Pile sensing device and method of using the same

• US 8,708,559 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2013
• Issued: 04/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pile Dynamics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Pile Dynamics, Inc.
• Inventors: Piscsalko, George R., Rausche, Frank, Cotton, Dean A., Ference, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Caputo, Lisa
• Assistant Examiner(s): AHMED, NASIR UDDIN
• Application Number:
  US13/742,888
• Publication Number:
  US 20130128920A1
• Time in Patent Office: 468 Days
• Field of Search: 374/141, 374/137
• US Class Current: 374/141
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/026 arrangements for monitoring a plurality of temperatures, e.g. by multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/00 Thermometers specially adapted for specific purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/10 for measuring temperature within piled or stacked materials by special arrangements for conducting heat from the object to the sensitive heat element G01K1/16
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 25/72 Investigating presence of flaws
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/383 Concrete, cement

Abstract

A system for monitoring the forming of a solid object having a sensor string positionable in a forming structure before the curing process and a communication line extending along a string axis between a first and second end. The string further including a plurality of sensors joined to the communication line between the ends and each sensor being mounted at a set position on the line. Each sensor having a sensor body and a sensor housing and the sensor body including an electrical connecter to electrically join an electrical structure to the communication line at the set position. The electrical structure including a temperature sensor configured to monitor temperature near the set position and further including an electronic identification code corresponding to the set position of the sensor along the axis. The system further including a transmitting device for selectively communicating the temperature and identification code.

Claims

1. A system for generating a thermal matrix to analyze the integrity of a poured structure that is formed by introducing a curable material into a cavity and the curable material solidifying in the cavity to form a formed structure, the system comprising at least one sensor string having a support line defining a string axis and a group of independent thermal sensors joined to the support line and spaced along the support line, each sensor of the group being joined to the support line at a fixed location forming gaps having known spacings therebetween, each thermal sensor being configured to measure temperature in a fixed sensor range extending around the thermal sensor and to operate independently of and generally simultaneously with other thermal sensors in the sensor group, each thermal sensor of the group of thermal sensors having a unique electronic identification code corresponding with the particular sensor and the known and fixed position of the particular sensor along the string axis, each thermal sensor being configured to produce temperature data of an associated curable material in the fixed sensor range independent of the temperature detection of other thermal sensors in the group of sensors and at the same time as the other thermal sensors in the group of sensors, the system further including a computing device configured to receive the individual temperature data and the unique electronic identification codes from thermal sensors in the group of thermal sensors and combine the independent data to calculate a thermal string matrix of thermal activity associated with the associated curable material from temperature data taken from multiple thermal sensors in the sensor group and temperature data generated by the multiple thermal sensors at generally the same time.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the associated cavity is a ground opening in a ground layer extending from a ground surface to a bottom extent below the ground surface.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the fixed sensor range of one sensor in the group of sensors partially overlaps with the fixed sensor range of at least one adjacent sensor of the group.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the detection of the test temperatures of the thermal string matrix is selective measurement of all the test temperature of the sensor group at designated time intervals for the analysis of the associated curable material.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor string includes a first sensor string forming a first group, the system further including a second sensor string forming a second group and a third sensor string forming a third group, the thermal string matrixes of the three groups forming a three dimensional thermal matrix associated with the curing cycle of the associated curable material from temperature readings taken from all three groups of sensors at generally the same time.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the three dimensional thermal matrix is a real time matrix for a substantial portion of the curing cycle.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the thermal matrix is a real time thermal matrix taken at designated intervals for a substantial portion of the curing cycle.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the gaps between thermal sensors are less than 1 foot.

9. A sensor string for generating a thermal matrix that is positionable within a volume of material such as a volume of curable material to form a formed solid object, the sensor string comprising a support line extending along a string axis between a first end and a second end, the sensor string further including a plurality of independent thermal sensors joined to the support line between the first and second ends and fixed to the support line at known intervals such that the each thermal sensor is in a general known and set position along the support line and there are gaps between adjacent thermal sensors having known spacings, each thermal sensor of the plurality of independent thermal sensors being configured to measure temperature in a fixed sensor range extending around the thermal sensor and to operate independently of and generally simultaneously with other thermal sensors of the plurality of thermal sensors, each thermal sensor of the plurality of thermal sensors including a unique electronic identification code corresponding to the set position along the support line, each thermal sensor being configured to produce temperature data in an associated material encapsulating the thermal sensor in the fixed sensor range independent of the temperature detection of other thermal sensors of the plurality of thermal sensors and at generally the same time as other thermal sensors of the plurality of thermal sensors such that independent and combined data produced from the thermals sensors of the plurality of thermal sensors is configured to produce a thermal string matrix of thermal activity associated with the associated material.

10. The sensor string of claim 9, wherein the support line is a communication line having at least two wire conductors each having an outer jacket surrounding the wires.

11. The sensor string of claim 9, wherein the cavity has a first extent and a second extent and the sensor string is positionable in a generally fixed operating position within the cavity, the sensor string extending between the first and second extents and the plurality of sensors being encapsulated by the associated material below the a top extent of the associated material and remaining in the generally fixed operating position within the associated material at least until after the desired thermal matrix is generated.

12. The sensor string of claim 9, wherein the associated material is an associated-curable material and plurality of sensors being encapsulated by the associated material below the a top extent of the associated material and permanently remaining in the generally fixed operating position within the associated curable material after the curing cycle.

13. The sensor string of claim 9, wherein the known intervals are generally equal.

14. The sensor string of claim 9, wherein the each thermal sensor includes a memory store, the memory store including instructions for a transmitting device for the selective communicating and storing of data including the temperature data and the unique identification code.

15. A plurality of sensor strings for generating a three dimensional thermal matrix that are positionable within a volume of fluid material such as a volume of curable material to form a formed solid object, each sensor string of the plurality of sensor strings comprising a support line extending along a string axis between a first end and a second end, the sensor string further including a plurality of independent thermal sensors joined to the support line between the first and second ends and fixed to the support line at known intervals such that the each thermal sensor is in a general known and set position along the support line and there are gaps between adjacent thermal sensors having known spacings, each thermal sensor of the plurality of independent thermal sensors being configured to measure temperature in a fixed sensor range extending around the thermal sensor and to operate independently of and generally simultaneously with other thermal sensors of the plurality of thermal sensors, each thermal sensor of the plurality of thermal sensors including a unique electronic identification code corresponding to the set position along the support line, each thermal sensor being configured to produce temperature data in an associated material encapsulating the thermal sensor in the fixed sensor range independent of the temperature detection of other thermal sensors of the plurality of thermal sensors and at generally the same time as other thermal sensors of the plurality of thermal sensors such that independent and combined data produced from the thermals sensors of the plurality of thermal sensors is configured to produce a thermal string matrix of thermal activity associated with the associated, the combined data from each of the sensor string being combinable to produce a three dimensional thermal string matrix.