Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a transmission device that includes a transmitter that generates a first electromagnetic wave to convey data. A coupler couples the first electromagnetic wave to a single wire transmission medium having an outer surface, to forming a second electromagnetic wave that is guided to propagate along the outer surface of the single wire transmission medium via at least one guided wave mode that includes an asymmetric or non-fundamental mode having a lower cutoff frequency. A carrier frequency of the second electromagnetic wave is selected to be within a limited range of the lower cutoff frequency, so that a majority of the electric field is concentrated within a distance from the outer surface that is less than half the largest cross sectional dimension of the single wire transmission medium, and/or to reduce propagation loss. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Guided-wave transmission device with non-fundamental mode propagation and methods for use therewith

A device for determining properties of a medium has a hollow body which accommodates the medium and a housing which circumferentially surrounds the hollow body. At least one portion of a wall of the hollow body is formed as waveguide for acoustic surface waves, which forms an interface to the medium. There is provided at least one transmitter for exciting acoustic waves in the waveguide and at least one receiver for receiving acoustic waves from the waveguide, which are arranged at a distance from each other, wherein the transmitter and the receiver are in direct contact with an outer surface of the waveguide and wherein the distance between transmitter and receiver is chosen such that acoustic waves excited by the transmitter can at least partly propagate on paths extending through the medium. There is provided at least one contact carrier on which the transmitter and/or the receiver are arranged. Between the waveguide and the contact carrier a continuous air gap is formed. The space between the hollow body, the contact carrier and the housing is filled with a filling mass.

Device for determining properties of a medium

A downhole sensor including a body configured for attachment to a downhole pump. The body having a fluid receiving portion; and, an ultrasonic transducer supported by the body; wherein ultrasonic pulses transmitted by the ultrasonic transducer are directed towards the fluid receiving portion, and reflected waves receivable by the ultrasonic transducer are indicative of a liquid fluid level and type of fluid within the fluid receiving portion. A method of determining a liquid fluid level and a type of fluid adjacent a downhole pump.

Downhole sensor, ultrasonic level sensing assembly, and method

The invention relates to method and a device for determining characteristics of a medium, the method comprising the steps of: 
a) providing a container (1, 1') delimiting an interior space filled with the medium (2) to be characterized such that an inner surface of a side wall (111) of the container (1, 1') forms an interface with the medium (2), 
b) exciting acoustic waves (B) in the container side wall (111) by means of at least one transmitter (3), 
c) converting at least a part of the energy associated with the acoustic waves (B) excited in the side wall (111) of the container (1, 1') into volume sound waves (A) of the medium (2), 
d) reconverting at least a part of the energy associated with the volume sound waves (A) into acoustic waves in container side wall (111), 
e) receiving acoustic waves evoked by the transmitter (3) by at least one receiver (4, 5, 6), 
f) determining characteristics of the medium (2) from a signal generated by the receiver upon receipt of acoustic waves generated by reconverting energy of the volume sound waves (A) according to step d), and 
g) determining a temperature of the medium (2) and/or the container side wall (111) from a signal generated by the receiver upon receipt of acoustic waves (B) travelling from the transmitter (3) to the receiver in the container side wall (100, 111).

Method for acoustically determining characteristics of a medium and device for acoustically determining characteristics of a medium

A device is disclosed, comprising: at least one surface of a device casing, at least one acoustic discontinuity on the at least one surface configured to reflect an ultrasonic acoustic signal, at least one piezoelectric transducer coupled to the at least one surface, configured to induce the ultrasonic acoustic signal in the at least one surface and receive a reflected ultrasonic acoustic signal, wherein an occurrence and location of a touch incident on the at least one surface is determined by analyzing the reflected ultrasonic acoustic signal received by the piezoelectric transducer.

Touch sensitive device casing

The invention relates to method and a device for determining characteristics of a medium, the method comprising the steps of: a) providing an acoustic waveguide (2) having a side structure (21, 22) delimiting an interior space filled with the medium (3) to be characterized such that an inner surface (215, 225) of the side structure (21, 22) forms an interface with the medium (3), b) exciting acoustic waves (B) in the waveguide side structure by means of at least one transmitter (4), c) converting at least a part of the energy associated with the acoustic waves (B) excited in the side structure into volume sound waves (A) of the medium (3), d) reconverting at least a part of the energy associated with the volume sound waves (A) into acoustic wave energy of the wave guide side structure (21, 22) thereby generating acoustic waves in the waveguide side structure, e) receiving acoustic waves (A, B) evoked by the transmitter (4) by at least one receiver (51 ), f) determining characteristics of the medium (3) from a signal (U) generated by the receiver (51, 52) upon receipt of acoustic waves (A, B) evoked by the transmitter (4). According to the invention the thickness (d 1 , d 2 , d 3 ) of the waveguide side structure (21, 22), defined as the distance between the inner surface (215, 225) and an outer surface (21 1, 221 ) of the waveguide side structure, and the frequency (f) of the acoustic waves (B) excited in the waveguide side structure (21, 22) are chosen in such a way that a first wave mode evoking a first signal of the receiver (51, 52) and a second wave mode evoking a second signal of the receiver (51 ) are excited in the waveguide side structure (21, 22), and characteristics of the medium (3) are determined using the first and the second signal. In another aspect of the invention the thickness (di, d2, d3) of the waveguide side structure (21, 22) and the frequency (f) of the acoustic waves excited in the waveguide side structure are chosen in such a way that the velocity of the acoustic waves excited in the waveguide side structure compares to the sound velocity of the medium (3).

Method and device for determining characteristics of a medium

An apparatus determines the properties of a medium in the form of a fluid or soft material. An acoustic waveguide has two opposing guide elements delimiting an interior space to be filled with a medium. The guide elements, upon filling the interior space with a medium, form an interface with the medium with an inner surface. A transmitter generates acoustic surface waves in the waveguide, which are received by a receiver. The waveguide can be coupled with an evaluation unit for determining physical properties of the medium based on a signal generated by the receiver. A housing accommodates the guide elements, transmitter and receiver. On the respective inner surface, at least a part of the acoustic surface waves can be converted into volumetric sound waves of the medium and at least a part of the volumetric sound waves can be converted into acoustic surface waves of the waveguide.

Apparatus for determining the properties of a medium in the form of a fluid or a soft material

Anwendung der Leaky Lamb-Welle im akustischen Wellenleiter zur Messung von Flüssigkeitseigenschaften

The invention relates to a device for determining properties of a medium, having a carrier (2) which can be brought into contact with the medium (3); at least one transmitter (4), arranged on the carrier (2), for exciting acoustic waves (A) in the carrier (2); at least one receiver (5), arranged on the carrier (2), for receiving acoustic waves (A, A') which originate from waves (A) excited in the carrier (2) by means of the transmitter (4); a first material region (61) arranged on the carrier (4); and a second material region (62) arranged on the carrier (4), wherein the nature of the second material region (62) is such that it absorbs sound waves at the frequency of the acoustic waves (A) excited in the carrier (2) more strongly than the first material region (61). The invention also relates to a method for producing such a device.

Michael Münch

Papers

Method and device for determining characteristics of a medium

Apparatus for determining the properties of a medium in the form of a fluid or a soft material

Method for acoustically determining characteristics of a medium and device for acoustically determining characteristics of a medium

Anwendung der Leaky Lamb-Welle im akustischen Wellenleiter zur Messung von Flüssigkeitseigenschaften

Device and method for determining properties of a medium