An air-conditioning apparatus includes a drain pan that receives water, and a detector including an ultrasonic sensor that emits and receives ultrasonic waves. The detector analyzes a response signal from the ultrasonic sensor to detect a contaminant generated in the drain pan. A bottom flat surface portion that forms a bottom of the drain pan is located parallel to a flat surface portion that forms a receiving surface of the ultrasonic sensor.

Methods and systems for evaluating integrity of a tubular located within a wellbore are provided. The method includes measuring an operation parameter of the wellbore, measuring a feature of the tubular two or more times to produce an integrity log each time the feature is measured, and determining a tubular integrity analysis for the tubular by using the integrity logs and the operation parameter. The tubular integrity analysis contains parameter limitations for the tubular. The method also includes determining if tubular integrity is within or outside the parameter limitations. If the tubular integrity is within the parameter limitations, then determine a duration of integrity for the tubular. If the tubular integrity is outside of the parameter limitations, then determine a location on the tubular for loss of tubular integrity.

A system for detecting limescale buildup in an aircraft brewing may include at least one of a monitored subsystem or a monitored component, at least one sensor device, and at least one controller. The at least one sensor device may be configured to generate and transmit data for an amount of limescale buildup in the at least one of the monitored subsystem or the monitored component. The at least one controller may be configured to receive the transmitted data, generate a trend based on the received data and at least one of historical data or a baseline, compare the trend to at least one threshold value, and generate a timeline for limescale buildup maintenance based on the comparison of the trend to the at least one threshold value. The data may be pressure differential data or heating temperature differential data.

Methods and devices for real-time detection of fouling chemistry are described herein. In one aspect, a method of detecting and characterizing fouling of a membrane used for separation in a fluid-based system can include illuminating the membrane with one or more light sources, collecting Raman spectroscopy data from the membrane, and based on the Raman data, determining at least one selected from the group consisting of: presence or absence of membrane fouling, severity of membrane fouling, and composition of the membrane fouling, where the Raman spectroscopy is selected from the group consisting of Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Scattering (CARS), Stimulated Raman Scattering (SRS), and spontaneous Raman Scattering.

A system for detecting the presence of biofilm on an inner surface of a body used for containing a fluid medium. The system includes a transmitter disposed at a first location external to the body, a receiver located at a second location external to the body, and an electronic controller. The electronic controller configured to control the transmitter to transmit an ultrasonic signal in a direction towards the body and receive, via the receiver, an attenuated signal that is the ultrasonic signal after passing through the body. The electronic controller is configured to determine a phase shift between the ultrasonic signal and the attenuated ultrasonic signal, determine an amplitude difference between the ultrasonic signal and the attenuated ultrasonic signal, and generate an indication of an amount of biofilm present on the inner surface of the body based on the phase shift and the amplitude difference.

An estimation system includes an acquirer configured to acquire a measured value of an outer surface temperature of a pipe through which fluid flows, an inferrer configured to infer an execution time for a removal process for deposits on an inner surface of the pipe, corrector configured to correct an estimated value used for estimating a thickness of the deposits, by using the measured value of the outer surface temperature of the pipe, which is acquired within a predetermined time from an inference result of the execution time for the removal process for the deposits, and an estimator configured to estimate the thickness of the deposits based on the corrected estimated value and the measured value of the outer surface temperature of the pipe.

A method and apparatus for monitoring deposit formation in a process having an aqueous flow is provided. According to exemplary embodiments, a feed flow of an aqueous liquid is provided onto a receiving surface to be monitored. At least part of a receiving surface is illuminated with at least one light source. Visual data is collected across the receiving surface and analyzed. The quality and type of deposition attached to the receiving surface is classified based on information obtained from the analyzed visual data, and a quantitative scaling and/or fouling indication is computed based on the classification.

In one embodiment, the method begins by flowing a product stream through an upstream pipeline comprising a first product stream. The product stream is then continuously analyzed with an automated analyze to produce data. The first product stream downstream is then directed downstream of the automated analyzer to a downstream first product stream pipeline. The method then changes the product stream flowing through the upstream pipeline from the first product stream to a second product stream without purging the first product stream from the upstream pipeline, thereby creating a transmix product stream within the upstream pipeline wherein the transmix product stream comprises a mixture of the first product stream and the second product stream. The data from the automated analyzer is then analyzed with an automatic splitter, wherein the product stream flowing through the upstream pipeline no longer matches the physical and/or chemical characteristics of the first product stream. The automatic splitter then directs the transmix product stream downstream of the automatic splitter to a downstream transmix pipeline. As the data from the automated analyzer is still analyzed by the automatic splitter the product stream flowing through the upstream pipeline matches the physical and/or chemical characteristics of the second product stream. The automatic splitter then directs the second product stream downstream of the automatic splitter to a downstream second product stream pipeline.

Methods of detecting, quantifying and/or characterizing the fouling of a device from a combination of pressure and spectroscopic data are provided. The device can be any device containing components susceptible to fouling. Components can include membranes, pipes, or reactors. Suitable devices include membrane devices, heat exchangers, and chemical or bio-reactors. Membrane devices can include, for example, microfiltration devices, ultrafiltration devices, nanofiltration devices, reverse osmosis, forward osmosis, osmosis, reverse electrodialysis, electro-deionisation or membrane distillation devices. The methods can be applied to any type of membrane, including tubular, spiral, hollow fiber, flat sheet, and capillary membranes. The spectroscopic characterization can include measuring one or more of the absorption, fluorescence, or raman spectroscopic data of one or more foulants. The methods can allow for the early detection and/or characterization of fouling. The characterization can include determining the specific foulant(s) or type of foulant(s) present. The characterization of fouling can allow for the selection of an appropriate de-fouling method and timing.

A scale thickness estimating system according an embodiment includes: a fluid temperature acquiring unit that acquires a temperature of a fluid flowing in a pipe; a flow path outer surface-temperature acquiring unit that acquires a temperature of an outer surface of the pipe; a heat flux acquiring unit that acquires a heat flux on the outer surface of the pipe; a flow path wall-thermal conductivity acquiring unit that acquires a flow path wall thermal conductivity of the pipe; a scale thermal conductivity acquiring unit that acquires a scale thermal conductivity of scale depositing on an inner surface of the pipe; and a scale thickness estimating unit that estimates a thickness of the scale based on the temperature of the fluid, the temperature of the outer surface, the heat flux, the flow path wall thermal conductivity, and the scale thermal conductivity.