Fluid-Monitored Safety Fastener for Crack Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fasteners in safety-critical applications often fail due to fatigue or manufacturing defects, leading to potential safety hazards and costly damage, as existing inspection methods are time-consuming, expensive, and difficult to perform in hostile environments.
Innovation Solution
A fastener with a load-bearing body enclosing a fluid-filled inner volume and a fluid sensor that detects the presence of fluid, triggering a 'fluid present' state when the fastener is undamaged, and alerting for potential damage by detecting fluid escape through cracks, allowing for continuous monitoring and preventative maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If non-destructive testing techniques (electromagnetic sensors, ultrasound inspection) are used to detect internal damage, then measurement precision is improved, but loss of time and loss of money increase due to time-consuming and expensive testing procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-filling the fastener's inner volume with fluid before the fastener is installed or put into service. This preparatory step enables continuous monitoring without requiring time-consuming non-destructive testing during operation. The fluid is already in place to detect cracks as they form, eliminating the need for later inspection procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The fastener performs self-inspection through the fluid monitoring system. The fluid sensor continuously monitors the inner volume for fluid presence, automatically detecting cracks without external intervention. This self-monitoring capability eliminates the need for operators to perform time-consuming non-destructive testing, as the fastener detects its own damage condition in real-time.
2Ease of operation
If visual inspections are performed by machine operators to check critical pins, then ease of operation is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates because operators cannot identify internal damage such as cracks that have not migrated to the surface
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces fluid as an intermediary substance within the fastener's inner volume. This fluid serves as a mediator that can detect internal cracks through pressure changes or fluid loss, providing information about internal damage that visual inspection cannot detect. The fluid acts as a sensing medium that translates internal structural integrity into detectable physical changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/visual inspection system with a fluid-based sensing system. Instead of relying on operators to visually examine the fastener surface, the system uses fluid pressure monitoring or fluid presence detection to identify internal cracks. This substitution transitions from external visual inspection to internal physical field-based detection.
3Adaptability or versatility
If inspections are conducted in hostile field environments with dirty, wet, or contaminated conditions, then adaptability is improved, but measurement precision and reliability deteriorate due to obscured defects and difficult access
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the nested doll principle by placing the fluid and fluid sensor inside the fastener's inner volume, nesting the monitoring system within the fastener structure itself. This internal nesting protects the sensing mechanism from external hostile environmental conditions such as dirt, moisture, and contamination. The fluid sensor is shielded within the fastener, allowing reliable operation in field conditions where external sensors would fail or require frequent maintenance.
4Device complexity
If the fluid sensor fails to detect fluid presence, then loss of information occurs because the system cannot distinguish between fluid sensor failure and actual fastener damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback through the fluid sensor that continuously monitors fluid presence and provides real-time information about fastener integrity. The sensor creates a closed-loop monitoring system where the state of the fluid (present or absent) directly feedbacks to indicate the condition of the fastener. This continuous feedback enables immediate detection of both sensor failures and actual damage events.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs color changes as a visual indicator mechanism. The fluid may contain additives or use inherent optical properties that change color or reflectivity when the fastener is damaged or when fluid is present/absent. This color change provides an unambiguous visual signal that distinguishes between operational status and damage conditions, eliminating ambiguity in sensor readings.
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 of fastener damage, reducing the risk of failure and associated hazards, and ensuring the integrity of both the fastener and the fluid sensor, facilitating timely replacement and preventing equipment failure.
Implementation Method 1
a fluid sensor configured to detect the presence of the fluid within the inner volume
Data Source
AI summary
A safety fastener and a safety system are provided. The safety fastener indicates when a fastener is damaged, and the safety system indicates when a safety critical component is damaged. The fastener includes a load bearing body that encloses an inner volume filled with fluid, and a fluid sensor that detects the presence of the fluid within the inner volume. When the fluid sensor detects the fluid, a “fluid present” state is activated. If the fastener is damaged, fluid may escape from the inner volume, such that the fluid sensor leaves the “fluid present” state, indicating damage has occurred.