A device for measuring the rate of flow of a fluid comprising. The device includes a heating element, a housing, and a detector. The heating element is located in an interior of the housing, the housing defining a first thermal path from the heating element to a first region of an exterior of the housing and a second thermal path from the heating element to a second region of the exterior of the housing. The detector is configured to detect a property associated with transfer of heat from the heating element to the exterior of the housing. The first thermal path has a first thermal conductivity and the second thermal path has a second thermal conductivity. The first thermal conductivity is greater than the second thermal conductivity. The first region of the exterior of the housing is smaller than the second region of the exterior of the housing.

Water-jet cleaning system and a method of cleaning a heat exchanger. The equipment includes a rotary tool having a lance with at least two degrees of freedom. The lance's movements relative to openings defined in the heat exchanger face plate are controlled via a smart indexing controller. The controller includes an electronic communication device that is specifically programmed to selectively activate various components of the rotary tool and a water delivery system. The programming utilizes an observed, learned, or uploaded pattern of the heat exchanger tube openings to selectively rotate the lance relative to the rotary tool's mounting assembly or linearly move the lance towards or away from the mounting assembly. The controller moves the lance to align a nozzle thereon with a selected opening in the face plate and then delivers a high pressure water jet therethrough.

Water-jet cleaning system and a method of cleaning a heat exchanger. The equipment includes a rotary tool having a lance with at least two degrees of freedom. The lance's movements relative to openings defined in the heat exchanger face plate are controlled via a smart indexing controller. The controller includes an electronic communication device that is specifically programmed to selectively activate various components of the rotary tool and a water delivery system. The programming utilizes an observed, learned, or uploaded pattern of the heat exchanger tube openings to selectively rotate the lance relative to the rotary tool's mounting assembly or linearly move the lance towards or away from the mounting assembly. The controller moves the lance to align a nozzle thereon with a selected opening in the face plate and then delivers a high pressure water jet therethrough.

A method of electronically deriving a conclusion of a condition of slurry flow in a non-vertical conduit having a conduit wall and which contains a slurry to flow or flowing along the conduit is provided.

A system and method for irrigation, and managing irrigation of, a property or landscape. The system may include an irrigation management server (“IMS”) with the information for an irrigation system. The system may access the irrigation system that has been input into the IMS as well as access a third party map that may display the irrigation system over the map. The system may provide for a user's GPS location to be accessed through and identify the location of the user with respect to the map and irrigation overlay. The system display may provide information regarding the landscape to a user. The system may allow for manipulation of the irrigation system while overlaid on the map by the creation and manipulation of zones within the irrigation system as well as the creation and manipulation of other commands, including watering times and watering duration.

The present invention provides techniques for recovering hydrocarbon fluids in a process flow, including recovering bitumen from a coarse tailings line. The apparatus includes a signal processor that responds to signaling containing information about the presence of a hydrocarbon fluid in a process flow; and determines corresponding signaling to control the diversion of the hydrocarbon fluid from the process flow remaining based on the signaling received. The hydrocarbon fluid may be bitumen, including bitumen flowing in a course tailings line. The signal processor receives the signaling from a velocity profile meter having sensors arranged around a circumference of a process pipe containing information about a fluid flow velocity at various levels or heights within the process pipe, including a wrap-around velocity profile meter having multiple sensing arrays located radially at a top position of 0°, a bottom position of 180°, and intermediate positions 45°, 90° and 135°.

A wireless water control system includes a water heater connected to a water supply, a water line sensor device connected to a water line in fluid communication with the water heater, a wireless flow control valve connected to the water line, and at least one outlet faucet in fluid communication with the water line. The components are in wireless communication via a shared wireless network such as a Bluetooth connection. The control circuit receives user information including one or more parameters from an external device via the wireless network. The control circuit wirelessly activates the outlet faucet via a command sent through the wireless network, such that the outlet faucet emits water in a manner corresponding to the received user information. The outlet faucet also includes a speaker and microphone which facilitates voice activation. The speaker can emit music, text-to-speech for written information received from the internet, and other sounds.

The invention relates to a system and method for determining a status of plants. The system includes a light transmitter arranged for providing broad band illumination to one or more plants. The system includes a light receiver including a plurality of receiver channels, the receiver channels arranged for receiving light from said one or more plants in mutually different wavelength bands. The system includes a processing unit arranged for determining a status of said one or more plants on the basis of light received by the plurality of receiver channels. The transmitter may be arranged for transmitting bursts of modulated light.

A system of household appliances is configured to provide services according to user identity. The system includes a first appliance, a server or other network device, and a second appliance. The first appliance is configured to collect sensor data associated with an identity of a user. The server or other network device is configured to receive the sensor data from the first appliance and analyze the sensor data to determine the identity of the user. The second appliance is configured to provide a device function to the user based on the identity determined from the sensor data collected by the first appliance.

A disbursement system for a UAV is provided. The disbursement system may include a plurality of disbursement nozzles operable to dispense an agricultural product at variable flowrates, a flow controller responsive to instructions and operable to regulate a volume of the agricultural product dispensed by the disbursement nozzles, and a control system. The control system may include a plurality of sensors operable to monitor a plurality of flight parameters and a processing unit configured to model an effect of the plurality of flight parameters on first flow control instructions corresponding to a prescription coverage of the agricultural product and calculate and output modulated flow control instructions to the flow controller. The control system may modulate the first control instructions to change a flowrate of one or more of the plurality of disbursement nozzles to achieve an actual coverage of the agricultural product that is closer to the prescription coverage.