An apparatus for orienting an accelerometer on a post-tensioned rod is provided. The apparatus includes a first open channel having a first sidewall forming a substantially half cylinder shape along at least a portion of a length of the first open channel, and a first axis along a length of the first open channel. The apparatus further includes a second open channel having a second sidewall forming a substantially half cylinder shape along at least a portion of a height of the second open channel, and a second axis along a height of the second open channel. The apparatus further includes a stopper wall having an inner surface disposed internal to a top end of the second channel. The inner surface of the stopper wall is substantially perpendicular to the second axis. The first axis is substantially perpendicular to the second axis. The first and second channels are contiguous.

A method and apparatus for analyzing an object using acoustic emissions. Load data is received for the object. Acoustic waveform data is received for the object from an acoustic sensing system. The acoustic waveform data represents acoustic emissions emanating from the object and is detected using the acoustic sensing system. A plurality of bins is created for the load data. A plurality of frequency distribution functions is generated for the plurality of bins using the acoustic waveform data. A set of learning algorithms is applied to the plurality of frequency distribution functions and the acoustic waveform data to generate an output that allows an operator to more easily and quickly assess a structural integrity of the object.

The invention relates to a load detection unit having a spring-elastic load carrier assembly for receiving the load (10) and a sensor (3) for the deformation of the load carrier assembly, which occurs under the load (10) that is to be detected, wherein a deformation transmission unit (6) is operatively arranged between the load carrier assembly and the sensor (3). A method, in which additionally a deformation transmission unit is used, is thus provided, which during operation picks up the deformation of the load carrier assembly and transmits it to the sensor as a changed force/path load.

The invention relates to a load detection unit having a spring-elastic load carrier assembly for receiving the load (10) and a sensor (3) for the deformation of the load carrier assembly, which occurs under the load (10) that is to be detected, wherein a deformation transmission unit (6) is operatively arranged between the load carrier assembly and the sensor (3). A method, in which additionally a deformation transmission unit is used, is thus provided, which during operation picks up the deformation of the load carrier assembly and transmits it to the sensor as a changed force/path load.

An encasing film for a galvanic element has at least one force sensor for detecting an expansion state of the encasing film. The encasing film is produced from an elastic and electrically insulating material, e.g., plastic. The force sensor, which has a strain gauge, is situated on a surface of the encasing film.

A method includes: removing at least a part of an oxide formed on a surface of the sample by relatively scanning the surface of the sample in X and Y directions parallel to the surface while bringing a probe into contact with the surface of the sample; detecting a signal by bringing the probe into contact with the surface of the sample from which at least a part of the oxide is removed at a predetermined detection position in the X direction or the Y direction while a bias voltage is applied to the sample; calculating a spreading resistance value based on the signal; and retracting the probe to keep the probe relatively away from the surface in a Z direction perpendicular to the surface while relatively moving the probe to a next detection position to start scanning the sample from the next detection position.

The invention discloses a non-linear Lamb wave mixing method for measuring stress distribution in thin metal plates. The method is suitable for stress distribution detection and stress concentration area positioning in a plate structure and belongs to the field of nondestructive detection. The steps of the present invention is: first determines the excitation frequencies of two fundamental waves according to the measured object and the nonlinear Lamb wave mixing resonance conditions; the left and right ends of the test piece are oppositely excited two rows of A0 mode waves, and the excitation signal receive the sum-frequency S0 signal at a certain position to detect non-linear mixing stress of the plate structure; by changing the excitation time delay of the excitation signal, perform mixing scan on different positions of the test piece to extract the mixing wave amplitude; finally, according to the variation of amplitude of sum frequency difference signal with mixing position to realize the detection of stress distribution of metal plate and the positioning of the stress concentration area.

There is provided a displacement sensor which can precisely detect the amount of displacement given by an operator. A touch sensor which is a type of the displacement sensor has a piezoelectric element, a voltage converting unit and a detecting unit. The piezoelectric element instantaneously generates a voltage proportional to a pressing force (the amount of pressing). The voltage converting unit converts the voltage generated by the piezoelectric element, into a voltage proportional to a transition determined based on a predetermined time constant determined by an impedance of a resistor of the voltage converting unit and capacitances of a capacitor and the piezoelectric element, and a pressing force. The detecting unit integrates output voltages of the voltage converting unit, and calculates the pressing force (the amount of pressing) based on an integration value.

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.

A piezoelectric element device includes: a substrate including a plurality of vibrating portions having a first vibrating portion and a second vibrating portion; a piezoelectric element group in which a plurality of piezoelectric elements having a first piezoelectric element and a second piezoelectric element provided in the plurality of vibrating portions are coupled in parallel to each other; a plurality of load detectors having a first load detector including the first vibrating portion and the first piezoelectric element provided in the first vibrating portion and a second load detector including the second vibrating portion and the second piezoelectric element provided in the second vibrating portion; and a resin layer covering the piezoelectric element group. The first load detector resonates at a first resonance frequency, the second load detector resonates at a second resonance frequency, the first resonance frequency and the second resonance frequency are different from each other, the first resonance frequency changes in accordance with a load applied to the first load detectors via the resin layer, the second resonance frequency changes in accordance with a load applied to the second load detectors via the resin layer, and a first resonance frequency change range, which are changeable range of the first resonance frequency, and a second resonance frequency change range, which are changeable range of the second resonance frequency, do not overlap each other.