Intelligent Configuration of a User Interface of a Machinery Health Monitoring System

• US 20160026172A1
• Filed: 07/23/2015
• Published: 01/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Computational Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Computational Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Steele, Kevin D., Horn, Deane M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,977,422 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 7/00 Vibration-testing of structures; Shock-testing of structures G01M9/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4065 Monitoring tool breakage, life or condition
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33273 DCS distributed, decentralised controlsystem, multiprocessor
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37252 Life of tool, service life, decay, wear estimation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37434 Measuring vibration of machine or workpiece or tool
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37435 Vibration of machine

Abstract

A machinery health monitoring module processes machine vibration data based on vibration signals and provides the machine vibration data to a distributed control system. A distributed control system operator computer executes a software user interface that filters relevant configuration parameters based on a selected machine measurement type so that only those parameters that are applicable to the selected measurement type appear on the user interface screen. Further, configuration parameters for individual measurement values within the measurement type are made available only when a particular measurement value is selected for acquisition. This greatly simplifies the information that is displayed on the configuration user interface.

Claims

1. A machinery health monitoring module that processes machine vibration data based on vibration signals and provides the machine vibration data to a distributed control system, the machinery health monitoring module comprising:

signal conditioning circuitry having an interface for receiving a plurality of analog sensor signals from a plurality of sensors attached to a machine, amplification and filter circuitry for conditioning the plurality of analog sensor signals, and analog-to-digital conversion circuitry for converting the plurality of analog sensor signals into a plurality of digital sensor signals;

processing circuitry in electrical communication with the signal conditioning circuitry, the processing circuitry comprising a plurality of parallel digital signal processing channels, each channel operable to process a corresponding one of the plurality of digital sensor signals to generate multiple different types of measurement data per channel; and

logic generator circuitry in electrical communication with the processing circuitry and the signal conditioning circuitry, the logic generator circuitry operable to receive a first type of measurement data from the processing circuitry, and operable to determine that a machine operating state has changed as indicated by the first type of measurement data, and operable to configure the processing circuitry to generate a second type of measurement data based on the change in machine operating state, and operable to format the first type of measurement data and the second type of measurement data according to an input/output data protocol that is native to the distributed control system.

2. The machinery health monitoring module of claim 1 wherein the analog sensor signals include at least one analog tachometer signal, and wherein:

the analog-to-digital conversion circuitry is operable to convert the at least one analog tachometer signal to a digital tachometer signal;

the processing circuitry is operable to process the at least one digital tachometer signal to generate machine speed data; and

the logic generator circuitry is operable to determine that the machine operating state has changed as indicated by a change in the machine speed data.

3. The machinery health monitoring module of claim 2 wherein the logic generator circuitry is operable to determine that the machine operating state has changed from a steady-state speed condition to a coast-down state based on the machine speed data, and is operable to configure the processing circuitry to generate the second type of measurement data comprising a transient vibration waveform measured while the machine is in the coast-down state.

4. The machinery health monitoring module of claim 2 wherein the logic generator circuitry is operable to determine that the machine operating state has changed based on the machine speed data indicating a drop in machine speed from above a predetermined speed threshold to below the predetermined speed threshold, and is operable to configure the processing circuitry to generate the second type of measurement data while the machine operating state is below the predetermined speed threshold and to generate the first type of measurement data while the machine operating state is above the predetermined speed threshold.

5. The machinery health monitoring module of claim 2 wherein the first type of measurement data is collected over a first frequency range and the second type of measurement data is collected over a second frequency range that is different from the first frequency range.

6. The machinery health monitoring module of claim 2 wherein at least one of the parallel digital signal processing channels of the processing circuitry is operable to generate the measurement data in the form of a time waveform of the digital tachometer signal.

7. The machinery health monitoring module of claim 1 wherein the logic generator circuitry is in electrical communication with an input/output bus of the distributed control system through which the logic generator circuitry receives discrete input values indicative of the machine operating state that are generated by other machine measurement modules connected to the input/output bus, and wherein the logic generator circuitry is operable to determine that the machine operating state has changed based on a change in one or more of the discrete input values, and wherein the logic generator circuitry is operable to adjust alarm levels or generate the second type of measurement data based on the change in one or more of the discrete input values.

8. The machinery health monitoring module of claim 1 wherein the sensor signals include a machine vibration signal, and wherein the processing circuitry includes a peak value detection channel operable to receive the machine vibration signal, sample the machine vibration signal during predetermined sample time periods, detect peak amplitude values of the machine vibration signal during the sample time periods, and produce a time series of the peak amplitude values, and wherein the first or second type of measurement data comprises the time series of the peak amplitude values.

9. A distributed control system comprising:

an input/output bus through which data are transferred according to a data communication protocol that is native to the distributed control system;

a machinery health monitoring module in electrical communication with the input/output bus, the machinery health monitoring module comprising;

signal conditioning circuitry having an interface for receiving a plurality of analog vibration signals from a plurality of vibration sensors attached to a machine, amplification and filter circuitry for conditioning the plurality of analog vibration signals, and analog-to-digital conversion circuitry for converting the plurality of analog vibration signals into a plurality of digital vibration signals;

processing circuitry in electrical communication with the signal conditioning circuitry, the processing circuitry comprising a plurality of parallel digital processing channels, each channel for processing a corresponding one of the plurality of digital vibration signals to generate a plurality of scalar vibration values per channel; and

logic generator circuitry in electrical communication with the processing circuitry, the logic generator circuitry operable to receive the scalar vibration values and format the scalar vibration values according to an input/output communication protocol that is native to the distributed control system;

a distributed control system controller in electrical communication with the input/output bus, the distributed control system controller including interface circuitry having one or more fast-scan registers, the interface circuitry operable to scan the input/output bus at a predetermined rate to receive one or more of the scalar vibration values into the one or more fast-scan registers; and

a distributed control system operator computer in electrical communication with the distributed control system controller and including a user interface device, the distributed control system operator computer operable to execute user interface software for;

generating a first graphical user interface screen for display on the user interface device, the first graphical user interface screen including a measurement type selection field and not including sensor configuration option fields,

receiving a measurement type selection entered by a user in the measurement type selection field,

based on the measurement type selection, generating a second graphical user interface screen for display on the user interface device, the second graphical user interface screen including one or more sensor configuration option fields that were not included in the first graphical user interface screen, the one or more sensor configuration option fields being specific to a sensor type to be used in making a measurement indicated by the measurement type selection,

receiving one or more sensor configuration selections entered by the user in the one or more sensor configuration option fields, and

generating configuration data for configuring the machinery health monitoring module based on the measurement type selection and the one or more sensor configuration selections.

10. The distributed control system of claim 9 wherein the distributed control system operator computer is operable to execute the user interface software to automatically assign one or more of the scalar vibration values to be read into the one or more fast scan registers, wherein the assignment is based at least in part on the measurement type selection.

11. A distributed control system comprising:

an input/output bus through which data are transferred according to a data communication protocol that is native to the distributed control system;

a machinery health monitoring module in electrical communication with the input/output bus, the machinery health monitoring module comprising;

signal conditioning circuitry having an interface for receiving a plurality of analog vibration signals from a plurality of vibration sensors attached to a machine, amplification and filter circuitry for conditioning the plurality of analog vibration signals, and analog-to-digital conversion circuitry for converting the plurality of analog vibration signals into a plurality of digital vibration signals;

processing circuitry in electrical communication with the signal conditioning circuitry, the processing circuitry comprising a plurality of parallel digital processing channels, each channel for processing a corresponding one of the plurality of digital vibration signals to generate multiple scalar vibration values per channel; and

logic generator circuitry in electrical communication with the processing circuitry, the logic generator circuitry operable to receive the multiple scalar vibration values and format the multiple scalar vibration values according to an input/output communication protocol that is native to the distributed control system;

a distributed control system controller comprising;

interface circuitry that scans the input/output bus at a predetermined rate to receive one or more of the scalar vibration values therefrom; and

logic circuitry for executing a control logic routine that generates control signals based on logical processing of one or more of the scalar vibration values; and

a distributed control system operator computer in electrical communication with the distributed control system controller and including a user interface device, the distributed control system operator computer operable to execute user interface software for;

generating a graphical user interface screen for display on the user interface device, the graphical user interface screen including a machinery trip time delay input field that is initially preset to a default trip time delay value as prescribed by an industry standard,

generating the graphical user interface screen to include one or more input option fields for the machinery trip time delay, wherein trip time delay values other than the default trip time delay value may be entered by a user,

receiving a trip time delay selection entered by a user in the machinery trip time delay input field, and

generating configuration data for configuring the control logic routine based at least in part on the trip time delay selection.

12. The distributed control system of claim 11 wherein the distributed control system operator computer is operable to execute the user interface software to:

generate configuration data for the control logic routine to initially implement a machinery protection bypass as prescribed by the industry standard for a plurality of sensor inputs corresponding to the plurality of sensors,

generate the graphical user interface screen to include one or more input option fields in which the user may choose to disable the machinery protection bypass for one or more of the sensor inputs,

receive a machinery protection bypass selection entered by the user in the one or more input option fields, and

generate configuration data for the control logic routine based at least in part on the machinery protection bypass selection.

13. The distributed control system of claim 11 wherein the distributed control system operator computer is operable to execute the user interface software to:

generate configuration data for the control logic routine to initially implement a trip multiply as prescribed by the industry standard for all sensor inputs corresponding to the plurality of sensors,

generate the graphical user interface screen to include one or more input value fields for the trip multiply,

generate the graphical user interface screen to include one or more input option fields in which the user may choose to disable the trip multiply for one or more of the sensor inputs,

receive trip multiply selections entered by the user in the one or more input option fields, and

generate configuration data for the control logic routine based at least in part on the trip multiply selections.

14. The distributed control system of claim 11 wherein the distributed control system operator computer is operable to execute the user interface software to:

generate configuration data for the control logic routine to initially implement voting logic that allows or disallows a failed sensor to contribute to a vote to trip as prescribed by the industry standard,

generate the graphical user interface screen to include one or more input option fields in which the user may choose to allow or disallow a failed sensor to contribute to a vote to trip,

receive failed sensor voting option selections entered by the user in the one or more input option fields, and

generate configuration data for the control logic routine based at least in part on the failed sensor voting option selection.

15. The distributed control system of claim 11 wherein the distributed control system operator computer is operable to execute the user interface software to:

generate configuration data for the control logic routine to initially implement alarm limits or alert limits as prescribed by the industry standard,

generate the graphical user interface screen to include one or more input value fields for the alarm limits or alert limits,

receive alarm limit or alert limit selections entered by the user in the one or more input value fields, and

generate configuration data for the control logic routine based at least in part on the alarm limit or alert limit selections.