Locomotive sensor system for monitoring engine and lubricant health

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025035608-A1
Application number	US-202418796160-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 6, 2024
Priority date	Nov 16, 2006
Publication date	Jan 30, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A locomotive sensor system includes a sensor configured to be in contact with lubricant within an engine of a locomotive. The sensor includes a sensing region circuit that is configured to generate stimuli at different times during an operational life of the engine. The system also includes one or more processors configured to receive signals from the sensor. The signals are representative of responses of the lubricant to the stimuli. The one or more processors are configured to analyze the responses and determine a characteristic of the lubricant that represents one or more of a total base number (TBN) or a total acid number (TAN) of the lubricant. The are configured to determine an unhealthy state of one or more of the engine or the lubricant based on the characteristic of the lubricant that is determined.

First claim

1 - 20 . (canceled)

21 . A system comprising:
a sensor configured to be in contact with lubricant within an engine, the sensor including a sensing region circuit that is configured to generate stimuli responsive to a change in at least one of an acidic content or a basic content of the lubricant at different times during operation of the engine; and one or more processors configured to receive signals from the sensor during operation of the engine, the signals representative of responses of the lubricant to the stimuli, the one or more processors configured to, during operation of the engine, analyze the responses and determine, in real time with receiving the signals from the sensor, a characteristic of the lubricant that represents one or more of a total base number (TBN) or a total acid number (TAN) of the lubricant, wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine during operation of the engine an unhealthy state of one or more of the engine or the lubricant based on the characteristic of the lubricant that is determined.

22 . The system of claim 21 , wherein the sensor comprises one or more of an electrical sensor or an optical sensor and the stimuli include one or more of electrical stimuli or optical stimuli.

23 . The system of claim 22 , wherein the sensor comprises an optical sensor and the stimuli includes optical stimuli.

24 . The system of claim 21 , wherein the sensor comprises a capacitor sensor, a resistor sensor, a non-resonant impedance sensor, a resonant impedance sensor, an electro-mechanical resonator sensor, a thermal sensor, an optical sensor, an acoustic sensor, a photoacoustic sensor, a near-infrared sensor, an optical sensor, an ultraviolet sensor, an infrared sensor, a visible light sensor, a fiber-optic sensor, a reflection sensor, a multivariable sensor, or a single-output sensor.

25 . The system of claim 21 , wherein the sensor comprises a sensing electrode structure coated with a dielectric coating.

26 . The system of claim 21 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine one or more of a second derivative of the TBN of the lubricant or a second derivative of the TAN of the lubricant as the characteristic.

27 . The system of claim 26 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine the unhealthy state of the one or more of the engine or the lubricant responsive to one or more of the second derivative of the TBN of the lubricant changing at a rate that is faster than a designated second derivative or the second derivative of the TAN of the lubricant changing at a rate that is faster than the designated second derivative.

28 . The system of claim 21 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine one or more of the TBN or the TAN of the lubricant as the characteristic.

29 . The system of claim 28 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine the unhealthy state of the one or more of the engine or the lubricant responsive to one or more of the TBN of the lubricant being smaller than a designated TBN or the TAN of the lubricant being larger than a designated TAN.

30 . The system of claim 21 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to deactivate or otherwise control the engine or a vehicle in which the engine is disposed responsive to determining the unhealthy state of the one or more of the engine or the lubricant based on one or more of the TBN or the TAN of the lubricant that is determined.

31 . The system of claim 21 , wherein the sensor includes a resonant circuit coupled with electrodes that are configured to generate an electric field between the electrodes as the stimuli with at least part of the lubricant disposed between the electrodes and within the electric field,
wherein the resonant circuit is configured to resonate at different frequencies responsive to generation of the electric field based on a concentration of one or more basic compounds or acidic compounds in the lubricant between the electrodes, wherein the signals that are output from the sensor to the one or more processors represents one or more of the frequencies at which the resonant circuit resonates, wherein the one or more processors are configured to compare the one or more frequencies at which the resonant circuit resonates with one or more designated frequencies associated with different TBN or TAN of the lubricant to determine the one or more of the TBN or the TAN of the lubricant.

32 . The system of claim 31 , wherein the resonant circuit comprises a plurality of resonant circuits that are each configured to resonate at different frequencies.

33 . The system of claim 32 , wherein the plurality of resonant circuits are configured to be in contact with the lubricant at different depths of the lubricant.

34 . The system of claim 21 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine a concentration of potassium hydroxide in the lubricant to determine the TBN of the lubricant.

35 . The system of claim 21 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine a concentration of acids in the lubricant to determine the TAN of the lubricant.

36 . The system of claim 35 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine a concentration of one or more naphthenic acids in the lubricant.

37 . A system comprising:
a sensor configured to be in contact with lubricant within an engine, the sensor including a sensing region circuit that is configured to generate stimuli at different times during operation of the engine; and one or more processors configured to receive signals from the sensor during operation of the engine, the signals representative of responses of the lubricant to the stimuli, the one or more processors configured to, during operation of the engine in real time receiving the signals from the sensor, analyze the responses signals and determine a characteristic of the lubricant that represents one or more of a total base number (TBN) or a total acid number (TAN) of the lubricant, wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine during operation of the engine an unhealthy state of one or more of the engine or the lubricant based on the characteristic of the lubricant that is determined, wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine one or more of a rate of change in the TBN or a rate of change in the TAN of the lubricant as the characteristic between a first time and a second time.

38 . The system of claim 37 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine the unhealthy state of the one or more of the engine or the lubricant responsive to one or more of the rate of change in the TBN of the lubricant decreasing at a rate that is faster than a designated rate of change or the rate of change in the TAN increasing at a rate that is faster than the designated rate of change.

39 . A system comprising:
a sensor configured to be in contact with a lubricant within a rotating equipment of a system, wherein the sensor is configured to generate detectable stimuli responsive to a change in at least one of an acidic content or a basic content of the lubricant at different times during operation of the rotating equipment; and one or more processors configured to receive signals from the sensor during operation of the rotating equipment, the signals representative of responses of the lubricant to the stimuli, the one or more processors configured to, during operation of the rotating equipment, analyze the signals and determine a cha

Assignees

• Transp Ip Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Potyrailo Radislav Alexandrovich
• Tokarev Igor
• Kuzhiyil Najeeb M
• Ottikkutti Pradheepram

Classifications

• B61C17/08

  Lubrication systems (in general F16N) · CPC title

• G01N33/2888 Primary

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

• G01N27/60

  by investigating electrostatic variables {, e.g. electrographic flaw testing (G01N27/007 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• F01M2011/1406

  by considering acidity · CPC title

• Y02T30/00

  Transportation of goods or passengers via railways, e.g. energy recovery or reducing air resistance · CPC title