EPM and National University Receive Patent on Rotor Diagnostic System for Power Plants

A technology to monitor power generation devices, developed jointly by Medellín-based utility Empresas Públicas de Medellín (EPM) and the National University of Colombia, has received a patent in Colombia and is now seeking a patent in the United States.

Guillermo Mesa, a professor at National University and one of the inventors of the Rotor Diagnostic System. (Photo credit: EPM)

Along with funding from the public science and technology institution Colciencias, the two organizations partnered to develop the Rotor Diagnostic System, a method to perform real-time monitoring of rotors in use at the power generation plants.

Two key benefits of the technology, according to EPM, is that it aids in the early detection of machine failures and allows operators to conduct maintenance without shutting down the machines.

With the patent and proof of concept working in power plants, the company also believes that this system could be used for related applications in other industries, including water plants, mining, and automotive production.

“With this system we can see small anomalies hidden in the middle of the daily operation of the power generators,” said Guillermo Mesa, professor at National University in Medellín and one of the inventors of the Rotor Diagnostic System. “In a way, it is about detecting problems technically imperceptible by conventional systems.”

Photo: The Rotor Diagnostic System developed by EPM and the National University of Colombia. (Credit: EPM)