Portable, self-contained data collection systems and methods

• US 20020188411A1
• Filed: 06/21/2002
• Published: 12/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1993
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Entek IRD International Corp. (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schiltz, Richard L., Bates, Andrew J.
• Granted Patent: US 6,801,877 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/56
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 16/40 against enzymes
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 1/003 of rotating machines G01H1/10 takes precedence

Abstract

A portable self-contained data collection system for measuring and collecting vibration data from machines includes an accelerometer which is coupled to the analog input of a data acquisition card. The data acquisition card samples and digitizes the analog signal to produce a time domain digital signal. The data acquisition card output is coupled to a battery-powered portable computer. The battery-powered portable computer includes a database having machine identifications and associated measurement parameters. The portable computer processes the time domain digital signal according to the measurement parameters associated with a selected machine identification, and produces a frequency domain digital signal by performing a Fast Fourier Transform and other digital signal processing operations. The frequency domain signal is also analyzed in the portable computer to produce predictive maintenance information. A power supply for supplying power to the accelerometer is also included. The accelerometer power supply electrically and mechanically couples the accelerometer to the data acquisition card. It supplies power to the accelerometer when the data acquisition card is activated. The portable self-contained data collection system can be used to measure and collect vibration data from machines and to analyze this data to produce predictive maintenance information.

Claims

1. A data collection system for measuring and collecting vibration data from machines, said data collection system comprising:

an accelerometer including a motion sensitive transducer, an accelerometer output and means for coupling said motion sensitive transducer to a machine to produce an analog signal at said accelerometer output;

a data acquisition card having an analog input and a digital output, said accelerometer output being electrically coupled to said analog input, said data acquisition card sampling and digitizing said analog signal to produce a time domain digital signal at said digital output;

a battery powered portable computer including an expansion slot, said data acquisition card digital output being electrically and mechanically connected to said expansion slot, said battery powered portable computer further comprising;

a database including a plurality of machine identifications and associated measurement parameters;

user input means for user selection of a machine identification for measurement; and

signal processing means, for processing said time domain digital signal according to the measurement parameters associated with the selected machine identification.

2. A data collection system according to claim 1 wherein said signal processing means comprises means for processing said time domain digital signal to produce a frequency domain digital signal;

said battery powered portable computer further comprising signal analyzing means for analyzing said frequency domain signal to produce predictive maintenance information.

3. A data collection system according to claim 1 further comprising means for transmitting at least one of said machine identifications, said measurement parameters, said time domain digital signal and the processed time domain digital signal to a second computer.

4. A data collection system according to claim 2 further comprising means for transmitting at least one of said machine identifications, said measurement parameters, said time domain digital signal, said frequency domain digital signal and said predictive maintenance information to a second computer.

5. A data collection system according to claim 1 further comprising means for displaying at least one of said machine identifications, said measurement parameters, said time domain digital signal and the processed time digital domain signal.

6. A data collection system according to claim 2 further comprising means for displaying at least one of said machine identifications, said measurement parameters, said time domain digital signal, said frequency domain digital signal and said predictive maintenance information.

7. A data collection system according to claim 1 further comprising power supplying means, for supplying power to said accelerometer.

8. A data collection system according to claim 7 wherein said power supplying means electrically and mechanically couples said accelerometer output to said data acquisition card analog input.

9. A data collection system according to claim 8 wherein said power supplying means is responsive to said data acquisition card, for supplying power to said accelerometer when said data acquisition card is activated.

10. A data collection system according to claim 1 wherein said signal processing means comprises software modules which execute on said portable computer.

11. A data collection system according to claim 1 wherein said data acquisition card is a PCMCIA data acquisition card.

12. A data collection system according to claim 1 wherein said data acquisition card is a sound card.

14. A data collection method according to claim 13 wherein said processing step is preceded by the step of:

sampling and digitizing an analog accelerometer signal to produce the time domain accelerometer signal.

15. A data collection method according to claim 13 further comprising the step of transmitting at least one of said machine identifications, said measurement parameters, said time domain accelerometer signal, said frequency domain digital signal and said predictive maintenance information to a second computer.

16. A data collection method according to claim 13 further comprising the step of displaying at least one of said machine identifications, said measurement parameters, said time domain accelerometer signal, said frequency domain digital signal and said predictive maintenance information.

17. A data collection method according to claim 13 wherein said digital signal is a frequency domain digital signal.

13. A data collection method for measuring and collecting vibration data from machines, said data collection method comprising the following steps which are all performed in a portable battery powered computer:

allowing user selection of a machine identification for measurement;

processing said time domain accelerometer signal according to measurement parameters associated with the selected machine identification to produce a digital signal; and

analyzing said digital signal to produce predictive maintenance information.