A concentration detecting section detects a concentration of urea water and outputs the detected value. A determining section determines whether the urea water is suitable by using the detected value. A temperature detecting section detects temperatures of detection targets. The detection targets have temperatures that are different from one another during operation of an engine. The determining section is adapted to calculate a temperature difference between temperatures of a particular detection target and another detection target and start determining whether the urea water is suitable when a determination start condition including that the temperature difference is within a reference range is satisfied. The reference range is defined as a range of temperature differences in which it is determined that the urea water is in a quiescent state, which is suitable for the determination.

A liquid concentration detecting device including a first substrate, a first temperature sensing element and a concentration sensor is provided. The first temperature sensing element and the concentration sensor are respectively disposed on opposite first surface and second surface of the first substrate. The concentration sensor includes a second substrate, a porous element, a heating element and a second temperature sensing element. The second substrate is disposed above the second surface. A portion of the liquid flows into the concentration sensor through the porous element, and the heating element heats the liquid in the concentration sensor. The second temperature sensing element measures the temperature variation of the liquid in the concentration sensor. The measured temperature and the temperature variation are compared to deduce a concentration of the liquid under detection.

A liquid concentration detecting device including a first substrate, a first temperature sensing element and a concentration sensor is provided. The first temperature sensing element and the concentration sensor are respectively disposed on opposite first surface and second surface of the first substrate. The concentration sensor includes a second substrate, a porous element, a heating element and a second temperature sensing element. The second substrate is disposed above the second surface. A portion of the liquid flows into the concentration sensor through the porous element, and the heating element heats the liquid in the concentration sensor. The second temperature sensing element measures the temperature variation of the liquid in the concentration sensor. The measured temperature and the temperature variation are compared to deduce a concentration of the liquid under detection.

A method and apparatus for the direct measurement of specific heat at constant pressure (Cp). A control fluid of a known amount is supplied to a near adiabatic test chamber having a volume. A collapsible bladder within the test chamber is inflated with an incompressible fluid, changing the volume of the test chamber. The change in pressure and temperature of the control fluid relative to the change in volume of the test chamber is measured. The steps are repeated with a sample fluid. The isentropic enthalpy and specific heat at constant pressure of the sample fluid is determined.

Thermal analysis of a bearing unit, carried out by entering the input and boundary conditions of the application, defining contact areas and load distribution between components of the bearing unit, calculating the conduction resistances and the thermal convection of the components, calculating the heat generated by friction between the components in contact and the heat distribution thereof on a plurality of isothermal nodes which discretize the bearing unit, defining a thermal interaction between the isothermal nodes, thermally balancing the isothermal nodes, calculating the temperature range of the bearing unit, comparing the resulting operating temperature on an isothermal node of a sealing means of the bearing unit and the related maximum allowable temperature, and if the operating temperature and maximum allowable temperature values are different from each other, repeat steps (a) to step (h).

Thermal analysis of a bearing unit, carried out by entering the input and boundary conditions of the application, defining contact areas and load distribution between components of the bearing unit, calculating the conduction resistances and the thermal convection of the components, calculating the heat generated by friction between the components in contact and the heat distribution thereof on a plurality of isothermal nodes which discretize the bearing unit, defining a thermal interaction between the isothermal nodes, thermally balancing the isothermal nodes, calculating the temperature range of the bearing unit, comparing the resulting operating temperature on an isothermal node of a sealing means of the bearing unit and the related maximum allowable temperature, and if the operating temperature and maximum allowable temperature values are different from each other, repeat steps (a) to step (h).

A system for automatic detection of inefficient household thermal insulation includes a server module and a plurality of household client modules. The system performs the following steps: acquiring data relating to each monitored household; identifying periods of HVAC down-time and determining indoor temperature gained during these periods; extracting parameters of temperature gain, relating to the measured rate of temperature gain during the down time; training a machine learning algorithm, to create at least one classification model, wherein all monitored households are classified according to the parameters of temperature gain; producing expected values for parameters of temperature gain per each household, according to household's class membership; producing the ratio between the expected and measured values for parameters of temperature gain per each monitored household; comparing the ratio among similar households; and identifying inefficiently insulated household according to the comparison.

A system for automatic detection of inefficient household thermal insulation includes a server module and a plurality of household client modules. The system performs the following steps: acquiring data relating to each monitored household; identifying periods of HVAC down-time and determining indoor temperature gained during these periods; extracting parameters of temperature gain, relating to the measured rate of temperature gain during the down time; training a machine learning algorithm, to create at least one classification model, wherein all monitored households are classified according to the parameters of temperature gain; producing expected values for parameters of temperature gain per each household, according to household's class membership; producing the ratio between the expected and measured values for parameters of temperature gain per each monitored household; comparing the ratio among similar households; and identifying inefficiently insulated household according to the comparison.

The disclosed pre-concentrator comprises: a base substrate having a trench; a metal layer conformally disposed along the inner surface of the trench; and a three-dimensional porous nanostructure disposed on the metal layer in the trench and having aligned pores connected to each other in three dimensions. The pre-concentrator can improve the concentration performance of a sample and the thermal desorption efficiency of a concentrated sample.

A specimen heating apparatus includes a heater unit configured to heat a test specimen held in a material testing machine, a heater holding unit configured to hold the heater unit in a set position relative to the test specimen for heating, a specimen temperature measurement unit attached to the heater unit and configured to measure temperature of the test specimen when the heater unit is in the set position, a temperature controller configured to control heating of the heater unit in response to a temperature measured by the specimen temperature measurement unit, and a thermal insulation unit configured to cover the heater unit, wherein the heater holding unit holds the heater unit in such a way that the heater unit is allowed to be brought to and removed from the set position while the test specimen is being held in the material testing machine.