Condition monitoring system, condition monitoring unit and method for monitoring a condition of a bearing unit for a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9828012-B2
Application number	US-201514946787-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 20, 2015
Priority date	Nov 27, 2014
Publication date	Nov 28, 2017
Grant date	Nov 28, 2017

Abstract

A condition monitoring system for bearing units for vehicles, the system including at least one condition monitoring unit for measuring at least one operating parameter of one bearing unit and a control unit for receiving and processing signals obtained from the condition monitoring unit. The system additionally includes a circuit for detecting a geographic position, wherein the condition monitoring unit is configured to be at least one of activated and deactivated depending on the detected geographic position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A condition monitoring system for bearing units for vehicles, the system comprising:
at least one condition monitoring unit for measuring at least one operating parameter of one bearing unit;
a control unit for receiving and processing signals obtained from the condition monitoring unit;
a trigger planner for setting trigger points for activating and deactivating the at least one condition monitoring unit; and
a circuit for detecting a geographic position of the vehicle,
wherein the condition monitoring unit is activated and deactivated depending on the geographic position and a travelling direction of the vehicles with respect to the trigger points.

2. The condition monitoring system according to claim 1 , the control unit further comprising a memory for storing route data of the vehicle, the route data including a plurality of possible route sections along which the vehicle can travel,
wherein the control unit is configured to activate the condition monitoring unit when the vehicle is travelling in one route section out of a predetermined set of route sections and to deactivate the condition monitoring unit in route sections not included in the predetermined set of route sections.

3. The condition monitoring system according claim 1 , the control unit further comprising a memory for storing route data of the vehicle, the route data including a plurality of possible route sections along which the vehicle can travel,
wherein the control unit is configured to evaluate at least one characteristic of the route sections of the route data and to activate the condition monitoring unit when the vehicle is travelling in a route section with characteristics meeting at least one predetermined criterion and to deactivate the condition monitoring unit in route sections not meeting the at least one predetermined criterion.

4. The condition monitoring system according to claim 1 , the control unit further comprising a memory for storing at least one radius and coordinates of a plurality of trigger points,
wherein the control unit is configured to at least one of activate and deactivate the condition monitoring unit when the distance between at least one of the plurality of trigger points and the geographic position is smaller than the radius.

5. The condition monitoring system according to claim 1 , wherein the memory is configured to store a travelling direction in relation with at least one of a plurality of trigger points, wherein control unit is configured to activate and/or deactivate the condition monitoring unit when the distance between at least one of the plurality of trigger points and the geographic position is smaller than the radius and when further the travelling direction of the vehicle matches the travelling direction stored in relation to said at least one waypoint.

6. The condition monitoring system according to claim 1 , the circuit for detecting the geographic position includes a circuit for receiving signals of satellites of a global positioning system.

7. The condition monitoring system according to claim 1 , wherein the condition monitoring unit is configured to communicate with the control unit in a wireless way.

8. The condition monitoring system according to claim 1 , wherein the circuit for detecting a geographic position is part of the condition monitoring unit attached to the bearing unit.

9. The condition monitoring system according to claim 1 , wherein the circuit for detecting a geographic position is part of the control unit of the vehicle.

10. The condition monitoring system according to claim 1 , wherein the condition monitoring unit is configured to be attached to a hub unit of a train,
wherein the control unit is configured to monitor the condition of a plurality of hub units of the train.

11. The condition monitoring system according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to trigger simultaneous measurements across multiple condition monitoring units at a given geographical location.

12. The condition monitoring system according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to use the data collected by the condition monitoring units for the purpose of measuring track quality as a tool for infrastructure monitoring.

13. The condition monitoring system according to claim 1 , wherein the trigger planer activates and deactivates the condition monitoring unit based on a data structure comprising the geographic position, the travelling direction, upper and lower speed limits, and a radius.

14. The condition monitoring system according to claim 1 , wherein the trigger planer activates an alarm when the vehicles pass in one of two possible directions on a track and when a speed of the vehicles is in within a range suitable for obtaining measurements of high quality.

15. At least one condition monitoring unit comprising:
a controller configured to operate in an energy saving sleep mode and in an active mode,
wherein the controller comprises a trigger planner for setting trigger points for activating and deactivating the at least one condition monitoring unit,
wherein at least some of the parameters being monitored in the active mode are not monitored in the sleep mode,
wherein the controller is configured to switch the at least one condition monitoring unit from the sleep mode to the active mode and from the active mode into the sleep mode based on one or more signals received by the controller from a control unit of a condition monitoring system operating within a vehicle,
wherein the condition monitoring unit is activated and deactivated depending on a detected geographic position and a travelling direction of the vehicles with respect to the trigger points.

16. The at least one condition monitoring unit according to claim 15 , wherein the controller is configured to switch the at least one condition monitoring unit from the sleep mode to the active mode upon receipt of a wake-up signal of the one or more signals from the control unit and to switch the at least one condition monitoring unit from the active mode into the sleep mode upon receipt of a sleep signal of the one or more signals from the control unit.

17. A method for monitoring a condition of a bearing unit for a vehicle comprising at least one condition monitoring unit for measuring at least one operating parameter of one bearing unit, a trigger planner for setting trigger points for activating and deactivating the at least one condition monitoring unit, and a control unit for receiving and processing signals obtained from the condition monitoring unit,
the method comprising:
detecting a geographic position and a travelling direction of the vehicle; and
activating and deactivating the condition monitoring unit in accordance with the geographic position and the travelling direction with respect to the trigger points.

Assignees

• Cuthbertson Stephen
• Franchitti Julian
• Patwari Rashmy
• Skf Ab

Inventors

• Cuthbertson Stephen
• Franchitti Julian
• Patwari Rashmy

Classifications

• B61L25/025 Primary

  Absolute localisation, e.g. providing geodetic coordinates · CPC title

• B61L25/023 Primary

  Determination of driving direction of vehicle or train · CPC title

• F16C19/527

  related to vibration and noise · CPC title

• G07C5/0841

  Registering performance data (recording measured values G01D; information storage G11B) · CPC title

• B61L2205/04

  Satellite based navigation systems, e.g. global positioning system [GPS] · CPC title