Concrete maturity monitoring system using passive wireless surface acoustic wave temperature sensors
First Claim
1. A system for the wireless measurement of the temperature within curing concrete, comprising:
- (a) at least one passive acoustic wave temperature sensor embedded in wet concrete;
(b) a transceiver external to the concrete for transmitting an interrogating signal to said sensor and for receiving at least one sensor response signal;
(c) signal processor means for processing said sensor response signal to determine the sensor temperature as it changes during cure of the concrete; and
(d) calculating means for calculating maturity of the concrete in accordance with sensor temperature over time.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for wireless measurement of the temperature in curing concrete is characterized by the use of a plurality of surface acoustic wave temperature sensors embedded in the concrete. An interrogation signal from an external transceiver system is modified by the sensors in accordance with the temperature of the concrete adjacent to the sensors. The return signals from the sensors are processed in a correlation device to identify each signal as originating from a specific sensor. A microprocessor calculates the maturity of the concrete based on the data received from the sensors as well as data input corresponding to the type of concrete. The maturity data is used to analyze the strength and integrity of the concrete structure being built.
40 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A system for the wireless measurement of the temperature within curing concrete, comprising:
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(a) at least one passive acoustic wave temperature sensor embedded in wet concrete;
(b) a transceiver external to the concrete for transmitting an interrogating signal to said sensor and for receiving at least one sensor response signal;
(c) signal processor means for processing said sensor response signal to determine the sensor temperature as it changes during cure of the concrete; and
(d) calculating means for calculating maturity of the concrete in accordance with sensor temperature over time. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for the wireless measurement of the temperature within curing concrete, comprising the steps of:
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(a) embedding at least one passive acoustic wave temperature sensor in wet concrete;
(b) transmitting an interrogating signal from an external transceiver to said sensor and receiving at least one sensor response signal;
(c) processing said sensor response signal to determine the sensor temperature as it changes during cure of the concrete; and
(d) calculating maturity of the concrete in accordance with sensor temperature over time and with known properties of the concrete. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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Specification