Method and system for estimating damage in an internal combustion engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11028772-B1
Application number	US-202016773556-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jan 27, 2020
Priority date	Jan 27, 2020
Publication date	Jun 8, 2021
Grant date	Jun 8, 2021

Abstract

A method for estimating damage of a component of an internal combustion engine includes receiving a fuel rate signal indicative of a fuel rate of the internal combustion engine and estimating a temperature value of the component of the internal combustion engine based on at least the received fuel rate signal. The method also includes estimating an incremental amount of damage of the component of the internal combustion engine based on the estimated temperature value of the component of the internal combustion engine, updating a cumulative amount of damage of the component of the internal combustion engine based on the estimated incremental amount of damage, and outputting a notification based on at least the cumulative amount of damage of the component of the internal combustion engine.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for estimating damage of a component of an engine head of an internal combustion engine, the method comprising:
receiving a fuel rate signal indicative of a fuel rate of the internal combustion engine;
estimating a temperature value of the component of the engine head of the internal combustion engine based on at least the received fuel rate signal;
estimating an incremental amount of damage of the component of the engine head of the internal combustion engine based on the estimated temperature value of the component of the engine head of the internal combustion engine;
updating a cumulative amount of damage of the component of the engine head of the internal combustion engine based on the estimated incremental amount of damage; and
outputting a notification based on at least the cumulative amount of damage of the component of the engine head of the internal combustion engine.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the component includes an intake valve of the engine head of the internal combustion engine.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein outputting the notification includes displaying the notification on a display associated with the internal combustion engine.

4. The method of claim 1 , further including receiving sensor information including an intake air pressure, an exhaust temperature, and an engine speed.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the estimated incremental amount of damage is independent of an amount of material removed from the component of the engine head of the internal combustion engine.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the notification is indicative of an expected replacement timing of the component of the engine head of the internal combustion engine.

7. The method of claim 1 , further including comparing the cumulative amount of damage to a damage threshold, wherein the notification is output when the cumulative amount of damage is greater than the damage threshold and is indicative of an immediate need to replace the component of the engine head of the internal combustion engine.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the notification is indicative of an estimated remaining life of the component of the engine head of the internal combustion engine, or indicative of an estimated expended life of the component of the engine head of the internal combustion engine.

9. A method for estimating damage of at least one component of an engine head of an internal combustion engine, the method comprising:
receiving a fuel rate signal indicative of a fuel rate of the internal combustion engine;
estimating a temperature value of the at least one component of the engine head based on at least the received fuel rate signal;
determining a cumulative amount of damage of the at least one component of the engine head based on an incremental amount of damage associated with the estimated temperature value and a previously-estimated cumulative amount of damage of the at least one component of the engine head; and
displaying a notification associated with the cumulative amount of damage of the at least one component of the engine head.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the notification is indicative of an expected replacement timing for a group of engine head components including one or more valves of the engine head.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the fuel rate is a natural gas fuel rate and the estimated temperature value is estimated based on at least the fuel rate and an exhaust temperature.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the notification is indicative of an expected replacement timing of the at least one component and is displayed on a display associated with the internal combustion engine.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the notification is indicative of an expected replacement timing of the at least one component of the engine head and is displayed on a device located remotely with respect to the internal combustion engine.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the notification is indicative of an expected replacement timing of the at least one component of the engine head, the at least one component of the engine head includes an intake valve or an exhaust valve of the engine head, and the expected replacement timing is determined independent of an amount of material removed from the intake valve or the exhaust valve.

15. A damage estimation system, comprising:
an internal combustion engine including:
an engine head; and
a combustion chamber;

at least one sensor configured to detect a fuel rate of the internal combustion engine; and
a control unit configured to:
control a quantity of fuel delivered to the combustion chamber via at least one intake valve;
estimate a temperature of at least one component of the engine head based on at least the detected fuel rate;
estimate an incremental amount of damage of the at least one component of the engine head based on at least the estimated temperature;
update a cumulative amount of damage of the at least one component based on the estimated incremental amount of damage; and
output a notification indicative of the cumulative amount of damage.

16. The damage estimation system of claim 15 , wherein the control unit includes a temperature model configured to determine a temperature value of the at least one component of the engine head based on at least the detected fuel rate.

17. The damage estimation system of claim 15 , further including at least one sensor configured to detect an exhaust temperature, wherein the estimated temperature is based on at least the detected exhaust temperature and the detected fuel rate.

18. The damage estimation system of claim 15 , wherein the control unit is configured to control a quantity of a gaseous fuel delivered to the combustion chamber by outputting a control signal to an admission valve in fluid communication with an intake port.

19. The damage estimation system of claim 15 , wherein the notification is indicative of an amount of strength lost by the at least one component of the engine head.

20. The damage estimation system of claim 15 , wherein the control unit is configured to output a plurality of notifications for a plurality of components, including the at least one component of the engine head.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Lin David J
• Hattiangadi Ashwin A
• Montgomery David T

Classifications

• Y02T10/30

  Use of alternative fuels, e.g. biofuels · CPC title

• F02D2200/0614

  Actual fuel mass or fuel injection amount · CPC title

• F02D2041/228

  Warning displays · CPC title

• F02D2041/224

  Diagnosis of the fuel system · 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