Measurement apparatus, attenuation characteristic calculation method, program, and measurement system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10768145-B2
Application number	US-201615381547-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2016
Priority date	Dec 28, 2015
Publication date	Sep 8, 2020
Grant date	Sep 8, 2020

Abstract

A conversion section converts a change in signal information outputted from a vibration detector provided on a structural body from the change in the function of time into the change in the function of the distance between a moving object that moves on the structural body and the vibration detector. An attenuation characteristic calculation section calculates an attenuation characteristic of the structural body based on the signal information so converted as to represent the change in the function of the distance.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A measurement apparatus for measuring abnormalities in a structural body and performing a structural inspection of the structural body, the measurement apparatus comprising:
conversion circuitry that receives signal information output from a vibration detector and converts a change in the signal information as provided in a first position on the structural body from a change in the function of time into a change in the function of a distance between a moving object that moves on the structural body and the vibration detector, wherein the signal information indicates an attenuation of a vibration acceleration signal generated by the vibration detector caused by an impact of the moving object, and wherein the attenuation corresponds to a decrease in an amplitude of the vibration acceleration signal as a distance between the vibration detector and the moving object increases;
attenuation characteristic calculation circuitry that calculates an attenuation coefficient of the attenuation of the vibration acceleration signal through the structural body based on the signal information so converted as to represent the change in the function of the distance, wherein the attenuation characteristic calculation circuitry calculates the attenuation coefficient using amplitudes, as measured by the vibration detector, of the vertical acceleration signal as caused by the impact of the moving object in a plurality of second positions different from the first position;
estimation circuitry that estimates, for the structural inspection of the structural body, an occurrence of an abnormality of the structural body based on the attenuation coefficient; and
output circuitry that outputs the occurrence of abnormality.

2. The measurement apparatus according to claim 1 ,
further comprising speed calculation circuitry that calculates a speed of the moving object,
wherein the conversion circuitry converts a change in the signal information outputted from the vibration detector from the change in the function of time into the change in the function of the distance by using the speed of the moving object.

3. The measurement apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the vibration detector is provided on a side end portion of the structural body, which extends along a restriction direction of a movement direction restrictor that restricts a movement direction of the moving object, and in a central portion of the side end portion in a direction along the restriction direction.

4. The measurement apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the signal information is information on vertical acceleration or width-direction acceleration of a surface of the structural body on which the moving objects travels.

5. The measurement apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the conversion circuitry converts the signal information having a predetermined frequency component and a frequency component due to bending of the structural body resulting from a load of the moving object into the change in the function of the distance, wherein the predetermined frequency component excludes a frequency component due to natural resonance of the structural body.

6. The measurement apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the attenuation characteristic calculation circuitry calculates the attenuation coefficient of the structural body based on information on a distance-dependent waveform of the signal information and information on a waveform that is expressed by an attenuation model of the structural body and attenuates with a distance.

7. The measurement apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the conversion circuitry extracts the signal information produced when the moving object moves on the structural body based on entrance and exit of the moving object into and out of the structural body detected by a detector and converts the signal information into the change in the function of the distance.

8. An attenuation characteristic calculation method for measuring abnormalities in a structural body and performing a structural inspection of the structural body, the method comprising:
converting a change in signal information outputted from a vibration detector provided in a first position on the structural body from the change in the function of time into the change in the function of a distance between a moving object that moves on the structural body and the vibration detector, wherein the signal information indicates an attenuation of a vibration acceleration signal generated by the vibration detector caused by an impact of the moving object, and wherein the attenuation corresponds to a decrease in an amplitude of the vibration acceleration signal as a distance between the vibration detector and the moving object increases;
calculating an attenuation coefficient of the attenuation of the vibration signal through the structural body based on the signal information so converted as to represent the change in the function of the distance, wherein the attenuation coefficient is calculated using amplitudes, as measured by the vibration detector, of the vertical acceleration signal as caused by the impact of the moving object in a plurality of second positions different from the first position;
estimating, for the structural inspection of the structural body, an occurrence of an abnormality of the structural body based on the attenuation coefficient; and
outputting the occurrence of abnormality.

9. A program stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium that causes a computer to perform, for measuring abnormalities in a structural body and performing a structural inspection of the structural body:
converting a change in signal information outputted from a vibration detector provided in a first position on the structural body from the change in the function of time into the change in the function of a distance between a moving object that moves on the structural body and the vibration detector, wherein the signal information indicates an attenuation of a vibration acceleration signal generated by the vibration detector caused by an impact of the moving object, and wherein the attenuation corresponds to a decrease in an amplitude of the vibration acceleration signal as a distance between the vibration detector and the moving object increases;
calculating an attenuation coefficient of the attenuation of the vibration acceleration signal through the structural body based on the signal information so converted as to represent the change in the function of the distance, wherein the attenuation coefficient is calculated using amplitudes, as measured by the vibration detector, of the vertical acceleration signal as caused by the impact of the moving object in a plurality of second positions different from the first position;
estimating, for the structural inspection of the structural body, an occurrence of an abnormality of the structural body based on the attenuation coefficient; and
outputting the occurrence of abnormality.

10. A measurement system for measuring abnormalities in a structural body and performing a structural inspection of the structural body, the measurement system comprising:
a vibration detector provided in a first position on the structural body; and
a measurement apparatus including
conversion circuitry that converts a change in signal information outputted from the vibration detector from the change in the function of time into the change in the function of a distance between a moving object that moves on the structural body and the vibration detector, wherein the signal information indicates an attenuation of a vibration acceleration signal generated by the vibration detector caused by an impact of the moving object,

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Kobayashi Yoshihiro

Classifications

• G01P3/64 Primary

  Devices characterised by the determination of the time taken to traverse a fixed distance · CPC title

• G01M5/0008

  of bridges · CPC title

• G01P3/02

  Devices characterised by the use of mechanical means · CPC title

• G01N29/4472

  Mathematical theories or simulation · CPC title

• G01N29/14

  using acoustic emission techniques {(echo of particles G01N29/046; measuring mechanical vibrations or acoustic waves in solids in general G01H1/00)} · CPC title