Development of a Smart, Cheap, Autonomous Condition Monitoring Sensor System: Stage 2

The objective of this project is to design and develop a ?smart' autonomous condition monitoring sensor system, which does not require external cabling .

This Smart Sensor system can automatically detect machine conditions using a completely selfcontained wireless machine analyser, accurately diagnose the machine faults by a personal computer and effectively distribute the machine fault messages. This system would be suited to the range of fixed equipment found in open cut mines or coal preparation plants; such as gear-boxes, screens, pumps, and compressors, etc.

The Smart Sensor system is designed to allow the user to remotely detect, analyse and diagnose machine conditions without the need for cabling.

This phase of the work continued to develop the prototype version of the wireless Smart Condition Monitoring System which included a transceiver, a control centre with a PC and a communication module.

This project consists of four elements:

• The smart sensor is a completely self-contained wireless machinery analyser that can carry signal processing and detect a machine conditions using comprehensive alarm ?Mask? methodology. If necessary, the pre-processed measurements from the Smart Sensor can be transmitted regularly to a transceiver without cabling. Transmitting interval is dependent on the specific machine process.
• The multi-channel transceiver supports up to 50 smart sensors within a 50m radius and provides instruction and communication with the Smart Sensors. The transceiver will be AC-powered for permanent mounting.
• The analysis results, such as alarms, spectra and 'sensor status', will be downloaded to a control centre with a PC from the transceiver. The control centre will hold the machine database with a special condition monitoring system. The system uses advanced state-of the- art software, which will be required for accurate fault diagnosis and prognosis of machine faults. When the alarm parameters are exceeded, then the fault classification and fault severity ranking will be conducted in the centre. In addition, the control centre will be used to manage a comprehensive database incorporating details of all the equipment being monitored, update the measured data, graph and trend data, and readjust the sensor set up, etc.
• The subsequent dissemination of the fault message is through the control centre by modem to the internet, for access via network or mobile technologies. The annunciated fault ?message? will include a fault identifier/description, the fault severity, and the machine identifier (or IP address).