Patent ID: 8096195

Claim:
A method of determining the tension in an elongated rod, comprising: a. selecting a plurality of rods comprising a subset of a series of elongated rods where each rod in the series is held in a tensioning structure that maintains the tension; b. for each rod in the subset of rods: i. transversely impacting the rod with an impacting device and measuring the transverse vibration response of the rod, ii. decomposing the transverse vibration response and obtaining one or more model frequencies for the rod, and iii. transferring the tension in the rod from the tensioning structure to a force measuring apparatus and measuring the tension in the rod; c. forming a set of data comprising the measured tension and the corresponding one or more model frequencies for each rod; d. performing a regression analysis of the set of data and obtaining a regression equation that relates tension to model frequency or frequencies; e. selecting one of the rods in the series that is not included in the subset: i. transversely impacting the rod and measuring the transverse vibration response of the rod, ii. decomposing the transverse vibration response and obtaining one or more model frequencies for the rod, and iii. using the regression equation to compute a value for the tension in the rod.