Sensing system and method for measuring physical parameters of stay cable

Abstract

The present invention relates to a sensing system (100), a carrier element (500) comprising said sensing system and a method of installing the sensing system thereof. The invention aims to provide a sensing system (100) for measuring physical parameters such as temperature, humidity, acceleration, gas characteristics, light, vibration and / or motion. The invention comprises a height-adjustable sensing device (20) comprising a substantially tubular sleeve (12), a wire (16) for transmitting data and / or for raising or lowering the height-adjustable sensing device (20) wherein one end of the height-adjustable sensing device (20) is connected to the wire (16). The invention particularly relates to a sensing system (100) for measuring a physical parameter of a structure or a tensioning element, such as a cable or a tendon, where the structure or the tensioning element comprises a receptacle (520) as a housing, where the sensing system (100) is at least partially disposed within the receptacle (520), the sensing system includes a substantially tubular cannula (12) disposed within a receptacle (520), wherein at least one sensor is disposed within the tubular cannula (12); (b) a wire (16) for sending data and / or for raising or lowering a height-adjustable sensing device (20) wherein one end of the height-adjustable sensing device (20) is connected to the wire (16) to allow the sensing device (20) to reach any length of the structure or tensioning element.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of civil engineering, to structural elements, such as buildings, or tensioning elements, such as bridge cables, wherein a sensing system can be applied to the load-bearing structure or element for measuring a physical parameter of the structure or element. The invention also relates to a method of mounting the system on an element for measuring a physical parameter. Background Art

[0002] Generally speaking, modern civil engineering structures such as buildings, suspended ceilings, bridges (e.g. cable-stayed bridges, suspension bridges), cable-stabilized structures are built larger and taller. Due to external environmental factors such as passing traffic, earthquakes, fatigue or internal factors, the life of these civil engineering structures may be shortened if they are not properly maintained. In addition, in order to check the appropriate behavior of these structural elements and tensioning elements and whether they comply with relevant standards, various types of sensors are used to evaluate their practicality and safety.

[0003] An accelerometer sensor, for example, is an instrument used to measure the acceleration of any body or object. Accelerometer sensors can be used in a variety of ways to detect changes in velocity and position, such as in many electronic devices, smartphones, and wearable devices, and in the aforementioned large civil engineering structures, where they are used to monitor vibration and movement.

[0004] Patent document CN212779344U relates to a system for monitoring a bridge. The bridge is equipped with a sensor device to monitor its condition and ensure its safety in use. Sensor devices such as accelerometers are typically mounted on the outer surface of the bridge structure, such as on the periphery of a cable, or mounted on a panel to detect movement or vibration. Therefore, the sensor box mounted on the outer surface of the cable is exposed to the environment. Therefore, the sensor box is subject to faster aging effects and requires regular maintenance. In addition, if the sensor box is installed on a tendon cable, the tendon cable will be affected by wind loads and will introduce torsion or other types of unexpected loads on the tendon. In addition, in such existing solutions, access at a high altitude is required to install the sensor box on the tendon.

[0005] Furthermore, it is known that the oscillations and vibrations of bridges and cables generally differ from one another based on oscillation frequency and amplitude, which may vary depending on factors such as wind speed, the presence or intensity of rain, and the impact of vehicles or objects on the bridge. Furthermore, different sections or areas of the cable may experience different degrees of oscillations and vibrations.

[0006] Furthermore, in the example of cables, different heights or locations of the cables may be subject to different environmental influences, such as temperature, vibration, acceleration, motion, wind loads, etc. Therefore, it may be necessary to measure the physical parameters of the structure at different locations or heights.

[0007] Therefore, it is contemplated to provide a new system and method to overcome at least some of the above problems. Summary of the invention

[0008] In the present invention, a sensing system is proposed, which comprises a height-adjustable sensing device arranged in an inner cavity of a structural element or a tensioning element for measuring a physical parameter of a structural element such as a cable. The sensing device may be, for example, an acceleration sensing device for measuring acceleration or other sensing devices for measuring, for example, temperature, gas content, humidity, light, pressure, etc. Contrary to the prior art, at least a part of the sensing device or sensing system of the present invention is not mounted or fixed at the surface of a receptor. This allows easy mounting or retrieval of the device and allows detection at different positions or heights of the receptor.

[0009] The sensing device according to the invention is at least partially (if not completely) integrated inside the receptacle, such as the free length of the support tube. It is therefore not exposed to environmental factors, such as rain, wind, snow, etc., and therefore allows for a longer life and lower maintenance requirements.

[0010] Furthermore, due to the wires provided to the sensing device, the position of the sensing device as well as the system can be easily adjusted by lifting or lowering the device or system within its receptacle via the wires.

[0011] Furthermore, since the sleeve of the sensing device is provided with a substantially tubular shape (or with slight edges or corners), which is placed within the inner cavity of a receptor such as a bridge tube, different faces or sides of the sensing device can thus contact the inner surface of the receptor element. For example, in the case of a tubular sleeve, the sensing device moves or rolls relative to the movement initiated by the receptor.

[0012] The sensing device may be a component of a sensing system comprising a data transmission system such as a data line or a wireless transmitter and a data logger for processing the data.

[0013] In the specific case of an acceleration sensing device, the sensing system is not mounted at a fixed position, so pre-processing of the signal may be performed, wherein the input raw signal is processed to calculate a reference signal before generating an output signal, the reference signal correcting for the random axial orientation of the acceleration sensing device.

[0014] According to a first aspect of the invention, the invention relates to a sensing system for measuring a physical parameter of a structure or a tension element, such as a cable or a tendon, wherein the structure or the tension element comprises a receptacle as a housing, wherein the sensing system is at least partially arranged in the receptacle, such as a tube, the sensing system comprising

[0015] - a height adjustable sensing device comprising a substantially tubular sleeve disposed within a receptacle, wherein at least one sensor is disposed within the tubular sleeve;

[0016] - a line for transmitting data and / or for raising or lowering the height-adjustable sensing device, wherein one end of the height-adjustable sensing device is connected to the line to allow the sensing device to reach any length of the structural element or tensioning element.

[0017] According to a second aspect of the present invention, it relates to a load-bearing element for a building, comprising

[0018] - a plurality of tensile elements;

[0019] - a receptacle with an inner lumen, such as a tube, for enclosing the tensile element;

[0020] - A sensing system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein at least a part of the sensing system or the height adjustable sensing device is placed inside the receptacle without being mounted on a surface of the receptacle, thereby allowing the sensing device to reach any length of the receptacle.

[0021] According to a third aspect of the invention, the invention relates to a method of mounting a sensing system to a load-bearing element for measuring a physical parameter of the load-bearing element, such as vibration and / or movement, comprising the following steps:

[0022] - providing a tensile element to a receptacle having an inner lumen, such as a tube;

[0023] - providing the carrier element with a sensing system according to any of the preceding claims 1 to 9, the sensing system comprising at least one height-adjustable sensing device having a substantially tubular sleeve, wherein the height-adjustable sensing device is located within the receptacle without being mounted, wherein at least one end of the height-adjustable sensing device is connected to a line which in turn is anchored to an anchoring zone, allowing the sensing device to reach any length of the receptacle;

[0024] In one embodiment of the present invention, the sensing system includes at least one acceleration sensing device, a temperature sensing device, a humidity sensing device, a gas characteristic sensing device and / or a proximity sensing device.

[0025] In one embodiment of the present invention, when the sensing device comprises an acceleration sensing device such as an accelerometer, the accelerometer comprises at least two single-axis accelerometers, or at least one dual-axis accelerometer, or at least one three-axis accelerometer, or a combination thereof.

[0026] In one embodiment of the invention, when the sensing means comprises acceleration sensing means such as an accelerometer, the accelerometer is capable of measuring low frequencies between 0 Hz and 100 Hz, preferably between 0 Hz and 50 Hz.

[0027] In one embodiment of the invention, when the sensing means comprises an acceleration sensing means such as an accelerometer, the accelerometer is capable of measuring 0 Hz acceleration and measuring low frequency motion and / or constant acceleration.

[0028] In one embodiment of the invention, when the sensing means comprises an acceleration sensing means such as an accelerometer, the sensing system is provided with a data logger means to connect with the height adjustable acceleration sensing means for storing and processing the signals.

[0029] In one embodiment of the invention, the sensing system further comprises transmitting means for broadcasting data to one or more associated receivers.

[0030] In one embodiment of the present invention, the sensing system further comprises a memory for storing information.

[0031] In one embodiment of the present invention, when the sensing device includes an acceleration sensing device such as an accelerometer, it also includes a microprocessor, which is used to process the signals generated by the height-adjustable acceleration sensing device regarding their reference signals to provide an output, wherein the reference signals are obtained after sensor orientation correction after sensor calibration according to sensor data table parameters to allow the signal to be corrected without controlling the position orientation of the height-adjustable acceleration sensing device.

[0032] In one embodiment of the invention, the data logger device is provided upstream or downstream of the carrier element.

[0033] In one embodiment of the invention, a data logger device is arranged to be located inside or outside the receptor, comprising a memory for storing data and a microprocessor for processing the signals generated by the height adjustable sensing device.

[0034] In one embodiment of the present invention, when the sensing device comprises an accelerometer as the acceleration sensing device, the method further comprises the following steps:

[0035] - Connecting the height adjustable acceleration sensing device to the data logger device;

[0036] -Generate an output signal.

[0037] In one embodiment of the invention, the method further comprises the step of raising or lowering the line for adjusting the position of the height adjustable sensing device and / or the height adjustable sensing system to reach any length of the receptor.

[0038] "About" or "approximately" with respect to a given numerical value is intended to include that value within 10% of the specified value. Unless clearly evident to the contrary from the context, all values ​​given in this disclosure should be understood to be supplemented by the word "about".

[0039] The indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality and is therefore to be treated in a broad sense.

[0040] As used herein, the term "structural element" refers to the basic components of a building structure that form a structural frame building structure, such as beams, columns, roof decks, panels, columns, girders and / or other structural members and connectors.

[0041] As used herein, the term "tension element" refers to an element that carries tension and not compression. Tension elements may be provided to structural elements such as bridge cables to support a primary panel where traffic flows. The tension elements described herein may be, for example, tendons.

[0042] The expressions "relative to" or "substantially perpendicular" regarding the orientation of the sensor are to be understood as examples and do not exclude other possible configurations of the elements, such as accelerometers. In particular, the accelerometers may be mounted in any two different axial orientations, provided that these two different orientations allow the calculation of the projection of the acceleration on two perpendicular axes. For example, it is possible to mount three accelerometers at 60° or two accelerometers at any angle different from 90°.

[0043] As used herein, the term "height adjustable" is used interchangeably with the term "mount-free" and refers to an object that is not completely physically fixed to a support, as opposed to the term "mounted" where the object is made completely static and dependent on its support. For example, "height adjustable" means that the position or height of the object can be adjusted, for example, moved from one position to another within a support tube. In other words, the height adjustable sensing device is able to be suspended within the tube of a cable, allowing the position of the sensing device to be adjusted to achieve any length of the cable. The term "mount-free" can include definitions where the object can be loosely suspended, hung, or swung, with only a portion attached to a support, and the positioning of the element is not completely static as implied by the term "mounted".

[0044] As used herein, the term "reference signal" refers to a signal that has been corrected for a random axial orientation of an accelerometer, wherein it is generated after correcting the sensor orientation according to appropriate mathematical treatments after sensor calibration according to sensor data table parameters. For example, it is understood that the reference signal is generated after sensor orientation correction after sensor calibration according to sensor data table parameters, wherein the sensor orientation correction is calculated based on the projection of the average acceleration onto the vertical axis, wherein these values ​​are obtained from accelerometers mounted in two different radial orientations.

[0045] To this end, a sensing system is disclosed that can be applied to any structural element having an inner cavity, such as a roof, a building or a tension element, such as a bridge cable, in which a height-adjustable sensing device including at least one sensor is arranged without the need for mounting. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0046] Figure 1A A perspective view of a carrier element provided with a sensing system according to an embodiment of the invention is shown.

[0047] Figure 1B Shown according to Figure 1A A cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0048] Figure 1C A perspective view of an acceleration sensing system according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0049] Figure 2 A perspective view showing a portion of an acceleration sensing system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0050] Figure 3 is a depiction of the angular position of an accelerometer sensor according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0051] Figure 4 is a schematic flow chart of signal processing according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0052] Reference numerals:

[0053] 12-casing; 14-accelerometer; 16-wire; 16a-data line; 16b-lifting line; 18-wiring connector; 20-height adjustable sensing device; 21-acceleration sensing device; 30-data logger device; 100-sensing system; 101-acceleration sensing system; 500-bearing element; 520-receiver; 521-tube; 540-tension element; DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0054] The inventors of the present invention propose a sensing system for measuring a physical parameter of a structure or tension element, such as a cable or tendon, wherein the structure or tension element comprises a tube as a housing, wherein the sensing system may for example be at least partially arranged inside the tube.

[0055] At least one sensing device is arranged in the sleeve, the sensing device being able to adjust its position (e.g. height) in the tube of the structure or tensioning element. The positioning or height of the sensing device can be adjusted, for example, via a wire attached to one distal end of the sensing device, so that the sensing device can reach any length of the cable or any position of the structural element. To this end, it is disclosed that both distal ends of the sensing device can also be provided with wires to allow the sensing device to be height-adjustable in the cable.

[0056] The sensing device is provided with at least one sensor, which may be a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a gas sensor, a proximity sensor, a light sensor and / or an acceleration sensor.

[0057] according to Figure 1A , at least a portion of the sensing system 100 (i.e., the height adjustable sensing device 20) can be placed in its receiver 520 (e.g., support tube 521) having a tensile element 540, wherein it serves as a load-bearing element 500 of the bridge cable. Figure 1A Observe the space inside the tube 521, wherein the height adjustable sensing device 20 is placed in the cavity. Through the line 16 (e.g., the lifting line 16b or the data line 16a), the height adjustable sensing device 20 can be lifted or lowered, such as to reach different positions of the tube 521.

[0058] In other words, the system 100 according to the invention is highly adjustable and it can be easily installed, repositioned, removed and maintained from the tendon terminal by means of the wire 16. Furthermore, since the highly adjustable sensing device 20 is able to reach different parts of its receptor 520, such as the tube 521, it is possible to detect physical properties such as oscillations, temperature, humidity, vibrations or movements of different parts of the tube. This feature allows, for example, to characterize vibrations along the cable, since certain parts of the cable and tube may be subject to a higher degree of movement or vibration, while another part of the tube may be subject to a lesser degree of movement or vibration.

[0059] Reference now Figure 1B , which illustrates Figure 1A 5 , wherein the height adjustable sensing device 20 is located below a plurality of tensile elements 540. As can be seen in this example, both the receptacle 520 (e.g., tube 521) and the sleeve of the height adjustable sensing device 20 have a substantially circular shape. Since the height adjustable sensing device 20 is not fully attached or mounted to its support, the height adjustable sensing device 20 can freely hang or swing on the surface of the receptacle.

[0060] To this end, it is reiterated that according to all embodiments of the present invention, at least a portion of the sensing system 100 or preferably the entire sensing system 100 is integrated within its receptacle 520 such as a tube 521. Therefore, the sensing system 100 is not exposed to the influence of the external environment and therefore has a longer life and better durability.

[0061] Conversely, it may also be appropriate to place at least a portion of the sensing system 100 outside of a receptacle such as the tube 521. For example, the height adjustable sensing device 20 may be located within the tube 521, while the data logger device 30 of the sensing system 100 may be located outside the tube 521.

[0062] Of course, it is foreseen that preferably all elements of the sensing system 100 are located inside the tube 521. This has the advantage of further reducing loads such as wind loads, since wind loads are one of the main factors causing vibration or movement. Figure 1C An example is illustrated in which the components of the sensing system 100 (e.g., the height adjustable sensing device 20 and the data logger device 30) are located within a housing thereof, such as a tube 521. In this particular embodiment, the acceleration sensing device 21 is shown as a preferred example.

[0063] It is obvious that the sensing system 100 according to the present invention can be connected to the data network by wires in a state that it is completely enclosed and protected by its receiver 520, such as a support tube 521, to obtain durability, and no additional sheath is required. Of course, data can also be sent wirelessly, so the acceleration height adjustable sensing device 20 does not need a data line 16a.

[0064] Figure 2 An embodiment of a particular type of sensing device is shown, namely the acceleration sensing device 21 of the acceleration sensing system 101. The installation-free or height-adjustable acceleration sensing device 21 according to the present invention is provided in a mainly tubular form, wherein a substantially circular sleeve 12 is provided to the acceleration sensing device 21. The advantage of providing a smooth circular surface (tubular sleeve) is that the housing of the acceleration sensing device 21 can be in contact with its tube 521, which can also have a curved surface such as a circle. In this way, the acceleration sensing device 21 can be loosely swung, rolled or freely suspended on its surface.

[0065] To this end, it is disclosed that the sleeve does not necessarily have to be circular or tubular in shape. Other suitable shapes, such as having multiple edges (square, pentagon, hexagon, irregular shape) may also be suitable for providing the sleeve 12 as the acceleration sensing device 21 .

[0066] The acceleration sensing device 21 is provided for generating signals, for example, from at least two different axial directions, which may be in a substantially perpendicular relationship. Due to the ability of the acceleration sensing system 101 according to the present invention to self-correct the signal due to the random axial orientation of the acceleration sensing device 21, the acceleration sensing system 101 or at least the acceleration sensing device 21 can be installed without controlling the orientation. The acceleration sensing device 21 can be connected to a microprocessor via a data transmission system to routinely process and evaluate the actual orientation of the device and provide its correction to allow the generation of an output signal. Therefore, the acceleration sensing device 21 or at least a part of the acceleration sensing system does not need to be installed in a fixed position to allow reaching any position (or height) within the tube of the cable.

[0067] The acceleration sensing device 21 may include at least one accelerometer 14 for generating at least two sets of signals from at least two different axial directions, at least two axial directions being in a substantially perpendicular (e.g., approximately 90°) relationship, or alternatively, having an angle that allows calculation of their components in two perpendicular directions. For example, two uniaxial accelerometers that may be spaced apart from each other, or alternatively, a single biaxial accelerometer may be interchangeably used to achieve the same desired output. The actual choice will depend on many factors, including cost, accuracy, ease of data collection, etc. In another example, three sets of signals may be generated from a position where the sensor is positioned at an angle of 60° instead of the 90° angle of the previous example.

[0068] Since the position of the acceleration sensing device 21 according to the present invention is unknown once it is installed, a three-axis accelerometer may be preferred because this provides simultaneous measurements in three orthogonal directions (e.g., axes x, y, and z) for analyzing all vibrations and / or movements experienced by the structural element and / or tensioning element. In this regard, each unit incorporates three separate sensing elements that are oriented at right angles to each other in a perpendicular relationship. In this regard, it is reiterated that an accelerometer as described herein is a sensor.

[0069] like Figure 2 The acceleration sensing device 21 shown in FIG. 1 is similar to those illustrated in FIG. 1 , and includes at least a wire 16, wherein the wire 16 is provided to one or both longitudinal ends of the acceleration sensing device 21. For example, one longitudinal end may be provided with a data wire 16a, while the other longitudinal end may be provided with a lift wire 16b.

[0070] The lifting wire 16b can be used as a lift to lift or lower the acceleration sensing device 21 within its receptacle 520, such as a tube 521, while the data wire 16a can be used as a wire for sending data. However, the data wire 16a can also be used as the lifting wire 16b to lift or lower the acceleration sensing device 21 and the data logger device 30 so that they reach different positions within their receptacles. For example, when a height-adjustable (or installation-free) acceleration sensing device 21 is disposed within a support tube 521, the wires 16, 16a, 16a can be used to place the height-adjustable sensing device 20 into the tube 521 or can be used to remove the device 20 from the tube 521. In addition, a wire connector 18 (such as in Figure 2 ) to connect between the accelerometer 14 and the data line 16a.

[0071] The accelerometer used in the height adjustable sensing device 20 of the present invention is capable of measuring movements between 0 Hz and 100 Hz, preferably between 0 Hz and 50 Hz. However, the possibility that higher frequencies can be measured is not excluded.

[0072] Since the acceleration sensing device 21 or at least a portion of the acceleration sensing system 101 of the present invention is not attached to the surface of the tube 521 in a fixed manner, that is, the orientation is not controlled by installation, for the above reasons, the system 101 may therefore require self-calibration (that is, pre-processing the signal relative to a reference signal) so that the actual orientation of the acceleration height adjustable sensing device 20 can be corrected and determined.

[0073] The reference signal is generated after sensor orientation correction following sensor calibration according to sensor data sheet parameters, where the sensor orientation correction is calculated based on the projection of the average acceleration onto the vertical axis, where these values ​​are obtained from accelerometers mounted in two different radial orientations.

[0074] For example, to generate a reference signal from the raw signal (from the accelerometer and digitized), a minimum of two single-axis accelerometers or accelerometers in two different axial directions are required. The minimum two accelerometers can be mounted at a known angle, essentially perpendicular (e.g., as shown in Figure 1). Figure 3 ) or mounted in any two different orientations that allow calculation of their projections on two perpendicular axes. Then, sensor calibration is performed according to the sensor supplier's parameters and data acquisition is performed. Accelerometers capable of measuring gravity acceleration, i.e. DC response accelerometers, are suitable accelerometers. Next, the actual orientation of the acceleration sensing device 21 is calculated (which is usually the same as the position of the sensor box and the accelerometer group when they are in a rigid body) and finally a signal projection according to the calculated orientation is performed to obtain a reference signal.

[0075] A microprocessor and memory may be provided to a processing unit, such as a data logger device 30, to form a component of the acceleration sensing system 101 for processing and storing information, so that signal pre-processing can be performed on site, and output signals can be generated and sent to one or more receivers. Alternatively, the signals may be processed remotely.

[0076] According to the present invention, there is also provided a method of mounting a sensing system 100 to a carrier element 500 for measuring physical parameters such as acceleration, vibration, temperature, humidity, motion, etc.

[0077] For example, one longitudinal end of the acceleration sensing device 21 may be connected to a line 16, such as a lifting line 16b, which in turn is attached to an anchoring area by, for example, a wedge-shaped anchor with a single or multiple holes or at a support plate. It is reiterated that the present invention also relates to a monitoring system and method for measuring vibrations and / or movements of a cable.

[0078] To this end, it should be noted that sufficient wire length may be left, for example, at the top side of the accessible area to allow the height-adjustable sensing device 20 or sensing system 100 to be lifted up or lowered down. Therefore, when performing maintenance work, the device 20 or system 100 may be lifted out of the receptacle 520, i.e., the support tube 521. In this regard, the data logger device 30 may be located at the bottom end or the top end of the receptacle 520. In the case where the data logger device 30 is located at the top end of the receptacle 520, the data wire 16a may be used as a lifting wire 16b to lift the device 20 out of the receptacle 520. In other words, the final position of the height-adjustable sensing device 20 and / or sensing system 100 may be controlled by the length of the wire 16.

[0079] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the acceleration sensing device 21 according to the invention is connected to a data logger device 30 to pre-process the signal so as to correct for the random axial orientation of the accelerometer. Therefore, a memory and a microprocessor may be provided to the data logger device 30. As explained, the signal from the accelerometer will be pre-processed to correct for the random axial orientation before generating an output signal based on the reference signal, thereby acting as a reference signal.

[0080] Figure 3 Two uniaxial accelerometer sensors are shown provided within the acceleration sensing device 21. Since the acceleration sensing device 21 is not mounted in a fixed position on its receptor 520, the axial orientation of the accelerometer may need to be evaluated and corrected before a meaningful signal output can be generated. Figure 3Each of the accelerometers 14 of the acceleration sensing device 21 shown in is operable to provide, for example, an angular position θ of a static body that has moved from a first angular position to a second angular position. According to another embodiment of the invention, the accelerometer sensor is operable to invalidate an angular acceleration error contribution associated with the angular position of the measurement body. θ represents the cable inclination; ω represents the random axial orientation of the sensor.

[0081] The present invention overcomes the difficulties and disadvantages of the prior art by providing a highly adjustable sensing device 20 or sensing system 100 that does not need to be fixed to the surface of its receptacle 520 to determine physical properties such as vibration and / or motion through one or more sensors.

[0082] The sensing system 100 or the height adjustable sensing device 20 utilizes, for example, a first sensor, for example, an accelerometer, such as a single-axis accelerometer, and a second sensor (e.g., a single-axis accelerometer), the first sensor having a first acceleration component for sensing, and the second sensor for sensing a second acceleration component. The first sensing axis and the second sensing axis are in a substantially perpendicular relationship, the first single-axis accelerometer is operable to output a first signal proportional to the sensed first acceleration component, and the second sensor (single-axis accelerometer) is operable to output a second signal proportional to the sensed second acceleration component, wherein their outputs are processed to correct for random axial orientation and obtain a reference signal. Preferably, the first accelerometer and the second accelerometer are mounted on a printed circuit board in a spaced-apart relationship, and the printed circuit board defines a reference plane. For example, the first sensing axis is configured to determine a vertical position, and the second sensing axis is configured to determine a horizontal position. To this end, it is pointed out that a dual-axis accelerometer sensor can be used instead of two single-axis accelerometers. The system 100 also utilizes a microprocessor, which is operable to determine the final output for vibration and / or motion.

[0083] Reference now Figure 4 , which illustrates a flow chart of signal processing according to an example of the invention. The raw signal provided by the sensor is processed with the calibration parameters of the data table to obtain the acceleration in the accelerometer direction. The value of the measured static acceleration is calculated over the last time period (preferably between 1 second and 50 seconds). The actual orientation of the acceleration sensing system is calculated using the measured values ​​to obtain a reference signal and the vertical and horizontal accelerations of the tensile element.

[0084] The system allows to perform a spectral analysis to determine the vibration modes of the cable in the transverse and vertical (in-plane) directions and possibly calculate the cable tension. For example, the system described in this article is mainly used to evaluate the forces on each tensile element. The vibrations are measured, allowing the cable tension (i.e. the force in the tensile element) to be estimated.

Claims

1. A sensing system (100) for measuring physical parameters of a structural element or a tensioning element, wherein the structural element or the tensioning element comprises a cable or a tendon; characterized in that: The structural element or tensioning element comprises a receptacle (520) as a housing, the sensing system (100) being at least partially arranged in the receptacle (520), the sensing system (100) comprising: ■ a height-adjustable sensing device (20), the height-adjustable sensing device (20) comprising a substantially tubular sleeve (12) disposed within the receptacle (520), wherein at least one sensor is disposed within the tubular sleeve (12); ■ A line (16) for transmitting data and / or for raising or lowering the height-adjustable sensing device (20), wherein one end of the height-adjustable sensing device (20) is connected to the line (16) so as to allow the height-adjustable sensing device (20) to reach any length of the structural element or tensioning element.

2. The sensing system (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that Also included is at least one acceleration sensing device, a temperature sensing device, a humidity sensing device, a gas characteristic sensing device and / or a proximity sensing device.

3. According to the sensing system (100) according to claim 1 or 2, when the height-adjustable sensing device (20) includes an acceleration sensing device (21) such as an accelerometer, the accelerometer includes at least two single-axis accelerometers, or at least one dual-axis accelerometer, or at least one three-axis accelerometer, or a combination thereof.

4. The sensing system (100) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: When the height-adjustable sensing device (20) comprises an acceleration sensing device (21), the acceleration sensing device (21) comprises an accelerometer capable of measuring low frequencies between 0 Hz and 100 Hz, preferably between 0 Hz and 50 Hz.

5. The sensing system (100) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: When the height-adjustable sensing device (20) comprises an acceleration sensing device (21), the acceleration sensing device (21) comprises an accelerometer capable of measuring 0 Hz acceleration and measuring low-frequency motion and / or constant acceleration.

6. The sensing system (100) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: When the height-adjustable sensing device (20) comprises an acceleration sensing device (21), the acceleration sensing device (21) comprises an accelerometer, and a data logger device (30) is provided to the sensing system (100) to be connected to the height-adjustable acceleration sensing device (21) for storing and processing signals.

7. The sensing system (100) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: Also included is transmitting means for broadcasting data to one or more associated receivers.

8. The sensing system (100) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: Also included is a memory for storing information.

9. The sensing system (100) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: When the height-adjustable sensing device (20) includes an acceleration sensing device (21), it also includes a microprocessor, which is used to process signals generated by the height-adjustable acceleration sensing device (21) about their reference signals to provide outputs, wherein the reference signals are obtained after sensor orientation correction after sensor calibration according to sensor data table parameters, so as to allow signal correction without controlling the position orientation of the height-adjustable acceleration sensing device (21).

10. A load-bearing element (500) for a building, characterized in that: include: ■ a plurality of tensile elements (540); ■ a receptacle (520) such as a tube (521) having an inner lumen, the receptacle being used to enclose the tensile element (540); ■A sensing system (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein at least a portion of the sensing system (100) or the height-adjustable sensing device (20) is placed within the receptacle (520) without being mounted on a surface of the receptacle, thereby allowing the height-adjustable sensing device (20) to reach any length of the receptacle (520).

11. The load-bearing element (500) according to claim 10, characterized in that: A data logger device (30) is arranged upstream or downstream of the carrier element (500).

12. The load-bearing element (500) according to claim 11, characterized in that: The data logger device (30) is arranged to be located inside or outside the receiver (520), and comprises a memory for storing data and a microprocessor for processing the signals generated by the height adjustable sensing device (20).

13. A method of installing a sensing system (100) on a load-bearing element (500) for measuring a physical parameter of the load-bearing element (500), wherein the physical parameter comprises vibration and movement, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: ■ providing a tensile element (540) to a receptacle (520) having an inner lumen, such as a tube (521); ■Providing the carrier element (500) with a sensing system (100) according to the preceding claim 1, characterized in that the sensing system comprises at least one height-adjustable sensing device (20) having a substantially tubular sleeve (12), wherein the height-adjustable sensing device (20) is located within the receptacle (520) without being mounted, wherein at least one end of the height-adjustable sensing device (20) is connected to a wire (16), which in turn is anchored to an anchoring area, allowing the height-adjustable sensing device (20) to reach any length of the receptacle (520).

14. The method for mounting a sensing system (100) on a carrier element (500) according to claim 13, characterized in that: When the height-adjustable sensing device (20) comprises an accelerometer as the acceleration sensing device (21), ■ connecting the height-adjustable acceleration sensing device (21) to a data recorder device (30); ■Generate output signal.

15. The method of mounting a sensing system (100) on a carrier element (500) according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also included is the step of raising or lowering a line (16) of any length for adjusting the position of the height adjustable sensing device (20) to reach a receptor (520).

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