An ultrasonic inspection system, method, and software. In one embodiment, the ultrasonic inspection system includes an ultrasonic probe that directs ultrasound waves into a structure from a front wall, and receives reflected waves to generate a response signal. The system further includes a processor that rectifies the response signal to generate a rectified signal, integrates a portion of the rectified signal within a detection time window to determine an energy sum, and generates output based on the energy sum. The detection time window is restricted to a front wall reflection and at least a portion of a near-surface dead zone following the front wall reflection.

Apparatus is provided comprising a signal processor that receives signaling containing information about an acoustic signal swept and sensed over a frequency range in relation to a pipe; and determines information about the structure of the pipe based at least partly on two or more sub-frequency ranges that form part of the frequency range in the signaling received. The signal processor also receives the acoustic signal being transmitted to the pipe and corresponding signaling in the two or more sub-frequency ranges containing information about reflections of the acoustic signal back from the pipe; and determines information about the structure of the pipe based at least partly on a coherent mixing of the acoustic signal and the corresponding signaling in the two or more sub-frequency ranges using a coherent acoustic tomography technique. Alternatively, the signal processor also receives associated signaling in the two or more sub-frequency ranges containing information about associated resonance in a liner of a wall of the pipe and determines information about the liner of the wall of the pipe, based at least partly on the two or more sub-frequency ranges.

An ultrasonic inspection system, method, and software. In one embodiment, the ultrasonic inspection system includes an ultrasonic probe that directs ultrasound waves into a structure from a front wall, and receives reflected waves to generate a response signal. The system further includes a processor that rectifies the response signal to generate a rectified signal, integrates a portion of the rectified signal within a detection time window to determine an energy sum, and generates output based on the energy sum. The detection time window is restricted to a front wall reflection and at least a portion of a near-surface dead zone following the front wall reflection.

The odor exploration method explores an odor based on odor information generated using a plurality of sensor elements each outputting a detection signal according to the state of adsorption by indicating an adsorption reaction unique to each odor substance, and an arithmetic unit generating the odor information by quantifying each detection signal from the sensor elements. The method includes a detection step detecting a first gas containing odor substances, a generation step generating a first odor information group generated based on a detection result of the first gas, a preparation step preparing a second odor information group generated based on a detection of a second gas, and a calculation step calculating a sum of or a difference between the second odor information group and the first odor information group based on a sum of or difference between the odor information generated for the first gas and for the second gas using the same sensor element.

Methods, systems, and computer-readable storage media for performing high-resolution assessment of the condition of pipes of a fluid distribution system using in-bracket excitation. Acoustical impulses are generated in a pipe at two excitation locations along the pipe while signal data is recorded from two acoustic sensors, at least one of the excitation locations being located in-bracket of the two acoustic sensors. A first time delay between the arrival of the acoustical impulses at the two acoustic sensors is computed from the signal data recorded during generation of the impulses at the first excitation location, and a second time delay between the arrival of the impulses at the two sensors is computed from the signal data recorded during generation of the impulses at the second excitation location. An acoustic propagation velocity is computed for a section of the pipe defined by the first and second excitation location based on the first time delay, the second time delay, and a distance between the excitation locations, and a condition of the section of pipe is determined from the computed acoustic propagation velocity.

A vibration amplification and detection device may include a coiled diaphragm coupled to a pin that is also coupled to a substrate. The coiled diaphragm may be coupled to the pin via at least one axle and a fulcrum disc, and the vibration detection device may be coupled to a surface via the substrate. Responsive to vibration associated with or proximate the surface, the coiled diaphragm may receive and amplify the received vibration. In addition, a sensor associated with the vibration detection device may capture or detect the received and amplified vibration. Further, the detected vibration may be processed and compared with known vibrations and associated properties. Moreover, one or more actions may be instructed based on the detected vibration and associated properties.

A gas sensor includes a microbeam configured to vibrate when driven by a driving electrode; a vibrometer configured to measure a frequency associated with a vibration of the microbeam; a power source configured to apply a first voltage (V1) to the microbeam to heat the microbeam; and a controller configured to control the power source and to receive the frequency measured by the vibrometer. The controller controls the power source to heat the microbeam so that the microbeam is at a buckling point, and the controller determines at least one characteristic of a gas present around the microbeam, based on the frequency received from the vibrometer.

A bearing lubrication system includes an ultrasonic signal detector affixed in proximity or in contact with a set of bearings and a control unit. The control unit including (a) a lubrication dispenser fixed to a structure connected with the set of bearings and having an output for dispensing lubricant to the set of bearings through a controllable valve; and (b) a transceiver affixed in proximity to the set of bearings, said transceiver transmitting the ultrasonic signal to a location remote from the set of bearings. A hub computer is at the remote location that receives the ultrasonic signal from the transceiver. When the hub computer determines that the ultrasonic signal is above a local predetermined threshold the hub computer generates a local valve open/close signal and sends it back to the transceiver of the control unit. When the local valve open/close signal is received at the transceiver it causes the valve to open and allow lubricant to reach the bearings and closes the valve when the ultrasonic signal drops below the threshold.

According to one embodiment, a structure evaluation system according to an embodiment includes a plurality of sensors, a position locator, a corrector, and an evaluator. The plurality of sensors detect elastic waves generated from a structure. The position locator locates the position of a generation sources of a plurality of elastic waves on the basis of the plurality of elastic waves detected by the plurality of sensors. The corrector corrects information based on the position locating performed by the position locator using a correction value set in correspondence with an impact. The evaluator evaluates a deterioration state of the structure on the basis of the corrected information.

A tire damage detection system for a vehicle includes: a tire; at least one sensor disposed in association with the tire to detect a noise signal when the tire rolls on a road surface to move the vehicle, the noise signal having a plurality of frequency peaks in a frequency spectrum of the noise signal; and a processor to monitor target frequency peaks of the frequency spectrum to detect damage of the tire, and to generate an alert signal in response to the detection of the damage of the tire.