Embedded Wear Detection Strand for Electric Cable
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electric cables in critical fields like aeronautics are prone to mechanical stress, leading to wear and potential system failures, necessitating preventive detection and precise location of damage for maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A system with conductive wear detection strands embedded in the sheath of electric cables, connected to a control unit that measures capacitance or resistance between these strands and a reference conductive element to detect and locate breaks, allowing for targeted repair or replacement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If cables are regularly repaired or replaced to prevent failures, then system reliability is improved, but maintenance time and operational downtime increase
Solution Approach 1:
The wear detection strand is embedded in the cable sheath during manufacturing, establishing a monitoring system before the cable is put into service. This preliminary action enables continuous wear monitoring without requiring separate installation steps, allowing preventive maintenance to be triggered by actual wear conditions rather than fixed schedules.
Solution Approach 2:
The cable structure itself provides the monitoring capability through the embedded conductive wear detection strand that passively detects wear through capacitance or resistance changes. The cable essentially monitors its own condition without requiring external sensing equipment, enabling condition-based maintenance that reduces unnecessary maintenance interventions.
2Measurement precision
If wear detection systems are implemented to enable preventive maintenance, then maintenance precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The conductive wear detection strand serves multiple functions: it acts as both a structural reinforcement element within the cable and a sensing element for wear detection. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate sensing wires or sensors, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining measurement precision through capacitance or resistance measurements.
Solution Approach 2:
The system detects wear by measuring changes in electrical parameters (capacitance or resistance) of the embedded conductive strand as the insulating sheath degrades. This parameter-based detection approach provides precise wear measurement using simple electrical measurements rather than complex mechanical or optical sensing systems.
3Measurement precision
If multiple conductive wear detection strands are embedded at different depths in the sheath, then wear detection precision is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wear detection system is segmented into multiple conductive strands positioned at different depths within the sheath. Each strand monitors wear at its specific depth, providing granular wear information. This segmentation enables precise localization of wear patterns and determination of which portion of the sheath has degraded, enhancing diagnostic precision.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple conductive wear detection strands are nested within the sheath structure at different radial positions, similar to nested dolls. The strands are embedded concentrically or at staggered depths within the insulating material, allowing each strand to independently monitor wear at its specific depth while maintaining a compact cable structure.
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 early detection and precise location of cable wear, reducing the risk of failures and facilitating efficient maintenance by identifying breakages and their locations along the cable length.
Implementation Method 1
a control unit capable of measuring the capacitance or the resistance formed between the wear detection strand and the reference conductive element
Implementation Method 2
a control unit capable of measuring the capacitance or the resistance formed between the wear detection strand and the reference conductive element
Data Source
AI summary
A system including: a cable including: a core capable of transporting at least one useful electric signal; a sheath surrounding said core; at least one conductive wear detection strand embedded in the sheath and substantially extending along the entire length of the cable; and at least one reference conductive element which is not connected to said at least one wear detection strand and substantially extends along the entire cable length; and a control unit capable of measuring the capacitance or the resistance formed between said at least one strand and the reference conductive element.