Health monitoring of elevator system tension members
AssigneeOtis Elevator Company
InventorKyle B. Martin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A health monitoring system for an electrically-conductive tension member of an elevator system belt includes a transmitter including a transmitter coil configured for placement at the tension member, a receiver configured to be positioned at the tension member, and a controller operably connected to the transmitter and the receiver. The controller is configured to direct an alternating current through the transmitter coil resulting in the generation of a magnetic field and eddy currents at the transmitter coil, evaluate fluctuations in the magnetic field detected at the receiver. The fluctuations are indicative of wear or damage to the tension member.
Claims19
A health monitoring system for an electrically-conductive tension member of an elevator system belt, comprising:
- a transmitter including a transmitter coil configured for placement at the tension member;
- a receiver configured to be positioned at the tension member;
- and
- a controller operably connected to the transmitter and the receiver, the controller configured to:
- direct an alternating current through the transmitter coil, resulting in the generation of a magnetic field and eddy currents at the transmitter coil;
- and
- evaluate fluctuations in the magnetic field detected at the receiver, the fluctuations indicative of wear or damage to the tension member;
- wherein the controller is configured to obtain position information from an elevator control system to locate and map locations of wear or damage of the tension member;
- wherein the transmitter and the receiver are disposed at a same side of the tension member;
- and
- wherein a position of the receiver is offset from a position of the transmitter relative to a lengthwise direction of the tension member.
An elevator system, comprising:
- a hoistway;
- an elevator car movable along the hoistway;
- one or more electrically-conductive tension members operably connected to the elevator car to move the elevator car along the hoistway;
- and
- a health monitoring system for the one or more tension members, including:
- a transmitter including a transmitter coil located the tension member;
- a receiver located at the tension member;
- and
- a controller operably connected to the transmitter and the receiver, the controller configured to:
- direct an alternating current through the transmitter coil, resulting in the generation of a magnetic field and eddy currents at the transmitter coil;
- and
- evaluate fluctuations in the magnetic field detected at the receiver, the fluctuations indicative of wear or damage to the tension member;
- wherein the controller is configured to obtain position information from an elevator control system to locate and map locations of wear or damage of the tension member;
- wherein the transmitter and the receiver are disposed at a same side of the tension member;
- and
- wherein a position of the receiver is offset from a position of the transmitter relative to a lengthwise direction of the tension member.
A method of health monitoring of an electrically-conductive tension member of an elevator system, comprising:
- directing an alternating current through a coil of a transmitter located at a tension member of an elevator system;
- generating one or more magnetic fields and eddy currents at the transmitter via the alternating current;
- evaluating the tension member by detecting fluctuations in the magnetic field at a receiver located at the tension member, the fluctuations indicative of wear and or damage to the tension member;
- and
- locating and mapping locations of wear or damage of the tension member on the tension member utilizing position information obtained via communication with an elevator control system;
- wherein the transmitter and the receiver are disposed at a same side of the tension member;
- and
- wherein a position of the receiver is offset from a position of the transmitter relative to a lengthwise direction of the tension member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.