Patent Application
20080097725
The following descriptions should not be considered limiting in any way. With reference to the accompanying drawings, like elements are numbered alike:
Referring to
The at least one source 12 of the dynamic data 14 may be a plurality of sensing systems, such as sensors or transducers that are associated with any type of machine 22, such as rotary machines, assembly lines, production equipment, material handling equipment, and power generation equipment. The acquired dynamic data 14 may pertain to conditions of the machine 22, such as pressure, temperature, or vibration. When acquired by the sources 12 (sensing systems), the dynamic data 14 is in raw, analog form, containing large quantities of information.
After sensing and acquiring the dynamic data 14 in analog form, each sensing system 12 transmits the analog signal 23 (briefly mentioned above) containing dynamic data 14 to the monitoring module 16. These sensing systems 12 are configured to be in signal communication with the monitoring module 16, via, for example, electrical, electromagnetic, or fiber-optical connection. The monitoring module 16 receives the dynamic data 14 via each analog signal 23, and converts it into digital data 24 via analog/digital (A/D) converters 26 associated with the monitoring module 16. In an embodiment, the conversion to digital data 24 is provided by A/D software disposed within the monitoring module 16.
The monitoring module 16 may also include a field programmable gate array 28 for first level processing of the data from the A/D converters 26. The field programmable gate array (FPGA) 28 is a semiconductor device containing programmable logic components and programmable interconnects. The programmable logic components can be programmed to duplicate the functionality of basic logic gates. These logic gates are computer circuits with several inputs but only one output, allowing each gate, and therefore the FPGA 28 as a whole, to act as a data filter for condensing large quantities of information contained in a data stream, such as the digital data 24 of the system 10. In this manner, digital data 24 is converted to output data 30 via the FPGA 28, with the output data 30 having a more desirable bandwidth (smaller bandwidth due to a condensing and filtering of the information) for transmission over a network 32. It should be noted that, as the name implies, the FPGA 28 is “field programmable,” and thus, can be programmed after a manufacturing process by a customer/designer so that the FPGA 28 can perform whatever logic function is desired.
The monitoring module 16 may further include an additional processor 34 (additional to the FPGA 28) that provides data compression and implementation of system rules 35. Data compression, which may be implemented via software 37 installed in the monitoring module 16 (particularly in the additional processor 34), is a process of encoding information using fewer bits (or other information-bearing units) than an unencoded representation would use through use of specific encoding schemes. Data compression algorithms usually exploit statistical redundancy in such a way as to represent data more concisely, but completely. Data compression in the system 10 may further compress the output data 30 from the FPGA 28 into data compressed output data (which will be referred to hereinafter and in the Figure as output data 30), further reducing output data bandwidth for transmission over the network 32.
As mentioned above, the additional processor 34 also implements the system rules 35 of the system 10. These rules 35 determine what dynamic data 14 from each source 12 is important, with importance being determined relative to different condition (temperature, vibration, pressure, etc.) thresholds within the machine 22 (or different machines) during different operating periods of the machine 22, such as startup, a change in machine speed, or loading. The system rules 35 are implemented by at least one rule implementer 36 such as change detection filters and threshold detectors based on operating conditions of the machine 22. These rules 35 determine what output data 30 is important enough to be transmitted from the monitoring module 16 to the controller 18 for eventual machine diagnostics in the controller 18 or computing resource 20, based on the output data 30 transmitted.
The controller 18 is configured to be in signal communication with the monitoring module 16, via electrical, electromagnetic, or fiber-optical connection, for example, and may be any known control system, such as a programmable logic controller (PLC) or a distributed control system (DCS). The controller 18 uses the condensed, rule-filtered output data 30 to determine operating conditions of the machine 22, and make decisions pertaining to adjustment to the machine 22. Along with making these determinations, the controller 18 transmits the output data 30 to the computing resource 20 via the network 32, to which the controller 18 is communicated via electrical, electromagnetic, or fiber-optical connection.
The computing resource 20 is also in communication with the network 32 via electrical, electromagnetic, or fiber-optical connection. The computing resource 20, which may be any type of server or computer, is located remotely of the controller 18, monitoring module 16, data sources 12, and machine 22. Data can be both received by the computing resource 20 from the controller 18, and transmitted from the computing resource 20 to the controller 18. For example, the system rules 35 may be initially transmitted from the computing resource 20 to the controller 18 via the network 32. The controller 20 further applies the rules 35 to operating parameters of the machine 22, and transmits rules 35 to the rule implementer 36 of the monitoring module 16 for implementation. The initial set of system rules 35 created by the computing resource 20 may be implemented until output data 30 reaches the computing resource 20 (via the system 10 components), is analyzed by the computing resource 20, and demonstrates that a change to the system rules 35 would be desirable. When change is desirable, the computing resource 20 will send a change signal 40 to the controller 18, which will instruct the monitoring module 16 to change parameter(s) of the system rules 35. This change in the system rules can be desirable due to age of the machine 22 or its components, demand on the machine 22, and change in machine environment.
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While the embodiments of the disclosed method and apparatus have been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the embodiments of the disclosed method and apparatus. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the embodiments of the disclosed method and apparatus without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the embodiments of the disclosed method and apparatus not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out the embodiments of the disclosed method and apparatus, but that the embodiments of the disclosed method and apparatus will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.
