Abstract: Soft support systems and methods for dynamically testing structures are disclosed. In one embodiment, a soft support system adapted to decouple a structure from a support surface for dynamic testing includes a containment bag, an inflatable chamber disposed at least partially within the containment bag and adapted to engage with a portion of the structure, the inflatable chamber being further adapted to exert a lifting force on the portion of the structure during inflation of the inflatable chamber, and an inflator module coupled to the inflatable chamber and adapted to facilitate inflation of the inflatable chamber within the containment bag. In one embodiment, the inflatable chamber comprises a toroidally-shaped inflatable member defining a central opening adapted to at least partially receive a portion of the structure during inflation of the inflatable chamber.

Abstract: A damped structural panel is provided. The damped structural panel comprises a base layer, having a rear surface and a front surface; wherein a viscous fluid is applied on the rear surface of the base layer; and a rigid supporting layer is secured to the base layer over the viscous fluid.

Abstract: An apparatus, systems, and methods for measuring an amount of oil in a flow of fluid are provided. A housing defines an interior passage configured to pass a flow of fluid. A capacitance sensor, which suitably is a pair of insulated electrodes, is configured to respond to a capacitance of the flow of fluid is disposed within the interior passage of the housing. The capacitance sensor is coupled to conductors through which a first analog signal is generated. These conductors can be engaged to measure the capacitance of the flow of fluid. A conductance sensor configured to measure conductance of the flow of fluid also is disposed on the interior passage of the housing and generates a conductance signal as a second analog signal. The first and second analog signals can be used to assess the relative percentages of oil and water in the flow of fluid.

Abstract: An apparatus, systems, and methods for measuring an amount of oil in a flow of fluid are provided. A housing defines an interior passage configured to pass a flow of fluid, and the housing has a receiving end coupled with an output of a source of the flow of fluid and an output end coupled with a fluid destination. A magnetic source is disposed inside the interior passage and the magnetic source is positioned such that a magnetic field induces an electric current in a conductive portion of the flow of fluid as the flow of fluid passes through the housing. A detector is disposed inside the interior passage between the magnetic source and the output end of the housing and the detector is configured to respond to the electric current induced and generate a signal representative of the amount of oil in the flow of fluid.

Abstract: An apparatus, systems, and method for measuring an amount of oil in a flow of fluid at varying depths of the flow of fluid are provided. A support structure is configured to be submerged in a flow of fluid and to support a plurality of sensors. A plurality of sensor arrays is disposed on the support structure with each of the sensor arrays being disposed at positions corresponding to varying depths of the flow of fluid and being configured to measure properties of a localized flow of fluid. Each of the sensor arrays includes a capacitance sensor being configured to respond to a localized capacitance of the localized flow of fluid adjacent to the capacitance sensor. Each of the sensor arrays also includes a conductance sensor configured to measure a localized conductance of the localized flow of fluid.