US 12,680,944 B2Granted

Sensing moisture or corrosion

AssigneeIntegrity Engineering Solutions Pty Ltd

InventorIan Warren Brown

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Abstract

An elongate sensor, system and method for detecting moisture and/or corrosion. The elongate sensor can include multiple conductors located alongside one another, or parallel with each other, not contacting each other and not making direct electrical contact between one another. Each conductor has a distinct pattern of alternating insulated and non-insulated portions. In each insulated portion, the Nth conductor is within an electrically non-conducting material forming Nth non-detecting portions. In each non-insulated portion, the Nth conductor is exposed or not electrically insulated forming Nth detecting portions. Each of the Nth detecting or non-detecting portions would have a single Nth unit length. Each Nth unit length is a distance equal to two to the power of N minus one first unit lengths, 2(N−1) times the first unit length. Electrically conductive object provides a base conductor and/or the elongate sensor includes a base conductor.

Claims37

Dependent claims

An elongate sensor for a system for detecting moisture and/or corrosion, the elongate sensor including at least a first conductor, a second conductor and a third conductor, each of the at least first, second and third conductors being located in parallel to each other by an electrically non-conductive carrier material to prevent the conductors from coming into direct electrical conductive contact with each other or external conductive surfaces, while permitting ingress of conductive media;

the first conductor being exposed or electrically non-insulated for a first unit length forming an initial first detecting portion, then alternately being electrically insulated for a distance equal to the first unit length forming first non-detecting portions or being electrically non-insulated for a distance equal to the first unit length forming additional first detecting portions of the first conductor;
the second conductor being electrically insulated for a distance equal to a second unit length minus the first unit length forming an initial second non-detecting portion, then alternately being electrically non-insulated for a distance equal to the second unit length forming second detecting portions or being electrically insulated for a distance equal to the second unit length forming additional second non-detecting portions of the second conductor, the second unit length being double the first unit length;
the third conductor being electrically insulated for a distance equal to a third unit length minus the first unit length forming an initial third non-detecting portion, then alternately being electrically non-insulated for a distance equal to the third unit length forming third detecting portions or being electrically insulated for a distance equal to the third unit length forming non-detecting portions of the third conductor, the third unit length being double the second unit length.

A system for detecting moisture and/or corrosion of an object, the system including at least one elongate sensor and a monitoring unit:

the elongate sensor including at least a first conductor, a second conductor and a third conductor, each of the at least first, second and third conductors being located in parallel to each other by an electrically non-conductive carrier material to prevent the conductors from coming into direct electrical conductive contact with each other or external conductive surfaces, while permitting ingress of conductive media;
the first conductor being exposed or electrically non-insulated for a first unit length forming an initial first detecting portion, then alternately being electrically insulated for a distance equal to the first unit length forming first non-detecting portions or being electrically non-insulated for a distance equal to the first unit length forming additional first detecting portions of the first conductor;
the second conductor being electrically insulated for a distance equal to a second unit length minus the first unit length forming an initial second non-detecting portion, then alternately being electrically non-insulated for a distance equal to the second unit length forming second detecting portions or being electrically insulated for a distance equal to the second unit length forming non-detecting portions of the second conductor, the second unit length being double the first unit length;
the third conductor being electrically insulated for a distance equal to a third unit length minus the first unit length forming an initial third non-detecting portion, then alternately being electrically non-insulated for a distance equal to the third unit length forming third detecting portions or being electrically insulated for a distance equal to the third unit length forming non-detecting portions of the third conductor, the third unit length being double the second unit length;
the monitoring unit being connected to each of the at least first, second and third conductors individually and being configured to detect electrical conductivity between any pair of the at least first, second and third conductors.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 19/119,219Filed 16 Oct 2023
Priority: AU 202290302916 Oct 2022
Published: US 2026/0110620 A123 Apr 2026
Granted: 14 Jul 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification3 codes

G01N 17/04
Investigating resistance of materials to the weather, to corrosion, or to light: corrosion probes
G01N 27/048
By investigating resistance: for determining moisture content of the material
G01N
Investigating or analysing materials by determining their chemical or physical properties