A method of diagnosing a pipe includes diagnosing, by a computer, a state of a pipe from an updated model based on change in temperature of the pipe calculated from the model in a case where the pipe is heated in the model obtained by modeling a heat transfer behavior of an inside of the pipe containing deposition by using an equivalent circuit and change in temperature of the pipe measured in a case where the pipe is heated.

A fouling sensor in the form of an electrical insulator including a body. The body includes a dish-shaped portion having a top surface and a bottom surface, and a measurement electrode formed of a printed circuit. Both surfaces are identical and filled with copper. The measurement electrode is positioned inside the dish-shaped portion and the measurement electrode includes an inner surface and an outer surface. The inner surface is oriented towards the inside of the dish-shaped portion and measures the capacitance inside the fouling sensor while the outer surface is grounded. The outer surface is oriented towards the outside of the dish-shaped portion and measures the capacitance outside the fouling sensor while the inner surface is grounded. The body also includes an electrical power supply and a microcontroller configured to instantaneously subtract the capacitive value of the inner surface from that of the outer surface and store the obtained resultant.

Fluid flow systems can include one or more resistance temperature detectors (RTDs) in contact with the fluid flowing through the system. One or more RTDs can be operated in a heating mode and a measurement mode. Thermal behavior of the one or more RTDs can be analyzed to characterize a level of deposit formed on the RTD(s) from the fluid flowing through the system. Characterizations of deposition on RTDs operated at different temperatures can be used to establish a temperature-dependent deposition profile. The deposition profile can be used to determine if depositions are likely to form at certain locations in the fluid flow system, such as at a use device. Detected deposit conditions can initiate one or more corrective actions that can be taken to prevent or minimize deposit formation before deposits negatively impact operation of the fluid flow system.

An in-situ, non-destructive sensor device, system and method are provided to detect or assess fouling at a very early stage of development. They can be used to detect or assess fouling on a surface of an aquatic system. They can be used to obtain a depth profile of the fouling. Data concerning the depth profile can be extracted and used to assess the fouling on the surface. In one or more aspects, the method can include providing an optical tomography spectrometer; optically positioning the optical tomography spectrometer in association with a surface of an area to be assessed for fouling in an aqueous system; irradiating the surface; acquiring, from irradiating the surface, a plurality of signals as a function of a distance from the surface at different times; extracting data from the signals as a function of the distance to obtain a depth profile of the surface at the different times; and determining a change in the depth profile between the different times to assess fouling on the surface.

A method is provided for non-intrusively determining deposits in a fluidic channel. The method includes obtaining ,from one or more sensors, a measured pressure profile based on at least one pressure pulse induced in a fluidic channel; generating a forward model of deposits in the fluidic channel; and generating, using the forward model, a simulated pressure profile. An error is calculated using the measured pressure profile and the simulated pressure profile, and when the error is outside a predetermined threshold, the forward model is updated. The updated forward model is adjusted based on the error.

A dynamic signal to noise ratio tracking system enables detection and tracking of amusement park equipment within the field of view of the tracking system. The tracking system may include an emitter configured to emit electromagnetic radiation within an area, a detector configured to detect electromagnetic radiation reflected back from vehicles within the area, and a control unit configured to evaluate signals from the detector to survey the amusement park equipment to determine whether the equipment has degraded or shifted.

A method for characterizing a process fluid comprising applying electrical power to a first resistance temperature detector (RTD) in contact with a fluid to increase the temperature of the first RTD; allowing the first RTD to cool toward a fluid equilibrium temperature; analyzing the temperature decay profile of the first RTD over time to determine thermal characteristics; applying electrical power to a second RTD in contact with the fluid to increase the temperature of the second RTD; allowing the second RTD to cool toward the fluid equilibrium temperature; analyzing the temperature decay profile of the second RTD over time to determine thermal characteristics; comparing the thermal characteristics of the first and second RTD to determining one or more characteristics of the fluid based; and performing a corrective action. The first RTD has a first coating and the second RTD has a second coating different than the first coating.

Various examples are related to smart membranes for monitoring membrane based process such as, e.g., membrane distillation processes. In one example, a membrane, includes a porous surface and a plurality of sensors (e.g., temperature, flow and/or impedance sensors) mounted on the porous surface. In another example, a membrane distillation (MD) process includes the membrane. Processing circuitry can be configured to monitor outputs of the plurality of sensors. The monitored outputs can be used to determine membrane degradation, membrane fouling, or to provide an indication of membrane replacement or cleaning. The sensors can also provide temperatures or temperature differentials across the porous surface, which can be used to improve modeling or control the MD process.

Methods, systems, and computer-readable storage media for predicting the amount of buildup in a pipe of a fluid distribution system by evaluating a loss of acoustic energy from a sound source over a distance of the pipe. An acoustic energy in an acoustical wave travelling in the fluid of a pipe is measured at a first location and a second location, and an estimated damping factor for the segment of pipe between the first and second locations is computed based on a comparison of the acoustic energy measured at the first location and the second location. A residual attenuation for the segment of the pipe is determined from a difference between the estimated damping factor and a theoretical damping factor for the pipe based on a material comprising a pipe wall, and an amount of buildup in the pipe is estimated based on the residual attenuation.

A device (100) for detecting settled solids (300) in a conduit (200) for transporting slurry. The device (100) comprises a housing (110) positionable to define at least a segment of a flow path for the slurry. The device (100) comprises a reference temperature sensor (140) associated with the inside of the housing 110 in order to measure an ambient temperature of the slurry within the conduit. The device (100) further comprises a plurality of heaters (150) spaced around part of the inside circumference housing (110) that are maintained at a target temperature that is higher titan the ambient temperature of the slurry.