Repair structure cracks using self-moving filler materials

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11840641-B2
Application number	US-202016939014-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 26, 2020
Priority date	Jul 26, 2020
Publication date	Dec 12, 2023
Grant date	Dec 12, 2023

Abstract

A method and apparatus for automatically repairing structure cracks. The method may include mixing a filler material with ferromagnetic dust to create a filler material mixture. The method may also include storing each filler material mixture in a filler material reservoir. The method may also include creating an array of magnetic coils in the structure, where the array of magnetic coils creates a magnetic path through the structure. The apparatus may include a structure. The structure may include a plurality of filler material reservoirs, wherein each filler material reservoir stores a filler material mixture. The structure may also include an array of magnetic coils inside the structure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of automatically repairing structure cracks, the method comprising:
mixing a filler material with ferromagnetic dust to create a filler material mixture;
storing each filler material mixture in a filler material reservoir; and
creating an array of magnetic coils in the structure, wherein the array of magnetic coils creates a magnetic path through the structure.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein storing each filler material mixture in the filler material reservoir comprises:
identifying one or more materials of a surface of the structure where the crack is located;
determining the filler material that is compatible with the one or more materials; and
storing the filler material mixture with the compatible filler material in the filler material reservoir.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the array of magnetic coils is inside the structure.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the filler material reservoir is on a surface of the structure.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein creating the array of magnetic coils comprises:
forming a plurality of magnetic coils; and
lining up each magnetic coil end to end to form the array of magnetic coils.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein each magnetic coil comprises a metal coil.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the magnetic coil further comprises a magnet, and wherein the metal coil is wrapped around the magnet.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein arranging the plurality of magnetic coils comprises:
placing the magnetic coils with a southern end of a first magnet from a first magnetic coil next to a northern end of a second magnet of a second magnetic coil.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the filler material is selected from a group consisting of:
calcium carbonate, silica, epoxy resins, resins, plastic, and adhesive material.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the filler material is a viscous fluid.

11. An apparatus comprising:
a structure, the structure comprising:
a plurality of filler material reservoirs, wherein each filler material reservoir stores a filler material mixture; and
an array of magnetic coils inside the structure.

12. The structure of claim 11 , wherein the filler material mixture comprises at least ferromagnetic dust.

13. The structure of claim 12 , wherein the filler material mixture further comprises a filler material.

14. The structure of claim 12 , wherein the filler material is a viscous fluid.

15. The structure of claim 11 , wherein the array of magnetic coils creates a magnetic path through the structure.

16. The structure of claim 11 , wherein each magnetic coil in the array of magnetic coils is connected separately with electric current.

17. The structure of claim 11 , wherein the array of magnetic coils includes a magnet at each end of each magnetic coil.

18. The structure of claim 11 , wherein the structure further comprises:
one or more sensors, wherein the one or more sensors provide information regarding any cracks in the structure.

19. The structure of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of filler material reservoirs are on one or more exterior surfaces of the structure.

20. The structure of claim 19 , wherein each of the filler material reservoirs are located on a surface of the structure that corresponds with a filler material stored in the filler material reservoir.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Rakshit Sarbajit K

Classifications

• C09D5/00 Primary

  Coating compositions, e.g. paints, varnishes or lacquers, characterised by their physical nature or the effects produced {(electrically insulating plastics, resins or waxes H01B3/30)}; Filling pastes · CPC title

• C09D5/34

  Filling pastes (materials for sealing or packing joints or covers C09K3/10; materials for stopping leaks C09K3/12) · CPC title

• C09D7/61

  inorganic · CPC title

• C09D163/00

  Coating compositions based on epoxy resins; Coating compositions based on derivatives of epoxy resins · CPC title

• E04G23/0211

  using injection · CPC title