Patent ID: 8547539

Claim:
A system for detecting breakage, rupture or malfunctioning of a pipe or cable structure, the system comprising: a plurality of sensing elements for monitoring a pipe or cable structure, wherein the sensing elements are placed in, on or around the pipe or cable structure being monitored and used for monitoring the breakage, rupture or malfunctioning of the pipe or cable structure, the sensing elements provide sensing data regarding events related to breakage, rupture or malfunctioning of the pipe or cable structure, and the sensing elements are placed near the pipe or cable structure being monitored so that the system can perform a breakage, rupture or malfunction detection function, and within a distance sufficient to obtain a measureable strain, tension, torsion, vibration, acceleration, and/or temperature response signal based on the breakage, rupture or malfunctioning of the pipe or cable structure, at least one of the sensing elements is an optical sensor or an optical fiber sensor configured as a plurality of optical fiber loops enclosed within a plate attached to the pipe or cable structure, and the system is configured to interpret the measureable strain, tension, torsion, vibration, acceleration, and/or temperature response signal for determining the breakage, rupture or malfunctioning of the pipe or cable structure.