ELECTRIC CABLE WITH STRAIN SENSOR AND MONITORING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETECTING STRAIN IN AT LEAST ONE ELECTRIC CABLE

• Main Authors: GASPARI ROBERTO, KNUEPFER BERND, KITTEL THOMAS, SARCHI DAVIDE, KEMNITZ CARSTEN, CONSONNI ENRICO, CARL ARND-GUENTHER, EWALD REINER
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 05.04.2012
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; CABLES; CONDUCTORS; ELECTRICITY; INSULATORS; MEASURING; MEASURING FORCE, STRESS, TORQUE, WORK, MECHANICAL POWER,MECHANICAL EFFICIENCY, OR FLUID PRESSURE; OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS, OR APPARATUS; OPTICS; PHYSICS; SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THEIR CONDUCTIVE, INSULATING ORDIELECTRIC PROPERTIES; TESTING

An electric cable includes a strain sensor longitudinally extending along the cable and including a strain optical fibre arranged within a bending neutral region surrounding and including a bending neutral longitudinal axis of the electric cable, and at least two longitudinal structural elements, at least one of the at least two longitudinal structural elements being a core including an electrical conductor, wherein the strain sensor is embedded in a strain-transferring filler mechanically coupling at least one of the at least two longitudinal structural elements with the strain sensor. With the disclosed cable construction, the strain experienced by the at least one of the at least two longitudinal structural elements is transferred to the strain sensor at least in a strained condition. In the preferred embodiments, the electric cable is a heavy-duty cable.