Manhole Sensor Node Self-Powered Wireless Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing manhole monitoring systems fail to detect crimes such as theft and prevent accidents caused by erroneous worker entry or natural phenomena, lacking comprehensive security measures during national events.
Innovation Solution
A manhole monitoring system that includes a manhole opening/closing sensor with additional sensors for temperature, odor, water quality, gas quality, flow rate, and water level, transmitting data to a gateway and data center for analysis and alerting authorities to potential abnormalities, enabling early detection of crimes and accidents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a sensor system is installed in a manhole to detect abnormalities, then detection capability is improved, but power supply and wired communication requirements increase system complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor system serves itself by harvesting energy from the environment (temperature differences, vibration, or electromagnetic fields) and using wireless communication that requires no external infrastructure. The sensor node is self-powered and self-communicating, eliminating the need for battery replacement and wired connections.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces wired mechanical communication infrastructure with wireless electromagnetic communication. Instead of laying cables through manholes, the system uses radio frequency or other wireless signals to transmit sensor data, dramatically reducing installation complexity and infrastructure requirements.
2Measurement precision
If multiple sensors are deployed to monitor various parameters, then detection accuracy is improved, but system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor node is designed as a universal platform that can detect multiple parameters (temperature, vibration, acoustic signals, electromagnetic fields) using a single integrated unit. This multi-functional approach avoids the complexity of deploying and coordinating multiple separate sensor systems while maintaining comprehensive monitoring capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple sensing functions (temperature sensing, vibration detection, acoustic monitoring, electromagnetic field detection) into a single integrated sensor node. This consolidation reduces the number of individual components, simplifies deployment, and lowers overall system complexity while maintaining the ability to detect multiple abnormality indicators.
3Reliability
If real-time monitoring is implemented to prevent accidents, then safety is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of continuous monitoring that would consume constant power, the system uses periodic sampling at strategically determined intervals. The sensor takes measurements at specific time points and remains in low-power state between measurements, achieving effective monitoring while dramatically reducing average power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces active continuous monitoring with passive detection methods where possible, such as using ambient electromagnetic fields or environmental temperature gradients to power the sensor. This substitution allows the system to maintain real-time monitoring capability while consuming minimal energy from external sources.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention provides a manhole monitoring system with the aim to enhance security in a national event, detect crime such as manhole theft at an early stage, and prevent accident caused by maintenance of manhole or natural phenomenon. The invention includes a monitoring platform configured to collect the opening/closing state data transmitted through the gateway, extract data serving as a point of analysis from the manhole opening/closing state data, analyze the data serving as the point from the extracted data, receive the data serving as the point of analysis as analyzed data, and determine opening/closing of the manhole lid of the manhole, and perform control to transmit the manhole opening/closing determination result to a control center side, if it is determined that the manhole lid of the manhole is opened based on the opening/closing determination result of the manhole lid.