Non-limiting examples of the present disclosure relate to devices, systems and methods of manufacture for an exemplary waveguide usable for acoustic signal transmission for non-destructive evaluation (NDE) of a wooden specimen. An exemplary waveguide comprises a mating portion for interfacing with a transducer horn of an ultrasonic transducer. The mating portion comprises an impact surface and a contact well that is fabricated within the impact surface so that the contact well is not contacted during an impact that drives the waveguide into wood. The contact well is utilized to connect the waveguide to a transducer horn. The waveguide further comprises a body portion that comprises a radiating component optimized for non-destructive evaluation (NDE) of wood and transmission of ultrasonic signal data. Further non-limiting examples describe an interfacing component for securing one or more devices to the waveguide as well as an extraction component that is configured to minimize damage to the waveguide during extraction.

The present invention relates to detector arrangement that is capable of monitoring vibrations within a construction (20) of an organic material. The detector arrangement (10) comprises an acoustic sensor and a processing unit (13) having a processor (14). An acoustic sensor monitors vibrations within the construction when mounted to the construction (20) and provides a signal based on said monitored vibrations. The processor (14) determines an intensity threshold based on the signal, and when the signal has a component with an intensity higher than the intensity threshold, the processor determines that insect infestation is detected in the construction, if the signal component has a certain frequency content, comprises a wave-form that is essentially that of insect infestation vibration, and has an intensity pattern over time, which intensity pattern indicates insect infestation. Else, the processor maintains the acoustic sensor to monitor vibrations.

A filler material is applied to a plurality of wood elements. The plurality of wood elements is bonded into a composite wood product, where the bonding includes delivering ultrasound energy to the plurality of wood elements. The ultrasound energy has a frequency within a frequency range of 10 kHz-20 MHz.

A method for establishing a posteriori a match between a piece of wood and a log from which the piece of wood has been obtained, comprising the following operating steps of performing a tomographic scan of the wooden log, of calculating or selecting a log cutting pattern, of defining, starting with the tomographic information available, one or more virtual individualising characteristics which are linked to the distribution and/or size of physical characteristics of the log inside and/or on the surface of the self-same virtual piece of wood, of saving them in a database, together with information about the identity of the log, of dividing the log into real pieces of wood according to the cutting pattern, of acquiring real information about the distribution and/or size of physical characteristics of the log inside and/or on the surface of a real piece of wood and of defining corresponding real individualising characteristics to be compared with virtual individualising characteristics saved and of identifying an origin of the real piece of wood based on the information about the identity of the log which is saved together with the virtual individualising characteristics which match the real individualising characteristics.

A filler material is applied to a plurality of wood elements. The plurality of wood elements is bonded into a composite wood product, where the bonding includes delivering ultrasound energy to the plurality of wood elements. The ultrasound energy has a frequency within a frequency range of 10 kHz-20 MHz.

A method and an apparatus were disclosed for measuring wood density of live timber. The method comprising: measuring a diameter of a test part of the live timber at a first height from a ground surface; transmitting and receiving microwave in a preset frequency range in air at a first distance greater than the diameter, measuring a first ratio of a transmitted microwave signal to a first received microwave signal at different frequencies; transmitting microwave in the air at the first height and microwave penetrates the test part, receiving the microwave at the first distance from the microwave transmitting position, measuring a second ratio of a transmitted microwave signal to a second received microwave signal at different frequencies, calculating a dielectric constant and an attenuation constant; calculating the wood density according to a relationship between the wood density and the dielectric constant and the attenuation constant.

In accordance with a method for characterization of particles in a fluid-filled hollow structure, an ultrasound signal with a frequency spectrum, which exhibits a local maximum at a variable measurement frequency, is emitted in the direction of a part area of the hollow structure and reflected components are detected. The measurement frequency is tuned in a predetermined measurement interval, and depending on the detected reflected components, a spectral response curve is acquired as a function of the measurement frequency. Depending on the response curve, at least one characteristic property for a part of the particles located in the part area of the hollow structure is determined. The characteristic property includes a measure for an adhesion of the particles of the part of the particles located in the part area of the hollow structure.

A system for assessment of irregularity in wooden material below the surface of a substrate, from above the surface of the substrate. The wooden material extending from below to above the surface of the substrate and surrounded by the substrate below the surface of the substrate. The system comprising at least one transmitter and receiver or transducer arranged to transmit energy through the material from above the surface of the substrate towards the part of the material below the surface, and to receive energy reflected from the material back through the surface, and a processor arranged to analyse the reflected energy and provide an indication of irregularity in the material below the surface of the substrate.

A scanning system to analyze wood and determine defects includes at least two ultrasonic transducers configured to scan the wood from edge to edge by triangulating the wood. The at least two ultrasonic transducers are configured to find splits and shakes.

A method for determining tree infestation includes placing an optical fiber around a trunk of a tree; recording with a distributed acoustic sensor (DAS) box a Rayleigh signal reflected from the tree, along the optical fiber; processing the Rayleigh signal to obtain a processed signal; calculating a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the processed signal for the tree; and comparing the SNR to a threshold value and counting an alarm if the SNR is larger than the threshold value. The SNR is defined as a ratio between (1) a maximum value of a processed signal and (2) a minimum value of the processed signal.