Machine Protection Diagnostic System Subsystem Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Smaller industrial machines, particularly in medium/low voltage applications, often go unmonitored due to cost constraints, leading to potential malfunctions or breakdowns that can indirectly cause process failures and losses, as existing monitoring solutions are not economically viable for these assets.
Innovation Solution
A machine protection and diagnostic system that classifies machines with rotating parts into sub-systems, using sensors and protection models to determine performance indices and generate alarm or trip signals when health thresholds are exceeded, enabling preemptive monitoring and protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional monitoring solutions are implemented for smaller industrial machines, then machine reliability and fault detection capability are improved, but the cost of monitoring solution becomes prohibitively high relative to asset cost
Solution Approach 1:
The machine is divided into multiple sub-systems (electrical, mechanical, control systems), and monitoring is selectively applied to critical sub-systems rather than the entire machine. This segmentation allows cost-effective monitoring of only the most important components while maintaining overall reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The monitoring system is designed to be multi-functional, serving both diagnostic purposes (identifying faults) and protective purposes (preventing damage). This universal approach consolidates multiple monitoring functions into a single cost-effective system rather than requiring separate specialized systems.
2Device complexity
If selective monitoring of critical sub-systems is implemented, then monitoring cost is reduced, but the capability to detect incipient faults across the entire machine is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors performance parameters and provides feedback when deviations from normal operation are detected. This feedback mechanism enables early fault detection in critical sub-systems, allowing preventive action before failures propagate to other parts of the machine.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary diagnostics by monitoring performance parameters and identifying incipient faults before they develop into critical failures. This preliminary detection in critical sub-systems prevents cascading failures that would affect the entire machine.
3Loss of information
If comprehensive monitoring of all machine components is implemented, then complete fault detection capability is achieved, but maintenance costs and system complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
Different monitoring strategies and levels of detail are applied to different sub-systems based on their criticality. Critical sub-systems receive detailed monitoring while less critical components receive simplified or no monitoring, optimizing the balance between fault detection capability and maintenance cost.
Data Source
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AI summary
One or more embodiments of the disclosure pertain to a protection and diagnostic system (115) that can generate a trip/alarm signal by executing a diagnostic procedure upon a machine (105) that includes a rotating part. The diagnostic procedure can include using sensors (111) to obtain performance parameters of various tagged critical and/or less critical sub-systems (106) of the machine when the rotating part is rotating; determining, in real time, a system performance index of the machine (105) based on the performance parameters; using a protection model (118) to determine a sub-system performance index associated with at least one tagged sub-system (106) of the machine (101); determining an asset health index based on combining the system performance index and the sub-system performance index; and generating the trip/alarm signal when the asset health index exceeds a threshold value. The protection system (116) can include a protection device configured to receive the trip signal and execute a protective action upon the machine (105).