Intelligent condition monitoring and fault diagnostic system for preventative maintenance

• US 8,356,207 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2011
• Issued: 01/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brooks Automation Ltd. (United Kingdom) (Azenta, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Brooks Automation Incorporated (Azenta, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hosek, Martin, Krishnasamy, Jay, Prochazka, Jan
• Primary Examiner(s): KO, CHAE M
• Application Number:
  US13/008,559
• Publication Number:
  US 20110173496A1
• Time in Patent Office: 728 Days
• Field of Search: 714/26, 702/184
• US Class Current: 714/26
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0235 based on a comparison with predetermined threshold or range, e.g. "classical methods", carried out during normal operation; threshold adaptation or choice; when or how to compare with the threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/008 Reliability or availability analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 3/00 Registering or indicating the condition or the working of machines or other apparatus, other than vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades

Abstract

A system for condition monitoring and fault diagnosis includes a data collection function that acquires time histories of selected variables for one or more of the components, a pre-processing function that calculates specified characteristics of the time histories, an analysis function for evaluating the characteristics to produce one or more hypotheses of a condition of the one or more components, and a reasoning function for determining the condition of the one or more components from the one or more hypotheses.

Claims

1. A system for condition monitoring and fault diagnosis comprising:

a first controller having a processor configured to perform a data collection function that acquires time histories of selected variables for one or more of the components according to specified sampling parameters;

a second controller having a processor configured to perform a pre-processing function that calculates specified characteristics of each of the time histories individually;

a third controller having a processor configured to perform an analysis function for evaluating the specified characteristics of each of the individual time histories to produce one or more hypotheses of a condition of the one or more components; and

a fourth controller having a processor configured to perform a reasoning function for determining the condition of the one or more components from the one or more hypotheses;

wherein at least one instance of each function resides in progressively higher level controllers within a machine being monitored such that data required for health monitoring and fault diagnostic purposes are used at a level where intelligence to process that data is present.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a function for utilizing the determined condition of the one or more components to effect preventative maintenance or service for the components.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the reasoning function determines a condition of another system in which the one or more components operate from the one or more hypotheses.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the specified sampling parameters include a sampling period, trigger mode, and number of samples to be recorded for the selected variables.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the first, second, third, and fourth controllers reside in the one or more components.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the pre-processing function calculates specified characteristics of the time histories by performing mathematical operations on the time histories.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the analysis function produces the one or more hypotheses by applying one or more algorithms and analysis techniques to the calculated specified characteristics of the time histories.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the reasoning function includes an expert diagnostic system for determining a condition of the one or more components from the one or more hypotheses.

9. A method of component condition monitoring and fault diagnosis comprising:

acquiring time histories of selected variables for one or more of the components according to specified sampling parameters;

calculating specified characteristics of each of the time histories individually;

evaluating the specified characteristics of each of the individual time histories to produce one or more hypotheses of a condition of the one or more components;

determining the condition of the one or more components from the one or more hypotheses; and

utilizing the determined condition of the one or more components to determine if preventative maintenance or service is required for the components;

wherein at least one instance of a processor configured to perform acquiring time histories, calculating specified characteristics, evaluating the specified characteristics, determining the condition of the one or more components and utilizing the determined condition resides in progressively higher level controllers within a machine being monitored such that data required for health monitoring and fault diagnostic purposes are used at a level where intelligence to process that data is present.

10. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium encoded with a computer program for component condition monitoring and fault diagnosis, that when run on a computer causes the computer to:

acquire time histories of selected variables for one or more components according to specified sampling parameters;

calculate specified characteristics of each of the time histories individually;

evaluate the specified characteristics of each of the individual time histories to produce one or more hypotheses of a condition of the one or more components;

determine the condition of the one or more components from the one or more hypotheses,

utilize the determined condition of the one or more components to determine if preventative maintenance or service is required for the components; and

initiate at least one instance of a process for acquiring time histories, calculating specified characteristics, evaluating the specified characteristics, determining the condition of the one or more components and utilizing the determined condition in progressively higher level controllers such that data required for component condition monitoring and fault diagnostic purposes are used at a level where intelligence to process that data is present.

11. A health monitoring and fault diagnostic system comprising:

a manager processor; and

a memory storing processor readable program code,

wherein the manager processor, under control of the processor readable program code operates to;

configure at least one component processor operating one or more components, to acquire time histories of selected variables for the one or more components according to specified sampling parameters;

configure at least one device processor operating one or more of the component processors together, to calculate specified characteristics of each of the time histories of the component processors operating together;

configure at least one subsystem processor operating one or more of the device processors together, to perform an analysis function for evaluating the specified characteristics of each of the time histories of the component processors operating together to produce one or more hypotheses of a condition of the one or more components; and

configure a system processor operating one or more of the subsystem processors, to perform a reasoning function for determining a system condition based on the condition of the one or more components.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the manager processor operates to utilize the determined system condition of the one or more components to effect preventative maintenance or service.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the manager processor operates to initialize the component processor with the specified sampling parameters including, for each of the selected variables, a number of samples to record, triggering information, and a collection mode.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the manager processor operates to configure the component processor to acquire time histories for a predetermined sequence of component actions.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the manager processor operates to determine the specified characteristics of the time histories to be calculated by the device processor based on properties of the one or more components.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the manager processor operates to configure the device processor to compute operational metrics of the one or more components from the time histories.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the manager processor operates to configure the subsystem processor to evaluate whether the computed operational metrics exceed predetermined threshold values to produce the hypotheses of the condition of the components.

18. A method of health monitoring and diagnosing system faults comprising:

using a component processor to operate one or more components while acquiring time histories of selected variables for the one or more components according to specified sampling parameters;

using a device processor to operate one or more of the component processors together while calculating specified characteristics of each of the time histories of the component processors operating together;

using at least one subsystem processor to operate one or more of the device processors together while performing an analysis function for evaluating the specified characteristics of each of the time histories of the component processors operating together to produce one or more hypotheses of a condition of the one or more components; and

using a system processor to operate one or more of the subsystem processors while performing a reasoning function for determining a system condition based on the condition of the one or more components.

19. The method of claim 18, comprising utilizing the determined system condition of the one or more components to effect preventative maintenance or service.

20. The method of claim 18, comprising initializing the component processor with the specified sampling parameters including, for each of the selected variables, a number of samples to record, triggering information, and a collection mode.

21. The method of claim 18, comprising using the component processor to acquire time histories for a predetermined sequence of component actions.

22. The method of claim 18, comprising determining the specified characteristics of the time histories to be calculated by the device processor based on properties of the one or more components.

23. The method of claim 18, comprising using the device processor to compute operational metrics of the one or more components from the time histories.

24. The method of claim 23, comprising using the subsystem processor to evaluate whether the computed operational metrics exceed predetermined threshold values to produce the hypotheses of the condition of the components.

25. A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with a computer program for system health monitoring and fault diagnosis, that when run on a computer, causes the computer to:

use a component processor to operate one or more components while acquiring time histories of selected variables for the one or more components according to specified sampling parameters;

use a device processor to operate one or more of the component processors together while calculating specified characteristics of each of the time histories of the component processors operating together;

use at least one subsystem processor to operate one or more of the device processors together while performing an analysis function for evaluating the specified characteristics of each of the time histories of the component processors operating together to produce one or more hypotheses of a condition of the one or more components; and

use a system processor to operate one or more of the subsystem processors while performing a reasoning function for determining a system condition based on the condition of the one or more components.

26. The computer program of claim 25, that when run on the computer, causes the computer to utilize the determined system condition of the one or more components to effect preventative maintenance or service.

27. The computer program of claim 25, that when run on the computer, causes the computer to initialize the component processor with the specified sampling parameters including, for each of the selected variables, a number of samples to record, triggering information, and a collection mode.

28. The computer program of claim 25, that when run on the computer, causes the computer to use the component processor to acquire time histories for a predetermined sequence of component actions.

29. The computer program of claim 25 that when run on the computer, causes the computer to determine the specified characteristics of the time histories to be calculated by the device processor based on properties of the one or more components.

30. The computer program of claim 25 that when run on the computer, causes the computer to use the device processor to compute operational metrics of the one or more components from the time histories.

31. The computer program of claim 30, that when run on the computer, causes the computer to use the subsystem processor to evaluate whether the computed operational metrics exceed predetermined threshold values to produce the hypotheses of the condition of the components.