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The Use of Magnetic Sensors in Monitoring the Condition of the Core in Steel
Cord Conveyor Belts – Tests of the Measuring Probe and the Design of the
DiagBelt System
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Measurement
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/measurement
The use of magnetic sensors in monitoring the condition of the core in steel T
cord conveyor belts – Tests of the measuring probe and the design of the
DiagBelt system
⁎ ⁎
Ryszard Błażeja, Leszek Jurdziakb, Tomasz Kozłowskia, , Agata Kirjanówb,
a
Machinery Systems Division, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Poland
b
Economics of Industry and Geoeconomics Division, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Poland
A R T I C LE I N FO A B S T R A C T
Keywords: The DiagBelt system for monitoring the technical condition of conveyor belts comprises five modules: a vision
Conveyor belt module, a magnetic module, a prediction module, a rip detection (prevention) module, and a safety factor
NDT method module. This article focuses on the magnetic module, which consists of the BeltGuardTM measuring probe and
Non-destructive testing the DiagBelt application, the latter being used to process the digital signal produced by changing magnetic field
Diagnosis
generated around defects in the magnetized steel cord. Owing to the high resolution of the multi-coil measuring
Belt damage
probe, it is possible to detect not only cuts of individual cords but also broken wires in the cords, and even the
Magnetic method automatic detection
corrosion of cords in the core. The application automatically and precisely detects the location of defects along
the belt axis and on the belt section (due to the position of the coil which traces the changes in the magnetic
field). It also detects the location of all splices in the belt loop. This function allows the changes to be visualized
as a 2D image of belt core defects on all belt sections and splices. The system automatically divides the belt into
sections and counts the defects and their surface area, thus offering useful damage measurement units such as
damage density or damage surface area per 1 running meter of belt. These in turn serve as the basis for a color-
coded image showing the condition of belt loop sections in the DiagBelt system. Such comprehensive diagnostics
of conveyor belts and their splices reduces the number of unexpected failures and facilitates the planning of
maintenance works and of belt replacement procedures, thus contributing to improved conveyor belt manage-
ment.
⁎
Corresponding authors.
E-mail addresses: ryszard.blazej@pwr.edu.pl (R. Błażej), leszek.jurdziak@pwr.edu.pl (L. Jurdziak), t.kozlowski@pwr.edu.pl (T. Kozłowski),
agata.kirjanow@pwr.edu.pl (A. Kirjanów).
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.measurement.2018.03.051
Received 29 September 2017; Received in revised form 9 February 2018; Accepted 20 March 2018
Available online 21 March 2018
0263-2241/ © 2018 Published by Elsevier Ltd.
R. Błażej et al. Measurement 123 (2018) 48–53
in one cord, identify its location on the belt and measure its length and
width (Fig. 6).
This article offers a detailed presentation of the DiagBelt magnetic
system intended for inspections of conveyor belts with steel cords. The
system has been developed in the Machinery Systems Division at
Wroclaw University of Science and Technology. It is the result of re-
search performed for many years, as described in earlier works [15–17].
Fig. 2. The example scan of the belt segment between splices (14-9A) with 3 measuring tracks and identified failures (80–85) which has to be found by visual
inspection, e.g. event 80 with 9 cut steel cords.
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R. Błażej et al. Measurement 123 (2018) 48–53
Fig. 4. The measurement system during conveyor belt tests in an underground mine: (a) two magnets which constantly magnetize the core prior to the measurement;
(b) the measuring probe installed above the idler in order to eliminate the influence of belt flexure/vibrationson the results; (c) tachometer; (d) mobile computer with
software and with data acquisition module.
Fig. 5. 2D image of the belt core in the test conveyor as viewed in the Belt Analysis application; (a) threshold set too low – noise; (b) threshold set too high –
undetected small size defects and weak signal from belt splices; (c) correct threshold.
Fig. 6. The development of corrosion in a single cord of the test belt, as imaged in the Belt Analysis application; (a) before corrosion – cord not damaged; (b) 1st stage
of corrosion development; (c) 2nd stage of corrosion development; (d) 3rd stage of corrosion development.
allow for various parameters, including cord diameter, their density, and the change from positive to negative indicates the location where
belt speed and the distance between the measuring probe and the belt, the discontinuity ends. Therefore, the blue area corresponds to the
as well as to correspond to the user’s experience and requirements. At defective area of the core. Hence, of the compressed digital record, only
an excessively low threshold, the generated noise will be caused by belt positive cells (+1) can be subjected to statistical analysis, since they
movement and not by defects. At an excessively high threshold, on the represent the surface area of defects.
other hand, only splices and largest defects will be detected. Fig. 4 The measuring probe is mounted to the conveyor over a flat section
shows the system during measurements on a belt conveyor operated in of the belt. It is recommended that the probe is located at a contact
an underground mine, and Fig. 5 shows the results for different point between the belt and the idler. Thus, the distance between the
thresholds obtained from the core of a belt installed on the test con- belt and the probe is kept constant and the influence of flexure/vibra-
veyor. These are raw data represented in the Belt Analysis application tions in the moving belt is eliminated. This phenomenon has a negative
provided by BeltScan. Gray color indicates no damage (0), yellow color influence on the amplitudes of magnetic field changes.
indicates the negative field (−1) and blue color indicates positive field The measurement system detects not only cut cords and individual
(+1). The change of magnetic field from negative to positive corre- wires in the cords, but also their corrosion. The tests in laboratory
sponds to the location where discontinuity in the cord’s structure starts, conditions were performed on a belt with fabricated defects (Fig. 5c).
50
R. Błażej et al. Measurement 123 (2018) 48–53
Fig. 7. Corroded cord of the test belt in various stages of corrosion development: (a) 1st stage; (b) 2nd stage; (c) 3rd stage.
The influence of corrosion on the signal generated in the Belt Analysis meter of the belt section (i.e. to the damage density), as identified
application is shown in subsequent figures (Fig. 6). during the inspection of the belt loop. The user is able to measure the
Fig. 7 shows digital photographs of a corroded cord in various stages size of a single defect and to automatically count the number of defects.
of corrosion development. The corrosion was stimulated by treating the Quantifying defects and comparing data from various measurement
cord with saturated solution of table salt (NaCl) in water. In order to periods gives the possibility to use statistical methods and exporting the
accelerate corrosion, prior to final measurement (after 2nd stage of data to a text file allows analyses along the belt axis (length) and over
corrosion development), the cord was treated with a solution of water its cross-section (width). Threshold values set by the user allow dis-
and copper(II) sulfate (CuSO4). tinguishing five degrees of belt wear: no wear, minor wear, average
The Belt Analysis application enables the data on belt core condition wear, wear requiring repair/replacement during planned downtime,
to be exported to an external ∗.CSV (comma-separated values) file. This wear requiring immediate replacement. These values are represented
function offers a significant advantage in comparison to other mea- on the right hand side of the window, above the loop. Such graphical
surement systems and, together with high resolution, was a major representation of the results enables quick estimation of an actual
reason behind the selection of this system for further research and de- condition of the belt (its individual sections) operated on the conveyor
velopment. and provides grounds for making decisions on further action.
Since the data on defects could be processed in external applica- First measurements were performed on a test conveyor, while sub-
tions, it was possible to develop an original DiagBelt application which sequent tests covered different types of belts operated in real conditions
offers improved capabilities and functions to the measurement system. in both underground and open cast mines. By manipulating the
thresholds, it was possible to adjust the measurement system to the
technical specification of a given conveyor (speed, belt width,
3. DiagBelt application strength). Fig. 9 above shows a fragment of a report from tests per-
formed in an underground mine. It includes a number of basic technical
The algorithms of the DiagBelt application which convert the digital details about the measurement as well as the results of tests represented
data received from the measuring probe include: signal segmentation in graphical form and in tables.
aimed at isolating a full belt loop cycle, splice detection and the de- The defects may be represented along the belt axis in the form of a
tection of defect-related pulse changes in the signal’s magnetic field. damage density histogram, i.e. the number of defects per 1 running
Information about the number and the parameters of automatically meter of belt (Fig. 10). By comparing the frequency, it is possible to
detected splices, including the 2D image, allows the user to subjectively view relative differences in the rate of core damage in various locations
evaluate the quality of splices and their technical condition during on the cross-section, while the number of defects per 1 running meter
operation on the conveyor. The test results showing the condition of allows the comparison of different belt fragments with each other.
belt sections are represented in the main window of the application
(Fig. 8). The view of unfolded belt loop with automatically detected belt
sections occupies the central part of the window. The colors of in-
dividual belt sections correspond to the number of defects per 1 running
Fig. 8. The view of the magnetic module’s main window with a graphic representation of the degree of wear and tear for the segments in the belt loop.
51
R. Błażej et al. Measurement 123 (2018) 48–53
Fig. 10. Damage density histogram (number of defects per 1 running meter of belt) for the whole loop (above) or for onen of its fragments (complete section between
splices, fragment of a section).
52
R. Błażej et al. Measurement 123 (2018) 48–53
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