Moving Element Monitoring With Strobe Imaging for Failure Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current maintenance protocols for moving elements, such as cables and belts, are inefficient as they often require scheduled replacements of fully functional units and may miss detecting anomalies due to the objects' movement, making thorough examination difficult, especially for complex or fast-moving elements, and monitoring when static can disrupt operation or miss critical areas.
Innovation Solution
An automated system using an illumination device and image sensor with a rolling shutter to capture high-resolution images of moving elements during motion, analyzing these images for failure modes, and optionally registering them with other images to provide comprehensive monitoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If monitoring is performed when the element is static, then image quality and analysis accuracy are improved, but system operation is disrupted and not all areas can be monitored
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adapts its monitoring approach by detecting whether the element is in motion or stationary, and automatically adjusting the monitoring strategy accordingly. When motion is detected, the system switches to a different monitoring mode that captures images during movement rather than requiring the element to be static, thus maintaining operational continuity while still enabling analysis.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of monitoring timing from static (element must be stationary) to dynamic (element can be moving). By detecting motion state and adjusting the monitoring approach based on this parameter change, the system enables continuous monitoring without disrupting operation while maintaining sufficient image quality for analysis.
2Reliability
If scheduled maintenance is performed periodically, then preventive replacement is ensured, but fully functional units are replaced unnecessarily and anomalies are missed
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously captures images of the element and provides feedback about its actual condition to the maintenance system. This real-time visual feedback enables the system to distinguish between elements that are actually degraded and those that are fully functional, allowing maintenance decisions to be based on actual condition rather than just time elapsed, thereby improving both reliability and maintenance efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces the mechanical/time-based maintenance scheduling approach with an optical/electronic inspection system. Instead of relying on predetermined time intervals for maintenance, the system uses image capture and analysis to determine actual element condition, substituting the mechanical scheduling mechanism with an intelligent visual inspection mechanism that can detect anomalies and assess degradation in real-time.
3Measurement precision
If human examination is performed on moving objects, then thorough inspection can be conducted, but the movement makes examination difficult and images cannot be captured sharply
Solution Approach 1:
The system substitutes the mechanical approach of capturing sharp images during motion with an optical system that uses illumination synchronized with the element's movement. By using appropriately timed illumination and accepting that the element will be in motion during capture, the system achieves sufficient image quality for analysis without requiring the element to be stationary, thereby enabling thorough inspection of moving objects.
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
Enables accurate, ongoing monitoring of moving elements, detecting failure modes early, reducing unnecessary maintenance, and ensuring all areas are checked without disrupting operation, with the capability to adapt to new failure modes and trends.
Implementation Method 1
an illumination device configured to periodically provide instantaneous light to a longitudinal moving element
Implementation Method 2
an image sensor configured to capture one or more images of at least a portion of the moving element
Data Source
AI summary
A system for monitoring a moving element within a monitored system, comprising: an illumination device configured to periodically provide instantaneous light to a longitudinal moving element; an image sensor configured to capture at least one image of at least a portion of the moving element; and one or more processors configured to: obtain one or more images of the moving element during motion under illumination emitted by the illumination device; analyze an image to determine whether one or more failure modes are present within the captured portion of the moving element; and register the image with one or more other images to obtain further information about the at least one failure mode.