EP-4741787-A1 - REMOTE SUFACE ACOUSTIC WAVE SENSING OF CURABLE CHEMICAL COATINGS FOR FIRE-PROOF COATING OF STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS

EP4741787A1EP 4741787 A1EP4741787 A1EP 4741787A1EP-4741787-A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a surface acoustic wave sensing system comprising a surface acoustic wave sensor configured to be provided relative to a curable chemical coating or coating system and to output, to a measurement device or system, data corresponding to characteristics of the curable chemical coating or coating system identifying whether the curable chemical coating or coating system is curing correctly, data for in service control after curing and/or data corresponding to characteristics of the chemical coating or coating system associated with use of the chemical coating or coating system when installed.

Inventors

PFEIL, ARMIN

Assignees

Hilti Aktiengesellschaft

Dates

Publication Date: 20260513
Application Date: 20241108

Claims (16)

A surface acoustic wave sensing system comprising a surface acoustic wave sensor configured to be provided relative to a curable chemical coating or coating system and to output, to a measurement device or system, data corresponding to characteristics of the curable chemical coating or coating system identifying whether the curable chemical coating or coating system is curing correctly, data for in service control after curing and/or data corresponding to characteristics of the chemical coating or coating system associated with use of the chemical coating or coating system when installed.
Surface acoustic wave sensing system according to claim 1, wherein the surface acoustic wave sensor is configured to receive an input signal from a measurement device or system to generate the output signal to a measurement device or system.
Surface acoustic wave sensing system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the surface acoustic wave sensor is a passive remote surface acoustic wave sensor.
Surface acoustic wave sensing system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the surface acoustic wave sensor is configured to output from the curable chemical coating or coating system to a measurement device or system only the data corresponding to characteristics of the curable chemical coating or coating system to identify whether the curable chemical coating or coating system is curing or installed correctly or is no longer curing or installed correctly.
Surface acoustic wave sensing system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the surface acoustic wave sensor is configured to output from the curable chemical coating or coating system to a measurement device or system only the data corresponding to characteristics of the curable chemical coating or coating system associated with use of the cured chemical coating or coating system when installed.
Surface acoustic wave sensing system to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the data corresponding to characteristics of the curable chemical coating or coating system associated with use of the curable chemical coating or coating system when installed include data corresponding to one or more of a temperature associated with the curable chemical coating or coating system, stress and strains placed in or on the curable chemical coating or coating system, a compressive force applied to the curable chemical coating or coating system, pressure, movement, resistance and a unique identifier that identifies the curable chemical coating or coating system.
Surface acoustic wave sensing system according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a measurement device or system.
Surface acoustic wave sensing system according to 7, wherein the measurement device or system is a handheld device.
Surface acoustic wave sensing system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the curable chemical coating or coating system is a curable intumescent or ablative chemical coating or coating system.
Surface acoustic wave sensing system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the curable chemical coating or coating system is a curable intumescent of ablative chemical coating system for fire-proof coating of structural steel elements.
Surface acoustic wave sensing system according to any one of claims 2 to 10, wherein the input signal is a radio wave signal with an operating frequency of 2.4 GHz.
Surface acoustic wave sensing system according to any one of claims 2 to 11, wherein the output signal is a radio frequency signal corresponding to the condition characteristics of the chemical coating or coating system.
Method for remote surface acoustic wave sensing of curable chemical coating or coating system comprising: generating an input signal with a measurement device or system; applying the input signal to a surface acoustic wave sensor thereby passing a sensing region of the sensor; generating an output signal, and receiving the output signal with a measurement device or system.
The method according to claim 13, further comprising evaluating the output signal.
The method according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the measurement device or system is a handheld device.
Use of a remote passive surface acoustic wave sensor in a method for remote sensing of curable chemical coatings or coating systems for fire-proof coating of structural elements.

Description

Field of the invention The present invention relates to remote surface acoustic wave sensing of characteristics of curable chemical systems, in particular curable chemical coatings and coating systems in the field of fire-proof coating of structural elements. Background of the invention Many coatings and coating systems exist which provide a good fire-proof coating of structural elements. For example, intumescent and ablative systems exist for fire protecting of structural elements, such as beams, columns or bars. However, every structural element or construction material can be protected with a coating in order to establish a good fire protection and/or protection against environmental influences. Such coatings and coating systems are often directly employed on the job site, thereby being sprayed or brushed onto the structural element, or before the structural element is installed, and then left to cure. There are ready to use two component systems, one component systems and pseudo one component systems that are directly mixed on the jobsite and put onto the to be coated structural element. In particular, there is an interest in the construction and building industries to protect bars, columns and beams against fire, when they are made of steel. In order to achieve a safe and fully fire-proof system, especially a fire protected structural steel element, curing of the chemical coating or coating system is required that always involves monitoring the curing time which is strongly dependent on the coating temperature, installation temperature, material installed and on specific weather conditions surrounding the job site. This monitoring is often time-consuming and inaccurate and may result in not fully cured system which in the end is unsafe to use or in a worst-case scenario cannot ensure fully fire protection according to standards. There are known systems for identifying and tracking different objects which involve use of radio frequency identification devices. However, radio frequency identification devices can only be employed in a distance range very close to the embedded RFID chip which is usually in the range of some millimetres. They can further only be used due to their sensitivity in safe environments and need a large number of tags in order to establish a full picture of the monitored system. In parallel it is only possible to read 1 to 3 tags at the time. The RFID chip technology, however, is not suitable for monitoring certain conditions, which are based on a physical property of an object or material. When it comes to fire-proof coating of structural elements, monitoring of the curing process and the fully cured system, also under harsh conditions is needed to ensure provision of a safe system on the jobsite, thereby also safing labour time. Therefore, there is a need for a monitoring system for curable chemical systems, in particular curable chemical coatings and coating systems, in the field of fire-proof coating of structural elements, which is superior over the prior art systems with regard to health and safety, handling, labor time, sustainability and a good balance between workability and curing of the coating as well as maintain the cured system. In particular, for fire-protection coatings on structural steel elements, it is necessary to observe and to note the minimum and maximum time for applying another coating, so called overcoating, and time for performing further treatment steps for finishing, such as applying a top coat corresponding to the final use of the structural element. Moreover, it is of interest to provide a system that can be used for monitoring fire-proof coating of structural elements without adversely affecting the handling, characteristics and the mechanical performance of the chemical coating or coating system as well as to provide a system that is constantly monitored to ensure that a decrease of performance over time is not happening. Finally, there is a need for a system that enables the customer to refrain from referring to curing timetables in order to determine the final installation state of a cured chemical coating or coating system. It would be beneficial if the chemical coating or coating system can remotely send out information about its curing. In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a monitoring system for curable chemical systems, in particular curable chemical coatings and coating systems, in the field of fire-proof coating of structural elements, which overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art systems. In particular, it is an object to provide a surface acoustic wave sensing system, which can be handled easily and is eco-friendly, sustainable, can be used under harsh conditions and over a wide distance range and that has a well balanced parallel readability of sensors. Moreover, it is an object of the present invention to provide method for remote surface acoustic wave sensing of curable chemical coatings and coa