Tool to predict engine life using ring wear and fuel burned

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10648405-B2
Application number	US-201816488751-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 26, 2018
Priority date	Feb 27, 2017
Publication date	May 12, 2020
Grant date	May 12, 2020

Abstract

Systems, apparatuses, and methods disclosed provide for estimating the remaining life for an engine. The method includes determining a correlation between a quantity of burned fuel and a level of wear of a piston ring for an engine. The level of wear of the piston ring is indicative of a remaining life of the engine. The method also includes determining a current quantity of burned fuel by the engine, and determining the remaining life of the engine based on the correlation and the current quantity of burned fuel by the engine.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a burned fuel determination circuit structured to determine a current quantity of burned fuel by an engine; and
an estimated remaining life determination circuit structured to determine a remaining life of the engine based on the current quantity of burned fuel using a correlation between a quantity of burned fuel and a level of wear of a piston ring for the engine, wherein the level of wear of the piston ring is indicative of the remaining life of the engine.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the piston ring is a second compression ring fitting into a groove on an outer diameter of a piston of the engine, and wherein the level of wear of the piston ring is a level of surface wear of the second compression ring.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a correlation determination circuit structured to determine the correlation between the quantity of burned fuel and the level of wear of the piston ring for the engine.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the determining the correlation comprises establishing the correlation based on data collected during operation of engines of same type as the engine, and wherein the data includes the quantity of burned fuel in relation to the level of wear of the piston ring.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the quantity of burned fuel is determined based on data from an engine control unit (ECU) or data from a fuel usage record.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the level of wear of the piston ring is measured by using a width of wear marking of the piston ring.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the correlation includes a first portion in which the level of wear of the piston ring changes non-linearly with the quantity of burned fuel and a second portion in which the level of wear of the piston ring changes linearly with the quantity of burned fuel.

8. A method, comprising:
determining a current quantity of burned fuel by an engine; and
determining a remaining life of the engine based on the current quantity of burned fuel using a correlation between a quantity of burned fuel and a level of wear of a piston ring for the engine, wherein the level of wear of the piston ring is indicative of the remaining life of the engine.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the piston ring is a second compression ring fitting into a groove on an outer diameter of a piston of the engine, and wherein the level of wear of the piston ring is a level of surface wear of the second compression ring.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising determine the correlation between the quantity of burned fuel and the level of wear of the piston ring for the engine.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the determining the correlation comprises establishing the correlation based on data collected during operation of engines of same type as the engine, and wherein the data includes the quantity of burned fuel in relation to the level of wear of the piston ring.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising determining the quantity of burned fuel based on data from an engine control unit (ECU) or data from a fuel usage record.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising measuring the level of wear of the piston ring using a width of wear marking of the piston ring.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the correlation includes a first portion in which the level of wear of the piston ring changes non-linearly with the quantity of burned fuel and a second portion in which the level of wear of the piston ring changes linearly with the quantity of burned fuel.

15. A system comprising:
a processing circuit structured to:
determine a current quantity of burned fuel by an engine; and
determine a remaining life of the engine based on the current quantity of burned fuel using a correlation between a quantity of burned fuel and a level of wear of a piston ring for the engine, wherein the level of wear of the piston ring is indicative of the remaining life of the engine.

16. The system of claim 15 , further comprising a piston and a second compression ring fitting into a groove on an outer diameter of the piston, wherein the level of wear of the piston ring is a level of surface wear of the second compression ring.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the processing circuit is further structured to determine the correlation between the quantity of burned fuel and the level of wear of the piston ring based on data collected during operation of engines of same type as the engine, and wherein the data includes the quantity of burned fuel in relation to the level of wear of the piston ring.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the quantity of burned fuel is determined based on data from an engine control unit (ECU) or data from a fuel usage record.

19. The system of claim 17 , wherein the level of wear of the piston ring is measured by a width of wear marking of the piston ring.

20. The system of claim 15 , wherein the correlation includes a first portion in which the level of wear of the piston ring changes non-linearly with the quantity of burned fuel and a second portion in which the level of wear of the piston ring changes linearly with the quantity of burned fuel.

Assignees

• Cummins Inc

Inventors

• Doup Douglas C
• Richardson Dan E
• Colvill Jeffrey K
• Brooks Stephen W

Classifications

• G01M15/05

  by combined monitoring of two or more different engine parameters · CPC title

• G01M13/005

  Sealing rings · CPC title

• F16N29/00 Primary

  Special means in lubricating arrangements or systems providing for the indication or detection of undesired conditions; Use of devices responsive to conditions in lubricating arrangements or systems · CPC title

• Y02T10/40

  Engine management systems · CPC title

• F02D41/22

  Safety or indicating devices for abnormal conditions {(in air/fuel ratio feedback systems F02D41/1495, in electric control linkage F02D11/107, in purge control systems F02M25/0809)} · CPC title