Some embodiments relate to the application of a system and a signal processing method for data acquired from a Scanning Acoustic Microscope (SAM) to obtain a high axial resolution and enhanced imaging. The SAM is one of ultrasound imaging methods used for NDE. Embodiments may provide methods for decreasing or reducing the duration (width) of the pulses scattered/reflected by multiple objects/scatters. Such embodiments can accomplish this by eliminating, or at least partially eliminating, the background noise by deconvolving the system responses (i.e., reference signals) obtained from either theoretical modeling or experimental acquiring. In one embodiment, the method minimizes the pulse duration by using a regression technique to predict the spectra responses outside a frequency band.

A defect detection method and apparatus detecting a defect in an object. The method comprises: obtaining ultrasound scan data derived from an ultrasound scan of the object under consideration, the ultrasound scan data being in the form of a set of echo amplitude values representing the amplitude of echoes received from the object during ultrasound scanning at certain spatial and temporal points; processing the ultrasound scan data to remove echo amplitude values received after a predetermined threshold time; generating at least one image from the processed ultrasound scan data; subjecting each generated image to an automated defect recognition process to determine whether there is a defect in the portion of the object represented by the image; issuing a notification indicating whether or not a defect has been found; and, if a defect has been found, storing the result of the automated defect recognition process in a defect database.

A method for predicting a remaining life of a tool of a computer numerical control machine is provided. In the method, indirect measurement indicators of the tool are selected based on monitoring and analyzing a current state of the tool, a prediction model for the remaining life of the tool is established based on data de-noising, feature extraction and a multi-kernel W-LSSVM algorithm. Thereby, a method for predicting a remaining life of a tool of a computer numerical control machine is provided.

Embodiments herein provide a method and system for a non-invasive mechanism providing simultaneous determination of viscosity-temperature variation of a lubricant for predicting machine health using a Photo Acoustic (PA) sensing mechanism, Laser-enabled swept frequency acoustic interferometry (LE-SFAI), wherein the lubricant produces acoustic wave only if it absorbs the laser irradiation, thus overcomes the limitation of ultrasound based SFAI through optical absorption based contrast and proper selection of laser excitation wavelength. A PA signal received from the lubricant is processed by a Vector Network Analyzer (VNA), then converted to time domain to obtain normalized first peak that corresponds to the PA signal generated by the lubricant. A squared rise time of the first peak is indicative of viscosity of the liquid and shift in the first peak is indicative of variation of the viscosity as temperature of the lubricant varies.

In a method and apparatus for automated inspection, an image is acquired of an object under inspection and a difference image is generated showing the difference between the acquired image and a reference image of a defect-free object of the same type. Characteristics of the difference image, or detected isolated regions of the difference image, are passed to an automated defect classifier to classify defects in the object under inspection. The characteristics of the difference image may be pixels of the difference image or features determined therefrom. The features may be extracted using a neural network, for example. The automated defect classifier is trained using difference images and may be further trained, in operation, based on operator classifications and using simulated images of defects identified by an operator.

Examples of determining tuberculation in a fluid distribution system are disclosed. In one example implementation according to aspects of the present disclosure, an acoustical wave generator generates an acoustical wave within a fluid path of a fluid distribution system. A first acoustical sensor and a second acoustical sensor sense the acoustical wave. An acoustical signal analysis module determines an amount of tuberculation within the fluid distribution system by analyzing the sensed acoustical wave.

Described herein are Compressive Sensing algorithms developed for automated reduction of NDE/SHM data from pitch-catch ultrasonic guided waves as well as a methodology using Compressive Sensing at two stages in the data acquisition and analysis process to detect damage: (1) temporally undersampled sensor signals from (2) spatially undersampled sensor arrays, resulting in faster data acquisition and reduced data sets without any loss in damage detection ability.

An inspection apparatus for enabling a remotely-located expert to monitor an inspection by a non-expert, the apparatus comprising an inspection device capable of being operated by the non-expert, which is configured to generate inspection data indicative of a condition of a test object, and a communication unit configured to: divide the inspection data into first and second data; transfer the first data for being presented to the remotely-located expert at a first time, to facilitate substantially real-time monitoring of the inspection by the expert; and transfer the second data for being presented to the remotely-located expert at a second time, which is later than the first time, to facilitate non-real time monitoring of the inspection by the expert.

A method of detecting at least a blockage status in a porous member separating a measurement chamber of a device including a gas sensor positioned within the measurement chamber which is responsive to an analyte in an ambient environment to be sampled, includes emitting pressure waves from a pressure wave source which travel within the measurement chamber, measuring a first response via a first sensor responsive to pressure waves positioned at a first position within the measurement chamber, measuring a second response via a second sensor at a second position, different from the first position, and in fluid connection with the pressure wave source, determining the blockage status of the porous member based upon a functional relation of the first response and the second response.

In one embodiment, a method is provided. The method includes receiving a plurality of signals representative of an engine noise transmitted via a plurality of noise sensors, wherein the noise sensors are disposed in a grid about an engine. The method further includes receiving a knock sensor signal representative of an engine noise transmitted via a knock sensor. The method additionally includes deriving a combustion event based on the knock sensor signal, and deriving an engine condition based on the plurality of signals and the combustion event. The method also includes communicating the engine condition.