Acoustic Sensor Embedded Lighting Device for Industrial Component Monitoring

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Solution Overview

Problem

Industrial plants face challenges in effectively evaluating the condition of their components due to the complexity of acoustic signatures generated by machinery, which existing technologies struggle to accurately analyze and interpret for performance and maintenance purposes.

Innovation Solution

Embedding acoustic sensors within lighting devices in industrial plants allows for the detection and analysis of acoustic signatures, enabling a method to compare these signatures against baseline data to identify component conditions, determine anomalies, and assess the need for maintenance or replacement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If acoustic sensors are embedded in lighting devices for component evaluation, then monitoring accessibility and cost-effectiveness are improved, but acoustic signature analysis complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemonitoring accessibilityVSAvoidacoustic signature analysis complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The lighting device is designed to perform multiple functions: illumination and acoustic monitoring. By embedding the acoustic sensor within the lighting device housing, the system utilizes existing infrastructure to achieve component condition monitoring without requiring separate dedicated monitoring equipment, thereby improving accessibility while managing complexity through multi-functionality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The acoustic sensor acts as an intermediary that captures acoustic signatures from machine components and transmits this data to remote systems for analysis. This mediator approach allows the lighting device to facilitate monitoring without directly performing complex acoustic analysis, resolving the contradiction by separating data collection from data interpretation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If acoustic sensors are embedded in lighting devices for real-time monitoring, then maintenance efficiency is improved, but system complexity and installation requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemaintenance efficiencyVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables predictive maintenance by continuously monitoring acoustic signatures and automatically identifying component anomalies. This self-service capability allows the monitoring system to detect issues and alert operators without requiring constant human intervention or complex manual analysis, thereby improving maintenance efficiency while keeping the system relatively simple through automated detection algorithms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary detection of component conditions by continuously analyzing acoustic signatures before actual failures occur. By identifying anomalies early through acoustic pattern recognition, the system enables proactive maintenance scheduling, improving productivity by preventing unplanned downtime while maintaining straightforward system architecture through preventive rather than reactive monitoring.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Measurement precision

If acoustic signature detection is used for component identification, then diagnostic accuracy is improved, but signal processing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvediagnostic accuracyVSAvoidsignal processing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts specific acoustic signature characteristics from the complex acoustic environment by focusing on frequency ranges and temporal patterns unique to different machine components. This extraction approach isolates diagnostically relevant features from background noise and other acoustic interference, improving diagnostic accuracy while simplifying signal processing through targeted feature selection rather than comprehensive analysis of all acoustic data.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The acoustic sensor is positioned at specific locations within the lighting device housing to optimize capture of acoustic signatures from particular machine components. This localized approach concentrates monitoring resources on critical areas, improving diagnostic precision for specific components while reducing overall signal processing complexity by focusing analysis on locally captured acoustic patterns rather than omnidirectional sound fields.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach provides a cost-effective and accessible means to monitor industrial plant components, enhancing maintenance efficiency and reducing downtime by accurately identifying potential issues through real-time acoustic analysis.

Implementation Method 1

acoustic sensor embedded in a lighting device... detecting an acoustic signature of a component in the industrial plant with a first acoustic sensor

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSound: Sound

Data Source

PatentEP3270151B1Evaluating condition of components using acoustic sensor in lighting device
Publication Date: 2024.02.21 GENERAL ELECTRIC TECH GMBH
  • EP3270151B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3270151B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3270151B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Aspects of the disclosure include systems, methods, and program products for evaluating the condition of a component using an acoustic sensor embedded within a lighting device 162. A system 150 according to the present disclosure can include a first lighting device 162 configured to illuminate an area of an industrial plant 152; a first acoustic sensor 164 embedded within the first lighting device 162 and configured to detect an acoustic signature 166 of a component in the industrial plant 152; a computing device 200 communicatively connected to the first acoustic sensor 164 and configured to evaluate a condition of the component in the industrial plant based on the acoustic signature 166.