Method of making a decision on the status of a mechanical system using input and response data acquired in situ

• US 20060265144A1
• Filed: 04/27/2006
• Published: 11/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Vermont & State Agricultural College
• Original Assignee: University of Vermont & State Agricultural College
• Inventors: Frolik, Jeffrey L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,395,167 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/33
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/90 Maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2600/042 Monitoring means
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 25/04 for mounting axles resiliently on cycle frame or fork for sidecars, forecars or the like B62K27/06
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 13/028 Acoustic or vibration analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/04 Suspension or damping
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C

Abstract

An in-situ monitoring system is engaged with a mechanical system for which it is desired to assess or monitor the in-situ performance of the mechanical system. The in-situ monitoring system includes at least one input sensor and at least one output sensor for collecting data corresponding, respectively, to input into, and output from, the mechanical system. The monitoring system also includes an analyzer that utilizes the input and output data to generate an in-situ response representation of the mechanical system. The in-situ representation may be used to make a decision regarding the status of the mechanical system, e.g., to replace all or part of it, to adjust it or to do nothing. In one embodiment, the analyzer is programmed to adapt to the operating conditions of the mechanical system by automatically selecting which one of a number of target representations should be used to characterize the in-situ representation.

Claims

1. A method of making a decision on a status of a mechanical system, comprising:

selecting a mechanical system responsive to at least one operating input load so as to have an operating response to said at least one operating input load;

collecting first data representing said at least one operating input load;

collecting second data representing said operating response;

generating an in-situ representation of said mechanical system as a function of said first data and said second data;

assessing said in-situ representation so as to make a decision regarding the status of said mechanical system.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of obtaining a target-response representation of said mechanical system, said step of assessing said in-situ representation of said mechanical system comprising comparing said in-situ representation and said target-response representation with one another so as to determine a difference between said in-situ representation and said target-response representation.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of collecting said first data includes collecting said first data using a first accelerometer and said step of collecting said second data includes collecting said second data using a second accelerometer.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of selecting said mechanical system comprises a step of selecting a biomechanical system.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein said step of selecting a biomechanical system comprises a step of selecting an artificial biomechanical system.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of selecting said mechanical system comprises a step of selecting a vehicular system.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein said step of selecting said vehicular system comprises a step of selecting a suspension system.

8. A method according to claim 6, wherein said step of selecting said suspension system comprises a step of selecting a bicycle suspension system.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein said decision is to tune said mechanical system and the method further comprises a step of tuning said mechanical system.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein said decision is to replace said mechanical system and the method further comprises a step of replacing said mechanical system.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of generating said in-situ representation comprises a step utilizing multidimensional signal processing techniques.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of generating said in-situ representation comprises a step generating at least one of the following:

an impulse response, a frequency-domain transfer function, frequency response function and digital filter coefficients.

13. A method of monitoring performance of a mechanical system, comprising:

selecting a mechanical system responsive to at least one operating input load so as to have an operating response to said at least one operating input load;

at a plurality of intervals over an extended period;

collecting first data representing said at least one operating input load;

collecting second data representing said operating response; and

generating an in-situ diagnostic representation of said mechanical system as a function of said first data and said second data; and

assessing said in-situ diagnostic representation so as to monitor the performance of said mechanical system.

14. A method according to claim 13, further comprising a step of obtaining a baseline-response representation of said mechanical system, said step of assessing said in-situ diagnostic representation of said mechanical system comprising comparing said in-situ diagnostic representation and said baseline-response representation with one another so as to determine a difference between said in-situ diagnostic representation and said baseline-response representation.

15. A method according to claim 13, wherein said step of collecting said first data includes collecting said first data using a first accelerometer and said step of collecting said second data includes collecting said second data using a second accelerometer.

16. A method according to claim 13, wherein said step of selecting said mechanical system comprises a step of selecting a biomechanical system.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein said step of selecting a biomechanical system comprises a step of selecting an artificial biomechanical system.

18. A method according to claim 13, wherein said step of selecting said mechanical system comprises a step of selecting a vehicular system.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein said step of selecting said vehicular system comprises a step of selecting a suspension system.

20. A method according to claim 18, wherein said step of selecting said suspension system comprises a step of selecting a bicycle suspension system.

21. A method according to claim 13, wherein at each of said plurality of intervals, temporarily placing a plurality of sensors in operative relationship with said mechanical system for collecting said first data and collecting said second data.

22. A method according to claim 13, wherein said step of generating said in-situ diagnostic representation comprises a step utilizing multidimensional signal processing techniques.

23. A method according to claim 13, wherein said step of generating said in-situ diagnostic representation comprises a step generating at least one of the following:

an impulse response, a frequency-domain transfer function, frequency response function and digital filter coefficients.

24. A method of assessing the performance of a mechanical system having at least one input and an a response to the at least one input, comprising:

storing, via a first signal from a first sensor placed in operative relation to the mechanical system, input data corresponding to the at least one input;

storing, via a second signal from a second sensor placed in operative relation to the mechanical system, response data corresponding to the response;

automatically generating an in-situ response representation as a function of said input data and said response data;

automatically selecting one of a plurality of stored target-representations as a function of said input data; and

automatically making a comparison of said in-situ response representation to said one of said plurality of stored target-representations.

25. A method according to claim 24, further comprising a step of displaying a result of said comparison on a display.

26. A method according to claim 24, wherein said step of automatically generating said in-situ response representation comprises generating a frequency response spectrum.

27. A method according to claim 24, wherein said step of storing input data comprises storing input acceleration data and said step of storing response data comprises storing response acceleration data.

28. A method according to claim 24, wherein each of said plurality of target response representations is an acceptable limits envelope.

29. A method according to claim 24, wherein the mechanical system includes a damper.

30. A computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions for performing a method of assessing the performance of a mechanical system having at least one input and an a response to the at least one input, the computer-executable instructions comprising:

a first set of instructions for storing, via a first signal from a first sensor placed in operative relation to the mechanical system, input data corresponding to the at least one input;

a second set of instructions for storing, via a second signal from a second sensor placed in operative relation to the mechanical system, response data corresponding to the response;

a third set of instructions for automatically generating an in-situ response representation as a function of said input data and said response data;

a fourth set of instructions for automatically selecting one of a plurality of stored target-representations as a function of said input data; and

a fifth set of instructions for automatically making a comparison of said in-situ response representation to said one of said plurality of stored target-representations.

31. A computer-readable medium according to claim 30, further comprising a set of instructions for displaying a result of said comparison on a display.

32. A computer-readable medium according to claim 30, wherein said third set of instructions comprises instructions for generating a frequency response spectrum.