Predicting and Preventing Failures [Slides]

Abstract

Unpredicted bearings failures can be costly and dangerous. Current methods of detecting bearing faults rely on trained specialists with expensive detection equipment. Specialists must react daily, as the sheer number of bearings and the machines they operate are critical and any downtime will result in loss of productivity and endanger personal. My method utilizes machine learning algorithms coupled with relatively inexpensive accelerometers to remotely monitor data for specialists for fault detection, and estimate the diameter of the fault that has been caused by the bearing. The algorithm offers high accuracy detection using solely accelerometer data that can be obtained remotely, reducing the strain on analysists and ensuring that equipment is always running at an optimal and safe level. The algorithms operate in two layers, one layer detects the type of fault, and the second estimates the diameter of wear to determine the severity of the fault. The detection layer operates in the frequency space using a high accuracy Support Vector Machine algorithm and is trained on different types and sizes of machines to ensure generalization. The second layer uses a modified k-means clustering algorithm and vector calculus to estimate the bearing wear.