FAULT DETECTION AND RESPONSE TECHNIQUES

• US 20120022762A1
• Filed: 07/18/2011
• Published: 01/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carlos A. Rosero
• Original Assignee: Carlos A. Rosero
• Inventors: Rosero, Carlos A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,429,092 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/101
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 77/08 Safety, indicating, or supervising devices thermal insulation F02B77/11; monitoring or diagnostic devices for exhaust-gas treatment apparatus F01N11/00
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/1498 measuring engine roughness
• 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: G01M 15/12 by monitoring vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

Systems and methods for detecting, predicting and/or responding to faults are disclosed. In one form, a sensor can be operatively coupled to an engine system having a component and a control system is coupled to the sensor. The sensor can be structured to monitor the engine system and generate corresponding sensor information. The control system can be structured to: generate an operational signature based on the sensor information, estimate whether a fault (e.g., a mechanical fault of the component and/or a performance fault of the engine system) exists based on the operational signature, determine an engine operating mode adjustment if the fault exists and output the engine operating mode adjustment to an output device. Systems and methods for increasing the accuracy by which faults are detected and/or predicted are also disclosed. The engine operating mode adjustment can be applied to protect engine system components from being undesirably damaged to faults.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an engine system having a component;

a sensor operatively coupled to the engine system, the sensor being structured to generate sensor information;

a control system coupled to the sensor and the engine system, the control system being structured to;

generate an operational signature of the component based on the sensor information;

estimate whether a fault exists within the engine system based on the operational signature;

determine an engine operating mode adjustment based on the operational signature if a fault is estimated to exist; and

output the engine operating mode adjustment to an output device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is structured to monitor a vibration of the component during operation of the engine system.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises an accelerometer.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a delta sensor.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the sensor information represents a change in a vibration characteristic of the component.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the fault includes a mechanical fault of the component.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the fault includes a performance fault of the engine system.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the control system comprises:

a memory structured to store a reference signature containing information corresponding to the component when the component does not have a mechanical fault; and

an analysis system coupled to the memory and structured to;

perform a comparison between the operational signature and the reference signature;

determine whether the operational signature has a predefined relationship with the reference signature based on the comparison; and

estimate that the component has the mechanical fault if the operational signature has the predefined relationship with the reference signature.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the control system is further structured to:

receive other information representing whether the estimate is incorrect; and

adjust the predefined relationship based on the other information.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the reference signature further contains information corresponding to a condition of the component.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the condition is selected from the group consisting of a new component and a repaired component.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the reference signature further contains information corresponding to an amount of wear of the engine system.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the reference signature further contains information corresponding to an application of the engine system.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the reference signature further contains information corresponding to an application of the engine system selected from the group consisting of an automotive application, an agriculture application, a construction application, an industrial application, an oil and gas application, a power unit application, a mining application, a marine application, an aviation application, and a power generation application.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein the analysis system is further structured to continuously correct the reference signature based upon at least one selected from the group consisting of an application for which the engine system is being used, an extent to which a component of the engine system accumulates wear, a repair of a component of the engine system, and an extent to which a component of the engine system experiences load cycle effects.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the component is at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a crankshaft, a piston rod, a piston, an engine block, an engine head, a turbocharger apparatus, an exhaust gas recirculation device, a heat exchanger, a fuel injector, a mechanical actuator, a journal bearing, a rotatable shaft, a cam, an axle, a flywheel, an accessory drive device, a power unit, a cooling subsystem, an engine application attachment, and a lubrication subsystem.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the component is at least one selected from the group consisting of mining equipment, drilling equipment, excavating equipment, and material conveying equipment.

18. The system of claim 8, further comprising a means for modifying the reference signature.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the modifying means includes an artificial intelligence routine.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the modifying means includes a service tool for loading new programming into the control system.

21. A method, comprising:

receiving sensor information from a sensor operatively coupled to an engine system having a component;

generating an operational signature of the component based on the sensor information;

estimating whether the component has a mechanical fault based on the operational signature;

determining an engine operation mode adjustment if the component is estimated to have a mechanical fault; and

outputting the engine operation mode adjustment to an output device.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

comparing the operational signature with a reference signature containing information corresponding to the component when the component does not have the mechanical fault;

determining whether the operational signature has a predefined relationship with the reference signature based on the comparison; and

estimating that the component has the mechanical fault if the operational signature has the predefined relationship with the reference signature.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

receiving other information indicating whether the estimating is incorrect; and

adjusting the predefined relationship based on the other information.

24. A method, comprising:

powering operation of a system with an internal combustion engine;

during the operation of the system, monitoring vibration of one or more components of the system;

generating an operational signature based on the vibration;

with the system, performing a comparison of the operational signature to a reference signature; and

indicating whether at least one of the components has a mechanical fault as a function of the comparison with the system.

25. The method of claim 24, which includes rotating the at least one of the components when the operation of the system is normal.

26. The method of claim 24, which includes reciprocating the at least one of the components when the operation of the system is normal.

27. The method of claim 24, which includes indicating two or more of the components has mechanically failed.

28. The method of claim 24, which includes, with the system, updating the reference signature.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the updating includes operating an adaptive learning routine.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the updating includes adjusting for nominal wear.

31. The method of claim 24, wherein the system is one of a vehicle, a power unit, and an electric power generation device.

32. The method of claim 24, wherein the one or more components are selected from the group consisting of:

a crankshaft, a piston rod, a piston, an engine block, an engine head, a turbocharger apparatus, an exhaust gas recirculation device, a heat exchanger, a fuel injector, a mechanical actuator, a journal bearing, a rotatable shaft, a cam, an axle, a flywheel, an accessory drive device, a power unit, a cooling subsystem, an engine application attachment, and a lubrication subsystem.

33. The method of claim 24, wherein the one or more components are selected from the group consisting of mining equipment, drilling equipment, excavating equipment, and material conveying equipment.

34. A system, comprising:

an interface module structured to receive sensor information from a sensor operatively coupled to an engine system having a component; and

an analysis module coupled to the interface module and structured to;

generate an operational signature of the component based on the sensor information;

estimate whether the component has a mechanical fault based on the operational signature;

determine an engine operating mode adjustment based on the operational signature if the component is estimated to have a mechanical fault; and

output the engine operating mode adjustment to the interface module.