Flexible RFID Patch With MEMS Sensing for Buried Asset Integrity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for inspecting inaccessible assets, such as buried pipes, require excavation or intensive operations to perform integrity checks due to the need for direct access, which poses safety risks and inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
A smart-sensing RFID patch with integrated MEMS sensors and antennae on a flexible substrate, combined with a GPR trolley, allows for remote monitoring by emitting and receiving high-power signals to assess asset status without excavation, using arrays of patches for comprehensive integrity checking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If excavation or intensive operations are performed to access inaccessible assets for inspection, then direct access to the asset is achieved, but safety risks increase and operational efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical excavation and direct physical access with electromagnetic field-based sensing. Sensors mounted on the asset surface detect structural integrity parameters (strain, stress, cracks) and transmit data wirelessly, eliminating the need for operators to physically excavate or contact the asset, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of access and operational safety
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces sensors and wireless communication systems as intermediaries between the inaccessible asset and the operator. These intermediaries enable remote monitoring and assessment of asset integrity without requiring direct human access to hazardous locations, maintaining safety while enabling inspection operations
2Ease of operation
If excavation or intensive operations are performed to access inaccessible assets for inspection, then direct access to the asset is achieved, but operational time and resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces time-consuming mechanical excavation with rapid electromagnetic sensing and wireless data transmission. Sensors continuously monitor asset integrity and transmit data remotely, reducing inspection time from days of excavation to minutes of remote data collection, thereby dramatically improving productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables continuous monitoring of asset integrity through permanently mounted sensors that continuously collect and transmit data. This eliminates the need for periodic excavation and inspection interruptions, allowing uninterrupted operation of the asset while maintaining continuous surveillance, thus improving overall productivity
3Loss of information
If RFID components are used for remote detection of inaccessible assets, then asset identification is achieved, but structural integrity monitoring capability is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges RFID identification functionality with structural health monitoring sensors (strain gauges, accelerometers, crack detectors) into an integrated system. The RFID tag provides asset identification while co-located sensors continuously measure structural integrity parameters, and both data streams are transmitted together via wireless communication, simultaneously achieving identification and precise structural assessment
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a multi-functional sensor node that performs both identification (via RFID) and structural integrity monitoring (via various sensors) in a single integrated unit. This universal device eliminates the need for separate identification and inspection systems, providing comprehensive asset management capability with improved measurement precision for structural assessment
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 remote assessment of inaccessible assets' health and integrity without excavation, enhancing speed and simplicity by utilizing arrays of smart-sensing RFID patches that can be accessed from various locations, providing real-time mechanical and thermal property monitoring.
Implementation Method 1
the antenna is operable to receive a high-power signal from an external source and emit a backscattering signal including the signals output by the MEMS sensors
Implementation Method 2
a plurality of micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) sensors communicably coupled to one or more of the electrical connections, the MEMS sensors operable to output signals denoting the status of the inaccessible asset
Data Source
AI summary
A smart-sensing radio frequency identification (RFID) patch for assessing a status of an inaccessible asset includes a flexible substrate operable to bend or flex to be secured about an exterior surface of the inaccessible asset, an integrated circuit embedded within the flexible substrate and communicably coupled to a plurality of electrical connections, a plurality of micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) sensors communicably coupled to one or more of the electrical connections, the MEMS sensors operable to output signals denoting the status of the inaccessible asset, and one or more antennae communicably coupled to one or more of the electrical connections, wherein the antennae are operable to receive a high-power signal from an external source and emit a backscattering signal including the signals output by the MEMS sensors.