Monitoring system for analyzing data from thickness sensors and vibration sensors

A monitoring system for a monitored system, wherein the monitored system includes a plurality of system elements, the system elements including:

• a structure, or a platform, or a derrick, or a plant, or a facility, or a pipe, or an equipment, or a motor, or an electric motor, or a pump, or a valve, or a solenoid device, or a hydraulic device, or a gear or gears, or a vane or vanes, or a blade, or a rotor, or a conduit, or a tank, or a container, or any combination thereof;
• the monitoring system comprising:
• a plurality of sensor modules each disposed proximate to an element of the monitored system, each sensor module comprising:
• one or more sensor units each including a plurality of different sensors including at least a thickness sensor for measuring thickness of a wall of the system element and a vibration sensor for measuring vibration at the system element, each sensor unit being disposed closely adjacent to the element of the monitored system;
• a controller processor coupled to each of the one or more sensor units and configured to receive data sensed by the plurality of sensors thereof;
• a device providing location data representative of the location of the sensor module and providing date-time data;
• wherein the controller processor associates the location data and the date-time data with data sensed by the plurality of sensors, whereby the data sensed by the plurality of sensors is geo-tagged;
• a communication device for transmitting the geo-tagged data sensed by the plurality of sensors and for receiving control commands;
• and
• a further communication device for receiving the transmitted geo-tagged data sensed by the plurality of sensors of sensor modules and for transmitting control commands to the plurality of sensor modules;
• one or more servers configured to process the received geo-tagged data sensed by the plurality of sensors of sensor modules and to store the received geo-tagged data sensed by the plurality of sensors thereof in a relational database;
• wherein memory associated with the one or more servers contains the relational database and the geo-tagged sensor data stored therein, the memory further containing standardized exception data relating to safe operation of the monitored system;
• wherein the one or more servers are configured to process the geo-tagged data sensed by the plurality of sensors to:
• analyze data from the thickness sensors to determine the thickness of the wall of the element and to compare the determined thickness of the wall to standardized thickness exception data therefor;
• analyze data from the vibration sensors to determine the magnitude and frequencies of vibration at the element and to compare the determined magnitude and frequencies of the vibration to standardized vibration exception data therefor;
• wherein the one or more servers are configured to process results of comparing the determined data to standardized exception data to determine when an exception exists, and
• a display and/or human interface device, wherein when an exception exists, the one or more servers generate an alert therefrom and communicate the alert via the display, the human interface device and/or the further communication device.