Coating corrosion monitoring method, sensor array and manufacturing method thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of sensors, in particular to a coating corrosion monitoring method, a sensor array and a manufacturing method thereof.The sensor array comprises a plurality of sensors, the multiple sensor arrays are distributed in a coating of a structure, the positive electrodes of the multiple sensors in the same row are jointly connected with a positive electrode wire according to the column, and the negative electrodes of the multiple sensors in the same row are connected with a negative electrode wire according to the column; the plurality of positive wires are connected with the plurality of positive terminals in a one-to-one correspondence manner; the cathodes of the plurality of sensors in the same column are jointly connected with a cathode wire according to the column, and the plurality of cathode wires are connected with a plurality of cathode ends in a one-to-one correspondence manner; the control chip is connected with the multiple positive electrode ends and the multiple negative electrode ends and used for judging the damage degree of the coating according to the electric signals of the positive electrode ends and the negative electrode ends. The electric signal is a resistance signal or a current signal; the coating state can be directly monitored in real time, the monitoring reliability is improved, the method is suitable for metal and non-metal structures, and the manufacturing cost is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of sensors, and particularly to a method for monitoring coating corrosion, a sensor array and a manufacturing method thereof. Background Art

[0002] Since the material of a product will be corroded when it is in air, water, or space, the product has a certain service life. Generally, in order to extend the service life of the product, a coating is made on the surface of the product. For example, the surface of an automobile has a coating for protection, the surface of a building also has a coating, and the surface of household appliances also has a coating, which can greatly extend the service life of the product.

[0003] In some cases, it is necessary to perform regular maintenance on the coating to ensure that the internal metal or non-metal is not corroded. For example, the outer and inner surfaces of various oil transportation pipelines, ships, the surface of an offshore drilling platform, the surface of an offshore wind turbine, and so on. There needs to be a certain standard for the maintenance and determination of the coating. Generally, existing corrosion detection technologies are for the judgment of metal corrosion, including electrochemical methods (such as electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, linear polarization resistance, electrochemical noise) and ultrasonic detection methods, etc. These detection methods have a certain lag, that is, they can only be detected after the internal metal is corroded, which is not conducive to the prevention of corrosion. Second, the manufacturing process of traditional corrosion monitoring sensors is complex, with requirements for the shape and material of the sensors, and the cost is also high. Third, traditional sensors are relatively large in size and are not suitable for being placed inside the coating for monitoring. Fourth, traditional corrosion monitoring sensors utilize the electrochemical principle and require a reference electrode, a working electrode, and a reference electrode. The monitoring instruments are complex and expensive, and the maintenance cost is high. Fifth, traditional corrosion monitoring sensors can only detect metal corrosion. If the coating protects a non-metal, the degree of corrosion of the non-metal cannot be detected. Sixth, some corrosion monitoring sensors only distinguish between failure and non-failure and cannot meet the requirements of real-time detection and detection of the degree of corrosion. Seventh, the monitoring range of traditional corrosion monitoring sensors is relatively small. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a method for monitoring coating corrosion, a sensor array and a manufacturing method thereof, so as to directly and real-time monitor the state of the coating and improve the monitoring reliability.

[0005] In order to achieve the above purpose, the present invention provides the following technical solutions:

[0006] On the one hand, an embodiment of the present invention provides a sensor array, including:

[0007] Multiple sensors, with multiple of the sensor arrays distributed inside the coating of the structure. The positive electrodes of multiple sensors in the same row are commonly connected to a positive electrode wire by column, and multiple positive electrode wires are correspondingly connected to multiple positive terminals one by one; the negative electrodes of multiple sensors in the same column are commonly connected to a negative electrode wire by column, and multiple negative electrode wires are correspondingly connected to multiple negative terminals one by one.

[0008] A control chip, which is respectively connected to multiple positive terminals and negative terminals. The control chip is used to judge the damaged degree of the coating according to the magnitudes of the electrical signals at the positive terminals and negative terminals; the electrical signal is a resistance signal or a current signal.

[0009] Preferably, the sensor is a comb-shaped interdigital electrode or a rectangular spiral electrode.

[0010] On the other hand, an embodiment of the present invention provides a manufacturing method of a coating corrosion monitoring sensor array for manufacturing the sensor array described in any one of the above. The method includes the following steps:

[0011] Manufacture a layer of bottom coating on the structure to be protected;

[0012] Prepare sensors and a positive electrode wire connecting the positive electrodes of the sensors on the bottom coating; wherein, the positive electrodes of multiple sensors are commonly connected to one end of a positive electrode wire by row, and the other end of the positive electrode wire is connected to a positive terminal; the negative electrodes of multiple sensors are commonly connected to one end of a negative electrode wire by column, and the other end of the negative electrode wire is connected to a negative terminal.

[0013] After manufacturing a layer of insulating coating in the area where the positive electrode wire and the negative electrode wire intersect, prepare the negative electrode wire.

[0014] Manufacture a layer of surface coating to cover the sensors, the positive electrode wire and the negative electrode wire, and keep the positive terminal and the negative terminal exposed.

[0015] Preferably, the bottom coating, the insulating coating and the surface coating are all made of insulating materials.

[0016] Preferably, the manufacturing methods of the bottom coating, the insulating coating and the surface coating are the brushing method or the spraying method.

[0017] Preferably, the methods for preparing the sensors and the positive electrode wire include: being prepared by printing ink, being prepared by printing inkjet, or being prepared by laser ablation of the surface of the bottom coating to generate a conductive carbon structure.

[0018] Preferably, the methods for preparing the negative electrode wire include: being prepared by printing ink, being prepared by printing inkjet, or being prepared by laser ablation of the surfaces of the insulating coating and the bottom coating to generate a conductive carbon structure.

[0019] Preferably, the printing method includes screen printing, printing or laser ablation.

[0020] Preferably, the ink includes carbon ink, copper ink, silver ink or gold ink.

[0021] On the other hand, an embodiment of the present invention provides a method for monitoring coating corrosion. Based on the sensor array described in any one of the above, the method includes the following steps:

[0022] Select a positive electrode and a negative electrode for combination respectively to determine the sensor corresponding to the combination;

[0023] Determine the coating area and position corresponding to each sensor in the sensor array, obtain the electrical signal of each sensor, and determine the damage degree of the coating area corresponding to the sensor according to the electrical signal; wherein, the electrical signal is a resistance signal or a current signal, and the damage degree is positively correlated with the current signal and negatively correlated with the resistance signal;

[0024] Determine the damaged coating area and the sensor corresponding to the coating area according to the damage degree, and determine the position and number of damages in the structure according to the position corresponding to the sensor.

[0025] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: The present invention arranges the sensor inside the coating of the structure, measures the change of current or resistance passing through the coating, and judges the damage degree of the coating based on the magnitude of the current or resistance, so as to achieve stable and reliable judgment. Through the distributed layout and real-time signal processing of the sensor array, the present invention significantly improves the accuracy and response speed of coating corrosion monitoring, extends the service life of the structure, and reduces the maintenance cost. The present invention realizes direct and real-time monitoring of the coating state and improves the monitoring reliability. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required in the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative efforts.

[0027] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of the sensor array in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of the comb-shaped interdigital electrode in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of the rectangular spiral electrode in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 4 It is a schematic flow chart of the manufacturing method of the coating corrosion monitoring sensor array in the embodiment of the present invention. Detailed implementation manners

[0031] The following will clearly and completely describe the concept, specific structure and technical effects generated by the present invention in combination with the embodiments and the drawings, so as to fully understand the purpose, solution and effects of the present invention. It should be noted that, without conflict, the embodiments in the present invention and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0032] In the related art, there are also many methods for monitoring coating damage. For example, electrochemical methods and ultrasonic methods. Most of the sensors used in these methods are large in volume, complex in manufacturing process and very costly. Second, many methods do not monitor the state of the coating on the structure, but the data of the simulated coating near the structure or on the sensor, which is an indirect monitoring and has low reliability. Third, many methods can only detect after a certain degree of corrosion of the metal protected by the coating. Fourth, if the object to be protected is not metal but non-metal, many methods are not applicable.

[0033] Based on the above problems, the present invention provides a coating corrosion monitoring method, a sensor array and its manufacturing method, which can effectively solve the deficiencies of the prior art, realize direct and real-time monitoring of the coating state, improve the monitoring reliability, be applicable to metal and non-metal structures, and reduce the manufacturing cost.

[0034] Refer to Figure 1 , the embodiment of the present invention provides a sensor array, including:

[0035] A plurality of sensors, and the plurality of sensors are distributed inside the coating of the structure. The positive electrodes of the plurality of sensors in the same row are commonly connected to a positive electrode wire by column, and the plurality of positive electrode wires are respectively connected to a plurality of positive terminals; the negative electrodes of the plurality of sensors in the same column are commonly connected to a negative electrode wire by column, and the plurality of negative electrode wires are respectively connected to a plurality of negative terminals;

[0036] A control chip, which is respectively connected to the plurality of positive terminals and negative terminals, and the control chip is used to judge the damaged degree of the coating according to the magnitudes of the electrical signals of the positive terminals and negative terminals; the electrical signal is a resistance signal or a current signal.

[0037] Different from the monitoring sensors in the related art which are arranged outside the coating for monitoring, the sensor of the present invention is inside the coating, and monitors the coating state of the actual material to be protected, rather than the coating state near the material to be protected. The present invention arranges the sensor inside the coating of the structure. The present invention connects the electrodes to the positive and negative poles of the DC power supply, and judges the degree of coating damage by using the change of leakage current or the change of resistance between the electrodes after the coating is damaged. By measuring the change of current or resistance passing through the coating, and judging the degree of coating damage based on the magnitude of the current or resistance, stable and reliable judgment can be achieved. Instead of simply simulating the coating or monitoring the corrosion situation near the structure.

[0038] Different from the corrosion monitoring method based on galvanic corrosion, the present invention does not require two metals to form electrodes, only one material is needed to form electrodes, nor does it require reference electrodes and auxiliary electrodes. The electrode structure is simplified, the cost is reduced, and at the same time, the measurement error caused by electrode diversity is avoided, and the monitoring accuracy is improved. Through the synergistic effect of the internal sensor array, the instant capture of tiny damage to the coating is realized, ensuring the accuracy and timeliness of the monitoring data, and is applicable to a wider range of material protection fields.

[0039] In some embodiments, the sensor is a comb-shaped interdigital electrode or a rectangular spiral electrode.

[0040] Such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the sensor is composed of a conductive material to form an interdigital electrode. A voltage is applied to both ends of the sensor. Since the coating resistance is very high, the resistance at both ends of the sensor is relatively high. When the coating is damaged, the sensor will come into contact with water and impurity ions, so the resistance between the electrodes decreases, and the degree of coating erosion can be judged according to the degree of resistance decrease. In addition to judging the coating according to the resistance, the integrity of the coating can also be judged according to the current. When the voltage remains unchanged, the greater the current, the more severely the coating is eroded. The sensor can be used alone, but the detectable range is small. The present invention uses a sensor array to detect the degree of coating erosion and can detect a larger range.

[0041] Referring to Figure 4 , the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a coating corrosion monitoring sensor array for manufacturing the sensor array in any of the above embodiments. The method includes the following steps:

[0042] S100, fabricate a layer of primer on the structure to be protected;

[0043] S200, fabricate sensors on the underlying coating and connect the positive electrode wires to the positive electrodes of the sensors; wherein, the positive electrodes of multiple sensors are commonly connected to one end of a positive electrode wire by row, and the other end of the positive electrode wire is connected to a positive terminal; the negative electrodes of multiple sensors are commonly connected to one end of a negative electrode wire by column, and the other end of the negative electrode wire is connected to a negative terminal;

[0044] Specifically, the sensors in the sensor array are arranged in rows and columns. The positive electrodes of multiple sensors in the same row are commonly connected to a positive electrode wire by column, and multiple positive electrode wires are respectively connected to multiple positive terminals; the negative electrodes of multiple sensors in the same column are commonly connected to a negative electrode wire by column, and multiple negative electrode wires are respectively connected to multiple negative terminals.

[0045] S300, after making an insulating coating in the area where the positive electrode wire and the negative electrode wire intersect, fabricate the negative electrode wire;

[0046] S400, make a surface coating to cover the sensors, positive electrode wires and negative electrode wires, and keep the positive terminal and the negative terminal exposed.

[0047] In some embodiments, the underlying coating, the insulating coating and the surface coating are all made of insulating materials.

[0048] It should be noted that, like the insulating coating, the underlying coating and the surface coating are required to have a certain insulation property, and silicone heavy anti-corrosion coatings or other insulating coatings can be used.

[0049] In some embodiments, the underlying coating, the insulating coating and the surface coating are made by brushing or spraying.

[0050] In some embodiments, the methods for fabricating the sensors and the positive electrode wires include: obtaining them by printing ink, obtaining them by printing ink, or producing a conductive carbon structure by laser ablation of the surface of the underlying coating.

[0051] In some embodiments, the methods for fabricating the negative electrode wires include: obtaining them by printing ink, obtaining them by printing ink, or producing a conductive carbon structure by laser ablation of the surfaces of the insulating coating and the underlying coating.

[0052] The material of the sensor is ink or a conductive carbon structure formed after ablation of an organic substance. By laser ablation of the surface of the coating, a conductive carbon structure is produced to make the structure conductive.

[0053] In some embodiments, the printing methods include screen printing, printing or laser ablation.

[0054] In some embodiments, the ink includes carbon ink, copper ink, silver ink or gold ink.

[0055] It should be noted that due to the light and thin characteristics of the coating, the sensor also needs to be light and thin. Since most sensors are electrical sensors, the sensor needs to be connected by wires and can also conduct electricity itself. Most of the conductive materials are metals, including carbon. The combination of these materials will inevitably lead to too large a volume of the sensor, which is not suitable for placement inside the coating. Therefore, in the present invention, metal ink or carbon ink is placed inside the coating by means of printing, spraying or ablation. The sensor made in this way is not only light and thin but also conductive, fully meeting the requirements of the first two points. When the coating is damaged, external water and impurity ions will inevitably enter the coating, which will cause a change in the properties of the coating.

[0056] The manufacturing process of the sensor is as follows:

[0057] 1. First, a bottom coating is made on the material to be protected, which can be done by brushing or spraying. For example, in process b of Figure 4 , if the resistance of the bottom coating is large, then enter process c.

[0058] 2. The sensor and wires are printed on the bottom coating. The printing methods include screen printing, spraying or laser ablation. The printing inks include carbon ink, copper ink, silver ink or gold ink, and other metal inks can also be used. After printing, some heat treatment may be required according to the characteristics of different inks. The shapes of the sensors are as shown in Figure 2 and Figure 3 . Figure 2 is a comb-shaped interdigital electrode, Figure 3 is a rectangular spiral electrode. The rectangular spiral electrode includes two concentric rectangular ring electrodes. The rectangular spiral electrode has rotational symmetry. Of course, the shapes of the sensors include but are not limited to the patterns in the figures.

[0059] 3. The intersection part of the wires is shielded with an insulating coating to isolate the intersecting positive and negative wires, such as process d in Figure 4 .

[0060] 4. The negative wire of the sensor is printed, such as process e in Figure 4 .

[0061] 5. Finally, the sensor is sealed with a coating, leaving the position where the wire is connected to the electrode, such as process f in Figure 4 .

[0062] 6. As in Figure 4As shown, connect the leads to the control chip respectively. When the positive power is connected to pin 1 and the negative power is connected to pin 4, the sensor resistance or current signal at the (1, 4) position can be known, so as to know the damage degree of the coatings of the sensors in the first row and the first column. Apply positive and negative power alternately among pins 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. The electrical signals of 9 sensors can be detected. According to the electrical signals, it can be judged which areas where the sensors are located are damaged, as well as the positions and numbers of the damages, which is more reliable than the signals obtained by individual sensors.

[0063] The present invention also provides a method for monitoring coating corrosion. Based on the sensor array described in any one of the above, the method includes the following steps:

[0064] Select a positive extreme and a negative extreme respectively for combination to determine the sensors corresponding to the combination;

[0065] Determine the coating areas and positions corresponding to each sensor in the sensor array, obtain the electrical signals of each of the sensors, and determine the damage degree of the coating area corresponding to the sensor according to the electrical signals; wherein, the electrical signals are resistance signals or current signals, and the damage degree is positively correlated with the current signal and negatively correlated with the resistance signal;

[0066] Determine the coating areas with damage and the sensors corresponding to the coating areas according to the damage degree, and determine the positions and numbers of the damages in the structure according to the positions corresponding to the sensors.

[0067] In this embodiment, through the electrical signals of each sensor in the array, it is judged whether the coating in the area where the sensor is located is damaged, and the positions and numbers of the damages can be detected, which helps to judge the damage degree of the coating.

[0068] The above is a specific description of the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, but the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments. Those skilled in the art can also make various equivalent deformations or substitutions without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure, and these equivalent deformations or substitutions are all included in the scope defined by the claims of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A sensor array, characterized in that, Including: A plurality of sensors, and a plurality of said sensor arrays are distributed inside the coating of the structure. The positive electrodes of the sensors in the same row are commonly connected to a positive electrode wire by column, and a plurality of positive electrode wires are respectively connected to a plurality of positive terminals; the negative electrodes of the sensors in the same column are commonly connected to a negative electrode wire by column, and a plurality of negative electrode wires are respectively connected to a plurality of negative terminals. A control chip, which is respectively connected to a plurality of said positive terminals and negative terminals. The control chip is used to judge the damaged degree of the coating according to the magnitudes of the electrical signals of the positive terminals and negative terminals; the electrical signal is a resistance signal or a current signal.

2. The sensor array according to claim 1, wherein The sensor is a comb-shaped interdigital electrode or a rectangular spiral electrode.

3. A manufacturing method of a coating corrosion monitoring sensor array for manufacturing the sensor array according to any one of claims 1 to 2, the method comprising the following steps: Manufacture a layer of primer on the structure to be protected. Prepare sensors and positive electrode wires connecting the positive electrodes of the sensors on the primer; wherein, the positive electrodes of a plurality of sensors are commonly connected to one end of a positive electrode wire by row, and the other end of the positive electrode wire is connected to a positive terminal; the negative electrodes of a plurality of sensors are commonly connected to one end of a negative electrode wire by column, and the other end of the negative electrode wire is connected to a negative terminal. After manufacturing a layer of insulating paint in the area where the positive electrode wire and the negative electrode wire intersect, prepare the negative electrode wire. Manufacture a layer of topcoat to cover the sensors, positive electrode wires and negative electrode wires, and keep the positive terminal and negative terminal exposed.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein The primer, insulating paint and topcoat are all made of insulating materials.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein The manufacturing methods of the primer, insulating paint and topcoat are the brushing method or the spraying method.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein The methods for preparing the sensors and positive electrode wires include: being prepared by printing ink, being prepared by printing inkjet, or being prepared by laser ablating the surface of the primer to generate a conductive carbon structure.

7. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The methods for preparing the negative electrode wires include: being prepared by printing ink, being prepared by printing inkjet, or being prepared by laser ablating the surfaces of the insulating paint and the primer to generate a conductive carbon structure.

8. The method according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that, The printing method includes screen printing, printing or laser ablation.

9. The method according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that, The ink includes carbon ink, copper ink, silver ink or gold ink.

10. A coating corrosion monitoring method based on the sensor array according to any one of claims 1 to 2, the method comprising the following steps: Respectively select a positive terminal and a negative terminal for combination to determine the corresponding sensor of the combination. Determine the coating area and position corresponding to each sensor in the sensor array, obtain the electrical signal of each said sensor, and determine the damaged degree of the coating area corresponding to the sensor according to the electrical signal; wherein, the electrical signal is a resistance signal or a current signal, the damaged degree is positively correlated with the current signal and negatively correlated with the resistance signal. Determine the damaged coating area and the sensor corresponding to the coating area according to the damaged degree, and determine the position and number of damages in the structure according to the position corresponding to the sensor.

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