System and method for evaluating chip zap data

• US 10,240,549 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2017
• Issued: 03/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Rudolecky, Tomas, Hickenbottom, Chris, Hrncir, Zdenek, Uluyol, Onder, Kim, Kyusung
• Primary Examiner(s): Trivedi, Atul
• Application Number:
  US15/398,278
• Publication Number:
  US 20180187622A1
• Time in Patent Office: 811 Days
• Field of Search: 701 295
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 11/10 Indicating devices; Other safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 2011/1466 by considering quantity of soot
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/228 Warning displays
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/22 Safety or indicating devices for abnormal conditions in air/fuel ratio feedback systems F02D41/1495, in electric control linkage F02D11/107, in purge control systems F02M25/0809
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/2888 Lubricating oil characteristics, e.g. deterioration lubricating properties G01N33/30
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

A system and method for identifying engine wear based on engine oil debris is provided. The provided system and method utilize metallic debris data provided in summary reports. For each object of metallic debris, a zap count, an initial (pre-zap) impedance and an impedance change (post zap) are processed with configurable reference variables. Alerts (suggesting potential engine wear) are generated responsive to the impedance values of the objects of metallic debris and the reference variables.

Claims

1. A method for identifying potential engine wear of an engine based on chip zap data reflecting engine oil debris, the method comprising:

at a processor,

initializing a threshold zap count as a number of zaps that can be tolerated;

initializing a zap counter to zero;

receiving, from an external source, a summary report of the chip zap data, the summary report having one or more lines, each line including;

a date, a time, an initial impedance (initial Z), a post-zap impedance, a delta impedance (delta Z), and a number of zaps;

creating a cutoff date;

processing a line of the summary report to identify the date, the initial Z, the delta Z, and the number of zaps; and

incrementing the zap counter by the number of zaps, when the date is within the cutoff date;

determining whether the zap counter is greater than the threshold zap count; and

generating commands to annunciate an alert indicating potential engine wear when the zap counter reaches the threshold zap count.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comprises

initializing an impedance value low enough to indicate a metallic object, as a threshold initial Z;

initializing a number of low impedance entries that may be detected before generating an alert, as a low Z limit;

initializing a low Z counter to zero;

incrementing the low Z counter, when the date is within the cutoff date and the initial Z is lower than the threshold initial Z; and

wherein generating commands for the display device or the audio system to annunciate an alert indicating potential engine wear is

based upon the occurrence of (i) the zap counter reaches the threshold zap count, or (ii) the low Z counter reaches the low Z limit.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

initializing an impedance value large enough to represent that an object of metallic debris has been cleared, as a threshold delta Z;

initializing a number of lines having large delta Zs that may be tolerated, as a delta Z limit

initializing a delta Z counter to zero;

incrementing the delta Z counter, when the date is within the cutoff date and the delta Z is higher than the threshold delta Z; and

wherein

wherein generating commands for the display device or the audio system to annunciate an alert indicating potential engine wear is

based upon the further occurrence of the delta Z counter reaching the delta Z limit.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising creating the cutoff date based on a first line date and a variable delta time.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the line of the summary report is one of a plurality of lines in the summary report, and further comprising:

for each line of the summary report,

storing the line in a computer readable storage medium;

processing the line to identify a date, an initial Z, a delta Z, and a number of zaps; and

when the date is within the cutoff date,

incrementing the zap counter by the number of zaps;

incrementing the low Z counter when the initial Z is lower than the threshold initial Z; and

incrementing the delta Z counter when the delta Z is greater than the threshold delta Z.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising, at a display system, rendering symbology on a display device responsive to the generated commands to annunciate an alert indicating potential engine wear.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising, at an audio system, emitting an audible sound responsive to the generated commands to annunciate an alert indicating potential engine wear.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising generating a file for external transmission responsive to the generated commands to annunciate an alert indicating potential engine wear.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving reference variables via a user input device; and

storing the reference variables in a computer readable storage medium.

10. A system for identifying potential engine wear of an engine based on chip zap data reflecting engine oil debris, the system comprising:

a processor; and

a computer readable storage medium coupled to the processor;

wherein the processor is configured to initialize a threshold zap count as a number of zaps that can be tolerated;

initialize a zap counter to zero;

receive, from an external source, a summary report of the chip zap data, the summary report having one or more lines, each line including;

a date, a time, an initial impedance (initial Z), a post-zap impedance, a delta impedance (delta Z), and a number of zaps;

create a cutoff date;

process a line of the summary report to identify the date, the initial Z, the delta Z, and the number of zaps; and

increment the zap counter by the number of zaps, when the date is within the cutoff date;

determine whether the zap counter is greater than the threshold zap count; and

generate commands to annunciate an alert indicating potential engine wear when the zap counter reaches the threshold zap count.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

initialize an impedance value low enough to indicate a metallic object, as a threshold initial Z;

initialize a number of low impedance entries that may be detected before generating an alert, as a low Z limit;

initialize a low Z counter to zero;

increment the low Z counter, when the date is within the cutoff date and the initial Z is lower than the threshold initial Z; and

wherein the processor is further configured to generate commands for the display device or the audio system to annunciate an alert indicating potential engine wear based upon the occurrence of (i) the zap counter reaches the threshold zap count, or (ii) the low Z counter reaches the low Z limit.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:

initialize an impedance value large enough to represent that an object of metallic debris has been cleared, as a threshold delta Z;

initialize a number of lines having large delta Zs that may be tolerated, as a delta Z limit;

initialize a delta Z counter to zero;

increment the delta Z counter, when the date is within the cutoff date and the delta Z is higher than the threshold delta Z; and

wherein the processor is further configured to generate commands for the display device or the audio system to annunciate an alert indicating potential engine wear based upon the further occurrence of the delta Z counter reaching the delta Z limit.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the line of the summary report is one of a plurality of lines in the summary report, and wherein the processor is further configured to:

for each line of the summary report,

store the line in the computer readable storage medium;

process the line to identify a date, an initial Z, a delta Z, and a number of zaps; and

when the date is within the cutoff date,

increment the zap counter by the number of zaps;

increment the low Z counter when the initial Z is lower than the threshold initial Z; and

increment the delta Z counter when the delta Z is greater than the threshold delta Z.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to generate commands for the alert in a soft file for external transmission.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising a display system configured to render symbology on a display device responsive to the generated commands to annunciate an alert indicating potential engine wear.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising an audio system configured to emit sounds responsive to the generated commands to annunciate an alert indicating potential engine wear.