System and method for measuring soil or sediment level and monitoring hydraulic damage
AssigneeResensys LLC
InventorMehdi Kalantari Khandani
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system includes a conduit, a sensor system and a controller. The conduit may be associated with a structure, having a portion thereof disposed on a surface, and being disposed in a direction normal to the surface. The controller is in communication with the sensor component. When the sensor system is operable to detect when sediment on the surface and surrounding the structure is removed from an area around the structure, an initial length, li, of the conduit is disposed below the surface of the sediment on the surface and surrounding the structure at an initial time. When the sensor system is operable to detect when sediment is deposited around the structure, the initial length, li, of the conduit is disposed above the surface at the initial time.
Claims16
A system for use with a structure having a portion thereof disposed on a surface, said system comprising:
- a conduit operable to be associated with the structure and being disposed in a direction normal to the surface;
- a sensor system affixed to said conduit and being operable to detect at least one of when a first portion of sediment on the surface and surrounding the structure is removed from a first area around the structure and when a second portion of sediment is deposited around the structure;
- and
- a controller in communication with said sensor system,
- wherein when said sensor system is operable to detect when the first portion of sediment on the surface and surrounding the structure is removed from the first area around the structure, an initial length, b, of said conduit is disposed below the surface of the sediment on the surface and surrounding the structure at an initial time,
- wherein when said sensor system is operable to detect when the second portion of sediment is deposited around the structure, the initial length, li, of said conduit is disposed above the surface at the initial time,
- wherein said sensor system comprises a plurality of acceleration sensors,
- wherein said sensor system further comprises a plurality of actuators, each being operable to actuate a respective one of said plurality of acceleration sensors to detect removal or deposition of sediment around the respective one of said plurality of acceleration sensors,
- wherein each of said plurality of actuators comprises one of a vibrator device and an elastic structure, and
- wherein said sensor system is operable to detect when the first portion of sediment on the surface and surrounding the structure is removed from the first area around the structure based on a change in a response to an actuation of one of said plurality of acceleration sensors by a respective one actuator of said plurality of actuators.
A method comprising:
- affixing a sensor system to a conduit;
- associating the conduit with a structure, having a portion thereof disposed on surface, such that the conduit is disposed in a direction normal to the surface;
- detecting, via the sensor system, at least one of when a first portion of sediment on the surface and surrounding the structure is removed from a first area around the structure and when a second portion of sediment is deposited around the structure;
- and
- wherein when the sensor system is operable to detect when the first portion of sediment on the surface and surrounding the structure is removed from the first area around the structure, an initial length, li, of the conduit is disposed below the surface of the sediment on the surface and surrounding the structure at an initial time,
- wherein when the sensor system is operable to detect when the second portion of sediment is deposited around the structure, the initial length, li, of the conduit is disposed above the surface at the initial time,
- wherein the sensor system comprises a plurality of acceleration sensors,
- wherein the sensor system further comprises a plurality of actuators, each being operable to actuate a respective one of the plurality of acceleration sensors to detect removal or deposition of sediment around the respective one of the plurality of acceleration sensors,
- wherein each of the plurality of actuators comprises one of a vibrator device and an elastic structure, and
- wherein said detecting when the first portion of sediment on the surface and surrounding the structure is removed from the first area around the structure is based on a change in a response to an actuation of one of the plurality of acceleration sensors by a respective one actuator of the plurality of actuators.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.