Wireless Sensor Device And Method For Wirelessly Communicating A Sensed Physical Parameter

• US 20120319866A1
• Filed: 06/22/2012
• Published: 12/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: Abb As (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Svoen, Geir, Lag, Orjan, Bang-Steinsvik, Tor Ole, Juul, Kenneth, Froystein, Sverre
• Granted Patent: US 9,578,398 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.39
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/25 using a mesh network, e.g. a public urban network such as public lighting, bus stops or traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/43 using wireless personal area networks [WPAN], e.g. 802.15, 802.15.1, 802.15.4, Bluetooth or ZigBee
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/883 where the sensing device enters an active or inactive mode
• 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 vibration sensor suitable for connection to a distributed industrial control system arranged with a wireless network for communication of process data or control information. The wireless vibration sensor includes at least one sensor, a wireless radio transmitter, and a base part for mounting it firmly on equipment or a structure. The wireless sensor is arranged with a battery and a power storage device. A method for powering up the wireless sensor during active cycles is also described.

Claims

1. A wireless sensor (9, 9a, 9s, 9t) for connection to a wireless network (20) for communication of a sensed physical parameter, said wireless sensor comprising at least one vibration sensor (10), a processor, a wireless radio transmitter (14), an independent and self-contained power source (7) and a base part (1) for mounting said wireless sensor on an equipment (M) or structure (S), characterised in that said base part (1) is made of metal, acts as a heat sink and that said power source (7) is fixed inside the base part (1) of said wireless sensor, the wireless sensor (9) further comprises an electrical power storage device (18) arranged for storing electrical power supplied at a limited power level by said independent and self-contained power source (7) and supplying electrical power to said wireless radio transmitter (14) at a power level which exceeds the limited power level for a limited time.

2. A device according to claim 1, characterised in that said wireless sensor comprises an analogue signal conditioner (15) for processing an analogue signal from the vibration sensor (10).

3. A device according to claim 1, characterised in that said wireless sensor (9) comprises an analogue signal conditioner processor (15) and at least one other processor (16, 17).

4. A device according to claim 1, characterised in that said wireless sensor (9) comprises an analogue signal conditioner processor (15) and at least two other processors (16, 17).

5. A device according to claim 1, characterised in that said wireless sensor comprises a microprocessor (16) arranged for analogue to digital conversion of the analogue signal originating in the vibration sensor (10).

6. A device according to claim 1, characterised in that said wireless sensor comprises a processor (17) arranged for processing the digitally processing signals originating from the vibration sensor (10).

7. A device according to claim 1, characterised in that said wireless radio transmitter (14) is arranged configured for wireless communication with other sensors (9) or devices (26) in a wireless network (20) configured as a mesh network.

8. A device according to claim 1, characterised in that said wireless radio transmitter (14) is arranged continuously powered and configured to listen for wireless communication requests from other sensors or devices in a wireless network (20).

9. A device according to claim 1, characterised in that said wireless sensor comprises a temperature sensor (11) connected such that temperature measurements made by the temperature sensor are communicated by said wireless radio transmitter (14) to a wireless network.

10. A device according to claim 1, characterised in that the power source (7) of said wireless sensor is a lithium-based battery.

11. A device according to claim 1, characterised in that the electrical power storage device (18) of said wireless sensor comprises one or more capacitors.

12. A device according to claim 1, characterised in that said wireless sensor comprises a top cover (3) which completely covers the components (10-19) inside and adjacent metal base part (1), said top cover also comprising a switch (8) and a LED indicator (6) and enclosing the lower parts (2, 1) such that there is no opening to the exterior.

13. A device according to claim 1, characterised in that said wireless sensor comprises a top cover (3) which completely covers the components (10-19) inside and adjacent metal base part (1), said top cover also comprising a switch (8) and a LED indicator (6) and enclosing the wireless radio transmitter (14) and the lower parts (2, 1) such that there is no communication port or terminal on the exterior of said wireless sensor.

14. A device according to claim 1, characterised in that said wireless sensor comprises a top cover (3) made of a material transparent to radio waves, which top cover completely covers the components (10-19) inside and adjacent metal base part (1) and is constructed to withstand a load of at least 100 kg.

15. A device according to claim 1, characterised in that the base part (1) made of metal is further arranged with fastening means (21) for fixing the wireless sensor to a machine or other structure.

16. A device according to claim 1, characterised in that the base part (1) made of metal is further arranged with a plurality of load bearing surfaces (33-35) for applying a torque to the base part and fastening said wireless sensor to a machine or other structure with a predetermined torque load.

17. A device according to claim 1, characterised in that setup data stored in the memory storage device of a processor of said wireless sensor comprises information to identify said wireless sensor as a node of a wireless mesh network (20) and/or a unique device name in a control system (50).

18. A method for sensing physical parameters of an equipment or a structure by means of a wireless sensor (9, 9a, 9s, 9t) for connection to a wireless network (27) for communication of the sensed physical parameter data, said wireless sensor comprising at least one vibration sensor (10), a processor, a wireless radio transmitter (14), an independent and self-contained power source (7) and a base part (1) for mounting said field device on an equipment (M) or a structure (S), wherein physical parameter data is sensed and data dependent on the sensed parameters transmitted by the wireless sensor during an active cycle, characterised in that said base part (1) is made of metal, acts as a heat sink and that said power source (7) is fixed inside the base part (1) of said wireless sensor, by

receiving in the wireless transceiver (14) a request for data from another wireless node controlled by a master station (26)

powering the wireless transceiver (14) from an electrical power storage device (18) arranged for storing electrical power supplied at a limited power level by said independent and self-contained power source (7) at a power level which exceeds the limited power level for a limited time,

processing the signals in two or more processors (15, 16) and transmitting by means of the wireless transceiver (14) the raw physical parameter data to a radio network (20).

19. A method according to claim 18, characterised by sensing vibration by means of an analogue signal generated in said vibration sensor (10), converting the analogue signal to a digital signal in an ADC processor (16) and sending the digital signal containing unprocessed vibration data by means of the wireless transceiver (14) to a wireless network (20).

20. A method according to claim 18, characterised by sending a wireless signal to the wireless transceiver (14) and configuring wirelessly an interval for parameter sensing or measurement collection by the wireless sensor (9).

21. A method according to claim 18, characterised by receiving in the wireless transceiver (14) a request to sense and said physical parameters and send them to the network via the wireless transmitter from another wireless node controlled by a gateway (26) or master station configured according to a HART or a WHART protocol.

22. A method according to claim 18, characterised by receiving in the wireless transceiver (14) a request to sense and send said physical parameters dependent on a predetermined transmission schedule.

23. Use of a wireless sensor (9, 9a, 9m, 9s, 9t) in a distributed industrial control system (50) arranged with a wireless network (20) for measurement and communication of vibration data and/or temperature information, said wireless sensor comprising an independent and self-contained power source (7), vibration sensor (10), a wireless radio transmitter (14) and a first base part (1) for mounting said field device on an equipment (M) or structure (S) wherein said base part (1) is made of metal, acts as a heat sink and that said power source (7) is fixed inside the base part (1) of said wireless sensor, said wireless sensor (9) further comprises an electrical power storage device (18) arranged for storing electrical power supplied at a limited power level by said independent and self-contained power source (7) and supplying electrical power to said wireless radio transmitter (14) at a power level which exceeds the limited power level for a limited time.

24. A distributed industrial control system (50) arranged with a wireless network (20) for communication of process data or control information, and at least one wireless sensor (9, 9a, 9m, 9s, 9t), said wireless sensor comprising at least one vibration sensor (10), a processor, a wireless radio transmitter (14), an independent and self-contained power source (7) and a base part (1) for mounting said wireless sensor on an equipment (M) or a structure (S), characterised in that said base part (1) is made of metal, acts as a heat sink and that said power source (7) is fixed inside the base part (1) of said wireless sensor, the wireless sensor (9) further comprises an electrical power storage device (18) arranged for storing electrical power supplied at a limited power level by said independent and self-contained power source (7) and supplying electrical power to said wireless radio transmitter (14) at a power level which exceeds the limited power level for a limited time during an active cycle.

25. A system according to claim 24, characterised in that the wireless network (20) is arranged compatible with a HART or WirelessHART standard.

26. A system according to claim 24, characterised in that the wireless network (20) is arranged configured as a wireless mesh network.

27. A system according to claim 24, characterised in that the system comprises a database (42) for storing sensed parameters for vibration and/or temperature measurements transferred from one or more wireless sensors (9).

28. A system according to claim 24, characterised in that the system comprises one or more computers and/or workstations (29, 30) configured for use with a computer application (46) for data analysis of sensed parameters for vibration and/or temperature.

29. A system according to claim 24, characterised in that the system comprises one or more computers and/or workstations (29, 30) configured for use with a computer application (44) for managing sensed parameters for vibration and/or temperature.

30. A system according to claim 24, characterised in that the system comprises one or more computers and/or workstations (29, 30) configured for use with a computer application (44) for providing decision support to a user or operator based on any from the group of:

the sensed parameters for vibration and/or temperature in real time;

the stored sensed parameters;

data analysis of the sensed parameters in real time;

data analysis of stored sensed parameters, frequency spectrum analyses of real time, time series and historic data.