A method and apparatus for measuring the tension of a steel cable in relation to the operating characteristics of a winch

Abstract

The present application relates to steel cable tension measurement technical field, specifically relates to a kind of steel cable tension measurement method and device for winch operating characteristics, the present application arranges several optical fiber clusters on winch, and optical fiber cluster is obtained by a flexible optical fiber;When the object to be towed gives certain tension to steel cable, each optical fiber cluster will be bent and deformed under the tension of steel cable, the tensile length of current optical fiber cluster is determined according to the tension borne by current optical fiber cluster, the time of laser passing through current optical fiber cluster is indicated;The time used by laser to pass through current optical fiber cluster is determined by combining the time difference of passing through two ends, and the force value of current optical fiber cluster is calculated and determined;The tension along the steel cable is obtained by mechanical decomposition according to the angle between current optical fiber cluster and optical cable.The present application utilizes the elastic deformation characteristics of flexible optical fiber, carries out special structure processing and packaging to optical fiber, and the structure is simple, and optical fiber can adapt to more severe and complex natural environment and electromagnetic environment, with the advantage of strong reliability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of steel cable tension measurement technology, specifically to a method and apparatus for measuring steel cable tension based on the operating characteristics of a winch. Background Technology

[0002] As a key component for load-bearing and force transmission in winches, accurate monitoring of the stress state of steel cables is crucial for structural safety. Currently, tensile force measurement methods mainly include the pressure gauge method, pressure sensor method, frequency method (vibration method), and measurement methods based on the magnetoelastic effect. Among them: (1) Pressure gauge method and pressure sensor method: Pressure gauges are often used for tension adjustment during construction, but they cannot achieve long-term online monitoring. Pressure sensor methods (such as resistance strain gauges and vibrating wire sensors) can directly measure cable force, but they have problems such as poor dynamic response, short lifespan, complex installation, susceptibility to environmental influences, and high cost, making it difficult to meet the needs of large-scale, long-term health monitoring.

[0003] (2) Frequency method (vibration method): This method calculates tension by measuring the vibration frequency of the cable, and has the advantages of being non-contact and easy to operate, making it a widely used method in engineering. However, this method is affected by various factors such as cable stiffness, sag, boundary conditions, and temperature, especially for short cables or cables with high stiffness, where the error is significant. A paper titled "Accurate Solution of Cable Force Considering Stiffness and Boundary Conditions [J]. Vibration and Shock, 2003, (04): 14-16" points out that the calculated tension is too large when stiffness is not considered, and the error for short cables can reach more than 5%, requiring correction by introducing stiffness and boundary conditions to improve accuracy.

[0004] (3) Magnetoelastic effect method: In recent years, tensile force measurement methods based on the magnetoelastic effect have gradually attracted attention. This method utilizes the characteristic of the change in magnetic permeability of ferromagnetic materials under stress to inversely derive tensile force by measuring the change in magnetic permeability. However, this method still faces problems such as complex excitation magnetic circuit design, difficulty in ensuring magnetization uniformity, and significant temperature drift. Literature entitled "Development of a Novel Online Cable Force Sensor" [J]. Instrument Technology and Sensors, 2006, (08): 1-2 and "Research on Excitation Magnetic Circuit in Cable Force Measurement Based on Magnetoelastic Effect" [J]. Journal of Instrumentation, 2006, (12): 1695-1699 both proposed a dual-excitation dual-cycle magnetic circuit structure and pulsed DC magnetization mode to improve magnetization uniformity and measurement repeatability, but their theoretical system is still imperfect, and there are still problems of insufficient stability and adaptability in practical applications.

[0005] In summary, existing tensile force measurement methods each have limitations, especially in terms of accuracy, stability, applicability, and engineering practicality, where there is still room for improvement. There is a lack of methods and devices specifically designed for measuring the tensile force of steel cables in winches, tailored to their specific operating characteristics. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a high-precision, highly targeted method for measuring the stress on winch steel cables that is easy to monitor online. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Purpose of the invention: In order to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art, the present invention provides a method for measuring the tension of steel cables based on the operating characteristics of winches. This method solves the problems of poor dynamic response, large error, and susceptibility to environmental influences in the existing steel cable tension measurement technology. The present invention also provides a steel cable tension measuring device based on the operating characteristics of winches.

[0007] Technical solution: According to a first aspect of the present invention, a method for measuring the tensile strength of a steel cable in response to the operating characteristics of a winch is provided, the method comprising: Several fiber optic clusters are arranged on a winnowing machine. One end of a steel cable is connected to the winnowing machine, and the other end is inserted through the fiber optic clusters and then fixed to the object to be moved. The fiber optic clusters are obtained through a flexible optical fiber. When the object to be dragged exerts a certain tension on the steel cable, each fiber cluster will bend and deform under the tension of the steel cable. The tensile coefficient of the flexible fiber and the tension on the current fiber cluster are used to determine the tensile length of the current fiber cluster, thereby representing the time it takes for the laser to pass through the current fiber cluster. The time it takes for the laser to pass through both ends of the fiber cluster is recorded respectively. The time taken for the laser to pass through the current fiber cluster is determined based on the time difference between the two ends, thereby obtaining the magnitude of the force on the current fiber cluster. By combining the stress and time difference characteristic curves of flexible optical fibers, the maximum value of the current fiber cluster stress is determined, and then the magnitude of the current fiber cluster stress is theoretically verified. The force on each fiber cluster is calculated, and then the force is decomposed and the vector sum is solved by taking the angle between each fiber cluster and the optical cable to finally obtain the tension along the steel cable.

[0008] Furthermore, including: The optical fiber cluster is a cylinder formed by folding a complete flexible optical fiber multiple times to a fixed length and then fixing it with a protective sleeve. The laser transmitter and laser receiver are respectively connected to the two ends of the flexible optical fiber.

[0009] Furthermore, including: The step of arranging a cluster of flexible optical fibers on a winding machine includes: Two fiber optic clusters are arranged at different heights on the winnowing machine, with the first fiber optic cluster being lower than the second fiber optic cluster. The first fiber optic cluster in the second group is at the same height as the first fiber optic cluster in the first group, and the distance between the first fiber optic cluster in the second group and the second fiber optic cluster in the first group is the same as the distance between the second fiber optic cluster in the second group and the second fiber optic cluster in the first group. At least three fiber optic clusters are fixed on the winnowing machine.

[0010] Furthermore, including: One end of the steel cable is connected to the winch, and the other end is threaded through a fiber optic cluster and fixed to the object to be moved, including: The other end of the steel cable passes through the bottom of the first fiber cluster of the first group, rises to the top of the second fiber cluster, then descends to the bottom of the first fiber cluster of the second group, and passes through other fiber clusters in sequence.

[0011] Furthermore, including: The determination of the tensile length of the current fiber cluster based on the tensile coefficient of the flexible optical fiber and the tensile force borne on the current fiber cluster, thereby representing the time it takes for the laser to pass through the current fiber cluster, includes: The total length of the current fiber cluster after stretching is represented by the length of each fold of fiber stretched in the current fiber cluster. The length of each fold of fiber stretched is obtained by multiplying the stretching coefficient of the flexible fiber by the force on that fold of fiber. The time it takes for the laser to pass through the current fiber cluster is expressed as the ratio of the total length of the current fiber cluster after stretching to the speed of the laser in the fiber.

[0012] Furthermore, including: The process of recording the time it takes for the laser to pass through both ends of the fiber cluster, and then determining the time it takes for the laser to pass through the current fiber cluster based on the time difference between the two ends, thereby obtaining the magnitude of the force on the current fiber cluster, includes: Since the time it takes for the laser to pass through the stretched optical fiber is obtained by representing the force on the folded optical fiber, and the time it takes for the laser to pass through the current optical fiber cluster is obtained again based on the laser emission time and laser reception time, the force value of the current optical fiber cluster can be obtained.

[0013] Furthermore, including: The characteristic curves of the combined force and time difference of the flexible optical fiber are used to determine the maximum force of the current fiber cluster, including: Within the elastic deformation range that the fiber cluster can withstand, a larger time difference indicates a greater force. When the fiber reaches its maximum tensile state, the time difference does not increase with the increase of force, thus verifying the validity of the calculated force value of the current fiber cluster based on the physical characteristics of the fiber.

[0014] Furthermore, including: The calculation of the force on each fiber cluster, and the vector sum of the forces along the steel cable after mechanical decomposition of the angle between each fiber cluster and the optical cable, ultimately yields the tension along the steel cable, including: The angle between the force on each fiber cluster and the vertical direction is determined, and the tension along the steel cable is obtained by summing the sines of the forces on each fiber cluster.

[0015] On the other hand, the present invention also provides a steel cable tension measuring device for the operating characteristics of a winch, the device being installed on the winch and comprising: an optical fiber cluster, a laser generator, a laser receiver, and a processor; The optical fiber cluster is obtained through a flexible optical fiber, and multiple optical fiber clusters are arranged on the winnowing machine. One end of the steel cable is connected to the winnowing machine, and the other end is inserted through the optical fiber clusters in sequence and then fixed to the object to be dragged. When the object to be dragged exerts a certain tension on the steel cable, each fiber cluster will bend and deform under the tension of the steel cable. The processor determines the tensile length of the current fiber cluster based on the tensile coefficient of the flexible fiber and the tension on the current fiber cluster, thereby indicating the time it takes for the laser to pass through the current fiber cluster. The laser generator is set at the laser transmitter interface of the fiber cluster to generate laser light, and the laser receiver is connected to the laser receiver interface of the fiber cluster to receive laser light. The processor is used to record the time it takes for the laser to pass through both ends of the fiber cluster, and then determine the time it takes for the laser to pass through the current fiber cluster based on the time difference between the two ends, thereby obtaining the magnitude of the force on the current fiber cluster. It is also used to combine the stress and time difference characteristic curves of flexible optical fibers to determine the maximum value of the current fiber cluster stress, and then to theoretically verify the magnitude of the current fiber cluster stress. It is also used to calculate the force on each fiber cluster, and then, by using the angle between each fiber cluster and the optical cable, the force is decomposed and the vector sum is solved to finally obtain the tension along the steel cable.

[0016] Beneficial effects: Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages: (1) This invention uses laser and flexible optical fiber. Unlike traditional pressure sensors and electromagnetic induction sensors, the flexible optical fiber used in this invention is not affected by complex electromagnetic environments, has strong environmental adaptability, and has the advantage of high reliability. Moreover, based on the high precision characteristic of laser, the accuracy of this device in monitoring the tension of steel cables can be greatly improved; (2) This invention utilizes the elastic deformation characteristics of optical fibers to perform special structural processing and encapsulation on the optical fibers. The structural design during processing is very simple, that is, by folding the flexible optical fiber several times to form an optical fiber cluster structure, the stress on the steel cable of the winnowing machine can be measured through the optical fiber cluster. This folding and encapsulation design firstly facilitates encapsulation, secondly reduces the size of the device, and finally amplifies the deformation by several times. Since each small segment deforms, several segments result in several times the deformation. From the perspective of the optical fiber as a whole, the longer this deformation is, the greater the time difference and the higher the measurement accuracy.

[0017] (3) In this invention, multiple fiber clusters are arranged in a wave-like pattern on the winding machine. This eliminates the limitation of steel cable size. As long as the fiber clusters are touched and deformed, force can be measured, and traditional devices are no longer needed. This solves the problems of water, moisture, and electromagnetic interference in the measurement. Moreover, within the elastic deformation range of the fiber, the larger the angle between two fiber clusters, the higher the measurement accuracy of the force decomposition of the fiber. Therefore, arranging fiber clusters at multiple points allows for verification of the results during measurement. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the optical fiber cluster described in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of an optical fiber cluster that bends under stress and its elongation, as described in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the correspondence between force and time difference as described in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a stress analysis diagram of the optical fiber cluster and steel cable described in the embodiments of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a steel cable tension measuring device for the operating characteristics of a winch, as described in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0020] Example 1: This example provides a method for measuring the tension of steel cables based on the operating characteristics of a winch. This method utilizes the high precision of lasers to improve the accuracy of force measurement on the steel cables of the winch, and can solve the problems of poor dynamic response, large error, and susceptibility to environmental influences in existing steel cable tension measurement technologies. The method includes the following steps: S1 arranges several fiber optic clusters on a winnowing machine. One end of a steel cable is connected to the winnowing machine, and the other end is inserted through the fiber optic clusters and fixed to the object to be moved. The fiber optic clusters are obtained through a flexible optical fiber.

[0021] In this embodiment, the optical fiber cluster is a cylinder formed by folding a complete flexible optical fiber multiple times to a fixed length and then fixing it with a protective sleeve. The laser transmitter and laser receiver are respectively connected to the two ends of the flexible optical fiber.

[0022] like Figure 1 As shown, the fiber cluster contains a single, flexible fiber of length L. This fiber is arranged in sections of length L... d The fiber optic bundle is folded N times, and then secured and tightened into a cylinder using elastic protective sleeves such as rubber. A laser transmitter connects to the laser transmitter interface of the fiber optic bundle to generate laser light. A laser receiver connects to the laser receiver interface of the fiber optic bundle to receive laser light.

[0023] This folding design in this embodiment firstly facilitates packaging, secondly reduces the size of the device, and finally amplifies the deformation by N times. Since each small segment deforms, N segments represent N times the deformation. From the perspective of the optical fiber as a whole, the longer this deformation is, the greater the time difference and the higher the measurement accuracy.

[0024] Specifically, in this embodiment, every two fiber clusters are arranged as a group on the winnowing machine. The first fiber cluster is positioned at a lower height than the second fiber cluster. The exact vertical distance between them can be set arbitrarily, but preferably, the angle between the line segments formed by the first and second fiber clusters of the first group and the line segments formed by the second and first fiber clusters of the first group is an obtuse angle. This is because a larger angle between the two fiber clusters results in higher measurement accuracy of the force decomposition of the optical fibers. Furthermore, the first fiber cluster of the second group is positioned at the same height as the first fiber cluster of the first group, and the distance between the first and second fiber clusters of the second group is the same as the distance between the second fiber cluster of the second group and the second fiber cluster of the first group. At least three fiber clusters are fixed on the winnowing machine.

[0025] The other end of the steel cable passes through the bottom periphery of the first fiber cluster in the first group, then rises to the top periphery of the second fiber cluster, and then descends to the bottom periphery of the first fiber cluster in the second group, repeating this cycle to pass through other fiber clusters in sequence. Therefore, after passing through the fiber clusters, the steel cable exhibits a wave-like shape, passing through the fiber clusters from top to bottom, top to bottom, and so on, with the fiber clusters alternating between the top and bottom sides of the steel cable. The exact number of times the cable passes through the fiber clusters depends on the number of fiber clusters.

[0026] When the object to be dragged in S2 exerts a certain tension on the steel cable, each fiber cluster will bend and deform under the tension of the steel cable. Based on the tensile coefficient of the flexible fiber and the tension on the current fiber cluster, the tensile length of the current fiber cluster is determined, thereby indicating the time it takes for the laser to pass through the current fiber cluster.

[0027] In this embodiment, the total length of the current fiber cluster after stretching is represented by the length of each fold of fiber stretched in the current fiber cluster. The length of each fold of fiber stretched is obtained by multiplying the stretching coefficient of the flexible fiber by the force on that fold of fiber. The time it takes for the laser to pass through the current fiber cluster is expressed as the ratio of the total length of the current fiber cluster after stretching to the speed of the laser in the fiber.

[0028] Specifically, in this embodiment, when the steel cable is subjected to tensile force... When the optical fiber cluster is subjected to the tension of the steel cable, it undergoes bending deformation. This bending causes each segment of the cable to be stretched. In this embodiment, the tension on the optical fiber cluster from the steel cable is the resultant force acting on the optical fiber cluster, and each segment experiences a length of... Due to the tensile deformation, a fiber cluster is therefore stretched to a total length. A cluster of optical fibers that bends under stress, such as Figure 2 As shown in this embodiment, a tensile force is established. With deformation The mapping relationship is that different deformations correspond to different forces.

[0029] In a preferred embodiment, when the fiber cluster is not under stress... At this time, the optical fiber was not stretched. Therefore, the time it takes for the laser to travel through the optical fiber is expressed as: (1) If the current fiber cluster is under stress At that time, each fiber optic fold is stretched , This represents the number of fiber optic clusters through which the steel cable currently passes. c Let $\frac{1}{2}$ be the velocity of the laser in the optical fiber. Therefore, the total length of the flexible optical fiber corresponding to the current optical fiber cluster becomes: (2) The time it takes for the laser to travel through the current flexible optical fiber is: (3) Therefore, substituting formula (2) into formula (3), we get: (4) S3 records the time it takes for the laser to pass through both ends of the fiber cluster, and determines the time it takes for the laser to pass through the current fiber cluster based on the time difference between the two ends, thus obtaining the magnitude of the force on the current fiber cluster. Furthermore, by combining the characteristic curves of the force and time difference of the flexible optical fiber, the maximum value of the force on the current fiber cluster is determined, and the magnitude of the force on the current fiber cluster is theoretically verified.

[0030] In this embodiment, the time it takes for the laser to pass through the stretched optical fiber is obtained by representing the force on the fold of the optical fiber, and the time it takes for the laser to pass through the optical fiber again is obtained based on the laser emission time and laser reception time, thereby obtaining the force value of each fold of the optical fiber.

[0031] In this embodiment, determining the maximum value of the current fiber cluster force by combining the characteristic curves of the stress and time difference of the flexible optical fiber includes: Within the elastic deformation range that the fiber cluster can withstand, a larger time difference indicates a greater force. When the fiber reaches its maximum tensile state, the time difference does not increase with the increase of force, thus verifying the validity of the calculation of the maximum force of the fiber cluster.

[0032] In a preferred embodiment, the high precision of laser light significantly improves the accuracy of force measurement. The force is calculated using the time difference between the laser generator and receiver, and then, based on the physical properties of the flexible optical fiber, the force... and time difference The corresponding curves between them are as follows Figure 3 As shown, within the elastic deformation range that the fiber cluster can withstand, a larger time difference indicates a greater force; when the fiber reaches its maximum tensile state, the time difference does not increase with the increase of force. Therefore, the effective maximum force measurement value is... .

[0033] Therefore, this embodiment establishes different forces. Time of laser travel through optical fiber The correspondence between them. The laser emitter emits laser light at specific times. The laser receiver receives the laser at the time when The time it takes for the laser to travel through the optical fiber, i.e., the time difference between the laser generator and the receiver, is: (5) Therefore, according to formulas (4) and (5), we get: (6) Therefore, we get: (7) According to the tensile coefficient of flexible optical fiber, Different forces and different stretching lengths, that is Therefore, combining the above formula, we can conclude that: (8) Therefore, we can conclude that: (9) S4 calculates the force on each fiber cluster, and then calculates the vector sum of the forces along the steel cable after mechanical decomposition of the angle between each fiber cluster and the optical cable, finally obtaining the tension along the steel cable.

[0034] In this embodiment, multiple fiber clusters are selected and alternately arranged on both sides of the steel cable, with the steel cable positioned between the fiber clusters. The angle between the force applied to the current fiber cluster and the vertical direction is [value missing]. This angle is related to the arrangement and distance between different fiber clusters. The fiber cluster is subjected to force. By decomposing the mechanical components, the tension along the steel cable can be obtained. ,like Figure 4 As shown, the force along the steel cable is horizontal, and is represented as: (10) This embodiment accurately measures the tension value along the steel cable, which can prevent the steel cable from breaking due to the tension exceeding its bearing capacity.

[0035] Example 2: This invention also provides a steel cable tension measuring device for the operating characteristics of a winch. This device is installed on the winch and includes: an optical fiber bundle, a laser generator, a laser receiver, an optical fiber protective sleeve, a housing, a processor, optical fibers, a display, and other components. Figure 5 As shown in the diagram, the force calculated by the device is displayed in real time on a monitor. Both the device and the monitor are powered by lithium batteries. The device is bolted to the winch, and a fiber optic cable connects the device and the monitor to transmit the measurement results.

[0036] Specifically, the optical fiber cluster is obtained through a flexible optical fiber, and multiple optical fiber clusters are arranged on the winnowing machine. One end of the steel cable is connected to the winnowing machine, and the other end is inserted through the optical fiber clusters in sequence and then fixed to the object to be dragged. When the object to be dragged exerts a certain tension on the steel cable, each fiber cluster will bend and deform under the tension of the steel cable. The processor determines the tensile length of the current fiber cluster based on the tensile coefficient of the flexible fiber and the tension on the current fiber cluster, thereby indicating the time it takes for the laser to pass through the current fiber cluster. The laser generator is set at the laser transmitter interface of the fiber cluster to generate laser light, and the laser receiver is connected to the laser receiver interface of the fiber cluster to receive laser light. The processor is used to record the time it takes for the laser to pass through both ends of the fiber cluster, and then determine the time it takes for the laser to pass through the current fiber cluster based on the time difference between the two ends, thereby obtaining the magnitude of the force on the current fiber cluster. It is also used to combine the stress and time difference characteristic curves of flexible optical fibers to determine the maximum value of the current fiber cluster stress, and then to theoretically verify the magnitude of the current fiber cluster stress. It is also used to calculate the force on each fiber cluster, thereby obtaining the vector sum of the forces along the steel cable after mechanical decomposition of the angle between each fiber cluster and the optical cable, and finally obtaining the tension along the steel cable.

[0037] The specific implementation method of the processor described in this embodiment is similar to the measurement method designed for the corresponding steel cable tension measurement method for the operating characteristics of winch, and will not be repeated here.

[0038] In the description of this invention, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. "A plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0039] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0040] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0041] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Furthermore, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0042] Any process or method description in the flowchart or otherwise herein can be understood as representing a module, segment, or portion of code comprising one or more executable instructions for implementing a particular logical function or process, and the scope of the preferred embodiments of the invention includes additional implementations in which functions may be performed not in the order shown or discussed, including substantially simultaneously or in reverse order depending on the functions involved, as will be understood by those skilled in the art to which embodiments of the invention pertain.

[0043] The logic and / or steps represented in the flowchart or otherwise described herein, for example, can be considered as a ordered list of executable instructions for implementing logical functions, and can be embodied in any computer-readable medium for use by, or in conjunction with, an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device (such as a computer-based system, a processor-included system, or other system that can fetch and execute instructions from, an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device). For the purposes of this specification, "computer-readable medium" can be any means that can contain, store, communicate, propagate, or transmit programs for use by, or in conjunction with, an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of computer-readable media include: an electrical connection having one or more wires (electronic device), a portable computer disk drive (magnetic device), random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable and editable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), fiber optic devices, and portable optical disc read-only memory (CDROM). Alternatively, the computer-readable medium may be paper or other suitable media on which the program can be printed, since the program can be obtained electronically, for example, by optically scanning the paper or other medium, followed by editing, interpreting, or otherwise processing as necessary, and then stored in a computer memory.

[0044] It should be understood that various parts of the present invention can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. In the above embodiments, multiple steps or methods can be implemented in software or firmware stored in memory and executed by a suitable instruction execution system. For example, if implemented in hardware, as in another embodiment, it can be implemented using any one or a combination of the following techniques known in the art: discrete logic circuits having logic gates for implementing logical functions on data signals, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) having suitable combinational logic gates, programmable gate arrays (PGAs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), etc.

[0045] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the steps of the methods in the above embodiments can be implemented by a program instructing related hardware. The program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, and when executed, the program includes one or a combination of the steps of the method embodiments.

[0046] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of the present invention can be integrated into a processing module, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into a module. The integrated module can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional module. If the integrated module is implemented as a software functional module and sold or used as an independent product, it can also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium.

[0047] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it is understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make changes, modifications, substitutions and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for measuring the tension of steel cables based on the operating characteristics of a winch, characterized in that, The method includes: Several fiber optic clusters are arranged on a winnowing machine. One end of a steel cable is connected to the winnowing machine, and the other end is inserted through the fiber optic clusters and fixed to the object to be dragged. The fiber optic clusters are obtained through a flexible optical fiber. The fiber optic clusters are formed into cylinders by folding a complete flexible optical fiber multiple times to a fixed length and fixing it with a protective sleeve. The laser transmitter and laser receiver are respectively connected to the two ends of the flexible optical fiber. When the object to be dragged exerts a certain tension on the steel cable, each fiber cluster will bend and deform under the tension of the steel cable. The tensile coefficient of the flexible fiber and the tension on the current fiber cluster are used to determine the tensile length of the current fiber cluster, thereby representing the time it takes for the laser to pass through the current fiber cluster. The time it takes for the laser to pass through both ends of the fiber cluster is recorded respectively. The time taken for the laser to pass through the current fiber cluster is determined based on the time difference between the two ends, thereby obtaining the magnitude of the force on the current fiber cluster. By combining the stress and time difference characteristic curves of flexible optical fibers, the maximum value of the current fiber cluster stress is determined, and then the magnitude of the current fiber cluster stress is theoretically verified. The force on each fiber cluster is calculated, and then the force is decomposed and the vector sum is solved by the angle between each fiber cluster and the steel cable to finally obtain the tension along the steel cable. The process of arranging several fiber clusters on a winding machine includes: Two fiber clusters are arranged at different heights on the winnowing machine. The first fiber cluster in each group is set at a lower height than the second fiber cluster in the same group. The first fiber cluster in the second group is set at the same height as the first fiber cluster in the first group. The distance between the first fiber cluster in the second group and the second fiber cluster in the first group is the same as the distance between the second fiber cluster in the second group and the second fiber cluster in the first group. At least three fiber clusters are fixed on the winnowing machine.

2. The method for measuring the tension of steel cables based on the operating characteristics of a winch, as described in claim 1, is characterized in that... One end of the steel cable is connected to the winch, and the other end is threaded through a fiber optic cluster and fixed to the object to be moved, including: The other end of the steel cable passes through the bottom of the first fiber cluster in the first group, then rises to the top of the second fiber cluster in the first group, and then descends to the bottom of the first fiber cluster in the second group, repeating this process in turn, passing through other fiber clusters in sequence.

3. The method for measuring the tension of steel cables based on the operating characteristics of a winch, as described in claim 2, is characterized in that... The determination of the tensile length of the current fiber cluster based on the tensile coefficient of the flexible optical fiber and the tensile force borne on the current fiber cluster, thereby representing the time it takes for the laser to pass through the current fiber cluster, includes: The total length of the current fiber cluster after stretching is represented by the length of each fold of fiber stretched in the current fiber cluster. The length of each fold of fiber stretched is obtained by multiplying the stretching coefficient of the flexible fiber by the force on that fold of fiber. The time it takes for the laser to pass through the current fiber cluster is expressed as the ratio of the total length of the current fiber cluster after stretching to the speed of the laser in the fiber.

4. The method for measuring the tension of steel cables according to claim 3, characterized in that, The process of recording the time it takes for the laser to pass through both ends of the fiber cluster, and then determining the time it takes for the laser to pass through the current fiber cluster based on the time difference between the two ends, thereby obtaining the magnitude of the force on the current fiber cluster, includes: Since the time it takes for the laser to pass through the stretched optical fiber is obtained by representing the force on the folded optical fiber, and the time it takes for the laser to pass through the current optical fiber cluster is obtained based on the laser emission time and laser reception time, the force value of the current optical fiber cluster can be obtained.

5. The method for measuring the tension of steel cables according to claim 4, characterized in that, The characteristic curves of the combined force and time difference of the flexible optical fiber are used to determine the maximum force of the current fiber cluster, including: Within the elastic deformation range that the fiber cluster can withstand, a larger time difference indicates a greater force. When the fiber reaches its maximum tensile state, the time difference does not increase with the increase of force, thus verifying the validity of the calculated force value of the current fiber cluster based on the physical characteristics of the fiber.

6. The method for measuring the tension of steel cables according to claim 5, characterized in that, The calculation of the force on each fiber cluster, followed by decomposing the force into vector sums using the angles between each fiber cluster and the steel cable, ultimately yields the tension along the steel cable, including: The angle between the force on each fiber cluster and the vertical direction is determined, and the tension along the steel cable is obtained by summing the sines of the forces on each fiber cluster.

7. A steel cable tension measuring device for the operating characteristics of a winch, characterized in that, The device is used to implement the steel cable tension measurement method according to claim 1. The device is installed on a winch and includes: an optical fiber cluster, a laser transmitter, a laser receiver, and a processor. The optical fiber cluster is obtained through a flexible optical fiber, and multiple optical fiber clusters are arranged on the winnowing machine. One end of the steel cable is connected to the winnowing machine, and the other end is inserted through the optical fiber clusters in sequence and then fixed to the object to be dragged. When the object to be dragged exerts a certain tension on the steel cable, each fiber cluster will bend and deform under the tension of the steel cable. The processor determines the tensile length of the current fiber cluster based on the tensile coefficient of the flexible fiber and the tension on the current fiber cluster, thereby indicating the time it takes for the laser to pass through the current fiber cluster. The laser transmitter is set at the laser transmitter interface of the fiber cluster to generate laser light, and the laser receiver is connected to the laser receiver interface of the fiber cluster to receive laser light. The processor is used to record the time it takes for the laser to pass through both ends of the fiber cluster, and then determine the time it takes for the laser to pass through the current fiber cluster based on the time difference between the two ends, thereby obtaining the magnitude of the force on the current fiber cluster. It is also used to combine the stress and time difference characteristic curves of flexible optical fibers to determine the maximum value of the current fiber cluster stress, and then to theoretically verify the magnitude of the current fiber cluster stress. It is also used to calculate the force on each fiber cluster, and then, by decomposing the force into vector sums through the angle between each fiber cluster and the steel cable, the tension along the steel cable is finally obtained.

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