# US 11,079,290 B2 · Contact force measurement method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,079,290 B2 - Document ID: US11079290B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/308,981 - Filed: 2017-07-10 - Published: 2019-06-27 - Granted: 2021-08-03 - Earliest claimed: 2016-11-21 - Assignees: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. - Applicants: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. - Inventors: Yoichi Iwamoto; Masaaki Katayama - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11079290B2 ## CPC - G01L 1/255: {using acoustic waves, or acoustic emission (G01L1/10 and G01L1/16 take precedence)} - F22B 37/003: {Maintenance, repairing or inspecting equipment positioned in or via the headers} - G01B 17/02: for measuring thickness - G01L 1/00: Measuring force or stress, in general (measuring force due to impact G01L5/00) - G01L 1/005: {by electrical means and not provided for in G01L1/06 - G01L1/22} - G01L 5/0033: {applying a pulling force} - G01N 27/72: by investigating magnetic variables - G01N 27/90: using eddy currents - G01N 29/11: by measuring attenuation of acoustic waves - G21C 17/003: Remote inspection of vessels, e.g. pressure vessels - G21D 1/00: Details of nuclear power plant (control G21D3/00) - Y02E 30/00: Energy generation of nuclear origin - Y02E 30/30: Nuclear fission reactors - G01L: MEASURING FORCE, STRESS, TORQUE, WORK, MECHANICAL POWER, MECHANICAL EFFICIENCY, OR FLUID PRESSURE (weighing G01G) - F22B: METHODS OF STEAM GENERATION; STEAM BOILERS - G01B: MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS - 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) - G21C: NUCLEAR REACTORS (fusion reactors, hybrid fission-fusion reactors G21B; nuclear explosives G21J) - G21D: NUCLEAR POWER PLANT - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract There is provided a method for measuring a contact force applied to each tube constituting a tube bundle disposed in a fluid from a vibration damping member by using a probe inserted into each tube. Characteristic data defining a relationship between a value measured by the probe and the contact force is previously prepared. Then, the probe is inserted into the tube, and the contact force is calculated using the measurement value of the probe, based on the characteristic data. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A contact force measurement method for measuring a contact force by a probe inserted into each tube, in a vibration damping structure in which a tube bundle disposed in a fluid is supported by a vibration damping member inserted between tubes included in the tube bundle, the contact force applied to the tube bundle from the vibration damping member, the method comprising: a characteristic data preparation step of previously preparing characteristic data defining a relationship between a value measured by the probe and the contact force; a measurement value acquisition step of inserting the probe into the tube and acquiring a measurement value measured by the probe; and a contact force calculation step of calculating the contact force corresponding to the measurement value, based on the characteristic data, and wherein the characteristic data includes: a first characteristic data corresponding to a first point at which the vibration damping member is disposed on opposite sides so as to surround the tube from both sides at a substantially same position along the axial direction, and a second characteristic data corresponding to a second point at which the vibration damping member is disposed on one side at a position along the axial direction, and wherein the contact force calculation step includes using the first characteristic data or the second characteristic data as the characteristic data, based on a positional relationship between the tube and the vibration damping member. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The contact force measurement method according to claim 1, wherein the characteristic data preparation step includes performing a load test while applying a predetermined load corresponding to the contact force to a sample corresponding to the tube supported by the vibration damping member and acquiring a measurement value measured by the probe inserted into the sample to generate the characteristic data. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The contact force measurement method according to claim 2, wherein the measurement value acquisition step includes acquiring positional information of the probe in conjunction with the measurement value while scanning the probe within the tube, and associating and storing the measurement value and the positional information. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The contact force measurement method according to claim 3, wherein the measurement value acquisition step includes providing a marker detectable by the probe at a reference position along an axial direction of the tube, and acquiring the positional information based on displacement from the reference position when the measurement value is acquired. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The contact force measurement method according to claim 2, wherein the characteristic data preparation step includes: generating first characteristic data based on the measurement value acquired by applying the predetermined load on opposite sides so as to sandwich the tube from both sides at a substantially same position along an axial direction of the sample, and generating second characteristic data based on the measurement value acquired by applying the predetermined load on opposite sides along a direction crossing to the axial direction so as to sandwich the tube at different positions along the axial direction of the sample. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The contact force measurement method according to claim 5, wherein the tube includes the first point, and the second point, and wherein the contact calculation step includes calculating the contact force corresponding to the measurement value measured at the first point, based on the first characteristic data, and calculating the contact force corresponding to the measurement value measured at the second point, based on the second characteristic data. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The contact force measurement method according to claim 1, wherein the probe is an eddy current testing probe insertable into the tube. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The contact force measurement method according to claim 1, wherein the probe includes a displacement meter capable of measuring an inner diameter of the tube by being inserted into the tube. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The contact force measurement method according to claim 1, wherein the measurement value acquisition step includes acquiring positional information of the probe in conjunction with the measurement value while scanning the probe within the tube, and associating and storing the measurement value and the positional information.