Fault detection and response techniques

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9429092-B2
Application number	US-201113184843-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 18, 2011
Priority date	Jul 16, 2010
Publication date	Aug 30, 2016
Grant date	Aug 30, 2016

Abstract

Systems and methods for detecting, predicting and/or responding to faults are disclosed. In one form, a sensor can be operatively coupled to an engine system having a component and a control system is coupled to the sensor. The sensor can be structured to monitor the engine system and generate corresponding sensor information. The control system can be structured to: generate an operational signature based on the sensor information, estimate whether a fault (e.g., a mechanical fault of the component and/or a performance fault of the engine system) exists based on the operational signature, determine an engine operating mode adjustment if the fault exists and output the engine operating mode adjustment to an output device. Systems and methods for increasing the accuracy by which faults are detected and/or predicted are also disclosed. The engine operating mode adjustment can be applied to protect engine system components from being undesirably damaged to faults.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
an engine system including a flywheel and a damper;
a first sensor and a second sensor operatively coupled to the engine system, the first sensor and the second sensor being structured to generate sensor information regarding a torsional vibration difference between the flywheel and the damper;
a control system coupled to the first sensor, the second sensor, and the engine system, the control system including a memory and a plurality of reference signatures for the flywheel and the damper stored in the memory that include reference information for the torsional vibration difference between the flywheel and the damper without a mechanical fault, the control system being configured to:
generate an operational signature of the flywheel and the damper based on the sensor information generated during operation of the engine system;
update a reference signature of the flywheel and the damper, wherein the reference signature is selected from the plurality of reference signatures;
compare the operational signature with the reference signature;
estimate whether a fault exists within the engine system based on the comparison of the operational signature with the reference signature;
determine an engine operating mode adjustment based on the operational signature if a fault is estimated to exist;
output the engine operating mode adjustment to an output device; and
operate the engine system in response to the engine operation mode adjustment.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are structured to monitor a vibration of the flywheel and the damper during operation of the engine system.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first sensor and the second sensor comprise an accelerometer.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first sensor and the second sensor comprise a delta sensor.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fault includes a mechanical fault of at least one of the flywheel and the damper.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fault includes a performance fault of the engine system.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the control system comprises:
a memory structured to store the reference signature containing information corresponding to the flywheel and the damper when the engine system does not have a mechanical fault; and
an analysis system coupled to the memory and structured to:
perform the comparison between the operational signature and the reference signature;
determine whether the operational signature has a predefined relationship with the reference signature based on the comparison; and
estimate that the engine system has the mechanical fault if the operational signature has the predefined relationship with the reference signature.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the control system is further structured to:
receive other information representing whether the estimate is incorrect; and
adjust the predefined relationship based on the other information.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the reference signature further contains information corresponding to a condition of the flywheel and the damper.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the condition is selected from the group consisting of a new component of the engine system and a repaired component of the engine system.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the reference signature further contains information corresponding to an amount of wear of the engine system.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the control system is configured to:
select the reference signature based on an application for which the engine system is to be used; and
update the selected reference signature of the flywheel and the damper for nominal wear.

13. The system of claim 7 , wherein the analysis system is further structured to continuously correct the reference signature based upon at least one selected from the group consisting of an application for which the engine system is being used, an extent to which a component of the engine system accumulates wear, a repair of a component of the engine system, and an extent to which a component of the engine system experiences load cycle effects.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the engine system further includes components selected from the group consisting of: a crankshaft, a piston rod, a piston, an engine block, an engine head, a turbocharger apparatus, an exhaust gas recirculation device, a heat exchanger, a fuel injector, a mechanical actuator, a journal bearing, a rotatable shaft, a cam, an axle, an accessory drive device, a power unit, a cooling subsystem, an engine application attachment, and a lubrication subsystem.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the engine system includes at least one component selected from the group consisting of mining equipment, drilling equipment, excavating equipment, and material conveying equipment.

16. The system of claim 7 , further comprising a means for modifying the reference signature.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the modifying means includes an artificial intelligence routine.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the modifying means includes a service tool for loading new programming into the control system.

19. A method, comprising:
powering operation of an engine system including a flywheel and a damper;
receiving, at a controller, sensor information regarding a torsional vibration difference between the flywheel and the damper from a first sensor and a second sensor operatively coupled to the engine system;
generating, with the controller, an operational signature of the flywheel and the damper based on the sensor information;
selecting, from a memory of the controller, a reference signature from a plurality of reference signatures for the flywheel and the damper that each include reference information for the torsional vibration difference corresponding to the engine system operating without a mechanical fault;
updating, with the controller, the selected reference signature of the flywheel and the damper;
estimating whether the engine system has a mechanical fault based on a comparison of the operational signature with the selected reference signature;
determining an engine operation mode adjustment if the component is estimated to have a mechanical fault; and
operating the engine system in response to the engine operation mode adjustment.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
comparing the operational signature with the selected reference signature containing information corresponding to the component when the component does not have the mechanical fault;
determining whether the operational signature has a predefined relationship with the selected reference signature based on the comparison; and
estimating that the component has the mechanical fault if the operational signature has the predefined relationship with the selected reference signature.

21. The method of claim 20 , further comprising:
receiving other information indicating whether the estimating is incorrect; and
adjusting the predefined relationship based on the other information.

22. A method, comprising:
powering operation of a system with an internal combustion engine;
during the operation of the system, monitoring a torsional vibration difference between a flywheel and a damper of the internal combustion engine;
generating an operational signature based on the torsional vibration difference;
selecting a reference signature from a

Assignees

• Rosero Carlos A
• Cummins Inc

Inventors

• Rosero Carlos A

Classifications

• F02D41/22 Primary

  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

• Y02T10/40

  Engine management systems · CPC title

• G01M15/12

  by monitoring vibrations · CPC title

• F02D41/1498

  measuring engine roughness · CPC title

• F02B77/08

  Safety, indicating, or supervising devices (thermal insulation F02B77/11; monitoring or diagnostic devices for exhaust-gas treatment apparatus F01N11/00) · CPC title