Vehicle control systems and methods

• US 10,556,598 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2016
• Issued: 02/11/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Global Sourcing LLC (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: GE Global Sourcing LLC (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Petrak, Edward Thomas, Young, Henry, Kuttenkuler, Jason Daniel, Wolff, Jeffrey John
• Primary Examiner(s): Boomer, Jeffrey C
• Application Number:
  US15/359,909
• Publication Number:
  US 20180141565A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,175 Days
• Field of Search: 701 291, 701 293, 701 314, 703 8, 705 4, 340438, 1 1, 318494
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0205 Diagnosing or detecting failures; Failure detection models
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0225 Failure correction strategy
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/038 Limiting the input power, torque or speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• 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 5/0816 Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0825 using optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

Aspects of the subject technology relate to systems and methods for monitoring component wear to prevent premature component failure. A control system for a system having one or more mechanical or electronic components may include a life manager that monitors accumulated wear of the one or more components. The life manager may provide an alert and/or limit system operations when the accumulated wear exceeds a limit. The limit may be dynamically determined based on an operating age of the component. The limit may also be defined as a matrix of limits, each defined for a range of a particular operating condition of the component. Operating conditions may include an applied torque range for a vehicle wheel or a thermal cycle temperature range for an electronic switching component.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a vehicle control system that includes processor circuitry, a system memory, and a system communications interface; and

a vehicle component, having a component memory and a component communications interface communicatively coupled with the system communications interface, wherein the component memory is configured to store a plurality of different accumulated wear parameter values for the vehicle component and an operating age that is indicative of a duration of use of the vehicle component, each of the accumulated wear parameter values representing an amount of accumulated wear of the vehicle component while the vehicle component operates in a respective operating range of a plurality of different operating ranges,

wherein the system memory stores instructions that, while executed by the processor circuitry of the vehicle control system, direct the vehicle control system to;

update the accumulated wear parameter value for one or more of the different operating ranges and the operating age of the vehicle component during operation of the vehicle component;

determine projected wear parameter values of the vehicle component for the operating ranges, the projected wear parameter value determined for each of the operating ranges based on the operating age of the vehicle component that is updated and a designated growth rate of wear for the vehicle component that is associated with the respective operating range;

determine available wear parameter values for the vehicle component for each of the operating ranges based on the accumulated wear parameter value of the respective operating range and the projected wear parameter value of the respective operating range; and

perform a first corrective action for the vehicle based on at least one of the available wear parameter values,

wherein the vehicle component comprises an alternator;

wherein each of the plurality of operating ranges comprises a range of pole bolt speeds, and

wherein each of the available wear parameter values comprises a number of available pole bolt speed cycles of the alternator.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein

the first corrective action for the vehicle is performed responsive to at least one of the plurality of available wear parameter values falling below a respective first threshold for the corresponding operating range.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein

the projected wear parameter value is determined for each of the plurality of operating ranges based on the operating age that is updated and a respective, different growth rate of the growth rates.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a thermistor configured to measure a temperature of the vehicle component

that includes an electronic switching device,

wherein the instructions, while executed by the processor circuitry of the vehicle control system, direct the vehicle control system to update one or more of the accumulated wear parameter values based on a signal from the sensor,

wherein each of the plurality of operating ranges comprises a temperature excursion range, and

wherein each of the available wear parameter values comprises a number of available thermal cycles of the electronic switching device.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising an operator interface,

wherein the instructions, while executed by the processor circuitry of the vehicle control system, further direct the vehicle control system to perform the first corrective action for the vehicle based on at least one of the available wear parameter values responsive to the at least one available wear parameter value falling below a first threshold, and

wherein the first corrective action comprises providing an alert via the operator interface.

6. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the instructions, while executed by the processor circuitry of the vehicle control system, further direct the vehicle control system to perform a second corrective action of limiting operation of the vehicle responsive to at least one of the available wear parameter values falling below a second threshold.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of additional vehicle components, each of the additional vehicle components having a respective component memory and a respective component communications interface that is communicatively coupled with the system communications interface of the vehicle control system,

wherein the respective component memories of the plurality of additional vehicle components are configured to store respective accumulated wear parameter values for the corresponding additional vehicle components and respective operating ages that are indicative of durations of use of the corresponding additional vehicle components, and

wherein the instructions, while executed by the processor circuitry of the vehicle control system, further direct the vehicle control system to:

obtain the accumulated wear parameter values and the operating ages from the respective component memories of the plurality of additional vehicle components;

update, during operation of the plurality of additional vehicle components, the respective accumulated wear parameter values for the plurality of additional vehicle components;

determine, during operation of the plurality of additional vehicle components, respective available wear parameter values for the plurality of additional vehicle components based on the respective accumulated wear parameter values and the respective operating ages of the plurality of additional vehicle components; and

perform the first corrective action for the vehicle responsive to at least one of the available wear parameter values for the plurality of vehicle components falling below a respective threshold.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, further comprising a plurality of sensors for the plurality of additional vehicle components, respectively,

wherein the accumulated wear parameter values for the plurality of additional vehicle components are updated based on respective signals from the plurality of sensors.

9. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the instructions, while executed by the processor circuitry of the vehicle control system, further direct the vehicle control system to store the accumulated wear parameter values and the operating age in the component memory of the vehicle component via the system communications interface at predetermined intervals.

10. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the instructions, while executed by the processor circuitry of the vehicle control system, direct the vehicle control system to update the accumulated wear parameter values based on one or more of a signal from a sensor for the vehicle component or a model for an operating condition of the vehicle component.

11. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the instructions, while executed by the processor circuitry of the vehicle control system, direct the vehicle control system to apply a life acceleration factor or a life deceleration factor to at least one of the available wear parameter values based on an environmental condition for the vehicle component, wherein application of the life acceleration factor or the life deceleration factor increases or reduces the at least one available wear parameter value for the operating age of the vehicle component.

12. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising an operator interface,

wherein the instructions, while executed by the processor circuitry of the vehicle control system, further direct the vehicle control system to perform the first corrective action for the vehicle based on at least one of the available wear parameter values responsive to the at least one available wear parameter value rising above an upper threshold, and

wherein the first corrective action comprises providing an alert via the operator interface.

13. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the instructions, while executed by the processor circuitry of the vehicle control system, further direct the vehicle control system to perform a second corrective action of reducing a cooling operation of the vehicle responsive to at least one of the available wear parameter values rising above the upper threshold.

14. A vehicle control system, comprising:

processor circuitry; and

a system memory storing instructions that, while executed by the processor circuitry, direct the processor circuitry to;

obtain a plurality of accumulated wear parameter values for a plurality of operating ranges, respectively, for a vehicle component of a vehicle and an operating age that is indicative of a duration of use of the vehicle component;

monitor an operating condition of the vehicle component over the plurality of operating ranges;

update the plurality of accumulated wear parameter values for the plurality of operating ranges, respectively, based on the monitored operating condition;

advance the operating age based on operation of the vehicle component;

determine a plurality of projected wear parameter values for the plurality of operating ranges, respectively, for the based on the operating age of the vehicle component and a plurality of designated growth rates of wear of the vehicle component, wherein each of the operating ranges is associated with a different growth rate of the plurality of designated growth rates;

determine an available wear parameter value for the vehicle component for each of the plurality of operating ranges based on the plurality of accumulated wear parameter values and the projected wear parameter value of the vehicle component for the respective operating range; and

perform a corrective action for the vehicle when the available wear parameter value for at least one of the operating ranges falls below a respective threshold,

wherein the vehicle component comprises an alternator,

wherein each of the plurality of operating ranges comprises a range of pole bolt speeds, and

wherein each of the available wear parameter values comprises a number of available pole bolt speed cycles of the alternator.

15. The vehicle control system of claim 14, wherein the instructions, while executed by the processor circuitry, direct the processor circuitry to determine the available wear parameter values by further directing the processor circuitry to:

determine the projected wear parameter values by subtracting the accumulated wear parameter values for the plurality of operating ranges from the projected wear parameter values for the plurality of operating ranges, respectively.

16. The vehicle control system of claim 15, wherein the growth rate for a first one of the plurality of operating ranges is different from the growth rate for a second one of the plurality of operating ranges.

17. The vehicle control system of claim 14, further comprising an operator interface,

wherein the instructions, while executed by the processor circuitry, direct the processor circuitry to perform the corrective action by one or more of providing an alert to the operator interface or limiting operation of the vehicle.

18. The vehicle control system of claim 14, wherein the instructions, while executed by the processor circuitry, further direct the processor circuitry to store the plurality of accumulated wear parameter values and the operating age in a component memory of the vehicle component at predetermined intervals.

19. The vehicle control system of claim 18, further comprising a system communications interface, wherein the plurality of accumulated wear parameter values and the operating age are stored in the component memory via the system communications interface.