Abstract: A vibration data collection system performs an integration or differentiation process on incoming digitized vibration data in real time. The system uses a digital Infinite Impulse Response (IIR) filter running at the input data rate to provide the integration or differentiation function. With this approach, the system reduces hardware complexity and data storage requirements. Also, the system provides the ability to directly integrate or differentiate stored time waveforms without resorting to FFT processing methods.

Abstract: A span of responsibility access control system for use in plant process management and similar applications. The system leverages span-of-responsibility enabled user accounts and corresponding resource properties to assign, verify, and control access to assets and other resources in the plant process management system on a per user basis. Aspects of the system include configuration of properties for each monitored or controlled asset and association of a span of responsibility based on asset properties, such as asset type and location, with a user account. An access control module compares asset properties to the span of responsibility associated with the user account to determine whether the user is entitled to access any given asset, independent of determining permissions to act on such asset.

Abstract: A statistical method is used to separate periodic from non-periodic vibration peaks in autocorrelation spectra. Generally, an autocorrelation spectrum is not normally distributed because the amplitudes of periodic peaks are significantly large and random relative to the generally Gaussian noise. In a normally distributed signal, the statistical parameter kurtosis has a value of 3. The method sequentially removes each largest amplitude peak from the peaks in the spectrum until the kurtosis is 3 or less. The removed peaks, which are all considered to be periodic, are placed into a set. The total energy of the peaks in the set is considered to be the total periodic energy of the spectrum. As the process of building the peak set proceeds, if its total energy becomes greater than or equal to a predefined energy threshold before its kurtosis reaches 3 or less, the process stops and the periodic peak set is defined.

Abstract: A method for improving the operation of a computer by transferring data from an SQL database in a storage unit to a memory by copying the data from the SQL database to a binary file in the storage unit, where the binary file having a data structure and a data type. A data file having the data structure and the data type is configured within the memory, and the binary file in the storage unit is copied to the data file in the memory with a single read/write operation.

Abstract: An apparatus is described that determines an estimated rotational speed of a rotating component of a machine in the absence of a reliable tachometer signal to indicate an actual rotational speed. The apparatus includes a processor that produces a spectral plot of the vibrational data, locates peaks in the spectral plot, and scans the spectral plot in predetermined rotational speed increments to provide candidate rotational speeds. For each candidate rotational speed, associated harmonics are identified, closest peaks in the spectral plot to the candidate rotational speed and its harmonics are located, gaps between the closest peaks and the candidate rotational speed and its harmonics are measured, and a sum of the gaps is recorded. The estimated rotational speed is the candidate rotational speed associated with a minimum sum of the gaps.

Abstract: A vibration analyzer for use in determining a rotational speed. The vibration analyzer includes: a) an input for sensing vibration data, b) a memory for storing the vibrational data, and c) a processor. The processor 1) produces a spectral plot of the vibrational data, 2) locates peaks in the spectral plot, 3) inputs a rotational speed, and 4) scans the spectral plot in predetermined rotational speed increments to provide a candidate rotational speeds. For each candidate rotational speed i) a number of associated harmonics is identified, ii) closest peaks in the spectral plot to the candidate rotational speed and its harmonics are located, iii) gaps between the closest peaks and the candidate rotational speed and its harmonics are measured, iv) summed, and a sum of the gaps is recorded. In step (5) The candidate rotational speed that is associated with a minimum sum is selected as the nominal rotational speed.

Abstract: A “periodic signal parameter” (PSP) indicates periodic patterns in an autocorrelated vibration waveform and potential faults in a monitored machine. The PSP is calculated based on statistical measures derived from an autocorrelation waveform and characteristics of an associated vibration waveform. The PSP provides an indication of periodicity and a generalization of potential fault, whereas characteristics of the associated waveform indicate severity. A “periodic information plot” (PIP) is derived from a vibration signal processed using two analysis techniques to produce two X-Y graphs of the signal data that share a common X-axis. The PIP is created by correlating the Y-values on the two graphs based on the corresponding X-value. The amplitudes of Y-values in the PIP is derived from the two source graphs by multiplication, taking a ratio, averaging, or keeping the maximum value.

Abstract: A sensor power controlling circuit of a machinery health monitoring module includes (1) a positive voltage input for receiving a positive voltage from a galvanically isolated voltage source within the machinery health monitoring module, (2) a sensor power connecter for providing power to a machine sensor, (3) a push-pull comparator having a positive input, a negative input, and an output, (4) a first resistor, (5) a PNP transistor, and (6) a first capacitor. A sensor signal conditioning circuit of the machinery health monitoring module is disposed between a machine sensor and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC). The sensor signal conditioning circuit includes a sensor interface connector, a first and second operational amplifier, a passive Nyquist filter, and first and second gain flattening feedback networks.

Abstract: A system, a hand-held vibration monitor and a method for setting vibrational alarms for machinery. The system includes a vibrational alarm device having a plurality of vibration data inputs from a machinery group, a memory for storing historical vibration data from the machinery group, an accumulator for generating average vibrational data for the machinery group, a processor for selecting a vibration alarm limit based on a cumulative distribution curve of the average vibrational data, and a warning alarm to alert a user that the machinery has reached the vibrational alarm limit when vibration data from a machine in the machinery group reaches the vibrational alarm limit.

Abstract: A machine monitoring system uses generically defined collection definitions, acquisition definitions, and measurement definitions to define machine data to be collected by machine monitoring devices and other data sources in a unified and device/source independent manner. Configuration software of the machine monitoring system defines data to be collected for a particular machine in such a manner that multiple different types of monitoring devices or data sources can each interpret the data definitions and provide the same type of data back to the software system. Thus, the data to be collected is defined once by the configuration software, and the data definition is interpreted internally by each monitoring device or data source. This greatly simplifies the monitoring system and provides the advantage that new monitoring devices can be added to the system to collect data without impacting the software configuration of the data required.

Abstract: A method is described for automatically determining a proper threshold for a tachometer signal in order to produce desired tachometer pulses necessary for analysis of machine vibration data. A tachometer signal is low-pass filtered to exclude high frequency noise and a running derivative of the filtered tachometer waveform is taken to create a derivative waveform. Another waveform is created that includes only positive values from the derivative waveform that correspond to positive values in the low-pass filtered tachometer waveform. In general, a tachometer signal has the greatest derivative value (slope) when a tachometer pulse is present. Based on this observation, a threshold value is determined using both the low-pass filtered tachometer waveform and the positive-value derivative waveform along with statistics from both waveforms.

Abstract: A method is described for automatically determining a proper threshold for a tachometer signal in order to produce desired tachometer pulses necessary for analysis of machine vibration data. A tachometer signal is low-pass filtered to exclude high frequency noise and a running derivative of the filtered tachometer waveform is taken to create a derivative waveform. Another waveform is created that includes only positive values from the derivative waveform that correspond to positive values in the low-pass filtered tachometer waveform. In general, a tachometer signal has the greatest derivative value (slope) when a tachometer pulse is present. Based on this observation, a threshold value is determined using both the low-pass filtered tachometer waveform and the positive-value derivative waveform along with statistics from both waveforms.

Abstract: A machine monitor includes sensors producing a series of scalar values corresponding to sensed physical parameters. An analyzer produces a first database based on the scalar values and determines a median value of the scalar values for each sensor. It also sets a spike level that is offset from the median value by a predetermined multiple of the median value. A spike filter in the analyzer compares the scalar values to the spike level, and identifies a particular scalar value as a potential spike when the particular scalar value differs from the median value by an amount that is equal to or greater than the spike level. A potential spike is determined to be an actual spike if the first and second side values are within a predetermined range of the median value. A second database is produced with the actual spikes eliminated.

Abstract: A system collects and manages sets of asset data that are indicative of operational performance of physical assets disposed at multiple physical locations in a plant. The system includes a database that associates each set of asset data to (1) a location at which the data was collected, (2) the asset for which the data was collected, and (3) the monitoring device that was used to collect the data. In this way, each location has its own history of all asset data ever collected on all assets disposed at that location, and its own history of all monitoring devices used to collect data at that location. Also, each asset has its own history of all asset data collected on that asset at all locations at which it was disposed and for all monitoring devices. This sort of asset data is referred to herein as multi-referenced data.

Abstract: An extensible computing system integrates asset health data and user control of devices made by different manufacturers, using a common computer platform application structure and a common platform services structure. A services bus communicates device signals in a standardized format from the common platform services structure to a proprietary extension services structure, which converts the device communication signals from the standardized format to a proprietary communication format. A data highway bus communicates asset health and reliability data in a standardized data format from the proprietary extension services structure to the common extension services structure. The proprietary services structure converts asset health data from a proprietary data format as received from the proprietary device into the standardized data format.

Abstract: An extensible computing system for integrating asset health data and user control of devices made by different manufacturers, using a computer and program structures including a common platform application structure and a common platform services structure. A services bus communicates device signals in a standardized format from the common platform services structure to a proprietary extension services structure. The proprietary extension services structure converts the device communication signals from the standardized format to a proprietary communication format that is understood by a proprietary device. A data highway bus communicates asset health and reliability data in a standardized data format from the proprietary extension services structure to the common extension services structure. The proprietary services structure converts asset health data from a proprietary data format as received from the proprietary device into the standardized data format.

Abstract: A process plant management system with asset health normalization and aggregation. Aspects of the system include asset monitoring components that sense operating parameters and determine the condition of assets using a number of disparate asset condition assessment methodologies based on those parameters. The system calculates normalized component health scores from the reported asset condition information and evaluates the normalized component health scores to produce an overall asset health score for each asset. The system maintains a hierarchical representation that organizes assets using physical and logical relationships. The system generates virtual health scores for parent objects in the hierarchy from the health scores of the children of each parent object.

Abstract: A universal sensor interface for a machine data acquisition system includes a sensor power control circuit that: (1) provides a fast and accurate limiting response to a short-circuit fault, (2) survives and automatically recovers from multiple concurrent continuous short-circuit faults with no interruption to the electrical and thermal integrity of the acquisition system, (3) reduces power consumption/dissipation when in a faulted condition, (4) isolates adverse effects of a faulted channel from uninvolved channels, (5) isolates adverse effects of loose wiring termination “chatter” from uninvolved channels, (6) protects against adverse effects resulting from “hot wiring” of sensors, (7) protects the acquisition system against reasonably anticipated installation wiring errors, and (8) minimizes the availability of spark-inducing energy to the data acquisition system.

Abstract: The system implements an algorithm that allows an integrator providing a vibration velocity measurement to be disabled automatically in order to do a PeakVue measurement. When the PeakVue measurement is required, the integrator is disabled and the last Overall velocity measurement is maintained. Once the PeakVue measurement is complete, the integrator is re-enabled and the Overall measurements resume.

Abstract: A laser strobe tachometer combines a strobe light with a laser speed sensor. The ability of the laser sensor to accurately determine machine speed enables a synchronous strobe rate to be determined without user intervention. Having locked onto the turning speed, the stroboscope can “freeze” the motion of the shaft, thereby allowing an operator to observe locations, such as on a keyway, flat or screw head, for the optimum placement of the laser spot to generate a once-per-revolution tachometer pulse.