Apparatus and method for detecting conduit chafing

US6265880A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force · US

Inventors

• Frank Born · Dienethal, DE
• Roy F. Stratton · Oriskany, US
• Lamar R. Harris · Navarre, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 15, 1999
• Grant date: Jul 24, 2001
• Expiry date: Jun 15, 2019

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01R27/08
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Apparatus and method to identify chafing of a conduit, thereby reducing the failure of any system which would be damaged or whose function would be impaired by abrasion of the conduit. Such a system may carry electrical power, fuel, other fluid, hydraulics, pneumatics, optical, or electromagnetic signals. Wear caused by rubbing against external structures is detected by wrapping the conduit with a sensing element, which may be a conductive wire, waveguide, fiber optic cable, or a tube (wound around the conduit or enclosing it) that holds a fluid under pressure. The sensing element is positioned so that chafing on the conduit electrically contacts, breaks, or punctures the sensing element well before the conduit fails. Measuring the end-to-end integrity of the sensing element or performing other tests on it determines whether a chafing object is present, the nature of the chafing object, and where on the conduit the chafing has occurred, thereby indicating that the conduit's integrity will be compromised unless remedial measures are taken.