SHM sensor system

14/10/2024

Villari BV has introduced the new RedFox v2 sensor system, an innovative steel structural health monitoring technology that uses rigorously tested algorithms to analyse variations in the material magnetic field captured by wireless sensors. The data feeds an online dashboard that provides actionable insights to help customers optimise maintenance and extend asset lifetime in a safe and straightforward manner.

Heavily loaded structures such as cranes and steel bridges are critical to ensure safe and efficient operation in industries and cities. To keep these vital assets secure, there are critical areas that demand frequent inspection and are often hard to reach, requiring aerial platforms or rope access to be inspected, which increases the risk, complexity and cost of such operations. This process usually leads to longer asset downtime, more personnel on site and an overall reduction in operational efficiency.

To overcome such challenges, Villari developed the RedFox v2 sensor system, which was certified by DNV in November 2023. It works with sensor units installed in critical locations of the structure that measure variations in its magnetic field. The data collected is analysed by its algorithms and reported back to the customer as potential crack growth. The reporting is carried out via a cloud environment and personalised email or call notifications. 

The sensors are energy-efficient Internet of Things (IoT) devices that have long-range wide-area networking (LoRaWAN) connectivity, up to five years of battery life and a robust enclosure (IP66) with an easy plug-and-play installation. The sensor system consists of two parts: the control unit and the sensor strips. The control unit contains batteries, a wireless communication module and a processor. The sensor strips consist of an array of magnetometers that collect magnetic field data. 

The crack detection algorithm output for each sensor strip is automatically updated into an online dashboard environment, which can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection. From a clear overview page, a technical drawing of the assets shows the locations of the installed sensor strips. A traffic light colour-coding system informs the customer of potential crack growth activity occurring at each monitoring location. Green zones indicate an absence of crack growth activity near the sensor, yellow zones indicate an increasing likelihood of crack growth and red zones tell the customer that there is a significant chance of crack growth occurring near the sensor. 

A pie chart shows the analysis outcome of the sensors, which provides a direct insight into the status of crack growth activity on the entire asset in a quick overview.

Villari’s sensors can detect crack growth at an early stage and have a limit comparable to advanced non-destructive testing (NDT) technologies such as time-of-flight diffraction (TOFD) and phased array ultrasonic testing (PAUT), but with the advantage of performing remote and continuous monitoring instead of providing only a snapshot at a given time. This not only ensures safety but also significantly reduces CO₂ emissions associated with premature replacements and repairs. Villari’s system is certified by DNV and has more than 1300 sensors monitoring assets worldwide.

Villari BV 

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