초록 ▼

Systems and methods for detecting, predicting and/or responding to faults are disclosed. In one form, a sensor can be operatively coupled to an engine system having a component and a control system is coupled to the sensor. The sensor can be structured to monitor the engine system and generate corre

Systems and methods for detecting, predicting and/or responding to faults are disclosed. In one form, a sensor can be operatively coupled to an engine system having a component and a control system is coupled to the sensor. The sensor can be structured to monitor the engine system and generate corresponding sensor information. The control system can be structured to: generate an operational signature based on the sensor information, estimate whether a fault (e.g., a mechanical fault of the component and/or a performance fault of the engine system) exists based on the operational signature, determine an engine operating mode adjustment if the fault exists and output the engine operating mode adjustment to an output device. Systems and methods for increasing the accuracy by which faults are detected and/or predicted are also disclosed. The engine operating mode adjustment can be applied to protect engine system components from being undesirably damaged to faults.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A system comprising: an engine system including a flywheel and a damper;a first sensor and a second sensor operatively coupled to the engine system, the first sensor and the second sensor being structured to generate sensor information regarding a torsional vibration difference between the flywhe

1. A system comprising: an engine system including a flywheel and a damper;a first sensor and a second sensor operatively coupled to the engine system, the first sensor and the second sensor being structured to generate sensor information regarding a torsional vibration difference between the flywheel and the damper;a control system coupled to the first sensor, the second sensor, and the engine system, the control system including a memory and a plurality of reference signatures for the flywheel and the damper stored in the memory that include reference information for the torsional vibration difference between the flywheel and the damper without a mechanical fault, the control system being configured to: generate an operational signature of the flywheel and the damper based on the sensor information generated during operation of the engine system;update a reference signature of the flywheel and the damper, wherein the reference signature is selected from the plurality of reference signatures;compare the operational signature with the reference signature;estimate whether a fault exists within the engine system based on the comparison of the operational signature with the reference signature;determine an engine operating mode adjustment based on the operational signature if a fault is estimated to exist;output the engine operating mode adjustment to an output device; andoperate the engine system in response to the engine operation mode adjustment. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are structured to monitor a vibration of the flywheel and the damper during operation of the engine system. 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first sensor and the second sensor comprise an accelerometer. 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first sensor and the second sensor comprise a delta sensor. 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the fault includes a mechanical fault of at least one of the flywheel and the damper. 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the fault includes a performance fault of the engine system. 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the control system comprises: a memory structured to store the reference signature containing information corresponding to the flywheel and the damper when the engine system does not have a mechanical fault; andan analysis system coupled to the memory and structured to: perform the comparison between the operational signature and the reference signature;determine whether the operational signature has a predefined relationship with the reference signature based on the comparison; andestimate that the engine system has the mechanical fault if the operational signature has the predefined relationship with the reference signature. 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the control system is further structured to: receive other information representing whether the estimate is incorrect; andadjust the predefined relationship based on the other information. 9. The system of claim 7, wherein the reference signature further contains information corresponding to a condition of the flywheel and the damper. 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the condition is selected from the group consisting of a new component of the engine system and a repaired component of the engine system. 11. The system of claim 7, wherein the reference signature further contains information corresponding to an amount of wear of the engine system. 12. The system of claim 1, wherein the control system is configured to: select the reference signature based on an application for which the engine system is to be used; andupdate the selected reference signature of the flywheel and the damper for nominal wear. 13. The system of claim 7, wherein the analysis system is further structured to continuously correct the reference signature based upon at least one selected from the group consisting of an application for which the engine system is being used, an extent to which a component of the engine system accumulates wear, a repair of a component of the engine system, and an extent to which a component of the engine system experiences load cycle effects. 14. The system of claim 1, wherein the engine system further includes components selected from the group consisting of: a crankshaft, a piston rod, a piston, an engine block, an engine head, a turbocharger apparatus, an exhaust gas recirculation device, a heat exchanger, a fuel injector, a mechanical actuator, a journal bearing, a rotatable shaft, a cam, an axle, an accessory drive device, a power unit, a cooling subsystem, an engine application attachment, and a lubrication subsystem. 15. The system of claim 1, wherein the engine system includes at least one component selected from the group consisting of mining equipment, drilling equipment, excavating equipment, and material conveying equipment. 16. The system of claim 7, further comprising a means for modifying the reference signature. 17. The system of claim 16, wherein the modifying means includes an artificial intelligence routine. 18. The system of claim 16, wherein the modifying means includes a service tool for loading new programming into the control system. 19. A method, comprising: powering operation of an engine system including a flywheel and a damper;receiving, at a controller, sensor information regarding a torsional vibration difference between the flywheel and the damper from a first sensor and a second sensor operatively coupled to the engine system;generating, with the controller, an operational signature of the flywheel and the damper based on the sensor information;selecting, from a memory of the controller, a reference signature from a plurality of reference signatures for the flywheel and the damper that each include reference information for the torsional vibration difference corresponding to the engine system operating without a mechanical fault;updating, with the controller, the selected reference signature of the flywheel and the damper;estimating whether the engine system has a mechanical fault based on a comparison of the operational signature with the selected reference signature;determining an engine operation mode adjustment if the component is estimated to have a mechanical fault; andoperating the engine system in response to the engine operation mode adjustment. 20. The method of claim 19, further comprising: comparing the operational signature with the selected reference signature containing information corresponding to the component when the component does not have the mechanical fault;determining whether the operational signature has a predefined relationship with the selected reference signature based on the comparison; andestimating that the component has the mechanical fault if the operational signature has the predefined relationship with the selected reference signature. 21. The method of claim 20, further comprising: receiving other information indicating whether the estimating is incorrect; andadjusting the predefined relationship based on the other information. 22. A method, comprising: powering operation of a system with an internal combustion engine;during the operation of the system, monitoring a torsional vibration difference between a flywheel and a damper of the internal combustion engine;generating an operational signature based on the torsional vibration difference;selecting a reference signature from a plurality of reference signatures for the flywheel and the damper, wherein each reference signature includes reference information for the torsional vibration difference corresponding to the internal combustion engine operating without a mechanical fault;with the system, updating the selected reference signature of the flywheel and the damper based on;with the system, performing a comparison of the operational signature to the updated reference signature;determining whether the internal combustion engine has a mechanical fault as a function of the comparison;determining an estimated severity of the mechanical fault based on the comparison;providing, based on the estimated severity, one of a warning signal to display on an output device and a power output level reduction signal to the internal combustion engine; andoperating the engine system in response to the engine operation mode adjustment. 23. The method of claim 22, which includes rotating the flywheel and the damper when the operation of the system is normal. 24. The method of claim 22, which includes indicating the internal combustion engines has mechanically failed. 25. The method of claim 22, wherein the updating includes operating an adaptive learning routine. 26. The method of claim 22, wherein the system is one of a vehicle, a power unit, and an electric power generation device. 27. The method of claim 22, wherein the system further includes one or more components selected from the group consisting of: a crankshaft, a piston rod, a piston, an engine block, an engine head, a turbocharger apparatus, an exhaust gas recirculation device, a heat exchanger, a fuel injector, a mechanical actuator, a journal bearing, a rotatable shaft, a cam, an axle, an accessory drive device, a power unit, a cooling subsystem, an engine application attachment, and a lubrication subsystem. 28. The method of claim 22, wherein the system includes one or more components selected from the group consisting of mining equipment, drilling equipment, excavating equipment, and material conveying equipment. 29. A system, comprising: an electronic controller operably coupled to an engine system including a damper and a flywheel, the electronic controller being structured to receive sensor information regarding a torsional vibration difference between the damper and the flywheel from a first sensor and a second sensor operatively coupled to the engine system to determine a control signal, and to provide the control signal to the engine system; andthe electronic controller including a memory and one or more corresponding reference signatures for the damper and flywheel stored in the memory that includes reference information for the torsional vibration difference corresponding to the operation of the engine system without a mechanical fault, the electronic controller further being configured to: generate an operational signature of the flywheel and the damper based on the sensor information;update the one or more corresponding reference signatures of the flywheel and the damper;compare the operational signature with the one or more corresponding reference signatures;estimate whether the engine system has a mechanical fault based on the comparison of the operational signature with the one or more corresponding reference signatures;determine an engine operating mode adjustment based on the operational signature if the engine system is estimated to have a mechanical fault;output the engine operating mode adjustment,wherein the control signal is based on the engine operating mode adjustment; andoperate the engine system in response to the engine operation mode adjustment. 30. The system of claim 29, wherein the electronic controller is further structured to: determine a number of predefined relationships that exist between the operational signature and the one or more corresponding reference signatures based on a comparison between the operational signature of the flywheel and the damper and the reference signatures corresponding to the flywheel and the damper, wherein the engine operating mode adjustment determination is further based on the number of predefined relationships. 31. The system of claim 30, wherein the engine operating mode adjustment comprises an alarm signal when the number of predefined relationships determined to exist meets a first condition, an engine system power reduction signal when the total number of predefined relationships determined to exist meets a second condition, and an engine system shut-down signal when the total-number of predefined relationships determined to exist meets a third condition. 32. The system of claim 29, wherein the electronic controller is further structured to: determine an estimated severity of the fault,wherein the engine operating mode adjustment is further determined based on the estimated severity. 33. The system of claim 29, wherein the operational signature of the flywheel and the damper is further determined based on at least one of a condition information of the internal combustion engine and a wear information of the internal combustion engine. 34. The system of claim 29, wherein the engine operating mode adjustment includes at least one of a power output level reduction output and an alarm output. 35. The system of claim 22, wherein the power output level reduction of the engine system includes a de-rate condition of the internal combustion engine, an idle condition of the internal combustion engine, and a shut-down condition of the internal combustion engine. 36. The system of claim 29, wherein the electronic controller is configured to: update the one or more corresponding reference signatures of the flywheel and the damper for nominal wear; andselect the one or more corresponding reference signatures based on an application for which the engine system is to be used. 37. The method of claim 22, further comprising updating, with the system, the selected reference signature of the flywheel and the damper based on an application in which the internal combustion engine is to be used, wherein the updating further includes adjusting the selected reference signature for nominal wear. 38. The method of claim 19, further comprising updating, with the controller the selected reference signature of the flywheel and the damper based on an application in which the internal combustion engine is to be used, wherein the updating further includes adjusting the selected reference signature for nominal wear. 39. The system of claim 12, wherein the application of the engine system is selected from the group consisting of an automotive application, an agriculture application, a construction application, an industrial application, an oil and gas application, a power unit application, a mining application, a marine application, an aviation application, and a power generation application.