Duct Information Modules for Precise Underground Line Mapping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing duct systems lack efficient methods for locating individual duct lines, especially when obscured, leading to errors and high maintenance costs due to the unreliability of tracer wires and lack of redundancy.
Innovation Solution
An electronic module housing apparatus is attached to ducts, emitting positional and duct properties signals, allowing for accurate location and mapping, with redundancy in signal exchange between modules to ensure continued functionality even if one module fails.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If individual duct sections are obscured from sight, then ducts can be installed in various environments, but location and mapping become difficult and error-prone
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical/physical tracing methods (tracer wires, visual inspection) with electromagnetic signal transmission. Information modules emit signals that can be detected through obstructions like soil and building materials, enabling location detection without line-of-sight and resolving the difficulty of detecting obscured ducts while maintaining installation versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The information module acts as an intermediary between the obscured duct and the locating equipment. It transmits positioning information through electromagnetic signals that can penetrate obstructions, serving as a mediator that bridges the gap between the hidden duct and the detection system, thus solving the detection difficulty while preserving installation flexibility.
2Reliability
If redundancy is added to the location system, then reliability improves, but system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions (positioning, identification, and basic monitoring) into a single integrated information module that attaches to each duct segment. This merging provides redundancy through distributed functionality across multiple segments rather than requiring complex backup systems, achieving reliability without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Each duct segment is equipped with a copy of the essential positioning functionality through identical information modules. This replication of functional units across segments provides inherent redundancy - if one module fails, others continue to provide location information. The copying approach achieves reliability through simplicity rather than complexity.
3Measurement precision
If detailed information about duct condition and location is collected, then maintenance accuracy improves, but data management and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Each information module autonomously collects and maintains its own positioning and condition data, processing information locally rather than requiring centralized data management. This self-service approach enables precise monitoring of individual duct segments while minimizing the complexity of system-wide data processing through distributed intelligence.
Data Source
AI summary
The present inventive concept includes a duct system and method for using same to map and locate ducts. A preferred embodiment of the duct system includes a duct, a plurality of electronic information modules and an oversheath at least partially covering the plurality of information modules and fixing the information modules to the duct. The plurality of information modules are configured to emit a positional signal to enable location of the information modules and associated duct(s) and/or mapping of the duct system.