Systems and methods of determining causes of performance deficiencies of vehicles

• US 10,210,677 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2017
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Freeport-Mcmoran Corporation (Freeport-Mcmoran Copper & Gold Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Freeport-Mcmoran Corporation (Freeport-Mcmoran Copper & Gold Incorporated)
• Inventors: Walker, Mary Amelia, Catron, Robert, Brown, D. Bradley
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jelani A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gordon, Mathew Franklin
• Application Number:
  US15/426,755
• Publication Number:
  US 20170236341A1
• Time in Patent Office: 742 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0825 using optical means

Abstract

A method of determining a cause of a performance deficiency of a vehicle may include: Determining whether the vehicle is operating in a defined load condition; comparing an actual vehicle performance parameter with a predetermined baseline performance parameter for the defined load condition; comparing a plurality of key indicator values of the vehicle with a predetermined specification for each of the plurality of key indicator values; concluding that the performance deficiency is the result of a mechanical condition of the vehicle when at least one of the key indicator values is outside of the predetermined specification for a corresponding key indicator value and when the actual vehicle performance parameter is outside of the predetermined baseline performance parameter; and concluding that the performance deficiency is the result of an operational condition when none of the key indicator values is outside of the predetermined specification for the corresponding key indicator value and when the actual vehicle performance parameter is outside of the predetermined baseline performance parameter.

Claims

1. A method of determining causes of performance deficiencies of an off-road vehicle, comprising:

determining whether the vehicle is in a full-pull condition;

measuring a ground speed of the vehicle in the full-pull condition;

determining whether the measured ground speed is below a predetermined ground speed value;

measuring a plurality of key indicator values of the vehicle when the measured ground speed is below the predetermined ground speed value;

determining whether at least one of the measured plurality of key indicator values is outside of a predetermined specification for the corresponding key indicator value;

concluding that low measured ground speed is the result of a mechanical condition when at least one of the measured plurality of key indicator values is outside of specification; and

concluding that low measured ground speed is the result of an operational condition when none of the measured plurality of key indicator values is outside of specification.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

scheduling a maintenance operation for the vehicle when the low measured ground speed is the result of the mechanical condition; and

scheduling operator training when the low measured ground speed is the result of the operational condition.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the vehicle is in a full-pull condition comprises measuring a plurality of full-pull parameters when the vehicle is in motion.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the plurality of full-pull parameters comprises two or more selected from the group consisting of engine load, engine speed, throttle position, transmission gear selection, and payload status.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the plurality of key indicator values comprises two or more selected from the group consisting of manifold pressure, exhaust gas temperature, and engine derate percentage.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising normalizing at least one key indicator value before said determining whether at least one of the plurality of key indicator values is outside of specification.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said normalizing comprises normalizing manifold pressure.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein normalizing manifold pressure comprises normalizing manifold pressure based on ambient temperature.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein measuring the ground speed of the vehicle in the full-pull condition comprises measuring the ground speed of the vehicle when the vehicle is moving uphill, downhill, and on level ground.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein concluding that low measured ground speed is the result of a mechanical condition comprises concluding that the mechanical condition is due to either manifold pressure or exhaust temperature.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein concluding that low measured ground speed is the result of an operational condition comprises concluding that the operational condition is due to either slow ground speed or transmission gear selection.

12. A method of determining a cause of a performance deficiency of a vehicle, comprising:

determining whether the vehicle is operating in a defined load condition;

comparing an actual vehicle performance parameter with a predetermined baseline performance parameter for the defined load condition when the vehicle is operated in the defined load condition;

comparing a plurality of key indicator values of the vehicle with a predetermined specification for each of said plurality of key indicator values;

concluding that the performance deficiency is the result of a mechanical condition of the vehicle when at least one of the key indicator values is outside of the predetermined specification for a corresponding key indicator value and when the actual vehicle performance parameter is outside of the predetermined baseline performance parameter; and

concluding that the performance deficiency is the result of an operational condition when none of the key indicator values is outside of the predetermined specification for the corresponding key indicator value and when the actual vehicle performance parameter is outside of the predetermined baseline performance parameter.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the vehicle comprises a land vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine and wherein said determining whether the vehicle is operating in a defined load condition comprises determining whether the vehicle is operating in a full-pull condition.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the vehicle performance parameter comprises a ground speed and wherein said comparing the actual vehicle performance parameter with a predetermined baseline performance parameter comprises comparing the actual vehicle ground speed with a predetermined baseline ground speed when the vehicle is operated in the full-pull condition.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the plurality of key indicator values comprises two or more selected from the group consisting of manifold pressure, exhaust gas temperature, and engine derate percentage.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising determining whether the mechanical condition is related to manifold pressure or exhaust gas temperature.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein said determining whether the vehicle is in a full-pull condition comprises measuring a plurality of full-pull parameters when the vehicle is in motion.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the plurality of full-pull parameters comprises two or more selected from the group consisting of engine load, engine speed, throttle position, transmission gear selection, and payload status.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed by at least one computer processor cause the processor to:

determine when an off-road vehicle is in a full-pull condition;

determine a ground speed of the vehicle in the full-pull condition;

determine whether the ground speed is below a predetermined ground speed value;

receive from a vehicle sensing system a plurality of key indicator values of the vehicle when the ground speed is below the predetermined ground speed value;

determine whether at least one of the received plurality of key indicator values is outside of a predetermined specification for the corresponding key indicator value;

conclude that low measured ground speed is the result of a mechanical condition when at least one of the plurality of key indicator values is outside of specification; and

conclude that low measured ground speed is the result of an operational condition when none of the measured plurality key indicator values is outside of specification.

20. A system for determining causes of performance deficiencies of an off-road vehicle, comprising:

a network;

a plurality of sensors operatively associated with the off-road vehicle for sensing at least a plurality of key indicator values, said plurality of sensors being operatively associated with said network;

a processing system operatively associated with said network, said processing system being configured to;

determine whether the vehicle is in a full-pull condition;

determine a ground speed of the vehicle in the full-pull condition;

determine whether the ground speed is below a predetermined ground speed value;

determine whether at least one of the plurality of key indicator values is outside of a predetermined specification for the corresponding key indicator value;

conclude that low ground speed is the result of a mechanical condition when at least one of the plurality of key indicator values is outside of specification; and

conclude that low ground speed is the result of an operational condition when none of the measured plurality key indicator values is outside of specification; and

a display system operatively associated with said processing system, said processing system displaying on said display system at least information relating to said conclusions.