Monitoring and diagnosing a technical installation using purely mechanically activated signaling means

• US 7,503,219 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2002
• Issued: 03/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Appel, Mirko, Fick, Wolfgang, Gerk, Uwe
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams; Hezron
• Assistant Examiner(s): FAYYAZ, NASHMIYA SAQIB
• Application Number:
  US10/528,318
• Publication Number:
  US 20050237181A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,337 Days
• Field of Search: 736/51, 735/79
• US Class Current: 73/651
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 17/00 Measuring mechanical vibrations or ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves, not provided for in the preceding groups see provisionally also G01H1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 13/028 Acoustic or vibration analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 13/045 Acoustic or vibration analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 5/0033 by determining damage, crack or wear
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 5/0066 by exciting or detecting vibration or acceleration vibration testing of structures G01M7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 3/00 Registering or indicating the condition or the working of machines or other apparatus, other than vehicles

Abstract

A specific failure occurring during operation of a technical installation is detected by acquiring an acoustic and/or optical signal emitted by a device assigned to at least one component of the technical installation whereby the device is being activated mechanically.

Claims

1. An acousto-mechanical method for monitoring and carrying out a diagnosis of a technical installation, comprising:

uniquely assigning an acoustical signal to a specific failure of a respective one of a plurality of rotatable components of the technical installation;

mounting a respective vibratory device on each of the plurality of components, wherein the vibratory device is configured to mechanically generate the uniquely assigned acoustic signal in the event the specific failure of a respective one of the plurality of components occurs,

providing in each vibratory device a respective plate;

uniquely adapting each plate to resonate at a vibration frequency in correspondence with the uniquely assigned acoustic signal and;

based on a sound characteristic produced by a plate that resonates at the uniquely assigned acoustic signal, uniquely identifying the respective one of the plurality of rotatable components of the technical installation experiencing the failure.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a number of devices are provided for a single component or a number of devices are provided for a number of components, each device being assigned to a specific failure.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein a number of devices are provided for a single component, each device being assigned to a specific failure.

4. An acousto-mechanical apparatus for monitoring and carrying out a diagnosis for a power plant, comprising:

a respective vibratory device mounted on each of a plurality of components of the power plant for mechanically producing a uniquely assigned acoustical signal when a specific failure occurs in a respective one of the plurality of rotatable components of the power plant, each vibratory device including a respective plate, each plate uniquely adapted to resonate at a vibration frequency in correspondence with the uniquely assigned acoustic signal, wherein, based on a sound characteristic produced by a plate that resonates at the uniquely assigned acoustic signal, the device allows a user to uniquely identify the respective one of the plurality of rotatable components of the technical installation experiencing the failure.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a number of devices are provided for a single component or a number of devices are provided for a number of components, each device being assigned to a specific failure.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a number of devices are provided for a single component, each device being assigned to a specific failure.