Flow Measurement Device for a Structure

Abstract

A crane device comprising: a crane body; and a fluid velocity measurement device comprising a plurality of beam sources arranged such that beams from the beam sources intersect at a measurement point, wherein the measurement device is adapted to measure the velocity of a fluid field approaching the crane body.

Claims

1. A crane device comprising: a crane body; and a fluid velocity measurement device comprising a plurality of beam sources arranged such that beams from the beam sources intersect at a measurement point.

2. A crane device according to claim 1, wherein the measurement device is adapted to measure one or more velocities from within a fluid field approaching the crane body; and/or to measure a parameter derived from the one or more measured velocities; and optionally to activate an alarm when the parameter is greater than a predetermined threshold.

3. (canceled)

4. A crane device according to claim 2, wherein the parameter comprises a vertical wind shear defined as the difference between the velocity of the fluid at a first height and a second height; and/or a load calculated from the one or more measured velocity.

5. A crane device according to claim 1, including a control system which is responsive when the measured velocity or a parameter derived from at least one measured velocity is greater than a predetermined threshold.

6. A crane device according to claim 5, wherein the control system is adapted to provide warnings and/or alarms or initiate automatic safety measures, operational shutdown or operational curtailment; or to vary parameters in order to increase efficiency, reduce loads, increase production or optimise operation.

7. (canceled)

8. A crane device according to claim 5, wherein the control system comprises an autonomous manoeuvring device, and wherein the autonomous manoeuvring device is activated when the measured velocity or a parameter derived from the measured velocity is greater than a predetermined threshold.

9. A crane device according to claim 8, including a retractable and/or rotatable crane arm, and wherein the autonomous manoeuvring device is adapted to retract and/or rotate the crane arm when the measured velocity or a parameter derived from the measured velocity is greater than a predetermined threshold; and/or to adjust one or both of the position and orientation of the crane body when the measured velocity or a parameter derived from the measured velocity is greater than a predetermined threshold.

10. (canceled)

11. A crane device according to claim 8, wherein the autonomous manoeuvring device is adapted to raise or lower a carried load when the measured velocity or a parameter derived from the measured velocity is greater than a predetermined threshold.

12. A crane device according to claim 8, including a locking device adapted to lock a component of the crane device relative to the crane body, and wherein the autonomous manoeuvring device is adapted to activate the locking device when the measured velocity or a parameter derived from the measured velocity is greater than a predetermined threshold.

13. (canceled)

14. (canceled)

15. A crane device according to claim 1, wherein the measurement device is adapted to measure a velocity of the fluid field at a first region near to the crane body and at a second region remote from the crane body to determine if the velocity is increasing, decreasing or remaining constant.

16. A crane device according to claim 1, wherein the beam sources comprise LIDAR beam sources, RADAR beam sources, SODAR beam sources, or SONAR beam sources.

17. (canceled)

18. (canceled)

19. (canceled)

20. A crane device according to claim 1, wherein the measurement device utilises the Doppler effect or frequency shift to resolve the radial velocity of scattering particles or substance within the fluid.

21. (canceled)

22. A crane device according to claim 20, wherein the radial velocities measured by two or more beams are combined in order to give a two dimensional flow velocity; the radial velocities measured by three or more beams are combined in order to give a three dimensional flow velocity; or the radial velocities measured by N or more beams are combined in order to give an N-dimensional flow velocity, where N is greater than three.

23. (canceled)

24. (canceled)

25. A crane device according to claim 1, wherein acceleration or other time derivative measurements of successive velocity measurements are obtained.

26. (canceled)

27. (canceled)

28. A crane device according to claim 1, wherein beam switching, beam steering or beam scanning is employed in order to direct one or more beams towards a chosen measurement point.

29. A crane device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of intersecting beam measurements are made at different points in space and/or time.

30. A crane device according to claim 29, wherein the plurality of measurements are combined into a map illustrating the variation of the three-dimensional fluid velocity field, wherein such map may be a visual depiction or a numeric set or both.

31. A crane device according to claim 1, wherein measurement data is employed to identify incoming extreme wind gusts, sudden changing wind, turbulence, whirlpools, eddies, updraft or downdraft.

32. A method of operating a crane device having a crane body, the method comprising: providing a measurement device at the crane body, the measurement device comprising a plurality of beam sources arranged such that beams from the beam sources intersect at a measurement point; and measuring a fluid velocity using the measurement device.

33. (canceled)

34. (canceled)

35. A non-transitory computer program providing a crane device control system which is arranged to receive readings from a plurality of beam sources arranged such that beams from the beam sources intersect at a measurement point; and to measure a fluid velocity based on the received readings.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0094] FIG. 1 shows a car, in this example a racing car, where three converging Doppler LIDAR beams are employed to measure the relative air velocity.

[0095] FIG. 2 shows a ship, in this example a sailing ship, where three converging Doppler LIDAR beams are employed to measure the relative wind velocity.

[0096] FIG. 3 shows an aircraft, in this example a passenger air liner, where three converging Doppler LIDAR beams are employed to measure the relative wind velocity.

[0097] FIG. 4 shows a structure, in this example a sky scraper or tall building, incorporating an active mass damper system which is adjusted in response to measurement of the incoming wind characteristics.

[0098] FIG. 5 shows a structure which is a crane, where Doppler LIDAR beams are employed to measure the wind conditions surrounding the crane enabling look ahead prediction of incoming wind conditions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0099] FIG. 1 shows a car, in this example a racing car 4, where a plurality of converging Doppler LIDAR beams 3, emanating from a plurality of LIDAR sources 2, are employed to measure the relative air velocity at a measurement point 1.

[0100] FIG. 2 shows a ship, in this example a sailing ship 6 including one or many sails 7, where three converging Doppler LIDAR beams 3, emanating from a plurality of LIDAR sources 2, are employed to measure the relative air velocity at a measurement point 1.

[0101] FIG. 3 shows an aircraft, in this example a passenger air liner 8, where three converging Doppler LIDAR beams 3, emanating from a plurality of LIDAR sources 2, are employed to measure the relative air velocity at a measurement point 1.

[0102] FIG. 4 shows a structure, in this example a sky scraper or tall building 11, incorporating an active mass damper system 12 which is adjusted in response to measurement of the incoming wind characteristics, where three converging Doppler LIDAR beams 3, emanating from a plurality of LIDAR sources 2, are employed to measure the wind velocity at a measurement point 1. An equivalent structure 10, not incorporating such a LIDAR system combined with active damper system may suffer greater deformation and stress. It will be appreciated that many different mounting arrangements and structures are possible.

[0103] FIG. 5 shows a crane 14, with a load 16 suspended from an arm or cantilever 18. On the crane are mounted one or many LIDAR sources 2, which point at one or many measurement points 1 with their LIDAR beams 3. Three non-parallel beams can be made to converge at a wind measurement point 1 in order to locally measure the three-dimensional wind velocity vector, and many such measurements can form a wind field map covering an extended region of space and allowing for look ahead warning of particular chosen wind signatures.

[0104] The figures show a small selection of examples.