Data acquisition system indexed by cycle segmentation

• US 8,185,290 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2008
• Issued: 05/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Mintah, Brian, Price, Robert J., King, Kevin D., Janardhan, Vijayakumar, Tozawa, Shoji
• Primary Examiner(s): Keith, Jack W
• Assistant Examiner(s): TISSOT, ADAM D
• Application Number:
  US12/073,669
• Publication Number:
  US 20090228176A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,537 Days
• Field of Search: 701 99-115
• US Class Current: 701/99
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/435 for dipper-arms, backhoes or the like
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/24 Safety devices , e.g. for preventing overload E02F9/226 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/264 Sensors and their calibration for indicating the position of the work tool
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/267 Diagnosing or detecting failure of vehicles

Abstract

A data acquisition system for an excavation machine having a power source configured to drive a tool through a work cycle is disclosed. The data acquisition system may have a first sensor associated with the power source to generate a first signal indicative of a performance of the power source, and a second sensor associated with the tool to generate a second signal indicative of a performance of the tool. The data acquisition system may also have a controller in communication with the first and second sensors. The controller may be configured to record the first and second signals, and partition the work cycle into a plurality of segments. The controller may be further configured to link the performance of the power source and the performance of the tool together with one of the plurality of segments during which the associated first and second signals were recorded.

Claims

1. A data acquisition system for an excavation machine having a power source configured to drive a tool through repeated excavation work cycles during operation of the machine, the data acquisition system comprising:

a plurality of sensors including;

a first sensor associated with the power source to generate a first signal indicative of a performance of the power source;

a second sensor associated with the tool to generate a second signal indicative of a performance of the tool; and

a controller in communication with the plurality of sensors, the controller being configured to;

record the first and second signals;

partition an excavation work cycle of the repeated excavation work cycles into a plurality of segments based on signals from at least one of the plurality of sensors, each segment of the plurality of segments being indicative of a separate task performed by the machine during the excavation work cycle;

identify a set of qualified samples for at least one segment of the plurality of segments of the excavation work cycle from the recorded second signals, the qualified samples being a set of the recorded second signals in the at least one segment having a swing velocity of the tool within a user-defined range; and

compute the performance of the power source and the performance of the tool separately for the at least one segment of the excavation work cycle, the performance of the tool being computed using the identified qualified samples.

2. The data acquisition system of claim 1, wherein:

the performance of the power source is a fuel consumption of the power source.

3. The data acquisition system of claim 1, wherein the performance of the tool is a payload moved by the tool.

4. The data acquisition system of claim 3, wherein the controller is further configured to calculate a payload moved by the tool per completed excavation work cycle.

5. The data acquisition system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to calculate an amount of fuel consumed during each segment of the plurality of segments of the excavation work cycle.

6. The data acquisition system of claim 1, further including a timer, wherein the controller is in communication with the timer and further configured to record an elapsed period of time taken to complete each segment of the plurality of segments.

7. The data acquisition system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to link the performances of the power source and the tool together with the one of the plurality of segments after the tool has completed the excavation work cycle.

8. The data acquisition system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

compare the performances of the power source and the tool for each of the plurality of segments to a threshold performance level; and

alert an operator of the excavation machine when the performances for at least one of the plurality of segments are below the threshold performance level.

19. The data acquisition system of claim 1, wherein the qualified samples include a set of second signals that start and end at about the same swing velocity.

9. A method of acquiring data in a machine having a power source that is configured to drive a tool through repeated excavation work cycles during operation of the machine, comprising:

generating a power output;

directing the power output to the tool to perforin an excavation work cycle of the repeated excavation work cycles;

sensing a plurality of parameters of the machine, including;

sensing a first parameter indicative of a performance of the power source;

sensing a second parameter associated with a performance of the tool during the excavation work cycle;

recording the first and second parameters;

partitioning the excavation work cycle into a plurality of segments based on at least one of the sensed plurality of parameters, each segment of the plurality of segments being indicative of a separate task performed by the machine during the excavation work cycle;

identifying a set of qualified samples for at least one segment of the plurality of segments of the excavation work cycle from the recorded second parameters, the qualified samples being a set of the recorded second parameters in the at least one segment having a swing velocity of the tool within a user-defined range; and

computing the performance of the power source and the performance of the tool separately for the at least one segment of the excavation work cycle, the performance of the tool being computed using the identified qualified samples.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the first parameter is related to a fuel consumption; and

the second parameter is related to an amount of material moved during the excavation work cycle.

11. The method of claim 10, further including calculating an amount of material moved per amount of fuel consumed to move the material.

12. The method of claim 10, further including calculating an amount of fuel consumed during each of the plurality of segments.

13. The method of claim 10, further including calculating an amount of idle time during the excavation work cycle.

14. The method of claim 9, further including recording an elapsed period of time required for completion of each segment of the plurality of segments, and associating the elapsed period of time to complete each segment with the performance of the power source and the performance of the tool of that segment.

15. The method of claim 9, further including:

comparing the performance of the power source and the performance of the tool for each segment of the plurality of segments to threshold performance levels; and

alerting an operator when the compared performance parameters for at least one segment of the plurality of segments are below the threshold performance level.

20. The method of claim 9, wherein the qualified samples include a set of second parameters that start and end at about the same swing velocity.

16. An excavation machine, comprising:

a combustion engine configured to generate a power output;

a plurality of sensors configured to measure operating parameters of the machine, including;

a first sensor associated with the combustion engine to generate a first signal indicative of a fuel consumption of the combustion engine;

a second sensor associated with an excavation tool of the machine to generate a second signal indicative of a payload moved by the tool;

a tool driven by the power output to move through repeated excavation work cycles during operation of the machine; and

a controller in communication with the first and second sensors, the controller being configured to;

record the first and second signals;

partition the excavation work cycle into a dig segment, a loaded swing segment, a dump segment, and an empty swing segment based on readings from at least one sensor of the plurality of sensors;

identify a set of qualified samples for at least the loaded swing segment from the recorded second signals, the qualified samples being a set of second signals measured when a swing velocity of the tool is within a user-defined range; and

determine the fuel consumption of the combustion engine and the payload moved by the tool for at least the loaded swing segment, the payload moved by the tool for at least the loaded swing segment being computed using the identified qualified samples.

17. The excavation machine of claim 16, wherein the controller is further configured to calculate at least one of:

a payload moved by the tool per amount of fuel consumed by the power source; and

a payload moved by the tool per completed work cycle.

18. The excavation machine of claim 16, further including a timer, wherein the controller is in communication with the timer and further configured to record an elapsed period of time required for completion of each of the dig, loaded swing, dump, and empty swing segments.