Wireless sensor device and method for wirelessly communicating a sensed physical parameter

• US 9,578,398 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2012
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: Abb As (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Svoen, Geir, Bang-Steinsvik, Tor Ole, Juul, Kenneth, Froystein, Sverre, Lag, Orjan
• Primary Examiner(s): KING, CURTIS J
• Application Number:
  US13/530,688
• Publication Number:
  US 20120319866A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,705 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 1/00 Measuring characteristics of vibrations in solids by using direct conduction to the detector G01H9/00, G01H11/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/25 using a mesh network, e.g. a public urban network such as public lighting, bus stops or traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/43 using wireless personal area networks [WPAN], e.g. 802.15, 802.15.1, 802.15.4, Bluetooth or ZigBee
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/883 where the sensing device enters an active or inactive mode
• 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 wireless vibration sensor suitable for connection to a distributed industrial control system arranged with a wireless network for communication of process data or control information. The wireless vibration sensor includes at least one sensor, a wireless radio transmitter, and a base part for mounting it firmly on equipment or a structure. The wireless sensor is arranged with a battery and a power storage device. A method for powering up the wireless sensor during active cycles is also described.

Claims

1. A wireless sensor for connection to a wireless network for communication of a sensed physical parameter, said wireless sensor comprising:

at least one vibration sensor measuring vibrations of an equipment or structure in an industrial installation, a processor processing vibration data from the vibration sensor, and a wireless radio transmitter transmitting said vibration data to an industrial control system,

an independent and self-contained power source powering said processor, said processor being set in a low power mode in the absence of a measurement request being received by the wireless radio transmitter,

an electrical power storage device powering said wireless radio transmitter,

an enclosure fully enclosing said vibration sensor, said processor, said wireless radio transmitter, said power source and said electrical power storage device, said enclosure inhibiting entry of gases from outside into said enclosure, and

a base part for mounting said enclosure on the equipment or the structure in the industrial installation,

wherein said base part is made of metal, acting as a heat sink by dissipating heat from said power source,

wherein said power source is fixed inside the base part of said wireless sensor, and

wherein the electrical power storage device is configured to store electrical power which is supplied by said power source having a limited power level and supply the electrical power to said wireless radio transmitter at a power level which exceeds the limited power level of said power source for a limited time.

2. The wireless sensor according to claim 1, wherein said wireless sensor comprises an analogue signal conditioner for processing an analogue signal from the vibration sensor.

3. The wireless sensor according to claim 1, wherein said wireless sensor comprises an analogue signal conditioner processor and at least one other processor, said at least one other processor includes said processor.

4. The wireless sensor according to claim 1, wherein said wireless sensor comprises an analogue signal conditioner processor and at least two other processors, said at least two other processors include said processor.

5. The wireless sensor according to claim 1, wherein said processor includes a microprocessor arranged for analogue to digital conversion of an analogue signal originating from the vibration sensor.

6. The wireless sensor according to claim 1, wherein said processor includes a processor arranged for processing digitally processed signals originating from the vibration sensor.

7. The wireless sensor according to claim 1, wherein said wireless radio transmitter is configured for wireless communication with other sensors or devices in the wireless network configured as a mesh network.

8. The wireless sensor according to claim 1, wherein said wireless radio transmitter is continuously powered and configured to listen for wireless communication requests from other sensors or devices in the wireless network.

9. The wireless sensor according to claim 1, wherein said wireless sensor comprises a temperature sensor measuring a temperature of the equipment or structure, said temperature measurements made by the temperature sensor are communicated by said wireless radio transmitter to the wireless network.

10. The wireless sensor according to claim 1, wherein the power source of said wireless sensor is a lithium-based battery.

11. The wireless sensor according to claim 1, wherein the electrical power storage device of said wireless sensor comprises one or more capacitors.

12. The wireless sensor according to claim 1, wherein

said enclosure comprises a top cover which completely covers the components inside said enclosure, said top cover is adjacent to said metal base part,

said top cover also comprising a switch and a LED indicator and enclosing lower parts of said wireless sensor such that there is no opening to an exterior of said wireless sensor.

13. The wireless sensor according to claim 1, wherein

said enclosure comprises a top cover which completely covers the components inside said enclosure, said top cover is adjacent to said metal base part,

said top cover also comprising a switch and a LED indicator and enclosing the wireless radio transmitter and lower parts of said wireless sensor such that there is no communication port or terminal on an exterior of said wireless sensor.

14. The wireless sensor according to claim 1, wherein

said enclosure comprises a top cover made of a material transparent to radio waves, said top cover completely covers the components inside and adjacent said metal base part and is constructed to withstand a load of at least 100 kg.

15. The wireless sensor according to claim 1, wherein

the base part made of metal is further arranged with fastening means for fixing the wireless sensor to the equipment or the structure.

16. The wireless sensor according to claim 1, wherein

the base part made of metal is further arranged with a plurality of load bearing surfaces for applying a torque to the base part and fastening said wireless sensor to the equipment or the structure with a predetermined torque load.

17. The wireless sensor according to claim 1, wherein

setup data stored in a a memory storage device of said processor of said wireless sensor comprises information to identify said wireless sensor as a node of the wireless network and/or a unique device name in the control system.

18. The wireless sensor according to claim 1, further comprising a safety resistor which limits a voltage drawn by the processor from the power source based on requirements set forth in standards.

19. The wireless sensor according to claim 18, wherein the safety resistor limits power dissipation when there is an electrical failure.

20. The wireless sensor according to claim 1, further comprising a power conditioning device to provide additional charge during periods when the power source is not supplying enough current to the processor.

21. The wireless sensor according to claim 20, wherein sufficient power to power the processor is provided initially by the electrical power storage device and not directly from the power source.

22. The method for sensing a physical parameter of an equipment or a structure in an industrial installation, the method comprising the steps of:

using a wireless sensor connected to a wireless network for communication of the sensed physical parameter, said wireless sensor having

at least one vibration sensor measuring vibrations of the equipment or the structure in the industrial installation, a processor processing vibration data from the vibration sensor, and, a wireless transceiver transmitting said vibration data to an industrial control system,

an independent and self-contained power source powering said processor, said processor being set in a low power mode in the absence of a measurement request being received by the wireless transceiver,

an electrical power storage device powering said wireless transceiver,

an enclosure fully enclosing said vibration sensor, said processor, said wireless transceiver, said power source and said electrical power storage device, said enclosure inhibiting entry of gases from outside into said enclosure, and

a base part for mounting said enclosure on the equipment or the structure,

wherein physical parameter data is sensed and data dependent on the sensed physical parameter transmitted by the wireless sensor during an active cycle, wherein said base part is made of metal, acting as a heat sink by dissipating heat from said power source, and wherein said power source is fixed inside the base part of said wireless sensor,

receiving in the wireless transceiver said measurement request from another wireless node controlled by a master station,

powering the wireless transceiver with the electrical power storage device, the electrical power storage device being configured to store electrical power which is supplied by said power source having a limited power level and supply the electrical power at a power level which exceeds the limited power level of said power source for a limited time,

processing signals from the vibration sensor in two or more processors and transmitting by means of the wireless transceiver raw physical parameter data to the wireless network, said two or more processors include said processor.

23. The method according to claim 22, further comprising the steps of:

sensing vibration by means of an analogue signal generated in said vibration sensor,

converting the analogue signal to a digital signal in an ADC processor and

sending the digital signal containing unprocessed vibration data by means of the wireless transceiver to the wireless network.

24. The method according to claim 22, further comprising the steps of sending a wireless signal to the wireless transceiver and configuring wirelessly an interval for parameter sensing or measurement collection by the wireless sensor.

25. The method according to claim 22, further comprising the step of receiving in the wireless transceiver a request to sense said physical parameter and send said physical parameter to the network via the wireless transmitter from another wireless node controlled by a gateway or master station configured according to a HART or a wireless HART protocol.

26. The method according to claim 22, further comprising the step of receiving in the wireless transceiver a request to sense and send said physical parameter dependent on a predetermined transmission schedule.

27. Use of a wireless sensor in a distributed industrial control system arranged with a wireless network for measurement and communication of vibration data and/or temperature information, said wireless sensor comprising, a vibration sensor measuring vibrations of an equipment or structure in an industrial installation, a wireless radio transmitter transmitting the vibration data to the industrial control system, an independent and self-contained power source powering a processor, said processor being set in a low power mode in the absence of a measurement request being received by the wireless radio transmitter, an electrical power storage device powering said wireless radio transmitter, an enclosure fully enclosing said vibration sensor, said processor, said wireless radio transmitter, said power source and said electrical power storage device, said enclosure inhibiting entry of gases from outside into said enclosure, and a first base part for mounting said enclosure on the equipment or the structure in the industrial installation,

wherein said base part is made of metal, acting as a heat sink by dissipating heat from said power source,

wherein said power source is fixed inside the base part of said wireless sensor, and

wherein said electrical power storage device is configured to store electrical power which is supplied by said power source having a limited power level and supply the electrical power to said wireless radio transmitter at a power level which exceeds the limited power level of said power source for a limited time.

28. A distributed industrial control system arranged with a wireless network for communication of process data or control information, and at least one wireless sensor, said wireless sensor comprising at least one vibration sensor measuring vibrations of an equipment or structure in an industrial installation, a processor processing vibration data from the vibration sensor, a wireless radio transmitter transmitting said vibration data to an industrial control system, an independent and self-contained power source powering said processor, said processor being set in a low power mode in the absence of a measurement request being received by the wireless radio transmitter, an electrical power storage device powering said wireless radio transmitter, an enclosure fully enclosing said vibration sensor, said processor, said wireless radio transmitter, said power source and said electrical power storage device, said enclosure inhibiting entry of gases from outside into said enclosure, and a base part for mounting said enclosure on the equipment or the structure,

wherein said base part is made of metal, acting as a heat sink by dissipating heat from said power source,

wherein said power source is fixed inside the base part of said wireless sensor, and

wherein the electrical power storage device configured to store electrical power which is supplied by said power source having a limited power level and supply the electrical power to said wireless radio transmitter at a power level which exceeds the limited power level of said power source for a limited time during an active cycle.

29. The system according to claim 28, wherein the wireless network is arranged compatible with a HART or wireless HART standard.

30. The system according to claim 28, wherein the wireless network is configured as a wireless mesh network.

31. The system according to claim 28, wherein the system comprises a database for storing sensed parameters for vibration and/or temperature measurements transferred from said at least one wireless sensor.

32. The system according to claim 28, wherein the system comprises one or more computers and/or workstations configured for use with a computer application for data analysis of sensed parameters for vibration and/or temperature.

33. The system according to claim 28, wherein the system comprises one or more computers and/or workstations configured for use with a computer application for managing sensed parameters for vibration and/or temperature.

34. The system according to claim 28, wherein the system comprises one or more computers and/or workstations configured for use with a computer application for providing decision support to a user or operator based on any from the group of:

sensed parameters for vibration and/or temperature in real time;

stored sensed parameters;

data analysis of the sensed parameters in real time;

data analysis of the stored sensed parameters, frequency spectrum analyses of real time, time series and historic data.