System for hydraulic pump health monitoring

• US 10,208,773 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2016
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Carpenter, Richard A., Reyes-Rodriguez, Solimar
• Primary Examiner(s): Lopez, F. Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wiblin, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US15/244,471
• Publication Number:
  US 20180058482A1
• Time in Patent Office: 910 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/226 Safety arrangements, e.g. hydraulic driven fans, preventing cavitation, leakage, overheating
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/26 Indicating devices E02F5/145 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/268 with failure correction follow-up actions
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 2205/05 Pressure after the pump outlet
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 2205/09 Flow through the pump
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 2205/11 Outlet temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 2205/15 By-passing over the pump
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 2205/501 of solid particles
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/065 and making use of computers
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 51/00 Testing machines, pumps, or pumping installations
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 19/005 Fault detection or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 20/00 Safety arrangements for fluid actuator systems; Applications of safety devices in fluid actuator systems; Emergency measures for fluid actuator systems
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/205 Systems with pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/655 Methods of contamination control, i.e. methods of control of the cleanliness of circuit components or of the pressure fluid

Abstract

A system may comprise a first sensor; a second sensor; and an electronic control module. The electronic control module may be configured to determine a flow of the fluid based on information regarding the pressure from the first sensor and information regarding the temperature from the second sensor; determine a portion of the flow of the fluid that is directed to a particle counter of the machine; receive, from the particle counter, information identifying a quantity of particles in the portion of the flow of the fluid; determine a quality of the fluid based on the quantity of particles; determine whether the flow of the fluid exceeds a flow threshold or whether the quality of the fluid is less than a quality threshold; and take a remedial action when the flow of the fluid exceeds the flow threshold or the quality of the fluid is less than the quality threshold.

Claims

1. A method of determining health of a hydraulic pump of a machine, the method comprising:

receiving, by an electronic control module of the machine and from a first sensor of the machine, information regarding a pressure of a fluid in a case drain providing a passage from the hydraulic pump to a hydraulic tank of the machine;

receiving, by the electronic control module and from a second sensor of the machine, information regarding a temperature of the fluid in the case drain;

determining, by the electronic control module, a flow of the fluid in the case drain based on the information regarding the pressure and the information regarding the temperature;

determining, by the electronic control module, a portion of the flow of the fluid in the case drain that is directed to a particle counter of the machine;

receiving, by the electronic control module and from the particle counter, information regarding particles in the portion of the flow of the fluid;

determining, by the electronic control module, a quality of the fluid in the case drain based on the information regarding the particles in the portion of the flow of the fluid;

determining, by the electronic control module, whether the flow of the fluid in the case drain exceeds a flow threshold or whether the quality of the fluid in the case drain is less than a quality threshold to determine the health of the hydraulic pump; and

taking, by the electronic control module, a remedial action when at least one of the flow of the fluid in the case drain exceeds the flow threshold or the quality of the fluid in the case drain is less than the quality threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, where receiving information regarding the pressure of the fluid in the case drain includes receiving information regarding a differential pressure of the fluid.

3. The method of claim 2, where the fluid in the case drain flows through a conduit of the machine,

where the conduit of the machine includes a Venturi geometry, and

where the differential pressure of the fluid in the case drain corresponds to a differential pressure between an inlet portion of the conduit and a constricted portion of the Venturi geometry.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a failure of the hydraulic pump based on at least one of the flow of the fluid in the case drain or the quality of the fluid in the case drain.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

predicting a failure of the hydraulic pump based on at least one of the flow of the fluid in the case drain or the quality of the fluid in the case drain.

6. The method of claim 1, where taking the remedial action includes:

causing an engine of the machine to at least one of slow down, decelerate, or shut down to prevent additional damage to the hydraulic pump.

7. The method of claim 1, where taking the remedial action includes:

causing a work tool of the machine to be disabled;

or

causing a range of motion of the work tool to be limited.

8. A system comprising:

a first sensor configured to transmit information regarding a pressure of a fluid in a case drain providing a passage from a hydraulic pump to a hydraulic tank of a machine;

a second sensor configured to transmit information regarding a temperature of the fluid in the case drain; and

an electronic control module configured to;

determine a flow of the fluid in the case drain based on the information regarding the pressure and the information regarding the temperature;

determine a portion of the flow of the fluid in the case drain that is directed to a particle counter of the machine;

receive, from the particle counter, information regarding particles in the portion of the flow of the fluid;

determine a quality of the fluid in the case drain based on the information regarding the particles in the portion of the flow of the fluid;

determine whether the flow of the fluid in the case drain exceeds a flow threshold or whether the quality of the fluid in the case drain is less than a quality threshold; and

take a remedial action when at least one of the flow of the fluid in the case drain exceeds the flow threshold or the quality of the fluid in the case drain is less than the quality threshold.

9. The system of claim 8, where, when receiving the information regarding the pressure of the fluid in the case drain, the electronic control module is to:

receive information regarding a differential pressure of the fluid in the case drain.

10. The system of claim 9, where the fluid in the case drain flows through a conduit of the machine via a case drain,

where the conduit of the machine includes a Venturi geometry, and

where the differential pressure of the fluid in the case drain corresponds to a differential pressure between an inlet portion of the conduit and a constricted portion of the Venturi geometry.

11. The system of claim 10, where the temperature corresponds to a temperature of the fluid in the case drain within a portion of the Venturi geometry.

12. The system of claim 8, where the electronic control module is further configured to:

detect a failure of a hydraulic pump of the machine based on at least one of the flow of the fluid in the case drain or the quality of the fluid in the case drain.

13. The system of claim 8, where the electronic control module is further configured to:

predict a failure of a hydraulic pump of the machine based on at least one of the flow of the fluid in the case drain or the quality of the fluid in the case drain.

14. The system of claim 8, where, when taking the remedial action, the electronic control module is to:

causing an engine of the machine to at least one of slow down, decelerate, or shut down.

15. The system of claim 8, where, when taking the remedial action, the electronic control module is to:

disable a work tool of the machine;

or

limit a range of motion of the work tool.

16. A machine comprising:

a first sensor configured to transmit information regarding a pressure of a fluid in a case drain providing a passage from a hydraulic pump to a hydraulic tank of the machine;

a second sensor configured to transmit information regarding a temperature of the fluid in the case drain; and

an electronic control module configured to;

determine a flow of the fluid in the case drain based on the information regarding the pressure and the information regarding the temperature;

determine a portion of the flow of the fluid in the case drain that is directed to a particle counter of the machine;

receive, from the particle counter, information identifying a quantity of particles in the portion of the flow of the fluid;

determine a quality of the fluid in the case drain based on the quantity of particles in the portion of the flow of the fluid;

determine whether the flow of the fluid in the case drain exceeds a flow threshold or whether the quality of the fluid in the case drain is less than a quality threshold; and

take a remedial action when at least one of the flow of the fluid in the case drain exceeds the flow threshold or the quality of the fluid in the case drain is less than the quality threshold.

17. The machine of claim 16, where, when receiving the information regarding the pressure of the fluid in the case drain, the electronic control module is to:

receive information regarding a differential pressure of the fluid in the case drain.

18. The machine of claim 17, where the fluid in the case drain flows through a conduit of the machine,

where the conduit of the machine includes a Venturi geometry, and

where the differential pressure of the fluid in the case drain corresponds to a differential pressure between an inlet portion of the conduit and a constricted portion of the Venturi geometry.

19. The machine of claim 16, where the electronic control module is further configured to at least one of:

detect a failure of a hydraulic pump of the machine based on at least one of the flow of the fluid in the case drain or the quality of the fluid in the case drain;

or

predict a failure of a hydraulic pump of the machine based on at least one of the flow of the fluid in the case drain or the quality of the fluid in the case drain.

20. The machine of claim 16, where, when taking the remedial action, the electronic control module is to at least one of:

causing an engine of the machine to at least one of slow down, decelerate, or shut down;

cause a work tool of the machine to be disabled;

or

cause a range of motion of the work tool to be limited.