Perkins Engines Company Limited

David Wilkinson

Prabhu Ramasamy

A method of monitoring a turbocharger system makes use of vibrational behaviour to predict potential future failure modes. Changes in sub-synchronous vibrational behaviour of the turbocharger assembly may be used to distinguish between failure modes such as wear and coking. Rate of change of sub-synchronous vibrational behaviour may be used to predict time before likely failure. Also disclosed is a turbocharger system configured to perform the method.

Method and apparatus for predicting turbocharger failure modes

The high pressure compressor wheel of a two stage turbocharger assembly is cooled by charge air bled from the charge air flowpath downstream of the aftercooler. A wastegate may be arranged across the high pressure stage and operated by an actuator which in turn is operable by the static or dynamic pressure of the charge air in the cooling flowpath. The cooling airflow may be blocked to open the wastegate and released or resumed to close the wastegate so that cooling air is supplied only while the high pressure compressor wheel is under load.

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Peterborough, United Kingdom

David Wilkinson