An inspection probe and system for inspecting a welded or brazed joint includes a housing having an internal cavity and opposed tapered standoffs disposed at a distal end portion of the housing. Distal ends of the opposed tapered standoffs define pivot surfaces, and the opposed tapered standoffs are spaced apart to define a secondary enclosure. A plurality of transducer elements are disposed within the internal cavity of the housing and a primary coupling medium made of a flexible, semi-solid material is secured between the opposed tapered standoffs. A signal processing module is in communication with a data acquisition unit, which is in communication with the transducer elements. The inspection probe is rotated across the joint, data from the transducer elements is communicated to the signal processing module, and reconstructed and corrected images obtained at different angles from the transducer elements are stitched to generate an inspection image.

Various liquid cells for use in surface acoustic wave-based sensors are disclosed. The sensor can include a substrate, at least one sensor element, and at least one pair of electrical components. The electrical components can be located on opposite ends of the sensor element. The liquid cell can include a top layer that is configured to cover at least a portion of the pair of electrical components. The liquid cell can also include a fluidic channel. The fluidic channel can be configured to receive a liquid media and is arranged not intersect with any of the pair of electrical components. The liquid cell can also include a plurality of peripheral walls that are configured to form a plurality of air pockets. Each of the plurality of air pockets are configured to form virtual non-physical walls to prevent the liquid media from contacting the at least one sensor element.

In an ultrasonic sensor that is attached to a body component, a negative electrode line connected to a negative terminal is isolated from a shielding portion. The shielding portion is connected to a ground potential point without being connected to the negative electrode line.

A combined vapor and/or gas concentration sensor and switch includes a resonating structure, a first alternating current, AC, voltage source coupled to a drive electrode, the first AC voltage source providing the resonating structure with a first voltage having an amplitude causing a first vibration mode of the resonating structure to exhibit a pull-in band and having a first frequency response adjacent to the pull-in band, where the first frequency response is nonlinear, a second AC voltage source coupled to the drive electrode and providing a second voltage having a frequency so that a second frequency response of the resonant structure, adjacent to a third vibration mode, is linear, and a read-out circuit coupled configured to determine a vapor and/or gas concentration based on a difference between (1) the frequency of the second voltage and (2) a frequency obtained by the read-out circuit from the resonating structure.

Various embodiments include a method for determining the mixing ratio R of a fluid comprising a mixture of at least two different fluids for a technical process in a device comprising: irradiating an ultrasonic signal with a transmission level along a measuring distance running inside a measuring section; measuring a receiving level of the ultrasonic signal at one end of the measuring distance; determining an ultrasonic attenuation of the ultrasonic signal attenuated by the fluid based at least on the transmission and receiving levels of the ultrasonic signal; measuring a temperature of the fluid flowing through the measuring section; and determining a mixing ratio of the at least two different fluids from the determined ultrasonic attenuation and from the measured fluid temperature.

A scanning apparatus for imaging an object, comprising an ultrasound transducer comprising a transmitter configured to transmit ultrasound signals in a first direction towards an object and a receiver configured to receive reflected ultrasound signals from an object; and a backing block for absorbing ultrasound signals, located adjacent the transducer along a second direction opposite to the first direction; the backing block comprising an inner surface facing the transducer, the inner surface comprising a non-planar feature configured to increase the absorption of ultrasound signals by the backing block.

A scanning apparatus for imaging an object, comprising an ultrasound transducer comprising a transmitter configured to transmit ultrasound signals in a first direction towards an object and a receiver configured to receive reflected ultrasound signals from an object; and a backing block for absorbing ultrasound signals, located adjacent the transducer along a second direction opposite to the first direction; the backing block comprising an inner surface facing the transducer, the inner surface comprising a non-planar feature configured to increase the absorption of ultrasound signals by the backing block.

A gas analyzer uses continuous sonic signals through a conduit to determine the composition of a gas in the conduit. A transmitting transducer drives sonic signals at a fixed frequency and a second transducer receives the sonic signals. The phase shift between two signals corresponds to the speed of sound through the gas and is related to the composition of the gas. The electronic versions of these signals are processed by lowering, or dividing, the fixed frequency which expands the range of phase shift measurement and allows the determination of an expanded range for the gas composition. In an ozone generation system, the gas analyzer is highly suitable for determining the composition of gases derived from air as a gas of known composition and a calibration point.

A well tool can be used in a wellbore that can measure characteristics of an object in the wellbore. The well tool includes an ultrasonic transducer for generating an ultrasonic wave in a medium of the wellbore. The ultrasonic transducer includes a front layer, a rear layer, backing material coupled to the rear layer, and piezoelectric material coupled to the front layer and to the backing material. The rear layer can improve signal-to-noise ratio of the transducer in applications such as imaging and caliper applications.

According to one embodiment, an ultrasonic probe includes a first vibrating element and a second vibrating element. The first vibrating element is configured to vibrate at a first peak frequency. An intensity of a vibration of the first vibrating element is highest at the first peak frequency. The second vibrating element is configured to vibrate at a second peak frequency lower than the first peak frequency. An intensity of a vibration of the second vibrating element is highest at the second peak frequency.