# US 10,768,072 B2 · Data acquisition system for condition-based maintenance

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- Number: US 10,768,072 B2
- Document ID: US10768072B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/858,627
- Filed: 2017-12-29
- Published: 2018-05-03
- Granted: 2020-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2009-11-16
- Assignees: Simmonds Precision Products, Inc.
- Applicants: Simmonds Precision Products, Inc.
- Inventors: Eric R. Bechhoefer; John T. Taylor
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10768072B2

## CPC

- F03D 7/047: {characterised by the controller architecture, e.g. multiple processors or data communications}
- F03D 17/00: Monitoring or testing of wind motors, e.g. diagnostics (testing during commissioning of wind motors F03D13/30)
- G01M 13/00: Testing of machine parts
- G05B 23/0283: {Predictive maintenance, e.g. involving the monitoring of a system and, based on the monitoring results, taking decisions on the maintenance schedule of the monitored system; Estimating remaining useful life [RUL] (preventive maintenance, i.e. planning maintenance according to the available resources without monitoring the system G06Q10/06)}
- F05B 2240/96: as part of a wind turbine farm
- F05B 2270/326: Rotor angle
- F05B 2270/332: Maximum loads or fatigue criteria
- F05B 2270/803: Sampling thereof
- Y02E 10/72: Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
- Y02P 80/20: using renewable energy
- F03D: WIND MOTORS
- G01M: TESTING STATIC OR DYNAMIC BALANCE OF MACHINES OR STRUCTURES; TESTING OF STRUCTURES OR APPARATUS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G)
- F05B: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO WIND, SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS, TO MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS COVERED BY SUBCLASSES F03B, F03D AND F03G
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

Generally, a system and method consistent with the present disclosure may provide a relatively low cost, relatively robust data acquisition and analysis system useful for condition-based maintenance. The system may be useful for condition-based maintenance in industrial applications, e.g., of equipment and/or machinery. The industrial monitoring system may be used, for example, to monitor a condition of rotating machinery, e.g., a wind turbine. The system and method may include data analysis that may be useful for anticipating a need for maintenance, repair and/or replacement of one or more components.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A data acquisition system for monitoring one or more components of a machine having a plurality of separate components, the data acquisition system comprising:
a plurality of separate sensor modules, each of the plurality of separate sensor modules being associated with a separate respective component of the plurality of separate components of the machine, each of the plurality of separate components of the machine having a useful life, and including:
a sensor, configured to:
detect a parameter of the separate respective component; and
to provide sensor data based on the detected parameter; and
an interface module coupled to the sensor and configured to:
receive the sensor data from the sensor; and
generate module output data based on the received sensor data, the module output data comprising a representation of a condition of the separate respective component based on the received sensor data;
a server; and
a data bus, configured to:
couple the plurality of separate sensor modules to the server; and
allow transmission of the module output data from each of the plurality of separate sensor modules to the server;
wherein the server is configured to provide a time estimate of remaining useful life of at least one of the separate respective components of the machine at various points throughout the useful life of the at least one of the separate respective components of the machine.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The data acquisition system of claim 1, wherein:
the data bus is a daisy chain; and
each of the plurality of separate sensor modules is connected to at most two other sensor modules.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The data acquisition system of claim 1, further comprising:
a local data concentrator coupled to each of the plurality of separate sensor modules and configured to provide media access control (MAC) for at least one of the separate sensor modules, to transmit commands to at least one of the separate sensor modules, to receive data from at least one of the separate sensor modules, and to provide received data to the server via the data bus.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The data acquisition system of claim 3,
wherein the data bus is configured to carry power from the local data concentrator to at least one of the separate sensor modules.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The data acquisition system of claim 1,
wherein the sensor comprises a tachometer configured to detect a rotational speed of a separate respective component or a component indirectly coupled thereto.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The data acquisition system of claim 1,
wherein the sensor comprises an accelerometer configured to detect vibration of a separate respective component or a component indirectly coupled thereto.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The data acquisition system of claim 1,
wherein the separate respective component is a shaft, a bearing, or a gear.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The data acquisition system of claim 1,
wherein at least one of the plurality of separate sensor modules comprises a controller configured to perform floating point calculations in hardware.

### Claim 9

A system comprising:
a rotating machine; and
a data acquisition system mounted on the rotating machine and configured to monitor components of the rotating machine, the data acquisition system comprising:
a plurality of separate sensor modules, each of the plurality of separate sensor modules being associated with one of a plurality of separate respective components of the rotating machine, each of the plurality of separate components of the machine having a useful life, and including:
a sensor configured to detect a parameter associated with a condition of the separate respective component and to provide sensor data based on the detected parameter; and
an interface module directly coupled to the sensor and configured to receive the sensor data from the sensor and to generate module output data based on the received sensor data;
a server; and
a data bus configured to:
couple each of the plurality of separate sensor modules to the server; and
allow transmission of module output data from each of the plurality of separate sensor modules to the server;
wherein the server is configured to provide a time estimate of remaining useful life of a selected one of the separate respective components of the rotating machine to a user based on the module output data at various points throughout the useful life of the at least one of the separate respective components of the machine.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9,
wherein the module output data comprises a representation of the condition of the separate respective component.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, further comprising:
a local data concentrator coupled to each of the plurality of separate sensor modules and configured to provide media access control (MAC) for at least one of the separate sensor modules, to transmit commands to at least one of the separate sensor modules, to receive data from at least one of the separate sensor modules, and to provide received data to the server via the data bus.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9,
wherein the sensor is a tachometer configured to detect a rotational speed of a separate respective component or a component indirectly coupled thereto.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9,
wherein the sensor is an accelerometer configured to detect vibration of a separate respective component or a component indirectly coupled thereto.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9,
wherein the separate respective component is a shaft, a bearing, or a gear.

### Claim 15 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9,
wherein the rotating machine is one of a wind turbine, a gas turbine, and a gearbox associated with ground vehicles, ships and/or aircraft.