*** 96-60548 Cutler This Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Phase I project will investigate the collection and analysis of sound generated by in-situ process equipment as a diagnostic of process state. The new technique will combine acoustic beam forming for isolation and monitoring of specific sound generation sites and analysis of sound signatures for determination of equipment operational parameters. Sound and vibration generated by equipment is a reliable indication of equipment state. This technique will allow focused monitoring of system elements not typically accessed (such as piping) and high level, supervisory monitoring of overall process state without extensive hardware installation. Inclusion of valves and piping will permit automated detection and localization of system malfunctions such as leaks, turbulence, and steam hammering that are not treatable with traditional process monitoring equipment. Phase I will develop a low cost, easily customizable instrument that will be equally applicable to installation in new manufacturing plants and to non-intrusive retrofit of existing plants. Commercial applications are expected in large predictive maintenance market. Low cost installation, simple operation, and small personnel requirements will be useful in the process monitoring and predictive maintenance fields. ***
