Title

Multimode damage tracking and failure prognosis in electromechanical system

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Date of Original Version

1-1-2002

Abstract

In this paper a modification to a general-purpose machinery diagnostic/prognostic algorithm that can handle two or more simultaneously occurring failure processes is described. The method is based on a theory that views damage as occurring in a hierarchical dynamical system where slowly evolving, hidden failure processes are causing nonstationarity in a fast, directly observable system. The damage variable tracking is based on statistics calculated using data-based local linear models constructed in the reconstructed phase space of the fast system. These statistics are designed to measure a local change in the fast systems flow caused by the slow-time failure processes. The method is applied to a mathematical model of an experimental electromechanical system consisting of a beam vibrating in a potential field crated by two electromagnets. Two failure modes are introduced through discharging batteries supplying power to these electromagnets. Open circuit terminal voltage of these batteries is a two-dimensional damage variable. Using computer simulations, it is demonstrated both analytically and experimentally that the proposed method can accurately track both damage variables using only a displacement measurements from the vibrating beam. The accurate estimates of remaining time to failure for each battery are given well ahead of actual breakdowns.

Publication Title, e.g., Journal

Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering

Volume

4733

COinS