System and Method for Estimating Remaining Useful Life of a Filter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016116392-A1
Application number	US-201414523086-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 24, 2014
Priority date	Oct 24, 2014
Publication date	Apr 28, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for estimating a remaining useful life of a filter is provided. The method includes determining, at a processor of a machine, a scaled delta pressure of the filter in the machine based on an input from a plurality of sensors. The method includes determining a plugging parameter of the filter based upon a non-linear relationship between the scaled delta pressure and the plugging parameter of the filter. The method includes estimating the remaining useful life of the filter at a time instant based upon a contamination rate estimate, the contamination rate estimate being determined based upon the determined plugging parameter. The method includes controlling, using a signal, a flow of a fluid entering the filter based on the plugging parameter, and outputting the estimated remaining useful life of the filter on a display.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A method for estimating a remaining useful life of a filter, comprising:
determining, at a processor of a machine, a scaled delta pressure of the filter in the machine based on an input from a plurality of sensors; determining, at the processor, a plugging parameter of the filter based upon a non-linear relationship between the scaled delta pressure and the plugging parameter of the filter; controlling, using a signal from the processor to a switch, a flow of a fluid entering the filter based upon the plugging parameter while the machine is used; estimating, at the processor, the remaining useful life of the filter at a time instant based upon a contamination rate estimate, the contamination rate estimate being determined based upon the determined plugging parameter; and outputting, from the processor, the estimated remaining useful life of the filter on a display while the machine is used.

2 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving, at the processor, a first delta pressure map corresponding to the filter being fully plugged and a second delta pressure map corresponding to the filter being new, wherein the scaled delta pressure of the filter is based upon the first delta pressure map, the second delta pressure map, and a reference delta pressure map.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the reference delta pressure map is based upon an engine speed and an oil temperature obtained from a speed sensor and a temperature sensor, respectively, during a usage of the filter.

4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the scaled delta pressure is further based upon a sensor calibration offset of the plurality of sensors.

5 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the first delta pressure map, the second delta pressure map, and the reference delta pressure map are associated with a specific type of the filter.

6 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:
determining, at the processor, a health estimate of the filter based upon the plugging parameter, the plugging parameter being expressed as a percentage plugged value of the filter, the health estimate being determined as one of a plurality of threshold ranges of the plugging parameter.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the contamination rate estimate is determined based on a recursive least squares algorithm, the contamination rate estimate being determined by the processor when a threshold range of the plugging parameter of the filter is crossed.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the estimating the remaining useful life of the filter is further based upon a time since the filter was changed, and wherein the non-linear relationship is an exponential or a logarithmic relationship between the scaled delta pressure and the plugging parameter of the filter.

9 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:
displaying, at the display controlled by the processor, a continuous estimate of the remaining useful life of the filter, said displaying being used for identifying when the filter was installed in the machine and when the filter is to be replaced with a new filter.

10 . A system for estimating a remaining useful life of a filter, the system comprising:
an electronic control module coupled to a display, the electronic control module including a processor and a memory, the processor operatively coupled to a plurality of sensors and configured to:
determine a scaled delta pressure of the filter based on an input from the plurality of sensors;
determine a plugging parameter of the filter based upon a non-linear relationship between the scaled delta pressure and the plugging parameter of the filter;
estimate the remaining useful life of the filter at a time instant based upon a contamination rate estimate, the contamination rate estimate being determined based upon the determined plugging parameter; and
output the remaining useful life of the filter on the display while the filter is being used.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
receive a first delta pressure map corresponding to the filter being fully plugged and a second delta pressure map corresponding to the filter being new, wherein the scaled delta pressure of the filter is based upon the first delta pressure map, the second delta pressure map, and a reference delta pressure map; and prevent a fluid from entering the filter when the plugging parameter falls above a threshold range.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the reference delta pressure map is based upon an engine speed and an oil temperature obtained from a speed sensor and a temperature sensor, respectively.

13 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the scaled delta pressure is further based upon a sensor calibration offset of the plurality of sensors.

14 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the first delta pressure map, the second delta pressure map, and the reference delta pressure map are associated with a specific type of the filter.

15 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine a health estimate of the filter based upon the plugging parameter, the health estimate being determined as one of a plurality of threshold ranges.

16 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine the contamination rate estimate based on a recursive least squares algorithm, the contamination rate estimate being determined by the processor when a threshold range of a health estimate of the filter is crossed.

17 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the processor is configured to estimate the remaining useful life of the filter further based upon a time since the filter was changed, and wherein the non-linear relationship is an exponential or a logarithmic relationship between the scaled delta pressure and the plugging parameter of the filter.

18 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
control the display configured to output a continuous estimate of the remaining useful life of the filter for identifying when the filter was installed in a machine and when the filter is to be replaced with a new filter.

19 . A machine comprising the system of claim 10 .

20 . A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer executable instructions thereupon for estimating a remaining useful life of a filter in a machine, the instructions when executed by a processor of an electronic control module of the machine cause the processor to:
determine a scaled delta pressure of the filter based on an input from a plurality of sensors; determine a plugging parameter of the filter based upon a non-linear relationship between the scaled delta pressure and the plugging parameter of the filter; control, using a signal from the processor to a switch, a flow of a fluid entering the filter based on the plugging parameter while the machine is used; estimate the remaining useful life of the filter at a time instant based upon a contamination rate estimate, the contamination rate estimate being determined based upon the determined plugging parameter; and output the remaining useful life of the filter on a display coupled to the electronic control module.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Carpenter Richard Andrew
• Opdenbosch Patrick

Classifications

• B01D35/143 Primary

  Filter condition indicators · CPC title

• G01N15/0826 Primary

  and measuring fluid flow rate, i.e. permeation rate or pressure change · CPC title

• B01D46/0086

  Filter condition indicators · CPC title

• G01N2015/084

  Testing filters · CPC title

• B01D2201/54

  Computerised or programmable systems · CPC title