Control of multiple engines using one or more parameters associated with the multiple engines

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10927774-B2
Application number	US-201816121145-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 4, 2018
Priority date	Sep 4, 2018
Publication date	Feb 23, 2021
Grant date	Feb 23, 2021

Abstract

An engine controller to control a plurality of engines is disclosed. The engine controller may identify a plurality of engines configured to provide power to a load, wherein the plurality of engines have a first set of priorities associated with providing the power to the load; receive a plurality of parameters from a plurality of monitoring devices monitoring the plurality of engines; calculate a plurality of metrics corresponding to the plurality of engines based on the plurality of parameters; determine, based on the plurality of metrics, that a switching condition is satisfied to switch from the first set of priorities to a second set of priorities for the plurality of engines; determine the second set of priorities for the plurality of engines based on the plurality of metrics; and cause the plurality of engines to provide respective amounts of power to the load based on the second set of priorities.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
identifying, by a device, a plurality of engines configured to provide power to a load,
wherein the plurality of engines have a first set of priorities associated with providing the power to the load;

receiving, by the device, a plurality of parameters from a plurality of monitoring devices monitoring the plurality of engines;
calculating, by the device, a plurality of metrics corresponding to the plurality of engines based on the plurality of parameters;
determining, by the device and based on the plurality of metrics, that a switching condition is satisfied to switch from the first set of priorities to a second set of priorities for the plurality of engines;
determining, by the device and based on determining that the switching condition is satisfied, whether the device is ok to switch; and
causing, by the device, the plurality of engines to provide respective amounts of power to the load based on the first set of priorities when the device is not ok to switch and based on the second set of priorities when the device is ok to switch.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating a ranking of the plurality of engines according to the plurality of metrics;
determining a total amount of power that is to be provided to the load; and
configuring the second set of priorities according to the ranking and the total amount of power to be provided to the load.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the switching condition is satisfied comprises:
determining that a value of a metric, of the plurality of metrics, is not within a range of respective values of remaining metrics of the plurality of metrics; and
determining that the switching condition is satisfied based on the value of the metric not being within the range of respective values of the remaining metrics.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein two engines, of the plurality of engines, are mechanically coupled, such that the two engines are to be controlled to have a same engine speed,
wherein determining the second set of priorities for the plurality of engines comprises:
determining the second set of priorities for the plurality of engines further based on the two engines being mechanically coupled.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein a monitoring device, of the plurality of monitoring devices, includes one or more of:
a vibration sensor;
an oil quality sensor;
a speed sensor;
a fuel sensor;
a power output sensor;
a pressure sensor; or
a temperature sensor.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of metrics comprise respective amounts of remaining kilowatt hours that respective ones of the plurality of engines are expected to provide until the respective ones of the plurality of engines are expected to experience a failure or need maintenance.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of engines comprise a plurality of generators and the power provided to the load comprises electrical power.

8. A device, comprising:
one or more memories; and
one or more processors, communicatively coupled to the one or more memories, to:
identify a plurality of engines configured to provide power to a load,
wherein the plurality of engines have a first set of priorities associated with providing the power to the load;

obtain a plurality of parameters corresponding to the plurality of engines;
determine a plurality of metrics corresponding to the plurality of engines based on the plurality of parameters;
determine, based on the plurality of metrics, that a switching condition is satisfied to switch from the first set of priorities to a second set of priorities for the plurality of engines;
determine, based on determining that the switching condition is satisfied, whether the device is ok to switch; and
cause the plurality of engines to provide respective amounts of power to the load based on the first set of priorities when the device is not ok to switch and based on the second set of priorities when the device is ok to switch.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of metrics include respective amounts of remaining kilowatt hours that respective engines of the plurality of engines are expected to provide until the respective engines of the plurality of engines are expected to experience a failure or need maintenance.

10. The device of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors, when determining that the switching condition is satisfied, are to:
determine that a value of a metric, of the plurality of metrics, is not within a threshold difference of an average value of remaining metrics of the plurality of metrics; and
determine that the switching condition is satisfied based on the value of the metric not being within the threshold difference of the average value of the remaining metrics.

11. The device of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors, when determining that the switching condition is satisfied, are to:
determine that an operation associated with the load can be performed in association with the switch from the first set of priorities to the second set of priorities based on the plurality of parameters and a characteristic of the load.

12. The device of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of parameters corresponding to the plurality of engines are received from corresponding monitoring devices associated with the plurality of engines.

13. The device of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of engines comprise a plurality of generators and the power provided to the load is electrical power.

14. The device of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of engines are all a same type of engine.

15. A system comprising:
a plurality of engines;
a plurality of monitoring devices configured to monitor the plurality of engines;
a plurality of engine control modules corresponding to the plurality of engines; and
a controller to:
identify a first set of priorities associated with the plurality of engines providing power to a load;
obtain a plurality of parameters from the plurality of monitoring devices;
determine a plurality of metrics corresponding to the plurality of engines based on the plurality of parameters;
determine, based on the plurality of metrics, that a switching condition is satisfied to switch from the first set of priorities to a second set of priorities associated with providing power to the load;
determine, and based on determining that the switching condition is satisfied, whether the device is ok to switch; and
cause the plurality of engine control modules to control the plurality of engines to provide respective amounts of power to the load based on the first set of priorities when the device is not ok to switch and based on the second set of priorities when the device is ok to switch.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the controller is to:
generate a ranking of the plurality of engines according to the plurality of metrics;
determine a total amount of power that is to be provided to the load; and
configure the second set of priorities according to the ranking and the total amount of power to be provided to the load.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of metrics comprise respective remaining amounts of kilowatt hours that are estimated to be provided by the plurality of engines, and
the controller, when determining that the switching condition is satisfied, is to:
determine that a value of an amount of remaining kilowatt hours, of the respective remaining amounts of kilowatt hours, is not within a range of respective values of other remaining amounts

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Cai Zhijun
• Gayles Ronald
• Zhang Yanchai
• Nofsinger Stephen
• Dust Maurice

Classifications

• F02D25/02 Primary

  to synchronise speed · CPC title

• F02D2200/101

  Engine speed · CPC title

• F02D41/1406

  with use of a optimisation method, e.g. iteration · CPC title

• F02D29/06

  peculiar to engines driving electric generators · CPC title

• F02D41/26

  using computer, e.g. microprocessor · CPC title