A measuring system for automatically determining and/or monitoring the quality of a liquid or viscous foodstuff, including a housing with an interior space for a product container for the foodstuff, the product container has a product space for the foodstuff and a lid provided with a probe with a thermometer, a heating and cooling device for the interior space, a sensor device for determining a non-temperature quality-related parameter value of the foodstuff, and a control unit designed to control the measuring system, measure, store, process and/or export the measured parameter values, and to control the heating and/or the cooling system according to a desired time-temperature program. The cooling system includes a cold buffer, a cooler for the cold buffer, and a separate refrigerant circuit. The cold buffer includes a buffer holder with a phase-transition material, wherein the refrigerant circuit includes a cooling circuit with a pump.

Systems and methods are disclosed for detecting a crack in an automotive windshield and alerting a user of the same. This can allow the user to repair the crack before the user might otherwise detect the crack by his/her own visual inspection. The windshield can be provided with emitters configured to emit signals (e.g., sound, light, etc.) and corresponding detectors configured to detect the emitted signals. Signal profiles or signatures can be stored that represent normal measurements when there is no crack. Upon detecting a signal signature that deviates from the stored normal signal signatures, the system can notify the user of a potential crack in the windshield. The system can also determine the location of the crack based upon which of the detectors detect a change in the detected signal.

Disclosed herein are methods of producing metal nanoparticle-decorated carbon nanotubes. The methods include forming a reaction mixture by combining a first solution with a second solution, wherein the first solution comprises polymer-coated metal nanoparticles comprising metallic nanoparticles coated with a polymer, and wherein the second solution comprises carbon nanotubes. The methods also include heating the reaction mixture to a temperature greater than a glass transition temperature of the polymer for a time sufficient to cause the polymer-coated metal nanoparticles to bind to the carbon nanotubes forming the metal nanoparticle-decorated carbon nanotubes.

Disclosed herein are methods of producing metal nanoparticle-decorated carbon nanotubes. The methods include forming a reaction mixture by combining a first solution with a second solution, wherein the first solution comprises polymer-coated metal nanoparticles comprising metallic nanoparticles coated with a polymer, and wherein the second solution comprises carbon nanotubes. The methods also include heating the reaction mixture to a temperature greater than a glass transition temperature of the polymer for a time sufficient to cause the polymer-coated metal nanoparticles to bind to the carbon nanotubes forming the metal nanoparticle-decorated carbon nanotubes.

The present application is directed to an electrical system including a housing configured to hold electrical components within an internal volume. In one aspect the electrical system is a power transformer. A sensor is mounted to the housing and is configured to sense a parameter associated with one or more electrical components during operation of the electrical system. A control system including a communication unit and a data processing unit is operable for analyzing the sensed parameter and comparing the sensed parameter to a predetermined minimum or maximum threshold value.

An air quality sensor includes a detector element array, a processor operatively connected to the detector element array, and a memory. The memory is disposed in communication with the processor and has instructions recorded on the memory that, when read by the processor, cause the processor to execute certain operations including measuring electrical resistance of one of more detector element of the detector element array. A difference is calculated between the measured resistance and a reference resistance, and a determination is made of presence or absence of a contaminant in air communicated to the detector element array from an atmosphere of an aircraft cabin based on the difference between the measured resistance and the reference resistance. Aircraft and methods of monitoring air quality also described.

An air quality sensor includes a detector element array, a processor operatively connected to the detector element array, and a memory. The memory is disposed in communication with the processor and has instructions recorded on the memory that, when read by the processor, cause the processor to execute certain operations including measuring electrical resistance of one of more detector element of the detector element array. A difference is calculated between the measured resistance and a reference resistance, and a determination is made of presence or absence of a contaminant in air communicated to the detector element array from an atmosphere of an aircraft cabin based on the difference between the measured resistance and the reference resistance. Aircraft and methods of monitoring air quality also described.

A device includes a sensor die, an electrical coupling, a substrate, a liquid detection unit, and a housing unit. The sensor die is coupled to the substrate via the electrical coupling. The liquid detection unit electrically is coupled to the sensor die. The housing unit and the substrate are configured to house the sensor die, the liquid detection unit, and the electrical coupling. The housing unit comprises an opening that exposes the sensor die to an environment external to the housing unit. The liquid detection unit detects presence of liquid within an interior environment of the housing unit. In some embodiments, the device further includes a gel filled within the interior environment of the housing unit covering the sensor die and the substrate. The gel, e.g., silicone, fluoro silicone, etc., is configured to protect the sensor die, the electrical coupling, and the substrate from exposure to the liquid.

A method is for determining a status of a track section of a railroad. Each end of the track section is connected to a respective detector. One of the two detectors transmits a current along the rails of the track section towards the other detector and receives a current transmitted along the rails of the track section from the other detector. The track section is further equipped with a computer in communication with the two detectors. The computer calculates an instant value of the status of the track section as a function of an instant vector based on a measure of an intensity of the current transmitted by a first of the detectors as measured by the first detector (Txl1), a measure of an intensity of the current received by the first detector as measured by the first detector (Rxl1) and a measure of an intensity of the current transmitted by the second detector as measured by the second detector (Txl2).

The present application relates to a porous body quality inspection apparatus and a method for inspecting quality of a porous body, and according to one aspect of the present application, there is provided a porous body quality inspection apparatus comprising a contact resistance measuring part of a porous body with a gas diffusion layer, a pressurizing part for pressurizing a pressure-sensitive discoloration base material on the porous body, an image mapping part for calculating a contact area between the pressure-sensitive discoloration base material and the porous body, a transporting part for transporting the porous body and the pressure-sensitive discoloration base material, and an operation part for performing an operation of an interfacial contact resistance between the porous body and the gas diffusion layer.