Elevator Suspension Sensors for Local Damage Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for monitoring the integrity of suspension elements in elevator systems, especially those with encased load-bearing elements, struggle to detect local damage or wear accurately, as they can only assess overall physical properties like electrical resistance, making it difficult to distinguish between major local damage and long-term wear, and cannot provide information on damage location or pre-damage state changes.
Innovation Solution
Equipping suspension elements with a plurality of sensors spaced along their length to measure local physical properties such as expansion, bending, acceleration, force, and conductivity, allowing for the detection of damage and wear patterns, and transmitting signals to a remote controller for real-time monitoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional monitoring methods (e.g., electrical resistance measurement) are used to assess suspension element integrity, then overall system safety is maintained, but local damage and wear cannot be accurately detected or localized
Solution Approach 1:
The suspension element is divided into multiple monitoring sections, each equipped with its own sensor. This segmentation allows local damage to be detected and precisely localized to the specific section where the sensor is positioned, resolving the contradiction between overall safety monitoring and local damage detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The monitoring approach transitions from a single-point electrical resistance measurement to a distributed spatial array of sensors along the suspension element's length. This dimensional expansion enables both overall integrity assessment and precise localization of local damage or wear at multiple positions simultaneously.
2Reliability
If multiple sensors are distributed along the suspension element to enable local monitoring, then damage detection precision and localization capability are improved, but system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Each sensor unit is designed as a multi-functional integrated component that simultaneously measures multiple physical quantities (acceleration, expansion, bending, force, conductivity) and provides both local damage detection and overall integrity monitoring. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate sensor systems and simplifies the overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensors are designed to be self-powered or energy-harvesting devices that can operate autonomously on the suspension element without requiring complex external power distribution systems. This self-service capability reduces system complexity by eliminating the need for extensive wiring and power management infrastructure.
3Productivity
If sensors are integrated into the suspension element for continuous monitoring, then real-time damage detection is enabled, but the suspension element's mechanical properties and service life may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The sensors are designed as flexible, thin-film structures that can be integrated into the suspension element without significantly altering its mechanical properties. These flexible sensor designs minimize stress concentration and fatigue effects, preserving the suspension element's service life while enabling continuous monitoring.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor system is designed with replaceable sensor modules that have shorter service lives than the suspension element itself. When sensors reach their operational limit or detect critical damage, only the sensor modules need replacement rather than the entire suspension element, maintaining high monitoring efficiency while managing the service life trade-off.
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 precise monitoring of suspension element conditions, allowing for early detection of potential damage, accurate assessment of wear, and timely replacement, reducing the risk of failure and minimizing elevator system downtime.
Implementation Method 1
Each of the sensors (7) is designed to determine at least one physical property of the suspension element (1) in an area locally adjacent to the respective sensor (7)
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 4
AI summary
A supporting means (3) for an elevator installation is proposed, which supporting means has at least one elongate load-bearing element (3) and has a casing (5) surrounding the load-bearing element (3) and has a multiplicity of sensors (7). The sensors (7) are arranged on the supporting means (3) at multiple positions which are spaced apart from one another along a longitudinal direction of extent (9) of the supporting means (3). The sensors (7) are designed to determine at least one physical characteristic of the load-bearing element (3) in a region locally adjacent to the respective sensor (7) and to output a signal (11) which indicates the determined physical characteristic. For example, a sensor (7) may determine a local expansion, a local bending, a local acceleration, a locally acting force, a local temperature and/or an electrical conductivity at, in or through the supporting means (1). The state of the supporting means (1) can thereby be determined not only as an average for the entire supporting means (1) but with regard to multiple positions along the length of the supporting means (1), which can inter alia allow improved statements to be made regarding a discard criteria of the supporting means (1).