Systems and methods for remaining useful life prediction of a fluid

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11175274-B2
Application number	US-201916429851-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 3, 2019
Priority date	Jun 3, 2019
Publication date	Nov 16, 2021
Grant date	Nov 16, 2021

Abstract

A fluid degradation monitoring system may detect a replacement of a fluid of a machine. The fluid degradation monitoring system may determine, after detecting the replacement of the fluid, a first degradation estimate of the fluid using a first technique based on characteristics relating to an operation of the machine. The fluid degradation monitoring system may detect a transition in a value of a dielectric constant of the fluid from a first phase to a second phase. The fluid degradation monitoring system may determine, after detecting the transition in the value of the dielectric constant, a second degradation estimate of the fluid using a second technique based on characteristics relating to the fluid.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
detecting a replacement of a fluid of a machine;
determining, and after detecting the replacement of the fluid, a first degradation estimate of the fluid using a first technique,
wherein the first technique is based on one or more characteristics relating to an operation of the machine;

providing information identifying the first degradation estimate of the fluid;
detecting a transition in a value of a dielectric constant of the fluid from a first phase to a second phase based on an average of the value of the dielectric constant decreasing over a first time period of the first phase and the average of the value of the dielectric constant increasing over a second time period of the second phase;
determining, and after detecting the transition in the value of the dielectric constant, a second degradation estimate of the fluid using a second technique,
wherein the second technique is based on one or more characteristics relating to the fluid; and

providing information identifying the second degradation estimate of the fluid.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more characteristics relating to the operation of the machine include one or more of:
a speed of an engine of the machine,
a load on the engine of the machine, or
a temperature of the engine of the machine,

wherein the one or more characteristics relating to the fluid include one or more of:
a viscosity of the fluid,
a density of the fluid,
the dielectric constant of the fluid, or
a temperature of the fluid.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fluid is an engine oil.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the replacement of the fluid of the machine comprises:
detecting the replacement of the fluid of the machine based on a density decrease of the fluid that satisfies a threshold value.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first phase is associated with a first concentration of additives in the fluid and the second phase is associated with a second concentration of additives in the fluid,
wherein the first concentration is greater than the second concentration.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the information identifying the first degradation estimate of the fluid includes:
providing the information identifying the first degradation estimate of the fluid to at least one of:
a display of the machine, or
a user device.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the information identifying the second degradation estimate of the fluid includes:
providing the information identifying the second degradation estimate of the fluid to at least one of:
a display of the machine, or
a user device.

8. A fluid degradation monitoring system, comprising:
one or more memories; and
one or more processors, communicatively coupled to the one or more memories, configured to:
determine a first degradation estimate of a fluid of a machine using a first technique,
wherein the first technique is based on one or more characteristics relating to an operation of the machine;

detect a transition in a value of a dielectric constant of the fluid from a first phase to a second phase based on an average of the value of the dielectric constant decreasing over a first time period of the first phase and the average of the value of the dielectric constant increasing over a second time period of the second phase; and
determine, after detecting the transition in the value of the dielectric constant, a second degradation estimate of the fluid using a second technique,
wherein the second technique is based on one or more characteristics relating to the fluid.

9. The fluid degradation monitoring system of claim 8 , wherein the fluid is an engine lubricant.

10. The fluid degradation monitoring system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
detect a type of the fluid,
wherein the first technique is based on the one or more characteristics relating to the operation of the machine and based on the type of the fluid, and
wherein the second technique is based on the one or more characteristics relating to the fluid and based on the type of the fluid.

11. The fluid degradation monitoring system of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors, when detecting the type of the fluid, are to:
detect the type of the fluid based on a viscosity of the fluid.

12. The fluid degradation monitoring system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more characteristics relating to the operation of the machine include one or more of:
a speed of an engine of the machine,
a load on the engine of the machine, or
a temperature of the engine of the machine,

wherein the one or more characteristics relating to the fluid include one or more of:
a viscosity of the fluid,
a density of the fluid,
the dielectric constant of the fluid, or
a temperature of the fluid.

13. The fluid degradation monitoring system of claim 8 , wherein the first degradation estimate of the fluid and the second degradation estimate of the fluid provide an estimate of a remaining useful life of the fluid.

14. The fluid degradation monitoring system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
provide information identifying the first degradation estimate of the fluid to a display of the machine; and
provide information identifying the second degradation estimate of the fluid to the display of the machine.

15. A machine, comprising:
an engine;
a display; and
a fluid degradation monitoring system, wherein the fluid degradation monitoring system is configured to:
detect a replacement of a fluid of the engine;
determine, after detecting the replacement of the fluid, a first degradation estimate of the fluid using a first technique,
wherein the first technique is based on one or more characteristics relating to an operation of the engine;

provide information identifying the first degradation estimate of the fluid to the display;
detect a transition in a value of a dielectric constant of the fluid from a first phase to a second phase based on an average of the value of the dielectric constant decreasing over a first time period of the first phase and the average of the value of the dielectric constant increasing over a second time period of the second phase;
determine, after detecting the transition in the value of the dielectric constant, a second degradation estimate of the fluid using a second technique,
wherein the second technique is based on one or more characteristics relating to the fluid; and

provide information identifying the second degradation estimate of the fluid to the display.

16. The machine of claim 15 , wherein the fluid degradation monitoring system is associated with an engine control module of the engine.

17. The machine of claim 15 , wherein the one or more characteristics relating to the operation of the engine are obtained from one or more first sensors associated with the engine,
wherein the one or more characteristics relating to the fluid are obtained from one or more second sensors associated with the fluid.

18. The machine of claim 15 , wherein a curve that is fit to the value of the dielectric constant has a decreasing slope over the first time period and an increasing slope over the second time period.

19. The machine of claim 15 , wherein the one or more characteristics relating to the operation of the machine include one or more of:
a speed of the engine of the machine,
a load on the engine of the mac

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Zhang Yanchai
• Walton Kyle
• Carpenter Richard
• Dandibhotla Venkata
• Deng Baoyang

Classifications

• F01M11/10 Primary

  Indicating devices; Other safety devices · CPC title

• G01N33/2888 Primary

  Lubricating oil characteristics, e.g. deterioration (lubricating properties G01N33/30) · CPC title

• F01M2011/142

  by considering speed, e.g. revolutions per minute [RPM] · CPC title

• F01M2011/1473

  by considering temperature · CPC title

• F16N2260/18

  necessity of changing oil · CPC title