Coupling monitoring system and method of using same
AssigneesTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd., Tsmc Nanjing Company, Limited
InventorsWen Feng Tai, Lung Chi Yu, Po Chang Wang, Jui Pin Chang
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Abstract
A coupling including a main body, a first hub at a first end of the main body and a second hub at a second end of the main body opposite the first end is provided. The first hub includes a first inner bore configured to receive a first shaft and a pair of aligned first and second through holes extending through opposite walls of the first hub. The first through hole and the second through hole are in optical communication with the first inner bore.
Claims20
A coupling monitoring system, comprising:
- a coupling, comprising:
- a main body,
- a first hub at a first end of the main body, wherein the first hub comprises a first inner bore configured to receive a first shaft and a pair of aligned first and second through holes extending through opposite walls of the first hub, wherein the first through hole and the second through hole are in optical communication with the first inner bore to define a first light passageway;
- a sensor system configured to monitor a position of the first shaft in the first hub and a position of the second shaft in the second hub before an operation of the coupling starts;
- and
- a fault detection and classification (FDC) system configured to identify an abnormality of the coupling before the operation of the coupling starts based on information from the sensor system.
A method for monitoring axial displacements of shafts in a coupling, comprising:
- emitting light into a first through hole in a first hub of a coupling, wherein the first hub is configured to receive a first shaft;
- detecting an intensity of light exiting a second through hole in the first hub, wherein the second through hole is aligned with the first through hole;
- determining whether the detected intensity exceeds an intensity threshold;
- and
- outputting an alarm signal in response to the detected intensity exceeding the intensity threshold.
A coupling monitoring system, comprising:
- a sensor system comprising:
- a first transmitter configured to transmit a first signal into a first opening in a coupling;
- and
- a first receiver configured to receive a second signal from a second opening in the coupling, wherein the first opening is aligned with the second opening across an inner bore of the coupling;
- a data acquisition system (DAS) configured to receive at least one signal from the sensor system;
- and
- a fault detection and classification (FDC) system configured to receive an output of the DAS, wherein the FDC is configured to identify an abnormality of the coupling based on the output from the DAS, and the FDC is configured to determine a fit of a first shaft in the coupling based on the output from the DAS.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.