A method, apparatus, and system according to which first and second transducers are connected to first and second waveguides, respectively, the first and second waveguides are connected to a pipe, and ultrasonic wave signals are exchanged between the first and second transducers, said ultrasonic wave signals passing through the first and second waveguides, the pipe, and a fluid in the pipe. A temperature of the fluid flowing in the pipe may exceed about 600° C. The first and second waveguides insulate the first and second transducers from the pipe and propagate the ultrasonic wave signals between the pipe and the first and second transducers, respectively, so that the ability of the first and second transducers to exchange the ultrasonic wave signals is not adversely affected by the temperature of the fluid in the pipe. The first and second waveguides may be made of a calcium silicate technical ceramic.

A method of measuring the speed of a fluid, comprising the successive steps of: causing the processor component to emit at the same emission time both a first electrical excitation signal that is applied as input to a first transducer and also a second electrical excitation signal that is applied as input to a second transducer, such that the first transducer generates a first ultrasonic signal and such that the second transducer generates a second ultrasonic signal; putting the processor component on standby; reactivating the processor component after a predetermined standby duration; causing the first ultrasonic signal to be acquired by the second transducer and then by the processor component, and causing the second ultrasonic signal to be acquired by the first transducer and then by the processor component; using a value DToF to estimate the speed of the fluid.

The present invention provides an apparatus adapted to survey a predetermined characteristic within a body of fluid adjacent an axis that transects the body of fluid, the apparatus comprising: a survey member interposed between first and second position defining arrangements; and at least one instrumentality associated with the survey member, each instrumentality adapted to survey the predetermined characteristic of the body of fluid adjacent the axis, wherein a survey of the predetermined characteristic is conducted over a predetermined time period. The present invention provides a method of surveying a predetermined characteristic within a body of fluid adjacent an axis that transects the body of fluid, the method comprising the steps of: deploying into a body of fluid at least one apparatus according to the first aspect of the invention; and obtaining survey data of the predetermined characteristic from one or more of the instrumentalities over the predetermined time period. The present invention also provides methods of determining whether a potentially suitable site is a suitable site for operative location of a fluid-based electricity generator, and other related methods.

The present invention provides an apparatus adapted to survey a predetermined characteristic within a body of fluid adjacent an axis that transects the body of fluid, the apparatus comprising: a survey member interposed between first and second position defining arrangements; and at least one instrumentality associated with the survey member, each instrumentality adapted to survey the predetermined characteristic of the body of fluid adjacent the axis, wherein a survey of the predetermined characteristic is conducted over a predetermined time period. The present invention provides a method of surveying a predetermined characteristic within a body of fluid adjacent an axis that transects the body of fluid, the method comprising the steps of: deploying into a body of fluid at least one apparatus according to the first aspect of the invention; and obtaining survey data of the predetermined characteristic from one or more of the instrumentalities over the predetermined time period. The present invention also provides methods of determining whether a potentially suitable site is a suitable site for operative location of a fluid-based electricity generator, and other related methods.

A method and corresponding device are provided for determining a flow speed in a fluid conduit. The fluid conduit is provided with first, second and third ultrasonic wet transducers, wherein respective connection lines between transducers extend outside of a direction of average flow of the fluid conduit. First and second measuring signals are applied to the first ultrasonic wet transducer and received at the second and the third ultrasonic wet transducer, respectively. The measuring signals comprise a respective reversed signal portion with respect to time of a response signal. Respective first and second response signals are measured and the flow speed is derived from at least one of the first and second response signals.

An acoustic airspeed sensor system can include at least one acoustic transmitter configured to provide an acoustic pulse, a plurality of acoustic receivers including at least a first acoustic receiver, a second acoustic, receiver, and a third acoustic receiver, each positioned at a first radial distance from the at least one acoustic transmitter. The first acoustic receiver, the second acoustic receiver, and the third acoustic receiver are each configured to receive the acoustic pulse at a first time, a second time, and a third time, respectively, and output a first receiver signal, a second receiver signal, and a third receiver signal respectively. The system can include a computation unit operatively connected to the acoustic receivers and configured to generate a propagation function. The computation unit is further configured to determine true air speed based upon a receiver signals and the propagation function.

A method is provided for supporting flight operations of vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft in an urban air mobility (UAM) environment that includes a vertiport. The method includes accessing first observed weather data obtained by sensors located on-site at the vertiport and second observed weather data obtained by sensors onboard VTOL aircraft. A data fusion is performed to integrate the first observed weather data and the second observed weather data to produce a collection of weather data that describes the weather in an environment of the vertiport, and an environment of the VTOL aircraft. And a weather map is produced based on the collection of weather data, the weather map illustrating one or more meteorological features of the weather in the environment of the vertiport and/or the VTOL aircraft, the weather map produced for use in supporting flight operations of the VTOL aircraft.

A method is provided for supporting flight operations of vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft in an urban air mobility (UAM) environment that includes a vertiport. The method includes accessing first observed weather data obtained by sensors located on-site at the vertiport and second observed weather data obtained by sensors onboard VTOL aircraft. A data fusion is performed to integrate the first observed weather data and the second observed weather data to produce a collection of weather data that describes the weather in an environment of the vertiport, and an environment of the VTOL aircraft. And a weather map is produced based on the collection of weather data, the weather map illustrating one or more meteorological features of the weather in the environment of the vertiport and/or the VTOL aircraft, the weather map produced for use in supporting flight operations of the VTOL aircraft.

An autonomous vehicle includes a detection system for identifying the presence changes in wind incident on the autonomous vehicle, particularly wind gusts. The detection system may include one or more wind sensors, particularly those configured to detect wind incident on the vehicle from a direction that is transverse or perpendicular to the direction of motion of the autonomous vehicle. Additionally, systems may be present that correlate the detected wind gusts to changes in the behavior of the autonomous vehicle. The autonomous vehicle may react to the detected wind gusts by altering the vehicle's trajectory, by stopping the vehicle, or by communicating with a control center for further instructions.

A flowmeter for measuring a flow of a fluid has a sensing element that has a pipeline for the fluid with a pipe wall, at least one phased array ultrasonic transducer unit, which can emit ultrasonic signals into different emission angles and can receive ultrasonic signals from different reception angles, a control and evaluation unit that is designed to control the ultrasonic transducer unit for emitting the ultrasonic signals along a measurement path and for evaluating the received ultrasonic signals and determining a flow using transit times of the ultrasonic signals. The sensing element has at least one reflector, which is designed to reflect the ultrasonic signals emitted by the ultrasonic transducer unit back to the same ultrasonic transducer unit. The ultrasonic signals pass through the measurement path from the ultrasonic transducer unit to the reflector and back to the ultrasonic transducer unit on at least partially different path sections.