Advanced Sensors and Condition Monitoring

Learning Outcomes

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• determine the condition of a system from performance data and establish if repair or maintenance is necessary
• better communicate ideas and understand instrumentation systems

Subject Specific Practical Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• understand the environmental benefits of condition monitoring techniques
• perform practical analysis on actual machines and systems
• develop a maintenance strategy based on system response
• understand the practical aspects of sensor use and type
• design Instrumentation Systems
• apply signal-processing methods
• understand the advantages and limitations of a variety of techniques for condition monitoring

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

• the transducers typically encountered in engineering applications
• condition monitoring approaches, sensor types, sensor placement, data analysis
• the principles of instrumentation and measurement systems

Partial CEng Programme Level Learning Outcomes

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• The students should consider environmental and societal impact of condition monitoring strategies and minimise the adverse impacts with/without condition monitoring.
• A condition monitoring system is a systems engineering approach, which integrates hardware, software, management and cost evaluation to reach the optimal solution.
• Based on reliability analysis for the chosen system, units are selected for condition-based monitoring as the best maintenance strategy.

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• communication skills through project work
• These skills demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of the commercial and economic context of engineering and system processes.

Learning Outcomes

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• C1/M1 Principles of cutting-edge sensors such as MEMS, acoustic emissions and ultrasonic techniques, as well as energy harvesting and wireless communication methods are introduced and applied in developing suitable condition monitoring systems for a given engineering/human setting. C2 Based on reliability analysis for the chosen system, units are selected for condition-based monitoring as the best maintenance strategy. C4/M4 As part of the group project students should find, critically review, and use literature to identify appropriate subsystems for condition monitoring. Also use literature identify sensing techniques and data processing methods for the application. C5/M5 To design a condition monitoring strategy, students have to consider the impact on the society, environment and economy when selecting maintenance strategies and techniques. C6 A condition monitoring system is a systems engineering approach, which integrates hardware, software, management and cost evaluation to reach the optimal solution. C7 The students should consider environmental and societal impact of condition monitoring strategies and minimise the adverse impacts with/without condition monitoring. C13/M13 For the condition monitoring strategy development, students must research and select appropriate sensors, power, and data acquisition devices and technology for the effective monitoring of a defined system. C16/M16 For the group project developing condition monitoring strategies, a group of 4-8 students work together, each leads/conducts one aspect of the system development. Project consultation with their project supervisors (module lecturers) leads to discussions on their progress and finalising their technique selections and cost evaluation. C17/M17 Presentations are requested during project consultation and students are requested to produce a project report providing an excellent description of their development to their ‘employers’ of the given tasks.

Introduction to condition monitoring:

• Maintenance philosophies: time based versus condition based,
• Machine reliability and condition monitoring,
• Condition monitoring procedure and system integration.

Condition monitoring techniques:

• Vibration based techniques,
• Acoustic emission,
• Thermal techniques,
• Oil debris analysis,
• Corrosion monitoring,
• Strain sensing,
• Energy harvesting and wireless networks.

Signal processing techniques for condition monitoring:

• Time domain analysis methods,
• Frequency domain analysis,
• Time-frequency analysis,
• Artificial intelligence and machine learning in condition monitoring.

Ultrasonic Sensing systems:

• Fundamental principles of ultrasonic systems,
• Applications of ultrasonic sensors including distance and position measurement, flow velocity measurement, non-destructive testing.

Optical Fibre Sensing Systems:

• Fundamental principles of optical waveguides,
• Optical fibre selection (SM, MM, glass/polymer/sapphire, coatings, connectors etc),
• Quasi and distributed sensing approaches (condition monitoring case studies).

Sensors for Biomechanical Condition Monitoring:

• Introduction to Biomechanical conditions & sensor performance,
• Tactile Sensors at Loaded Body Interface,
• Strain gauges & load cells for human biomechanical applications,
• Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) for monitoring human gait, motion.

MEMS sensors:

• MEMS sensors and microfabrication techniques (surface & bulk micromachining),
• MEMS sensing mechanisms & engineering applications,
• MEMS sensors performance & materials.

Group Project:

• Group based project consultations.

Teaching methods include

• A series of lectures in which the emphasis is on the practical application of the techniques.
• Dedicated project consultation sessions.
• Lab demonstration sessions on sensors and condition monitoring systems

Learning activities include

• Worked examples
• Reading materials
• Group projects

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

Repeat

An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.