Oil properties diagnostic system for work machine

• US 10,087,605 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2015
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Teruo, Kurasako, Akira, Akita, Hideki, Hamamachi, Yoshiya, Hakozaki, Katsutoshi, Ogura, Kotaro
• Primary Examiner(s): Brushaber, Frederick M
• Application Number:
  US15/509,508
• Publication Number:
  US 20170284068A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,078 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/20 Drives; Control devices gearings in general F16H; controlling in general G05; electric multi-motor drives H02K, H02P
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/26 Indicating devices E02F5/145 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/2888 Lubricating oil characteristics, e.g. deterioration lubricating properties G01N33/30
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/30 for lubricating properties
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0283 Predictive maintenance, e.g. involving the monitoring of a system and, based on the monitoring results, taking decisions on the maintenance schedule of the monitored system; Estimating remaining useful life [RUL] preventive maintenance, i.e. planning maintenance according to the available resources without monitoring the system G06Q10/06
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/004 Indicating the operating range of the engine economical driving B60R16/0236, F02B77/084; measuring liquid fuel of an engine G01F9/00

Abstract

A diagnostic system for a work machine includes a data storage device (210) in which sensor information (A) input from a sensor (101A) that senses an oil property of oil used for operation of the work machine and an abnormality degree determination value defined for each kind of the sensor information (A) are stored, and an arithmetic processing device (104) that executes first processing of discriminating the degree of abnormality level of the oil based on the sensor information (A) and the abnormality degree determination value, second processing of determining whether or not necessity to carry out oil analysis involving oil extraction exists based on the degree of abnormality level of the oil discriminated in the first processing, and third processing of outputting information indicating that the oil analysis is necessary to other terminal if it is determined that the oil analysis is necessary in the second processing.

Claims

1. A diagnostic system for a work machine including a server computer that collects at least one piece of sensor information from at least one oil property sensor provided in the work machine and determines an abnormality of the work machine based on the at least one piece of sensor information, the at least one oil property sensor sensing at least one oil property about oil used for operation of the work machine, comprising:

a data storage device in which the at least one piece of sensor information input from the at least one oil property sensor at least one determination value defined for each kind of the at least one piece of sensor information are stored;

a processor connected to a memory storing instructions that when executed by the process configure the processor to;

determine a degree of abnormality level of the oil based on the at least one piece of sensor information and the at least one determination value relating to the at least one piece of sensor information,

determine whether the degree of abnormality level of the oil progresses to such an extent that an oil analysis involving oil extraction is necessary if the work machine is operated until a timing of a next oil replacement based on the determined degree of abnormality level of the oil the at least one piece of sensor information and a time change rate of the at least one piece of sensor information, and

output information indicating that the oil analysis involving oil extraction is necessary to a computer connected to the server upon determining that the oil analysis involving oil extraction is necessary.

2. The diagnostic system for a work machine according to claim 1, wherein

the processor is configured to calculate a difference value between the at least one piece of sensor information and a predetermined value corresponding to the at least one piece of sensor information and determine the degree of abnormality level of the oil based on the difference value and a determination value relating to the difference value.

3. The diagnostic system for a work machine according to claim 1, wherein

the processor is configured to, upon determining that the oil analysis involving oil extraction is necessary identify a cause of an abnormality of the oil based on sensor information as a basis of the determination and past oil analysis information of the oil property relating to the sensor information as the basis of the determination.

4. The diagnostic system for a work machine according to claim 1, wherein

the processor is configured to, upon determining that the oil analysis involving oil extraction is necessary identify a part in which an abnormality exists based on a setting place of the sensor that has output the sensor information as a basis of the determination.

5. A diagnostic system, comprising:

a work machine including at least one oil property sensor sensing at least one oil property about oil used for operation of the work machine; and

a server computer including;

a data storage device in which the at least one piece of sensor information input from the at least one oil property sensor and at least one determination value defined for each kind of the at least one piece of sensor information are stored;

a processor connected to a memory storing instructions that when executed by the process configure the processor to;

determine a degree of abnormality level of the oil based on the at least one piece of sensor information and the at least one determination value relating to the at least one piece of sensor information,

determine whether the degree of abnormality level of the oil progresses to such an extent that an oil analysis involving oil extraction is necessary if the work machine is operated until a timing of a next oil replacement based on the determined degree of abnormality level of the oil the at least one piece of sensor information and a time change rate of the at least one piece of sensor information, and

output information indicating that the oil analysis involving oil extraction is necessary to a computer connected to the server upon determining that the oil analysis involving oil extraction is necessary.