Caterpillar Inc.

Evan Earl Jacobson

Yanchai Zhang

Timothy Michael O'Donnell

John M Seipold

Bryan Thomas Siegel

Koti Ratnam Padarthy

Kevin Lloyd Dea

Cornelius Nicolae Opris

James C Durand

Gaurav Vasudeva

Venkata Dandibhotla

Qiang Chen

Eric Manning

Michael Lowe

Mallikharjuna Rao Boddu

Mark Scaife

Trent J Cleveland

Brian Douglas Hoff

Anthony James Grichnik

Travis E Barnes

Michael G Cronin

James W Landes

Steven J Funke

David E Martin

Zhijun Cai

Christopher Ronald Gehrke

Jason Kenneth Bloms

Michael Seskin

Benjamin J Hodel

Michael D Anderson

Cho Y Liang

Amit Jayachandran

Nathan Stephen Pauli

Eric D Stemler

Andrew Duncan Rockwell

Matthew R Roth

David John Schuh

Stephen William Bird

Matthew Colin Mowers

Brian V Tranel

James Chase

Michael A Weber

Syamala Srinivasan

Robert A Kagy

Jeffery Lynn Prewett

Timothy J Matzke

Wesley E Jacobson

Syamaia Srinivasan

Benjamin H Binkele

Anuj Jhalaria

A variable drive system of a power system is disclosed. The variable drive system may include an engine gearset to transfer power from an engine output of an engine to a variable input driveshaft of the variable drive system. The variable drive system may include a generator gearset to transfer power, generated by the engine, to a generator driveshaft of a generator. The variable drive system may include a variable drive, coupled to the variable input driveshaft, to enable a gear ratio between engine output and the generator driveshaft to be adjustable, the variable input driveshaft being offset from at least one of the engine output or the generator driveshaft. The variable drive system may include a direct drive clutch to bypass variable power transfer through the variable drive and enable direct power transfer from the engine output to the generator driveshaft.

Variable speed drive for a generator

An electric power system includes an engine, a generator, a drivetrain including a driveshaft, and an energy storage system having a flywheel. In an implementation, a parallel-path continuously variable transmission is structured to transfer energy between the flywheel and the driveshaft, and in another implementation a parallel-path continuously variable transmission transfers energy between the engine and the generator. The transmission includes a variator and a differential geartrain. An electric motor is coupled to the flywheel and charges the flywheel such that stored flywheel energy is available for bringing up engine speed from a standby state and/or to accommodate generator load changes with limited generator speed changes.

Electric power system having energy storage with motor-charged flywheel

A system for analyzing one or more operations associated with a component of a machine is disclosed. The system includes a data warehouse for storing data associated with the machine. The system includes a data extraction module, which extracts the data from the data warehouse and receives a customer input. The data extraction module generates an input parameter based on the data from the data warehouse and the customer input. The system includes a failure injection module for storing information of the one or more failures associated with the component of the machine. The system also includes a machine model, which is in communication with the data extraction module and the failure injection module. The machine model derives an output parameter associated with the one or more operations of the component of the machine, based on the input parameter and the information of the one or more failures.

System and method for analyzing operation of component of machine

A power system includes an engine, a driveshaft, and an energy storage system having a flywheel. The energy storage system further includes a transmission structured to transfer energy between the flywheel and the driveshaft. The transmission includes a differential geartrain and a variator coupled to the differential geartrain and having a variator input shaft and a variator output shaft rotatable at a range of speed ratios. The variator may be coupled to a sun gear in the differential geartrain and controls a pattern of energy transfer between the flywheel and the driveshaft.

Flywheel energy storage in power system having variator modulated differential geartrain

An apparatus including a shaft, a wheel cylindrically mounted on the shaft, a cylinder coaxial with the wheel and having an inner wall, and at least two centrifugal braking assemblies mounted on the wheel uniformly distributed in a circumferential direction is provided. Each centrifugal braking assembly includes a brake member pivotally mounted on the wheel and having at least one curved friction surface, a cam pivotally mounted on the wheel and in slidable contact with the brake member, and a spring connected between the cam and a pin mounted on the wheel. The brake member, the cam, and the spring cooperate to rotate the curved friction surface of the brake member and in turn, contact with the inner wall of the cylinder when a rotational speed of the shaft exceeds a first predetermined value.

Apparatus having automatic centrifugal brakes for wheels

A power transfer assembly for an engine is provided. The power transfer assembly includes a first flywheel coupled to a crankshaft of the engine. The power transfer assembly includes a second flywheel selectively coupled to the first flywheel. The power transfer assembly also includes a first transmission unit coupled to the first flywheel and the second flywheel. The first transmission unit is adapted to selectively transfer mechanical power between the first flywheel and the second flywheel. The power transfer assembly further includes a second transmission unit coupled to the first transmission unit, the second flywheel, and an engine accessory. The second transmission unit is adapted to selectively transfer mechanical power between any one of the first transmission unit and the second flywheel, and the engine accessory.

Power transfer assembly

A drivetrain system is disclosed for use with a machine having a work tool. The drivetrain system may have a transmission with a plurality of clutches. The drivetrain system may also have an input device movable by an operator to generate a first signal indicative of a desired selection of a park setting or one of a plurality of travel settings, a sensor configured to generate a second signal indicative of loading of the work tool, and a controller in communication with the input device, the sensor, and the transmission. The controller may be configured to anticipate completion of a loading cycle based the second signal, and to selectively cause at least a first of the plurality of clutches to engage in a combination that produces one of the plurality of travel settings based on the anticipated completion of the loading cycle, notwithstanding the desired selection from the input device being the park setting.

Drivetrain system implementing predictive control

A method for automatic tuning of a reference model for a fracking rig pump is provided. The method includes determining, at a processor connected to a fracking rig pump, a current choke area associated with the fracking rig pump based upon at least a maximum power and a maximum pressure obtained from the fracking rig pump for a pump speed of the fracking rig pump, obtaining a pump power and a pump pressure for the current choke area based upon at least a reference model for the fracking rig pump stored in a memory device coupled to the processor, determining a pressure difference between the maximum pressure obtained from the fracking rig pump and the pump pressure, determining a power difference between the maximum power obtained from the fracking rig pump and the pump power obtained from the reference model, and providing an updated choke area to the reference model.

System and method for automatic tuning of reference model for fracking rig pump

A system for detecting leakage in a pump includes a first pressure sensor, a second pressure sensor, multiple third pressure sensors, and a controller. The first pressure sensor is configured to output a pressure value associated with a suction manifold of the pump. The second pressure sensor is configured to output a pressure value associated with a discharge manifold of the pump. The third pressure sensors are configured to output a pressure value associated with the cylinders of the pump. The controller is disposed in communication with the first pressure sensor, the second pressure sensor, and the third pressure sensors. The controller is configured to determine amplitude of a leak, and a location of the leak in the pump on the basis of pressure values received from the first pressure sensor, the second pressure sensor, and the third pressure sensors.

System for detecting leakage in a pump used in hydraulic fracturing

In an engine system of a machine having a multi fuel engine system, an energy accumulator is provide to accumulate and store energy when the engine system is in a low engine power usage or low engine load state, and to discharge energy from the energy accumulator when the engine system is in a high engine usage or high engine load state. The energy accumulator may be implemented, for example, in the form of a gaseous fuel accumulator that delivers gaseous fuel to the engine, a hydraulic fuel accumulator that provides pressurized fluid to power a fuel pump, or a battery pack that powers an electric hydraulic pump.

Hybrid pump control for multi fuel engine system

A method of controlling a drive system includes receiving a machine travel speed request, and determining an output speed of a variator, associated with the drive system, required to satisfy the travel speed request at a current power source speed. The method also includes determining that a storage device operably connected to the variator has an amount of stored energy sufficient to operate the variator at the variator output speed, and providing torque to a machine transmission with a machine power source and the variator. The variator is operated at the variator output speed using stored energy from the storage device to provide torque to the transmission. The torque provided to the transmission with the power source and the variator is sufficient to satisfy the travel speed request at the current power source speed.

Controlling a drive system having a planetary gear set

In an engine system of a machine having a multi fuel engine system, the occurrence of transient events such as gear shifts, grade changes and machine speed changes may be anticipated, and a fuel substitution strategy may be adjusted if necessary to optimize performance during the transient events. Transient events at a worksite may be anticipated and mapped by evaluating shift control logic strategies and worksite maps with truck route, speed and topographical information and determining where the fuel substitution strategy cannot meet the power requirements for the transient event. When it is determined that the machine is approaching an anticipated transient event, an appropriate fuel substitution adjustment can be executed to ensure the engine has sufficient power for the transient event.

Multi fuel engine substitution optimization for transient performance

A powertrain for a machine may include a flywheel and a drivetrain having multiple configurations to permit the flywheel to be mechanically connected both upstream and downstream of a transmission. A bypass clutch may be used to selectively couple the flywheel directly to the engine, while a flywheel clutch may be used to selectively couple the flywheel directly to a lower powertrain. In both upsteam and downstream modes of operation, the transmission is bypassed to increase flywheel energy storage and use, as well as expanding the functionality of the flywheel.

Flywheel assembly for a powertrain

A computing system may provide guidance to a vehicle with hybrid power systems on how to efficiently engage the hybrid systems and the primary power source on a given plan. As a result, additional efficiency may be obtained.

Prediction control strategy for hybrid machinery

Growing community of inventors

Peoria, IL, United States of America

Evan Earl Jacobson