Intelligent fault inference for rotating flexible rotors using Bayesian belief network

Flexible rotor is a crucial mechanical component of a diverse range of rotating machineries and its condition monitoring and fault diagnosis are of particular importance to the modern industry. In this paper, Bayesian belief network (BBN) is applied to the fault inference for rotating flexible rotors with attempt to enhance the reasoning capacity under conditions of uncertainty. A generalized three-layer configuration of BBN for the fault inference of rotating machinery is developed by fully incorporating human experts’ knowledge, machine faults and fault symptoms as well as machine running conditions. Compared with the Naive diagnosis network, the proposed topological structure of causalities takes account of more practical and complete diagnostic information in fault diagnosis. The network tallies well with the practical thinking of field experts in the whole processes of machine fault diagnosis. The applications of the proposed BBN network in the uncertainty inference of rotating flexible rotors show good agreements with our knowledge and practical experience of diagnosis.

► Applying Bayesian belief network (BBN) to enhance the reasoning capacity under conditions of uncertainty.
► Developing a generalized three-layer configuration of BBN for the fault inference of rotating machinery.
► Incorporating human experts’ knowledge, machine faults and fault symptoms as well as machine running conditions into the BBN.
► Taking account of more practical and complete diagnostic information in fault diagnosis.