Detection of moisture conditions in a conduit, particularly a gases supply system conduit for supplying respiratory or surgical gases, using an electrical property of the conduit.

An agricultural baler includes: a frame; a bale chamber coupled with the frame; and a control system including: at least one sensor coupled with the frame, positioned circumferentially relative to the bale chamber, and configured for sensing an operative parameter of a crop material in the bale chamber.

A method of assessing soil heave includes providing a plurality of determined values of a shear modulus of soil, the determined values being values of the shear modulus of the soil at different times; and determining a change over time in the shear modulus of the soil, based on the plurality of determined values of the shear modulus of the soil. The soil may have been treated by adding a stabilizer to the soil. The soil may be hydrated. A system for assessing soil heave includes a bender element disposed in soil, for determining a change over time of a shear modulus of the soil, and a time domain reflectometer probe disposed in the soil, for determining a change over time of moisture content of the soil. The determined change over time of the shear modulus and the determined change over time of the moisture content are used to assess heaving of the soil.

There is provided a hygiene monitoring device including a sensing panel. The sensing panel has an elongate flexible panel defining a longitudinal axis. The elongate flexible panel includes a first pair of plates spaced apart from each other in a direction crossing the longitudinal axis. The elongate flexible panel also includes a second pair of plates spaced apart from each other in a direction crossing the longitudinal axis. The first pair of plates and the second pair of plates are disposed on a flexible substrate of the elongate flexible panel. Each plate of the first pair of plates and each plate of the second pair of plates is elongate along the longitudinal axis of the elongate flexible panel. The hygiene monitoring device is configured to measure the impedance between two of the plates.

A method and apparatus for measuring the moisture content of pulp material on a wire in an installation for producing paper. The apparatus includes a measuring device for measuring the moisture content of the pulp material. The apparatus has a moisture sensor, a control and data processing unit assigned to the measuring device, and a transmitting and receiving device and/or a connection for a data line for transmitting the measured data to the control and data processing unit. The measuring device for measuring the moisture content of the pulp material includes a pressure measurement device for determining and displaying a pressure range with which it is being pressed against the wire. The contact pressure is controlled and taken into account during the measurement of the moisture content.

A probe for monitoring electrical conductivity of ground water in soil is provided. The probe includes a hollow tube that includes (a) an upper tube section with an apertured stopper, (b) a lower tube section, aligned with the upper tube section and having a porous ceramic cap for inserting into soil, and (c) a T-fitting connecting between the tube sections and having an apertured T-fitting stopper. A vacuum tube is inserted through the T-fitting stopper aperture; and a conductivity sensor electrode is inserted through the upper tube section stopper aperture. The conductivity sensor electrode includes a pair of electrode poles that are spaced apart at a distance of 3-5 mm and the distance between the conductivity sensor electrode and the hollow tube is greater than 3 mm, whereby interference by air bubbles in the ground water is mitigated.

Excretion by a diaper wearer in a diaper is predicted by providing in or on the diaper on the wearer an excretion detector capable of detecting excretion by the diaper wearer and a motion sensor capable of detecting movements of the diaper wearer. The sensor continuously detects and at least temporarily records movements of the diaper wearer, and these detected movements are analyzed to determine movement patterns. Then, on detection of excretion by the detector, a movement pattern immediately preceding the detection of excretion is stored or flagged as a critical movement pattern. Thereafter each time movements matching the critical movement pattern are detected, a signal is sent to a user.

A wetness sensor includes a substrate that carries a tuned RF circuit. The circuit includes a conductive pattern applied to the substrate, a capacitor, and a jumper all disposed on a same side of the substrate. The conductive pattern includes an inductive coil, and an inner and outer terminus. The jumper electrically couples the inner terminus to the outer terminus. The jumper also includes a frangible link which, when contacted by a target fluid, produces a drastic change in the operation of the RF circuit. The drastic change can be interpreted by a remote reader as a “wet” condition. Contact of the frangible link by the target fluid may change the impedance or resistance of the RF circuit by at least a factor of 5, 10, 100, or more, and/or may cause the frangible link to disintegrate to produce an open circuit, and/or may substantially render the RF circuit inoperative.

Concrete can be one of the most durable building materials where consumption is projected to reach approximately 40 billion tons in 2017 alone. Despite this the testing of concrete at all stages of its life cycle is still in its infancy although testing for corrosion is well established. Further many of the tests today are time consuming, expensive, and provide results only after it has been poured and set. Accordingly, by exploiting self-contained wireless sensor devices, which are deployed with the wet concrete, the in-situ curing and maturity measurement data can be established and employed together with batch specific concrete data to provide rapid initial tests and evolving performance data regarding the concrete cure, performance, corrosion of concrete at different points in its life cycle. Such sensors remove subjectivity, allow for rapid assessment, are integrable to the construction process, and provided full life cycle assessment.

A system for determining an amount of and applying a preservative to an individual charge of crop material, wherein the charge is combined with other charges to form a bale. Loose crop material is collected and packed into a feeder chute in such a manner as to pre-compress the material to form the charge. A moisture content of the charge is measured by a sensor while the charge is still in the feeder chute. The charge is moved into a forming chamber, and a control unit determines a correct amount of a preservative to apply to the charge based on the moisture content. The correct amount of the preservative is applied to the charge either before or after the charge is incorporated into the bale. Thus, the system measures the moisture content of each charge, and measures the moisture content of the same charge to which the preservative is applied.