Identification of Selected Failures in a Pipe Conveyor’s Operation with the Use of the Discrimination Method Based on Continuous Measurement

This paper deals with research on the operational process monitoring of a pipe conveyor for the needs of online diagnostics. The aim of this research is to verify the possibility of identifying the selected pipe conveyor’s failures in its straight section during operation (a missing roller in the idler housing, absent material on the conveyor belt) with the use of a discrimination method. This is an attempt to implement digital transformation with the aim of verifying its possibilities and limitations. The basis for discrimination is a continuous measurement and evaluation of measured values of contact forces in certain rollers’ positions in the hexagonal idler housing. Within this research, eight different measurement regimes were implemented. The use of the method was verified with simulated data using the trace table. We aimed to create prerequisites for online monitoring, which, based on digital transformation, will be deployed to control a transport system. The measurement was realized with the maximum tension force of 28,000 N. From the measurements, a decision-making algorithm was proposed to identify selected failures in the pipe conveyor operation with the use of the discrimination method. Within the algorithm, classifying criteria were determined, in the range of 57 N ÷ 251 N. The results confirm the method’s suitability for its practical assurance of pipe conveyors’ failure-free operation, as the failures were always identified sufficiently in advance, thanks to which, in practice, there was no further damage to the diagnosed devices.