Condition monitoring system, condition monitoring unit and method for monitoring a condition of a bearing unit for a vehicle

• US 9,828,012 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2015
• Issued: 11/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABet SKF
• Original Assignee: ABet SKF
• Inventors: Cuthbertson, Stephen, Franchitti, Julian, Patwari, Rashmy
• Primary Examiner(s): ANTONUCCI, ANNE MARIE
• Application Number:
  US14/946,787
• Publication Number:
  US 20160152255A1
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 27/0068 the element being a sensor
• CPC Class Codes: B61K 9/04 Detectors for indicating the overheating of axle bearings and the like, e.g. associated with the brake system for applying the brakes in case of a fault
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0027 Radio-based, e.g. using GSM-R
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0081 On-board diagnosis or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 2205/04 Satellite based navigation systems, e.g. global positioning system [GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 25/025 Absolute localisation, e.g. providing geodetic coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 25/06 Indicating or recording the setting of track apparatus, e.g. of points, of signals
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/57 for vehicles or trains, e.g. trackside supervision of train conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/525 related to temperature and heat, e.g. insulation
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/527 related to vibration and noise
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2233/00 Monitoring condition, e.g. temperature, load, vibration
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 13/045 Acoustic or vibration analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/08 Registering or indicating performance data other than driving, working, idle, or waiting time, with or without registering driving, working, idle or waiting time
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0841 Registering performance data recording measured values G01D; information storage G11B

Abstract

A condition monitoring system for bearing units for vehicles, the system including at least one condition monitoring unit for measuring at least one operating parameter of one bearing unit and a control unit for receiving and processing signals obtained from the condition monitoring unit. The system additionally includes a circuit for detecting a geographic position, wherein the condition monitoring unit is configured to be at least one of activated and deactivated depending on the detected geographic position.

Claims

1. A condition monitoring system for bearing units for vehicles, the system comprising:

at least one condition monitoring unit for measuring at least one operating parameter of one bearing unit;

a control unit for receiving and processing signals obtained from the condition monitoring unit;

a trigger planner for setting trigger points for activating and deactivating the at least one condition monitoring unit; and

a circuit for detecting a geographic position of the vehicle,

wherein the condition monitoring unit is activated and deactivated depending on the geographic position and a travelling direction of the vehicles with respect to the trigger points.

2. The condition monitoring system according to claim 1, the control unit further comprising a memory for storing route data of the vehicle, the route data including a plurality of possible route sections along which the vehicle can travel,

wherein the control unit is configured to activate the condition monitoring unit when the vehicle is travelling in one route section out of a predetermined set of route sections and to deactivate the condition monitoring unit in route sections not included in the predetermined set of route sections.

3. The condition monitoring system according claim 1, the control unit further comprising a memory for storing route data of the vehicle, the route data including a plurality of possible route sections along which the vehicle can travel,

wherein the control unit is configured to evaluate at least one characteristic of the route sections of the route data and to activate the condition monitoring unit when the vehicle is travelling in a route section with characteristics meeting at least one predetermined criterion and to deactivate the condition monitoring unit in route sections not meeting the at least one predetermined criterion.

4. The condition monitoring system according to claim 1, the control unit further comprising a memory for storing at least one radius and coordinates of a plurality of trigger points,

wherein the control unit is configured to at least one of activate and deactivate the condition monitoring unit when the distance between at least one of the plurality of trigger points and the geographic position is smaller than the radius.

5. The condition monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the memory is configured to store a travelling direction in relation with at least one of a plurality of trigger points, wherein control unit is configured to activate and/or deactivate the condition monitoring unit when the distance between at least one of the plurality of trigger points and the geographic position is smaller than the radius and when further the travelling direction of the vehicle matches the travelling direction stored in relation to said at least one waypoint.

6. The condition monitoring system according to claim 1, the circuit for detecting the geographic position includes a circuit for receiving signals of satellites of a global positioning system.

7. The condition monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the condition monitoring unit is configured to communicate with the control unit in a wireless way.

8. The condition monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the circuit for detecting a geographic position is part of the condition monitoring unit attached to the bearing unit.

9. The condition monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the circuit for detecting a geographic position is part of the control unit of the vehicle.

10. The condition monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the condition monitoring unit is configured to be attached to a hub unit of a train,

wherein the control unit is configured to monitor the condition of a plurality of hub units of the train.

11. The condition monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to trigger simultaneous measurements across multiple condition monitoring units at a given geographical location.

12. The condition monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to use the data collected by the condition monitoring units for the purpose of measuring track quality as a tool for infrastructure monitoring.

13. The condition monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the trigger planer activates and deactivates the condition monitoring unit based on a data structure comprising the geographic position, the travelling direction, upper and lower speed limits, and a radius.

14. The condition monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the trigger planer activates an alarm when the vehicles pass in one of two possible directions on a track and when a speed of the vehicles is in within a range suitable for obtaining measurements of high quality.

15. At least one condition monitoring unit comprising:

a controller configured to operate in an energy saving sleep mode and in an active mode,

wherein the controller comprises a trigger planner for setting trigger points for activating and deactivating the at least one condition monitoring unit,

wherein at least some of the parameters being monitored in the active mode are not monitored in the sleep mode,

wherein the controller is configured to switch the at least one condition monitoring unit from the sleep mode to the active mode and from the active mode into the sleep mode based on one or more signals received by the controller from a control unit of a condition monitoring system operating within a vehicle,

wherein the condition monitoring unit is activated and deactivated depending on a detected geographic position and a travelling direction of the vehicles with respect to the trigger points.

16. The at least one condition monitoring unit according to claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to switch the at least one condition monitoring unit from the sleep mode to the active mode upon receipt of a wake-up signal of the one or more signals from the control unit and to switch the at least one condition monitoring unit from the active mode into the sleep mode upon receipt of a sleep signal of the one or more signals from the control unit.

17. A method for monitoring a condition of a bearing unit for a vehicle comprising at least one condition monitoring unit for measuring at least one operating parameter of one bearing unit, a trigger planner for setting trigger points for activating and deactivating the at least one condition monitoring unit, and a control unit for receiving and processing signals obtained from the condition monitoring unit,

the method comprising:

detecting a geographic position and a travelling direction of the vehicle; and

activating and deactivating the condition monitoring unit in accordance with the geographic position and the travelling direction with respect to the trigger points.