The present disclosure relates to devices and methods for determining the density of insulation. For example, one aspect of the disclosure is a device that includes a sound generator and one or more sound sensors configured to detect sound that is generated by the sound generator and transmitted through the insulation to the one or more sound sensors. The device also includes a control system configured to cause the sound generator to generate the sound and use the sound detected by the one or more sound sensors to generate output that represents the density of the insulation. Another aspect of the disclosure is a method for using the device to determine the density of insulation.

Methods and apparatus for evaluation of an earth formation including evaluating a core sample obtained from the formation. Methods include using a change in measurements of at least one stress parameter of the core sample, such as radial strain, axial stress, and acoustic emission counts, over time responsive to an applied stress to estimate imminent rock failure in the core sample. This may include estimating the imminent rock failure using differences between portions of a curve generated based on the measurements. A method employing calculating a rate of change between a plurality of measurements of at least one stress parameter of the core sample over time responsive to an applied stress; and determining a point of imminent failure using the rate of change in the plurality of measurements of the at least one stress parameter is also included.

A powder quality control system includes a powder container, a piston, and at least one sensor. The powder container is configured to contain a powder sample. The piston is configured to compact the powder sample in the powder container. The at least one sensor is configured to measure at least one parameter when the piston compacts the powder sample to facilitate determining a powder quality measurement for the powder sample.

There is disclosed a system and method for identifying a powder material. A powder press has a die for receiving a powder to be compacted. A press member is arranged to be moveable so as to compact the powder within the die. A load sensor senses a load applied by the press member to the powder so as to generate multiple load readings during movement of the press member. A processor is arranged to receive the load readings from the load sensor and to compare the load readings during movement of the die with predetermined load data. The processor outputs an identification signal for the compacted powder based on said comparison.

A number of membranes are mounted in a column, each membrane being at an angle to horizontal, with alternating angles to form a cascading progression for testing segregation of a powder blend. The membranes are each supported on cylindrical segments that are assembled into a column, and the column is mounted in a housing with a vibrator. With the vibrator actuated, the powder blend flows down the membranes and free falls into a collecting cup at the bottom. Tablets are formed of the segregated powder blend and analyzed for component uniformity.

A soil shear testing device having a frame with a first plate and a second plate spaced apart from the first plate and fixed with respect to the first plate for defining a gap therebetween, the first plate having a first plate aperture formed therein and the second plate having a second plate aperture formed therein and being coaxial with the first plate aperture. A movable plate being insertable into the gap, having a movable plate aperture formed therein, the moveable plate being insertable into the gap into a receiving position where the moveable plate aperture is coaxial with the first and second plate apertures for allowing the device to accept a soil sample column, the gap having a depth for permitting the movable plate to be displaced past the receiving position for shearing the soil sample column at two separate shearing planes defined by opposite sides of the moveable plate.

The disclosure provides a rock stratum grouting water blocking test device and method under a mining coupling condition, and relates to the technical field of permeability testing. The device includes a solution box, a test box, a pressing plate replacement box, a grouting pump, a recovery pool and a water pump, the solution box is connected with the test box through a liquid injection pipe, the bottom of the test box is connected with the pressing plate replacement box, the pressing plate replacement box is connected with a bottom plate, and the bottom plate is connected with a control panel. The device can be used for testing the influence of the single-factor or multi-factor coupling action of temperature, water quality, water pressure, water flow and grouting pressure on the grouting effect.

A method for real time crush testing of proppants including loading proppant into an apparatus comprising: a body with a chamber to accept a piston and proppant; a pressure piston; a pressure transducer located in the bottom of the chamber; and a displacement sensor; compressing the proppant with the pressure; calculating the amount of proppant material in the proppant pack; increasing pressure on the proppant pack until the sample is crushed; calculating proppant strength from at least the displacement sensor data. An apparatus includes a body with a chamber to accept a piston and proppant; a pressure piston; a pressure transducer located in the bottom of the chamber; and a displacement sensor.

An apparatus for measuring a degree of cure and a specific volume of a packaging material is provided, including: an upper load module configured for driving the rotation of an upper ball screw via an upper servo motor such that a force plate coupled to the upper ball screw moves downward and is thus positioned; a lower load module having a lower ball screw operating and moving via a lower servo motor such that a load joint group connected to the lower ball screw generates a corresponding displacement; an upper film cavity module connected to the upper load module; and a lower film cavity module disposed on the lower load module. The displacement of the load joint group enables a push rod to move upward. A heating pipe keeps constant the temperature of a subject to be measured in a cavity of the lower film cavity module.

A hardness measurement system for a molded product, includes a gripper configured to grip a molded product as a target with use of a jaw, and a controller configured to measure properties other than hardness of the molded product without breaking the molded product gripped by the gripper, and subsequently increase gripping force while the molded product is kept gripped by the gripper to break the molded product and measure the hardness of the molded product.