Shaft imbalance detection system

• US 9,046,050 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2011
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Global Sourcing LLC (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Worden, Bret Dwayne, Malone, Matthew John, Karunaratne, Milan
• Primary Examiner(s): Martin, Laura
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shah, Samir M
• Application Number:
  US13/233,787
• Publication Number:
  US 20130067911A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,356 Days
• Field of Search: 734/60, 734/62, 605/98
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 2039/168 the rotational speed of pump or exhaust drive being limited
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/288 for performing a transformation into the frequency domain, e.g. Fourier transformation
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/1012 Engine speed gradient
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0085 Balancing of cylinder outputs, e.g. speed, torque or air-fuel ratio
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0097 using means for generating speed signals
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/1498 measuring engine roughness
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 1/24 Performing balancing on elastic shafts, e.g. for crankshafts
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 15/046 by monitoring revolutions for detecting misfire G01M15/11

Abstract

A shaft imbalance detector system (50) includes a speed sensor (52) that detects a speed of a wheel and generates a speed signal, and a controller (60) connected to the speed sensor (52). The controller (60) is configured to monitor the speed signal, where a variation in the speed signal indicates an imbalance in a shaft (22).

Claims

1. A shaft imbalance detector system comprising:

a diagnostic gear having at least one gear tooth, the diagnostic gear attached about a rotating shaft and contained within a turbo charger, super-charger, or any engine aspiration compressor through which at least a portion of the shaft passes;

a speed sensor that is configured to detect a speed of the shaft and generate a pulse based on passage of the at least one gear tooth of the diagnostic gear, the pulse comprising at least a portion of a speed signature; and

a controller connected to the speed sensor configured to monitor the speed signature, wherein a variation in the speed signature indicates an imbalance in the shaft.

2. The shaft imbalance detector system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to detect variations in a frequency of the speed signature.

3. The shaft imbalance detector system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to detect spatial frequency content within the speed signature.

4. The shaft imbalance detector system of claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to detect the spatial frequency content at least once per revolution.

5. The shaft imbalance detector system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to detect time frequency content within the speed signature.

6. The shaft imbalance detector system of claim 1, wherein the speed sensor is a hall effect sensor.

7. The shaft imbalance detector system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to detect a variation in a magnitude or a width of the pulse to detect an imbalance in the shaft.

8. The shaft imbalance detector system of claim 1, wherein upon the variation in the speed signature, the controller is configured to initiate a remedial action.

9. The shaft imbalance detector system of claim 8, wherein the remedial action includes at least one of

derating the turbo charger, super-charger, or any engine aspiration compressor,

reducing a speed of the turbo charger, super-charger, or any engine aspiration compressor,

derating a horsepower of the engine,

shutdown of the turbo charger, super-charger, or any engine aspiration compressor, and

shutdown of the engine.

10. The shaft imbalance detector system of claim 8, wherein the remedial action includes compensating for the variation.

11. The shaft imbalance detector system of claim 10, wherein the compensating includes the controller initiating a cylinder balancing operation within an engine operably connected to the shaft.

12. The shaft imbalance detector system of claim 8 further comprising a warning indicator, wherein the remedial action includes activating the warning indicator.

13. The shaft imbalance detector system of claim 8 further comprising a communication system in communication with the controller, wherein the remedial action includes transmitting data from the shaft imbalance detector system.

14. The shaft imbalance detector system of claim 1, wherein the speed sensor is located a fixed distance from the diagnostic gear.

15. The shaft imbalance detector system of claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to monitor the pulse and upon detecting an increase in a magnitude or pulse width of the pulse beyond a threshold value, the controller is configured to identify this as a potential reduction in a gap between the speed sensor and the at least one gear tooth.

16. The shaft imbalance detector system of claim 15, wherein upon the controller detecting the reduction in the gap between the speed sensor and the at least one gear tooth, the controller is configured to initiate remedial action.