Damage Detection and Identification on Elevator Systems Using Deep Learning Algorithms and Multibody Dynamics Models

Timely damage detection on a mechanical system can prevent the appearance of catastrophic damage in it, as well as allow for better scheduling of its maintenance and repair process. For this purpose, multiple signal analysis methods have been developed to help identify anomalies in a system, through quantities such as vibrations or deformations in its critical components. In most applications, however, these data may be scarce or inexistent, hindering the overall process. For this purpose, a novel approach for damage detection and identification on elevator systems is developed in this work, where vibration data obtained through physical measurements and high-fidelity multibody dynamics models are combined with deep learning algorithms. High-quality training data are first generated through multibody dynamics simulations and are then combined with healthy state vibration measurements to train an ensemble of autoencoders and convolutional neural networks for damage detection and classification. A dedicated data acquisition system is then developed and integrated with an elevator cabin, allowing for condition monitoring through this novel methodology. The results indicate that the developed framework can accurately identify damages in the system, hinting at its potential as a powerful structural health monitoring tool for such applications, where manual damage localization would otherwise be considerably time-consuming.