Resonance, Frequency, Or Amplitude Study Patents (Class 73/579)
-
Publication number: 20110138916Abstract: A piezoelectric cantilever sensor includes a piezoelectric layer and a non-piezoelectric layer, a portion of which is attached to the piezoelectric layer. In one embodiment, one end of the non-piezoelectric layer extends beyond the end of piezoelectric layer to provide an overhang. The overhang piezoelectric cantilever sensor enables increased sensitivity allowing application of the device in more viscous environments, such as liquid media, as well as application in liquid media at higher flow rates than conventional piezoelectric cantilevers. In another embodiment, the sensor includes first and second bases and at least one of the piezoelectric layer and the non-piezoelectric layer is affixed to each of the first and second bases to form the piezoelectric cantilever sensor. In this embodiment, the sensor is robust and exhibits excellent sensing characteristics in both gaseous and liquid media, even when subjected to relatively high flow rates.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 25, 2011Publication date: June 16, 2011Applicant: DREXEL UNIVERSITYInventors: Rajakkannu Mutharasan, David Maraldo, Gossett Augustus Campbell, Kishan Rijal
-
Publication number: 20110144929Abstract: The invention provides a torsional resonance frequency measuring device and method applicable to a large-scale power generating equipment or a traction motor equipment with a rotating shaft, such as a large power grid-tied wind turbine. The invention is characterized by employing a machine-side converter existing in the grid-tied wind turbine to output direct currents to a three-phase PMSG (permanent magnet synchronous generator), such that a pulse torque is generated to mechanically excite a rotor of the three-phase PMSG. Afterwards, a control circuit of the machine-side converter acquires back electromotive force generated by the mechanically excited rotor so as to calculate the torsional resonance frequency of the overall drive-chain system according to the frequency spectrum of the back electromotive force.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 11, 2010Publication date: June 16, 2011Applicant: INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTEInventors: Zen-Jey GUEY, Yun-Yuan Chang
-
Patent number: 7958783Abstract: Device and method for recording vibrations transmitted from a vehicle to a person. The person is using a cushioned and preferably sprung vehicle seat of a vehicle by way of at least one detector unit for detecting vibration values, whereby the detector unit is arranged on the vehicle seat frame or an associated component and an analysis unit for analyzing the vibration values detected calculates vibration results for the vibration acting on the person using a preset transmission function.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2008Date of Patent: June 14, 2011Assignee: Grammer AGInventors: Volkhart Meyder, Ing Steffen Pankoke, Dieter Müller
-
Patent number: 7958788Abstract: A force sensor (10) is forced from a vibrating beam (11), an excitation piezoelectric device (12) to cause a vibration in the beam at its resonate frequency and a measurement piezoelectric device (12) to measure the frequencies being indication of the force applied to the beam (11). The excitation and measurement piezoelectric devices (12) are attached to the beam adjacent to each other at one end of the beam (11).Type: GrantFiled: August 25, 2006Date of Patent: June 14, 2011Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.Inventor: Michael William Ford
-
Patent number: 7946168Abstract: Acoustic volume indicators for determining liquid or gas volume within a container comprise a contactor to vibrate a container wall, a detector to receive vibration data from the container wall, a processor to convert vibration data to frequency information and compare the frequency information to characteristic container frequency vs. volume data to obtain the measured volume, and an indicator for displaying the measured volume. The processor may comprise a microprocessor disposed within a housing having lights that each represent a particular volume. The microprocessor is calibrated to provide an output signal to a light that indicates the container volume. The processor may comprise a computer and computer program that converts the data to frequency information, analyzes the frequency information to identify a peak frequency, compares the peak frequency to the characteristic frequency vs. volume data to determine the measured volume, and displays the measured volume on a video monitor.Type: GrantFiled: August 25, 2009Date of Patent: May 24, 2011Assignee: Young Engineering & Manufacturing Inc.Inventors: Winston B. Young, Huey Wai
-
Patent number: 7946177Abstract: A method of detecting a deviation angle in a single-crystal metal structure is disclosed. The single-crystal metal structure has a crystallographic orientation, a length, a first side, a second side, and a first axis extending through the structure. The method comprises determining the length of the single-crystal metal structure along the first axis, transmitting a signal through the single-crystal metal structure from the first side, the signal oriented to propagate along the first axis, receiving the signal, determining a time-of-flight for the signal to traverse the length from the first side to the second side, determining a speed of the signal based on the time-of-flight and the length, and comparing the speed of the signal to a reference speed to detect the deviation angle.Type: GrantFiled: November 24, 2008Date of Patent: May 24, 2011Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.Inventors: Harry Lester Kington, Surendra Singh, Mark C. Morris
-
Patent number: 7942056Abstract: A piezoelectric cantilever sensor includes a piezoelectric layer and a non-piezoelectric layer, a portion of which is attached to the piezoelectric layer. In one embodiment, one end of the non-piezoelectric layer extends beyond the end of piezoelectric layer to provide an overhang. The overhang piezoelectric cantilever sensor enables increased sensitivity allowing application of the device in more viscous environments, such as liquid media, as well as application in liquid media at higher flow rates than conventional piezoelectric cantilevers. In another embodiment, the sensor includes first and second bases and at least one of the piezoelectric layer and the non-piezoelectric layer is affixed to each of the first and second bases to form the piezoelectric cantilever sensor. In this embodiment, the sensor is robust and exhibits excellent sensing characteristics in both gaseous and liquid media, even when subjected to relatively high flow rates.Type: GrantFiled: January 23, 2007Date of Patent: May 17, 2011Assignee: Drexel UniversityInventors: Rajakkannu Mutharasan, David Maraldo, Gossett Augustus Campbell, Kishan Rijal
-
Patent number: 7944367Abstract: A system includes a comparator that triggers a signal indicating an event occurrence of a moving element of a machine that is sensed by a sensor. The signal is triggered in response to a raw signal from the sensor exceeding a trigger level. Logic calculates a hold off time for re-triggering of the signal, and a timer monitors expiration of the hold off time. A trigger screener monitors amplitude of the raw signal and accepts a triggering of the signal from the comparator in response to expiration of the hold off time and the raw signal exceeding a re-trigger level.Type: GrantFiled: October 7, 2008Date of Patent: May 17, 2011Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventor: Matthew Allen Nelson
-
Patent number: 7939343Abstract: A method for determining a concentration of a contaminant in a first sample, the method including producing the first sample, including adding a plurality of immuno-beads to a test substance; exposing a crystal microbalance immunosensor to the first sample; determining a change in a first motional resistance of the crystal microbalance immunosensor following exposure to the first sample (?R1); and determining the concentration of the contaminant in the first sample according to ?R1.Type: GrantFiled: September 24, 2007Date of Patent: May 10, 2011Assignee: Board of Trustees of the University of ArkansasInventors: Yanbin Li, Xiao-Li Su
-
Publication number: 20110102162Abstract: A system that generates a haptic effect generates a drive cycle signal that includes a drive period and a monitoring period. The drive period includes a plurality of drive pulses that are based on the haptic effect. The system applies the drive pulses to a resonant actuator during the drive period and receives a signal from the resonant actuator that corresponds to the position of a mass in the actuator during the monitoring period.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 29, 2010Publication date: May 5, 2011Applicant: IMMERSION CORPORATIONInventors: Pedro GREGORIO, Danny A. GRANT, Patrice FAVREAU, Eric MEUNIER
-
Patent number: 7935191Abstract: The techniques described herein are directed to removing material that has attached to or preventing material from attaching to the surface of a piezoelectric cantilever. The material can be a target material, other, non-target, material that may be weakly bound or attached to the cantilever sensor, or the material may be a combination thereof. Accordingly, the cantilever sensor can be reused, in situ, without degraded detection performance of the cantilever sensor. The techniques may also be utilized to remove all material that has attached to a surface of the cantilever sensor which provides means for reusing the cantilever sensor.Type: GrantFiled: August 9, 2007Date of Patent: May 3, 2011Assignee: Drexel UniversityInventors: Rajakkannu Mutharasan, David R. Maraldo, Kishan Rijal, Gossett Augustus Campbell
-
Patent number: 7936110Abstract: Circularly polarized resonant structures are obtained utilizing piezoelectric resonators made of materials and orientations selected in accordance with the teaching provided herewith. Further provided are radially polarized structures. Furthermore, the utilization of such resonators and structures as sensors, for frequency control application, for signal filtering, and the like, is also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2009Date of Patent: May 3, 2011Assignee: Delaware Capital Formation, Inc.Inventors: Jeffrey C Andle, Daniel Scott Stevens, Reichl B Haskell
-
Patent number: 7930940Abstract: An ultrasonic transducer incorporated into an ultrasonic inspection apparatus for examining existence of defect in a sample dipped in water comprises a transducer main part having an oscillator which projects an ultrasonic wave to the sample, receives the reflected wave from the sample and outputs the received reflected wave as an echo signal, a transmitter substrate producing a drive pulse for emitting the ultrasonic wave to the oscillator, a receiver substrate for amplifying the echo signal, a housing for containing therein both substrates electrically connected, and connecting member for electrically connecting between a signal input/output terminal and the side of the oscillator in the transducer main part, wherein, when a maximum operational frequency of the ultrasonic wave emitted from the oscillator is referred to as fmax [MHz], the connecting member is set at a length of 100/fmax [cm] or less.Type: GrantFiled: January 15, 2008Date of Patent: April 26, 2011Assignee: Toray Engineering Co., Ltd.Inventors: Akira Onodera, Yasunori Aoyama
-
Publication number: 20110088471Abstract: A new analytical technique, instrument and method of testing a material utilising same is provided. The method of analysing a test material comprises the steps of (vii) inducing an acoustic emission from a vessel containing a solvent and measuring said emissions; (viii) dissolving a known amount of the test material in the solvent; measuring changes in resonance and absorbance frequencies before and after dissolution to produce a broadband acoustic resonant dissolution emission profile.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 21, 2009Publication date: April 21, 2011Inventor: Dara Fitzpatrick
-
Publication number: 20110072901Abstract: The device for detecting elements in a fluidic medium comprises at least one acoustic resonator having a surface intended for fixing the elements. The resonator includes means for generating and measuring Lamb waves, favouring the generation of symmetrical Lamb waves. The device analyses the resonant frequency of the resonator in order to determine the variation in the resonant frequency of the symmetrical Lamb waves representative of the presence of the elements.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 14, 2009Publication date: March 31, 2011Applicant: Commissariat A L'Energie Atomique Et Aux Energies AlternativesInventors: Emmanuel Defay, Marc Aid, Pierre-Patrick Lassagne, Nicolas Sarrut-Rio
-
Publication number: 20110072902Abstract: In a method of estimating one of mechanical supporting states of a housing for an electronic apparatus, a drive signal is supplied to an oscillation device from which first oscillation is applied to the housing. A sensor detects a second oscillation transferred through the housing in response to the first oscillation to generate an oscillation signal, and a measurement response characteristic is obtained based on the drive signal and the oscillation signal, and is compared with reference response characteristics which are correlated with the mechanical supporting states, respectively, to estimate one of the mechanical supporting states of the housing.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 7, 2010Publication date: March 31, 2011Inventors: Minoru Mukai, Takahiro Omori, Daisuke Yamamoto
-
Patent number: 7913566Abstract: A process device for coupling to an industrial process for use in monitoring or controlling the process includes a device housing configured to physically couple to the industrial process. A coil of wire is mounted to the housing and a magnet is configured to move through the coil of wire. The relative movement of the magnet is responsive to vibrations in the industrial process. Such relative movement induces an electrical current in the coil of wire. Electrical circuitry in the housing includes an input to receive the electrical current from the coil of wire.Type: GrantFiled: May 23, 2006Date of Patent: March 29, 2011Assignee: Rosemount Inc.Inventor: Robert C. Hedtke
-
Publication number: 20110071776Abstract: The current invention relates to a conductivity-dielectric (CD) electrode design with apertures that allow compressional waves to propagate away from the surface of the acoustic wave device unimpeded. This prevents reflection of compressional waves that would interact with the viscosity sensor surface, thus altering the device response. It allows compressional waves to pass through, and allows the dual mode viscosity sensor responses to be utilized for density/viscosity/elasticity measurement and correlation. The invention further offers methods of instrumentation to detect unwanted reflections, to compensate, and to correct for the distortions caused by reflections. Finally, the invention provides a system and method for utilizing deliberately introduced reflections to obtain additional information, including fluid density.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 17, 2010Publication date: March 24, 2011Applicant: DELAWARE CAPITAL FORMATION INC.Inventors: Jeffrey C. Andle, Daniel S. Stevens, Reichl B. Haskell, Dana Y.G. Tucker
-
Patent number: 7908925Abstract: An apparatus and associated method is provided for holding an inner race of a bearing stationary with respect to rotational movement while leaving a hub that is fixed in rotation with an outer race of the bearing unencumbered. The hub is excited by contactingly engaging it with a predetermined mechanical force. The resonance response of the hub to the excitation is determined and used to characterize the bearing qualitatively.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 2007Date of Patent: March 22, 2011Assignee: Seagate Technology LLCInventors: Robert Winter, Eddy Larson, Shawn Salisbury
-
Publication number: 20110061462Abstract: [Problem] A crystal oscillator, and a measurement method using same are provided with which the density of a solution can be measured alone, or both the density and the viscosity of a solution can be measured at the same time using a single detector provided for the crystal oscillator. [Means for Solution] A material to be measured is contacted to the crystal oscillator, and the crystal oscillator that includes electrodes formed on both surfaces of a piezoelectric plate, and an uneven-surface formed either on one of the electrodes disposed on the side in contact with the material to be measured, or on a detector formed on the electrode is oscillated. An amount of change in frequency (f2) that corresponds to the high-frequency side of two frequencies that represent a half value of a conductance maximum value of the crystal oscillator is measured to measure a density of the material.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 13, 2009Publication date: March 17, 2011Inventors: Motoko Ichihashi, Atsushi Itoh
-
Patent number: 7908033Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a system that performs vibration testing in a computer system. The system starts by generating a vibration at a predetermined frequency in a computer system. The system then determines if the computer system has a resonance at the predetermined frequency. If so, the system adjusts an operating parameter of at least one computer system component to prevent the computer system component from vibrating at or near a resonance frequency.Type: GrantFiled: April 17, 2007Date of Patent: March 15, 2011Assignee: Oracle America, Inc.Inventors: Kenny C. Gross, Aleksey M. Urmanov
-
Patent number: 7895894Abstract: A driver device includes a gain control amplifier that causes a vibrator to produce driving vibrations by controlling an oscillation amplitude in an oscillation loop, a signal generation circuit that generates a signal having a given frequency, and a modulation circuit that modulates the frequency of the signal generated by the signal generation circuit to a resonance frequency of the vibrator. The driver device causes the vibrator to produce the driving vibrations using the signal modulated by the modulation circuit, and then causes the vibrator to produce the driving vibrations by controlling the oscillation amplitude in the oscillation loop formed by the vibrator and the gain control amplifier.Type: GrantFiled: November 2, 2007Date of Patent: March 1, 2011Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Masahiro Kanai, Naoki Yoshida, Eitaro Otsuka
-
Publication number: 20110041611Abstract: A device for recognizing bearing damage of a bearing (3), on which an object (4) which rotates at a rotational frequency is mounted, having at least one oscillation sensor (2) for converting an oscillation signal output by the bearing (3) into an electrical signal and having a calculation unit (8) for performing a first frequency transformation for multiple time windows of the oscillation signal to generate multiple time window spectra associated with the particular time windows and for performing a second frequency transformation for multiple frequency bands of the time window spectrograms to generate a multiband modulation spectrum, which, for modulation frequencies which are a function of the rotational frequency of the rotating object (4) because of bearing damage of the bearing (3), have signal amplitudes, the level thereof disclosing an extent of the bearing damage.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 29, 2009Publication date: February 24, 2011Applicant: Siemens AktiengesellschaftInventors: Joachim Hofer, Lutz Leutelt
-
Publication number: 20110041610Abstract: A device comprising a solid-state actuator (100), means for inputting an acoustic signal to the actuator (104) and means for measuring the resultant signal (104). The measured acoustic signal can be used to determine the extension of the solid-state actuator.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 27, 2008Publication date: February 24, 2011Inventors: Mel Strachan, Katherine Joanne Kirk, Alexander Cochran
-
Publication number: 20110040504Abstract: In accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure, a method for determining fruit maturity is disclosed. The method includes measuring acceleration data associated with an impulse response signal of a target fruit to an excitation force applied to such a target fruit, computing a frequency response of the impulse response signal based on digitized acceleration data, determining a first order resonance frequency from the frequency response, and non-destructively determining a level of maturity for the target fruit based on one or more physical properties of the target fruit and the first order resonance frequency.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 11, 2009Publication date: February 17, 2011Applicant: Rong Zhi Xin Science and Technology Development (Beijing) Co., Ltd.Inventors: TIANTIAN LIU, LIN YANG, GANG WU, WELHONG GU
-
Patent number: 7888950Abstract: A structural health monitoring system and method uses a resonant transmission line sensor. A resonant transmission line sensor, which includes one or more sensor conductors and a dielectric material disposed at least proximate the one or more sensor conductors, is coupled to the structure. The dielectric material exhibits a dielectric constant that varies when at least a portion of the transmission line sensor is subjected to one or more stimuli. One or more resonant frequencies of the transmission line sensor are determined, and the determined one or more resonant frequencies are then correlated to the structural health of the structure.Type: GrantFiled: July 6, 2007Date of Patent: February 15, 2011Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.Inventor: Devlin M. Gualtieri
-
Patent number: 7886602Abstract: An apparatus for determining and/or monitoring at least one physical or chemical, process variable of medium having at least one oscillatable unit, which produces, and/or receives, mechanical oscillations. Included is at least one tuning unit, whose stiffness is changeable and which is embodied in such a manner and connected in such a manner with the oscillatable unit, or is a part of the oscillatable unit in such a manner, that at least the resonance frequency of the oscillatable unit is changeable via the tuning unit. A corresponding method is also noted.Type: GrantFiled: March 2, 2005Date of Patent: February 15, 2011Assignee: Endress + Hauser GmbH + Co. KGInventors: Sergej Lopatin, Helmut Pfeiffer
-
Publication number: 20110030476Abstract: Techniques for ultrasonic determination of the interfacial relationship of multi-component systems are discussed. In implementations, a laser energy source may be used to excite a multi-component system including a first component and a second component at least in partial contact with the first component. Vibrations resulting from the excitation may be detected for correlation with a resonance pattern indicating if discontinuity exists at the interface of the first and second components.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 22, 2008Publication date: February 10, 2011Applicant: The Boeing CompanyInventors: Thomas K. Williams, Kenneth Telschow
-
Publication number: 20110023608Abstract: Devices usable as sensors, as transducers, or as both sensors and transducers include one or more nanotubes or nanowires. In some embodiments, the devices may each include a plurality of sensor/transducer devices carried by a common substrate. The sensor/transducer devices may be individually operable, and may exhibit a plurality of resonant frequencies to enhance the operable frequency bandwidth of the devices. Sensor/transducer devices include one or more elements configured to alter a resonant frequency of a nanotube. Such elements may be selectively and individually actuable. Methods for sensing mechanical displacements and vibrations include monitoring an electrical characteristic of a nanotube. Methods for generating mechanical displacements and vibrations include using an electrical signal to induce mechanical displacements or vibrations in one or more nanotubes.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 11, 2010Publication date: February 3, 2011Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.Inventor: Neal R. Rueger
-
Publication number: 20110023609Abstract: A method for processing ultrasonic response signals collected from a plurality of measurement locations along a weld to determine the presence of a defect in the weld may include filtering an ultrasonic response signal from each of the measurement locations to produce a filtered response signal for each of the measurement locations. Thereafter, an ultrasonic energy for each of the measurement locations is calculated with the corresponding filtered response signal. The ultrasonic energy for each measurement location is then compared to the ultrasonic energy of adjacent measurement locations to identify potential defect locations. When the ultrasonic energy of a measurement location is less than the ultrasonic energy of the adjacent measurement locations, the measurement location is a potential defect location. The presence of a defect in the weld is then determined by analyzing fluctuations in the ultrasonic energy at measurement locations neighboring the potential defect locations.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 3, 2009Publication date: February 3, 2011Applicant: GEORGIA TECH RESEARCH CORPORATIONInventors: Ifeanyi Charles Ume, Renfu Li, Matthew Rogge, Tsun-Yen Wu
-
Publication number: 20110023607Abstract: A device for detecting helium in ambient atmosphere includes a resonator and a frequency detector. The resonator includes a piezoelectric film layer configured to absorb helium atoms. The frequency detector configured to detect a change in resonant frequency of the resonator when helium is absorbed into the piezoelectric film layer from the ambient atmosphere.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 28, 2009Publication date: February 3, 2011Applicant: Avago Technologies Wireless IP (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.Inventor: Atul Goel
-
Patent number: 7878063Abstract: The present invention provides a hexagonal, delay line surface acoustic wave device fabricated on a a piezoelectric substrate, such as lithium tantalate, coated with an insulating waveguide on to which a sensing film, such as an anti-human Interleukin-6 biosensor film, is physically absorbed. The acoustic waves that propagate along the delay lines of the SAW device provide for detection of biological species along one delay line and simultaneously provide for removal of non-specifically bound protein along the remaining delay lines.Type: GrantFiled: July 24, 2008Date of Patent: February 1, 2011Assignees: University of South Florida, Sandia CorporationInventors: Stefan Cular, Venkat R. Bhethanabotla, Darren W. Branch
-
Patent number: 7878062Abstract: An ultrasonic interferometer for the characterization of the matter (solids, fluids & gases) in a medium is described, along with a method of using the same. The interferometer accurately determines the travel time of the multi-frequency ultrasonic signal in the matter that is being queried. By carefully selecting the design of the multi-frequency ultrasound signal, various properties of the material can be derived using a trainable classification system to classify or recognise the substance, or state of a process. The apparatus exploits the normally undesirable higher harmonics characteristics of the piezoceramic transducer to gain penetration through a spatial-frequency window that is not suitable for the higher frequency signals that are required to achieve the measurements.Type: GrantFiled: June 27, 2006Date of Patent: February 1, 2011Assignee: Nimtech Inc.Inventor: Miroslaw Wrobel
-
Publication number: 20110016974Abstract: An apparatus for detecting damage to a machine that is excited at a previously known frequency by a vibration exciter, including an acceleration sensor for recording a current amplitude spectrum of an upper mass. A previously known amplitude spectrum of the upper mass is stored in a memory device. The current amplitude spectrum is compared with the previously known amplitude spectrum in a comparison device. If the comparison device determines that the spectra differ from one another, a corresponding deviation signal is generated and is output via a display device for informing the operator in order to inform the latter of possible damage.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 17, 2009Publication date: January 27, 2011Applicant: Wacker Neuson SEInventor: Stefan Wagner
-
Patent number: 7874214Abstract: A vibration state detecting method at a machining stage of a work and/or tool, includes the steps of mounting the work and/or tool on a predetermined rotational device and measuring a deviation size and/or deviation average speed corresponding to each rotational number of the work and/or tool; presetting the deviation size and/or the deviation average speed measured by using the rotational device, a vibration amplitude and/or vibration average speed when each machine tool having a work and/or tool mounted thereon is rotated, with a common unbalance amount and at a rotational speed, and proportional fixed number of both thereof; and calculating a vibration amplitude and/or vibration average speed corresponding to each number of rotations when the work and/or tool is mounted on each machine tool by using a measurement value of the deviation size and/or deviation average speed of using rotational device, and the proportional fixed number.Type: GrantFiled: January 15, 2008Date of Patent: January 25, 2011Assignee: Matsuura Machinery CorporationInventors: Hiroshi Arakawa, Kouichi Amaya, Masaru Fujita
-
Patent number: 7874211Abstract: An object of the present invention is that any of mass load, viscous load and viscoelasticity load is measured separately from other load whereby properties of the substance to be measured are able to be measured correctly. The characteristic feature of the present invention is that, in a method where property of a substance contacting to a quartz oscillator equipped with electrodes on both sides of a quartz plate is measured on the basis of the changes in frequency of the above quartz oscillator, the property of the above substance is measured using at least two frequencies among the n-th overtone mode frequency (n=1, 3, 5, . . . (n=2k+1)) of quartz oscillator when voltage is applied between the above electrodes and using frequencies F1, F2 (F1<F2) giving one half of the maximum value of conductance near the resonant point by each frequency.Type: GrantFiled: June 1, 2006Date of Patent: January 25, 2011Assignee: ULVAC, Inc.Inventors: Atsushi Itoh, Motoko Ichihashi
-
Publication number: 20110014577Abstract: The pellicle inspection device of the present invention is a device that detects damage to a pellicle film disposed on an original. The pellicle inspection device includes a measuring unit configured to measure a natural vibration frequency of the pellicle film, wherein the pellicle inspection device detects damage to the pellicle film based on the value of the natural vibration frequency measured by the measuring unit. In this case, the measuring unit includes, for example, a vibration inducing unit configured to induce vibration in the pellicle film, and a sensor that detects the vibration induced by the vibration inducing unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 9, 2010Publication date: January 20, 2011Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Tsutomu Hashimoto
-
Patent number: 7870790Abstract: A method for evaluating feeling of hitting of a golf club, includes: measuring vibration of a golf club appearing in a circumferential direction of a shaft when a golf ball is hit by the golf club having the three-axis accelerometer attached to the shaft by a three-axis accelerometer; analyzing the vibration of the golf club along the circumferential direction of the shaft measured by the three-axis accelerometer by a hand-arm vibration measurement filter; and evaluating feeling of hitting of the golf club in accordance with a result of analysis of vibration of the golf club appearing along the circumferential direction of the shaft by the hand-arm vibration measurement filter.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2007Date of Patent: January 18, 2011Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co., LtdInventors: Fumiaki Sato, Wataru Ban
-
Patent number: 7866211Abstract: A method for inferring possible or impending corrosion or fouling of process elements from fluid flowing in a pipe of an industrial process is described. A frequency response of a body is measured. The measured frequency response is compared against a stored value. Corrosion or fouling of the process elements is identified based upon the comparison between the measured frequency response and the stored value.Type: GrantFiled: August 23, 2004Date of Patent: January 11, 2011Assignee: Rosemount Inc.Inventor: Gregory C. Brown
-
Publication number: 20110004091Abstract: The present invention makes use of resonant acoustic and/or acousto-EM energy applied to inorganic or biologic structures for the detection and/or identification, and for augmentation and/or disruption of function within the biologic structure. In particular, the invention provides a method of generating resonant acoustic and/or acousto-EM energy in biologic structures such as virus, bacteria, fungi, worms and tumors for the detection and disruption of these structures. Moreover, the invention provides a method of augmenting functions of biologic structures such as bone through the generation of resonant acoustic and/or acousto-EM energy in the structure. Systems are also provided for the generation and detection of resonant acoustic and/or resonant acousto-EM energy.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 17, 2010Publication date: January 6, 2011Inventors: Juliana H.J. Brooks, Albert E. Abel
-
Patent number: 7861590Abstract: A method for measuring an amount of a sublimate in real time with respect to a lapse of heating time, comprising: adhering the sublimate from a thermoset film during heating to a surface of a crystal oscillator using a nozzle inserted into a detection part; and measuring the amount of the sublimate from a change in a resonance frequency corresponding to the amount of the sublimate adhered to the crystal oscillator. In the method, the thermoset film may be formed on a silicon wafer and the measurement is performed while the thermoset film is heated by a heat source disposed under the silicon wafer; or the sublimate may be set so as to flow together with an airstream ascending toward an upper part of an enclosure covering the thermoset film, and the airstream directly contacts the crystal oscillator through the nozzle inserted into the detection part disposed in the path of the airstream.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2007Date of Patent: January 4, 2011Assignee: Nissan Chemical Industries, Ltd.Inventor: Yoshiomi Hiroi
-
Publication number: 20100326193Abstract: A system for characterizing vibration of a rack structure having at least one hard disk drive disposed therein and a vibration exciter operatively associated with the rack structure includes one or more computers. The one or more computers are configured to command the vibration exciter to provide vibration input to the rack structure and to command a plurality of reads from the at least one hard disk drive such that, for each of the plurality of reads, data stored on the at least one hard disk drive is retrieved from the at least one hard disk drive. The one or more computers are also configured to obtain read rate information related to the plurality of reads and to identify at least one resonant frequency of the rack structure based on the read rate information.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 25, 2009Publication date: December 30, 2010Applicant: SUN MICROSYSTEMS, INC.Inventors: Kenny C. Gross, Aleksey M. Urmanov, Anton A. Bougaev, David K. McElfresh
-
Publication number: 20100326192Abstract: Methods and devices for a miniature, ultra-low power impact recorder for detecting, quantifying and recording the energy of an explosive blast or ballistic projectile impact. In one embodiment, the impact recorder can included a sensor comprised of an array of electromechanical resonators that is sensitive to the vibrations produced in selected, discrete frequency ranges that approximate the spectral signature characteristics of the shockwave resulting from the ballistic impact event, even after traveling through impacted material or body tissues.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 6, 2008Publication date: December 30, 2010Inventors: TOMASZ J. PETELENZ, STEPHEN C. JACOBSEN
-
Publication number: 20100332160Abstract: In a method, a variable characterising an operational state of an electrode of an arc furnace can be determined. An electrode flow guided to the electrode is detected in the method and the structure-borne noise oscillations are detected. From the detected electrode flow, a flow evaluation signal associated with the frequency range of the detected electrode flow is determined. From the detected structure-borne noise oscillations, an oscillation evaluation signal that is associated with a frequency range of the detected structure-borne noise oscillations is detected and a quotient from the oscillation evaluation signal and the flow evaluation signal is formed as a radiation measurement for at least one frequency common to the detected electrode flow and the detected structure-borne noise oscillation.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 28, 2009Publication date: December 30, 2010Inventors: Arno Döbbeler, Professor Klaus Krüger, Thomas Matschullat, Detlef Rieger
-
Publication number: 20100324839Abstract: A vibratory pipeline diagnostic system (100) is provided. The system (100) comprises at least one vibration generator (104) adapted to be affixed to a pipeline, at least one vibration sensor (107) adapted to be affixed to the pipeline, and a processing device (111) in communication with the at least one vibration generator (104) and the at least one vibration sensor (107). The processing device (111) is configured to vibrate a portion of the pipeline using the at least one vibration generator (104), receive a vibrational response to the vibration from the at least one vibration sensor (107), compare the vibrational response to one or more previous vibrational responses of the pipeline, and indicate a fault condition if the vibrational response differs from the one or more previous vibrational responses by more than a predetermined tolerance.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 22, 2007Publication date: December 23, 2010Applicant: Micro Motion, Inc.Inventor: John D. Martin
-
Patent number: 7854167Abstract: A diagnosis device for diagnosing loosening of a stator core of a rotary electrical machine. The diagnosis device has: excitation means for vibrating the stator core in the radial direction; vibration detection means for detecting the vibration of the stator core in the radial direction; means for frequency-analyzing an output signal of the vibration detection means that detects vibration generated in the stator core when the stator core is vibrated by the excitation means so as to extract a measurement natural vibration mode of the stator core in a circular ring natural vibration mode; means for estimating a circular ring natural vibration mode of the stator core from shape data of the stator core; and means for determining a clamping state of the stator core by comparing the measurement natural vibration mode and a determination criterion obtained based on the estimated natural vibration mode.Type: GrantFiled: May 16, 2008Date of Patent: December 21, 2010Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventors: Yutaka Hashiba, Norio Takahashi, Masayuki Ichimonji, Hitoshi Katayama, Takaharu Tani, Tatsuo Taniguchi, Masayuki Takahashi
-
Patent number: 7849746Abstract: A driver device that forms an oscillation loop with a vibrator and causes the vibrator to produce driving vibrations includes a current-voltage converter that is provided in the oscillation loop and converts a current that flows through the vibrator into a voltage, and a GCA as a comparator that is provided in the oscillation loop and outputs a signal corresponding to a comparison result between an output from the current-voltage converter and a given voltage. The GCA outputs a first high-level voltage or a low-level voltage during oscillation startup, and outputs a second high-level voltage or the low-level voltage in a steady oscillation state. The first high-level voltage is a voltage higher in potential than the second high-level voltage.Type: GrantFiled: November 26, 2007Date of Patent: December 14, 2010Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Masahiro Kanai, Naoki Yoshida, Eitaro Otsuka
-
Publication number: 20100307248Abstract: A microstructure inspecting device 10 which measures a damping characteristic value of a moving portion of a microstructure includes a pressure wave generating device 1 and a pulse generating device 2 which apply an impact to the moving portion without directly contacting the microstructure, and a vibrometer 4 which measures a displacement of the moving portion for a predetermined period of time after the start of free vibration of the moving portion without contacting the moving portion. The pressure wave generating device 1 is a sound wave generating element of thermal excitation type, a piezoelectric sound wave generating element, or an electromagnetic vibration element, and is driven by a pulse signal of the pulse generating device 2.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 26, 2008Publication date: December 9, 2010Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventor: Masato Hayashi
-
Patent number: 7845230Abstract: In a concentration sensor using a piezoelectric piece, for instance, a quartz piece in which the natural frequency is varied by adsorption of a sensing target, the object of the present invention is to make the concentration sensor applicable to various fluids to be measured different in viscosity while restricting consumption of the oscillation energy due to interelectrode capacitance, and to be able to cope with plural types of concentration sensors while using a common oscillation circuit.Type: GrantFiled: August 2, 2006Date of Patent: December 7, 2010Assignee: Nihon Dempa Kogyo Co., Ltd.Inventors: Takeo Oita, Takehito Ishii
-
Patent number: 7845231Abstract: A resonance shear measuring method capable of simple and rapid measurement by obtaining a resonance shear curve through Fourier transformation of a damping curve of an oscillation on one side surface of a sample during measurement of shear response from the sample is provided.Type: GrantFiled: September 27, 2006Date of Patent: December 7, 2010Assignee: Japan Science and Technology AgencyInventors: Kazue Kurihara, Hiroshi Sakuma, Masashi Mizukami