Reconfigurable equipment monitoring systems and methods

• US 9,330,560 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2013
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flowserve Management Company (Flowserve Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Flowserve Management Company (Flowserve Corporation)
• Inventors: Lawson, Rick
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): BLACK-CHILDRESS, RAJSHEED O
• Application Number:
  US13/886,266
• Publication Number:
  US 20140028462A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,097 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/823 where the data is sent when the measured values exceed a threshold, e.g. sending an alarm
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/826 where the data is sent periodically
• 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 method for reconfiguring an equipment monitoring system may include (a) providing a monitoring device including sensor(s) configured to monitor a particular device; and a processor configured to analyze the sensor data collected by the sensor(s) to determine a status of the particular device, and control one or more status indicators to display the determined status; (b) connecting a removable memory module to the monitoring device, which memory module receives and stores sensor data from the monitoring device sensor(s); (c) connecting a removable wireless transmitter module to the monitoring device or the removable memory module, (d) connecting the removable wireless transmitter module to additional source(s) of sensor data; (e) receiving at the removable wireless transmitter module sensor data from the monitoring device sensor(s), and additional sensor data from the additional sensor data source(s); and (f) wirelessly transmitting both the sensor data and the additional sensor data to a wireless receiver.

Claims

1. A pump monitoring system comprising:

a monitoring device including;

one or more sensors configured to collect sensor data regarding one or more operational parameters of the pump, said sensors comprising at least one of vibration sensors and temperature sensors;

one or more status indicators;

a processor configured to;

receive the sensor data collected by the one or more sensors;

determine a status of the pump based on the received sensor data; and

control the one or more status indicators to display the determined status of the pump;

one or more batteries cooperative with the one or more sensors, one or more status indicators and processor to provide electrical power thereto; and

a housing configured such that each of the one or more batteries, one or more sensors, one or more status indicators and processor are substantially disposed therein, said housing configured to be mounted to said pump; and

a memory module removably coupled to the housing and configured to periodically receive sensor data from the one or more sensors, and store the periodically received sensor data, the memory module configured with circuitry such that the monitoring device turns on to operate said one or more sensors, one or more status indicators and said processor in response to the memory module being coupled to the monitoring device, and turns off in response to the memory module being removed from the monitoring device.

2. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the one or more status indicators are configured to display a first indication indicating a currently existing alert condition, and a different second indication indicating a past, non-currently existing alert condition.

3. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the vibration sensor comprises a three-axis vibration sensor configured to measure vibration in three orthogonal axes.

4. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the one more sensors include a vibration sensor and at least one of (a) a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the pump and (b) a battery voltage sensor configured to detect a voltage of one or more batteries of the monitoring device.

5. The monitoring system of claim 1, further comprising a power-on module removably coupled to the monitoring device;

wherein the monitoring device turns on in response to the power-on module being coupled to the monitoring device, and turns off in response to the power-on module being removed from the monitoring device; and

wherein the removable power-on module and the removable memory module are alternately couplable to the monitoring device such that only one of the power-on module and the memory module can be coupled to the monitoring device at a time.

6. The monitoring system of claim 1, further comprising:

a wireless transmitter module configured to be removably coupled to the monitoring device and configured to;

periodically receive sensor data from the one or more sensors; and

wirelessly transmit the periodically received sensor data for receipt by a receiving device.

7. The monitoring system of claim 6, wherein the removable wireless transmitter module is configured to be coupled to the monitoring device and at least one additional monitoring device having one or more additional sensors, and configured to periodically receive sensor data from the one or more sensors of the monitoring device and sensor data from the one or more additional sensors of the at least one additional monitoring device.

8. The monitoring system of claim 6, wherein the removable wireless transmitter module is configured to be coupled to the monitoring device and at least one additional sensor not provided by the monitoring device, and configured to periodically receive sensor data from the one or more sensors of the monitoring device and sensor data from the at least one additional sensor not provided by the monitoring device.

9. The monitoring system of claim 6, further comprising an additional memory module distinct from the memory module and removably coupled to the removable wireless transmitter, wherein the additional memory module is configured to receive sensor data from the one or more sensors via a physical connection provided by the removable wireless transmitter module, and further configured to store the received sensor data.

10. The monitoring system of claim 1, further comprising:

a docking station comprising;

one or more computer connection ports for connection to a computer;

a monitoring device port for physical connection to the monitoring device; and

a memory module port for physical connection to the removable memory module;

wherein each of the monitoring device port and the memory module port are coupled to at least one computer connection port to (a) enable data communication between the monitoring device and the computer when the monitoring device is physically connected to the monitoring device port and (b) enable data communication between the memory module and the computer when the memory module is physically connected to the memory module port.

11. The monitoring system of claim 10, further comprising:

a wireless transmitter module configured to be removably coupled to the monitoring device and configured to wirelessly transmit sensor data received from the one or more sensors; and

an additional memory module distinct from the memory module and removably coupled to the removable wireless transmitter, the additional memory module being configured to receive sensor data via a physical connection provided by the removable wireless transmitter module, and to store the received sensor data;

wherein the docking station further comprises an additional memory module port for physical connection to the additional memory module; and

wherein the additional memory module port is coupled to at least one computer connection port to enable data communication between the additional memory module and the computer when the additional memory module is physically connected to the additional memory module port.

12. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein:

determining a status of the pump based on the received sensor data comprises comparing the sensor data to at least one preset limit value; and

the monitoring system further comprises an interface for user-configuration of the at least one preset limit value.

13. A pump monitoring system comprising:

a monitoring device containing;

one or more sensors configured to collect sensor data regarding one or more operational parameters of the pump, said one or more sensors comprising at least one of vibration sensors and temperature sensors;

one or more status indicators; and

a processor configured to;

receive the sensor data collected by the one or more sensors;

determine a status of the pump based on the received sensor data; and

control the one or more status indicators to display the determined status of the pump;

one or more batteries cooperative with the one or more sensors, one or more status indicators and processor to provide electrical power thereto; and

a housing configured such that each of the one or more batteries, one or more sensors, one or more status indicators and processor are substantially disposed therein, said housing configured to be mounted to said pump;

a first memory module removably coupled to the housing and configured to periodically receive sensor data from the one or more sensors, and store the periodically received sensor data, the first memory module configured with circuitry such that the monitoring device turns on to operate said one or more sensors, one or more status indicators and said processor in response to the memory module being coupled to the monitoring device, and turns off in response to the memory module being removed from the monitoring device;

a wireless transmitter module configured to be removably coupled to the monitoring device and configured to;

periodically receive sensor data from the one or more sensors; and

wirelessly transmit the periodically received sensor data for receipt by a receiving device; and

a second memory module distinct from the first memory module and removably coupled to the removable wireless transmitter module, the second removable memory module being configured to;

receive sensor data via a physical connection provided by the removable wireless transmitter module; and

store the received sensor data.

14. The monitoring system of claim 13, further comprising:

a docking station comprising;

one or more computer connection ports for connection to a computer;

a monitoring device port for physical connection to the monitoring device; and

a memory module port for physical connection to at least one of the first and second memory modules;

wherein each of the monitoring device port and the memory module port are coupled to at least one computer connection port to (a) enable data communication between the monitoring device and the computer when the monitoring device is physically connected to the monitoring device port and (b) enable data communication between at least one of the first or second memory modules and the computer when the respective memory module is physically connected to the memory module port.

15. A method for reconfiguring a pump monitoring system, comprising:

providing a monitoring device on a pump, the device including;

one or more sensors configured to collect sensor data regarding one or more of vibration and temperature data associated with the operation of the pump;

one or more status indicators; and

a processor configured to;

receive the sensor data collected by the one or more sensors;

determine a status of the pump based on the received sensor data;

control the one or more status indicators to display the determined status of the pump;

one or more batteries cooperative with the one or more sensors, one or more status indicators and processor to provide electrical power thereto; and

a housing configured such that each of the one or more batteries, one or more sensors, one or more status indicators and processor are substantially disposed therein;

connecting a removable memory module to the monitoring device, the removable memory module configured to periodically receive sensor data from the one or more sensors, and store the periodically received sensor data, wherein the memory module is configured with circuitry such that the monitoring device turns on to operate said one or more sensors, one or more status indicators and said processor in response to the memory module being coupled to the monitoring device, and turns off in response to the memory module being removed from the monitoring device;

connecting a removable wireless transmitter module to the monitoring device or to the removable memory module,

connecting the removable wireless transmitter module to at least one additional source of sensor data;

receiving at the removable wireless transmitter module (a) sensor data from the one or more sensors of the monitoring device, and (b) additional sensor data from the at least one additional source of sensor data; and

wirelessly transmitting both the sensor data and the additional sensor data from the removable wireless transmitter module to a wireless receiver.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein connecting the removable wireless transmitter module to at least one additional source of sensor data comprises connecting the removable wireless transmitter module to at least one additional monitoring devices including one or more sensors configured to collect sensor data regarding one or more operational parameters of at least one additional device separate from the pump.