An operation information collection system for a fluid control device configured as an operation information collection module includes a detected value acquisition unit acquiring a detected value of a state change or a device operation able to detect opening/closing operations from the fluid control device, a calculation processing unit calculating a rate of change of detected values separated by a predetermined time based on the detected value, and an operation information registration unit registering the rate of change of the detected values separated by the predetermined time to an operation information storage unit as an operation information of the fluid control device.

A control system is provided for a fluid delivery device. The control system includes an emitter operable to emit a series of pulses of electromagnetic radiation, as well as a detector operable to detect as a series of detection events electromagnetic radiation pulses reflected by an object on which the emitted pulses of electromagnetic radiation are incident. The control system also includes a microprocessor operable to receive signals corresponding to each detection event from the detector, and to analyse a series of samples of the signals received from the detector. Each sample corresponds to a plurality of successive detection events. The microprocessor is also operable to subsequently generate one or more signals to control operation of the fluid delivery device depending on the results of the analysis.

An automated computer-vision system is used for timing the sand drainage in a sand management arrangement that handles flowback of sand and other solid materials in a slurry of flow from well(s) at wellsite(s). The automated system uses infrared imaging of flowback equipment to determine a level of solids (sand) in the equipment. Image processing of the temperature differences of the content in the equipment gives a demarcation of the sand and liquid separation in the equipment, which is used to determine how much sand is present. If the equipment is found to be full or above a predefined benchmark, the automated system operates a discharge skid to discharge the contents to a waste tank.

A case for an electronic cigarette vaporiser, the case including an automatic lifting mechanism that lifts the vaporiser up a few mm from the case to enable a user to easily grasp the vaporiser and withdraw it from the case. The lifting mechanism can be spring-based. The case both re-fills the vaporiser with liquid and also re-charges a battery in the vaporiser.

A pipeline reconditioning system and process is provided for reconditioning corroded or damaged pipelines. The reconditioning system includes a mobile topside unit storing and providing reservoirs and supplies of substances used in the pipeline reconditioning and the equipment for the reconditioning system, a management and towing units that are securely anchored in the pipeline at remote access points, and a towed delivery system array that includes a deployment sled that processes the substances and dispenses the reconditioning material, such as a composite epoxy resin with chopped glass or basalt filament fibers, between access points to the pipeline interior.

The invention relates to a method for controlling a concentration of dissolved oxygen in a volume (V) of water (W), wherein a device (1) for dissolving oxygen in water (W) is submerged in said volume (V) of water, wherein oxygen is injected by the device (1) with an adjustable flow rate into a main water stream (W′) sucked into a housing (100) of the device (1), and wherein the oxygen enriched main water stream (W′) is discharged by the device (1) out of the housing (100) of the device (1) into said volume (V) of water (W), and wherein a current concentration of oxygen dissolved in the sucked main water stream (W′) is measured with an oxygen probe (6) that is integrated into the housing (100) of the device (1), wherein said current concentration of dissolved oxygen is transmitted in a wireless fashion to a hand-held device (9) of an operator, and wherein the flow rate of the injected oxygen is controlled such that the measured current concentration of dissolved oxygen approaches a pre-defined reference value.

In one embodiment, the disclosed apparatus is an in-situ, closed-loop bubble and foam detection and reduction system that includes a liquid-level sensor to determine a volume of a liquid in a fluid reservoir, a mass-detection device to determine a mass of the fluid reservoir and any liquid contained within the fluid reservoir, a processor electrically coupled to the liquid-level sensor and the mass-detection device to determine an actual volume of the liquid within the fluid reservoir, and a showerhead coupled to the processor and positioned above the fluid reservoir. The showerhead is activated by the processor when a volume of the liquid determined by the liquid-level sensor exceeds the actual volume of the liquid by a predetermined amount. Other apparatuses and methods are disclosed.

A steam trap may include a processor and an electronic water sensor configured to determine a presence of water in the steam trap and transmit data regarding the presence of the water to the processor. The steam trap may further include an electronically actuatable valve configured to be driven by signals from the processor.

Systems and methods for providing network connectivity and remote monitoring, optimization, and control of pool/spa equipment are provided. “Internet-of-Things” (IoT) functionality is provided for pool and spa equipment in a flexible and cost-effective manner. Network connectivity and remote monitoring/control of pool and spa equipment is provided by various components such as a network communication and local control subsystem installed in pool/spa equipment, and other components. Also disclosed are various control processes (“pool logic”) which can be embodied as software code installed in any of the various embodiments of the present disclosure.

A flow rate control device (8) includes a control valve (6) having a valve element and a piezoelectric element for moving the valve element, and an arithmetic processing circuit (7) for controlling an operation of the control valve, wherein the arithmetic processing circuit is configured to receive an external command signal SE corresponding to a target flow rate when opening the control valve from a closed state so that a gas flows at the target flow rate, and to generate an internal command signal E1 output to a driving circuit for determining a voltage applied to the piezoelectric element based on the external command signal, the internal command signal is a signal that rises with time from zero and converges to a value of the external command signal, and is generated such that a slope at the time of initial rise and a slope immediately before convergence are smaller than a slope therebetween.