Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for determining in real-time the fatigue life of a structure

US6449565B1 · kind B1 · utility

20Cited by
11References
35Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 5, 1999
Grant dateSep 10, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 5, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
  • CPC primaryF05D2220/323
  • WIPO fieldControl
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method and apparatus for determining the fatigue life of a structure calculate, in real time, the values for the magnitudes of the stress forces imposed at a particular location on the structure, from one or more sensed structural parameters. Also, the associated temperature values of the structure may be calculated or measured. The calculated stress data are continuously examined, in real time, to determine if the direction of their magnitude is increasing or decreasing. If a change in direction is indicated, the previously stored peak data point in the increasing direction is paired with the previously determined peak data point in the decreasing direction to form a cycle pair. The structural fatigue life is then determined, in real time, from this cycle pair.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.