A sonic speed measurement device includes a reception array in which a plurality of reception elements which output reception signals in response to reception of an ultrasonic wave are disposed in one direction, a phase difference detection portion that detects a phase difference between the reception signals output from the reception elements adjacent to each other in a case where the plurality of reception elements receive the ultrasonic wave which propagates in a spherical wave shape from a target point, and a sonic speed calculation portion that calculates a sonic speed of the ultrasonic wave on the basis of the phase difference.

Described are an apparatus, computer program product, and associated methods for shaped waveform acoustic interrogation of substances and materials to determine one or more properties of the materials or substances. In some embodiments, a shaped waveform is formed by summing two or more different waveforms and an acoustic wave is generated according to the shaped waveform. The acoustic wave is transmitted by one or more transmitting transducers through the substance or material and received by one or more receiving transducers. The shaped waveform acoustic wave can have a duration or a period that is less than about 20 μs and can comprise predetermined frequency content. Characteristics of the shaped waveform acoustic wave, as received at the receiving transducer(s), including characteristics such as amplitude, frequency, time of flight, etc., can be associated with said one or more properties of the substance or material to provide for real-time monitoring of these properties.

A method for characterizing the gas load of a medium, which comprises a liquid loaded with gas, using a measurement sensor that guides the medium in at least one vibrating measurement tube, includes: determining a speed of sound value and a resonator density value of the medium based on natural frequencies of at least two different vibration modes of the measurement tube; determining a measured pressure value for the medium guided in the measurement tube; determining a gas volume content of suspended bubbles in the medium based on the resonator density value, the speed of sound value and the measured pressure value; and determining a value for the gas volume content of free bubbles based on the resonator density value of the medium and the gas volume content of suspended bubbles.

The invention comprises a device and method to estimate the elasticity of soft elastic solids from surface wave measurements. The method is non-destructive, reliable and repeatable. The final device is low-cost and portable. It is based in audio-frequency shear wave propagation in elastic soft solids. Within this frequency range, shear wavelength is centimeter sized. Thus, the experimental data is usually collected in the near-field of the source. Therefore, an inversion algorithm taking into account near-field effects was developed for use with the device. Example applications are shown in beef samples, tissue mimicking materials and in vivo skeletal muscle of healthy volunteers.

A system for detecting characteristics of a fluid includes a sonic sensor. The sonic sensor includes a transducer, a transduction surface, and an acoustically reflective pad member. The transducer may be contained within a probe body, and the transduction surface may be an element of the probe body. A stem may connect the pad member to the transduction surface. The transducer will generate pulses that are transmitted to the pad member via a fluid when the transduction surface and pad member are immersed in the fluid. The system will detect the pulses when reflected and use that data to determine a speed of sound within the fluid. The system may use the speed of sound to determine density, specific gravity and/or stiffness of the fluid. The system may use that determination to assess a level of processing activity of the fluid, such as fermentation activity.

A system for detecting characteristics of a fluid includes a sonic sensor. The sonic sensor includes a transducer, a transduction surface, and an acoustically reflective pad member. The transducer may be contained within a probe body, and the transduction surface may be an element of the probe body. A stem may connect the pad member to the transduction surface. The transducer will generate pulses that are transmitted to the pad member via a fluid when the transduction surface and pad member are immersed in the fluid. The system will detect the pulses when reflected and use that data to determine a speed of sound within the fluid. The system may use the speed of sound to determine density, specific gravity and/or stiffness of the fluid. The system may use that determination to assess a level of processing activity of the fluid, such as fermentation activity.

A method and device for configuring a clamp-on ultrasonic measuring device for flow measurement in pipelines, the clamp-on ultrasonic measuring device comprising at least two ultrasound transducers for flow measurement which face one another along the pipeline in a plane or diagonally. The autonomous acquisition and detection of the properties of the pipeline is carried out by means of a determined resistance value on the basis of the dimension of the pipeline and/or a circumferential measurement of the pipeline and/or a determined ultrasound value.

A method and device for configuring a clamp-on ultrasonic measuring device for flow measurement in pipelines, the clamp-on ultrasonic measuring device comprising at least two ultrasound transducers for flow measurement which face one another along the pipeline in a plane or diagonally. The autonomous acquisition and detection of the properties of the pipeline is carried out by means of a determined resistance value on the basis of the dimension of the pipeline and/or a circumferential measurement of the pipeline and/or a determined ultrasound value.

A system for measuring fluid flow in a wellbore is provided. A probe includes at least a heater. A fiber optic cable is connected to the probe. The system is programmed to perform operations including: changing an output of the heater to thereby change a temperature of drilling fluid moving over a fiber optic cable; measuring a strain on the fiber optic cable caused by changing the temperature of the drilling fluid; preliminarily determining a velocity of the drilling fluid from the measured strain; measuring at least a second parameter of the drilling fluid; adjusting the preliminary determined velocity based on the measured at least a second parameter to yield an adjusted velocity; and determining a flow rate of the drilling fluid based on the adjusted velocity.

A system for measuring fluid flow in a wellbore is provided. A probe includes at least a heater. A fiber optic cable is connected to the probe. The system is programmed to perform operations including: changing an output of the heater to thereby change a temperature of drilling fluid moving over a fiber optic cable; measuring a strain on the fiber optic cable caused by changing the temperature of the drilling fluid; preliminarily determining a velocity of the drilling fluid from the measured strain; measuring at least a second parameter of the drilling fluid; adjusting the preliminary determined velocity based on the measured at least a second parameter to yield an adjusted velocity; and determining a flow rate of the drilling fluid based on the adjusted velocity.