Energy harvesting, wireless structural health monitoring system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of maintaining a structure comprising:
- a. providing a structure having a component subject to component failure;
b. mounting a sensor module on the structure, said sensor module including a sensor, a memory and an energy harvesting device, wherein said sensor provides data related to loading, wherein said energy harvesting device is configured to convert at least one from the group consisting of vibration of the structure and strain of the structure into electricity;
c. using said sensor and logging data derived from said sensor data related to loading in said memory, wherein said memory is powered solely with electricity derived from said energy harvesting device; and
d. replacing said component if information derived from said data in said memory shows that said component experienced a load history indicating damaging usage.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method of maintaining a structure includes providing a structure having a component subject to failure. A sensor, a memory and an energy harvesting device are mounted on the structure. The sensor is used and data derived from the sensor logged in the memory, wherein the memory is powered solely with energy derived from the energy harvesting device. The component is replaced if information in the memory shows that the component was subject to damaging usage.
-
Citations
98 Claims
-
1. A method of maintaining a structure comprising:
-
a. providing a structure having a component subject to component failure; b. mounting a sensor module on the structure, said sensor module including a sensor, a memory and an energy harvesting device, wherein said sensor provides data related to loading, wherein said energy harvesting device is configured to convert at least one from the group consisting of vibration of the structure and strain of the structure into electricity; c. using said sensor and logging data derived from said sensor data related to loading in said memory, wherein said memory is powered solely with electricity derived from said energy harvesting device; and d. replacing said component if information derived from said data in said memory shows that said component experienced a load history indicating damaging usage. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
-
-
44. A method of operating a structure comprising:
-
a. providing a structure having a component subject to component failure; b. mounting a sensor module to said structure for measuring a parameter related to component failure, wherein said sensor module includes a sensor, a wireless communication device and an energy harvesting device, wherein said sensor provides data related to loading, wherein said energy harvesting device is configured to convert at least one from the group consisting of vibration of the structure and strain of the structure into electricity; c. acquiring data related to loading with said sensor; d. providing information derived from said data to said wireless communication device; e. powering said wireless communications device solely with electricity derived from said energy harvesting device; f. transmitting said information with said wireless communication device; and g. using said information to adjust operation of said structure so as to avoid damaging usage. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
-
-
50. A method of operating a structure comprising,
a. providing a structure having a component subject to component failure; -
b. mounting a sensor, a memory and an energy harvesting device on the structure, wherein said sensor provides data related to loading, wherein said energy harvesting device is configured to convert at least one from the group consisting of vibration of the structure and strain of the structure into electricity; c. using said sensor and logging data derived from said sensor in said memory, wherein said memory is powered solely with electricity derived from said energy harvesting device; and d. using information in said memory to adjust operation of said structure so as to avoid damaging usage. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52, 53)
-
-
54. A system comprising, a network of sensor nodes wherein each said sensor node includes a sensor, a processor, a memory, a low power time keeper, a wireless communication device, and an energy harvesting device, wherein said sensor provides data related to loading, wherein said processor is connected to receive data derived from said sensor, wherein said memory is connected for storing data derived from said sensor, wherein said low power time keeper is connected to periodically provide a signal to wake said processor from a sleep mode, wherein said wireless communication device is connected for communicating data derived from said sensor, wherein said energy harvesting device is configured to convert at least one from the group consisting of vibration and strain into electricity, and wherein said energy harvesting device is connected for providing said electricity to power said processor, said memory, and said wireless communications device wherein all electricity for powering said wireless communications device is derived from said energy harvesting device, wherein said memory includes a program to track accumulated damage from repeated instances of said loading.
-
55. A method of operating a system comprising:
-
a. providing a sensor node including a sensor, a processor, a memory, a low power time keeper, a wireless communication device, and an energy harvesting device, wherein said sensor provides data related to loading, wherein said energy harvesting device is configured to convert at least one from the group consisting of vibration and strain into electricity; b. providing a signal from said low power time keeper to said processor to power up said processor from a powered off or a low powered condition at predetermined intervals of time; c. using energy derived from said energy harvesting device to provide power for operating at least one electronic device from the group consisting of said processor, said memory, and said wireless communications device; d. providing data derived from said sensor to said processor; e. storing data derived from said sensor in said memory; f. using said wireless communication device to externally communicate data derived from said sensor; and g. using the data stored in memory to determine accumulated damage from repeated instances of said loading. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57)
-
- 58. A structure, comprising a wireless instrumented structural component including a first sensor, a second sensor, a processor, a transmitter, and an energy harvesting device, wherein said first sensor is for measuring a first property related to load in said structural component, wherein said second sensor is for measuring a second property related to load in said structural component, wherein said first property differs from said second property, wherein said transmitter is connected to transmit data derived from at least one from the group consisting of said first sensor and said second sensor about load in said structural component, wherein all electricity for powering said transmitter is derived from said energy harvesting device, wherein said energy harvesting device is configured to convert at least one from the group consisting of vibration of the structure and strain of the structure into electricity, and wherein said processor is connected to receive an output derived from said second sensor for testing operation of said first sensor.
-
67. A method of using a structure, comprising
a. providing a wireless instrumented structural component mounted to the structure, wherein said wireless instrumented structural component includes a first sensor, a second sensor, a transmitter, and an energy harvesting device, wherein said first sensor is for measuring a first property related to load in said structural component, wherein said second sensor is for measuring a second property related to load in said structural component, wherein said first property differs from said second property, and wherein said energy harvesting device is configured to convert at least one from the group consisting of vibration of the structure and strain of the structure into electricity; -
b. comparing data from said first sensor with data from said second sensor to test operation of said first sensor; c. providing energy from said energy harvesting device wherein all power for powering said transmitter is derived from said energy harvesting device; and d. wirelessly transmitting data about load in said structural component. - View Dependent Claims (68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79)
-
-
80. A method of estimating time before failure of a component of a structure, comprising:
-
a. providing the structure having the component; b. instrumenting said structure with a sensor and a memory, said sensor to measure a parameter related to loading of the structure, said memory for logging data derived from said sensor; c. providing an energy harvesting device on the structure, wherein said energy harvesting device is configured to convert at least one from the group consisting of vibration of the structure and strain of the structure into electricity, wherein said energy harvesting device is connected to provide all power for powering logging data; d. providing a mathematical model of the component subject to failure; e. entering information derived from said data into said model; and f. using said mathematical model and said information to estimate a parameter related to time before failure of said component. - View Dependent Claims (81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92)
-
-
93. A method of collecting information about a structure, comprising:
-
a. providing an instrumented component including a sensor, a memory, and an energy harvesting device, wherein said instrumented component is an integral part of a structure when installed in the structure, wherein said instrumented component includes packaging to protect said sensor, said memory, and said energy harvesting device, wherein said sensor provides data related to loading, wherein said energy harvesting device is configured to convert at least one from the group consisting of vibration of the structure and strain of the structure into electricity; b. installing said instrumented component in the structure; and c. using energy derived from said energy harvesting device to provide power for logging data in said memory. - View Dependent Claims (94, 95, 96)
-
-
97. A method of maintaining a structure comprising,
a. providing a structure having a component subject to component failure; -
b. mounting a sensor, a memory and an energy harvesting device on the structure, wherein said energy harvesting device is configured to convert at least one from the group consisting of vibration of the structure and strain of the structure into electricity; c. using said sensor and logging data derived from said sensor in said memory, wherein said memory is powered solely with energy derived from said energy harvesting device; d. automatically adjusting sampling rate to log data at a rate depending on amount of energy harvested by said energy harvesting device. - View Dependent Claims (98)
-
Specification