Systems and methods for assessing the health of a first apparatus by monitoring a dependent second apparatus

• US 10,125,629 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2016
• Issued: 11/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rtx Corporation
• Original Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Emmons, Floyd R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, John H
• Application Number:
  US15/223,086
• Publication Number:
  US 20180030851A1
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• Field of Search: 702 33, 702 34, 702 57, 702130, 702144, 702182-185, 66327, 60327
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 17/12 arranged in stator parts
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 21/003 Arrangements for testing or measuring for measuring vibrations G01H
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 3/04 having a turbine driving a compressor power transmission arrangements F02C7/36; control of working fluid flow F02C9/16
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/22 Fuel supply systems
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 51/00 Testing machines, pumps, or pumping installations
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 14/28 Safety arrangements; Monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 28/28 Safety arrangements; Monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 15/0088 Testing machines
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 27/001 Testing thereof; Determination or simulation of flow characteristics; Stall or surge detection, e.g. condition monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/323 for aircraft propulsion, e.g. jet engines
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/83 Testing, e.g. methods, components or tools therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0245 based on a qualitative model, e.g. rule based; if-then decisions
• 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

Abstract

Systems and methods for assessing the health of a first apparatus by monitoring a second apparatus are described herein. A method for monitoring a health of a first apparatus may comprise receiving a performance parameter from a second apparatus, wherein performance of the second apparatus is dependent upon the health of the first apparatus, assessing the performance parameter, and determining the health of the first apparatus. In various embodiments, the performance parameter may comprise at least one of a speed value of the second apparatus, a position value of the second apparatus, a temperature value of the second apparatus, or a time value of the second apparatus.

Claims

1. A method for assessing a health of a first apparatus, comprising:

receiving a first performance parameter at a first time from a sensor of a second apparatus, wherein a performance of the second apparatus is dependent upon the health of the first apparatus;

receiving a second performance parameter at a second time from the sensor of the second apparatus;

comparing the first performance parameter with the second performance parameter; and

determining the health of the first apparatus based upon the comparison;

wherein the first apparatus comprises at least one of a pump or a generator,

the second apparatus comprises an actuator in response to the first apparatus comprising a pump,

the second apparatus comprises an electric motor in response to the first apparatus comprising a generator, and

the first performance parameter and the second performance parameter each comprises at least one of a speed value of the second apparatus, a position value of the second apparatus, a temperature value of the second apparatus, and a time value of the second apparatus,

wherein the first apparatus is unmonitored.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the assessing the performance parameter comprises trending the first performance parameter and the second performance parameter to determine the health of the first apparatus.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the trending the first performance parameter and the second performance parameter is to determine a degradation of the health of the first apparatus.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first apparatus is unmonitored.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the comparing the first performance parameter with the second performance parameter comprises at least one of:

assessing a health of the second apparatus; and

assessing the performance of the second apparatus.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the health of the first apparatus comprises generating a prognosis of the health of the first apparatus.

7. An article of manufacture, comprising:

a controller; and

a tangible, non-transitory memory configured to communicate with the controller, the tangible, non-transitory memory having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by the controller, cause the controller to perform operations, comprising;

receiving, by the controller, a first performance parameter at a first time from a sensor of a second apparatus, wherein a performance of the second apparatus is dependent upon a health of the first apparatus;

receiving, by the controller, a second performance parameter at a second time from the sesnsor of the second apparatus;

comparing, by the controller, the first performance parameter with the second performance parameter; and

determining, by the controller, the health of the first apparatus based upon the comparison;

wherein the first apparatus comprises at least one of a pump or a generator,

the second apparatus comprises an actuator in response to the first apparatus comprising a pump,

the second apparatus comprises an electric motor in response to the first apparatus comprising a generator, and

the first performance parameter and the second performance parameter each comprises at least one of a speed value of the second apparatus, a position value of the second apparatus, a temperature value of the second apparatus, and a time value of the second apparatus.

8. The article of manufacture of claim 7, wherein the assessing comprises trending, by the controller, the first performance parameter and the second performance parameter to determine the health of the first apparatus.

9. The article of manufacture of claim 8, wherein the trending the first performance parameter and the second performance parameter is to determine a degradation of the health of the first apparatus.

10. The article of manufacture of claim 7, wherein the first apparatus is unmonitored.

11. The article of manufacture of claim 7, wherein the comparing comprises at least one of:

assessing, by the controller, the performance of the second apparatus; and

assessing, by the controller, a health of the second apparatus.

12. The article of manufacture of claim 7, wherein the determining the health of the first apparatus comprises generating, by the controller, a prognosis of the health of the first apparatus.

13. A method for monitoring a health of a first unmonitored apparatus, comprising:

assessing a performance of a second monitored apparatus, the second monitored apparatus operatively coupled to the first unmonitored apparatus, the performance of the second monitored apparatus being dependent on the first unmonitored apparatus;

wherein the assessing the performance of the second monitored apparatus comprises receiving a first performance parameter at a first time from a sensor of the second apparatus, wherein a performance of the second apparatus is dependent upon the health of the first apparatus;

receiving a second performance parameter at a second time from the sensor of the second monitored apparatus;

comparing the first performance parameter with the second performance parameter; and

determining the health of the first unmonitored apparatus based upon the comparison;

wherein the first unmonitored apparatus comprises at least one of a pump or a generator,

the second monitored apparatus comprises an actuator in response to the first unmonitored apparatus comprising a pump,

the second monitored apparatus comprises an electric motor in response to the first unmonitored apparatus comprising a generator, and

the first performance parameter and the second performance parameter each comprises at least one of a speed value of the second apparatus, a position value of the second apparatus, a temperature value of the second apparatus, and a time value of the second apparatus.