Method for monitoring a mechanical system

Abstract

A method for monitoring a system with mechanically movable parts, preferably a valve system, wherein the system is preferably part of a technical plant, in particular a production plant, and wherein the system has at least one mechanically movable part, in particular a valve, where the method comprises a) acquiring indicators, which can be used for a technical characterization of a movement procedure of the mechanically movable part, via technical devices configured for the acquisition of the indicators and b) transferring the acquired indicators to an evaluation unit arranged outside the system to determine a technical status of the system.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a system with mechanically movable parts to initiate maintenance measures for the system based on a determined technical status of the system, the system forming part of a technical plant, and the system including at least one mechanically movable part, the method comprising: a) acquiring indicators, which are usable for a technical characterization of a movement procedure of the mechanically movable part, via a technical device configured to acquire the indicators; b) transferring the acquired indicators to an evaluation unit arranged in an external cloud environment outside the system of the technical plant to determine the technical status of the system; and c) initiating maintenance measures for the system based on the determined technical status of the system; wherein the indicators are transferred from a plurality of systems into the evaluation unit; and wherein the evaluation unit undertakes a categorization of the systems allocated to the evaluation unit to identify systematic errors in the systems; and wherein the evaluation unit compares indicators which have been acquired and recorded in the evaluation unit with maintenance statuses to determine, from a change in a maintenance status, associated limit values for one of (i) the indicators and (ii) a combination of indicators for a respective category of the system, and to record said associated limit values in the evaluation unit.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a maintenance status of the at least one mechanically movable part is transferred to the evaluation unit.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the evaluation unit compares indicators which have been acquired and recorded in the evaluation unit with maintenance statuses to determine, from a change in a maintenance status, associated limit values for one of (i) the indicators and (ii) a combination of indicators for a respective category of the system, and to record said associated limit values in the evaluation unit.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of (i) the limit values for the indicators and (ii) the combination of indicators for each respective category of the system are continuously adapted by the evaluation unit to automatically improve a selectivity of calculated limit values.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in addition to the at least one mechanically movable part, the valve system comprises a pilot valve and a drive, wherein additionally indicators are acquired by the technical device configured for acquisition, which are usable for a technical characterization of at least one of (i) an opening procedure and (ii) closing procedure of the pilot valve and the drive; and wherein the additionally acquired indicators are transferred to the evaluation unit to determine a status of the valve system.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the transfer of the acquired indicators to the evaluation unit is linked with an identification of at least one of (i) an opening procedure and (ii) a closing procedure of the at least one of (a) the at least one mechanically movable part, (b) the drive and (c) the pilot valve to minimize a communication load of the evaluation unit.

7. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the indicators are derived from a characteristic sequence of one of (i) structure-borne, (ii) airborne and (iii) pressure characteristics of at least one of (i) the mechanically movable part and (ii) the drive and (iii) the pilot valve.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the acquired indicators relate to at least one of (i) a structure-borne sound value, (ii) an airborne sound value and (iii) a pressure value within the system; wherein the technical device configured for the acquisition of at least one of (i) the structure-borne sound, (ii) the airborne sound and (iii) the pressure value comprise sensors.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the sensors include at least one of (i) an autonomous power source for providing a supply power necessary for the acquisition of the indicators and (ii) an electrical connection to an electrical supply network supplying the system.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein an idle state of the sensors is terminated by a switching procedure of the system to initiate the acquisition of the indicators.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the sensors are further configured to identify changes in an electrical supply network which supplies the system to identify a start point of one of (i) a closing procedure and (ii) an opening procedure of the system.

12. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein an idle state of the sensors is terminated by a switching procedure of the system to initiate the acquisition of the indicators.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the sensors are further configured to identify changes in an electrical supply network which supplies the system to identify a start point of one of (i) a closing procedure and (ii) an opening procedure of the system.

14. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the sensors are further configured to identify changes in an electrical supply network which supplies the system to identify a start point of one of (i) a closing procedure and (ii) an opening procedure of the system.

15. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transfer of the acquired indicators to the evaluation unit occurs wirelessly.

16. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the technical status of the valve system ascertained by the evaluation unit is transferred to a unit which is configured to initiate the maintenance measures for the system.

17. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the indicators are acquired and transferred to the evaluation unit during a manufacturing process of the valve system to serve as a reference for subsequent acquisitions of the indicators.

18. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mechanically movable parts comprise a valve system.

19. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the technical plant comprises a production plant.

20. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one mechanically movable part comprises a valve.

21. A method for monitoring a system with mechanically movable parts to initiate maintenance measures for the system based on a determined technical status of the system, the system forming part of a technical plant, and the system including at least one mechanically movable part, the method comprising: a) acquiring indicators, which are usable for a technical characterization of a movement procedure of the mechanically movable part, via a technical device configured to acquire the indicators; b) transferring the acquired indicators to an evaluation unit arranged in an external cloud environment outside the system of the technical plant to determine the technical status of the system; and c) initiating maintenance measures for the system based on the determined technical status of the system; wherein the indicators are transferred from a plurality of systems into the evaluation unit; and wherein the evaluation unit undertakes a categorization of the systems allocated to the evaluation unit to identify systematic errors in the systems; wherein a maintenance status of the at least one mechanically movable part is transferred to the evaluation unit; and wherein the evaluation unit compares indicators which have been acquired and recorded in the evaluation unit with maintenance statuses to determine, from a change in a maintenance status, associated limit values for one of (i) the indicators and (ii) a combination of indicators for a respective category of the system, and to record said associated limit values in the evaluation unit.

22. A method for monitoring a system with mechanically movable parts to initiate maintenance measures for the system based on a determined technical status of the system, the system forming part of a technical plant, and the system including at least one mechanically movable part, the method comprising: a) acquiring indicators, which are usable for a technical characterization of a movement procedure of the mechanically movable part, via a technical device configured to acquire the indicators; b) transferring the acquired indicators to an evaluation unit arranged in an external cloud environment outside the system of the technical plant to determine the technical status of the system; and c) initiating maintenance measures for the system based on the determined technical status of the system wherein a maintenance status of the at least one mechanically movable part is transferred to the evaluation unit; and wherein the evaluation unit compares indicators which have been acquired and recorded in the evaluation unit with maintenance statuses to determine, from a change in a maintenance status, associated limit values for one of (i) the indicators and (ii) a combination of indicators for a respective category of the system, and to record said associated limit values in the evaluation unit.

23. A method for monitoring a system with mechanically movable parts to initiate maintenance measures for the system based on a determined technical status of the system, the system forming part of a technical plant, and the system including at least one mechanically movable part, the method comprising: a) acquiring indicators, which are usable for a technical characterization of a movement procedure of the mechanically movable part, via a technical device configured to acquire the indicators; b) transferring the acquired indicators to an evaluation unit arranged in an external cloud environment outside the system of the technical plant to determine the technical status of the system; and c) initiating maintenance measures for the system based on the determined technical status of the system; wherein the acquired indicators relate to at least one of (i) a structure-borne sound value, (ii) an airborne sound value and (iii) a pressure value within the system; wherein the technical device configured for the acquisition of at least one of (i) the structure-borne sound, (ii) the airborne sound and (iii) the pressure value comprise sensors; and wherein the sensors are further configured to identify changes in an electrical supply network which supplies the system to identify a start point of one of (i) a closing procedure and (ii) an opening procedure of the system.

24. A method for monitoring a system with mechanically movable parts to initiate maintenance measures for the system based on a determined technical status of the system, the system forming part of a technical plant, and the system including at least one mechanically movable part, the method comprising: a) acquiring indicators, which are usable for a technical characterization of a movement procedure of the mechanically movable part, via a technical device configured to acquire the indicators; b) transferring the acquired indicators to an evaluation unit arranged in an external cloud environment outside the system of the technical plant to determine the technical status of the system; and c) initiating maintenance measures for the system based on the determined technical status of the system; wherein the acquired indicators relate to at least one of (i) a structure-borne sound value, (ii) an airborne sound value and (iii) a pressure value within the system; wherein the technical device configured for the acquisition of at least one of (i) the structure-borne sound, (ii) the airborne sound and (iii) the pressure value comprise sensors; wherein the sensors include at least one of (i) an autonomous power source for providing a supply power necessary for the acquisition of the indicators and (ii) an electrical connection to an electrical supply network supplying the system; and wherein the sensors are further configured to identify changes in an electrical supply network which supplies the system to identify a start point of one of (i) a closing procedure and (ii) an opening procedure of the system.

25. A method for monitoring a system with mechanically movable parts to initiate maintenance measures for the system based on a determined technical status of the system, the system forming part of a technical plant, and the system including at least one mechanically movable part, the method comprising: a) acquiring indicators, which are usable for a technical characterization of a movement procedure of the mechanically movable part, via a technical device configured to acquire the indicators; b) transferring the acquired indicators to an evaluation unit arranged in an external cloud environment outside the system of the technical plant to determine the technical status of the system; and c) initiating maintenance measures for the system based on the determined technical status of the system; wherein the acquired indicators relate to at least one of (i) a structure-borne sound value, (ii) an airborne sound value and (iii) a pressure value within the system; wherein the technical device configured for the acquisition of at least one of (i) the structure-borne sound, (ii) the airborne sound and (iii) the pressure value comprise sensors; wherein an idle state of the sensors is terminated by a switching procedure of the system to initiate the acquisition of the indicators; and wherein the sensors are further configured to identify changes in an electrical supply network which supplies the system to identify a start point of one of (i) a closing procedure and (ii) an opening procedure of the system.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The above-described properties, features and advantages of this invention and the manner in which these are achieved will now be described more clearly and intelligibly in conjunction with the following description of the exemplary embodiment, which will be described in detail making reference to the drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows an exemplary valve system in which the method in accordance with the invention is implemented; and

(3) FIG. 2 is a flowchart of the method in accordance with the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

(4) FIG. 1 shows a valve system 1. The valve system 1 comprises a process valve 2, a pneumatic drive 3 and a pilot valve 4.

(5) A medium flowing through a process line 5 is controlled by the process valve 2. The process valve 2 involves an open/close valve (on/off valve), which can be switched between the two statuses “valve open” and “valve closed”.

(6) The switching of the process valve 2 occurs via the pneumatic drive 3. A membrane 7 coupled with a valve spindle 6 of the process valve 2 is moved in the pneumatic drive 3 in a known manner via compressed air guided through a compressed air line 8. In FIG. 1, the pneumatic drive 3 is shown as a representative of the conventional, known forms of embodiments without resetting springs. The process valve 2 may have all known configurations, such as “normally open” or “normally close”, “single-acting” or “double-acting”.

(7) The pilot valve 4 is supplied with electrical power via an electrical supply network 9. The electrical supply consists of, in a simplified representation, a voltage source 10, which provides a DC voltage at 24 V, and a pushbutton 11, for closing a voltage circuit and actuating the pilot valve 4. Here, the pushbutton 11 is to be considered as a representative of all conventional actuation/regulation possibilities, which are available in the context of a process control system of a technical plant.

(8) The pilot valve 4 controls (or regulates) the flow rate of compressed air, which flows from a compressed air source 12 via the compressed air line 8 into the pneumatic drive 3.

(9) The valve system 2 has a first sound/pressure acquisition sensor 13a and a second sound/pressure acquisition sensor 13b. The first sound/pressure acquisition sensor 13a has a first data logger 15a, the second sound/pressure acquisition sensor 13b has a second data logger 15b. The first sound/pressure acquisition sensor 13a is arranged in the compressed air line 8 or it is a component of the compressed air line 8, meaning that the compressed air, before flowing into the pneumatic drive 3, flows through the first pressure acquisition sensor 13a, which ascertains a pressure value in the compressed air line 8 and forwards it to the first data logger 15a. The sound/pressure acquisition sensors are to be understood as exemplary. They may optionally be used on an alternative basis or even together. Furthermore, it is also possible to use sensors that acquire only the sound or only the pressure. In this context, the sensor to be chosen is dependent upon the indicators necessary for the system to be monitored, with suitable indication depth.

(10) Here, the sound/pressure acquisition sensor 13a may be integrated into an existing valve system 1 retrospectively in a simple manner, without having to engage into the interior of the pneumatic drive 3.

(11) The second sound/pressure acquisition sensor 13b is arranged in a pressure chamber 16 of the pneumatic drive 3. The second data logger 15b associated therewith is arranged outside the pneumatic drive 3. The advantage of the pressure acquisition sensor 13b is that the measurement of the pressure value can occur directly in the pneumatic drive 3.

(12) When a pure sound sensor 13a, 13b is used, this results in another simplification, as a structure-borne or airborne sound measurement can be designed as a ClampOn system, i.e., without opening the pneumatics or hydraulics.

(13) The data loggers 15a, 15b are each connected to the electrical supply network 9 in a parallel connection with the pilot valve 4. Thus, the supplying of the data loggers 15a, 15b or the pressure acquisition sensors 13a, 13b connected thereto can be ensured.

(14) The sound/pressure acquisition sensors 13a, 13b are configured to acquire a pressure gradient of the pneumatic drive 3 during a closing procedure or an opening procedure of the process valve 2 as an indicator for the technical characterization of the drive 3 or of the valve 2.

(15) In this context, the expression “pressure gradient of the pneumatic drive 3” can mean that the pressure is measured directly in a pressure chamber 16 of the drive 3. The meaning of the expression equally includes, however, the pressure being measured in the compressed air line 8. In other words, this means that a pressure value is already acquired before the air flows into the pressure chamber 16 of the pneumatic drive 3. In the case of a pure sound measurement, in contrast, use can be made of the fact that due to the sound propagation in the entire system, all characteristic indicators are able to be acquired at one point.

(16) The data or indicators acquired by the sound/pressure acquisition sensors 13a, 13b are transferred to an evaluation unit 14 arranged outside the valve system 1. The evaluation unit 14 is, in the present exemplary embodiment, arranged outside the valve system 1, but within a technical plant (not shown) (on-premise private cloud). Optionally, the evaluation unit may also be arranged outside the plant (Internet-based cloud). The evaluation unit 14 determines, inter alia, based on the indicators transferred to it, a technical status of the valve system 1.

(17) In one exemplary embodiment, the evaluation unit 14 may not only receive data from the sound/pressure acquisition sensors 13a, 13b, but also transfer data, control commands, etc. to it. In other words, a bidirectional connection between the evaluation unit 14 and the sound/pressure acquisition sensors 13a, 13b can be installed. The connection can generally be wireless or wired. A wireless connection is preferred, however, as no wiring expenses are accrued.

(18) FIG. 2 is a flowchart of the method for monitoring a system 1 with mechanically movable parts, where the system 1 forms part of a technical plant, and the system 1 includes at least one mechanically movable part 2.

(19) The method comprises acquiring indicators, which can be used for a technical characterization of a movement procedure of the mechanically movable part 2, via technical device 13a, 13b configured to acquire the indicators, as indicated in step 210.

(20) Next, the acquired indicators are transferred to an evaluation unit 14 arranged outside the system 1 to determine a technical status of the system 1, as indicated in step 220.

(21) Although the invention has been illustrated and described in detail with the preferred exemplary embodiment, the invention is not restricted by the examples disclosed and other variations can be derived therefrom by a person skilled in the art without departing from the protective scope of the invention.

(22) Thus, while there have been shown, described and pointed out fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the devices illustrated, and in their operation, may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, it is expressly intended that all combinations of those elements and/or method steps which perform substantially the same function in substantially the same way to achieve the same results are within the scope of the invention. Moreover, it should be recognized that structures and/or elements shown and/or described in connection with any disclosed form or embodiment of the invention may be incorporated in any other disclosed or described or suggested form or embodiment as a general matter of design choice. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto.