Brush holder assembly monitoring apparatus, assembly, system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10249999-B2
Application number	US-201715413908-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 24, 2017
Priority date	May 24, 2007
Publication date	Apr 2, 2019
Grant date	Apr 2, 2019

Abstract

Methods and systems for monitoring a brush holder assembly and/or detecting wear of a brush in a brush holder assembly are disclosed. One method includes sending data from a plurality of remote monitoring locations to a central control unit, where the data may be evaluated in order to monitor states of brushes at a plurality of remote electrical facilities. For example, multiple images of a marker tracking longitudinal movement of the brush may be acquired. A comparison of the images, for example, a comparative imaging technique, such as pixel-by-pixel comparison, may then be performed in order to evaluate a condition of the brush, such as the wear rate, wear state, or life expectancy of the brush.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of monitoring a brush holder assembly of an electrical device including a carbon brush, the carbon brush of the brush holder assembly being in contact with a rotating conductive surface, the brush holder assembly permitting linear movement of the carbon brush toward the rotating conductive surface as the carbon brush wears, the method comprising:
acquiring data indicative of linear displacement of the carbon brush relative to the brush holder assembly; and
evaluating the data to estimate a remaining life expectancy of the carbon brush.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
receiving the data at a central control unit off-site from the brush holder assembly.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of evaluating the data is performed at the central control unit.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
scheduling maintenance of the brush holder assembly.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
routing personnel to inspect the brush holder assembly.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
scheduling distribution or delivery of a replacement brush for the brush holder assembly.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of evaluating the data includes comparing actual acquired data with modeled data.

8. A method of monitoring a brush holder assembly of an electrical device including a carbon brush, the carbon brush of the brush holder assembly being in contact with a rotating conductive surface, the brush holder assembly permitting linear movement of the carbon brush toward the rotating conductive surface as the carbon brush wears, the method comprising:
acquiring data indicative of linear displacement of the carbon brush relative to the brush holder assembly; and
evaluating the data to estimate a current wear rate of the carbon brush.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the step of evaluating the data includes comparing actual acquired data with modeled data.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising the step of:
receiving the data at a central control unit off-site from the brush holder assembly.

11. A method of monitoring a brush holder assembly of an electrical device at a plurality of remote monitoring locations, the brush holder assembly at each of the plurality of remote monitoring locations including a carbon brush in contact with a rotating conductive surface, the brush holder assembly permitting linear movement of the carbon brush toward the rotating conductive surface as the carbon brush wears, the method comprising:
acquiring data indicative of linear displacement of each of the carbon brushes relative to the respective brush holder assembly at each of the plurality of remote monitoring locations;
evaluating the data to estimate a remaining life expectancy of each of the carbon brushes being monitored; and
receiving the data at a central control unit in communication with the plurality of remote monitoring locations.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the step of evaluating the data is performed with a processing unit at each of the plurality of remote monitoring locations.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the step of evaluating the data is performed with a processing unit at the central control unit.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising the step of:
alerting personnel of an anomalous or threshold condition at one of the plurality of remote monitoring locations.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising the step of scheduling maintenance at one of the plurality of remote monitoring locations.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising the step of routing personnel to one of the plurality of remote monitoring locations.

17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising the step of scheduling distribution or delivery of a replacement brush to one of the plurality of remote monitoring locations.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of remote monitoring locations are networked with the central control unit.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the step of evaluating the data includes comparing actual acquired data with modeled data.

Assignees

• Cutsforth Inc

Inventors

• Cutsforth Robert S

Classifications

• G08B21/182

  Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold · CPC title

• G06Q10/20

  Administration of product repair or maintenance · CPC title

• H01R39/58 Primary

  Means structurally associated with the current collector for indicating condition thereof, e.g. for indicating brush wear · CPC title

• G06Q10/1097

  using calendar-based scheduling for task assignment · CPC title

• G05B2219/50185

  Monitoring, detect failures, control of efficiency of machine, tool life · CPC title