Methods and systems for network-based detection of component wear

• US 10,191,479 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2015
• Issued: 01/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Lim, Ser Nam, Diwinsky, David Scott, Irving, Russell Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Hall, Victoria K
• Application Number:
  US14/868,856
• Publication Number:
  US 20170090458A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,218 Days
• Field of Search: 700174, 700175
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/406 characterised by monitoring or safety G05B19/19 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4065 Monitoring tool breakage, life or condition
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/50276 Detect wear or defect tool, breakage and change tool
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0232 based on qualitative trend analysis, e.g. system evolution

Abstract

A monitoring system for monitoring a plurality of components is provided. The monitoring system includes a plurality of client systems. The plurality of client systems is configured to generate a plurality of component status reports. The plurality of component status reports is associated with the plurality of components. The monitoring system also includes a component wear monitoring (CWM) computer device configured to receive the plurality of component status reports from the plurality of client systems, generate component status information based on a plurality of component status reports, aggregate the component status information to identify a plurality of images associated with a first component, and compare the plurality of images associated with the first component. The plurality of images represents the first component at different points in time. The CWM computer device is also configured to determine a state of the first component based on the comparison.

Claims

1. A monitoring system for monitoring a plurality of components, said monitoring system comprising:

a plurality of client systems, each client system of said plurality of client systems associated with at least one imaging device, said plurality of client systems configured to generate a plurality of component status reports, wherein the plurality of component status reports is associated with the plurality of components, wherein each component of the plurality of components is associated with a unique component identifier, and wherein each of the plurality of component status reports includes the corresponding component identifier and at least one image of the corresponding component; and

a component wear monitoring (“

CWM”

) computer device in communication with said plurality of client systems, wherein said CWM computer device includes a memory, said CWM computer device configured to;

receive the plurality of component status reports from said plurality of client systems;

generate component status information based on the plurality of component status reports;

aggregate the component status information to identify a plurality of images included in the component status information and associated with a first component of the plurality of components based at least in part on the component identifier associated with the first component;

compare the plurality of images associated with the first component, wherein the plurality of images represents the first component at different points in time;

determine a state of the first component based at least in part on the comparison; and

replace or repair the first component based on the determined state of the first component.

2. The monitoring system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said CWM computer device is further configured to:

determine a subset of components of the plurality of components based on the component status information;

identify a plurality of subsets of images associated with the subset of components, wherein each subset of images of the plurality of subsets of images is associated with a respective component of the subset of components;

determine a plurality of states for the plurality of components based at least in part on the subset of images associated with each respective component of the subset of components;

determine at least one trend based at least in part on the plurality of states associated with the subset of components; and

output the determined at least one trend to the user.

3. The monitoring system in accordance with claim 2, wherein the component status information also includes a component type, and wherein said CWM computer device is further configured to determine the subset of components from the plurality of components based at least in part on the component type.

4. The monitoring system in accordance with claim 2, wherein said CWM computer device is further configured to determine the plurality of states for the plurality of components at least in part by comparing the plurality of images to at least one predetermined trend.

5. The monitoring system in accordance with claim 4, wherein said CWM computer device is further configured to:

determine whether the plurality of images matches the at least one trend based at least in part on the comparison; and

determine a remaining lifetime of the first component based at least in part on the determination.

6. The monitoring system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the at least one image includes at least one of a photographic image, an ultrasound image, a 3D scan, an X-ray image, and a video.

7. The monitoring system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said CWM computer device is further configured to:

receive a first component status report for the first component at a first point in time from a first client system of said plurality of client systems at a first location;

receive a second component status report for the first component at a second point in time from a second client system of said plurality of client systems at a second location, wherein the first location and the second location are different and the second point in time is after the first point in time;

associate the first component status report with the second component status report based at least in part on the component identifier associated with the first component; and

generate component status information for the first component based at least in part on the first component status report and the second component status report.

8. The monitoring system in accordance with claim 1, wherein a first client system of said plurality of client systems is further configured to:

determine the component identifier for the first component;

generate one or more images of the first component using the at least one imaging device;

determine a status of the first component based at least in part on the one or more images of the first component;

generate a component status report for the first component based at least in part on the determined status, the component identifier, and the one or more images; and

transmit the generated component status report to said CWM computer device.

9. The monitoring system in accordance with claim 8, wherein said first client system is further configured to:

detect at least one anomalous feature of the first component based at least in part on the one or more images of the first component; and

determine a rating for the at least one anomalous feature based on at least one rule and a historical database of anomalous features.

10. The monitoring system in accordance with claim 9, wherein said first client system is further configured to:

determine a maintenance action based at least in part on the rating; and

output the determined maintenance action to the user.

11. The monitoring system in accordance with claim 8, wherein said first client system is further configured to:

compare the one or more images of the first component to a database of anomalous features; and

determine a rating for the first component based on the comparison.

12. The monitoring system in accordance with claim 8, wherein the first client system is further configured to:

determine at least one measurement of at least one defect of the first component; and

generate the component status report further based on at least one defect.

13. The monitoring system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the component status information includes at least a plurality of measurements of the first component based on one or more component status reports associated with the first component.

14. The monitoring system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the determined state of the first component instructs the user to initiate a logistics process, and wherein the logistics process includes at least one of modifying a maintenance plan for the first component, performing no additional action, replacing the first component, and inspecting a second component of the plurality of components.

15. The monitoring system in accordance with claim 1, wherein each client system of said plurality of client systems includes a robotic handler which positions the first component relative to the at least one imaging device for capturing images of the first component at different angles.

16. The monitoring system in accordance with claim 1, the plurality of client systems is located at a plurality of locations, wherein the plurality of locations includes an on-site inspection location and an in-shop inspection location.

17. The monitoring system in accordance with claim 2, wherein some of the images in the subset of images are of the component at different points in the component'"'"'s lifecycle.

18. A component wear monitoring (“

CWM”

) computer device including a processor and at least one memory device, wherein said processor is in communication with said at least one memory device, said CWM computer device configured to;

receive a plurality of component status reports from a plurality of client systems, wherein the plurality of component status reports is associated with a plurality of components, wherein each component of the plurality of components is associated with a unique component identifier, and wherein each of the plurality of component status reports includes the corresponding component identifier and at least one image of the corresponding component;

generate component status information based on the plurality of component status reports;

aggregate the component status information to identify a plurality of images included in the component status information and associated with a first component of the plurality of components based at least in part on the component identifier associated with the first component;

compare the plurality of images associated with the first component, wherein the plurality of images represents the first component at different points in time;

determine a state of the first component based at least in part on the comparison; and

replace or repair the first component based on the determined state of the first component.

19. The CWM computer device in accordance with claim 18, further configured to:

determine a subset of components of the plurality of components based on the component status information;

identify a plurality of subsets of images associated with the subset of components, wherein each subset of images of the plurality of subsets of images is associated with a respective component of the subset of components;

determine a plurality of states for the plurality of components based at least in part on the subset of images associated with each respective component of the subset of components;

determine at least one trend based at least in part on the plurality of states associated with the subset of components; and

output the determined at least one trend to the user.

20. The CWM computer device in accordance with claim 19, wherein the component status information also includes a component type, and wherein said CWM computer device is further configured to determine the subset of components from the plurality of components based at least in part on the component type.

21. The CWM computer device in accordance with claim 18 further configured to determine the plurality of states for the plurality of components at least in part by comparing the plurality of images to at least one predetermined trend.

22. The CWM computer device in accordance with claim 21, further configured to:

determine whether the plurality of images matches the at least one trend based at least in part on the comparison; and

determine a remaining lifetime of the first component based at least in part on the determination.

23. The CWM computer device in accordance with claim 18, wherein the at least one image includes at least one of a photographic image, an ultrasound image, a 3D scan, an X-ray image, and a video.

24. The CWM computer device in accordance with claim 18, further configured to:

receive a first component status report for the first component at a first point in time from a first client system of the plurality of client systems at a first location;

receive a second component status report for the first component at a second point in time from a second client system of the plurality of client systems at a second location, wherein the first location and the second location are different and the second point in time is after the first point in time;

associate the first component status report with the second component status report based at least in part on the component identifier associated with the first component; and

generate component status information for the first component based at least in part on the first component status report and the second component status report.

25. A method for detecting component wear, said method implemented using a component wear monitoring (“

CWM”

) computer device including a processor and at least one memory device, said method comprising;

receiving a plurality of component status reports from a plurality of client systems, wherein the plurality of component status reports is associated with a plurality of components, wherein each component of the plurality of components is associated with a unique component identifier, and wherein each of the plurality of component status reports includes the corresponding component identifier and at least one image of the corresponding component;

generating component status information based on the plurality of component status reports;

aggregating, by the CWM computer device, the component status information to identify a plurality of images included in the component status information and associated with a first component of the plurality of components based at least in part on the component identifier associated with the first component;

comparing, by the CWM computer device, the plurality of images associated with the first component, wherein the plurality of images represents the first component at different points in time;

determining, by the CWM computer device, a state of the first component based at least in part on the comparison; and

replace or repair the first component based on the determined state of the first component.

26. The method in accordance with claim 25, further comprising:

determining a subset of components of the plurality of components based on the component status information;

identifying a plurality of subsets of images associated with the subset of components, wherein each subset of images of the plurality of subsets of images is associated with a respective component of the subset of components;

determining a plurality of states for the plurality of components based at least in part on the subset of images associated with each respective component of the subset of components;

determining at least one trend based at least in part on the plurality of states associated with the subset of components; and

outputting the determined at least one trend to the user.