Systems and methods for analyzing machine failure

• US 20050288898A1
• Filed: 06/14/2004
• Published: 12/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ascent Technology, Inc., Ascenx, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ascenx, Inc.
• Inventors: Le, Canh
• Application Number:
  US10/867,905
• Publication Number:
  US 20050288898A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/183
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0221 Preprocessing measurements, e.g. data collection rate adjustment; Standardization of measurements; Time series or signal analysis, e.g. frequency analysis or wavelets; Trustworthiness of measurements; Indexes therefor; Measurements using easily measured parameters to estimate parameters difficult to measure; Virtual sensor creation; De-noising; Sensor fusion; Unconventional preprocessing inherently present in specific fault detection methods like PCA-based methods

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for analyzing machine operational characteristic by digitizing an electrical parameter associated with a motor; applying a transform operation to the electrical parameter of the motor; and determining failure based on the transform operation.

Claims

1. A method for analyzing machine operational characteristic, comprising:

digitizing an electrical parameter associated with a motor;

measuring current drawn by the motor while actuating connected belts and pulleys;

applying a frequency transform operation to the electrical parameter of the motor; and

determining failure based on the transform operation.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising maintaining a semiconductor processing system based on the transform operation.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the motor drives a first pulley with a first belt.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising driving a second pulley with a second belt between the first and second pulleys.

5. The method of claim 4, comprising adjusting a distance between two pulleys based on a belt tension.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising comparing the transform parameter with a known-good-value.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising indicating an error if the transform parameter is below the known-good-value.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the known-good-value is an amplitude of the transform parameter.

9. The method of claim 6, comprising collecting known-good-values before live operation.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the transform operation is a Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT).

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrical parameters relate to friction characteristics of drive train components.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrical parameters relate to a characteristic signature of each individual component.

14. The method of claim 1, comprising collecting electrical parameter data over a period of time.

11. (canceled)

15. A system for determining machine performance, comprising:

means for digitizing an electrical parameter associated with a motor;

means for measuring current drawn by the motor while actuating connected belts and pulleys;

means for applying a transform operation to the electrical parameter of the motor; and

means for determining performance based on the a DCT operation.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the transform operation is a Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT).

17. The method of claim 15, comprising means for measuring current drawn by the motor while actuating connected belts and pulleys.

18. An apparatus for analyzing component operation, comprising:

an analog to digital converter (ADC) coupled to a component to capture a characteristic signature of the component;

a current sensor to measure current drawn by the motor while actuating connected belts and pulleys;

a transform processor coupled to the ADC to characterize component performance as a function of the frequency; and

a user interface to display component operation analysis.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the component drives a first pulley, further comprising a belt mounted between a first pulley and a second pulley.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the belt tension is adjusted based on the component performance.