ELECTRIC DRIVE UNIT HAVING INTELLIGENT MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENT MONTORING

• US 20190323923A1
• Filed: 01/25/2018
• Published: 10/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenze Drives GmbH (Lenze AG /Mair/)
• Original Assignee: Lenze Drives GmbH (Lenze AG /Mair/)
• Inventors: RICKE, Tim-Oliver
• Granted Patent: US 11,486,793 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 15/02 Details or accessories of testing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0428 Safety, monitoring G05B19/0423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24015 Monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0283 Predictive maintenance, e.g. involving the monitoring of a system and, based on the monitoring results, taking decisions on the maintenance schedule of the monitored system; Estimating remaining useful life [RUL] preventive maintenance, i.e. planning maintenance according to the available resources without monitoring the system G06Q10/06
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 3/00 Registering or indicating the condition or the working of machines or other apparatus, other than vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 3/14 Quality control systems

Abstract

An electric drive unit having an electric motor having a flange-mounted adapter that is attached to the electric motor and has a motor shaft extension for extending the motor shaft through the adapter. The electric drive unit has at least one sensor for measuring at least one operating variable of the electric motor and an evaluation unit for evaluating the operating variable(s) measured by the sensor(s). The sensor(s) and evaluation unit are arranged in and/or on the electric motor and/or adapter. The evaluation unit is designed to evaluate the measured operating variable(s) with respect to the need for maintenance and/or repair and to output a signal about the need for maintenance and/or repair via a signal transmission device for signaling the need for maintenance if the result of the evaluation of the operating variable(s) indicates the need for maintenance.

Claims

1. An electric drive unit (1) comprising:

an electric motor (2), comprising a flanged-mounted adapter (3) that is attached to the electric motor (2) and has a motor shaft extension for extending the motor shaft through the adapter (3);

at least one sensor for measuring at least one operating variable of the electric motor (2); and

an evaluation unit for evaluating the operating variable(s) measured by the sensor(s),

wherein the sensor(s) and evaluation unit are arranged in and/or on the electric motor (2) and/or adapter (3), and

wherein the evaluation unit is designed to evaluate the measured operating variable(s) with respect to the need for maintenance and/or repair and to output a signal about the need for maintenance and/or repair via a signal transmission device for signaling the need for maintenance if the result of the evaluation of the operating variables(s) indicates the need for maintenance.

2. The electric drive unit (1) according to claim 1,

wherein

the electric drive unit (1) also has a transmission, the adapter (3) being arranged between the electric motor (2) and the transmission and the signal transmission device being provided in an adapter (3).

3. The electric drive unit (1) according to claim 1,

wherein

the signal transmission device has an optical and/or acoustic device for transmitting the signal.

4. The electric drive unit (1) according to claim 1,

wherein

the signal transmission device has a wireless and/or wired interface for transmitting the signal as a data signal.

5. The electric drive unit (1) according to claim 1,

wherein

the drive unit (1) has, as a sensor, an operating time measuring device for detecting the operating times of the electric drive unit (1), in particular the drive unit (1) having an operating time evaluation unit for evaluating the operating times measured by the operating time measuring device, in particular the operating time evaluation unit being a component of the evaluation device.

6. The electric drive unit (1) according to claim 1,

wherein

the drive unit (1) has, as a sensor, a rotational speed and/or rotational direction sensor for measuring the rotational speed and/or rotational direction, in particular the drive unit (1) having a rotational speed and/or rotational direction evaluation unit for evaluating the rotational speed and/or rotational direction measured by the rotational speed and/or rotational direction sensor, in particular the rotational speed and/or rotational direction evaluation unit being a component of the evaluation unit.

7. The electric drive unit (1) according to claim 1,

wherein

the drive unit (1) has a signal input for receiving further data and/or signals from further measuring, regulation and/or control technology devices, in particular the evaluation device being designed to evaluate further data and/or signals with respect to the need for maintenance and/or repair.

8. An adapter for a drive unit (1) according to claim 1,

wherein

the evaluation unit is designed to evaluate the measured operating variable(s) and/or the further data and/or signals with respect to the mechanical and/or electrical loading of the electric drive unit, in particular a wear parameter being calculated as a function of the respective operating times at a particular load and being used as an output variable of the evaluation with respect to the need for maintenance and/or repair.

9. The electric drive unit (1) according to claim 1,

wherein

the evaluation unit is designed to evaluate the measured operating variable(s) and/or the further data and/or signals with respect to the need for maintenance and/or repair becoming necessary in the future, and, depending on the result of this calculation, a signal about the future need for maintenance and/or repair is preferably output via the signal transmission device if the result of the evaluation of the operating variable(s) indicates the need for maintenance in the future.

10. The electric drive unit (1) according to claim 1,

wherein

the drive unit (1) has a temperature sensor, in particular the drive unit (1) having a temperature evaluation unit for evaluating the temperature measured by the temperature sensor, the temperature evaluation unit being designed to calculate a temperature at a point of the electric drive unit (1) that is spaced apart from the location of the temperature measurement on the basis of the measured temperature, in particular the temperature evaluation unit being a component of the evaluation unit.

11. A modular system for providing a drive unit according to claim 1,

wherein

the drive unit (1), in particular the adapter (3), has an evaluation device receptacle for receiving one evaluation unit selected from a plurality of evaluation units, it being possible for each evaluation unit from the plurality of evaluation units to be selected and received by the evaluation device receptacle.