Electrical Cable Impedance Sensing for Flexible Component Wear
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods struggle to economically and non-destructively monitor structural damage and wear in components with high flexibility, particularly during ongoing operation, especially in large structures and components like pipeline installations and hydraulic or pneumatic hoses.
Innovation Solution
Using insulated electrical cables as indicators to detect structural damage and wear phenomena by measuring surface roughness changes due to dynamic mechanical stress, utilizing the skin effect of high-frequency alternating current to assess wear and damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If non-destructive testing methods are used to detect hidden structural damage and material fatigue, then the component integrity is preserved, but the detection capability is insufficient for components with high inherent flexibility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an electrical cable as an intermediary sensor element that is integrated into or attached to the component. The cable's electrical properties (resistance, capacitance, inductance) serve as mediators to detect structural changes, material fatigue, and wear in flexible components that cannot be directly measured by conventional non-destructive testing methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical non-destructive testing methods with electrical measurement techniques. By measuring changes in electrical cable properties (resistance, capacitance, inductance) in response to mechanical stress, the system achieves detection capability for flexible components without mechanical contact or complex testing equipment.
2Measurement precision
If force-torque sensors are used to monitor dynamically mechanically loaded components, then wear and strain can be measured, but the components with high flexibility like hoses cannot be monitored
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes changes in electrical parameters (resistance, capacitance, inductance) of the cable in response to mechanical loading. These electrical parameter changes correlate with the mechanical stress and wear experienced by the component, providing a versatile measurement approach that works for both rigid and flexible components including hoses, springs, and dampers.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrical cable serves multiple functions: it acts as both a power/communication conduit and a sensor for structural monitoring. This multi-functionality enables the same cable to monitor various component types (rigid structures, flexible hoses, springs, dampers) under different loading conditions, achieving universal applicability across diverse component geometries and material properties.
3Measurement precision
If regular inspections in workshops or laboratories are conducted, then detailed examination can be performed, but in-situ monitoring during ongoing operation is more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical cable performs self-monitoring by detecting changes in its own electrical properties in response to mechanical stress. The cable serves as both the monitored element and the sensing element, eliminating the need for separate complex sensor systems and enabling continuous in-situ monitoring during normal operation without additional complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the monitoring function with the existing electrical cable infrastructure. By integrating structural monitoring capabilities into the cable itself (using the cable's electrical properties as sensors), the system combines power transmission, data communication, and structural monitoring into a single unified system, simplifying the overall monitoring architecture for in-situ application.
4Area of stationary object
If a large number of measurement points are used to monitor large structures like pipeline installations, then comprehensive coverage is achieved, but the effort and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the monitoring function along the length of the electrical cable, with different sections of the cable serving as distributed measurement points. Each cable segment independently senses local structural conditions, providing comprehensive coverage of large structures like pipeline installations through the distributed sensing capability of the cable segments along its entire length.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from discrete point measurements to continuous distributed measurements along the cable's length. By utilizing the cable's spatial extent as a one-dimensional array of sensors, the system achieves comprehensive area coverage of large structures without requiring multiple separate measurement devices, thereby reducing overall system complexity while maintaining extensive monitoring coverage.
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, non-destructive, and continuous monitoring of components with high flexibility, allowing for timely detection of wear and damage, suitable for various environments and components, including those with limited installation space.
Implementation Method 1
measuring surface roughness changes due to dynamic mechanical stress, utilizing the skin effect of high-frequency alternating current to assess wear and damage
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a monitoring method and to the use of a measurement in the surface region or at the surface of a metallic electrical conductor (1) for the purposes of predicting a remaining service life of a component (20). In a monitoring method according to the invention, a measurement of characteristics of the electrical conductor (1) detects characteristic microstructure changes in the surface region. In the use according to the invention of a measurement in the surface region or at the surface of a metallic electrical conductor (1), a physical variable serves for indirectly describing the component wear, wherein a signal evaluation is performed by means of an impedance measurement.