# US 10,481,037 B2 · Method for detecting deterioration defect of structural part

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- Number: US 10,481,037 B2
- Document ID: US10481037B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/855,944
- Filed: 2017-12-27
- Published: 2019-01-17
- Granted: 2019-11-19
- Earliest claimed: 2017-07-14
- Assignees: Industrial Technology Research Institute
- Applicants: Industrial Technology Research Institute
- Inventors: Yao-Long Tsai; Li-Hua Wang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10481037B2

## CPC

- G01M 3/2807: {for pipes (G01M3/2892, G01M3/30 take precedence)}
- F17D 5/06: using electric or acoustic means
- G01M 5/0025: {of elongated objects, e.g. pipes, masts, towers or railways (G01M5/0058 takes precedence)}
- G01M 5/0033: {by determining damage, crack or wear}
- G01M 5/0066: {by exciting or detecting vibration or acceleration (vibration testing of structures G01M7/00)}
- G01N 29/11: by measuring attenuation of acoustic waves
- G01N 29/4427: {with stored values, e.g. threshold values}
- G01N 29/4445: {Classification of defects}
- G01N 29/46: by spectral analysis, e.g. Fourier analysis {or wavelet analysis (spectral signal processing per se G06F17/14)}
- G01N 2291/015: Attenuation, scattering
- G01N 2291/0258: Structural degradation, e.g. fatigue of composites, ageing of oils
- G01M: TESTING STATIC OR DYNAMIC BALANCE OF MACHINES OR STRUCTURES; TESTING OF STRUCTURES OR APPARATUS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F17D: PIPE-LINE SYSTEMS; PIPE-LINES (pumps or compressors F04; fluid dynamics F15D; valves or the like F16K; pipes, laying pipes, supports, joints, branches, repairing, work on the entire line, accessories F16L; steam traps or the like F16T; fluid-pressure electric cables H01B9/06)
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)

## Abstract

A method for detecting deterioration of a structural part includes: detecting a waveform of time domain of the structural part by a sensor disposed on the structural part; performing a conversion of time domain to frequency domain for the waveform of time domain by a processor electrically connected to the sensor so as to obtain an actual modal parameter of each of a plurality of modals related to a waveform of frequency domain of the structural part; comparing the actual modal parameter of each of the plurality of modals to modal parameter information stored in a database to determine whether a deterioration defect exists in the structural part; and determining a degree and a position of the deterioration defect when the deterioration defect exists in the structural part.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for detecting deterioration defect of a structural part, comprising:
detecting a waveform of time domain of the structural part by a sensor disposed on the structural part;
performing a conversion of time domain to frequency domain for the waveform of time domain by a processor electrically connected to the sensor so as to obtain an actual modal parameter of each of a plurality of modals related to a waveform of frequency domain of the structural part;
comparing the actual modal parameter of each of the plurality of modals to modal parameter information stored in a database to determine whether a deterioration defect exists in the structural part; and
determining a degree and a position of the deterioration defect when the deterioration defect exists in the structural part;
wherein the modal parameter information comprises sets of comparison modal parameters, and each of the sets of comparison modal parameters indicates a respective one of the deterioration defect of the position and other deterioration defects of other positions in the structural part.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method for detecting deterioration defect of the structural part according to claim 1, wherein the actual modal parameter of each of the plurality of modals comprises an amplitude value of a characteristic frequency, each of the sets of comparison modal parameters corresponds to a plurality of first deterioration curves, and determining the degree and the position of the deterioration defect comprises comparing each of the amplitude values of the characteristic frequencies to the plurality of first deterioration curves of a respective one of the sets of comparison modal parameters so as to determine the degree and the position of the deterioration defect;
wherein each of the plurality of first deterioration curves corresponds to a predicted deterioration defect having a deterioration defect value and located in a position of the structural part.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method for detecting deterioration defect of the structural part according to claim 1, wherein the actual modal parameter of each of the plurality of modals comprises a characteristic frequency, each of the sets of comparison modal parameters comprises a plurality of second deterioration curves, and determining the degree and the position of the deterioration defect comprises:
obtaining at least two sets of predicted deterioration defect parameters according to the characteristic frequencies of the plurality of modals and the plurality of second deterioration curves comprised in the sets of comparison modal parameters; and
determining the degree and the position of the deterioration defect according to the at least two sets of predicted deterioration defect parameters.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method for detecting deterioration defect of the structural part according to claim 3, wherein determining the degree and the position of the deterioration defect according to the at least two sets of predicted deterioration defect parameters comprising:
filtering out at least one predicted deterioration defect parameter repeated by comparing the at least two sets of predicted deterioration defect parameters;
wherein the at least one predicted deterioration defect parameter is related to the degree and the position of the deterioration defect.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method for detecting deterioration defect of the structural part according to claim 1, wherein before detecting the waveform of time domain of the structural part by the sensor disposed on the structural part, the method further comprising:
determining a disposing position of the sensor on the structural part according to a characteristic frequency of each of the sets of comparison modal parameters of the database.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method for detecting deterioration defect of the structural part according to claim 5, wherein a distance exists between the disposing position of the sensor and one end of the structural part, and the distance is less than or equal to ½ of a wavelength corresponding to the characteristic frequency having a greatest frequency value among the characteristic frequencies.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method for detecting deterioration defect of the structural part according to claim 1, wherein the actual modal parameter of each of the plurality of modals comprises a characteristic frequency, the characteristic frequency has a first frequency in a first direction and has a second frequency in a second direction, the method for detecting deterioration defect of the structural part further comprise determining a form of the deterioration defect according to the first frequency in the first direction and the second frequency in the second direction.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method for detecting deterioration defect of the structural part according to claim 7, wherein determining the form of the deterioration defect according to the first frequency in the first direction and the second frequency in the second direction comprising:
determining whether the first frequency in the first direction is consistent with the second frequency in the second direction;
determining the form of the deterioration defect as an uniform defect when the first frequency in the first direction is consistent with the second frequency in the second direction; and
determining the form of the deterioration defect as an partial defect when the first frequency in the first direction is not consistent with the second frequency in the second direction.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The method for detecting deterioration defect of the structural part according to claim 7, wherein the database is a partial-defect database or a uniform-defect database, and the method for detecting deterioration defect of the structural part further comprises determining whether the database is the partial-defect database or the uniform-defect database according to the form of the deterioration defect.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method for detecting deterioration defect of the structural part according to claim 1, wherein before detecting the waveform of time domain of the structural part by the sensor disposed on the structural part, the method for detecting deterioration defect of the structural part further comprises generating the waveform of time domain by an excitation source or fluid flowing through the structural part.