Monitoring system for grounding apparatus

• US 10,649,011 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2019
• Issued: 05/12/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cutsforth Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Cutsforth Incorporated
• Inventors: Jahnke, David A., Cutsforth, Robert S., Cutsforth, Dustin L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rivera Vargas, Manuel A
• Application Number:
  US16/444,657
• Publication Number:
  US 20190302155A1
• Time in Patent Office: 329 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/25 using digital measurement techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/2509 Details concerning sampling, digitizing or waveform capturing
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/343 in operation
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/52 Testing for short-circuits, leakage current or ground faults
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0235 based on a comparison with predetermined threshold or range, e.g. "classical methods", carried out during normal operation; threshold adaptation or choice; when or how to compare with the threshold
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 11/40 Structural association with grounding devices

Abstract

A shaft grounding and monitoring system may include a grounding member slidingly engageable with a rotating shaft. An electrical sensor may be configured to be coupled with the grounding member in order to detect an electrical parameter that provides an indication of electricity flowing from the rotating shaft to ground through the grounding member. A processor may be operably coupled with the electrical sensor and may receive and analyze data from the electrical sensor. The processor may be configured to periodically analyze the data representing the electrical parameter from the electrical sensor at a sampling rate and for a sampling period that is related to a rotation speed of the rotating shaft. A memory may be operably coupled with the processor and may be configured to store data processed by the processor that is representative of the data provided by the electrical sensor.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring a rotating conductive shaft in a device including a grounding apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving a snapshot of data from a current sensor of a monitoring system that is operably coupled with the grounding apparatus indicative of an electrical current flowing from the rotating shaft to ground through the grounding apparatus during a first time interval;

receiving a snapshot of data from a voltage sensor of the monitoring system indicative of a voltage within the rotating shaft during the first time interval;

analyzing the snapshot of data from the current sensor with a processor of the monitoring system to identify a potential anomalous or threshold condition; and

analyzing the snapshot of data from the voltage sensor with the processor of the monitoring system to identify a potential anomalous or threshold condition;

wherein the snapshot of data from the voltage sensor that is analyzed at least partially temporally aligns with the snapshot of data from the current sensor that was analyzed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein if a potential anomalous or threshold condition is seen in the snapshot of data from the current sensor and/or the snapshot of data from the voltage sensor, storing the snapshot of data from the current sensor and/or the snapshot of data from the voltage sensor in a memory of the monitoring system for future analysis.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the memory is used by the processor for buffering incoming snapshots of data from the voltage sensor and/or the current sensor prior to analyzing the snapshots of data from the voltage sensor and/or the current sensor with the processor.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein if a potential anomalous or threshold condition is not seen in the snapshot of data from the current sensor and/or the snapshot of data from the voltage sensor, analyzing an additional snapshot of data from the current sensor and/or an additional snapshot of data from the voltage sensor at a later period of time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first time interval is 1 second.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first time interval is greater than one complete revolution of the rotating shaft.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the snapshot of date from the voltage sensor.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the snapshot of data from the current sensor is indicative of an electrical current flowing from the rotating shaft to ground through the grounding apparatus.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the snapshot of data from the voltage sensor is indicative of an electrical voltage in the rotating shaft.

10. A shaft grounding and monitoring system for a device having a rotating shaft, the shaft grounding and monitoring system comprising:

a grounding member configured to make sliding electrical contact with the rotating shaft, the grounding member configured to be connected to ground;

a current sensor configured to sense an electrical current flowing through the grounding member to ground;

a voltage sensor configured to sense an electrical voltage in the rotating shaft;

a processor operably coupled with the current sensor and the voltage sensor, the processor configured to receive and analyze snapshots of data from the current sensor and the voltage sensor;

the processor is further configured to analyze the snapshots of data from the current sensor and the voltage sensor during a time interval prior to analyzing additional snapshots of data from the current sensor and the voltage sensor during a subsequent time interval; and

a memory operably coupled with the processor and configured to store data processed by the processor that is representative of the snapshots of data from the current sensor and the voltage sensor if a potential anomalous or threshold condition is identified by the processor.

11. The shaft grounding and monitoring system of claim 10, wherein the time interval is greater than one complete revolution of the rotating shaft.

12. The shaft grounding and monitoring system of claim 10, wherein the first time interval is 1 second.

13. The shaft grounding and monitoring system of claim 10, wherein the memory is used by the processor for buffering incoming snapshots of data from the voltage sensor and the current sensor prior to analyzing the snapshots of data from the voltage sensor and the current sensor with the processor.

14. The shaft grounding and monitoring system of claim 10, further comprising a display operably coupled to the processor for displaying a warning pertaining to an identified potential anomalous threshold condition.

15. A method of monitoring a rotating conductive shaft in a device including a grounding apparatus, the method comprising:

temporarily storing a snapshot of data from a current sensor that is operably coupled with the grounding apparatus with a buffer of a monitoring system, the snapshot of data from the current sensor indicative of an electrical current flowing from the rotating shaft to ground through the grounding apparatus during a first time interval;

temporarily storing a snapshot of data from a voltage sensor of the monitoring system with the buffer of the monitoring system, the snapshot of data from the voltage sensor indicative of a voltage within the rotating shaft during the first time interval;

sending the snapshots of data from the current and voltage sensors from the buffer to a processor of the monitoring system; and

analyzing the snapshots of data from the current and voltage sensors with the processor of the monitoring system to identify a potential anomalous or threshold condition.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein if a potential anomalous or threshold condition is identified, storing the snapshots of data from the current and voltage sensors in a memory of the monitoring system for future analysis.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the first time interval is 1 second.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

temporarily storing a snapshot of data from the current sensor with the buffer during a second time interval;

temporarily storing a snapshot of data from the voltage sensor with the buffer during the second time interval; and

after analyzing the snapshots of data from the current and voltage sensors during the first time interval with the processor, sending the snapshots of data from the current and voltage sensors during the second time interval from the buffer to the processor.