Detecting failures of flexible multistrand steel structures
US7268541B2 · kind B2 · utility
2Cited by
2References
6Claims
0Family size
Assignee
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Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 17, 2004 |
| Grant date | Sep 11, 2007 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 17, 2024 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N27/83
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A flexible elongate structure, such as a flexible riser (10), comprising at least one layer (20) of steel wires near the surface which extend at least partly along the length of the structure, can be monitored by inducing a small, alternating magnetic field in the steel wires using an electromagnetic coil, and monitoring the magnetic flux density near the surface of the structure so as to asses the stress and hence detect if any wires have broken. By using an array of stress-measuring electromagnetic probes (24) around the structure some spatial resolution can be provided as to the location of any break in the wires.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.