Methods and apparatus to multi-purpose an acoustic emission sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10697940-B2
Application number	US-201715710546-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 20, 2017
Priority date	Sep 20, 2017
Publication date	Jun 30, 2020
Grant date	Jun 30, 2020

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture to multi-purpose an acoustic emission sensor are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a collection engine to obtain a measurement from an acoustic emissions sensor coupled to a fluid flow control assembly, and obtain a state of the fluid flow control assembly. The example apparatus further includes a selector to adjust a gain of a pre-amplifier based on the state to adjust the measurement, and a condition identifier to identify a condition of the fluid flow control assembly based on the adjusted measurement.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus configured to be coupled to an acoustic emission sensor, the acoustic emission sensor to be coupled to a fluid flow control assembly, the apparatus comprising:
a collection engine configured to:
obtain a measurement from the acoustic emissions sensor; and
obtain a state of the fluid flow control assembly;

a selector to adjust a gain of a pre-amplifier based on the state to adjust the measurement; and
a condition identifier to identify a condition of the fluid flow control assembly based on the adjusted measurement.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the acoustic emissions sensor is a hybrid broadband-high sensitivity sensor, and the collection engine is further configured to obtain, from the hybrid broadband-high sensitivity sensor, a plurality of measurements including the measurement to monitor multiple active sources associated with the fluid flow control assembly.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the selector is to adjust the gain based on a determination of at least one of an amplification band or a frequency band.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the state includes an open percentage or a closed percentage associated with the fluid flow control assembly.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the collection engine is to obtain the state from the fluid flow control assembly.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the condition includes at least one of a cavitation, a leak, or an open flow of the fluid flow control assembly.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the measurement is a first measurement, and the collection engine is to:
calculate an average signal level based on the first measurement;
determine a floating threshold based on the average signal level and a fixed threshold; and
obtain the adjusted measurement based on the floating threshold.

8. A method comprising:
obtaining an operational measurement from an acoustic emissions sensor coupled to a fluid flow control assembly;
obtaining a state of the fluid flow control assembly;
adjusting a gain of a pre-amplifier based on the state to adjust the operational measurement; and
identifying a condition of the fluid flow control assembly based on the adjusted operational measurement.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the acoustic emissions sensor is a hybrid broadband-high sensitivity sensor configured to monitor multiple active sources associated with the fluid flow control assembly, and the operational measurement is from the hybrid broadband-high sensitivity sensor.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein adjusting the gain is based on a determination of at least one of an amplification band or a frequency band.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the state includes an open percentage or a closed percentage of the fluid flow control assembly.

12. The method of claim 8 , further including calculating a difference between the adjusted operational measurement and a baseline measurement and identifying the condition based on whether the difference satisfies a threshold.

13. The method of claim 12 , further including generating an alert when the difference satisfies the threshold.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the condition includes at least one of a cavitation, a leak, or an open flow of the fluid flow control assembly.

15. The method of claim 8 , wherein obtaining the adjusted operational measurement includes:
calculating an average signal level based on the operational measurement;
determining a floating threshold based on the average signal level and a fixed threshold; and
obtaining the adjusted operational measurement based on the floating threshold.

16. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to at least:
obtain an operational measurement from an acoustic emissions sensor coupled to a fluid flow control assembly;
obtain a state of the fluid flow control assembly;
adjust a gain of a pre-amplifier based on the state to adjust the operational measurement; and
identify a condition of the fluid flow control assembly based on the adjusted operational measurement.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the acoustic emissions sensor is a hybrid broadband-high sensitivity sensor, and the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to obtain, from the hybrid broadband-high sensitivity sensor, a plurality of operational measurements including the operational measurement to monitor multiple active sources associated with the fluid flow control assembly.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to adjust the gain based on a determination of at least one of an amplification band or a frequency band.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the state includes an open percentage or a closed percentage of the fluid flow control assembly.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to calculate a difference between the adjusted operational measurement and a baseline measurement and identify the condition based on whether the difference satisfies a threshold.

21. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 20 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to generate an alert when the difference satisfies the threshold.

22. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the condition of the fluid flow control assembly is at least one of a cavitation, a leak, or an open flow of the fluid flow control assembly.

23. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to:
calculate an average signal level based on the operational measurement;
determine a floating threshold based on the average signal level and a fixed threshold; and
obtain the adjusted operational measurement based on the floating threshold.

Assignees

• Fisher Controls Int Llc

Inventors

• Nordstrom Richard Allen
• Anderson Shawn

Classifications

• F16K37/0041 Primary

  for measuring valve parameters (F16K37/0033 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F15C3/00

  Circuit elements having moving parts (valves, construction of valves F16K) · CPC title

• G05B2219/25428

  Field device · CPC title

• G05B19/41865 Primary

  characterised by job scheduling, process planning, material flow · CPC title

• G01N29/4427 Primary

  with stored values, e.g. threshold values · CPC title