System, method and computer-readable medium for locating physical phenomena

• US 20050222818A1
• Filed: 05/26/2005
• Published: 10/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Battelle Energy Alliance LLC (Battelle Memorial Institute)
• Original Assignee: Battelle Energy Alliance LLC (Battelle Memorial Institute)
• Inventors: Richardson, John G., Rohrbaugh, David T., Weseman, Matthew T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,334,485 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/185
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 5/0025 of elongated objects, e.g. pipes, masts, towers or railways G01M5/0058 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 5/0041 by determining deflection or stress
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 5/0083 by measuring variation of impedance, e.g. resistance, capacitance, induction

Abstract

A method, system and computer product for detecting the location of a deformation of a structure includes baselining a defined energy transmitting characteristic for each of the plurality of laterally adjacent conductors attached to the structure. Each of the plurality of conductors includes a plurality of segments coupled in series and having an associated unit value representative of the defined energy transmitting characteristic. The plurality of laterally adjacent conductors includes a plurality of identity groups with each identity group including at least one of the plurality of segments from each of the plurality of conductors. Each of the plurality of conductors are monitored for a difference in the defined energy transmitting characteristic when compared with a baseline energy transmitting characteristic for each of the plurality of conductors. When the difference exceeds a threshold value, a location of the deformation along the structure is calculated.

Claims

1. A method of locating deformation of a structure, comprising:

baselining a defined energy transmitting characteristic for each of a plurality of laterally adjacent conductors attached to a structure, each of the plurality of conductors including a plurality of segments coupled in series and having an associated unit value representative of the defined energy transmitting characteristic, the plurality of laterally adjacent conductors including a plurality of identity groups, each identity group including at least one of the plurality of segments from each of the plurality of conductors;

monitoring each of the plurality of conductors for a difference in the defined energy transmitting characteristic when compared with a baseline energy transmitting characteristic for each of the plurality of conductors; and

calculating a location of the deformation along the structure when the difference exceeds a threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein baselining further includes measuring the defined energy transmitting characteristic for each of a plurality of laterally adjacent conductors attached to a structure.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein baselining further includes:

iterating measuring the defined energy transmitting characteristic of each of a plurality of laterally adjacent conductors attached to the structure; and

storing a plurality of measurements for each iteration of measuring the defined energy transmitting characteristic of each of the plurality of laterally adjacent conductors.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising averaging the plurality of measurements of each of the plurality of laterally adjacent conductors to define the baseline energy transmitting characteristic for each of the plurality of conductors.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating a location comprises comparing a first change in the defined energy transmitting characteristic in at least one conductor of the plurality of conductors with a second change in the defined energy transmitting characteristic in at least one other conductor of the plurality of conductors.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein calculating further comprises determining a specific one of the plurality of identity groups from which the first change in the defined energy transmitting characteristic and second change in the defined energy transmitting characteristic were initiated.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein determining a specific identity group includes determining a ratio of the first change in the defined energy transmitting characteristic with respect to the second change in the defined energy transmitting characteristic.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining a specific identity group further includes comparing the ratio of the first and second changes in the defined energy transmitting characteristic to a plurality of predetermined ratios, wherein the plurality of predetermined ratios includes ratios of unit values of the plurality of laterally adjacent segments within each of the plurality of identity groups.

9. A system for locating deformation of a structure, comprising:

a network configured for attachment to a structure including a plurality of laterally adjacent conductors, each of the plurality of conductors including a plurality of segments having an associated unit value representative of a defined energy transmission characteristic, the plurality of laterally adjacent conductors including a plurality of identity groups, each identity group including at least one of the plurality of segments from each of the plurality of conductors, wherein each segment within an identity group exhibits an associated unit value such that the unit values of each identity group may be represented by a concatenated digit string of the unit values and wherein each identity group exhibits a unique concatenated digit string relative to each other identity group; and

a computing system configured to baseline a defined energy transmitting characteristic for each of a plurality of laterally adjacent conductors, monitor each of the plurality of conductors for a difference in the defined energy transmitting characteristic when compared with a baseline energy transmitting characteristic for each of the plurality of conductors, and calculate a location of the deformation along the structure when the difference exceeds a threshold.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the computing system is further configured to measure the defined energy transmitting characteristic for each of a plurality of laterally adjacent conductors attached to a structure.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the computing system is further configured to iterate measuring the defined energy transmitting characteristic of each of a plurality of laterally adjacent conductors attached to the structure, and store a plurality of measurements for each iteration of measuring the defined energy transmitting characteristic of each of the plurality of laterally adjacent conductors.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the computing system is further configured to average the plurality of measurements of each of the plurality of laterally adjacent conductors to define the baseline energy transmitting characteristic for each of the plurality of conductors.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the computing system is further configured to compare a first change in the defined energy transmitting characteristic in at least one conductor of the plurality of conductors with a second change in the defined energy transmitting characteristic in at least one other conductor of the plurality of conductors.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the computing system is further configured to determine a specific one of the plurality of identity groups from which the first change in the defined energy transmitting characteristic and second change in the defined energy transmitting characteristic were initiated.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the computing system is further configured to determine a ratio of the first change in the defined energy transmitting characteristic with respect to the second change in the defined energy transmitting characteristic.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the computing system is further configured to compare the ratio of the first and second changes in the defined energy transmitting characteristic to a plurality of predetermined ratios, wherein the plurality of predetermined ratios includes ratios of unit values of the plurality of laterally adjacent segments within each of the plurality of identity groups.

17. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for locating a deformation of a structure, the instructions for performing the acts of:

baselining a defined energy transmitting characteristic for each of a plurality of laterally adjacent conductors attached to a structure, each of the plurality of conductors including a plurality of segments coupled in series and having an associated unit value representative of the defined energy transmitting characteristic, the plurality of laterally adjacent conductors including a plurality of identity groups, each identity group including at least one of the plurality of segments from each of the plurality of conductors;

monitoring each of the plurality of conductors for a difference in the defined energy transmitting characteristic when compared with a baseline energy transmitting characteristic for each of the plurality of conductors; and

calculating a location of the deformation along the structure when the difference exceeds a threshold.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17 having further computer-executable instructions, wherein baselining further includes measuring the defined energy transmitting characteristic for each of a plurality of laterally adjacent conductors attached to a structure.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18 having further computer-executable instructions, wherein baselining further includes:

iteratively measuring the defined energy transmitting characteristic of each of a plurality of laterally adjacent conductors attached to the structure; and

storing a plurality of measurements for each iteration of measuring the defined energy transmitting characteristic of each of the plurality of laterally adjacent conductors.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19 having further computer-executable instructions, further comprising averaging the plurality of measurements of each of the plurality of laterally adjacent conductors to define the baseline energy transmitting characteristic for each of the plurality of conductors.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 17 having further computer-executable instructions, wherein calculating a location comprises comparing a first change in the defined energy transmitting characteristic in at least one conductor of the plurality of conductors with a second change in the defined energy transmitting characteristic in at least one other conductor of the plurality of conductors.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 21 having further computer-executable instructions, wherein calculating further comprises determining a specific one of the plurality of identity groups from which the first change in the defined energy transmitting characteristic and second change in the defined energy transmitting characteristic were initiated.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 22 having further computer-executable instructions, wherein determining a specific identity group includes determining a ratio of the first change in the defined energy transmitting characteristic with respect to the second change in the defined energy transmitting characteristic.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 23 having further computer-executable instructions, wherein determining a specific identity group further includes comparing the ratio of the first and second changes in the defined energy transmitting characteristic to a plurality of predetermined ratios, wherein the plurality of predetermined ratios includes ratios of unit values of the plurality of laterally adjacent segments within each of the plurality of identity groups.