Smart hoisting rope

A rope monitoring system for a hoisting apparatus with at least one sheave equipped with a rope, wherein the rope is virtually separated in individual rope sections, wherein the rope comprises objects situated at intervals and distributed along the longitudinal dimension of a strength member of the rope, wherein the objects are remotely detectable, readable, and programmable identification (ID) tags, wherein at least one ID tag is provided at each individual rope section, wherein the at least one ID tag identifies the respective individual rope section, the rope being positioned as a load carrying rope along a predetermined path of the hoisting apparatus and over the at least one sheave,

• wherein the rope monitoring system comprises:
• at least one ID tag reader device mounted along said predetermined path of the rope, the at least one ID tag reader device configured to detect at least the identity of the individual rope section provided with and identified by the at least one ID tag when traveling along said path,
• at least one ID tag writing device mounted along said predetermined path of the rope, the at least one ID tag writing device configured to write a new health status of the individual rope section to the at least one ID tag when traveling along said path,
• a computing unit provided with data comprising the predetermined rope path geometry and the identity and position of the at least one ID tag, the computing unit configured to:
• process at least one rope operation parameter that has been measured during operation of the rope, wherein the data further comprises the at least one rope operation parameter,
• compute based on said data the relative longitudinal positioning of individual sections of the rope in respect of the predetermined path of the hoisting apparatus, and the additional damage or damages suffered by individual sections of the rope during said traveling along said path under said at least one rope operation parameter,
• compute and record the new health status of the individual sections of the rope, and
• send the new health status of the individual sections of the rope to the corresponding at least one ID tag writing device for storing the new health status of the individual section of the rope in the corresponding at least one programmable ID tag of the rope.

A rope monitoring method for a hoisting apparatus with at least one sheave equipped with a rope, wherein the rope is virtually separated in individual rope sections, wherein the rope comprises objects situated at intervals and distributed along the longitudinal dimension of a strength member of the rope, wherein the objects are remotely detectable, readable, and programmable identification (ID) tags, wherein at least one ID tag is provided at each individual rope section, wherein the at least one ID tag identifies the respective individual rope section, the rope being positioned as a load carrying rope along a predetermined path of the hoisting apparatus and over the at least one sheave, the rope monitoring method comprising:

• using at least one ID tag reader device along said predetermined path of the rope, to detect at least the identity of the individual rope section provided with and identified by the at least one ID tag when traveling along said path;
• using at least one ID tag writing device along said predetermined path of the rope, to write a new health status of the individual rope section to the at least one ID tag when traveling along said path;
• measuring at least one rope operation parameter during at least one operation of the rope;
• storing data comprising the predetermined rope path geometry, the at least one rope operation parameter, the identity and position of the at least one ID tag;
• computing, by using a computing unit and based on said data, the relative longitudinal positioning of individual sections of the rope in respect of the predetermined path of the hoisting apparatus, and the additional damage or damages suffered by individual sections of the rope during said traveling along said path under said at least one rope operation parameter;
• computing and recording the new health status of the individual sections of the rope;
• and
• writing, by using the at least one ID tag writing device, the new health status of the individual section of the rope in the corresponding at least one programmable ID tag of the rope.