An experimental platform for statistical fault diagnosis in propelled mechanical systems: an academic exercise

Abstract

Statistical data analysis for fault diagnosis in mechanical systems is a fundamental tool, for instance, in applied mechanical engineering. In order to capture a feasible data set, a well designed electronic instrumentation and excitation system signal stages are mandatory. Hence, one objective of this paper is to develop a low cost vibration sensor based on an inductive LC-tank oscillator (a resonant inductive-capacitive electronic circuit carefully designed to produce an harmonic electrical signal), and then to tune an effective excitation system signal to our experimental platform. This platform uses a propelled drone motor mounted on a beam structure to emulate a propelled rotating machine. Essentially, two data set were acquired. One for the healthy behaviour of the developed system, and the other for a programmed faulty scenario. This defective case was realized by introducing a small mechanical fault in one blade extreme of the mechanical propelled system. To note, this faulty scenario is almost impossible to deduce by just seen the raw data. The other objective of this paper is to analyze the obtained data sets by utilizing a statistical data analysis tool. Then, by employing box-plot diagrams, the healthy and faulty cases become evidenced. Finally, and due to we are proposing a low-cost academic experimental platform for fault diagnosis based on data analysis, our platform’s toll was around 120 euros. Hence, this platform results applicable to teach data analysis from dynamical systems