Integrated monitoring, diagnostics, shut-down and control system

• US 6,567,709 B1
• Filed: 02/04/2000
• Issued: 05/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: REM Technology Inc.
• Original Assignee: Remy Technologies LLC (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ma, Sammy, Tuck, Lorne, Malm, Howard
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bahta, Kidest
• Application Number:
  US09/497,767
• Time in Patent Office: 1,201 Days
• Field of Search: 700/67, 700/9, 700/10, 700/169, 700/170, 700/21, 700/286, 700/22, 700/204, 700/27, 717/100, 717/149, 425/151, 246/40.7
• US Class Current: 700/21
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0235 based on a comparison with predetermined threshold or range, e.g. "classical methods", carried out during normal operation; threshold adaptation or choice; when or how to compare with the threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0267 Fault communication, e.g. human machine interface [HMI]
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0283 Predictive maintenance, e.g. involving the monitoring of a system and, based on the monitoring results, taking decisions on the maintenance schedule of the monitored system; Estimating remaining useful life [RUL] preventive maintenance, i.e. planning maintenance according to the available resources without monitoring the system G06Q10/06
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0286 Modifications to the monitored process, e.g. stopping operation or adapting control

Abstract

An integrated monitoring, control and shut-down (IMCS) system for monitoring and controlling the operation of a machinery is provided. The IMCS system includes: input ports for receiving sensor signals indicative of conditions of the machinery, output ports for outputting control signals to actuators of the machinery, signal conversion means coupled to the input and output ports, for converting the input sensor signals into data samples and for converting control data into control signals. The IMCS system also includes a data processor for controlling the signal conversion means, for processing the data samples into calculated values, for sending selected calculated values to be stored into a memory and for calculating control data. A communication bus couples the hardware elements of the IMCS system. The invention can be used for monitoring, controlling, diagnosing and determining the performance of machines used to develop mechanical energy such as reciprocating engines, machines driven by a rotating shaft such as electrical generators, rotating and reciprocating compressors, rotating and reciprocating pumps, propellers (air and water), water and gas turbines, and the like. A data acquisition process for use in the monitoring and control of a rotating equipment comprising a shaft is also provided. The method comprising the steps of sampling a condition sensor output indicating a condition of the rotating equipment that requires monitoring, sampling a marker sensor indicating the rotational position of said shaft and combining the condition signal and the rotation marker signal.

Claims

1. An integrated monitoring, control and shut-down (IMCS) system for monitoring and controlling the operation of a machinery, comprising:

input ports for receiving input sensor signals grouped on sets according to a sensor class, indicative of conditions of the machinery and output ports for outputting control signals to actuators of the machinery;

signal conditioning means, specialized for each said sensor class for acquiring and conditioning said respective sets of sensor signals;

signal conversion means coupled to the input and output ports, for converting the input sensor signals into data samples and for converting control data into control signals;

memory means for storing a plurality of machine-specific software applications, comprising a communication application;

a data processor operating according to a plurality of software applications for processing the data samples into calculated values, sending selected calculated values to be stored into the memory means, and calculating said control data;

a communication bus coupling the data processor, the signal conversion means, said signal conditioning means and the memory means according to said communication application; and

a power supply for providing power for the operation of the system;

a direct sensor and actuator array DSA connected to the input and output port, wherein said direct sensor and actuator array comprises;

a high speed sensor array for sampling high speed varying parameters of the machinery to provide high speed input sensor signals;

a low speed sensor array for sampling low speed varying parameters of the machinery to provide low speed input sensor signal;

an actuator array for driving said machinery according to said control signals.

2. The integrated monitoring, control and shut-down (IMCS) system in claim 1, wherein the signal conversion means convert selected input sensor signals in data samples sequentially, at high speed.

3. The integrated monitoring, control and shut-down (IMCS) system in claim 1, wherein the data processor comprises a central processing unit (CPU) and a direct memory access(DMA) chip.

4. The integrated monitoring, control and shut-down (IMCS) system in claim 1, wherein the software applications comprising a real-time-operation-system (RTOS) supporting software and an application specific software.

5. The integrated monitoring, control and shut-down (IMCS) system in claim 4, wherein the application specific software comprises a plurality of processes related to the monitoring, control and shut-down of the machinery.

6. The integrated monitoring, control and shut-down system in claim 5, wherein the processes run on a multitasking, priority scheduling basis.

7. The integrated monitoring, control and shut-down (IMCS) system in claim 5, wherein processes comprise an interprocess communication protocol allowing communication with processes running on a second system, the second system being connected in a network with the IMCS system.

8. The IMCS system in claim 1, wherein the software applications comprising communication protocols for internal communication within the IMCS system and for external communication with other system connected in a network.

9. An IMCS as in claim 1, wherein said high speed sensor array includes at least a dynamic pressure sensor, an accelerometer sensor for vibration measurement, and an electrical current sensor.

10. An IMCS as claimed in claim 9, wherein said high speed sensor array comprises one accelerometer sensor placed in the compressor crankcase of a double acting compressor machinery.

11. An IMCS as in claim 1, wherein said low speed sensor array comprises at least a process temperature sensor.

12. An IMCS as in claim 1, wherein said signal conditioning means is a signal conditioning card comprising:

a plurality of conditioning modules, each for conditioning one of said sets in analog format; and

a multiplexer for selecting the conditioned sensor signals transmitted at a certain moment to said data processor.

13. An IMCS as in claim 12, wherein said conditioning card further comprises a test point associated with one or more sensor signals.

14. An IMCS as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a watchdog timer circuit for receiving a trigger pulse from said data processor at preset time intervals and triggering an alarm in the absence of said trigger pulse.

15. An IMCS as in claim 1, further comprising a data manager for performing one or more of post-processing sensor data, communication over network, engine controller, and providing graphical user interface.

16. A method for monitoring, control and shut-down of a machinery of the type provided with a rotating shaft, a plurality of high speed and low speed sensors for monitoring a plurality of high speed varying and low speed varying of parameters of interest, respectively;

and a plurality of drivers for operating various parts of said machinery, said method comprising;

collecting a plurality of high speed and low speed sensor signals from said sensors and providing same to a collection and data acquisition organizer for processing;

providing said collection and data acquisition organizer with software applications specific for operating said machinery, and with an input/output interface to said sensors and said drivers;

generating at said collection and data acquisition organizer a plurality of control signal calculated based on said sensor signals;

controlling said drivers with said control signals,

wherein said collection and data acquisition organizer operates in a normal, an alarm and a shut-down state.

17. A method as in claim 16, wherein said step of generating comprises, during said normal state:

(a) processing a plurality of sensor signals over a first time window into a first sensor data and storing said first sensor data;

(b) processing a plurality of sensor signals over a next time window into a second sensor data and storing said second sensor data;

(c) comparing said first and second sensor data with preset thresholds to detect an abnormal condition;

(d) repeating steps (a) and (c) for a pre-set number of windows; and

(e) calculating said control data from said sensor data collected over said pre-set number of windows if an abnormal condition is not detected.

18. A method as claimed in claim 17, wherein said step (a) comprises:

sampling a condition sensor indicating a condition of the rotating equipment that requires monitoring, for obtaining a condition signal;

sampling a marker sensor indicating the rotational position of said shaft, for obtaining a rotation marker signal; and

combining the condition signal and the rotation marker signal.

19. The data acquisition process in claim 18, wherein the sampling of the condition sensor and the sampling of the marker sensor are performed simultaneously.

20. The data acquisition process in claim 18, wherein the sampling of the condition sensor and the sampling of the marker sensor are interleaved.

21. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein said step of generating comprises:

acquiring a vibration signal from a vibration sensor;

combining the vibration signal with a timing signal to obtain a correlated signal;

comparing the correlating signal with a predetermined condition to determine whether an abnormal condition exists.