Method and apparatus for non-destructive inspection of a log to identify inner zones that are free of bluestain

This invention relates to a method for non-destructive inspection of a log (1) to identify inner zones of sapwood (14) of the log (1) that have not been attacked by fungi that cause bluestain in the wood. The method comprises a first step of carrying out a tomographic scan of the log (1) to be inspected using X-ray beams that pass through the log (1) and a second step of obtaining a three-dimensional representation of the log (1) that is representative of the local moisture content of the log, the local moisture content being correlated with attenuation of the X-ray beams through the log. The method comprises the step of processing the three-dimensional representation of the log (1) to identify inner regions (145) of the log (1), in which the local moisture content is greater than or equal to a moisture threshold value for a spatial extent greater than an extent threshold. The moisture threshold value corresponds, for trees of the same species as the log (1), to a sapwood (14) with local moisture content such that it excludes the growth of fungi that cause bluestain in the wood. Each inner region (145) identified in this way is classed as a sapwood (14) zone free of bluestain. This invention also relates to a procedure for obtaining one or more wooden products from a log (1), as well as an apparatus for carrying out a non-destructive inspection of a log (1)

Superstatistical analysis of sea surface currents in the Gulf of Trieste, measured by HF Radar, and its relation to wind regimes, using the maximum entropy principle

Two years (2021&ndash;2022) of High Frequency Radar (HFR) sea surface current data in the Gulf of Trieste (Northern Adriatic Sea) are analysed. Two different time scales are extracted using superstatistical formalism: a relaxation time and a larger timescale over which the system is gaussian. A new analytical universality class of Probability Density Functions (PDFs) is proposed for ocean current data combining a gaussian PDF for the fast fluctuations and a convolution of exponential PDFs for the slowly evolving variance of the gaussian. The Gaussian PDF has maximum entropy for real-valued variables with a given variance. If a positive variable, as is a variance, has a specified mean, the maximum entropy solution is an exponential PDF. Here it is the sum of two exponentials, reflecting the two spatial degrees of freedom. In the Gulf of Trieste there are three distinct main wind forcing regimes: Bora, Sirocco and low wind, leading to a succession of different sea current dynamics on different time scales. The universality class PDF successfully fits the observed data over the two observation years and also for each wind regime separately with a different variance of the variance PDF, which is the only free parameter in all the fits.</p

Schermo per raggi X

Schermo per raggi X comprendente un pannello principale (2) che comprende almeno un primo strato di un primo materiale assorbente per raggi X e che presenta una superficie principale (21) destinata in uso ad essere rivolta verso una sorgente di raggi X; ed una pluralità di lamelle (3) associate al pannello principale (2),che si sviluppano ciascuna trasversalmente alla superficie principale (21) e che comprendono a propria volta almeno un secondo strato di un secondo materiale assorbente per raggi X; le lamelle (3) essendo preferibilmente disposte in modo tale da trovarsi, in uso, parallele o quasi alle direzioni di propagazione delle radiazioni generate da scattering di maggiore intensità

A Fast and Continuous CT scanner for the optimization of logs in a sawmill

CT Log is a CT scanner used in an industrial process at very high speed in order to optimize the production of wood boards and other wood products. The scanner can reach 160 m/min, the typical speed at which wood logs are sawn in the sawmills. After the logs pass though the scanner, the images are reconstructed and processed in order to allow the automatic optimization of the cutting pattern according to the constraints set by wood defects and the value of the different products. Building a a buffer between the scanner and the sawing line is expensive and often not possible because of constraints on the plant layout The time available for the entire processing is therefore very short, because it must be completed before the log reaches the breakdown equipment. In this paper, we present the structure of the scanner and the way we implemented the different stages of processing in order maximize the speed of the elaboration

Tidal variability of the motion in the Strait of Otranto

Various current data, collected in the Strait of Otranto during the period 1994–2007, have been analysed with the aim of describing the characteristics of the tidal motions and their contribution to the total flow variance. The principal tidal constituents in the area were the semi-diurnal (M2) and the diurnal (K1), with the latter one predominant. The total flow was, in general, more energetic along the flanks than in the middle of the strait. Specifically, it was most energetic over the western shelf and in the upper layer along the eastern flank. In spite of the generally low velocities (a few cm s⁻¹) of the principal tidal constituents, the tidal variance has a pattern similar to that of the total flow variance, that is, it was large over the western shelf and low in the middle. The proportion of non-tidal (comprising the inertial and sub-inertial low-frequency bands) to tidal flow variances was quite variable in both time and space. The low-frequency motions dominated over the tidal and inertial ones in the eastern portion of the strait during the major part of the year, particularly in the upper and intermediate layers. In the deep, near-bottom layer the variance was evenly distributed between the low frequency, diurnal and semi-diurnal bands. An exception was observed near the western shelf break during the summer season when the contribution of the tidal signal to the total variance reached 77%. This high contribution was mainly due to the intensification of the diurnal signal at that location at both upper and bottom current records (velocities of about 10 cm s⁻¹). Local wind and sea level data were analysed and compared with the flow to find the possible origin of this diurnal intensification. Having excluded the sea-breeze impact on the intensification of the diurnal tidal signal, the most likely cause remains the generation of the topographically trapped internal waves and the diurnal resonance in the tidal response. These waves were sometimes generated by the barotropic tidal signal in the presence of summer stratification and the strong bottom slope. This phenomenon may stimulate diapycnal mixing during the stratified season and enhance ventilation of the near-bottom layers

Method and apparatus for non-destructive inspection of fruits having an axis of rotational symmetry

This invention relates to a method for non-destructive inspection of a fruit (1) having an axis of rotational symmetry (10). The method comprises the step of positioning the fruit (1) in such a way that its axis of rotational symmetry (10) has an orientation that is substantially parallel to a predetermined plane (20) and the step of radiographing the fruit (1), where the direction of emission of X-rays is substantially perpendicular to said predetermined plane (20) and an X-ray image obtained (41) lies on said predetermined plane (20). The X-ray image obtained (41) is processed to calculate, at corresponding points of the X-ray image (41), respective values of attenuation of the X-ray signal through the fruit (1). The X-ray image (41) is divided into a plurality of sections (415) which are perpendicular to the projection (410) of the axis of rotational symmetry (10) on the predetermined plane (20). Each section (415) is the projection of a corresponding slice of the fruit (1) that is substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotational symmetry (10). For each section (415), the deviation between a signal attenuation trend obtained from processing the X-ray image and a reference trend, or the deviation between a trend of a local coefficient of average attenuation obtained from processing the X-ray image and a trend with constant value, is examined in order to identify any anomalies, discontinuities or variations which are indicative of respective nonuniformities in the corresponding slice of fruit. This invention also relates to an apparatus (9) for carrying out a non-destructive inspection of a fruit (1) having an axis of rotational symmetry (10), said apparatus being configured for implementing the method according to the invention

Superstatistical analysis of sea surface currents in the Gulf of Trieste, measured by high-frequency radar, and its relation to wind regimes using the maximum-entropy principle

Two years (2021–2022) of high-frequency-radar (HFR) sea surface current data in the Gulf of Trieste (northern Adriatic Sea) are analysed. Two different timescales are extracted using a superstatistical formalism: a relaxation time and a larger timescale over which the system is Gaussian. We propose obtaining an ocean current probability density function (PDF) combining (i) a Gaussian PDF for the fast fluctuations and (ii) a convolution of exponential PDFs for the slowly evolving variance of the Gaussian function rather than for the thermodynamic β=1/σ2 in a system with a few degrees of freedom, as the latter has divergent moments. The Gaussian PDF reflects the entropy maximization for real-valued variables with a given variance. On the other hand, if a positive variable, as a variance, has a specified mean, the maximum-entropy solution is an exponential PDF. In our case the system has 2 degrees of freedom, and therefore the PDF of the variance is the convolution of two exponentials. In the Gulf of Trieste there are three distinct main wind forcing regimes: bora, sirocco, and low wind, leading to a succession of different sea current dynamics on different timescales. The universality class PDF successfully fits the observed data over the 2 observation years and also for each wind regime separately with a different variance of the variance PDF, which is the only free parameter in all the fits.</p

Metodo e dispositivo per misurare una o più componenti di moto di un tronco

Metodo e relativo dispositivo per misurare una o più componenti di moto di un tronco (1), in cui il metodo comprende le fasi di determinare una posizione spaziale tridimensionale iniziale di una pluralità di punti reali di una superficie esterna del tronco (1), determinare una 5 prima posizione spaziale tridimensionale della pluralità di punti reali ad un primo istante successivo, e confrontare la prima posizione spaziale tridimensionale con la posizione spaziale tridimensionale iniziale e sulla base di tale confronto calcolare il moto compiuto dal tronco (1); ciascuna fase di determinare la 10 posizione spaziale tridimensionale di punti reali della superficie esterna del tronco (1) essendo eseguita utilizzando un dispositivo di visione stereoscopica (2) che comprende almeno un primo dispositivo di acquisizione immagini (3) ed un secondo dispositivo di acquisizione immagini (4)

Metodo per stabilire una corrispondenza a posteriori tra un pezzo di legno ed un tronco da cui il pezzo di legno era stato ottenuto

Metodo per stabilire una corrispondenza a posteriori tra un pezzo di legno ed un tronco da cui pezzo di legno sia stato ottenuto, comprendente le seguenti fasi operative: eseguire una tomografia del tronco di legno, calcolare o selezionare uno schema di taglio del tronco, determinare una o più caratteristiche individualizzanti virtuali legate alla distribuzione e/o dimensione di caratteristiche fisiche del tronco all'interno e/o sulla superficie del pezzo di legno virtuale stesso a partire dalle informazioni tomografiche disponibili, memorizzarle in una banca dati, in abbinamento ad informazioni circa l'identità del tronco, suddividere il tronco in pezzi di legno reali secondo lo schema di taglio, acquisire informazioni reali circa la distribuzione e/o la dimensione di caratteristiche fisiche del tronco all'interno e/o sulla superficie di un pezzo di legno reale e determinare corrispondenti caratteristiche individualizzanti reali da confrontare con caratteristiche individualizzanti virtuali memorizzate e identificare un'origine del pezzo di legno reale sulla base delle informazioni circa l'identità del tronco memorizzate in abbinamento alle caratteristiche individualizzanti virtuali che corrispondono alle caratteristiche individualizzanti reali