An apparatus for detecting a transient event in an operating machine, the apparatus comprising: a controller configured to control performance of the following steps: a measurement step comprising measuring a periodic signal from a machine; a processing step comprising synchronously processing the periodic signal to track the primary frequency; a filtering step comprising removing the primary periodic component and its harmonics from the periodic signal to yield a filtered dataset; an integration step comprising integrating the filtered dataset over the remaining frequencies to yield an integrated dataset representing the periodic energy at frequencies other than the primary frequency and its harmonics; an analysis step comprising identifying a short-term transient in the integrated dataset to identify a transient disruption in the operation of the machine.

An ultrasonic patch transducer is configured to be secured to an outer surface of a structural asset, such as a pipe or pressure vessel, for condition monitoring. The ultrasonic patch transducer includes a housing defining a centerline between a first end of the housing and a second end of the housing, a piezoelectric element within the housing and positioned along the centerline, and at least two magnets within the housing and positioned along the centerline. The at least two magnets and the piezoelectric element are configured to be positioned along a tangent plane of the structural asset.

A method of analyzing layer thickness of a multilayer component is provided. The method includes: creating an opening having a predefined geometry partially into the multilayer component at a selected location on a surface of the multilayer component. The multilayer component includes a plurality of material layers including a substrate and a bond coat. The opening exposes each of the plurality of material layers including the substrate. Contrast of the exposed plurality of material layers can be increased. An image is created of the exposed layers in the opening using a digital microscope, and thickness of a bond coat, thickness of a depletion layer\ and/or thickness of an oxide layer is calculated from the image and based on the predefined geometry of the opening. Repairing the opening, allows the multilayer component to be used for an intended purpose after testing, e.g., re-installed and reused in a gas turbine.

Various embodiments include determining a level of a surface of a fluid and/or for determining a quality of the fluid in a fluid container. An example apparatus comprises a sound transducer module having two sound transducers designed to receive and emit sound signals in such a manner that a superimposition sound signal results when the sound signals are superimposed, and a reference element arranged in the fluid at a predefined distance from the sound transducer module and is designed to reflect the superimposition sound signal. The sound transducer module is designed, by superimposing the at least two sound signals, to emit the superimposition sound signal both in a first direction to the surface of the fluid and in a second direction to the reference element, said second direction running at a predetermined sound signal angle with respect to the first direction.

An ultrasonic measurement system includes abase apparatus, an ultrasonic transducer remote from the base apparatus, a temperature sensing system remote from the base apparatus, and an electrical cable. The base apparatus includes a power supply, a pulse transmitter/receiver; and a base apparatus controller operatively connected to the power supply and the pulse transmitter/receiver. The ultrasonic transducer includes a piezoelectric element. The temperature sensing system includes a temperature measurement instrument operatively connected to a temperature sensor. The electrical cable includes first and second electrical conductors with the first and second conductors electrically connecting the base apparatus, the ultrasonic transducer, and the temperature sensing system. A method of measuring a thickness of an object and a further measurement system are also provided.

An inspection robot, and methods and a controller thereof are disclosed. An inspection robot may include an inspection chassis including a plurality of inspection sensors and coupled to at least one drive module to drive the robot over an inspection surface. The inspection robot may also include a controller including an inspection data circuit to interpret inspection base data, an inspection processing circuit to determine refined inspection data, and an inspection configuration circuit to determine an inspection response value in response to the refined inspection data. The controller may further include an inspection response circuit to, in response to the inspection response value, provide an inspection command value while the inspection robot is interrogating the inspection surface.

Various embodiments of a bio-inspired robot operable for detecting crack and corrosion defects in tubular structures are disclosed herein.

A method for detecting breaks or defects in railroad spikes transmits an ultrasonic signal that propagates along the body of the spike and detects the resulting reflected ultrasonic signal. The reflected signal is then analyzed to automatically detect the presence of a break or defect in the spike based on the time delay between the reflected signal and the transmitted signal.

A fuel flow measuring system includes an ultrasonic fuel flow sensor. The fuel flow sensor includes a first transducer and a second transducer. The first transducer is excited at multiple different excitation frequencies and a voltage, an electric current, and a phase difference between the voltage and the electric current is sensed at the first transducer during excitation. Data points are generated based on the sensed readings and a model is fit to the data points to determine a complex impedance spectrum. The complex impedance spectrum indicates a range of excitation frequencies within a range of a peak resonance frequency of the first transducer. One or more characteristics of excitation signals directed to the second transducer are set based on the determined complex impedance spectrum. In this manner, the signal to noise ratio of ultrasonic signals emitted by the second transducer and received by the first transducer can be maximized.

A system for analyzing layer thickness of a multilayer component is provided. The system includes: an opening forming device configured to create an opening having a predefined geometry partially into the multilayer component at a selected location on a surface of the multilayer component, where the multilayer component includes a plurality of material layers including a substrate and a bond coat and the opening exposes each of the plurality of material layers, and an imaging device configured to create an image of the exposed plurality of material layers in the opening. The system is configured to calculate at least a thickness of the bond coat of the exposed plurality of material layers from the image and based on the predefined geometry of the opening. The system may also include a repairing device configured to repair the opening, allowing the multilayer component to be used for an intended purpose.