Hollow Component Ovalization Monitoring via Optical Distance Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hollow structural components, such as those in wind power plants, experience ovalization under load, which is difficult to completely eliminate with stiffening elements, and existing methods lack effective monitoring and damage detection for assessing load and aging.
Innovation Solution
A method and device that measure ovalization by comparing distance values from a measuring point to a peripheral surface of the component, correlating these measurements with reference values to infer applied loads and structural aging, using sensors and optical measurements to detect changes in rigidity and material damage over time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If stiffening elements or bracing are incorporated into hollow structures to reduce ovalization, then structural stiffness is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical stiffening elements with an optical measurement system that uses lasers and sensors to detect ovalization. Instead of adding physical bracing to prevent deformation, the system optically measures the deformation that occurs and uses this data to assess structural health and load conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces optical fields (lasers) as intermediaries to measure structural deformation. The laser beam serves as a mediator between the measurement system and the hollow structure, enabling non-contact detection of ovalization without physically altering or reinforcing the structure.
2Measurement precision
If existing monitoring methods are used for hollow structures, then implementation is simpler, but measurement precision and damage detection capability are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional mechanical measurement devices with an optical measurement system using lasers and position-sensitive detectors. This substitution enables non-contact, high-precision measurement of hollow structure deformation with significantly improved measurement precision compared to traditional mechanical gauges or strain sensors.
3Loss of substance
If hollow structures are designed with thin wall thickness to reduce material usage, then weight and material consumption decrease, but structural strength and resistance to ovalization worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables thin-walled hollow structures to monitor their own structural health by measuring their natural ovalization response to loads. The structure itself provides the measurement signal through its deformation behavior, eliminating the need for additional sensors embedded in the walls and allowing use of minimal wall thickness while maintaining detectability of structural changes.
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 accurate monitoring of load and aging in hollow structural components by quantifying ovalization, allowing for timely detection of material damage and structural integrity assessment, even in large-scale rotating components like wind turbine blades and towers.
Implementation Method 1
a distance sensor (26), in particular an optical sensor (26), which is correlated to the reference point (8) and the measuring surface (10) and measures a distance value (A) between the reference point (8) and the measuring surface (10)
Data Source
Figure 1a~2
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Figure 5~6
AI summary
The method and the device serve to determine the stress or aging of a longitudinally extending, hollow component with a circumferential surface. At least one distance measurement is performed between a reference point and the circumferential surface or to a measuring surface correlated with the circumferential surface. Based on the recorded distance value, in particular by comparison with a reference value, conclusions are drawn about the ovalization of the component, and from this, inferences are made about the stress or aging of the component.