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Title: Automated detection and location of structural degradation

Conference ·
OSTI ID:463639

The investigation of a diagnostic method for detecting and locating the source of structural degradation in mechanical systems is described in this paper. The diagnostic method uses a mathematical model of the mechanical system to define relationships between system parameters, such as spring rates and damping rates, and measurable spectral features, such as natural frequencies and mode shapes. These model-defined relationships are incorporated into a neural network, which is used to relate measured spectral features to system parameters. The diagnosis of the system`s condition is performed by presenting the neural network with measured spectral features and comparing the system parameters estimated by the neural network to previously estimated values. Changes in the estimated system parameters indicate the location and severity of degradation in the mechanical system. The investigation applied the method by using computer-simulated data and data collected form a bench-top mechanical system. The effects of neural network training set size and composition on the accuracy of the model parameter estimates were investigated by using computer simulated data. The results show that diagnostic method can be applied to successfully locate and estimate the magnitude of structural changes in a mechanical system. The average error in the estimated spring rate values of the bench-top mechanical system was less than 10%. This degree of accuracy is sufficient to permit the use of this method for detecting and locating structural degradation in mechanical systems.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration, Washington, DC (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
AC05-96OR22464
OSTI ID:
463639
Report Number(s):
CONF-970591-1; ON: DE97004125; TRN: AHC29709%%76
Resource Relation:
Conference: MACRON 97: international conference on maintenance and reliability, Knoxville, TN (United States), 20-22 May 1997; Other Information: PBD: [1997]
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English