Reciprocating machinery monitoring system and method

1. A method for monitoring at least one reciprocating machine having a crankshaft and at least one cylinder, comprising the steps of:

providing at least one magnetic pickup sensor for monitoring a movable metallic component of the at least one reciprocating machine, the at least one magnetic pickup sensor being in communication with at least one processor configured to determine an angular position of the crankshaft based on data received from the magnetic pickup sensor;

providing at least one sensor for monitoring the at least one cylinder, the sensor being in communication with at least one processor configured to measure at least one signal from the at least one sensor;

selecting at least one subset of potential crankshaft angular positions;

calculating at least one statistic associated with the at least one subset of possible crankshaft angular positions based at least partially on data from the at least one sensor; and

generating an indication regarding how often the at least one statistic exceeded at least one predetermined threshold during a monitoring period;

wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one piezoelectric acoustic emission sensor configured to detect sound waves that travel in the material of the at least one reciprocating machine;

wherein the indication comprises a change in a gradient of a representation on a user interface associated with the at least one subset of possible crankshaft angular positions for a predetermined valve.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one statistic comprises at least one of the following:

a peak value, a peak to peak value, a root mean square value, or any combination thereof of an acoustic emission or vibration signal associated with at the least one subset of potential crankshaft angular positions.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of segments of potential crankshaft angular positions are identified at regular intervals from 0 to 360 degrees, and the at least one subset of potential crankshaft angular positions consists of one or more of the identified segments.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the at least one warning comprises an indication as to in which of the plurality of identified segments the at least one threshold has been exceeded.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one threshold is determined by:

determining a baseline signal for the at least one subset of potential crankshaft angular positions by measuring the at least one signal when the machine is known to be operating normally; and

conducting statistical analysis to determine whether the at least one signal is significantly different than the baseline signal.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the at least one predetermined threshold comprises a plurality of thresholds; and

the at least one warning comprises a plurality of different warnings associated with each of the predetermined thresholds.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

displaying the at least one warning on a computer or mobile device having a user interface, wherein:

each of the plurality of thresholds is assigned a color; and

the at least one warning comprises changing a color of an indicator on the user interface to the color associated with the most significant of the plurality of thresholds that has been exceeded.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the at least one sensor comprises a plurality of sensors, each sensor being associated with one of a plurality of cylinders of the machine, and the at least one processor is further configured to indicate which of the plurality of cylinders wherein a threshold has been exceeded.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the at least one reciprocating machine comprises a plurality of machines at remote locations, and the at least one processor is further configured to indicate in which of the plurality of machines wherein a threshold has been exceeded, and wherein:

at least two of the plurality of machines comprise geographic information systems;

the warning is communicated via at least one network to at least one computer or mobile device having a user interface; and

the user is provided with an indication as to the location of the reciprocating machine wherein a threshold has been exceeded.

10. A system for monitoring at least one reciprocating machine having a crankshaft and at least one cylinder, comprising:

at least one magnetic pickup sensor for monitoring a movable metallic component of the at least one reciprocating machine, the at least one magnetic pickup sensor being in communication with at least one processor configured to determine an angular position of the crankshaft based on data received from the magnetic pickup sensor;

at least one sensor for monitoring the at least one cylinder, the sensor being in communication with at least one processor configured to measure at least one signal from the at least one sensor; and

at least one computer configured to, either automatically or in response to a user commend, select at least one subset of potential crankshaft angular positions, calculate at least one statistic associated with the at least one subset of possible crankshaft angular positions based least partially on data from the at least one sensor, and communicate to a user an indication regarding how often the at least one statistic exceeded at least one predetermined threshold during a monitoring period;

wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one piezoelectric acoustic emission sensor configured to detect sound waves that travel in the material of the at least one reciprocating machine;

wherein the indication comprises a change in a gradient of a representation on a user interface associated with the at least one subset of possible crankshaft angular positions for a predetermined valve.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the at least one statistic comprises at least one of the following:

a peak value, a peak to peak value, a root mean square value, or any combination thereof of an acoustic emission or vibration signal associated with at the least one subset of potential crankshaft angular positions.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the at least one computer is further configured to identify a plurality of segments of potential crankshaft angular positions at regular intervals from 0 to 360 degrees, and the at least one subset of potential crankshaft angular positions consists of one or more of the identified segments.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the at least one warning comprises an indication as to in which of the plurality of identified segments the at least one threshold has been exceeded.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the at least one threshold is determined by:

determining a baseline signal for the at least one subset of potential crankshaft angular positions by measuring the at least one signal when the machine is known to be operating normally; and

conducting statistical analysis to determine whether the at least one signal is significantly different than the baseline signal.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein:

the at least one predetermined threshold comprises a plurality of thresholds; and

the at least one warning comprises a plurality of different warnings associated with each of the predetermined thresholds.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein:

the at least one computer is further configured to display the at least one warning on a user interface, wherein:

each of the plurality of thresholds is assigned a color; and

the at least one warning comprises changing a color of an indicator on the user interface to the color associated with the most significant of the plurality of thresholds that has been exceeded.

17. The system of claim 10 , wherein:

the at least one sensor comprises a plurality of sensors, each sensor being associated with one of a plurality of cylinders of the machine, and the at least one processor is further configured to indicate which of the plurality of cylinders wherein a threshold has been exceeded.

18. The system of claim 10 , wherein:

the at least one reciprocating machine comprises a plurality of machines at remote locations, and the at least one processor is further configured to indicate in which of the plurality of machines wherein a threshold has been exceeded, and wherein:

at least two of the plurality of machines comprise geographic information systems;

the warning is communicated via at least one network to at least one computer or mobile device having a user interface; and

the user is provided with an indication as to the location of the reciprocating machine wherein a threshold has been exceeded.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication comprises a change in a gradient of a representation on a user interface associated with the at least one subset of possible crankshaft angular positions for a predetermined valve.

20. The method of claim 10 , wherein the indication comprises a change in a gradient of a representation on a user interface associated with the at least one subset of possible crankshaft angular positions for a predetermined valve.