Method and device for detecting a pulse-type mechanical effect on a system part

• US 20050021267A1
• Filed: 08/23/2004
• Published: 01/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Framatome GmbH (Government of France)
• Original Assignee: Framatome ANP GmbH
• Inventors: Wiemerslage, Dieter, Jax, Peter, Bechtold, Bela
• Granted Patent: US 6,907,368 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/76
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 1/00 Measuring characteristics of vibrations in solids by using direct conduction to the detector G01H9/00, G01H11/00 take precedence

Abstract

A method and device for detection of a pulsed mechanical effect on a plant component includes continuously recording an operating noise in the plant component with a sensor disposed on the plant component and converting the recorded noise into a measured signal with the sensor. Then, the measured signal is subjected to a Fourier transformation. An evaluation function is derived from a number of value spectra determined in the above manner, which gives the onset of a pulsed mechanical effect on the plant component.

Claims

1. A method for detecting a pulse-type mechanical effect on a system part, which comprises:

continuously detecting, with a sensor disposed on the system part, an operating noise present in the system part and converting the detected operating noise into a measurement signal;

determining a magnitude of a frequency spectrum of the measurement signal in temporally sequential time segments at predefined frequencies;

determining a deviation of the magnitude from a mean magnitude for each time segment and each of the predefined frequencies;

deriving a single evaluation function common for all frequencies for each time segment from the deviations determined for each of the predefined frequencies, each deviation making a contribution to the evaluation function; and

comparing the evaluation function with a threshold value, and utilizing an overshooting of the threshold value as an index for a presence of a pulse-type signal component indicating the mechanical effect.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sequential time segments overlap one another.

3. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises carrying out the determining steps and the deriving and comparing steps with sequential time segments overlapping one another.

4. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises determining the mean magnitude for each of the predefined frequencies from the magnitudes determined in different time segments by forming a sliding time mean.

5. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises:

for each of the predefined frequencies, determining a standard deviation of the magnitudes from the mean magnitude for a plurality of sequential time segments and determining a normalized deviation of the magnitudes from the mean magnitude with aid of the standard deviation;

forming therefrom a current parameter value for each time segment by forming a sum of squares of each normalized deviation over each of the predefined frequencies; and

deriving from the parameter value the evaluation function.

6. The method according to claim 5, which further comprises deriving a sliding mean parameter value over a number of time segments, and forming the evaluation function from a difference between the mean parameter value and the current parameter value.

7. A device for detecting a pulse-type mechanical effect on a system part, comprising:

at least one sensor to be disposed on the system part, said at least one sensor continuously detecting and measuring an operating noise present in the system part and generating measurement signals therefrom;

an A/D converter connected to said at least one sensor, said A/D converter digitizing said measurement signals detected by said at least one sensor and outputting digitized measurement signals;

a digital device connected to said A/D converter and receiving said digitized measurement signals, said digital device being programmed to;

determine a magnitude of a frequency spectrum of said measurement signals in temporally sequential time segments for predefined frequencies;

determine a deviation of the magnitude from a mean magnitude for each time segment and each of said predefined frequencies,

derive a single evaluation function common for all frequencies for each time segment from the deviations determined for each of said predefined frequencies each deviation making a contribution to said evaluation function; and

comparing the evaluation function with a threshold value and passing on an alarm signal upon an overshooting of said threshold value.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein said digital device is programmed to provide mutually overlapping time segments.

9. The device according to claim 7, wherein said digital device is programmed to determine said mean magnitude for each of said predefined frequencies by forming a sliding time mean from said magnitudes determined in different time segments.

10. The device according to claim 7, wherein said digital device is programmed to implement an algorithm:

determining a standard deviation of said magnitudes from said mean magnitude for each of said predefined frequencies for a plurality of sequential time segments;

determining a normalized deviation of said magnitudes from said mean magnitude by dividing said deviation by said standard deviation;

deriving a current parameter value for each time segment by forming a sum of squares of each normalized deviation over each of said predefined frequencies; and

generating said evaluation function from said current parameter value.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein said algorithm further comprises forming a sliding mean parameter value and generating said evaluation function from a difference between said mean parameter value and said current parameter value.