Bearing failures are among the most costly, troublesome forms of breakdowns on mission critical machines within the Navy. Recent advances in digital signal processing and sensor technology can, when properly implemented, provide notice months in advance of a bearing failure, expressed in terms of Remaining Useful Life (RUL). Foster-Miller is developing a sensor system capable of the statistical confidence and accuracy required for trouble-free life prognosis for the monitored bearings. Preliminary work has established the feasibility of using acoustic emission (AE)-based sensors to relate the health of rolling element bearings, and the ability of certain condition indicators to develop RUL prediction algorithms for a wireless sensor. In addition to a primary sensor system, data were also acquired from an engineering-development-style AE system, from traditional accelerometers, and, for the oil-lubricated bearings, from a commercially available ferrographic analysis sensor. Based on this body of work, a prototype wireless sensor system is in development. The AE sensing strategy will be augmented with vibration-based indicators and the sensor demonstrated on both land-based and shipboard equipment. A wireless sensor system will be a valuable asset to commercial industrial rotating machinery as well as military and government installations that utilize machinery with rolling element bearings. Potential applications range from tanks and other ground vehicles to aircraft, and include most manufacturing and overhaul facilities, as well as support and logistics centers throughout the world.
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