Conveyor idler monitoring apparatus, systems, and methods
AssigneeSuperior Industries, Inc.
InventorsOsvaldo Baggio, Eduardo Martinelli
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Conveyor idler monitoring apparatus, systems and methods are provided. In some embodiments, one or more sensors (e.g., temperature sensors, load sensors, etc.) are supported by the shaft of a conveyor idler. In some embodiments, one or more sensors are in data communication with a wireless transmitter. In some embodiments, a power generator driven by rotation of the idler is in electrical communication with one or more sensors and/or a wireless transmitter. In some embodiments, idler monitoring systems are in data communication with a conveyor monitoring system and/or operational monitoring system.
Claims20
A monitoring system configured to monitor a plurality of conveyor idlers, the monitoring system comprising:
- a first temperature sensor associated with each conveyor idler of the plurality of conveyor idlers, said first temperature sensor configured to measure a first temperature of a first bearing of each conveyor idler;
- a speed sensor associated with each conveyor idler, said speed sensor configured to measure a rotational speed of each conveyor idler;
- a vibration sensor associated with each conveyor idler, each vibration sensor configured to measure a vibration of each conveyor idler;
- a wireless receiver in data communication with an application server, said application server being configured to use artificial intelligence to predict, based on said rotational speed, said vibration, and said first temperature, a failure event time for each conveyor idler;
- a transmitter associated with each conveyor idler and configured to transmit data including said first temperature, said speed sensor and said vibration to said wireless receiver;
- a processor in data communication with said first temperature sensor, said vibration sensor, and said speed sensor;
- an energy generator associated with each conveyor idler at least partly powered by rotation of each conveyor idler, said energy generator configured to power at least one of said transmitter, said first temperature sensor, said speed sensor, and said vibration sensor;
- and
- a display having a user interface, said display being configured to display at least a subset of values of said first temperature, said rotational speed, and said vibration on said user interface, said display being configured to display on said user interface an indication associated with at least one of the plurality of conveyor idlers, said indication based on said predicted failure time for each conveyor idler.
A method for monitoring a plurality of conveyor idlers, the method comprising:
- gathering data from a plurality of conveyor idler monitoring systems associated with each conveyor idler, each conveyor idler monitoring system comprising a temperature sensor, a rotational speed sensor, and a vibration sensor;
- displaying on a user interface at least a subset of said data gathered for each conveyor idler;
- using an application server, predicting, based on said data, a predicted failure time for each conveyor idler;
- and
- using said application server, identifying a next conveyor idler to fail based on said data.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.