The invention generally provides a system and method for detecting, measuring, and/or classifying particulate and/or water contaminants in a fluid supply line, storage tank, or sump. Embodiments of the invention provide a contaminant detection apparatus with a detection chamber and a detection module. The detection chamber includes a housing with an internal fluid conduit and one or more acoustic transducers disposed in the housing. Alarms and/or automatic signaling may be included to shut off valves or pumps when contaminants are detected.

An apparatus for detecting wear particles in a fluid includes an inlet channel and an outlet channel. An ultrasonic transducer creating an acoustic wave that defines an acoustic focal zone is located between the inlet and outlet channels. A flow path located between the inlet and outlet channel is shaped to restrict the flow of the fluid to be within the acoustic focal zone. An inductive pulse sensor includes a plurality of flow channels receiving the fluid and a plurality of planar coils wound around the flow channels. The inductive pulse sensor includes a detection system for the detection of wear particles passing through the flow channels based on a change in an electrical property of the planar coils. A single combined excitation signal is sent to all the planar coils at once and the detection system measures one single output measurement for the plurality of flow channels.

The application provides a device for measuring at least one parameter value of a suspended sediment of a fluid. The device includes a backscattering transducer module, a storage unit, and a calculation unit. The backscattering transducer module comprises a source module and a receiver module. The source module transmits at least three acoustic signals with different fixed characterizing measurement frequencies while the receiver module measures at least three echo level values of echo signals, which correspond with the at least three acoustic signals. The storage unit stores a data set of pre-determined echo level values with a data set of pre-determined suspended sediment parameter values. The calculation unit derives at least one suspended sediment parameter value from the data sets and the at least three echo level values.

Apparatus is provided having an acoustic-based air probe with an acoustic source configured to provide an acoustic signal into a mixture of concrete; and an acoustic receiver configured to be substantially co-planar with the acoustic source, to respond to the acoustic signal, and to provide signaling containing information about the acoustic signal injected into the mixture of concrete.

In the present invention a controllable acoustic source (14) in connection with the process fluid (10) emits a signal (18) into the fluid (10), consisting of a suspension of particles (12), being volumes of gas, liquid or solid phase. The controllable acoustic signal (18) is allowed to interact, with the particles (12), and the acoustic (pressure) signals (22) resulting from such an interaction is measured preferably via a sensor (24). A spectrum is measured. The spectrum is used to predict properties, content and/or size of the particles (12) and/or used to control a process in which the process fluid (10) participates. The prediction is performed in the view of the control of the acoustic source (14). The used acoustic signal has preferably a frequency below 20 kHz.

A sensor system for detecting particles within a fluid, the sensor system comprising: i) a gauge body having a working surface for receiving a particle containing fluid; ii) an impactor spaced apart from the working surface of the gauge body defining a spacing between the impactor and the working surface of the gauge body through which particle containing fluid can pass, wherein the sensor system is configured such that as the particle containing fluid passes through the spacing between the impactor and the working surface of the gauge body, particles disposed over the working surface are impacted by the impactor generating a signal which is dependent on one or both of the size and concentration of particles in the fluid; and iii) a sensor configured to detect the signal generated by the particles impacting the impactor and provide an output signal.

A system and method for determining when a sand separator should be purged to remove solids from the sand separator. The system can include an acoustic sensor which detects the frequency of audible sound coming from the inner chamber of the vessel and generate a signature signal representative of the frequency of audible sound. There is a processor connected to the acoustic sensor and configured to compare the signature signal with a set frequency range of audible sound which in turn generates a signal indicating when he signature frequency and the set frequency are in overlapping relationship.

A system features an acoustic sensor configured to mount on a wall of a mixing drum, sense an acoustic characteristic of a mixture of a slurry, including concrete, contained in a mixing drum when rotating, and provide acoustic sensor signaling containing information about the acoustic characteristic sensed; and a signal processor configured to receive the acoustic sensor signaling, and determine corresponding signaling containing information about a slump characteristic of the mixture of concrete contained in the mixing drum, based upon the signaling received.

A measuring system for monitoring the material parameters and/or homogeneity of a suspension which is conveyed through a channel, is electrically conductive or contains electrically conductive components with which an electrode of an electrical storage battery or electrical energy store is formed. A sensor system designed for ultrasonic inspection, which has at least one ultrasonic transducer, which is arranged on the outer wall of the channel in order to emit sound waves, and a sensor system designed for eddy current detection is provided, formed with at least one electrical transmitting coil and at least one electrical receiving coil or a giant magnetoresistive sensor (GMR), anisotropic magnetoresistive sensor (AMR), superconducting quantum interference sensor (SQUID) or Hall sensor and is arranged upstream or downstream of the sensor system.

The present invention comprises methods and systems that use acoustic radiation pressure.