Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080310576 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING COOLANT LEVEL AND FLOW VELOCITY IN A NUCLEAR REACTOR - A boiling water reactor includes a reactor pressure vessel having a feedwater inlet for the introduction of recycled steam condensate and/or makeup coolant into the vessel, and a steam outlet for the discharge of produced steam for appropriate work. A fuel core is located within a lower area of the pressure vessel. The fuel core is surrounded by a core shroud spaced inward from the wall of the pressure vessel to provide an annular downcomer forming a coolant flow path between the vessel wall and the core shroud. A probe system that includes a combination of conductivity/resistivity probes and/or one or more time-domain reflectometer (TDR) probes is at least partially located within the downcomer. The probe system measures the coolant level and flow velocity within the downcomer. | 12-18-2008 |
20090146810 | RADIO FREQUENCY SENSOR CIRCUITRY SENSING DEVICE - A sensing device adapted to detect environmental changes and/or an analyte is provided. The sensing device comprising radio frequency sensor circuitry, a protection material disposed on the radio frequency sensor circuitry, and a metallic layer disposed on the protection material. A detection system for detecting an environmental change or an analyte in an article is provided. | 06-11-2009 |
20090210169 | HAND-HELD SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DETECTION OF CONTAMINANTS IN A LIQUID - A method for detecting contaminants in a liquid is provided. The method can include filling at least a portion of a sample container interior chamber with a liquid sample and submerging a sensor probe of a hand-held portable sensing device in a liquid sample. The method can additionally include sensing an electrical conductivity of the liquid sample utilizing at least one conductivity sensor and automatically selecting a particular one of a plurality of contaminant concentration detection (CCD) algorithms based on the sensed conductivity. The method can further include setting a sensitivity of at least one ionic species sensor to a sensitivity level particular to the selected CCD algorithm and sensing non-desired contaminants in the liquid sample utilizing the at least one ionic species sensor. A concentration of the non-desired contaminant in the liquid sample is then determined in accordance with the selected CCD algorithm. | 08-20-2009 |
20090289792 | DISPOSABLE SENSING DEVICE HAVING RADIO FREQUENCY BASED SENSOR - A sensing device for sensing one or more conditions inside a container is provided. The sensing device comprises a radio frequency based sensor; a support for positioning the sensor in operative proximity to the inside of the container, and a pick-up coil in operative association with the sensor. | 11-26-2009 |
20100194574 | PARTICLE DETECTION SYSTEM AND METHOD OF DETECTING PARTICLES - A method for detecting an aerosol plume includes emitting a light beam from a light source, the light beam having at least one light pulse, wherein the light pulse having a pulse width of between about 10 picoseconds (ps) and about 75 nanoseconds (ns), detecting backscattered light produced by the at least one light pulse interacting with particles in the aerosol plume, determining a presence of the aerosol plume based on the detected backscattered light, and outputting a signal indicating the presence of the aerosol plume. | 08-05-2010 |
20100195089 | WIND VELOCITY MEASUREMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD - A wind anemometer comprises a light source for transmitting pulsed light signals, a receiver for receiving backscattered signals from airborne particles for each pulse of the transmitted pulsed light signals, a detector for detecting the received backscattered signals, and a processor to determine location of the airborne particles with respect to the anemometer based on the detected backscattered signals. The processor estimates wind velocity using changes in location of the airborne particles over at least one time interval. | 08-05-2010 |
20120045330 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MONITORING AND CONTROLLING PHYSICAL STRUCTURES - A system for controlling a wind turbine is disclosed. A system includes a light source and a beam scanner to scan the light pulses over the wind turbine. The system further receives backscattered light pulses and subsequently, provides a signal corresponding to the light pulses. The system adjusts a threshold of the signal based on a normalized value of a detected peak value of the signal. The system associates a time of flight with each of the received backscattered light pulse. The system generates an image of the wind turbine based on the time of flight associated with the light pulses and subsequently, compares the generated image with at least one known image of the wind turbine. The system generates a health profile of the wind turbine based on the comparison and subsequently, change one or more parameters of the wind turbine based on the health profile. | 02-23-2012 |
20120114089 | Apparatus for Detecting Contaminants in a Liquid and a System for Use Thereof - Disclosed herein are apparatus and methods for detecting and quantifying contaminants in aqueous solutions. In one embodiment, an apparatus for the detection of contaminants within a liquid comprises a sensor and a controller. The sensor comprises a film and a transducer configured such that, during use, a first surface of the transducer is in fluid communication with a liquid, and the film is disposed between the first surface and the liquid. The film can be a polymeric material capable of hindering the transport of a non-desired species therethrough. The controller is in operational communication to the transducer, and is configured to determine the concentration of contaminants within the liquid. | 05-10-2012 |
20130052744 | METHODS AND DEVICES FOR DETECTING ISOTHIAZOLONES - Methods for quantitative determination of the presence of isothiazolone compounds in a solution include controlling pH of the solution in a range from about 3 to about 10, combining a known quantity of the pH-adjusted solution with a known quantity of an aromatic thiolate anion, quantitatively determining color intensity of the resultant combined solution; and correlating the color intensity with amount of isothiazolone compounds. The methods may be used in automated systems, including systems utilizing optical sensor devices. | 02-28-2013 |
20130189170 | METHOD FOR RECOVERING YTTRIA FROM CASTING WASTE AND SLURRY - The disclosure relates generally to methods for yttrium recovery from articles. More specifically, the disclosure relates to methods for recovering yttrium from casting waste components and slurries. | 07-25-2013 |
20140057517 | CHEMICAL BLEACHING FOR IMPROVED PERFORMANCE OF RECYCLED LAMP PHOSPHORS - A method is provided for removing organic impurities in the recycling of phosphors from fluorescent lamps. Particles created from the lamps are washed with a bleaching agent to decompose the organic materials. The organic materials are thereby solubilized and can be removed. The phosphors can then be recovered and reused to manufacture fluorescent lamps. | 02-27-2014 |