Purpose: This research paper adopts the fundamental tenets of advanced technologies in industry 4.0 to monitor the structural health of concrete beam members using cost effective non-destructive technologies. In so doing, the work illustrates how a coalescence of low-cost digital technologies can seamlessly integrate to solve practical construction problems.

Methodology: A mixed philosophies epistemological design is adopted to implement the empirical quantitative analysis of ‘real-time’ data collected via sensor-based technologies streamed through a Raspberry Pi and uploaded onto a cloud-based system. Data was analysed using a hybrid approach that combined both vibration characteristic based method and linear variable differential transducers (LVDT). 

Findings: The research utilises a novel digital research approach for accurately detecting and recording the localisation of structural cracks in concrete beams. This nondestructive low-cost approach was shown to perform with a high degree of accuracy and precision, as verified by the LVDT measurements. This research is testament to the fact that as technological advancements progress at an exponential rate, the cost of implementation continues to reduce to produce higher accuracy ‘mass-market’ solutions for industry practitioners. 

Originality: Accurate structural health monitoring of concrete structures necessitates expensive equipment, complex signal processing and skilled operator. The concrete industry is in dire need of a simple but reliable technique that can reduce the testing time, cost and complexity of maintenance of structures. This was the first experiment of its kind that seeks to develop an unconventional approach to solve the maintenance problem associated with concrete structures. This study merges industry 4.0 digital technologies with a novel low-cost and automated hybrid analysis for real-time structural health monitoring of concrete beams by fusing several multidisciplinary approaches in one integral technological configuration.

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Real-time structural health monitoring for concrete beams: a cost-effective ‘Industry 4.0’ solution using piezo sensors

A system can be used to indicate wear of a brake pad. The system can include a brake housing, a brake pad mechanically coupled to the brake housing, and a sensor mechanically coupled to the brake pad. The sensor can determine when the brake pad has been worn to a predetermined location by a rotating portion of a wheel. The system can also include an electronic module electrically coupled to the sensor and mechanically coupled to the brake housing. The electronic module can include a radio frequency antenna configured to wirelessly receive radio frequency energy from an external radio frequency transmitter, and an energy converter electrically coupled to the radio frequency antenna. As well, the electronic module can include an internal transmitter electrically coupled to the energy converter and the radio frequency antenna.

Systems and methods for detecting wear of brake pads

A control device for a vehicle includes a predictor and a controller The predictor is configured to predict, on the basis of change information, whether or not the vehicle will collide with a frontward obstacle, on the condition that a brake operation by a driver has been performed The change information is information regarding a change in a friction coefficient of a road surface frontward of the vehicle The controller is configured to control brake power of the vehicle on the basis of the change information, on the condition that a prediction is made that the vehicle will collide with the obstacle

Control device for vehicle

Methods, devices, and systems, for analyzing and managing data generated by a sensor-equipped braking system for vehicles, comprising a support element a block of friction material, at least one sensor interposed between the block of friction material and the support element, comprising at least one central control unit capable of receiving in real time from the sensor means at least the basic data related to one or more of the pressure of the activated braking system, the temperature of the activated braking system, the braking torque, the residual braking torque when the braking system is deactivated, and the wear on the braking system during and after activation thereof. The system can also include one or more auxiliary sensors.

Sensor-equipped vehicle braking systems, devices, and methods

Various systems, devices, and methods for detecting and/or responding to the temperature of brakes are disclosed Certain embodiments relate to inhibiting or preventing the overheating of the brakes of such vehicles, such as could occur when a hot runner condition is present

Hot runner detection and response systems, devices, and methods

A method in which at least one piezoceramic sensor (15) which converts every mechanical force to which it is subjected into, an electrical signal and that has a Curie temperature higher than 200°C is solidarized directly onto the surface (13) of a metal support element (11) of a vehicle braking element (1) which during use faces towards an element to be braked (3) of a vehicle; in contact with such a surface (13) an electrical circuit (18) is implemented that picks up and eventually processes the electrical signal; the electrical circuit is connected with a connector (20) which is integrated with the metal support element; an electrically insulating layer (12B) is implemented so as to sandwich the at least one piezoceramic sensor (15) and the electrical circuit (18) and a block of friction material (14) with an underlying damping layer (12C) is formed upon the electrically insulating layer; after forming the block of friction material (14) the piezoceramic sensor (15) is polarized by applying a predetermined potential difference to it by means of the connector (20).

Method for manufacturing a braking element with integrated sensor, in particular a brake pad, brake pad with integrated sensor, vehicle braking system and associated method

Method wherein at least one piezoceramic sensor (15) and an electric circuit (18) to collect an electric signal emitted by the piezoceramic sensor (15) when subjected to a mechanical stress and possibly processing it are made as a unit electrically insulated (118) equipped with at least a branching (119) ending with respective electric contacts (20,21) having connected the at least one piezoelectric sensor (15), where the electric circuit (18) and the at least one sensor (15) are mechanically fixed integral with a first surface (13) of a supporting metal element (11) of a brake pad (1) and branching (119) is formed so as to position the at least one piezoelectric sensor (15) at a predetermined point of the first surface (13).

Method for manufacturing a sensorized braking element, in particular a brake pad and a sensorized brake pad obtained thereby

Various antilock braking systems, devices, and methods using sensorized brake pads are disclosed. In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides a method for improving the performance of an antilock braking (ABS) and anti-slip regulation (ASR) system of a vehicle. The method can include detecting the actual value of the coefficient of friction (e.g., between a tire and the ground), updating the coefficient of friction during braking using the braking torque data derived from at least one braking pad of each wheel, and adjusting brake force. For example, the brake force can be adjusted as a function of and/or to be approximately equal to the value of the actual tire-road friction during braking.

Antilock braking systems, devices, and methods using sensorized brake pads

A method wherein a brake element (1) is sensorized by means of at least one piezoceramic sensor (15) arranged between a metallic support element (11) and a block (14) of friction material of a brake element, said sensor being completely embedded within the block of friction material; an electrical voltage signal (ST) generated by at least one piezoceramic sensor, without the need for an electrical power supply, is picked up by an electrical circuit (18) which is integrated into the metallic support element, and the electrical signal is processed in real time in the form of equal length of time samples per unit of time of the detected signal by successively processing in real time each sample of equal length of time sample of the signal by applying an algorithm selected from the group: a sequence of integrations of voltage values in the sample carried out in an interval of time in the order of milliseconds; FFT voltage data sample; integral of the voltage data sample.

Luca Martinotto

Papers

Method for manufacturing a braking element with integrated sensor, in particular a brake pad, brake pad with integrated sensor, vehicle braking system and associated method

Sensor-equipped vehicle braking systems, devices, and methods

Method for manufacturing a sensorized braking element, in particular a brake pad and a sensorized brake pad obtained thereby

Antilock braking systems, devices, and methods using sensorized brake pads

Method and device for real time estimation of the applied pressure and of noisiness in a brake element, in particular a brake pad