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.

This identification apparatus is for identifying the degree of degradation of oil and includes a sensor that detects a substance arising from oil contained in an oil tank and a controller that determines the degree of degradation of the oil based on information related to the substance detected by the sensor and the distance from the oil tank containing the oil to the sensor.

An air bubble sensor has a holder at which at least one ultrasonic sensor is arranged to detect air bubbles and/or gas bubbles in a flowing liquid, wherein a flow passage which has connection pieces is integrated into the holder.

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.

System and methods for determining a non-condensable gas parameter relating to the amount of non-condensable gas within a variable flow rate fluid flow containing both non-condensable gas and condensate are disclosed. An apparatus may include a measurement tube for receiving the fluid flow and arranged such that the fluid flow through the measurement tube comprises alternating sections of non-condensable gas and condensate; a flow sensor for generating a flow rate signal relating to the flow rate of the fluid flow in the measurement tube; a phase sensor for monitoring over time the alternating sections of non-condensable gas and condensate flowing through the measurement tube and arranged generates a phase signal characteristic of the said sections monitored; and a non-condensable gas determining unit configured to determine a non-condensable gas parameter relating to the amount of non-condensable gas in the fluid flow based on the flow rate signal and phase signal.

Acoustical methods and an associated device, to estimate one or more properties of bubbles in a liquid like medium are provided. Principally, the acoustical method comprises acoustically exciting one or more bubbles in a liquid like medium to oscillate at a resonant frequency, detecting a first signal emitted from an acoustical source arranged to acoustically excite the one or more bubbles and detecting a second signal produced from the one or more bubble oscillations, deriving at least a first and a second characteristic by performing frequency domain analysis on the detected first and second signals, the first characteristic comprising a frequency interference minimum f.sub.1min and the second characteristic comprising a bubble resonance fundamental frequency maximum f.sub.1max and estimating one or more bubble properties from at least the first and second characteristics. Further provided are acoustical methods to estimate the equilibrium size and location of one or more bubbles in a liquid-like medium.

A bubble detection sensor includes an emitter having an emitting surface and a receiver positioned on a side of a fluid conduit opposite the emitter. The receiver has a receiving surface adapted to receive a signal emitted by the emitter through a fluid of the fluid conduit. A sensor axis extending normal to the emitting surface and the receiving surface is disposed at a rotation offset angle with respect to a plane extending normal to a longitudinal conduit axis of the fluid conduit. The rotation offset angle is set to optimize a ratio of a sensitivity of the signal received by the receiver to an efficiency of the signal received by the receiver.

A method is provided for non-invasively determining properties of a multiphase flow which flows through an electrically conductive object. Using a single set-up having a plurality of EMAT transducers, at least one property of the multiphase flow is determined by means of at least one of a plurality of measurement methods. A device is also provided for non-invasively determining properties of a multiphase flow which flows through an electrically conductive object. At least four EMAT transducers are positionable upstream along a first object cross-section at or near the object wall and at least four EMAT transducers are positionable downstream along a second object cross-section at or near the object wall.

Sensors, methods, and computer program products for air bubble detection and fluid composition determinations are provided. An example sensor device for use with fluid flow systems includes a force pulse generator coupled with a fluid flow system that emits a force pulse and a force pulse sensor coupled with the fluid flow system. The force pulse sensor receives the force pulse emitted by the force pulse generator and determines the fluid flow system's transient response to the force pulse. Based upon the transient response, the force pulse sensor determines an operating condition of the fluid flow system. The operating condition may be indicative of the presence of an air bubble within the fluid flow system or may be indicative of a composition of a fluid within the fluid flow system. The force pulse sensor may further determine the amplitude and rate of decay of the transient response.

A system for detecting the presence of bubbles in a solution includes an ultrasonic receiver, receiving a pair of signals having different frequencies after passage through the solution, and a computing unit. The computing unit computes a signal value for each of the signals, the signal value representing a defined signal property, compares the signal values for the signals with each other and/or each with a predefined reference value, and computes a deviation of the signal values from each other and/or between the signal values and the predefined reference value. The computing unit generates a bubble confirmation signal that confirms the presence of bubbles in the solution if the deviation is greater than a predefined threshold value.