Acoustic monitoring system of critical and technical infrastructure

Automatic detection of sound anomalies caused by technical failures

The T-Sound Monitoring system is designed for continuous acoustic monitoring of critical and technical infrastructures, including machinery and equipment. The aim of monitoring is to capture sound anomalies in time, which are one of the symptoms of a approaching technical failure (abnormal noise, whistling, hiss, etc.).

How does the system work?

The observed object / area is constantly monitored by industrial microphones. Audio information is transmitted from a microphone to a central control system, where it is evaluated in real time using intelligent software.

The T-Sound Monitoring system is designed to be able to detect different types of sound anomalies:

1. characterised of fast / jump changes (punch, burst, explosion, etc.)
2. characterised of very slow changes - the increase in intensity/frequency lasts several hours / days / weeks and therefore they are difficult to recognize during operation (gradual increase in noise, slight whistling and hiss, etc.)

As soon as the T-Sound Monitoring system detects sound changes exceeding the preset values (intensity, frequency, character), it immediately warns the operator of a risky situation. If the system is combined with a camera system, it automatically switches to the central monitor the image from the camera belonging to the sector in which the audio change was registered.

Early warning and sufficient information from the fault location (sound, image) can significantly affect the operator's decisions. Timely and properly controlled intervention can prevent damage or destruction of the device.

System description

The system is composed of three basic subsystems:

1. Industrial microphones that continuously sense sound at the point of interest
2. Infrastructure for the transmission of audio signals
3. Central control system that the audio data from microphones records and evaluates in real time

The monitoring mode is fully automatic and requires no operator presence. During the monitoring mode system displays sound spectrum of sound from connected microphones.

In case that the system detects some sound anomalies at the monitored location, it immediately notifies the operator of the equipment of a risky situation. The current status (normal / alarm) of all audio channels is continuously displayed on the central monitor screen. The operator thus knows at any time exactly where the risk situation just occurred. At the moment of the alert / alarm, the system automatically shows the operator which parameter (intensity / frequency / character) triggered the alarm process.

The captured sound from all connected microphones is continuously recorded and archived in central data storage. Such recorded sound is the ideal base for the post-analysis that, what hapened. The T-Sound Monitoring system is able to replay for the operator the selected sound sequences, mark the critical sound moments, show the frequence spectrum of them and also to grafically show the trends of sound changes in the selected time period.
The results of above mentioned post-analysis give for the operator enough informations to appraisal the situation before the risk event, during it and after it. Occured information can help to determine an exact begining of sound changes and often also a probable cause of the risky event that has occurred.

System properties

• client/server solution - allows you to design large systems with a larger number of workstations
• up to 24 audio channels)
• ready for combination with PTZ cameras with the possibility of presetting positions
• automatic detection of exceeding the preset sound levels
• ready for indoor and outdoor applications
• mono or multi-display of sound spectrum
• long-term sound recording
• analysis of sound records - playback of sequences, display of sound spectrum, trend graphs of sound changes over time
• quick search of video sequence / data for analysis - by date / time or by selecting from the event log
• designed for continuous operation
• intuitive and user-friendly interface

Where can the T-Sound Monitoring system be used?

Wherever it is necessary to identify in good time the risk moments caused by the failure of any part of the equipment (ruptured high pressure pipe, demaged engine or pump, failed conveyer belt, seized bearing, demaged V-belt, demaged hydraulic, etc.).