# US 10,245,004 B2 · Systems and methods for imbalance measurement of rotating machinery > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,245,004 B2 - Document ID: US10245004B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/989,416 - Filed: 2016-01-06 - Published: 2017-07-06 - Granted: 2019-04-02 - Earliest claimed: 2016-01-06 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Applicants: General Electric Company - Inventors: Eric Christopher Aasen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10245004B2 ## CPC - A61B 6/586: {Detection of faults or malfunction of the device} - A61B 6/032: {Transmission computed tomography [CT]} - A61B 6/035: {Mechanical aspects of CT} - A61B 6/4435: {the source unit and the detector unit being coupled by a rigid structure} - G01H 1/003: {of rotating machines (G01H1/10 takes precedence)} - G01M 1/16: by oscillating or rotating the body to be tested - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - G01H: MEASUREMENT OF MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS OR ULTRASONIC, SONIC OR INFRASONIC WAVES - G01M: TESTING STATIC OR DYNAMIC BALANCE OF MACHINES OR STRUCTURES; TESTING OF STRUCTURES OR APPARATUS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A balancing system for use with a rotating member disposed in a stationary housing is configured for mounting to the stationary housing, and includes a first inclinometer and at least one processor. The first inclinometer is configured to provide inclination information at a first frequency, and to provide vibration information at a second frequency. The second frequency is higher than the first frequency. The at least one processor is operably coupled to the first inclinometer to acquire the vibration information. The at least one processor is configured to determine a state of balance of the rotating member using the vibration information but not the inclination information. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A balancing system for use with a rotating member disposed in a stationary housing, the balancing system configured for mounting to the stationary housing, the balancing system comprising: a first inclinometer configured to provide inclination information at a first frequency and vibration information at a second frequency, the second frequency higher than the first frequency; and at least one processor operably coupled to the first inclinometer, the at least one processor coupled to the first inclinometer and configured to acquire the vibration information from the first inclinometer, the at least one processor configured to disregard the inclination information at the first frequency and to determine a state of balance of the rotating member using only the vibration information but not the inclination information. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The balancing system of claim 1, wherein the first inclinometer comprises a Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) based accelerometer comprising a dampening gas configured to limit the frequency output of the accelerometer. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The balancing system of claim 1, further comprising a high-pass filter interposed between the first inclinometer and the at least one processor, the high-pass filter configured to allow the vibration information at the second frequency to pass to the at least one processor and to prevent the inclination information at the first frequency from passing to the at least one processor. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The balancing system of claim 3, wherein the second frequency comprises a range having a lower boundary at 1 Hertz or above. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The balancing system of claim 1, further comprising a second inclinometer configured to provide second inclination information at a third frequency and second vibration information at a fourth frequency, the fourth frequency higher than the second frequency, wherein the first inclinometer has a first axis of sensitivity and the second inclinometer has a second axis of sensitivity that is different than the first axis of sensitivity. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The balancing system of claim 5, wherein the system comprises plural inclinometers having the first axis of sensitivity and plural inclinometers having the second axis of sensitivity. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The balancing system of claim 1, wherein the first inclinometer comprises plural axes of sensitivity. ### Claim 8 An imaging system comprising: a stationary housing: a rotating gantry rotatably mounted to the stationary housing; a computed tomography (CT) acquisition unit mounted to the rotating gantry, the CT acquisition unit comprising an X-ray source and a CT detector configured to collect CT imaging data of an object to be imaged, the X-ray source and CT detector mounted to the rotating gantry; and a first inclinometer mounted to the stationary housing, the first inclinometer configured to provide inclination information at a first frequency and vibration information at a second frequency, the second frequency higher than the first frequency; and at least one processor operably coupled to the first inclinometer, the at least one processor coupled to the first inclinometer and configured to acquire the vibration information from the first inclinometer, the at least one processor configured to disregard the inclination information at the first frequency and to determine a state of balance of the rotating gantry using only the vibration information but not the inclination information. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The imaging system of claim 8, wherein the first inclinometer comprises a Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) based accelerometer comprising a dampening gas configured to limit the frequency output of the accelerometer. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The imaging system of claim 8, further comprising a high-pass filter interposed between the first inclinometer and the at least one processor, the high-pass filter configured to allow the vibration information at the second frequency to pass to the at least one processor and to prevent the inclination information at the first frequency from passing to the at least one processor. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The imaging system of claim 10, wherein the second frequency comprises a range having a lower boundary at 1 Hertz or above. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The imaging system of claim 8, further comprising a second inclinometer configured to provide second inclination information at a third frequency and second vibration information at a fourth frequency, the fourth frequency higher than the third frequency, wherein the first inclinometer has a first axis of sensitivity and the second inclinometer has a second axis of sensitivity that is different than the first axis of sensitivity. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The imaging system of claim 12, wherein the system comprises plural inclinometers having the first axis of sensitivity and plural inclinometers having the second axis of sensitivity. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The imaging system of claim 8, wherein the first inclinometer comprises plural axes of sensitivity. ### Claim 15 A method comprising: rotating a rotating member coupled to a stationary housing; transmitting at least one output signal from at least one inclinometer mounted to the stationary housing, the output signal comprising inclination information and vibration information, the inclination information at a lower frequency than the vibration information; acquiring, with at least one processor, the vibration information, while disregarding the inclination information at the lower frequency than the vibration information; and determining, with the at least one processor, a state of balance of the rotating member using only the vibration information but not the inclination information. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein determining the state of balance comprises using a predetermined relationship of the output signal to the state of balance determined using known imbalances. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein acquiring the vibration information comprises passing the at least one output signal through at least one high-pass filter configured to remove the inclination information to provide a vibration signal. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the vibration signal allowed to pass from the at least one high-pass filter comprises a range having a lower boundary at 1 Hertz or above. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein transmitting the output signal comprises transmitting a first output signal from a first inclinometer having a first axis of sensitivity and transmitting a second output signal from a second inclinometer having a second axis of sensitivity different from the first axis of sensitivity. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the at least one inclinometer comprises a Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) based accelerometer comprising a dampening gas configured to limit the frequency output of the accelerometer.