Abstract: Faults in rotating machines can be diagnosed or detected using two radio frequency (RF) sensing modes. RF sensing phenomenon can be used to detect the presence of undesirable behavior in rotating machines including excessive bending, vibration, eccentricity, torsion, and longitudinal strain. RF based sensors represent a non-invasive solution. The sensing modes are based on RF metamaterials and Doppler effect influence and radar cross section evaluation all coupled with a machine learning algorithm. The system is based on monitoring resonance shift, negative permeability and return loss magnitudes. Electromagnetic numerical simulations showed a significant change in those magnitudes upon applied mechanical strains as compared to original reference unstrained cases. Metamaterial texturing design can be controlled by controlling the cells scale and substrate materials.

Abstract: An anomalous scenario synthesizer apparatus includes a rotatable shaft configured to be rotationally driven about a rotation axis, a data acquisition system operably associated with the rotatable shaft and configured to measure attributes of the rotatable shaft, and a dynamic anomaly generator operably connected to the rotatable shaft. The dynamic anomaly generator is configured to generate at least one anomaly in the rotatable shaft while the rotatable shaft is rotating, and is configured to generate at least one dynamic label for each anomaly while the rotatable shaft is rotating. The dynamic label for each anomaly includes at least one descriptor corresponding to the anomaly that describes the anomaly such that a machine learning method may utilize the descriptor for machine learning.

Abstract: Bending angle sensors, and methods for manufacturing such bending angle sensors, are provided herein to reduce cost and time to manufacture. Exemplary sensors can include a fabric or other material layer disposed on a surface of a first material layer that contains a sensing element. By using a fabric or other material layer that has stiffness greater than the first material layer, the neutral shear axis of the first material layer can be shifted away from the central longitudinal axis of the first material layer. By shifting the neutral shear axis to one side of the first material layer, the sensor can be manufactured with larger less expensive sensing elements. Alternatively, or additionally, the sensing element can be embedded within the membrane with less precision by eliminating the requirement that the sensing element must be disposed on one side of the central longitudinal axis of the first material layer.