Automatic sensor orientation detection

Abstract

Technologies are generally described for automatic sensor orientation detection in monitoring systems for rotating equipment such as pumps. To detect operational abnormalities or faults sensors such as vibration sensors may be placed on rotating equipment and their outputs used for diagnostic and corrective action purposes. An orientation (and/or location) of the vibration sensor may shift over time, or the sensor may be placed in the wrong orientation to begin with. According to some examples, one or more sensors or an inertial measurement unit (IMU) integrated with the vibration sensor or attached to it provide orientation parameters, which are used to determine an actual orientation of the vibration sensor and adjust diagnostic detection based on the actual orientation of the vibration sensor.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A monitoring system for a rotating machine to diagnose operational anomalies, the monitoring system comprising:
 a monitoring sensor mounted on a housing of the rotating machine;   one or more orientation sensors associated with the monitoring sensor; and   a computing device communicatively coupled to the monitoring sensor and the one or more orientation sensors, the computing device comprising:
 a communication sub-system to facilitate communication with the monitoring sensor and the one or more orientation sensors; 
 a memory configured to store instructions; and 
 a processor coupled to the communication sub-system and the memory, the processor, in conjunction with the instructions stored in the memory, configured to:
 receive orientation information from the one or more orientation sensors; 
 determine an actual orientation of the monitoring sensor based on the orientation information; and 
 adjust a diagnostic operation based on the actual orientation of the monitoring sensor. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The monitoring system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 identify a corrective action based on the diagnostic operation; and   adjust the corrective action based on the actual orientation of the monitoring sensor.   
     
     
         3 . The monitoring system of  claim 1 , wherein the rotating machine is an overhung pump, a single-stage pump, a multi-stage pump, an axially-split-between-bearings pump, a radially-split-barrel-multi-stage pump, a vertical casing pump, a double casing pump, a rotor, or a fan. 
     
     
         4 . The monitoring system of  claim 1 , wherein the monitoring sensor is a vibration sensor, or a speed detection sensor. 
     
     
         5 . The monitoring system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more orientation sensors include an inertial measurement unit (IMU), an accelerometer, an inertial sensor, a yaw sensor, a gyroscope, a magnetometer, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The monitoring system of  claim 5 , wherein the orientation information includes one or more of a DC offset bias, a pitch, a roll, a yaw, an angular rate, an inclination, or a magnetic orientation. 
     
     
         7 . The monitoring system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to determine the actual orientation of the monitoring sensor in 90-degree increments. 
     
     
         8 . The monitoring system of  claim 1 , wherein the orientation information is captured by the one or more orientation sensors periodically, on-demand, or continuously. 
     
     
         9 . The monitoring system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more monitoring sensors are integrated with the monitoring sensor or attached to a surface of the monitoring sensor. 
     
     
         10 . A monitoring system for a pump assembly to diagnose operational anomalies, the monitoring system comprising:
 one or more vibration sensors mounted on a housing of the pump assembly;   one or more orientation sensors integrated with or attached to the one or more vibration sensors; and   a computing device communicatively coupled to the one or more vibration sensors and the one or more orientation sensors, the computing device comprising:
 a communication sub-system to facilitate communication with the one or more vibration sensors and the one or more orientation sensors; 
 a memory configured to store instructions; and 
 a processor coupled to the communication sub-system and the memory, the processor, in conjunction with the instructions stored in the memory, configured to:
 receive orientation information from the one or more orientation sensors; 
 determine an actual orientation of each of the one or more vibration sensors based on the orientation information; 
 adjust a diagnostic operation based on the actual orientation of the one or more vibration sensors; 
 identify a corrective action based on the diagnostic operation; and 
 adjust the corrective action based on the actual orientation of the one or more vibration sensors. 
 
   
     
     
         11 . The monitoring system of  claim 10 , wherein the one or more orientation sensors include an inertial measurement unit (IMU), an accelerometer, an inertial sensor, a yaw sensor, a gyroscope, a magnetometer, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The monitoring system of  claim 11 , wherein the orientation information includes one or more of a DC offset bias, a pitch, a roll, a yaw, an angular rate, an inclination, or a magnetic orientation. 
     
     
         13 . The monitoring system of  claim 10 , wherein the orientation information is captured by the one or more orientation sensors periodically, on-demand, or continuously. 
     
     
         14 . The monitoring system of  claim 10 , wherein the housing of the pump assembly is cylindrical or spherical. 
     
     
         15 . The monitoring system of  claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 receive a plurality of time domain vibration data sets captured at different time points and along multiple orthogonal axes; and   convert the plurality of vibration data sets to frequency domain.   
     
     
         16 . A method to diagnose operational anomalies in a pump assembly, the method comprising:
 receiving vibration data from a vibration sensor mounted on a housing of the pump assembly;   receiving orientation information from one or more orientation sensors integrated with or attached to the vibration sensor;   determining an actual orientation of the vibration sensor based on the orientation information;   adjusting a diagnostic operation based on the actual orientation of the vibration sensor,   identifying a corrective action based on the diagnostic operation; and   adjusting the corrective action based on the actual orientation of the vibration sensor.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the one or more orientation sensors include an inertial measurement unit (IMU), an accelerometer, an inertial sensor, a yaw sensor, a gyroscope, a magnetometer, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein receiving the orientation information comprises:
 receiving one or more of a DC offset bias, a pitch, a roll, a yaw, an angular rate, an inclination, or a magnetic orientation.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 capturing the orientation information at the one or more orientation sensors periodically, on-demand, or continuously.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 receiving a plurality of time domain vibration data sets captured at different time points and along three orthogonal axes; and   converting the plurality of vibration data sets to frequency domain.