SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MONITORING A CONDITION OF A ROTATABLE COMPONENT

Abstract

A method for monitoring a condition includes providing a list of machines including a first machine and a second machine each having a rotatable component, attaching an adhesive label to the first machine, the adhesive label including a QR code or barcode that contains information identifying the rotatable component of the first machine and a processor configured to collect information concerning a condition of the rotatable component of the first machine and a transmitter configured to automatically transmit the collected information. Also, selecting the first machine from the list of machines, scanning the QR code or barcode of the first machine, associating the information represented by the scanned QR code or barcode with the first machine, wirelessly transmitting the collected information to a receiver, receiving the transmitted information at the receiver, and associating the transmitted collected information with the at least one rotatable component of the first machine.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a condition comprising: providing a list of machines including a first machine having at least one rotatable component and a second machine having at least one rotatable component, attaching at least one adhesive label to the first machine, the at least one adhesive label including a QR code or barcode that contains information identifying the at least one rotatable component of the first machine and a processor configured to collect information concerning a condition of the at least one rotatable component of the first machine and a transmitter configured to automatically transmit the collected information, selecting the first machine from the list of machines, scanning the QR code or barcode of the first machine, associating the information represented by the scanned QR code or barcode with the first machine, wirelessly transmitting the collected information to a receiver, receiving the transmitted information at the receiver, and associating the transmitted collected information with the at least one rotatable component of the first machine.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive label includes a vibration sensor configured to communicate with the processor.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive label includes a temperatures sensor configured to communicate with the processor.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the adhesive label includes a vibration sensor configured to communicate with the processor.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information identifying the at least one rotatable component is a serial number of the at least one component.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information identifying the at least one rotatable component includes a position of the bearing in the machine.

7. The method according to claim 1 including generating an alarm at the receiver in response to the received transmitted information indicating that the condition has exceeded a predetermined level.

8. The method according to claim 1 including generating an alarm at the label in response to the condition exceeding a predetermined level.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the alarm comprises an acoustic alarm signal.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the alarm comprises an optic alarm signal.

11. The method according to claim 1 including: generating an alarm at the receiver in response to the received transmitted information indicating that the condition has exceeded a predetermined level, and generating an alarm at the label in response to the condition exceeding a predetermined level.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the attaching the at least one adhesive label to the first machine comprises attaching the at least one adhesive label to the at least one rotatable component of the first machine.

13. A method for monitoring a condition comprising: providing a receiver with a list of machines including a first machine having a first rotatable component and a second rotatable component and a second machine having a third rotatable component, attaching a first adhesive label to the first machine, the first adhesive label including a first QR code or barcode that contains information identifying the first rotatable component and a first processor configured to collect information concerning a condition of the first rotatable component and a first transmitter configured to automatically transmit the collected information concerning the condition of the first rotatable component, attaching a second adhesive label to the second machine, the second adhesive label including a second QR code or barcode that contains information identifying the third rotatable component and a second processor configured to collect information concerning a condition of the third rotatable component and a second transmitter configured to automatically transmit the collected information concerning the condition of the third rotatable component, selecting the first machine from the list of machines, scanning the first QR code or barcode of the first rotatable component and associating the first rotatable component with the first machine at the receiver, selecting the second machine from the list of machines, scanning the second QR code or barcode of the third rotatable component and associating the third rotatable component with the second machine at the receiver, wirelessly transmitting the collected information concerning the condition of the first rotatable component to the receiver, receiving the transmitted information concerning the condition of the first rotatable component at the receiver, associating the transmitted collected information concerning the condition of the first rotatable component with the first rotatable component of the first machine, wirelessly transmitting the collected information concerning the condition of the third rotatable component to the receiver, receiving the transmitted information concerning the condition of the third rotatable component at the receiver, and associating the transmitted collected information concerning the condition of the third rotatable component with the third rotatable component of the second machine.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the adhesive label includes a vibration sensor configured to communicate with the processor.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the adhesive label includes a temperatures sensor configured to communicate with the processor.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the adhesive label includes a vibration sensor configured to communicate with the processor.

17. The method according to claim 16 including generating an alarm at the receiver in response to the received transmitted information indicating that the condition of the first rotatable component has exceeded a predetermined level.

18. The method according to claim 18 including generating an alarm at the label in response to the condition of the first rotatable component exceeding a predetermined level.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein generating an alarm at the label includes illuminating an LED on the label.

20. The method according to claim 13 including: attaching a third adhesive label to the first machine, the third adhesive label including a third QR code or barcode that contains information identifying the second rotatable component and a third processor configured to collect information concerning a condition of the second rotatable component and a third transmitter configured to automatically transmit the collected information concerning the condition of the second rotatable component, selecting the first machine from the list of machines, scanning the third QR code or barcode of the second rotatable component and associating the second rotatable component with the first machine at the receiver, wirelessly transmitting the collected information concerning the condition of the second rotatable component to the receiver, receiving the transmitted information concerning the condition of the second rotatable component at the receiver, and associating the transmitted collected information concerning the condition of the second rotatable component with the second rotatable component of the first machine.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] The present invention will hereinafter be further explained by means of non-limiting examples with reference to the appended schematic figures where:

[0037] FIG. 1 shows a sticker according to an embodiment of the invention in both the normal and abnormal operation of a component being monitored,

[0038] FIG. 2 shows a condition monitoring system according to an embodiment of the invention, and

[0039] FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing the steps of a method according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0040] It should be noted that the drawings have not necessarily been drawn to scale and that the dimensions of certain features may have been exaggerated for the sake of clarity.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] FIG. 1a) shows a sticker 10 for attaching to at least one part of a machine comprising at least one rotating component that is to be monitored during normal operation of the machine.

[0042] The sticker 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 provides two LEDs labelled “VIB” 12 and “TEMP” 16, which are arranged to light up or change color when the vibration or the temperature of the machine comprising at least one rotating component that is being monitored exceeds a predetermined level/value, which predetermined level/value may be changed depending on the machine model, application and/or operating conditions in which the machine is used, whereby the light is detectable to the human eye and/or to a sensor that collects information from the sticker 10. It should be noted that a sticker according to the present invention may provide any type of vibration or temperature indicator and/or any type of vibration or temperature sensor.

[0043] The sticker 10 may provide a paper label having an adhesive at its rear surface, whereby the sticker 10 may be removably attached to the surface of a part of a machine comprising at least one rotating component by pressing the adhesive backing of the sticker 10 against the surface. Alternatively, the sticker may be stuck to a surface in the vicinity of the machine comprising at least one rotating component that is to be monitored.

[0044] The sticker 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 also provides a machine-readable label 14, such as a Quick Response (QR) code or bar code, which contains information about the at least one rotating component that is installed in the machine, such as a unique serial number for the at least one rotating component and/or type of the machine or the at least one rotating component and/or information about how the machine or the at least one rotating component should be used. A user may scan or photograph this machine-readable label 14 and associate at least one rotating component being monitored with a particular machine in a plant and/or location of a machine, and/or a geographical location and/or an end-user and/or installation date and/or days/hours of use, so that information collected from the sticker 10 and any other relevant information inputted by a user or manufacturer can be associated with a particular rotating component in a particular machine.

[0045] The sticker 10 also provides a processor 20 arranged to collect information concerning the use of at least one component 28 and/or machine 11 comprising at least one rotating component and a transmitter 22 that is arranged to automatically transmit the collected information if/when the processor 20 collects information that a temperature of the at least one part of the machine comprising at least one rotating component being monitored exceeds a predetermined temperature value or the vibration of the at least one part of the machine comprising at least one rotating component exceeds a predetermined level.

[0046] During normal operating conditions neither the vibration level nor the temperature of the machine comprising at least one rotating component exceeds a predetermined level/value, but lies within a normal range for a particular component in a particular application. The predetermined level may be determined/selected by a manufacturer or user depending on the machine comprising at least one rotating component and the application in which the machine comprising at least one rotating component is used. Information concerning suitable alarm levels may be transmitted or uploaded to a sticker at the time of commissioning. A machine or component manufacturer may provide a suitable sticker 10 on a machine comprising at least one rotating component supplied to an end-user or within the component packaging. Alternatively or additionally, a sticker's alarm level(s) may be changed or selected by a used depending on the machine in which a rotating component is being used and/or its operating conditions.

[0047] FIG. 1b) shows the same sticker 10 as in FIG. 1a) during abnormal operation of the machine comprising at least one rotating component where the vibration level of the machine comprising at least one rotating component exceeds a predetermined level and lies above what is considered to be a normal vibration range for that machine comprising at least one rotating component in that application. The vibration status indicator LED 12 lights up or changes color and the transmitter 22 transmits a signal 24 indicating that the vibration of the at least one part of a machine comprising at least one rotating component that is being monitored has exceeded a predetermined level. The signal 24 may be seen or collected by a user and/or sent to a user/operator and/or a machine and/or component manufacturer and/or to a central processor or database and/or to central storage means.

[0048] The sticker 10 according to the present invention may be of any size, thickness, color and shape and may optionally contain more information, devices or sensors than those illustrated or described herein. For example, a sticker 10 may provide energy-harvesting means to utilize energy generated by a machine comprising at least one rotating component machine comprising at least one rotating component being monitored, a battery or energy-generating means, such as a solar panel.

[0049] FIG. 2 shows a condition monitoring system 26 according to an embodiment of the invention. The condition monitoring system 26 may be used for monitoring the condition of at least one machine 11 comprising at least one rotating component 28 or a plurality of machines 11 comprising at least one rotating component 28, and provides one sticker 10 or a plurality of stickers 10 according to any of the embodiments of the invention and a receiver 32 arranged to receive information transmitted from the at least one sticker 10. One or more stickers 10 may be attached to each machine 11 comprising at least one rotating component 28, preferably as close as possible to the at least one component 28. A sticker 10 according to the present invention is used to monitor the operation of at least one rotating component 28 in at least one machine 11, but may also be used to detect faults such as imbalance and misalignment of one or more machines 11, i.e. not only faults caused by at least one rotating component 28.

[0050] The illustrated embodiment shows a condition monitoring system 26 for monitoring the condition of a machine 11 comprising two rolling element bearings 28 during their use. The inner ring and/or outer ring of each bearing 28 may be of any size and have any load-carrying capacity. An inner ring and/or an outer ring may for example have a diameter up to a few meters and a load-carrying capacity up to many thousands of tons. The conditioning monitoring system 26 according to the present invention may however be used to monitor the condition of one or more machines 11 comprising at least one rotating component of any type, and not necessarily all of the same type or size.

[0051] The receiver 32 may be hand-held and/or portable or non-portable devices that can be carried or moved by a user or they may be fixed in a particular location to collect information from one or more stickers 10. A receiver may be a mobile telephone, media player, Personal Communications System (PCS) terminal, Personal Data Assistant (PDA), laptop computer, palmtop receiver, or camera. A receiver 32 may for example provide an application that provides a computer program containing computer program code means arranged to cause a computer or a processor to execute the steps of associating at least one sticker 10 with at least one machine 11 comprising at least one rotating component 28 and collecting information from the at least one sticker 10 in a method according to any of the embodiments of the invention.

[0052] The condition monitoring system 26 may provide a processor arranged to process information collected from at least one sticker 10. The condition monitoring system 26 may also provide and be arranged to provide a list of machine models and information concerning each machine model, such as the position of at least one rotating component in a machine, alarm limits, behavior characteristics. These pre-defined machine models may be used by an operator during the commissioning. Data may be transmitted from a sticker's transmitter 22 to a receiver and/or to a central, local or remote processor in a wired or wireless manner, over a wireless communication network for example.

[0053] The condition monitoring system 26 may also provide storage means 34, such as a database, arranged to store information transmitted from at least one sticker 10, whereby the information is preferably stored in a way that it can be readily associated with a particular machine 11 comprising at least one rotating component 28 being monitored. The storage means 34 may be maintained by a manufacturer of the machine(s) 11 and/or component(s) 28 being monitored. The data collected from a plurality of machines 11 comprising at least one rotating component 28 of a particular type used in the same or similar application(s) may enable a manufacturer to track the performance of machine 11 comprising at least one rotating component and/or extract further information about relationships between the performance of machines 11 and/or rotating components of different types and conditions of usage so as to further improve the service to end-users.

[0054] The condition monitoring system 26 may provide display means 36, such as a display screen in any central, remote or local location, or in one or more receivers that is/are arranged to collect information from one or more stickers 10 so that a user and/or machine 11 and/or component manufacturer can information being transmitted from the sticker(s) 10.

[0055] It should be noted that not all of the components of the condition monitoring system 26 necessarily need to be located in the vicinity of the machine 11 comprising at least one rotating component 28 being monitored. For example, the storage means 34 may located at a remote location and communicate with at least one receiver 32 by means of a server for example. Alternatively, the receiver 32, display means 36, user interface 38 and/or, storage means 34 may all be located in the same unit such as a personal computer.

[0056] The condition monitoring system 26 may even provide a user interface 38 that is arranged to allow a user and/or machine 11 or component manufacturer to input information concerning at least one machine 11 comprising at least one rotating component 28 being monitored, which inputted information may be associated with at least one sticker 10 and optionally stored with information collected from the at least one sticker 10 and/or sent to a manufacturer of the at least one machine 11 comprising at least one rotating component 28 being monitored. Such a user interface 38 may be incorporated into one or more receivers 32 that is/are arranged to receive information from one or more stickers 10.

[0057] A sticker 10 according to the present invention may provide at least one alarm 40 arranged to indicate an alarm condition such as excessive vibration or an excessively high temperature. The alarm 40 may for example issue an optical and/or acoustic signal when the vibration or the temperature of a part of a machine 11 comprising at least one rotating component 28 being monitored exceeds a predetermined level. Such an alarm 40 may be arranged to be seen and/or heard via display means 36 or via a receiver 32 that is arranged to receive information from one or more stickers 10 instead of, or in addition to on a sticker 10 itself. This alarm 40 could be used as a trigger to ensure that a machine 11 comprising at least one rotating component 28 being monitored is checked immediately.

[0058] Notification of when it is advisable to service, replace or refurbish one or more machine 11 comprising at least one rotating component 28 being monitored by the condition monitoring system 26 may be made in any suitable manner, such as via a communication network, via an e-mail or telephone call, a letter, facsimile, alarm signal, or a visiting representative of the manufacturer or user. Once a component 28 has been replaced, a new sticker may be attached to the machine comprising the replacement component 28 and the machine-readable label 14 of the new sticker 10 is associated with the machine comprising the replaced rotating component 28 that is to be monitored. Preferably, when a rotating component 28 is replaced, a new machine-readable label 14 is placed over the previous machine-readable label 14 of the existing sticker 10 so that the existing sticker 10 can be re-used. The performance of a rotating component 28 in a specific machine 11 may be tracked in this way. The machine's Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) can also be calculated from this.

[0059] FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing the steps of a method according to an embodiment of the invention. The method provides the steps of attaching at least one sticker according to any of the embodiments of the invention to at least one part of at least one machine comprising at least one rotating component (which step may be carried out by a manufacturer or user of the machine or component), associating the at least one sticker with additional information concerning the at least one machine comprising at least one rotating component being monitored, such as its location, and collecting information from the at least one sticker in order to monitor the condition of the at least one part of the at least one machine comprising at least one rotating component. The collected information may then be analyzed, transmitted and/or displayed to a user and/or machine or component manufacturer, and/or stored.

[0060] Further modifications of the invention within the scope of the claims would be apparent to a skilled person.