Method for the prevention and/or removal of biofilm and sediment formation in borehole tubes or distribution tubes, with the following steps: (i) mounting one or more ultrasonic transducers (9, 9′) on an aboveground part of the tube; (ii) sending the ultrasonic waves whereby both the power and the frequency of the ultrasonic waves are varied in time, with a frequency between 20 and 60 kHz and a power between 1 and 6 Watt for smaller tubes and between 6 and 40 Watt for larger tubes; (iii) sending the varying ultrasonic waves through the water that flows or is pumped through the tube; (iv) providing an automatic interruption of the effect of the ultrasonic waves when the flow of the water through the tube stops, either by shutting off the transducers, or by the automatic operation of a non-return valve which interrupts the water column between the transducer and the underlying mass of water.

An optical monitoring system serves to monitor surroundings, having a monitoring apparatus, the visual or scanning field of which is captured by a lens, and a protection panel (112) which protects the lens from precipitation and covers at least the visual or scanning field of the monitoring apparatus. In order to avoid the signal quality of the monitoring apparatus being impaired by precipitation on the protection panel, it is proposed that the protection panel (12; 112; 218; 318) is acoustically coupled to at least one ultrasonic transducer (10). The optical monitoring system can be included into the control system of a vehicle for autonomous driving, wherein, overall, it is possible to obtain increased safety of the control system.

The invention relates to a treatment system for treating workpieces. Devices and methods of the disclosure are configured to perform at least one treatment operation on the workpiece, as well as at least one receiving unit for accommodating the workpiece on or in the treatment device. A transport device is provided that comprises at least one transport unit, with which the workpiece is transferable into a transfer position, from which the workpiece is transferable by means of the at least one receiving unit into a treatment position, as well as a control device for controlling the at least one treatment unit, the at least one receiving unit, and the at least one transport unit.

A method of fabricating a film vibration device, including: photoetching a surface of a silicon wafer to form a circular-hole array; etching an aluminum layer on the silicon wafer; etching the silicon wafer to form a through-hole array to obtain a porous silicon wafer; attaching a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) sheet to a side of the porous silicon wafer; ablating the PET sheet to obtain a porous PET film; attaching a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) film to a lower side of the porous silicon wafer; performing vacuumization above the porous silicon wafer, while heating the PVDF film below the porous silicon wafer to create dome micro-structures on the PVDF film; and laminating the porous PET film on each of two sides of the PVDF film to obtain the film vibration device. This application also provides a cleaning device having the film vibration device.

An optical probe includes an elongate hollow probe body, an optical window mounted at a distal end of the probe body for transmitting light therethrough, an ultrasonic transducer mounted within the probe body for applying ultrasonic vibrations to the optical window for cleaning the optical window, and one or more light guides located within the probe body for transmitting light through the optical window to a measurement region and/or for receiving light transmitted through the optical window from the measurement region. The ultrasonic transducer is located within the distal end of the probe body adjacent the optical window to transmit ultrasonic vibrations directly from the ultrasonic transducer to the window.

An automatic plant for cleaning moulds for tyres, wherein the moulds are constituted of sectors and cheeks, includes an apparatus for internal cleaning of sectors and cheeks and an apparatus for external cleaning of sectors and cheeks. The apparatus for internal cleaning of sectors and cheeks comprises fixing means for sectors and cheeks in a stable treatment position, a generating device for generating ultrasonic vibrations, transmitting means for transmitting the vibrations from the device to the sector or cheek treated, in such a way as to carry out cleaning of sectors or cheeks by subjecting them to vibrations.

A carbide blade cleaning device includes a water pressure cleaning device, an ultrasonic cleaning device and an air drying device. The water pressure cleaning device includes a cleaning chamber for accommodating a cutter head and a water jet mechanism with an output end facing the cutter head. The ultrasonic cleaning device includes a cleaning box and a cutter head fixing box with an opening in a side surface for accommodating the cutter head, and a first telescopic mechanism drives the cutter head fixing box to adjust a relative position to the cleaning box. The air drying device includes a cutter head fixing table and an air drying mechanism with an output end facing the cutter head fixing table.

An optical monitoring system serves to monitor surroundings, having a monitoring apparatus, the visual or scanning field of which is captured by a lens, and a protection panel (112) which protects the lens from precipitation and covers at least the visual or scanning field of the monitoring apparatus. In order to avoid the signal quality of the monitoring apparatus being impaired by precipitation on the protection panel, it is proposed that the protection panel (12; 112; 218; 318) is acoustically coupled to at least one ultrasonic transducer (10). The optical monitoring system can be included into the control system of a vehicle for autonomous driving, wherein, overall, it is possible to obtain increased safety of the control system.

A self-vibrating pH probe comprise a housing containing an electronic assembly to which is coupled a vibration source element so that at least a portion of vibrations caused by the vibration source element propagate to the electronic assembly, the vibration source element being controllable for at least on/off operation. The self-vibrating pH probe further comprising a pH probe member having a probe tip at a first end, the probe member extending from the housing and mechanically and electrically coupled by a second end to the electronic assembly so that at least a portion of vibrations propagating to the electronic assembly further propagate to the probe tip; and further including a processor coupled to the electronic assembly for coordinating operation of the vibration source element and operation of the pH probe member.

An optical module and a vehicle is provided. The optical module is for corresponding to an optical component, and the optical module includes a panel, and a foreign object removal assembly. The foreign object removal assembly removes a foreign object that is attached to the panel in a physical way. The vehicle includes the optical module.