Acoustic volume indicators for determining liquid or gas volume within a container comprise a contactor to vibrate a container wall, a detector to receive vibration data from the container wall, a processor to convert vibration data to frequency information and compare the frequency information to characteristic container frequency vs. volume data to obtain the measured volume, and an indicator for displaying the measured volume. The processor may comprise a microprocessor disposed within a housing having lights that each represent a particular volume. The microprocessor is calibrated to provide an output signal to a light that indicates the container volume. The processor may comprise a computer and computer program that converts the data to frequency information, analyzes the frequency information to identify a peak frequency, compares the peak frequency to the characteristic frequency vs. volume data to determine the measured volume, and displays the measured volume on a video monitor.

A respiratory flow therapy apparatus including a sensor module can measure a flow rate of gases or gases concentration provided to a patient. The sensor module can be located after a blower and/or mixer. The sensor module can include at least an ultrasonic transmitter, a receiver, a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, a humidity sensor and/or a flow rate sensor. The receivers can be immersed in the gases flow path. The receivers can cancel delays in the transmitters and improve accuracy of measurements of characteristics of the gases flow. The receivers can allow for detection of a fault condition in a blower motor of the apparatus.

A measuring device, in particular a flow meter, has a measurement tube for receiving or conveying a fluid, first and second oscillation transducers on a side wall of the measurement tube, and a control device. An operating method has the control device drive the first oscillation transducer chronologically in succession for respective mode-selective excitation of a first and a second oscillation mode of a wave conducted in the side wall of the measurement tube. The second oscillation transducer is driven similarly for a second measurement direction. The excited waves are conducted directly in the side wall or indirectly through the fluid and recorded in the other oscillation transducer, resulting in measurement data for each measurement direction and oscillation mode. Result information relates to a property of the fluid or a state of the measuring device determined from the measurement data for both measurement directions and both respective oscillation modes.

The pump systems (pump+driver) used in a pump station are selected based on the type of fluid or batch. The selection is of the more efficient pump systems for that batch. Less efficient pumps are avoided. When a new batch is detected, the selection is performed again for that new batch, which may result in a different combinations of pump systems for a given pump station. If variable speed pump drives are available, the efficiency at the desired speed is used for selection. The cost of energy (utilities) by pump station may alternatively or additionally be used to select the speed or combination of pump systems. The pump station and pipeline operation is optimized for efficiency of pump systems and/or cost of energy (utilities) for the different pump systems based on pipeline inventory and local utilities tariffs.

Acoustic imaging based on angular coherence is provided. The target is insonified with collimated acoustic beams at several different incidence angles. The resulting images are processed to determine angular coherence averaged over angle, and then integration of the angular coherence for relatively small angular differences is used to provide the output angular coherence image. In cases where flow imaging is done, the images are first filtered to suppress signals from stationary features of the target, multiple acquisitions are acquired, and the final flow image is computed by summing the squares of the angular coherence images (on a pixel by pixel basis).

A method of detecting one or more blocked sampling holes in a pipe of an aspirated smoke detector system. The method includes ascertaining the base flow of fluid through a particle detector using a flow sensor; monitoring subsequent flow through the particle detector; comparing the subsequent flow with the base flow; and indicating a fault if the difference between the base flow and the subsequent flow exceeds a predetermined threshold.

A harvesting machine capable of automatic adjustment, comprising a plurality of acoustic material flow sensors, a control system, a processor, and application software, wherein the plurality of acoustic material flow sensors are mounted internal to the harvesting machine at points of crop material flow and are capable of sensing an amount of crop material passing by them. The control system operates in a cause-and-affect mode for interactively enabling manual or automatic responses to Mass Material Distribution (MMD) information and equipment-related performance parameters. An interactive combine control method is also provided.

Methods and systems for measuring pipe parameters using guided acoustic wave modes are provided. The method includes receiving data corresponding to an acoustic signal, wherein the data are obtained by transmitting an excitation pulse at a specified frequency and detecting the resulting acoustic signal using an acoustic transducer attached to the outer surface of the pipe wall. The method includes analyzing the data to identify guided acoustic wave modes including at least two of: a C-SH acoustic wave mode that travels within the pipe wall; a C-LT acoustic wave mode that travels within the near-surface region of the pipe wall; and/or a CA acoustic wave mode that travels within the pipe cavity. The method includes calibrating the parameter measurement using the C-SH acoustic wave mode and determining the parameter measurement based on the phase velocity and/or the amplitude of the C-LT acoustic wave mode and/or the CA acoustic wave mode.

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.

Methods and systems are providing for improving engine coolant level estimation to reduce engine overheating. The level of fluid in a coolant overflow reservoir is inferred based on the fluid level in a hollow vertical standpipe fluidically coupled to the reservoir at top and bottom locations. An ultrasonic sensor positioned in a recess at the bottom of the vertical standpipe transmits signals intermittently, receives their echoes upon reflection from the coolant surface, and estimates the fluid level in the standpipe based on echo times.