Noise Reduction of Steam Trap Based on SSA-VMD Improved Wavelet Threshold Function

The performance of steam traps plays an important role in the normal operation of steam systems. It also contributes to the improvement of thermal efficiency of steam-using equipment and the rational use of energy. As an important component of the steam system, it is crucial to monitor the state of...

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Main Authors: Shuxun Li, Qian Zhao, Jinwei Liu, Xuedong Zhang, Jianjun Hou
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-03-01
Series:Sensors
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/5/1573
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author Shuxun Li
Qian Zhao
Jinwei Liu
Xuedong Zhang
Jianjun Hou
author_facet Shuxun Li
Qian Zhao
Jinwei Liu
Xuedong Zhang
Jianjun Hou
author_sort Shuxun Li
collection DOAJ
description The performance of steam traps plays an important role in the normal operation of steam systems. It also contributes to the improvement of thermal efficiency of steam-using equipment and the rational use of energy. As an important component of the steam system, it is crucial to monitor the state of the steam trap and establish a correlation between the acoustic emission signal and the internal leakage state. However, in actual test environments, the acoustic emission sensor often collects various background noises alongside the valve internal leakage acoustic emission signal. Therefore, to minimize the impact of environmental noise on valve internal leakage identification, it is necessary to preprocess the original acoustic emission signals through noise reduction before identification. To address the above problems, a denoising method based on a sparrow search algorithm, variational modal decomposition, and improved wavelet thresholding is proposed. The sparrow search algorithm, using minimum envelope entropy as the fitness function, optimizes the decomposition level <i>K</i> and the penalty factor α of the variational modal decomposition algorithm. This removes modes with higher entropy in the modal envelopes. Subsequently, wavelet threshold denoising is applied to the remaining modes, and the denoised signal is reconstructed. Validation analysis demonstrates that the combination of SSA-VMD and the improved wavelet threshold function effectively filters out noise from the signal. Compared to traditional thresholding methods, this approach increases the signal-to-noise ratio and reduces the root-mean-square error, significantly enhancing the noise reduction effect on the steam trap’s background noise signal.
format Article
id doaj-art-a80283c135f544f28bb70c2b88015f01
institution DOAJ
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language English
publishDate 2025-03-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Sensors
spelling doaj-art-a80283c135f544f28bb70c2b88015f012025-08-20T02:59:01ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202025-03-01255157310.3390/s25051573Noise Reduction of Steam Trap Based on SSA-VMD Improved Wavelet Threshold FunctionShuxun Li0Qian Zhao1Jinwei Liu2Xuedong Zhang3Jianjun Hou4School of Petrochemical Technology, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou 730050, ChinaSchool of Petrochemical Technology, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou 730050, ChinaMachinery Industry Pump Special Valve Engineering Research Center, Lanzhou 730050, ChinaMachinery Industry Pump Special Valve Engineering Research Center, Lanzhou 730050, ChinaSchool of Petrochemical Technology, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou 730050, ChinaThe performance of steam traps plays an important role in the normal operation of steam systems. It also contributes to the improvement of thermal efficiency of steam-using equipment and the rational use of energy. As an important component of the steam system, it is crucial to monitor the state of the steam trap and establish a correlation between the acoustic emission signal and the internal leakage state. However, in actual test environments, the acoustic emission sensor often collects various background noises alongside the valve internal leakage acoustic emission signal. Therefore, to minimize the impact of environmental noise on valve internal leakage identification, it is necessary to preprocess the original acoustic emission signals through noise reduction before identification. To address the above problems, a denoising method based on a sparrow search algorithm, variational modal decomposition, and improved wavelet thresholding is proposed. The sparrow search algorithm, using minimum envelope entropy as the fitness function, optimizes the decomposition level <i>K</i> and the penalty factor α of the variational modal decomposition algorithm. This removes modes with higher entropy in the modal envelopes. Subsequently, wavelet threshold denoising is applied to the remaining modes, and the denoised signal is reconstructed. Validation analysis demonstrates that the combination of SSA-VMD and the improved wavelet threshold function effectively filters out noise from the signal. Compared to traditional thresholding methods, this approach increases the signal-to-noise ratio and reduces the root-mean-square error, significantly enhancing the noise reduction effect on the steam trap’s background noise signal.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/5/1573steam trapsparrow optimization algorithmimproved threshold functionsignal-to-noise ratioroot-mean-square error
spellingShingle Shuxun Li
Qian Zhao
Jinwei Liu
Xuedong Zhang
Jianjun Hou
Noise Reduction of Steam Trap Based on SSA-VMD Improved Wavelet Threshold Function
Sensors
steam trap
sparrow optimization algorithm
improved threshold function
signal-to-noise ratio
root-mean-square error
title Noise Reduction of Steam Trap Based on SSA-VMD Improved Wavelet Threshold Function
title_full Noise Reduction of Steam Trap Based on SSA-VMD Improved Wavelet Threshold Function
title_fullStr Noise Reduction of Steam Trap Based on SSA-VMD Improved Wavelet Threshold Function
title_full_unstemmed Noise Reduction of Steam Trap Based on SSA-VMD Improved Wavelet Threshold Function
title_short Noise Reduction of Steam Trap Based on SSA-VMD Improved Wavelet Threshold Function
title_sort noise reduction of steam trap based on ssa vmd improved wavelet threshold function
topic steam trap
sparrow optimization algorithm
improved threshold function
signal-to-noise ratio
root-mean-square error
url https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/5/1573
work_keys_str_mv AT shuxunli noisereductionofsteamtrapbasedonssavmdimprovedwaveletthresholdfunction
AT qianzhao noisereductionofsteamtrapbasedonssavmdimprovedwaveletthresholdfunction
AT jinweiliu noisereductionofsteamtrapbasedonssavmdimprovedwaveletthresholdfunction
AT xuedongzhang noisereductionofsteamtrapbasedonssavmdimprovedwaveletthresholdfunction
AT jianjunhou noisereductionofsteamtrapbasedonssavmdimprovedwaveletthresholdfunction