An installation for following up the evolution of the quality of a lubricant circulating in equipment includes a conduit connected, upstream, to the piece of equipment and downstream to a recovery pan. A first controlled interruption valve circulates the lubricant in the conduit, a buffer reservoir accumulates lubricant, and a first bypass line is connected to the conduit, upstream from the first valve and to the buffer reservoir. A second controlled interruption valve circulates the lubricant in the first bypass line, a second discharge line discharges the lubricant, from the buffer reservoir to the recovery pan and a third controlled interruption valve circulates the lubricant in the second discharge line. A sensor determines content in a predetermined chemical element of a lubricant sample at the outlet of the buffer reservoir. This sensor includes an X-ray source and detector and a sample cell with a poly X-ray window.

The present invention relates to a method of detecting one or more metals in as liquid sample. The method includes the step of extracting the metal from the liquid sample and retaining the metal on a binding material. The detection of the extracted metal can be performed with the metal retained on the binding material or after the elution of the metal off the binding material.

The invention is related to composite materials that enable the detection of imperfections through non-destructive testing. The composite material may include several constituent materials. One of these constituent materials may include cavities of a predetermined or random shape that are arranged at predetermined or random locations. Another constituent material may at least partially fill at least some of these cavities during manufacturing of the composite material. A method for non-destructively detecting imperfections in such a composite material may involve receiving an image of the composite material that shows at least some cavities and detecting imperfections in the composite material based on an inspection of the image.

A wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer of the present invention includes: a position sensitive detector (10) configured to detect intensities of secondary X-rays (41) at different spectral angles, by using detection elements (7) corresponding to the secondary X-rays (41) at different spectral angles; a measured spectrum display unit (14) configured to display a relationship between a position, in an arrangement direction, of each detection element (7), and a detected intensity by the detection element (7), as a measured spectrum, on a display (15); a detection area setting unit (16) configured to be set a peak area and a background area; and a quantification unit (17) configured to calculate, as a net intensity, an intensity of the fluorescent X-rays to be measured, based on a peak intensity in the peak area, a background intensity in the background area, and a background correction coefficient, and to perform quantitative analysis.

A test device for the irradiation of products which are fed into a housing along at least two tracks. At least one separate sensor is provided for each track in order to separately monitor the arrival at a target position selected individually for each track preferably within the housing of the test device.

Apparatus and method for detecting materials on a conveyor belt using multi-energy x-ray absorption imaging. A spectroscopic x-ray detector consisting of a line array of pixels receives x-rays from an x-ray source directed through the conveyor belt. The x-rays are attenuated as they pass through the belt and materials on the belt. The pixels each produce an energy spectrum of the received x-rays. The received energy spectrum of each pixel is related to the source x-ray spectrum to determine a measured attenuation, which is then related to an attenuation model that includes the attenuation coefficients of a set of preselected constituent materials expected to be in or on the belt. Mathematical regression is used to fit the measured attenuation to the attenuation model to find the thickness of each constituent material for each pixel.

The presence of chlorine and nitrogen are determined and measured using a non-invasive portable neutron-generating and gamma ray detecting system(s). Portable devices of the present invention can also be used to detect chlorine and/or nitrogen-containing underground objects rapidly and on-site. Devices and systems described herein can be operated remotely and pre-programmed with search patterns, guided by an operator remotely, or programmed to home in on high-chlorine and/or nitrogen concentration areas.

To correctly acquire image data of an inspected article by preventing a difference in shade between images caused by a difference in position or sensitivity between sensor elements. An X-ray generation source irradiates an inspection region where an inspected article passes with an X-ray. X-ray detection means receives the X-ray passing through the inspection region using a plurality of sensor elements. Image data generation means generates image data of the inspected article from an output of the X-ray detection means. Incidence condition changing means changes two or more kinds of X-ray incidence conditions common for all of the plurality of sensor elements of the X-ray detection means in a state of absence of the inspected article in the inspection region. Correction data generation means acquires correction data that is needed for making a shade of an image uniform for each incidence condition.

A method for detecting surface impurities on a surface of a component by X-ray fluorescence analysis uses a hand spectroscope for application to the surface of a component. The hand spectroscope comprises an X-ray source, a fluorescent radiation detector, an analyzer and a display. The method comprises irradiating the surface of the component with X-rays using the X-ray source; detecting fluorescent radiation, which is emitted by the surface of the component as a result of the irradiation with the X-rays, using the fluorescent radiation detector; measuring a radiation spectrum of the detected fluorescent radiation; generating an evaluation result by analyzing the measured radiation spectrum using the analyzer, the evaluation result comprising a quantitative measure of the surface impurity of the surface due to predetermined characteristic substances; and outputting the generated evaluation result on the display.

A system for processing meat pieces includes a radiation inspection apparatus configured to receive a primary stream of meat pieces conveyed by a conveyor and to detect trim products containing undesired objects; a reject device; a control unit configured to operate the reject device using the detected undesired objects as an operation parameter such that the meat pieces containing the undesired objects are separated from the primary stream of trim products; an object remover configured to remove the undesired objects from the meat pieces separated from the primary stream of trim products; and a recirculation apparatus configured to receive the meat pieces after undergoing the object remover and recirculate it as a secondary stream into the radiation inspection apparatus. The secondary stream is separated from the primary stream, and the radiation inspection is configured to detect whether any remaining undesired objects are in the secondary stream.