An apparatus and method for detecting an initial lubrication of a moving component including an ultrasonic sensor for detecting an ultrasonic output signal from the moving component and a processor for operating on the output signal. The processor determines if there has been an initiation of a lubrication operation. After identifying the initiation of the lubrication operation, the processor monitors the ultrasonic output signal received from the ultrasonic sensor to detect a momentary increase in the amplitude of the ultrasonic output signal above a level that indicates a need for lubrication, and which is indicative of an initial interaction between a lubricant and the moving component. Upon detecting the momentary increase in the amplitude, the processor tracks a progress of the lubrication operation by detecting for a sustained decrease in the amplitude of the ultrasonic output signal received from the ultrasonic sensor.

A compression technique can be used for processing or storage of acquired acoustic inspection data. For example, data indicative of peak values of an A-scan time-series can be stored to provide a compressed representation of such time-series data. A representation of the original A-scan data can be reconstructed, such as using the data indicative of the peak values, and a digital filter. Such an approach can dramatically reduce a volume of data associated an acoustic acquisition, such as a Full Matrix Capture (FMC) acquisition to be used for Total Focusing Method (TFM) beamforming and related imaging.

An ultrasound circuit comprising a trans-impedance amplifier (TIA) with built-in time gain compensation functionality is described. The TIA is coupled to an ultrasonic transducer to amplify an electrical signal generated by the ultrasonic transducer in response to receiving an ultrasound signal. The TIA is, in some cases, followed by further analog and digital processing circuitry.

A sensing system contains a vibration device attached to a stem of an agricultural crop for applying vibration to the agricultural crop, at least one sensor attached to the stem of the agricultural crop for sensing vibration of the agricultural crop caused by the vibration applied to the agricultural product from the vibration device to transmit vibration information relate to the vibration of the agricultural crop and a computing device for identifying one local maximum value among a plurality of local maximum values in a frequency spectrum obtained from the vibration information received from the at least one sensor as a resonance frequency of the vibration of the agricultural crop to determine a growth degree of a fruit of the agricultural crop based on the identified resonance frequency.

Methods, systems, and computer storage media for providing an indication of an integrity of an object based on a non-invasive assessment of the integrity of the object using acoustic signature management engine in object integrity sensing system. In operation, an aggregate object-intermediate-medium sound of an object in an intermediate medium is detected (e.g., via sensors). An acoustic signature of the aggregate object-intermediate-medium sound is generated as a processed acoustic channel associated with statistical measurements. A reference acoustic signature of the object and intermediate medium is accessed. The reference acoustic signature is associated with an acoustic signature computation model, that generates reference acoustic signatures based on a mean and standard deviation measurements of input signals transmitted through the object and intermediate medium. A determination whether the object has impaired integrity is determined based on a quantified difference between the acoustic signature of the aggregate object-intermediate-medium sound and the reference acoustic signature.

A shot processing system according to an aspect includes a shot processing apparatus to project shot media, a measurement device output a signal waveform related to a wave generated due to collision of the shot media, a control device to control the shot processing apparatus. The control device includes a processing condition acquisition unit to acquire a required intensity, a control unit to control the shot processing apparatus to cause the shot processing apparatus to perform the shot processing to the measurement device under a first shot condition, an intensity analysis unit to acquire a measured intensity by analyzing the signal waveform output by the shot processing to the measurement device, and a correction unit to correct a shot condition of the shot processing apparatus from the first shot condition to a second shot condition to reduce a difference between the required intensity and the measured intensity.

Method and apparatus estimate the length of a fatigue crack in sheet metal structures from individual acoustic emission (AE) signals without recourse to the AE signal history or AE signal amplitude. AE energy generated at one crack tip travels to the other tip and establishes a standing wave pattern that has a characteristic dominant frequency which depends on the crack length. Therefore, crack length information can be recovered from the analysis of the standing wave frequency present in the high-frequency AE signals. We found that the AE signals predicted through numerical simulation have embedded in the high-frequency information that can be related directly to crack size. This information is manifested as peaks in the frequency spectrum that shift as crack length changes. The predictive AE models were tuned against experimentally observed AE signals and a methodology for predicting crack length from AE signals was established. This methodology was utilized to develop machine learning algorithms for predicting crack length directly from individual AE signals. Specific artificial intelligence methodology presently disclosed can estimate in real-time the crack length information from the high-frequency AE waveforms during fatigue crack growth.

An acoustic scatterometer has an acoustic source operable to project acoustic radiation onto a periodic structure and formed on a substrate. An acoustic detector is operable to detect the −1st acoustic diffraction order diffracted by the periodic structure and while discriminating from specular reflection (0th order). Another acoustic detector is operable to detect the +1st acoustic diffraction order diffracted by the periodic structure, again while discriminating from the specular reflection (0th order). The acoustic source and acoustic detector may be piezo transducers. The angle of incidence of the projected acoustic radiation and location of the detectors and are arranged with respect to the periodic structure and such that the detection of the −1st and +1st acoustic diffraction orders and discriminates from the 0th order specular reflection.

A system and method for analyzing structural heath data includes a structural body, structural health sensors, and first and second computer systems. The structural health sensors are configured to sense data regarding structures of the structural body. The first computer system is configured to collect the sensed data as the structural health data. The second computer system that includes a user interface and display, and is configured to receive the structural health data and provide interactive transformational analysis of the structural health data. The interactive transformational analysis provides, on the display of the second computer system, a visual representation of the structural health data over time.

A system and method for analyzing structural heath data includes a structural body, structural health sensors, and first and second computer systems. The structural health sensors are configured to sense data regarding structures of the structural body. The first computer system is configured to collect the sensed data as the structural health data. The second computer system that includes a user interface and display, and is configured to receive the structural health data and provide interactive transformational analysis of the structural health data. The interactive transformational analysis provides, on the display of the second computer system, a visual representation of the structural health data over time.