Caterpillar Inc.

Douglas Alexander Rebinsky

Dong Fei

Yong Tian

Orhan Altin

Linxiao Yu

Xiaodong Liu

Svetlana Mikhailovna Zemskova

Jade Marie Katinas

Kegan Jon Luick

Christopher Anthony Kinney

Nan Yang

Jeremy Trethewey

Leonard George Wheat

Jamie Erin Frisch

Ryan A Dusheke

Gary P Shandley

Luke W Zinda

Ginger Cunningham

Maggie R Burrow

Jedidah Hastings

Jedidiah M Hastings

A fluid level monitoring system for a container defining a chamber includes first and second flexible interdigital capacitive sensors located at first and second ends of the chamber and disposed about a longitudinal axis of the chamber. The first and second flexible interdigital capacitive sensors are configured to be immersed, at least in part, within a fluid contained in the chamber. The fluid level monitoring system further includes a controller disposed in operative communication with the first and second flexible interdigital capacitive sensors, to determine a level of the fluid in the chamber based, at least in part, on an average of measure of parameters received from the first and second flexible interdigital capacitive sensors.

Fluid level monitoring system

A fuel gas composition sensing system may include a remotely controllable valve, with the valve including a gas inlet port, a gas outlet port, an internal chamber, and at least one actuating mechanism configured for successively opening the inlet port to allow gas to enter the internal chamber, closing the inlet port and the outlet port to retain the gas in the internal chamber for a period of time, and opening the outlet port to release the gas from the internal chamber. One or more micro-sensors may be mounted in the internal chamber of the valve, with each of the micro-sensors being configured to sense a characteristic of a gas introduced into the internal chamber of the valve. One or more heating elements may be mounted in the internal chamber, with each of the heating elements being associated with one of the one or more micro-sensors, and the one or more heating elements may be configured to implement a different temperature level at each of the micro-sensors in order to enable detection of a resulting change in the characteristic of the gas corresponding to a thermodynamic property of the gas that correlates to a composition of the gas.

Fuel gas composition sensing system

A system for sensing and controlling a fuel gas composition may include a plurality of micro-sensors mounted in a single chamber, with each of the micro-sensors being configured to sense a characteristic of a mixture of gaseous fuel introduced into the chamber. The system may also include a plurality of heating elements, with each of the heating elements being associated with one of the plurality of micro-sensors, and the plurality of heating elements being configured to implement a different temperature level at each of the micro-sensors. The system may also include a microprocessor configured to determine a thermodynamic property of the mixture of gaseous fuel at the different temperature levels at each of the micro-sensors as a function of the characteristic sensed by each micro-sensor, correlate the thermodynamic property to a fuel gas composition of the mixture of gaseous fuel, and control an amount of at least one constituent in the mixture of gaseous fuel as a function of the fuel gas composition determined by the correlation.

System for sensing and controlling fuel gas constituent levels

A method of configuring an eddy current detector to measure a thickness of a coating on a substrate includes measuring an impedance of the coated substrate, and establishing an impedance plane plot using a computer. The method may also include determining a rotation angle. The rotation angle may be an angle of rotation of the impedance plane plot that will make the inductive reactance component of the impedance substantially insensitive to substrate electrical conductivity within a coating thickness range. The method may further include establishing a calibration curve that is substantially insensitive to substrate electrical conductivity using the rotation angle. The calibration curve may be a curve that relates the inductive reactance component of the impedance to coating thickness.

Eddy current based method for coating thickness measurement

A fuel quality sensor is provided for use with an engine system. The fuel quality sensor may have a single sensing element configured to sense a thermodynamic property of an unknown mixture of gaseous fuel, and a heating element configured to increase a temperature of the unknown mixture of gaseous fuel at the single sensing element to multiple different temperature levels. The fuel quality sensor may also include a microprocessor configured to calculate a fuel parameter of the unknown mixture of gaseous fuel as a function of only the thermodynamic property sensed at the multiple different temperature levels.

Engine system having fuel quality sensor

A wear monitoring system is disclosed for use with a track type machine. The wear monitoring system may have at least a first radius sensor configured to generate a first signal indicative of a change in radius of at least one idler wheel, and a displacement sensor configured to generate a second signal indicative of a change in displacement of a track tensioning actuator. The wear monitoring system may also have a controller in communication with the first radius sensor and the displacement sensor. The controller may be configured to determine wear of a track link guided by the at least one idler wheel and tensioned by the track tensioning actuator based on the first and second signals.

Wear monitoring system for track type machine

This disclosure relates to sulfur sensors that utilize sensing materials that can be used to detect a wide range of concentrations including ultra low concentrations of sulfur in liquids, such as below even 15 ppm. The sulfur sensors comprise a sensing electrode having a material that contributes an electronic output to the analysis and a material that contributes an ionic output to the analysis.

Electrochemical sulfur sensor and the method of making the same

A sulfur concentration detection system for detecting a sulfur concentration in a liquid includes a sensor having a conductive metal substrate and zinc oxide microstructures deposited on and protruding from the conductive metal substrate, a current source, and a voltage detector. An electrical resistivity of the zinc oxide microstructures is configured to change as a function of an amount of sulfur in the liquid available to react with zinc in the zinc oxide microstructures. The current source and the voltage detector are connected to the conductive metal substrate and configured to detect a change in the electrical resistivity of the zinc oxide microstructures.

Zinc oxide sulfur sensor

A sensor is disclosed for determining a sulfur concentration in a liquid, such as a liquid fuel. The sensor includes a substrate that is at least partially coated with zinc oxide and, more specifically, zinc oxide microstructures. The zinc oxide microstructures have a crystal lattice structure that is oriented in the (002) plane, are oxygen-deficient and have a rod-like microstructure. If the substrate is conductive, it may be connected directly to a working electrode which is connected to a potentiometer which, in turn, is connected to a reference electrode. If the substrate is non-conductive, the conductive layer can be deposited on the substrate prior to deposition of the zinc oxide to form a working electrode. An application of a constant current (or voltage) to either electrode will result in a voltage across (or current flow between) the working and reference electrodes.

Zinc oxide sulfur sensors and method of using said sensors

A measurement system is disclosed for determining a sulfur concentration in a liquid, such as a liquid fuel. The measurement system includes a first electrode that is at least partially coated with zinc oxide and, more specifically, zinc oxide microstructures. The zinc oxide microstructures have a crystal lattice structure that is oriented in the (002) plane. The first electrode may be connected to an electrometer which, in turn, may be connected to a second electrode. The second electrode may be disposed on a common substrate with the first electrode or may be in the form of a plate disposed substantially parallel to the first electrode.

Zinc oxide sulfur sensor measurement system

An ultraviolet sensor arrangement detects the amount of sulfur in a fuel of an internal combustion engine by emitting an ultraviolet light field in the presence of the fuel. A detector is disposed to detect a responsive amount of fluorescent light and provide a sensing signal indicative of the amount of sulfur in the fuel. A filter (or filters) receives the sensing signal and provides a filtered sensing signal to a sensing circuit.

Light based fuel sulfur sensor and system

A method for cleaning a diesel particulate filter includes a step of coupling an acoustic generator directly to the diesel particulate filter via a support fixture. Ash deposited within the diesel particulate filter is dislodged with acoustic energy deposited by the acoustic generator. The ash may fall clear of the diesel particulate filter under the action of gravity and/or via pressurized air flow.

System and method for cleaning a diesel particulate filter using acoustic waves

An on-machine inspection method for detecting whether a shaft of a transmission system has failed uses a test probe from flaw detection apparatus to discover echo signals with known peaks corresponding to defined weakened portions in the shaft. The test probe is then moved to prescribed angular distances about an end face of the shaft to obtain the echo signals.

On-machine method for determining transmission shaft assembly quality

A system for determining acceptability of torsional dampers for service in a machine system includes a fixture, an ultrasonic scanner and an indicating device configured to indicate at least one of acceptability and unacceptability of a torsional damper based upon receipt of a signal from the scanner. A nondestructive testing method for a torsional vibration damper includes scanning a torsional vibration damper with ultrasonic energy, and determining a test value for the damper indicative of a viscosity of fluid sealed within a housing of the damper based on receiving transmitted ultrasonic energy. Receipt of ultrasonic energy may be used to determine the flow rate of fluid within the damper by indicating a time for fluid to flow to fill a void within the damper. The system and method may be implemented in a remanufacturing or salvaging process for torsional vibration dampers.

Nondestructive testing of torsional vibration dampers

A method of detecting an internal flaw in a particulate filter includes a step of coupling ultrasonic transducer with the particulate filter. The method also includes a step of moving at least one of the ultrasonic transducer and the particulate filter relative to the other. Consistent coupling of the ultrasonic transducer with the particulate filter is maintained during the moving step. Ultrasonic energy is transmitted from the ultrasonic transducer through a majority of a volume of the particulate filter. The method also includes a step of determining if the particulate filter includes an internal flaw using the ultrasonic energy.

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Peoria, IL, United States of America

Douglas Alexander Rebinsky