Building Block Magnetic Circuit for Buried Sensor Powering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) systems for building structures face reliability issues with buried sensors due to degradation or damage of contactless power supply connections, especially in large structures like bridges, which can be critical during catastrophic events.
Innovation Solution
A block of building material with a magnetic circuit that induces a variable magnetic field, allowing buried sensors to be powered and communicated with contactlessly, eliminating the need for buried electric lines or antennas, using a magnetic circuit made of steel bars coated with soft-magnetic material and an external excitation coil to generate a supply voltage for sensors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If contactless power supply connections are buried in the cover portion of building structures, then sensors can be powered remotely, but the connections may degrade or be damaged during catastrophic events such as earthquakes or fires
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the vulnerable contactless power supply connections from the cover portion and embeds them directly within the building material block itself. This relocation removes the connections from the vulnerable cover portion that is exposed to catastrophic events, while maintaining the ability to provide contactless power to buried sensors through the magnetic circuit integrated in the block.
2Use of energy by moving object
If electromagnetic waves are transmitted through relatively thin layers of concrete, then power can be supplied to buried sensors, but the waves are strongly dampened making it impossible to operate sensors at sufficient intensity
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces a magnetic circuit as an intermediary medium between the external power source and the buried sensors. This magnetic circuit, made of ferromagnetic material, serves as a mediator that efficiently guides and transmits magnetic flux through the building material block to the sensors, overcoming the strong damping effect of concrete on electromagnetic waves.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical parameters of the transmission medium by using ferromagnetic material with high magnetic permeability for the magnetic circuit. This parameter change enables efficient magnetic flux transmission through the block, allowing sufficient energy intensity to reach the buried sensors despite the presence of concrete and reinforcing bars.
3Measurement precision
If sensors are placed on external surfaces of building structures, then monitoring can be performed, but the sensors cannot monitor internal structural conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The invention embeds sensors and magnetic circuits within the building material block itself, creating a nested structure where sensing elements are integrated inside the concrete. This allows the sensors to directly monitor internal structural conditions such as stress, strain, and cracking from within the structure, providing data that external surface sensors cannot obtain.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables reliable and efficient remote powering and data transmission for buried sensors, even in damaged structures, by inducing a variable magnetic field, ensuring continuous monitoring of structural health without the limitations of traditional power supply methods.
Implementation Method 1
a magnetic circuit (2) made of a material adapted to convey a variable magnetic field induced therethrough by an external excitation coil
Implementation Method 2
sensing devices (3) of at least one physical characteristic of the building material, wherein these sensing devices (3) are magnetically coupled to the magnetic circuit (2)
Implementation Method 3
configured to be magnetically coupled to the magnetic circuit (2) and to generate by induction a supply voltage of the sensor when the magnetic circuit (2) conveys a variable magnetic field
Data Source
AI summary
A building structure includes a block of building material and a magnetic circuit buried in the block of building material. The structure also includes a plurality of sensing devices buried in the block of building material. Each sensing device may include a contactless power supplying circuit magnetically coupled with the magnetic circuit to generate a supply voltage when the magnetic circuit is subject to a variable magnetic field.