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Method of monitoring the state of extended shell

  • US 5,040,154 A
  • Filed: 07/07/1989
  • Issued: 08/13/1991
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1987
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A method of monitoring the state of an extended shell, comprising the successive steps of selecting an extended line (4) of transmission of wave energy providing for propagation of signals therein in the form of modes with known space- and time-related patterns of physical fields, positioning the selected extended line (4) of transmission of wave energy on the surface of an extended shell (1) along a specified running coordinate S, defining in the extended line (4) of transmission of wave energy at least one reference channel and at least one measurement channel with known values of deceleration of phase velocities of the modes in each one of these channels, providing for directional interaction lengthwise of the extended line (4) of transmission of wave energy of the fields of the modes of at least one reference channel and at least one measurement channel in accordance with varying geometry of the surface of the extended shell (1), for producing in the measurement channel a signal varying in the course of propagation of a signal in the reference channel in accordance with the varying geometry of the surface of the extended shell (1), representative of the state of said shell (1), shaping a time-modulated reference signal in the form of oscillations of physical fields and converting these oscillations into a signal with predetermined space- and time-related patterns of the modes, converting the fields of the modes at the respective outputs of at least one reference channel and at least one measurement channel of the extended line (4) of transmission of wave energy into exclusively time-dependent electric signals, extracting the amplitude of the electric signal at the output of the reference channel, amplifying the electric signal at the output of the measurement channel in inverse proportion to the value of the amplitude of the electric signal at the output of the reference channel, employing a linear scale transform relating the value of the difference between the decelerations of the phase velocities, respectively, of the modes of the reference and measurement channels of the extended line (4) of transmission of wave energy to the running time of monitoring and to measurements of the values of the specified running coordinate lengthwise of the extended line (4) of transmission of wave energy, and subsequently determining the geometry of the surface of the extended shell (1), characterized in that it further includes the steps of presetting the required resolution of the monitoring procedure over the surface area of the extended shell (1), dividing the surface area of the extended shell (1) into elementary portions (2) of an arbitrary shape, the surface area of each such portion being either equal to or smaller than the surface area of the predetermined resolution of monitoring the state of the extended shell (1), placing the extended line (4) of transmission of wave energy on the surface of the extended shell (1) along the perimeters of all the thus defined portions (2) and securing it to the surface of the extended shell (1) along the perimeters of the thus defined portions (2), providing for directional interaction of the fields of the modes of at least one reference channel and at least one measurement channel lengthwise of the extended line (4) of transmission of wave energy in dependence on the curvature of a longitudinal axis (5) of the extended line (4) of transmission of wave energy, determining the values of the curvature of the surface of the extended shell (1) along the specified running coordinate (S) from normals to this surface intersecting the longitudinal axis (5) of the extended line (4) of transmission of wave energy, and employing the obtained values of the curvature of the surface of the extended shell (1) for finding and registering the initial values of two major curvatures K1ij °

  • , K2ij °

    for each defined portion (2), corresponding to the initial state of the extended shell (1), then determining two current values of the major curvatures K1ij, K2ij for each portion (2), and comparing the current values of the major curvatures K1ij, K2ij with the initial registered values of the major curvatures K1ij °

    , K2ij °

    to determine the integral characteristics for each portion (2) in finding the geometry of the surface of the extended shell (1).

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