IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0271514
(2002-10-16)
|
§371/§102 date |
20030603
(20030603)
|
발명자
/ 주소 |
- Cryer, Robert Douglas
- Waugaman, Charles Joseph
- Stewart, Lance Thomas
- Escobar, Dario Patrico
- Kumar, Manoj P.
- Handler, Laurence Richard
- Daniel, Cecil M.
|
대리인 / 주소 |
Beusse, Brownlee, Wolter, Mora &
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
11 인용 특허 :
16 |
초록
▼
A system and method for monitoring the effectiveness of a heat exchange unit, which comprises at least one or more sensors for taking a plurality of temperature readings of a heated fluid, a coolant and fluids passing through the heat exchange unit. The temperature readings are transmitted and/or en
A system and method for monitoring the effectiveness of a heat exchange unit, which comprises at least one or more sensors for taking a plurality of temperature readings of a heated fluid, a coolant and fluids passing through the heat exchange unit. The temperature readings are transmitted and/or entered into a processor capable of comparing the temperature readings and calculating a measure of effectiveness of the heat exchange unit. The processor is in communication with a database that maintains at least one predetermined parameter limit associated with the effectiveness of the heat exchange unit. The processor analyzes the data and is also capable of generating a signal indicative of the health or condition of the heat exchange unit.
대표청구항
▼
1. A system for monitoring the condition of a heat exchange unit used in the operation of a vehicle, with the vehicle and the heat exchange unit being from a population of like vehicles and heat exchange units having passage for flow of a first fluid through said unit from an inlet to an outlet ther
1. A system for monitoring the condition of a heat exchange unit used in the operation of a vehicle, with the vehicle and the heat exchange unit being from a population of like vehicles and heat exchange units having passage for flow of a first fluid through said unit from an inlet to an outlet thereof, and passage for the flow of a second fluid through said unit from an inlet to an outlet thereof for cooling said first fluid, said system comprising:(a) at least one sensor, positioned proximal to said heat exchange unit, for taking a plurality of temperature readings representative of a first temperature associated with either the first fluid or the second fluid toward a respective inlet of said unit and a second temperature associated with a respective fluid toward a respective outlet of said unit; (b) a processor, in communication with the sensor, to which data representative of the temperatures is transmitted; (c) a database, in communication with the processor, comprising data representative of at least one predetermined condemning limit for measures of effectiveness of a population of like heat exchange units and data representative of at least one operating parameter associated with the operation of the vehicle; (d) said processor calculating a measure of effectiveness of said heat exchange unit based on said data representative of the first temperature and second temperature; (e) a monitor for detecting a level of the operating parameter of the vehicle; (f) said processor comparing the measure of effectiveness of said heat exchange unit at said level of the operating parameter with said predetermined condemning limit associated with the operating parameter for the vehicle, and generating a signal indicative of the condition of said heat exchange unit relative to a condition of the population of like heat exchange units. 2. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor adjusts the predetermined condemning limit associated with the measures of effectiveness of the population of like heat exchange units to reflect a difference between the operating parameter in the database and the detected operating parameters for said respective vehicle before the comparison of the measure of effectiveness of said heat exchanger unit with the predetermined condemning limit.3. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor adjusts the measure of effectiveness of said heat exchange unit to reflect a difference between the detected operating parameter and the operating parameter in the database before the comparison of the measure of effectiveness of said heat exchange unit with the predetermined condemning limit.4. The system of claim 2 wherein said operating parameter in the database comprises at least one ambient temperature in which the vehicle operates, at least one geographic location of the vehicle, an elevation of the vehicle or a time period within a calendar year within which the vehicle operates.5. The system of claim 1 wherein said sensor is positioned in spaced relation to a plurality of discrete points along the heat exchange unit for taking said temperature readings along the surface of the heat exchange unit at said discrete points.6. The system of claim 1 wherein said first temperature readings comprise an inlet temperature of said first fluid entering the unit and an outlet temperature of said first fluid exiting the unit.7. The system of claim 1 wherein said plurality of temperatures detected include an inlet temperature of said second fluid entering the unit and an outlet temperature of said second fluid exiting the heat exchange unit.8. The system of claim 7 wherein said at least one sensor comprises a portable infrared sensor held in spaced relation to each of said plurality of discrete points for taking the temperature readings.9. The system of claim 7 wherein said temperature readings are taken of the surface of the heat exchange unit at said discrete points and said processor adjusts the temperature readings to represent temperatures of the first fluid or second fluid.10. A system for monitoring the condition of a heat exchange unit used in the operation of a vehicle, with the vehicle and the heat exchange unit selected from a population of like vehicles and heat exchange units having passage for flow of a first fluid through said unit from an inlet to an outlet thereof, and passage for the flow of a second fluid through said unit from an inlet to an outlet thereof for cooling said first fluid, said system comprising:(a) at least one sensor, positioned proximal to said heat exchange unit, for taking a plurality of temperature readings representative of a first temperature associated with either the first fluid or the second fluid toward a respective inlet of said unit and a second temperature associated with the respective fluid toward a respective outlet of said unit; (b) a processor, in communication with the sensor, to which data representative of the temperatures is transmitted; (c) at least one predetermined condemning limit associated with measures of effectiveness of the heat exchange units selected from a population of like heat exchange units; (d) said processor calculating a measure of effectiveness of the heat exchange unit based on said data representative of the first temperature and the second temperature; and, (e) said processor comparing said measure of effectiveness to said least one predetermined condemning limit associated with the measures of effectiveness of the population of like heat exchange units, and generating a signal indicative of the condition of the heat exchange unit relative to the condition of the population of like heat exchange units. 11. The system of claim 10 wherein said predetermined condemning limit comprises a limit above which the measure of effectiveness of the heat exchange generates a signal indicative of a healthy condition of the heat exchange unit.12. The system of claim 10 wherein said predetermined condemning limit comprises a limit below which the measure of effectiveness of the heat exchange generates a signal indicative of an unhealthy condition of the heat exchange unit.13. The system of claim 10 further comprising a database that includes data representative of at least one operating parameter for the operation of the vehicle, and said at least one predetermined condemning limit is associated with said at least one operating parameter of the vehicle, and said system further comprises a monitor for detecting a level of said operating parameter of the vehicle, and said processor comparing the measure of effectiveness of said heat exchange unit at said level of the operating parameter with said predetermined condemning limit associated with the operating parameter for the vehicle, and generating a signal indicative of the condition of said heat exchange unit relative to condition of the population of like heat exchange units.14. The system of claim 13 wherein said data representative of the operating parameter of the vehicle comprises at least one ambient temperature in which the vehicle operates, a geographic location of the vehicle, at least one elevation of the vehicle or at least one time period within a calendar year within which the vehicle operates.15. The system of claim 10 wherein said temperature readings are taken to include an inlet temperature of said first fluid entering the unit, an outlet temperature of said first fluid exiting the unit and an outlet temperature of the second fluid exiting the unit.16. The system of claim 10 wherein said temperature readings are taken to include an inlet temperature of said second fluid entering the unit, an outlet temperature of said second fluid exiting the heat exchange unit and an outlet temperature of the first fluid exiting the unit.17. The system of claim 10 wherein said sensor is positioned in spaced relation to a plurality of discrete points along the heat exchange unit for taking said temperature readings along the surface of the heat exchange unit at said discrete points.18. The system of claim 17 wherein said at least one sensor comprises a portable infrared sensor held at a predetermined spaced relation to each of said plurality of discrete points for taking the temperature readings.19. The system of claim 17 wherein said temperature readings are taken of the surface of the heat exchange unit at said discrete points and said processor adjusts the temperature readings to represent temperatures of the first fluid or second fluid.20. A method for monitoring the condition of a heat exchange unit for a vehicle, said heat exchange unit having a first fluid passing through said unit, and a second fluid passing through said unit for cooling said first fluid, the method comprising the steps of:(a) positioning at least one sensor proximal to the heat exchanger unit; (b) collecting data, using said sensor, that is indicative of a first temperature associated with either the first fluid or the second fluid toward a respective inlet of said unit and a second temperature associated with the respective fluid toward a respective outlet of said unit; (c) calculating a measure of effectiveness of the operation of the heat exchange unit based on said first temperature and said second temperature; (d) establishing at least one predetermined condemning limit for the measure effectiveness of the heat exchange unit determined from an analysis of measures of effectiveness of a population of like heat exchange units, and (e) generating a signal responsive to a comparison of the measure of effectiveness of the heat exchange unit with said predetermined condemning limit, with said signal being indicative of a condition of the heat exchange unit relative to a condition of the population of like heat exchange units. 21. The method of claim 20 further comprising the step of providing a database comprising data representative of predetermined condemning limits for measures of effectiveness of a population of like heat exchange units and data representative of at least one operating parameter associated with the operation of the vehicle, detecting a level of said operating parameter of the vehicle, and comparing the measure of effectiveness of said heat exchange unit at said level of the operating parameter with said predetermined condemning limit in the database associated with the operating parameter for the vehicle, and generating a signal indicative of the condition of said heat exchange unit relative to a condition of the population of like heat exchange units.22. The method of claim 21 further comprising the step of adjusting the predetermined condemning limit relative to a difference between operating parameter limit associated with the predetermined condemning limit and the level of the operating parameter.23. The method of claim 21 further comprising the step of adjusting the measure of effectiveness of the vehicle relative to a difference between operating parameter limit associated with the predetermined condemning limit and the level of the operating parameter.24. “The method of claim 21 wherein said operating parameters are selected from data comprising:an ambient temperature within which the vehicle operates, a geographic location of the vehicle, an elevation of the vehicle and a time period within a calendar year within which the vehicle operates. 25. The method of claim 20 wherein said predetermined condemning limit comprises a limit above which the measure of effectiveness of the heat exchange unit generates a signal indicative of a healthy condition of the heat exchange unit.26. The method of claim 20 wherein said predetermined condemning limit comprises a limit below which the measure of effectiveness of the heat exchange unit generates a signal indicative of an unhealthy condition of the heat exchange unit.
※ AI-Helper는 부적절한 답변을 할 수 있습니다.