DIFFERENTIAL COMPARATIVE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM

• Main Authors: KROKER, HENRY, LAXTON, NIGEL
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 23.01.2013
• Subjects: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIRCHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; MEASURING; MEASURING FORCE, STRESS, TORQUE, WORK, MECHANICAL POWER,MECHANICAL EFFICIENCY, OR FLUID PRESSURE; PHYSICS; TESTING; TESTING STATIC OR DYNAMIC BALANCE OF MACHINES ORSTRUCTURES; TESTING STRUCTURES OR APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

A differential comparative pressure monitoring system (10) for monitoring the structural integrity of a structure (30) has a pressure source (12); a first fluidic circuit (14), and a reference fluidic circuit (16) which are connected in parallel to the pressure source (12); and a monitoring device (18). The first and reference fluidic circuits (14) and (16) have substantially matched characteristics. The first circuit (14) has a sensor element (20) which is sealed to a surface (28) on the structure (30). The reference circuit (16) is in fluidic isolation from the surface (28) of the structure (30). The monitoring device (18) takes simultaneous measurements of a common fluidic characteristic of the circuits (14) and (16), and produces a signal indicative the integrity of the structure based on a difference between the simultaneously measured common characteristic.