Wireless integrated condition monitoring system

• US 20060238332A1
• Filed: 02/02/2006
• Published: 10/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Discenzo, Frederick Michael, Bibelhausen, David J., Carle, Patrick F.
• Granted Patent: US 7,479,876 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.100
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A wireless dynamic operating condition system is described that includes one or more wireless monitors located at a monitoring point in an instrumented machine system. The wireless monitors may be configured as a modular base with modular power supplies that can be attached to the base. The base may include integrated sensors or additional sensors may be tethered to the base. The resulting modular system allows for points to be monitored on the machine system for dynamic operating conditions that are difficult to access or are less critical than wired monitoring points. Calculations may be carried out based upon the sensed data either within the monitoring modules themselves or within specific modules that are so equipped.

Claims

1. A modular wireless monitoring system comprising:

a base module configured to process, store and wirelessly transmit data based upon sensed signals;

a sensor module removably tethered to the base module for sensing a dynamic operating parameter of a machine system and for applying the sensed signals to the base module via the tether; and

a power module coupled to the base module for providing power for operation of the base module and the sensor module.

2. The modular wireless monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the base module is configured to receive multiple tethered sensor modules and to process, store and wirelessly transmit data based upon signals sensed from the multiple tethered sensor modules.

3. The modular wireless monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the sensor module includes an accelerometer for generating vibration signals representative of vibration of the machine system, and wherein the base module is configured to generate a vibration profile based upon the vibration signals.

4. The modular wireless monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the base module is configured to compare data derived from the sensed signals to at least one alarm or alert level, and to wirelessly transmit an alarm or alert transmission based upon the comparison.

5. The modular wireless monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured to monitor sensed signals on a periodic basis and to transmit data derived from the sensed signals periodically.

6. The modular wireless monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured to monitor and sensed signals and to transmit data based upon the sensed signals upon receipt of a demand from a remote device.

7. The modular wireless monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the system is configurable between a plurality of sensing, processing and data transmission modes.

8. The modular wireless monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the power module is selected from one of a plurality of interchangeable power modules including a wired converter module, a battery module, and a power scavenging module.

9. The modular wireless monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured to receive wireless data transmissions from at least one other wireless monitoring system and to process the received data in combination with data derived from signals from the tethered sensor module.

10. The modular wireless monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured to transmit data in accordance with an open industrial data exchange protocol.

11. A modular wireless monitoring system comprising:

a plurality of modular wireless monitors each including a base module configured to process, store and wirelessly transmit data based upon sensed signals, a sensor module removably tethered to the base module for sensing a dynamic operating parameter of a machine system and for applying the sensed signals to the base module via the tether; and

a power module coupled to the base module for providing power for operation of the base module and the sensor module, the monitors being disposed adjacent to monitoring points of the machine system.

12. The modular wireless monitoring system of claim 11, further comprising at least one host monitor wired to a data network and configured for wireless communication with the wireless monitors, the host monitor receiving data from the wireless monitors and sending data on the data network based upon the received data.

13. The modular wireless monitoring system of claim 12, wherein the host monitor performs calculations based upon the received data that the wireless monitors are incapable of performing.

14. The modular wireless monitoring system of claim 11, wherein the wireless monitors are configured to transmit data in a synchronized fashion to one another.

15. The modular wireless monitoring system of claim 11, wherein at least one wireless monitor receives data from at least one other wireless monitor and performs calculations based upon the received data that the originating wireless monitor is incapable of performing.

16. The modular wireless monitoring system of claim 11, further comprising a wireless human machine interface configured to be transported between the monitoring points and to collect data from the wireless monitors via wireless data transmission.

17. The modular wireless monitoring system of claim 11, wherein at least one of the wireless monitors senses vibration data and computes vibration amplitudes via a Fast Fourier Transform.

18. A modular wireless monitoring system comprising:

a plurality of modular wireless monitors each including a base module configured to process, store and wirelessly transmit data based upon sensed signals, a sensor module removably tethered to the base module for sensing a dynamic operating parameter of a machine system and for applying the sensed signals to the base module via the tether; and

a power module coupled to the base module for providing power for operation of the base module and the sensor module, the monitors being disposed adjacent to monitoring points of the machine system; and

at least one host monitor wired to a data network and configured for wireless communication with the wireless monitors, the host monitor receiving data from the wireless monitors and sending data on the data network based upon the received data.

19. The modular wireless monitoring system of claim 18, wherein the host monitor performs calculations based upon the received data that the wireless monitors are incapable of performing.

20. The modular wireless monitoring system of claim 18, wherein the wireless monitors are configured to transmit data in a synchronized fashion to one another.

21. The modular wireless monitoring system of claim 18, wherein at least one wireless monitor receives data from at least one other wireless monitor and performs calculations based upon the received data that the originating wireless monitor is incapable of performing.

22. The modular wireless monitoring system of claim 18, further comprising a wireless human machine interface configured to be transported between the monitoring points and to collect data from the wireless monitors via wireless data transmission.