Abstract: The invention comprises a method and apparatus for cleaning a heat exchanger, comprising the steps of: providing the first heat exchanger, the first heat exchanger comprising a set of heat exchange pipes at least partially inserted into the first heat exchanger; inserting a blasting lance in a first pipe of the set of heat exchange pipes, the blasting lance comprising: a front end and a set of ultrasonic sensors; spraying a cleaning fluid forward into the first pipe from a front end of the blasting lance; and emitting a force wave from a first ultrasonic sensor physically directly connected to the blasting lance and optionally sensing an imperfection in a second pipe of the set of heat exchange pipes with the first ultrasonic sensor while the blasting lance is at least partially inserted into the first pipe of the heat exchange pipes.

Abstract: A method for controlling a feedstock blend is described, comprising the steps of: measuring a corrosion of a pipe in a fuel processing facility with a sensor; setting a maximum sulfur content in the feedstock blend based on the corrosion; measuring a build-up of material in the pipe with the sensor; establishing a maximum viscosity of the feedstock blend based on output of the sensor; blending, to form the feedstock blend, a first feedstock and a second feedstock to fulfill both the maximum sulfur content and the maximum viscosity; and passing the feedstock blend through the first pipe.

Abstract: The invention comprises an apparatus and/or a method of use thereof for breaking down a waste product in a plasma, comprising the steps of: inputting the waste product through an input line into a plasma housing, the plasma housing containing the plasma; breaking down the waste product into chemical breakdown products in the plasma; generating, with a first sensor, a first signal related to the chemical breakdown products; and controlling, with a main controller provided the first signal, timing of release of the chemical breakdown products from the plasma housing, such as with the optional steps of: detecting, with a spectrometer emission lines originating within the plasma housing and/or generating, with a residual gas analyzer, a signal related to the chemical breakdown products.

Abstract: The invention comprises an apparatus and method of use thereof for measuring state of a power line grid using sets of sensor arrays mounted to individual poles and/or wires of a grid of power lines. In one embodiment, an apparatus for measuring state of a power line grid comprises: a main controller and a sensor array communicatively linked to the main controller, the sensor array comprising: a first set of sensors attached to a first powerline between first pole members of the set of poles and a second set of sensors positioned within one hundred feet of second pole members of the set of poles, where the sensors comprise an accelerometer, an anemometer, a temperature sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a camera, and/or a light sensor.

Abstract: The invention comprises an apparatus and method of use thereof for measuring state of a shipping center, the shipping center comprising a body of water and a set of bollards positioned in the water, the apparatus comprising: a main controller and a sensor array communicatively linked to the main controller, the sensor array comprising: a set of at least fifty sensor clusters, individual members of the set of at least fifty sensor clusters respectively mounted on a set of at least fifty bollards of the set of bollards, wherein each member of the set of at least fifty bollards comprises separate water surrounded positions in the shipping center, the shipping center comprising a radius of less than one hundred miles, the sensor cluster comprising: an inclinometer, an accelerometer, a water current sensor, a camera, a temperature sensor, and/or an anemometer.

Abstract: The invention comprises a method for sensing state of a heat exchanger, comprising the steps of: providing the heat exchanger, the heat exchanger comprising a set of pipes comprising: (1) a set of heat exchange pipes and (2) a shell, the set of heat exchange pipes at least partially within the shell; providing a heat exchange model; mounting a first ultrasonic transducer in contact with a first pipe of the set of pipes; generating a force wave with the first ultrasonic sensor while in contact with the first pipe, the force wave interacting with a third pipe of the set of pipes; detecting the force wave as signals after interaction with an imperfection in the third pipe; and at least one of the steps of training and/or receiving output from the heat exchange state model with the signals.

Abstract: The invention comprises a method and apparatus for generating a plasma, comprising: (1) receiving a microwave from a co-axial cable, with a first impedance, into an electron cyclotron resonance source, the electron cyclotron resonance source comprising: a housing containing a first transform material and a transmission section; (2) passing the microwave through the first transform material with a second impedance; (3) coupling the microwave into the transmission section of the electron cyclotron resonance source, the transmission section comprising a third impedance, the transmission section comprising a first dielectric gap positioned between an inner conductor and an outer conductor; (4) generating a magnetic field with a set of magnets; and (5) accelerating cyclotron resonant electrons circulating about the magnet field with the microwave, such as where the first transform material has a thickness of one-quarter of a wavelength of the microwave.

Abstract: The invention comprises a method and apparatus for sensing state of a heat exchanger, comprising the steps of: providing the heat exchanger, the heat exchanger comprising a set of heat exchange pipes at least partially inserted into a housing of the heat exchanger; providing a heat exchange state model; detecting first signals passing through a first portion of the heat exchanger with a first ultrasonic sensor; detecting second signals passing through a second portion of the heat exchanger with a second ultrasonic sensor; and at least one of the steps of: (1) training the heat exchange state model with the first signals and the second signals; and (2) receiving output from the heat exchange state model, the heat exchanger state model previously trained with the first signals and the second signals.

Abstract: The invention comprises a method and apparatus for cleaning a heat exchanger, comprising the steps of: providing the first heat exchanger, the first heat exchanger comprising a set of heat exchange pipes at least partially inserted into the first heat exchanger; inserting a blasting lance in a first pipe of the set of heat exchange pipes, the blasting lance comprising: a front end and a set of ultrasonic sensors; spraying a cleaning fluid forward into the first pipe from a front end of the blasting lance; and emitting a force wave from a first ultrasonic sensor physically directly connected to the blasting lance and optionally sensing an imperfection in a second pipe of the set of heat exchange pipes with the first ultrasonic sensor while the blasting lance is at least partially inserted into the first pipe of the heat exchange pipes.

Abstract: The invention comprises an apparatus and method of use thereof for measuring state of a pipeline grid using sets of sensor arrays mounted to sections of the pipeline. Data from the sensors is collected and used to determine state of the pipeline grid as a function of time and/or location.