Wear sensor

Abstract

A wear sensor includes an optical element adapted to be disposed within a body of a wear-resistant component configured to indicate a wear condition of the wear-resistant component.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a wear sensor configured to sense the wear condition of a body, such as a wear-resistant lining provided on equipment used in the mining and mineral processing industries. In particular, the present invention relates to a wear sensor comprising an optical element.

[0002] The present invention further relates to a wear sensor arrangement comprising a plurality of wear sensors, wherein each wear sensor is configured to extend to a predetermined depth within a wear-resistant body such that the degree / depth of wear of the body can be sensed.

[0003] The present invention also relates to a processing system and method for indicating a wear condition of a subject, to a modeling system for displaying a model of the wear condition of a subject, and to a system for predicting future wear of a subject. Background Art

[0004] Reference in this specification to any prior publication (or information derived therefrom) or to any matter known is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgement or admission or any form of implication that the prior publication (or information derived therefrom) or known matter forms part of the common general knowledge in the field to which this specification relates.

[0005] Wear resistant linings are commonly used in mining equipment and mineral processing plants, including mining dump truck trays, crusher concave linings, grinding mill linings, slurry pump linings, slurry pipes, etc.

[0006] It is important to monitor the wear condition (length / thickness) of these liners to ensure safe and efficient operation of these assets.

[0007] A variety of techniques have been utilized to monitor the wear condition of these liners, including manual ultrasonic measurements, laser scanning, online ultrasonic measurements, and online resistance / conductivity measurements.

[0008] Manual ultrasonic measurement methods have inherent safety hazards and risks, often requiring plant shutdowns and prohibiting personnel from entering the interior spaces of the operating plant, thereby reducing production efficiency when performing the wear monitoring process.

[0009] Similarly, laser scanning also requires manual operation of the scanner and plant downtime. Laser scanning also requires calibration using manual thickness measurements (such as ultrasonic measurements) to ensure accurate calculations.

[0010] The online ultrasonic measurement method uses an ultrasonic sensor mounted on the back of the wear-resistant lining material to measure the current thickness, which can be performed without manual access or plant downtime. However, ultrasonics require calibration for each different alloy material and is not suitable for non-metallic or composite lining materials.

[0011] Online intrusive wear measurement methods typically use multiple resistor- or capacitor-based circuits to indicate corresponding wear increments. However, when multiple resistor-, capacitor-, and inductor-based circuits are exposed to conductive conditions, such as a slurry environment, the circuit's resistance, capacitance, and inductance results can be adversely affected, leading to erroneous indications of wear.

[0012] Methods based on intrusive online measurements, such as resistive / conductive / inductive wear sensors, install a limited number of sensors at empirically selected locations on the liner body. These selected locations may not reflect actual locations of higher wear, leading to an inaccurate estimate of the wear level of the liner body. Summary of the Invention

[0013] The present invention seeks to overcome at least some of the shortcomings and / or deficiencies of prior art devices and / or methods of monitoring the wear condition of a wear resistant lining of an equipment body.

[0014] The present invention also seeks to provide a wear sensor, sensor arrangement, sensing device and / or system for indicating and / or modelling the wear condition of a body.

[0015] The present invention also seeks to provide a wear sensor that senses wear of a body by using an optical element and operates functionally differently from prior art wear sensors.

[0016] The present invention further seeks to provide a wear sensor wherein sensing is achieved using a substantially non-conductive sensor.

[0017] In a broad form, the present invention provides an optical wear sensor comprising an optical element adapted for placement within a body of a wear resistant component, configured to indicate a wear condition of the wear resistant component.

[0018] In another broad form, the present invention provides an optical wear sensor comprising:

[0019] an optical element defining an optical signal transmission path and adapted to be disposed within the body of the wear-resistant component;

[0020] an optical transmitter configured to transmit an optical signal from an input end of the optical path; and

[0021] an optical detector configured to detect whether the optical signal is received at an output end of the optical path,

[0022] Wherein, in use, the absence of the optical signal received at the output end of the optical path indicates a wear condition of the wear-resistant component.

[0023] Preferably, the optical element comprises an optical fiber.

[0024] Preferably, the optical element is at least partially formed from a polymer or glass material.

[0025] Preferably, the optical element is formed from a substantially non-conductive material.

[0026] Preferably, the optical element is embedded in the body.

[0027] Preferably, the optical element is mounted within the body.

[0028] Preferably, the optical pathway is configured as a fiber optic loop, wherein at least a portion of the loop is adapted to be positioned substantially proximate to a wear surface of the wear resistant component.

[0029] Preferably, the end of the ring is adapted to be positioned substantially proximate to the wear surface of the wear component.

[0030] Preferably, the optical path is configured as an optical fiber extending to an optical deflector, wherein the optical deflector is adapted to be positioned substantially proximate to a wear surface of the wear resistant component.

[0031] Preferably, the sensor is passively powered by the transponder device.

[0032] Preferably, the passively powered transponder device is configured as an RFID transponder.

[0033] Preferably, the transponder device is configured to:

[0034] receiving an input signal to power the sensor; and

[0035] A response signal indicative of a wear condition of the wear resistant component is transmitted.

[0036] Preferably, the transponder operates in the UHF range.

[0037] Preferably, the sensor is actively powered by a battery or other power source.

[0038] Preferably, the actively powered sensor is configured to transmit a wireless communication signal indicative of a wear condition of the wear resistant component.

[0039] In another broad form, the present invention provides an optical wear sensor device adapted to be disposed within a body of a wear resistant component, the optical wear sensor device being configured to indicate a depth / extent of wear of the wear resistant component, the device comprising:

[0040] a plurality of optical elements, each optical element comprising a respective optical path of a different respective length;

[0041] an optical transmission device configured to transmit an optical signal via an input end of each respective optical path; and

[0042] an optical detector device configured to detect whether the optical signal is received at an output of each respective optical path,

[0043] Wherein, in use, the depth / extent of wear of the wear resistant component is determined by the presence or absence of each respective optical signal received at the output end of each respective optical path.

[0044] Preferably, each optical element comprises an optical fibre extending to an optical deflector.

[0045] Preferably, each optical deflector is configured to wear as said wear resistant component wears.

[0046] Preferably, the plurality of optical elements are housed in the form of probes.

[0047] Preferably, the sensor device further comprises a passive transponder.

[0048] Preferably, the passive transponder is housed in a base at the end of the probe.

[0049] Preferably, the transponder is configured to:

[0050] receiving an input signal to power the sensor device;

[0051] and transmitting a response signal indicative of the depth / extent of wear of the wear resistant component.

[0052] Preferably, the base further comprises a photoelectric converter, wherein the photoelectric converter is configured to:

[0053] converting the electrical power signal received by the transponder into an optical transmission signal for transmission by the optical transmission device; and

[0054] Any optical signal received by the optical detector device is converted into an electrical response signal.

[0055] Preferably, the passive transponder comprises an antenna, the antenna being substantially circular, semi-circular, rectangular or square in shape.

[0056] Preferably, the antenna of the wear sensor is configured to communicate with a wear sensor writer of complementary or compatible shape.

[0057] Preferably, the communication uses a wireless communication channel, including using Wi-Fi, cellular network, etc.

[0058] In another broad form, the present invention provides a wear sensing arrangement comprising a plurality of optical wear sensors arranged at different locations within a body of a wear resistant component, wherein each optical wear sensor is configured to indicate a wear condition at a respective location within the wear resistant component.

[0059] Preferably, each optical wear sensor is configured to extend to a predetermined depth within the body such that the degree / depth of wear of the body is sensed thereby.

[0060] In another broad form, the present invention relates to an optical wear sensor as described above or a wear sensing arrangement as described above adapted to indicate a wear condition of any one or a combination of the following:

[0061] Truck pallet liners;

[0062] Concave lining of gyratory crusher;

[0063] grinding machine linings;

[0064] slurry pump liners; and

[0065] Slurry pipe lining.

[0066] In another broad form, the invention provides a system for modeling a wear condition of a body, the system comprising:

[0067] at least one wear sensor, each wear sensor being adapted to be disposed within a body of a wear-resistant component and configured to provide sensor data indicative of a wear condition of the wear-resistant component; and

[0068] A processor is configured to construct a model of a wear condition of the body based on the sensed data.

[0069] Preferably, the processor is further configured to predict future wear of the body based on a comparison of raw body data representing an original condition of the body with the sensed data.

[0070] Preferably, the processor uses any one or a combination of the following:

[0071] numerical modeling procedures;

[0072] Machine learning algorithms;

[0073] artificial intelligence neural networks; and

[0074] Deep learning or predictive modeling standards.

[0075] Preferably, the processor is further configured to predict a replacement time for replacing the wear-resistant component.

[0076] Preferably, the processor is further configured to initiate a command to replace the wear-resistant component a predetermined period of time before the predicted replacement time. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0077] The present invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description of preferred but non-limiting embodiments described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0078] Figure 1 shows an optical wear sensor probe according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0079] Figure 2 shows an optical wear sensor probe according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0080] Figure 3 An optical wear sensor probe arrangement comprising a plurality of optical elements is shown;

[0081] Figure 4 Shown is the installation in the wear-resistant part Figure 3 Sensor arrangement;

[0082] Figure 5 shows a sensor arrangement mounted in a wearable component, wherein the wearable component and the probe of the optical sensor device are partially worn;

[0083] Figure 6 Detailed schematic diagram of a wear sensor probe arrangement constructed in the form of a multi-layer PCB, including glass fibers and microfiber deflectors;

[0084] Figure 7 shows a wear sensor probe arrangement comprising a plurality of optical rings;

[0085] Figure 8 shows a passively powered optical wear sensor system that utilizes radio frequency identification (RFID) to power the probe and for signal transmission;

[0086] Figure 9 shows an alternative exemplary RFID antenna arrangement with a passively powered optical wear sensor;

[0087] Figure 10 An exemplary embodiment of a passively powered optical wear sensor antenna housing is shown;

[0088] Figure 11 An exemplary embodiment of an actively powered optical wear sensor is shown;

[0089] Figure 12 An exemplary embodiment of an actively powered pair of optical sensors is shown, wherein one sensor has equally spaced deflectors and the other sensor has variably spaced deflectors;

[0090] Figure 13 An exemplary embodiment of a plurality of optical wear sensor devices in a truck pallet liner body is shown;

[0091] Figure 14 An exemplary embodiment of an optical wear sensor apparatus in a concave liner body of a gyratory crusher is shown;

[0092] Figure 15 shows a cross-sectional view of an exemplary embodiment of a wear sensor mounted in a liner body;

[0093] Figure 16 An exemplary embodiment of an actively powered optical wear sensor mounted in a slurry pump liner body is shown;

[0094] Figure 17 An exemplary embodiment of an actively powered optical wear sensor installed in a slurry pipe liner body is shown;

[0095] Figure 18 An exemplary data transmission system / process associated with the passively powered optical wear sensor of the present invention is shown;

[0096] Figure 19 An exemplary data transmission system / process associated with the actively powered optical wear sensor of the present invention is shown;

[0097] Figure 20 A flow chart illustrating an exemplary global wear prediction and reconstruction process for a device with an optical wear sensor is shown;

[0098] Figure 21 A flow chart illustrating another example of a wear prediction algorithm;

[0099] Figure 22 Another flow chart of the wear prediction algorithm is shown;

[0100] Figure 23An exemplary system according to the present invention is shown, which illustrates an embodiment of a replacement planning system for replacing a worn wear sensor; and

[0101] Figure 24 An exemplary mounting arrangement for mounting an optical wear sensor into a wear plate body is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0102] Unless expressly stated otherwise, the same reference numerals will be used to identify the same features throughout the drawings.

[0103] Figure 1 An exemplary embodiment of an optical wear sensor according to the present invention is shown, generally designated by the numeral 1. The optical wear sensor 1 includes an optical element 2 formed into a ring arrangement. The optical element 2 is shown enclosed within a probe-like structure 5 extending from a base portion 6. As shown, the optical element 2 has two ends 7 and 8, providing an optical path 10 between the two ends 7 and 8, and the optical element 2 extends in an elongated manner within the probe 5, with a ring arrangement 9 at the distal end of the probe 5, i.e., at the end of the probe 5 remote from the base portion 6.

[0104] In use, as will be described below, an optical signal may be provided at the input 7 of the optical element 2 for transmission to the output 8 of the optical element 2 along an optical path 10 , in this case formed by the elongate portion of the optical element 2 via the ring 9 .

[0105] Figure 2 An alternative exemplary embodiment of an optical wear sensor 1 is shown. In this case, the optical wear sensor 1 comprises a bidirectional optical path 10 formed by an optical element 3 and an optical deflector 4 arranged at the distal end of a probe 5 .

[0106] In use, an optical signal can be input at the base end 7 of the optical element 3, and can also be output at the base end 8 of the optical element 3. That is, the optical element allows for bidirectional transmission of optical signals.

[0107] In the two exemplary embodiments described above, the optical elements 2 and 3 define an optical signal transmission path 10 between the input end 7 and the output end 8 of the optical element 2 or 3 .

[0108] Figure 3Another alternative exemplary embodiment of an optical wear sensor 1 according to the present invention is shown. In this exemplary embodiment, multiple optical paths are provided in the probe 5 of the optical wear sensor 1. In the exemplary embodiment shown, five optical paths 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, and 10e are provided, each of which includes an optical element 3 operating in association with a corresponding optical deflector 4. Specifically, five optical deflectors 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, and 4e are positioned at different intervals along the length of the probe 5. Optical element 3a and its associated deflector 4a form a first, short optical path, while increasingly longer optical paths are formed by optical element and deflector combinations 3b and 4b, 3c and 4c, 3d and 4d, and 3e and 4e, respectively.

[0109] Figure 4 An optical wear sensor 1 is shown mounted in the body of a wear-resistant component 11 .

[0110] Figure 5 Shows a wear-resistant component 11 and an optical wear sensor 1 mounted therein, similar to Figure 4 , but both the wear-resistant component and the optical wear sensor 1 are partially worn.

[0111] The probe 5 of the wear sensor 1 is configured such that the probe 5 and the optical element 2 or 3 mounted therein are adapted to wear as the wear-resistant component 11 wears.

[0112] Specifically, as the optical element 2 or 3 wears, the optical element 2 or 3 becomes discontinuous, such that any optical signal provided at the input 7 is not received at the output 8 .

[0113] The absence of an optical signal received at the output of the optical path 10 indicates that the wear resistant component has worn to a wear depth of at least the probe 5 and the optical element 2 or 3 accommodated therein.

[0114] In use, each of the optical paths 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d and 10e formed by each respective optical element and deflector combination may sequentially wear as the probe 5 is worn, indicating progressive wear of the probe 5 and wear resistant component 11 .

[0115] Optical transmitter 18 (in Figure 6 ) is configured to be provided at the input end 7 of each optical path 10 to transmit an optical signal through the optical path 10.

[0116] Optical detector 19 (also Figure 6 ) is configured to be provided at the output end 8 of each optical path 10 to detect whether an optical signal is received at the output end of the optical path.

[0117] In use, the absence of an optical signal received at the output 8 of the optical path 10 is indicative of a wear condition of the wear resistant component.

[0118] The optical element may be an optical fiber or any other element that allows optical signals to be transmitted therethrough. The optical element may be formed at least in part from a polymer or glass material. The optical element is preferably non-conductive, which may have advantages in use when monitoring readings in conductive ore bodies in equipment, and / or when mounted within a wear plate formed from metal or other conductive material, and / or when mounted within a working environment with a conductive wear medium (such as a mineral slurry).

[0119] In various alternative exemplary embodiments, the optical element may be embedded within and / or integrally formed with the wearable component; or may be formed separately in the form of a probe 5 or the like and then attached to the wearable component 11 or inserted into an aperture or cutout formed therein.

[0120] In other exemplary embodiments, the wear sensor 1 may be installed after the wear part is manufactured and may be mounted to the wear part, for example, by using an adhesive or a locking mechanism. As an example, Figure 24 , an embodiment of a locking mechanism is shown, which comprises a quick locking mechanism 91 mounted on the wear sensor 1 and a compatible mating surface 92 provided on the body 11 formed of a wear-resistant material.

[0121] exist Figure 6 Schematic diagram of an exemplary optical wear sensor probe including a plurality of glass fibers 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, and 3e is shown. Also shown are optical deflectors 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, and 4e mounted at the ends of each glass fiber 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, and 3e. This plurality of glass fibers and the microfiber deflector combination can be mounted within a multilayer printed circuit board (PCB) 12. A photoelectric converter unit 13 is mounted at the ends of the glass fibers to transmit signals through the glass fibers via an optical transmitter 18 and receive any deflection signals via an optical detector 19. When microfiber deflectors 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, and 4e are worn away due to wear, no deflection signals are received at detector 19 of photoelectric converter unit 13, indicating that the wear state of the corresponding glass fibers 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, and 3e has reached a predetermined length.

[0122] Figure 7An exemplary embodiment of an optical wear sensor 1 is shown, wherein a probe 5 of the optical wear sensor 1 is provided with a plurality of optical paths 10, each of which is formed using an optical element 2 having a ring configuration. As each ring 2e, 2d, 2c, 2b, and 2a gradually wears away, the optical paths 10e, 10d, 10c, 10b, 10b, and 10a gradually wear away, resulting in no optical signal being received at the output end of the corresponding optical path, thereby indicating the wear condition of the wear-resistant component to the length / depth of the ring extending from the base 13.

[0123] exist Figure 8 , a schematic diagram of an exemplary passively powered non-conductive wear sensor 1 is shown, which includes a plurality of glass fibers 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d and 3e, each extending from a base 6. Each glass fiber 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d and 3e provides an optical signal transmission path.

[0124] Each optical deflector 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d and 4e may be spaced substantially equidistant from each adjacent deflector, or may be provided at any other desired variable spacing, as will be explained below.

[0125] like Figure 8 As shown, the base portion of the wear sensor 1 may include a passively powered transponder arrangement including an antenna 20 for transmitting and / or receiving data information between the sensor 1 and other components 21. A capacitor 22 may be used to store energy from the radio frequency signal and to release power to supply current to a low-power microcontroller unit (MCU) 24. The MCU 24 examines each of the optical elements 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, and 3e via an electro-optical converter 23.

[0126] The antenna 20 may be embodied in various configurations and shapes, such as Figure 9 For example, in Figure 9 In a, the base 6a may have an overall circular shape and be divided into a predetermined number of sections. Each section may include a transmit-receive antenna 20, a low-power MCU 24, and a capacitor 22.

[0127] exist Figure 9 b. Figure 9 c and Figure 9 d shows some exemplary alternative configurations and shapes for the base portion and / or antenna 20, which show overall rectangular 6b, square 6c, and semicircular 6d configurations, each of which can be segmented in various ways, as shown. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many other alternative configurations and shapes can be implemented.

[0128] The antenna 20 and its associated electronics may be housed in a device such as Figure 10The housing is shown and extends from the base 6 of the wear sensor 1 at the end of the probe 5 .

[0129] The optical wear sensor 1 preferably further operates in conjunction with a wear sensor writer, which may be complementary in shape to the antenna 20 configuration, or otherwise compatible.

[0130] exist Figure 11 A schematic diagram of an actively powered optical wear sensor 1 is shown in FIG. In the illustrated embodiment, each optical element 3 is shown extending from a base circuit, and an optical deflector 4 is mounted at the end of each optical element 3. Each optical element 3 may embody a glass fiber signal transmission path. An MCU 31 for controlling the operation of a photoelectric converter unit 34 may be mounted at the base at the end of the probe 5 of the wear sensor 1.

[0131] The MCU 31 is configured to connect to the battery unit 30 via power and data lines 32. The battery unit 30 supplies current to the low-power microcontroller unit (MCU) 31. The MCU 31 checks each glass fiber element 3 via an electrical-to-optical converter 34. The wireless transmitter 33 sends a response signal via a Wi-Fi / cellular network or other communication channel.

[0132] Figure 12 A diagram shows a pair of actively powered optical wear sensors 1, which are powered by a battery unit 30 via a cable 32. Note that in this exemplary embodiment, the deflectors 4 in one of the sensors are equally spaced, while the other has a variable spacing. In some applications, the variable spacing can provide a more accurate indication of the degree / depth of wear on a wearable component as it approaches the end of its life. It should be understood that multiple wear sensors 1 can be connected to the central unit 30.

[0133] The wear sensor 1 may be used in a variety of applications to indicate the degree of wear of a wear-resistant component. Some example applications will be described, it being noted that many other applications will be possible, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.

[0134] Figure 13 An exemplary embodiment of a plurality of passively powered wear sensors 1 is shown mounted into a dump truck pallet liner body 40. The wear sensors 1 can be inserted into the truck pallet liner body from the back via drilled holes, noting that the mounting location can be chosen to avoid the structural beams of the liner body.

[0135] Figure 13Also shown is an exemplary optical wear sensor reader 21 positioned near the dump truck pallet liner body 40. During use, the sensor reader 21 transmits an electromagnetic signal to the wear sensor 1, charging a capacitor embedded in the RFID chip. This signal is then reflected back using electromagnetic wave reflection coupling. The RFID chip can be directly connected to a microelectronic circuit. During the electromagnetic wave response phase, the current signal transmission status of the optical path from the wear sensor 1 is also transmitted back to the sensor reader 21. Thus, the wear condition of the truck pallet liner body can be monitored.

[0136] exist Figure 14 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a plurality of actively powered wear sensors 1 incorporated into a gyratory crusher 41, which generally comprises a concave liner body 42. The optical wear sensors 1 are inserted into the concave liner body 42 from a back plate via drilled holes, positioned to avoid the structural beams of the liner body.

[0137] exist Figure 15 , an exemplary embodiment of a plurality of actively powered non-conductive optical wear sensors 1 is shown incorporated into a grinding mill liner body at a lifter section 51 and a mill housing 52. Multiple power and data cables for each actively powered non-conductive wear sensor 1 are fused into one power and data connector 53, which is configured to connect to a battery unit 30 and a wireless transmitter 33 mounted on the exterior of the mill housing. Figure 15 Also shown is a planar washer plate 54 secured in place from the grinder liner body by two bolts 55 and nuts 56. The battery unit 30 and wireless transmitter 33 may be fastened to the planar washer plate 54 via magnets, via a threaded locking mechanism, via epoxy, or via another fastening technique.

[0138] Figure 15 Also shown is an exemplary embodiment of an actively powered, non-conductive optical wear sensor 1 positioned within a tapered aperture 57 to facilitate integration of the wear sensor 1. The tapered aperture can be specifically designed into the housing liner during manufacturing. The tapered aperture 57 is secured within the grinder liner body via an O-ring seal.

[0139] Figure 15Also shown is an example of multiple power and data cables for each actively powered non-conductive optical wear sensor being fused into one power and data connector 53. The fused power and data connector is configured to connect to the battery unit 30 and wireless transmitter 33 on the exterior of the mill housing via specially designed rubber plugs 58 installed in bolt holes. The rubber plug 58 has a central bore for routing the power and data cables 32 and two side bolts for the rubber plug, and once the two side bolts are tightened, the rubber plug will expand in a lateral direction, after which the rubber plug is tightened in the bolt hole.

[0140] exist Figure 15 Also shown is an exemplary actively powered optical wear sensor battery unit 30 and wireless transmitter 33 connected to the wear sensor 1 via power and data cable 32. A low-power microcontroller (MCU) can be powered by the battery unit 30 and transmit the current signal transmission status of the optical path from the wear sensor 1 via the wireless transmitter 33. Thus, the wear of the lifter 48 and the plate 49 on the wear-resistant liner can then be measured. The wear of the lifter 48 is critical for determining the charge trajectory under current operating conditions, thereby affecting the grinding performance of the mill. When excessive wear occurs, the wear of the plate 49 or lifter 48 will trigger the replacement of the corresponding liner body.

[0141] exist Figure 16 , an exemplary embodiment of a plurality of actively powered optical wear sensors 1 incorporated into a wear-resistant liner body 61 of a slurry pump 60 is shown. The optical wear sensors 1 can be inserted into the slurry pump wear-resistant liner body 61 via drilled holes from the back plate, i.e., from the outside in rather than the inside out, with the installation location chosen to avoid the structural beams of the liner body.

[0142] exist Figure 17 is shown an exemplary embodiment of a plurality of actively powered wear sensors 1 incorporated into a slurry pipe 70 and its wear-resistant liner body 71. The wear sensors 1 are inserted into the slurry pipe liner body 71 via drilled holes, with the mounting positions being selected to cover all four orientations of the slurry pipe since manual rotation of the pipe orientation can be applied during operation.

[0143] Figure 17 Also shown is an example of an actively powered optical wear sensor battery unit 30 and a wireless transmitter 33 connected to the non-conductive optical wear sensor 1 via a power and data cable 32. The low-power MCU is powered by the battery unit 30 to send the current signal transmission status of the glass fiber 3 from the wear sensor 1 via the wireless transmitter 33. Thus, the wear of the slurry pipe lining body 71 at selected locations can then be measured.

[0144] The present invention further provides an overall system for measuring and / or modeling the global wear condition of a body, such as Figure 18 As shown. The system preferably includes at least one passively powered non-conductive wear sensor 1, which is passively powered by an RFID reader 21 and is configured to provide sensed data indicative of the wear condition of selected locations of the wear-resistant liner body. Response signals from the non-conductive optical wear sensor 1 can be transmitted to a cloud platform 80 via a wired or wireless network. A processor 81 is configured to provide output data representing the global wear condition of the body based on the raw wear-resistant liner body geometry and the sensed data, and to display the results to a user output device 82.

[0145] The output data can be displayed or provided to the user in a variety of formats. In a simple version, the output data can simply provide feedback to the user indicating that the wear-resistant material has worn sufficiently to require replacement. Additionally or alternatively, the output data can provide a quantitative indication of the degree of wear based on information provided by a combination of multiple optical paths disposed within a particular wear sensor and / or multiple wear sensors distributed throughout the wear-resistant liner body formed of the wear-resistant material.

[0146] In an alternative exemplary embodiment, the system may include a processor configured to reconstruct a topological model of the wear-resistant liner body, the topological model may include, for example, data representing the body's original geometry and data indicating the wear-resistant liner body's current state. Such a model may be visually displayed to a user.

[0147] In a preferred, but non-limiting, exemplary embodiment, it will be appreciated that the present invention can be implemented as a hybrid passive (no battery required) wear material tracking and wear monitoring sensor and system. In this exemplary embodiment, the sensor / system is capable of tracking and measuring the real-time length / thickness of wear lining materials without the need for active power. This enables the prediction and reconstruction of global wear in assets with large amounts of wear lining materials. Thus, the present invention provides an intelligent and reliable solution for wear monitoring solutions.

[0148] In an exemplary but non-limiting embodiment of the composite wear monitoring system, the system may generally include the following components:

[0149] - At least one UH-RFID non-conductive passive wear sensor 1: This UH-RFID non-conductive passive wear sensor 1 integrates multiple radio frequency identification modules with wear detection microelectronics, including an antenna 20, a low-power microcontroller (MCU), an on-board capacitor 22, and an optical path 10. When the UH-RFID-based passive wear sensor 1 receives a communication signal, it can generate an appropriate level of excitation current to power the low-power MCU. The low-power MCU checks the status of the wear sensor 1 and generates a wear condition signal based on the status of the wear sensor 1. The low-power MCU then combines the sensor identifier from the on-board memory with the wear status and sends a response signal;

[0150] - At least one UH-RFID-based passive wear sensor writer 21: Using a UH-RFID-based non-conductive passive wear sensor writer 21 and its software. This system is capable of customizing and writing identifier data into the UH-RFID-based non-conductive passive wear sensor 1. It can also be used to initialize the wear length and resolution of the wear sensor 1;

[0151] - At least one remote reader 21: After the UH-RFID-based non-conductive passive wear sensor 1 receives a communication signal from the remote reader 21, an excitation current is generated and powered to the wear sensor 1. The sensor identifier and the current state of the optical path 10 are sent back to the remote reader 21;

[0152] At least one wear reconstruction system 81: The remote reader 21 transmits the sensor identifier and wear status to the wear reconstruction system 81 for wear interpretation. The sensor identifier may also contain data for tracking and cross-referencing the wear sensor's mounting location on the wear-resistant material. The wear reconstruction system also integrates the wear interpretation results, mounting location, mounting geometry, and a suite of numerical modeling codes, which may include discrete element modeling, smoothed particle fluid dynamics, and computational fluid dynamics, with machine learning algorithms, to predict and reconstruct the global wear distribution on the selected wear-resistant liner body.

[0153] like Figure 19 As shown, the present invention also provides an overall system for measuring and / or modeling the global wear condition of a body. The system preferably includes at least one actively powered wear sensor 1, which is actively powered by a battery unit 30 and configured to provide sensed data indicative of the wear condition at selected locations of a wear-resistant liner body. The response signal from each wear sensor 1 can be transmitted to a cloud platform 80 via a power and data cable 32 and a wireless transmitter 33. A processor 81 is configured to provide output data representing the global wear condition of the body based on the raw wear-resistant liner body geometry and the sensed data, and to display the results to a user via an output device 82.

[0154] This output data can be displayed or provided to the user in various formats. In a simple version, the output data can simply provide feedback to the user indicating that the wear-resistant material has worn sufficiently to require replacement. Additionally or alternatively, the output data can provide a quantitative indication of the degree of wear based on information provided by a combination of multiple optical pathways 10 disposed within a particular wear sensor 1 and / or multiple wear sensors 1 distributed throughout the wear-resistant liner body 11 formed of the wear-resistant material.

[0155] In an alternative exemplary embodiment, the system may include a processor configured to reconstruct a topological model of the wear-resistant liner body, the topological model may include, for example, data representing the body's original geometry and data indicating the wear-resistant liner body's current state. Such a model may be visually displayed to a user.

[0156] In a preferred, but non-limiting, exemplary embodiment, it will be appreciated that the present invention can be implemented as an active wear material tracking and wear monitoring sensor and system. In this exemplary embodiment, the sensor / system is capable of tracking and measuring the real-time length / thickness of wear lining material. This enables the prediction and reconstruction of global wear in assets with large amounts of wear lining material. Thus, the present invention provides an intelligent and reliable solution for wear monitoring solutions.

[0157] In an exemplary but non-limiting embodiment of the composite wear monitoring system, the system may generally include the following components:

[0158] - At least one wear sensor 1: This wear sensor integrates wear detection microelectronics and includes: a power and data cable 32, a battery unit 30, a wireless transmitter 33, a low-power MCU 31, and the wear sensor 1. When the wear sensor 1 receives current supplied to the low-power MCU 31, it checks the status of the optical path 10 and generates a wear condition signal from the optical path 10. The low-power MCU 31 then combines the sensor identifier from the on-board memory with the wear condition status and sends a response signal via the wireless transmitter 33;

[0159] At least one wear reconstruction system: The remote reader transmits the sensor identifier and wear status to the wear reconstruction system for wear interpretation. The sensor identifier also contains data used to track and cross-reference the wear sensor's mounting location on the wear-resistant material. The wear reconstruction system also integrates the wear interpretation results, mounting location, mounting geometry, and a suite of numerical modeling codes, which may include discrete element modeling, smoothed particle fluid dynamics, and computational fluid dynamics, with machine learning algorithms to predict and reconstruct the global wear distribution on the selected wear-resistant liner body.

[0160] The program's numerical modeling suite calculates the shear and impact forces induced by the bulk material / slurry onto the wear liner and converts the resulting forces into dimensionless wear intensity values. This allows for a qualitative wear intensity based on the overall / global distribution of the results on the wear material.

[0161] Machine learning algorithms can be used to couple wear sensor installation location, wear length / thickness, and overall / global wear intensity distribution data to predict actual wear on areas where no sensors are installed.

[0162] Therefore, in one exemplary embodiment, the present invention provides passive wear sensors based on ultra-high frequency identification (UH-RFID) and / or actively powered optical wear sensors, as well as a wear reconstruction system. The system includes: at least one UH-RFID-based passive wear sensor, which can also serve as a product identifier and a wear monitoring device; at least one wear sensor writer, designed to write a sensor identifier and initialize wear sensor metrics; and at least one remote sensor reader, which transmits a communication signal to an area with a wear sensor. After the wear sensor receives the communication signal, an excitation current is generated, and a logic control module within the sensor transmits the current wear sensor status back to the remote sensor reader. The remote sensor reader then transmits the wear sensor status to the wear reconstruction system via, for example, an Ethernet connection or wireless communication methods. The wear reconstruction system integrates the mechanical design of the wear-resistant material, sensor wear results, numerical modeling, and machine learning algorithms to predict the wear distribution on the wear-resistant material. Visualization of the reconstructed wear results can also be achieved using the wear reconstruction system.

[0163] Numerical modeling procedures such as discrete element modeling methods can be used to generate dimensionless wear intensity results. This also takes into account the mechanical geometry of the wear material, operating conditions, and wear medium (ore) characteristics. Plant operating conditions include throughput, mass loading, and mechanical motion details (if any). Wear medium (ore) characteristics include the particle density, size distribution, and moisture content of the processed bulk material.

[0164] The dimensionless wear intensity, wear material geometry, sensor location identifier, and wear results can also be input into a machine learning algorithm (such as the LightGBM algorithm), where the algorithm establishes a data-based correlation between the wear intensity results obtained from numerical modeling and wear measurements for the locations where the sensors are installed. This data-based correlation is a trained LightGBM prediction model that is used to generate a global wear prediction result by integrating the global dimensionless wear intensity.

[0165] Therefore, in another exemplary embodiment, the present invention provides an actively powered optical wear sensor and wear reconstruction system. The system includes: at least one actively powered optical wear sensor that serves as a product identifier and wear monitoring device; at least one battery cell designed to provide power to the sensor; and at least one wireless transmitter that transmits response signals from the wear sensor. The wear reconstruction system integrates the mechanical design of the wear-resistant material, sensor wear results, numerical modeling, and machine learning algorithms to predict the wear distribution on the wear-resistant material. Visualization of the reconstructed wear results can also be achieved using the wear reconstruction system.

[0166] The present invention can track wear-resistant materials during manufacturing and transportation, as well as track the material's real-time wear status with and / or without active power. Furthermore, the coupling of localized, point-based wear data, numerical modeling results, and machine learning algorithms enables reconstruction of the wear distribution within the wear-resistant material. This solution provides a wear monitoring system that eliminates the need to cover the entire wear-resistant liner with wear sensors. This makes it more economical and reliable for industrial wear monitoring applications.

[0167] Without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, the embodiments of the present disclosure may take various modifications and changes. Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the described exemplary embodiments, but are controlled by the limitations set forth in the claims and any equivalents thereof.

[0168] The term "optical wear sensor" as used herein should be understood to refer to a wear sensor that uses any form of optical communication for its operation, i.e., utilizes an optical telecommunication transmission path (such as optical fiber) to transmit its signal. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, such signals may include electromagnetic signals of any wavelength, whether visible or not.

[0169] Throughout this specification and the appended claims, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise" and variations such as "comprises" and "comprising" will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps.

Claims

1. An optical wear sensor, comprising an optical element, wherein the optical element is adapted to be disposed within a body of a wear-resistant component and is configured to indicate a wear condition of the wear-resistant component.

2. An optical wear sensor comprising: an optical element defining an optical signal transmission path and adapted to be disposed within the body of the wear-resistant component; an optical transmitter configured to transmit an optical signal from an input end of the optical path; as well as an optical detector configured to detect whether the optical signal is received at an output end of the optical path, Wherein, in use, the absence of the optical signal received at the output end of the optical path indicates a wear condition of the wear-resistant component.

3. The optical wear sensor according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The optical element includes an optical fiber.

4. The optical wear sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The optical element is at least partially formed from a polymer or glass material.

5. The optical wear sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The optical element is formed from a substantially non-conductive material.

6. The optical wear sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The optical element is embedded in the body.

7. The optical wear sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The optical element is mounted within the body.

8. An optical wear sensor according to claim 2, or an optical wear sensor according to any one of claims 3 to 7 when dependent on claim 2, wherein The optical pathway is configured as a fiber optic loop, wherein at least a portion of the loop is adapted to be positioned substantially proximate a wear surface of the wear resistant component.

9. The optical wear sensor according to claim 8, wherein: The distal end of the ring is adapted to be positioned substantially proximate to the wear surface of the wear component.

10. An optical wear sensor according to any one of claims 3 to 7 when dependent on claim 2, wherein The optical pathway is configured as an optical fiber extending to an optical deflector, wherein the optical deflector is adapted to be positioned substantially proximate to a wear surface of the wear resistant component.

11. The optical wear sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein: The sensor is passively powered by the transponder device.

12. The optical wear sensor according to claim 11, wherein The passively powered transponder device is configured as an RFID transponder.

13. The optical wear sensor according to claim 11 or 12, wherein: The transponder device is configured to: receiving an input signal to power the sensor; and A response signal indicative of a wear condition of the wear resistant component is transmitted.

14. The optical wear sensor according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein: The transponder operates in the UHF range.

15. The optical wear sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein: The sensor is actively powered by a battery or other power source.

16. The optical wear sensor according to claim 15, wherein The actively powered sensor is configured to transmit a wireless communication signal indicative of a wear condition of the wear resistant component.

17. An optical wear sensor device adapted to be disposed within a body of a wear-resistant component, the optical wear sensor device being configured to indicate a depth / degree of wear of the wear-resistant component, the device comprising: a plurality of optical elements, each optical element comprising a respective optical path of a different respective length; an optical transmission device configured to transmit an optical signal via an input end of each respective optical path; as well as an optical detector device configured to detect whether the optical signal is received at an output of each respective optical path, Wherein, in use, the wear depth / extent of the wear-resistant component is determined by whether each corresponding optical signal is received at the output end of each corresponding optical path.

18. The optical wear sensor device according to claim 17, wherein Each optical element comprises an optical fiber extending to an optical deflector.

19. The optical wear sensor device according to claim 18, wherein Each optical deflector is configured to wear as the wear-resistant component wears.

20. The optical wear sensor device according to any one of claims 17 to 19, wherein The plurality of optical elements are housed in the form of probes.

21. The optical wear sensor device according to claim 20, wherein The sensor device further comprises a passive transponder.

22. The optical wear sensor device according to claim 21, wherein The passive transponder is housed in a base at the end of the probe.

23. The optical wear sensor device according to claim 22, wherein The transponder is configured to: receiving an input signal to power the sensor device; and A response signal is transmitted that is indicative of the depth / extent of wear of the wear resistant component.

24. The optical wear sensor device according to claim 23, wherein The base further includes a photoelectric converter configured to: converting the electrical power signal received by the transponder into an optical transmission signal for transmission by the optical transmission device; and Any optical signal received by the optical detector device is converted into an electrical response signal.

25. The optical wear sensor device according to any one of claims 21 to 24, wherein The passive transponder comprises an antenna, which is substantially circular, semicircular, rectangular or square in shape.

26. The optical wear sensor device of claim 25, wherein The antenna of the wear sensor is configured to communicate with a wear sensor writer having a complementary or compatible shape.

27. The optical wear sensor device of claim 26, wherein The communication uses a wireless communication channel, including using Wi-Fi, a cellular network, or the like.

28. A wear sensing arrangement comprising a plurality of optical wear sensors arranged at different locations within a body of a wear resistant component, wherein: Each optical wear sensor is configured to indicate a wear condition at a corresponding location within the wear resistant component.

29. A wear sensing arrangement according to claim 28, wherein Each optical wear sensor is configured to extend to a predetermined depth within the body, thereby sensing the degree / depth of wear of the body.

30. An optical wear sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 16, or a wear sensing arrangement according to claim 28 or 29, adapted to indicate a wear condition of any one or a combination of the following: Truck pallet liners; Concave lining of gyratory crusher; grinding machine linings; slurry pump liners; and Slurry pipe lining.

31. A system for modeling a wear condition of a body, the system comprising: at least one wear sensor, each wear sensor being adapted to be disposed within a body of a wear-resistant component and configured to provide sensor data indicative of a wear condition of the wear-resistant component; as well as A processor is configured to construct a model of a wear condition of the body based on the sensed data.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein: The processor is further configured to predict future wear of the body based on a comparison of raw body data representing an original condition of the body and the sensed data.

33. The system of claim 31 or 32, wherein: The processor uses any one or a combination of the following: numerical modeling procedures; Machine learning algorithms; artificial intelligence neural networks; and Deep learning or predictive modeling standards.

34. The system according to any one of claims 31 to 33, wherein: The processor is further configured to predict a replacement time for replacing the wear-resistant component.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein: The processor is further configured to initiate a command to replace the wearable component a predetermined period of time before the predicted replacement time.

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