Method and system for machine condition monitoring

• US 8,498,826 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2010
• Issued: 07/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Energy Power Conversion Technology Limited (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Nagathil, Roopesh Bhaskaran, Robinson, Mills Thomas Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): TSAI, CAROL S W
• Application Number:
  US12/956,311
• Publication Number:
  US 20120136587A1
• Time in Patent Office: 973 Days
• Field of Search: 702/34, 702/181, 702/182, 702/183, 702/56, 702/54, 340/635, 340/648, 340/679, 340/682, 340/683, 340/680, 706/20, 706/912, 318/490, 318/806, 700/286
• US Class Current: 702/34
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4065 Monitoring tool breakage, life or condition
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37209 Estimate life of gear, drive
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0224 Process history based detection method, e.g. whereby history implies the availability of large amounts of data

Abstract

A method and system for monitoring a condition of a machine are provided. The machine monitoring system includes a housing mounted to a surface of a machine, a plurality of sensors configured to generate respective output signals for a parameter indicative of a condition of the machine, and a voting module positioned within the housing and configured to generate a corrected output based on the respective output signals. The machine monitoring system also includes a memory device including a store location configured to store manual input functions relating to a construction of the machine, a life calculator communicatively coupled to the voting module and the memory device wherein the life calculator is configured to determine a life remaining in the machine using the corrected output and the manual input functions, and a display positioned within the housing and configured to display the life remaining in the machine.

Claims

1. A machine monitoring system comprising:

a housing mounted to a surface of a machine;

a plurality of sensors configured to monitor a parameter of the machine and generate respective output signals, said parameter indicative of a condition of the machine;

a voting module positioned within the housing and configured to receive the respective output signals and generate a corrected output based on the respective output signals;

a memory device positioned within the housing and comprising a store location configured to store manual input functions relating to a construction of the machine;

a life calculator positioned within the housing and communicatively coupled to said voting module and said memory device, said life calculator configured to determine a life remaining in said machine using the corrected output and the manual input functions; and

a display positioned within the housing and configured to display the life remaining in the machine.

2. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the condition of the machine is relatable to a life remaining in the machine.

3. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors are configured to monitor a temperature of the machine.

4. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors are spaced circumferentially approximately one hundred twenty degrees apart.

5. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the manual input functions relating to a construction of the machine comprise at least one of a winding insulation type and a cooling type.

6. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said life calculator is configured to determine a percentile value for the generated respective output signals.

7. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said life calculator is configured to determine a percentile value for an average of the generated respective output signals over a predetermined time.

8. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said life calculator is configured to determine a remaining life output using a percentile value for an average of the generated respective output signals over a predetermined time.

9. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said life calculator is configured to determine the parameter exceeds a predetermined threshold range and generate an output indicative of the exceedance.

10. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said life calculator comprises a processor and said life calculator is configured to store calculated outputs onboard for at least one of a future output off board said system and a display onboard the system.

11. A system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising an output connection positioned within the housing and communicatively coupled to said memory device.

12. A method of monitoring a condition of a machine, said method comprising:

receiving a plurality of sensor outputs at a machine condition monitoring device mounted on the machine being monitored, the sensor outputs related to parameters of the machine that are relatable to a life of at least one component of the machine;

generating a plurality of corrected outputs via a voting module, wherein the corrected outputs are based on the received sensor outputs;

receiving from a stored location in the machine condition monitoring device input functions that have been manually stored in the stored location, the input functions relating to a construction of the machine;

periodically determining a life left in the machine using the generated corrected outputs and the received input functions by a life calculator coupled to the voting module and positioned within the machine condition monitoring device; and

displaying on the machine condition monitoring device an amount of the determined life left in the machine.

13. A method in accordance with claim 12 wherein periodically determining a life left in the machine comprises periodically determining a life left in the machine using samples of the received plurality of sensor outputs associated with a predetermined percentile.

14. A method in accordance with claim 12 wherein periodically determining a life left in the machine comprises periodically determining a life left in the machine using samples of the received plurality of sensor outputs associated with a plurality of predetermined percentiles.

15. A method in accordance with claim 12 wherein receiving a plurality of sensor outputs comprises receiving a plurality of temperature sensor outputs.

16. A method in accordance with claim 12 wherein receiving a plurality of sensor outputs comprises receiving a plurality of winding temperature sensor outputs.

17. An electrical machine system comprising:

a plurality of electrical windings;

a plurality of temperature sensors positioned proximate respective ones of said electrical windings; and

a machine monitoring system coupled to said electrical machine and communicatively coupled to said temperature sensor, said machine monitoring system comprising a processor having a memory, said processor programmed to;

receive respective output signals from said plurality of temperature sensors relative to a temperature of the electrical winding;

generate a corrected output based on a selectable number of sensors determined to meet a predetermined reliability criteria;

receive information relative to a construction of the electrical machine from the memory;

determine a remaining life of the machine using the received signal and the received information; and

display the remaining life on the machine monitoring system.

18. A system in accordance with claim 17, wherein the information relative to a construction of the electrical machine comprises at least one of a winding insulation type, a winding insulation material, a winding insulation rating, and a machine cooling system type.

19. A system in accordance with claim 17, wherein said processor is programmed to determine the remaining life using a predetermined percentile of a plurality of samples of the received signals.