US 12,345,614 B2
Sensing system
Craig Strudwicke, Molong (AU); Christopher Haig, Portland, OR (US); Jason Betournay, Portland, OR (US); and Mahesh Gulavani, Bangalore (IN)
Assigned to Weir Group IP Limited, Glasgow (GB)
Appl. No. 17/626,246
Filed by Weir Group IP Limited, Strathclyde (GB)
PCT Filed Jul. 17, 2020, PCT No. PCT/IB2020/056748
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jan. 11, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/014310, PCT Pub. Date Jan. 28, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 1910615 (GB), filed on Jul. 25, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0252485 A1, Aug. 11, 2022
Int. Cl. G01M 99/00 (2011.01); H04Q 9/00 (2006.01)
CPC G01M 99/005 (2013.01) [H04Q 9/00 (2013.01); H04Q 2209/20 (2013.01); H04Q 2209/40 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A sensing system for sensing operational parameters of a single item of minerals processing equipment, the sensing system comprising:
(i) a plurality of intelligent mounting points distributed around the single item of equipment, each intelligent mounting point:
(a) being located at a position on the single item of equipment at which a measurement is to be recorded,
(b) defining a mounting zone into which a sensor may be coupled, and
(c) including a programmable memory storing at least one equipment identification parameter and at least one sensing point parameter, each of which can be electronically transmitted from the programmable memory;
(ii) a plurality of programmable sensors, each sensor being operable in a plurality of operating modes, and at least one of the programmable sensors comprising:
(a) a coupling zone operable to be mounted on the mounting zone of each of the intelligent mounting points,
(b) a memory for storing data captured by the sensor,
(c) a wireless transceiver,
(d) a processor operable to control the operation of that programmable sensor by (i) configuring the programmable sensor for specific measurements that are suited to that part of the equipment at which the intelligent mounting point is located based on the parameters received from the intelligent mounting point programmable memory and (ii) receiving information from the programmable sensor corresponding to those specific measurements, thereby enabling programmable sensors to be configured at the time they are coupled to the equipment and allowing a programmable sensor to be removed and used at a different intelligent mounting point at another location where it can be configured to take different measurements; and
(iii) a data harvester comprising
(a) a wireless transceiver for communicating with the plurality of sensors and a portable device,
(b) a network connection for communicating with a local computer,
(c) a memory for storing data captured by the sensors, and
(d) a controller operable to control the operation of the data harvester, and being programmable to switch the programmable sensors between operating modes.