Fault location of tribo-mechanical systems - a graph theory and matrix approach

A procedure for the fault location of tribe-mechanical systems based on gra ph theory and matrix approach is presented. A component digraph which repre sents the failure propagation network of the tribe-mechanical system is dev eloped for identification of fault location sources and failure paths. Star ting from the nodes that indicate abnormal states, some nodes from the comp onent digraph are selected as the probable candidates of failure origin by back-bracing. These candidates are further screened by using failure propag ation probabilities and failure propagation time between adjacent nodes, an d back-tracing. Finally, the failure propagation probabilities and failure rates of the devices are used to evaluate the ranking order among the scree ned candidates for fault location. The faults are located through pre-proce ssing and alarm processing of the digraph. The methodology is applied to a journal bearing oil supply system for a thermal power plant. (C) 2000 Elsev ier Science Ltd. All rights resented.