From Reservoir to Pump: Measuring Aeration through Sonar Technology

At the 2026 IVT Off-Highway Expo, guest host Ben Brown interviews James Oftelie of AM Tech LLC (Aeration Measurement Technologies) about exhibiting at IVT and the value of trade-show networking. Oftelie explains AM Tech's innovation for mobile hydraulics: a passive, acoustic sonar-based method that instruments a machine to quantify entrained air by listening to sound transmission in the suction line from reservoir to pump. By measuring changes in speed of sound attenuation and processing the signal with an algorithm, the system produces an aeration number to support hydraulic system design, troubleshooting, optimization, testing, and reservoir performance validation without adding hardware beyond standard transducers. He directs listeners to amtechllc.com and AM Tech's YouTube and Instagram for more information. Connect with our guest host, Ben Brown, at [email protected]. Connect with our guest, James Oftelie, at [email protected]. Learn more about Aeration Measurement Technologies at Aeration Measurement Technologies, LLC. Find and share more interesting fluid power technologies and unique applications using #onlyfluidpowercan and follow podcast and other fluid power industry-related updates at @TheNFPA.