Analysis of the Time Series of Compressed Air Flow and Pressure and Determining Criteria for Diagnosing Causes of Pressure Drop in Pneumatic Systems

This article explores the possibility of diagnosing unwanted pressure drops in pneumatic systems. The proposed algorithm aims to distinguish the causes and location of their occurrence. The diagnostics clearly distinguish pressure drops caused by supply lines from those caused in the main or branch lines of an industrial pneumatic system. Pressure drops in pneumatic systems are one of the main causes of increased energy consumption. For the energy and resource optimization of pneumatic systems, it is essential to detect and locate the causes of pressure drops. This article proposes an approach for using the time diagrams of two measurable variables—flow rate and pressure—at the inlet of the end consumer (machine). Based on constant monitoring and a correlation relationship between the two time series, we determined indicators for detecting and locating unwanted pressure drops. In order to verify the proposed approach and the performed analysis, in general, we made observations of 16 real production machines and lines.