What is Continuous Monitoring? Real-Time Surveillance • Portable balancer, vibration analyzer "Balanset" for dynamic balancing crushers, fans, mulchers, augers on combines, shafts, centrifuges, turbines, and many others rotors What is Continuous Monitoring? Real-Time Surveillance • Portable balancer, vibration analyzer "Balanset" for dynamic balancing crushers, fans, mulchers, augers on combines, shafts, centrifuges, turbines, and many others rotors

What is Continuous Monitoring? Real-Time Surveillance

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Understanding Continuous Monitoring

Definition: What is Continuous Monitoring?

Continuous monitoring is an online monitoring approach where permanently installed sensors and instruments provide uninterrupted, real-time surveillance of equipment condition, processing vibration signals continuously (typically updating displays and alarms every few seconds) to enable immediate detection of abnormal conditions and rapid response to developing problems. Continuous monitoring represents the highest level of equipment surveillance, providing both condition assessment and machinery protection functions.

Unlike periodic measurements (route-based monthly surveys) or even frequent snapshot monitoring (measurements every few minutes), continuous monitoring processes the vibration signal in real-time, enabling detection of rapidly-developing faults, transient events, and providing immediate alarm and trip capability essential for critical turbomachinery and safety-critical applications.

Operating Modes

True Continuous (Real-Time DSP)

  • Signal processed continuously in real-time
  • Overall levels updated every 1-10 seconds
  • Immediate alarm response (< 1 second)
  • Highest level of protection
  • Most expensive implementation

High-Frequency Snapshot

  • Detailed measurements every 1-60 seconds
  • FFT, trending, advanced analysis
  • Between snapshots, simplified monitoring continues
  • Balance between data richness and processing load
  • Common practical implementation

Hybrid Approach

  • Continuous overall level monitoring for protection
  • Periodic detailed analysis (hourly or daily)
  • Event-triggered detailed capture
  • Optimizes processing resources

Key Features

Real-Time Alarming

  • Immediate notification when limits exceeded
  • Multiple alarm levels (alert, alarm, danger, trip)
  • Automatic shutdown capability
  • Response time: seconds to minutes
  • Critical for machinery protection

Transient Capture

  • Automatically records startup and shutdown events
  • Captures alarm-triggering events
  • Preserves data from unusual occurrences
  • Enables post-event analysis

Automatic Trending

  • No human intervention needed
  • Historical data automatically archived
  • Long-term trending (months to years)
  • Statistical analysis of trends

Applications

Turbomachinery

  • Steam and gas turbines
  • Large centrifugal compressors
  • Generators
  • API 670 mandatory for many applications
  • Both condition monitoring and protection

Critical Process Equipment

  • Main process pumps and compressors
  • Equipment with no backup
  • High-consequence failure equipment
  • Continuous process machinery

Remote or Unmanned Facilities

  • Offshore platforms
  • Pipeline compression stations
  • Automated plants
  • Where manual monitoring impractical

Advantages Over Periodic Monitoring

Detection Speed

  • Continuous: Detects problems within seconds to minutes
  • Periodic: Average detection delay = half the interval (2 weeks for monthly route)
  • Benefit: Maximum time for planned response

Event Capture

  • Catches transients during startups, shutdowns, upsets
  • Periodic monitoring misses events between visits
  • Critical for understanding failure progression

Comprehensive Data

  • Complete vibration history
  • Correlation with operating conditions
  • Statistical analysis possible
  • Better fault diagnosis from rich data

Challenges and Costs

Initial Investment

  • Sensors and cabling
  • Monitoring hardware
  • Software licenses
  • Installation and commissioning
  • Typical: $20,000-200,000 per machine

Ongoing Costs

  • Software maintenance and support
  • Sensor recalibration
  • System maintenance
  • Data storage
  • Personnel training

Data Management

  • Large data volumes generated
  • Storage and archiving requirements
  • Data analysis workload
  • Alert fatigue if not properly configured

Best Practices

Alarm Configuration

  • Set appropriate thresholds (not too sensitive, not too lax)
  • Multiple alarm levels with escalating response
  • Test alarm paths and verify response
  • Document alarm setpoints and rationale

Integration

  • Link to DCS for automatic shutdown
  • Interface to CMMS for work orders
  • Notification systems (email, SMS, pager)
  • Historian for long-term data

Human Factors

  • Regular review of monitored data (not just alarms)
  • Periodic testing of alarm and shutdown functions
  • Maintain personnel skills through training
  • Document system operations and configuration

Standards and Regulations

API 670

  • Machinery protection systems standard
  • Mandates continuous monitoring for large turbomachinery
  • Specifies sensor types, quantities, alarm functions
  • Industry standard for critical rotating equipment

ISO 13373-1

  • Vibration condition monitoring procedures
  • Guidance on continuous vs. periodic monitoring
  • Selection criteria

Continuous monitoring provides the highest level of equipment surveillance and protection, enabling real-time fault detection, immediate alarming, and automatic shutdown capabilities essential for critical machinery. While requiring significant investment, continuous monitoring systems deliver maximum reliability and safety for high-value, critical, or safety-sensitive rotating equipment where failure consequences justify comprehensive 24/7 surveillance.

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