87% accuracy. Impacts not acting at a specific input degree of freedom are also accurately located depending on the distance away from the modeled input degrees of freedom, and damaging impact forces are quantified by making assumptions about the impulsive nature of the applied force.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for exciting a structure and determining its structural integrity. In particular, methods of nonlinear analysis are used to compare first and second response datasets, each dataset resulting from a different excitation amplitude that the other dataset.

Abstract: A rubber cleat is instrumented with two triaxial accelerometers to measure the multi-directional response of the cleat due to the forces within the tire footprint of a ground vehicle. The cleat data is used to detect faults in the front and rear suspension in addition to the wheel tire despite variability in the data. This offboard diagnostic technique is proposed to enable condition-based maintenance.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for determining the deflection or curvature of a rotating blade, such as a wind turbine blade or a helicopter blade. Also, methods and apparatus for establishing an inertial reference system on a rotating blade.

Abstract: A multi-cylinder reciprocating compressor includes a cylinder block provided with a plurality of pistons each for performing a working fluid suction stroke and a working fluid compression/discharge stroke, and a cylinder head arranged adjacent to the cylinder block. The cylinder head defines therein a discharge chamber and an annular suction chamber surrounding the discharge chamber and has a plurality of cross walls arranged at intervals in a circumferential direction thereof. The cross walls reduce the cross-sectional flow area of the suction chamber.

Abstract: The present invention includes a method and system using dynamic pressure measurements for determining a presence, location, and size of a leak in a chamber of a body. The method includes sealing a plurality of ports of the chamber, pressurizing the chamber with a fluid, measuring a dynamic pressure at each of the plurality of ports, and analyzing the dynamic pressure measured at each of the plurality of ports to determine a presence, location, and/or size of the leak. The location of the leak can be determined by analyzing magnitude and/or phase values from a generated frequency response function matrix, interpolating between two of the plurality of ports, triangulating between three of the plurality of ports, and/or analyzing a rate and profile at which the pressure decays at each of the plurality of ports to determine the location of the leak.

Abstract: A multi-cylinder compressor includes a valve plate having a plurality of cylinder suction ports formed therethrough, and a plurality of cylinder bores centered on an arc having a radius (R). The cylinder bores are substantially equally spaced from each other, and have a diameter (D). The compressor also includes a suction chamber having a substantially annular shape and adapted to be in fluid communication with each of the cylinder bores via the suction ports. Moreover, a center of a first of the suction ports is radially offset in a predetermined direction from a center of a predetermined suction port by a first angle, in which the predetermined suction port has a diameter (d), and the first angle equals {[(360°/N)·([N?1]?n)]+X°}.