A high-pressure tank is detected to rupture before the rupture of the tank with high accuracy. The pressure when the indicator obtained based on measured acoustic emission or sound is at least a threshold value is defined as a pressure just before a rupture.

An enclosure for an ultrasonic transducer is configured for variable moisture protection. During storage and transport, the enclosure may be kept in a sealed state, which prevents entry of humidity. During operation in a wet environment (e.g., in a water meter attached to a pipe) water leaks into the enclosure very slowly, even when sealed. Accordingly, a tube is opened, allowing water molecules to be exhausted from the enclosure and absorbed by a desiccant within the water meter. In an example, a tube passes from an interior of the enclosure to an exterior of the enclosure. An end cap on the tube prevents humid air from entering the enclosure during storage and transport of the ultrasonic transducer. During operation in a humid environment, removal of the end cap allows air exchange to ventilate the enclosure and allows a desiccant outside the enclosure to absorb humidity exhausted from the enclosure.

Pressure vessels that operate at elevated temperatures and pressures (e.g., 600° F./316° C., 20000 psig), and ultrasonic transducers and signal connectors for use therein, are described. The pressure vessels include a housing defining a cavity. The housing includes a cylindrical body with plugs positioned within openings of the cylindrical body. Each plug has a recess extending from an external surface to a location ultrasonically adjacent the cavity. The pressure vessels additionally include transducer assemblies positioned within respective plug recesses. Each transducer assembly includes a signal connector positioned within the recess adjacent the external surface, a transducer having a piezoceramic element positioned within the recess at the location ultrasonically adjacent the cavity, and a metallic interconnection spring interconnecting the transducer to the signal connector.

A tempo-spatial evolution test system for rock breaking in deep and complex environment includes an acoustic emission sensor assembly and an acoustic emission amplifier assembly that are arranged on a rock mechanics test system. A triaxial cavity coupling bracket is arranged on an outer wall of the triaxial cavity and between two sets of acoustic emission sensor assemblies. The triaxial cavity coupling bracket includes a plate-shaped bracket, two sickle-shaped brackets, and at least three bracket bolts, which can be tightly wrapped on the outer wall of the triaxial cavity. A lateral side of the plate-shaped bracket vertically fixes two guide columns. The acoustic emission amplifier assembly is arranged between the two guide columns and is located above the plate-shaped bracket, and the acoustic emission amplifier assembly is connected to the acoustic emission sensor assembly through a signal line.

A plug is adapted for connection to an ultrasonic transducer to protect and guide wiring during storage, transportation, and the manufacturing process. The plug protects and orients wires to allow for automated manufacturing and to provide an improved connection between the transducer and an electronic printed circuit board. The plug may include a first portion having wire guide(s) and a second portion configured for attachment to the transducer. The plug includes at least one wire guide to protect wire(s) that connect the ultrasonic transducer to a printed circuit board. A wire extends through a passage defined in each wire guide on a first portion of the plug. The first portion slides with respect to the second portion to expose portions of first and second wires carried within the first and second channels, respectively. Once exposed, the wires can be soldered to a PCB in an automated manner.

A system and method of predicting impending failure of a pressure vessel include a pressure vessel, a fluid source, a line coupled to the pressure vessel and to the fluid source, an apparatus, a sensor and a controller. The apparatus includes a conduit and a containment structure. The containment structure includes a cavity separated from an interior of the conduit by a portion of a conduit wall of the conduit. The sensor is configured to determine a value of a physical property in the cavity. The controller is in signal communication with the sensor and configured to detect a change in the value. The method includes determining a first value of a physical property in the cavity, experiencing a failure of the conduit wall, determining a second value of the physical property in the cavity, and detecting a difference between the first and second values.

A system for monitoring rock damage in deep engineering environment includes an acoustic emission sensor assembly and an acoustic emission amplifier assembly. The assemblies are mounted on a rock mechanics test system. The acoustic emission sensor clamp includes a coupling screw, as well as a clamp cover, a clamp cylinder, and a coupling panel threadedly connected in sequence. The acoustic emission amplifier assembly includes an acoustic emission amplifier, an upright column having a guide rail, a lifting support plate, and a support plate lifting oil cylinder. Additionally, an evaluation method based on acoustic emission tempo-spatial evolution laws is presented. According to the properties of acoustic emission, fractal characteristics of damage evolution processes of rock test pieces are analyzed and the relationship between stress, energy and fractal dimension in the whole process of tensile deformation damage of the rock test pieces is obtained.

Techniques are disclosed for configuring a bi-material enclosure for an acoustic sensor assembly, such as for use in a water or gas metering applications, or other applications using piezo and/or transducer devices. A plastic housing with mechanical reinforcements (e.g., 40% glass fiber) provides the advantage of strength and resistance to a high-pressure environment encountered during use. Use of a plastic sleeve having less or no reinforcements provides more consistent signal reception and data generation between different transducer assemblies under the same or similar conditions. Accordingly, the bi-material transducer enclosure provides a high resistance to pressure and/or high reproducibility of signal-transmission characteristics between transducer assemblies.

Systems and methods for testing shear bond strength of cement with a composite sample under downhole conditions form a bonding surface of the sample oriented at an angle between 50 and 70 degrees from a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the sample. The composite sample is formed by bonding the cement to the sample with the cement in contact with the bonding surface of the sample.

Systems and methods for components, e.g., liquid or gas handling, are described. A tester includes a wand that is handheld that can communicate with a handheld electronic device which in turn can communicate with a central monitor for storing and compiling readings as historical profile data. The wand includes an acoustic probe to physically contact the device to acoustically sense the performance of the device. The acoustic probe includes a probe tip and a stack of acoustic elements, an electrode, a stack mass, and a head to convert the acoustic signal into an electrical signal. The tester can include onboard force sensors associated with the probe or a temperature sensor. The tester or a handheld device includes circuitry to process the information, interact with the user, and transmit information to and from the handheld electronic device and/or the central monitor.