Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for blockage detection in porous media

A computer-implemented method comprising:

• transmitting a plurality of signals to a vibration actuator coupled to a resonator, the resonator being affixed to a porous media of a diffusion sensor, each of the plurality of signals causing the vibration actuator, and therefore the coupled resonator, to vibrate at a corresponding different one of a plurality of frequencies;
• detecting a plurality of vibration displacements of the resonator, each of the plurality of vibration displacements corresponding to a different one of the plurality of frequencies;
• from the plurality of vibration displacements, determining a maximum vibration displacement of the resonator and an associated one of the plurality of frequencies at which the maximum vibration displacement occurs, thereby determining a resonant frequency of the porous media;
• and
• periodically determining if the resonant frequency of the porous media has changed by:
• transmitting a resonance signal to the vibration actuator to cause the vibration actuator, and therefore the coupled resonator, to vibrate at the determined resonant frequency of the porous media;
• detecting a verification vibration displacement of the resonator;
• and
• determining if the verification vibration displacement of the resonator is within a predetermined range of the maximum vibration displacement of the resonator.

A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising an executable portion configured to:

• transmit a plurality of signals to a vibration actuator coupled to a resonator, the resonator being affixed to a porous media of a diffusion sensor, each of the plurality of signals causing the vibration actuator, and therefore the coupled resonator, to vibrate at a corresponding different one of a plurality of frequencies;
• detect a plurality of vibration displacements of the resonator, each of the plurality of vibration displacements corresponding to a different one of the plurality of frequencies;
• from the plurality of vibration displacements, determine a maximum vibration displacement of the resonator and an associated one of the plurality of frequencies at which the maximum vibration displacement occurs, thereby determining a resonant frequency of the porous media;
• and
• periodically determine if the resonant frequency of the porous media has changed by:
• transmitting a resonance signal to the vibration actuator to cause the vibration actuator, and therefore the coupled resonator, to vibrate at the determined resonant frequency of the porous media;
• detecting a verification vibration displacement of the resonator;
• and
• determining if the verification vibration displacement of the resonator is within a predetermined range of the maximum vibration displacement of the resonator.