Underwater tensile rope stress detection system
AssigneeUniversity of Massachusetts
InventorsEli Kurtz, Michael F. Tlusty, Andrea Angera
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An underwater line stress detection device includes a piezoelectric transducer; a signal generator circuit; a reed switch operatively coupled to the piezoelectric transducer and the signal generator circuit such that the signal generator circuit drives the piezoelectric transducer when the reed switch is activated; a magnet; and a plunger mechanism, attachable to the underwater line. The plunger mechanism is configured to bias the magnet to the reed switch to deactivate the reed switch when the underwater line is in a non-stressed state; and the magnet and the reed switch to activate the reed switch when the underwater line is in a stressed state.
Claims20
An underwater line stress detection device, the device comprising:
- a piezoelectric transducer;
- a signal generator circuit;
- a reed switch operatively coupled to one or both of the piezoelectric transducer and the signal generator circuit, wherein the signal generator circuit drives the piezoelectric transducer when the reed switch is activated;
- a magnet;
- and
- a plunger mechanism, attachable to the underwater line, the plunger mechanism configured to:
- bias the magnet to the reed switch to deactivate the reed switch when the underwater line is in a non-stressed state;
- and
- separate the magnet and the reed switch to activate the reed switch when the underwater line is in a stressed state.
A stress detection system to detect stress on an underwater line, the system comprising:
- at least one stress detection node and a monitoring device;
- wherein the stress detection node includes:
- a piezoelectric transducer;
- a signal generator circuit;
- a reed switch operatively coupled to the signal generator circuit, wherein the signal generator circuit drives the piezoelectric transducer when the reed switch is activated;
- a magnet;
- and
- a plunger mechanism, attachable to the underwater line and configured to bias the magnet to the reed switch to deactivate the reed switch when the underwater line is in a non-stressed state, and separate the magnet and the reed switch to activate the reed switch when the underwater line is in a stressed state;
- and
- wherein the monitoring device includes a hydrophone and an amplifier configured to detect an acoustic frequency produced by the at least one stress detection node.
A method of detecting stress on an underwater line, the method comprising:
- connecting at least one stress detection node to the underwater line, wherein the stress detection node includes a reed switch;
- biasing the reed switch to a deactivated state when the underwater line is in a non-stressed state;
- changing the reed switch to an activated state when the underwater line is in a stressed state;
- generating, by the at least one stress detection node, underwater acoustic energy having an acoustic frequency when the reed switch is in the activated state;
- and
- detecting the generated acoustic frequency using a monitoring device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.