An environmental condition may be measured with a sensor (10) including a wire (20) having an ultrasonic signal transmission characteristic that varies in response to the environmental condition by sensing ultrasonic energy propagated through the wire using multiple types of propagation, and separating an effect of temperature on the wire from an effect of strain on the wire using the sensed ultrasonic energy propagated through the wire using the multiple types of propagation. A positive feedback loop may be used to excite the wire such that strain in the wire is based upon a sensed resonant frequency, while a square wave with a controlled duty cycle may be used to excite the wire at multiple excitation frequencies. A phase matched cone (200, 210) may be used to couple ultrasonic energy between a waveguide wire (202, 212) and a transducer (204, 214).

An energy transmission system comprising a pole, at least one wire, a sensing system coupled to the pole for monitoring pole temperature, dynamic pole loading, external impact on the pole, vibration of the pole, and wires that are downed, at least one line sensor coupled to the wire and at least one powered data integrator. The sensing system comprises at least one dynamic pole loading sensor and a three-dimensional accelerometer. The dynamic pole loading sensor can be coupled to the lower portion of the pole above ground level but not more than 10 feet above ground level. Optionally there are two dynamic pole loading sensors, the first sensor having a longitudinal axis parallel to a longitudinal axis of the pole, and the second sensor having a longitudinal axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the pole.

A drill has a stationary drive mechanism coupled to a rotating drill, the rotating drill having a serpentine optical fiber positioned on an inner shell having a serpentine groove with fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) coupled to the inner shell and arranged parallel to the central axis of rotation for measurement of axial forces and also positioned circumferentially for measurement of drill torque. The FBGs are arranged on a single optical fiber and coupled to a broadband optical source such that reflected optical energy is directed to an interrogator for estimate of strain at each FBG. The FBG responses may also be examined dynamically to estimate material hardness during a drilling operation.

A drill has a stationary drive mechanism coupled to a rotating drill, the rotating drill having a serpentine optical fiber positioned on an inner shell having a serpentine groove with fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) coupled to the inner shell and arranged parallel to the central axis of rotation for measurement of axial forces and also positioned circumferentially for measurement of drill torque. The FBGs are arranged on a single optical fiber and coupled to a broadband optical source such that reflected optical energy is directed to an interrogator for estimate of strain at each FBG. The FBG responses may also be examined dynamically to estimate material hardness during a drilling operation.

A physical quantity detecting device includes a vibrating element and a charge amplifier. The vibrating element includes a first detection electrode, a second detection electrode, a third detection electrode, and a fourth detection electrode. The first and fourth detection electrodes have the same electrical polarity, the second and third detection electrodes have the same electrical polarity, and the first and second detection electrodes have opposite electrical polarities. The first and fourth detection electrodes are connected to the charge amplifier, and the second and third detection electrodes are connected to the charge amplifier.

Particle detection device comprising a support, a platform for receiving particles, four beams suspending the platform from the support, such that the platform can be made to vibrate, means for making said platform vibrate at a resonance frequency, means for detecting the displacement of the platform in a direction of displacement. Each beam has a length l, a width L and a thickness e and the platform has a dimension in the direction of displacement of the platform and in which in a device with out of plane mode l10L and the dimension of each beam in the direction of displacement of the platform is at least 10 times smaller than the dimension of the platform in the direction of displacement.

A system for performing force sensing with an electromagnetic load may include a signal generator configured to generate a signal for driving an electromagnetic load and a processing subsystem configured to monitor at least one operating parameter of the electromagnetic load and determine a force applied to the electromagnetic load based on a variation of the at least one operating parameter.

Hundreds of thousands of concrete bridges, buildings etc. and hundreds of billions of tons of concrete require characterization throughout the process from manufacture to pouring and curing and on throughout service life. The characterization may relate to initial concrete properties, projected concrete properties, framework removal, corrosion, failure etc. Accordingly, a variety of measurements such as water content, electrical resistivity, and half-cell corrosion potential for example would be beneficially implemented as easy to use field test equipment or embedded sensors allowing lifetime monitoring to be performed rather than discrete assessments when issues become evident.

An input-side control device includes: a feedback controller that generates a first control input signal for eliminating the difference between a model speed signal m and a speed detection signal by using the signal difference between a higher order torque command signal Tref and an axial torque detection signal Tsh to generate the model speed signal m which corresponds to the rotational speed of an inertial body having a set moment of inertia Jset moving under a torque corresponding to the signal difference; a feed-forward controller that generates a second control input signal by multiplying the signal difference by k.Math.Jdy/Jset; and a low-pass filter that generates a torque command signal Tr from a signal obtained by combining the outputs of the controllers and attenuating components at a higher frequency than a cut-off frequency fc set in the vicinity of the resonant frequency.

An input-side control device includes: a feedback controller that generates a first control input signal for eliminating the difference between a model speed signal m and a speed detection signal by using the signal difference between a higher order torque command signal Tref and an axial torque detection signal Tsh to generate the model speed signal m which corresponds to the rotational speed of an inertial body having a set moment of inertia Jset moving under a torque corresponding to the signal difference; a feed-forward controller that generates a second control input signal by multiplying the signal difference by k.Math.Jdy/Jset; and a low-pass filter that generates a torque command signal Tr from a signal obtained by combining the outputs of the controllers and attenuating components at a higher frequency than a cut-off frequency fc set in the vicinity of the resonant frequency.