Abstract: A dual frequency ultrasonic and sonic actuator with constrained impact mass is presented. According to one aspect, displacement of the impact mass is constrained by cavity to which ultrasonic stress from the tip of a horn is applied. According to another aspect, the displacement of the impact mass is constrained by a spring attached to the tip of the horn. According to another aspect, the displacement of the impact mass is constrained by a flexure. The constrained impact mass converts the ultrasonic stress to lower frequency sonic stress that is coupled to a transmitting element for transmission through a surface. According to one aspect, the transmitting element is a longitudinal probe. According to another aspect, the transmitting element is a drill bit used to penetrate though the surface. According to another aspect, the transmitting element is a thumper used to transmit elastic waves though the surface.

Abstract: An ultrasonic actuator with increased radiating surface is presented. The increased radiating surface is provided by a plurality of piezoelectric stacks that are each compressed by action of a respective bolt against a common backing structure of the actuator. According to one aspect, each of the stacks includes a plurality of stacked piezoelectric rings with the respective bolt arranged through the central opening of the rings. According to another aspect, one or both of the backing structure and the horn of the actuator include tuning grooves and/or tuning slots to produce amplitude uniformity of displacement through the actuator. According to another aspect, the radiating surface has a symmetrical shape about an axial direction of the actuator with a lateral dimension that is in a range between one quarter and one half of the wavelength of operation of the actuator.

Abstract: An ultrasonic actuator with increased radiating surface is presented. The increased radiating surface is provided by a plurality of piezoelectric stacks that are each compressed by action of a respective bolt against a common backing structure of the actuator. According to one aspect, each of the stacks includes a plurality of stacked piezoelectric rings with the respective bolt arranged through the central opening of the rings. According to another aspect, one or both of the backing structure and the horn of the actuator include tuning grooves and/or tuning slots to produce amplitude uniformity of displacement through the actuator. According to another aspect, the radiating surface has a symmetrical shape about an axial direction of the actuator with a lateral dimension that is in a range between one quarter and one half of the wavelength of operation of the actuator.

Abstract: The invention is intended to protect football players, race car drivers and others. An apparatus that dampens impacts and prevents rapid movement of user's head protected by helmets. Two embodiments are disclosed using piston configuration. In one embodiment, the piston is moving inside a housing filled with a viscoelastic fluid and the other is a locking piston dampener mechanism.

Abstract: A high temperature ultrasonic probe and a mounting fixture for attaching and aligning the probe to a steam pipe using blind alignment. The high temperature ultrasonic probe includes a piezoelectric transducer having a high temperature. The probe provides both transmitting and receiving functionality. The mounting fixture allows the high temperature ultrasonic probe to be accurately aligned to the bottom external surface of the steam pipe so that the presence of liquid water in the steam pipe can be monitored. The mounting fixture with a mounted high temperature ultrasonic probe are used to conduct health monitoring of steam pipes and to track the height of condensed water through the wall in real-time.

Abstract: A multi-probe system for real-time measurement of a fluid level in a pipe with steady-state and turbulent flow conditions is presented. The multi-probe system includes a plurality of multiplexed transducers attached in a non-destructive fashion to walls of the pipe. Multiplexing of the transducers activate and deactivate the transducers in sequence to generate independent pairs of transmit and receive wave signals through the pipe. Each transmit and receive signal pair can be used to independently establish a time-of-flight from the transducer and back to the transducer as reflected by a surface of the fluid. The transducers can be arranged as longitudinal and/or circumferential arrays on the walls of the pipe. An algorithm that determines the time-of-flight eliminates received signals having an energy level lower than or equal to a predefined minimum energy level and eliminates any time-of-flight that is shorter than a minimum threshold time.

Abstract: The invention is intended to protect football players, race car drivers and others. An apparatus that dampens impacts and prevents rapid movement of user's head protected by helmets. Two embodiments are disclosed using piston configuration. In one embodiment, the piston is moving inside a housing filled with a viscoelastic fluid and the other is a locking piston dampener mechanism.

Abstract: A valve that allows control of each of one or more flow paths using one actuator is presented. Rotary motion of a motor is transformed into linear motion using a roller screw mechanism. The travel of the roller screw nut is predefined between front and back hard stops that prevent the roller screw from rotating when the stops are reached. A poppet is attached to the nut using a flexible connection. The nut drives a sleeve with inclined surfaces that moves relative to a locking flexure. When the sleeve is driven, it deforms flanges of the locking flexure causing a cantilever end finger of the flexure to move radially and prevent the poppet from being pushed back. If the sleeve is moved farther, a groove on the sleeve engages notches on the fingers creating a detent that prevents the spring to push the sleeve back.

Abstract: A dual frequency ultrasonic and sonic actuator with constrained impact mass is presented. According to one aspect, displacement of the impact mass is constrained by cavity to which ultrasonic stress from the tip of a horn is applied. According to another aspect, the displacement of the impact mass is constrained by a spring attached to the tip of the horn. According to another aspect, the displacement of the impact mass is constrained by a flexure. The constrained impact mass converts the ultrasonic stress to lower frequency sonic stress that is coupled to a transmitting element for transmission through a surface. According to one aspect, the transmitting element is a longitudinal probe. According to another aspect, the transmitting element is a drill bit used to penetrate though the surface. According to another aspect, the transmitting element is a thumper used to transmit elastic waves though the surface.

Abstract: An arterial blockage percussive drill having a guiding sleeve, a drilling wire slidably coupled to the guiding sleeve and a percussive actuator coupled to the drilling wire to longitudinally oscillate the drilling wire into an arterial blockage.

Abstract: A multi-probe system for real-time measurement of a fluid level in a pipe with steady-state and turbulent flow conditions is presented. The multi-probe system includes a plurality of multiplexed transducers attached in a non-destructive fashion to walls of the pipe. Multiplexing of the transducers activate and deactivate the transducers in sequence to generate independent pairs of transmit and receive wave signals through the pipe. Each transmit and receive signal pair can be used to independently establish a time-of-flight from the transducer and back to the transducer as reflected by a surface of the fluid. The transducers can be arranged as longitudinal and/or circumferential arrays on the walls of the pipe. An algorithm that determines the time-of-flight eliminates received signals having an energy level lower than or equal to a predefined minimum energy level and eliminates any time-of-flight that is shorter than a minimum threshold time.

Abstract: A BiBlade sampler may include a first blade and a second blade in a retracted position. The BiBlade sampler may also include a gripper, which is driven by an actuator. The gripper may include a plurality of fingers to force the first blade and the second blade to remain in a retracted position. When the fingers are unhooked, the first blade and the second blade penetrate a surface of an object.

Abstract: A flow control valve for use in oil well bore holes. The flow control valve includes a plurality of flow paths connected in parallel. The flow control valve operates by successively opening different flow paths, starting with a flow path that requires a reduced force to operate its inlet valve. The flow rate through the flow control valve is controlled by opening and closing different ones of the plurality of flow paths individually or in combination. A flow path that allows fluid to flow at substantially the full flow rate of the valve is provided as one of the parallel paths. A simple mechanical design using poppet valves and at least one cam is described.

Abstract: A valve that allows control of each of one or more flow paths using one actuator is presented. Rotary motion of a motor is transformed into linear motion using a roller screw mechanism. The travel of the roller screw nut is predefined between front and back hard stops that prevent the roller screw from rotating when the stops are reached. A poppet is attached to the nut using a flexible connection where a spring is compressed. The nut also drives a sleeve with inclined surfaces that moves relative to a locking flexure. When the sleeve is driven by the nut toward closing the valve, the sleeve deforms flanges of the locking flexure causing a cantilever end finger of the flexure to move radially and prevent the poppet from being pushed back. If the sleeve is moved farther in the direction of valve closing, a groove on the sleeve engages notches on the fingers creating a detent that prevents the spring to push the sleeve back.

Abstract: An arterial blockage percussive drill having a guiding sleeve, a drilling wire slidably coupled to the guiding sleeve and a percussive actuator coupled to the drilling wire to longitudinally oscillate the drilling wire into an arterial blockage.

Abstract: A high temperature ultrasonic probe and a mounting fixture for attaching and aligning the probe to a steam pipe using blind alignment. The high temperature ultrasonic probe includes a piezoelectric transducer having a high temperature. The probe provides both transmitting and receiving functionality. The mounting fixture allows the high temperature ultrasonic probe to be accurately aligned to the bottom external surface of the steam pipe so that the presence of liquid water in the steam pipe can be monitored. The mounting fixture with a mounted high temperature ultrasonic probe are used to conduct health monitoring of steam pipes and to track the height of condensed water through the wall in real-time.

Abstract: Apparatus, systems and methods for implementing flow cages and flow cage assemblies in association with high pressure fluid flows and fluid valves are provided. Flow cages and flow assemblies are provided to dissipate the energy of a fluid flow, such as by reducing fluid flow pressure and/or fluid flow velocity. In some embodiments the dissipation of the fluid flow energy is adapted to reduce erosion, such as from high-pressure jet flows, to reduce cavitation, such as by controllably increasing the flow area, and/or to reduce valve noise associated with pressure surge.

Abstract: A high temperature ultrasonic probe and a mounting fixture for attaching and aligning the probe to a steam pipe using blind alignment. The high temperature ultrasonic probe includes a piezoelectric transducer having a high temperature. The probe provides both transmitting and receiving functionality. The mounting fixture allows the high temperature ultrasonic probe to be accurately aligned to the bottom external surface of the steam pipe so that the presence of liquid water in the steam pipe can be monitored. The mounting fixture with a mounted high temperature ultrasonic probe are used to conduct health monitoring of steam pipes and to track the height of condensed water through the wall in real-time.

Abstract: A monolithic ultrasonic horn where the horn, backing, and pre-stress structures are combined in a single monolithic piece is disclosed. Pre-stress is applied by external flexure structures. The provision of the external flexures has numerous advantages including the elimination of the need for a pre-stress bolt. The removal of the pre-stress bolt eliminates potential internal electric discharge points in the actuator. In addition, it reduces the chances of mechanical failure in the actuator stacks that result from the free surface in the hole of conventional ring stacks. In addition, the removal of the stress bolt and the corresponding reduction in the overall number of parts reduces the overall complexity of the resulting ultrasonic horn actuator and simplifies the ease of the design, fabrication and integration of the actuator of the present invention into other structures.

Abstract: A hydraulic valve controller that uses an existing pressure differential as some or all of the power source for valve operation. In a high pressure environment, such as downhole in an oil or gas well, the pressure differential between the inside of a pipe and the outside of the pipe may be adequately large to drive a linear slide valve. The valve is operated hydraulically by a piston in a bore. When a higher pressure is applied to one end of the bore and a lower pressure to the other end, the piston moves in response to the pressure differential and drives a valve attached to it. If the pressure differential is too small to drive the piston at a sufficiently high speed, a pump is provided to generate a larger pressure differential to be applied. The apparatus is conveniently constructed using multiport valves, which can be rotary valves.