Caterpillar Inc.

Richard A Carpenter

Marvin Grendel McKimpson

Kyle B Walton

Yanchai Zhang

Pengfei Ma

Jeremy Todd Peterson

Edward William Mate

William Norbert O'Neill

Jason Brinkman

Nathan Stephen Pauli

James David Siegle

Venkata Dandibhotla

Stephen J Morey

Baoyang Deng

Daniel Gregory Wear

Kalpeshkumar N Patel

Shawn M Ryon

Solimar Reyes-Rodriguez

Tom K Shim

Phil Spengler

Vignesh Jayakumar

Shaobin Liu

Richard Scott Cushing

A secondary steering pump system may include a secondary steering pump, a bypass valve having a first bypass position configured for placing the secondary steering pump in fluid communication with a hydraulic tank and a second use/testing position configured for placing the secondary steering pump in fluid communication with a steering control circuit. The system may also include a solenoid valve configured for actuation by a solenoid and for selectively actuating the bypass valve from the first position to the second position. The system may also include a pressure sensor configured for sensing pressure in the system.

Fault detection for secondary steering system

Data relating to an amount of contaminant in a fluid is obtained from a contaminant detection device. Aeration detection raw voltage data output and particle detection raw voltage data output from the contaminate detection device are received at an external data processing system separate and independent from the contaminate detection device. The aeration detection raw voltage data output and particle detection raw voltage data output are analyzed and cleaned to determine real time information on the amount of air bubbles and solid contaminate particles in the fluid, and then supplied to an onboard monitoring and controlling module of a machine for controlling one or more operations onboard the machine based on the determined amount of solid contaminate particles.

System and method for processing data from a particle monitoring sensor

Cavitation that occurs within a pump of a machine, such as truck or other work machine, can potentially damage the pump and/or other components of the machine. The machine can have a cavitation monitor configured to detect cavitation and/or cavitation damage associated with the pump based on vibration data, speed data associated with mechanical movements of the pump, and operating data associated with the machine overall. If the cavitation monitor detects cavitation and/or cavitation damage, the cavitation monitor can cause corresponding alerts to be displayed to a machine operator or other user.

Cavitation detection system

A fluid degradation monitoring system may detect a replacement of a fluid of a machine. The fluid degradation monitoring system may determine, after detecting the replacement of the fluid, a first degradation estimate of the fluid using a first technique based on characteristics relating to an operation of the machine. The fluid degradation monitoring system may detect a transition in a value of a dielectric constant of the fluid from a first phase to a second phase. The fluid degradation monitoring system may determine, after detecting the transition in the value of the dielectric constant, a second degradation estimate of the fluid using a second technique based on characteristics relating to the fluid.

Systems and methods for remaining useful life prediction of a fluid

A method for estimating a remaining useful life of an air filter. The method includes determining, at a controller of a machine, a delta pressure of the air filter in the machine based on an input from a plurality of sensors. The method includes determining a percent plugged of the filter based upon a non-linear relationship between the delta pressure and the percent plugged of the air filter. The method includes estimating the remaining useful life of the filter based upon the percent plugged.

System and method of determining remaining useful life of an air filter

A system for determining a health status of a tank is provided. The system includes a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, a sensor coupled to a hydraulic actuator, a breather valve, and a controller. The controller is configured to receive a signal indicative of a temperature and a volume of a fluid within the tank from the temperature sensor and the sensor coupled to the hydraulic actuator respectively. The controller is configured to determine an estimated pressure of the fluid within the tank based on the received signals and a breather performance curve. The controller is configured to receive a signal indicative of a pressure of the fluid within the tank and compare it with the estimated pressure. The controller is also configured to determine the health status of the tank and to actuate one or more of an operator console display unit and the hydraulic actuator.

System and method for determining a health status of a tank

A system may comprise a first sensor; a second sensor; and an electronic control module. The electronic control module may be configured to determine a flow of the fluid based on information regarding the pressure from the first sensor and information regarding the temperature from the second sensor; determine a portion of the flow of the fluid that is directed to a particle counter of the machine; receive, from the particle counter, information identifying a quantity of particles in the portion of the flow of the fluid; determine a quality of the fluid based on the quantity of particles; determine whether the flow of the fluid exceeds a flow threshold or whether the quality of the fluid is less than a quality threshold; and take a remedial action when the flow of the fluid exceeds the flow threshold or the quality of the fluid is less than the quality threshold.

System for hydraulic pump health monitoring

A monitoring system for a gearbox containing a lubricant is disclosed. The monitoring system may include a first sensor configured to measure a concentration of debris particles in the lubricant, a second sensor configured to generate data indicative of a deterioration of the gearbox, and a controller in communication with the first and second sensors. The controller may be configured to estimate a concentration of debris particles in the lubricant based on the data from the second sensor using a mathematical function, and estimate a remaining useful life of the gearbox based on a difference between concentration of debris particles measured by the first sensor and concentration of debris particles estimated to be in the lubricant.

Monitoring system for predicting gearbox lifespan

A monitoring system for a gearbox having at least one rotational component having a design lifetime and at least one design parameter is disclosed. The monitoring system may include a first sensor configured to generate a first signal indicative of a speed associated with the at least one rotational component, a second sensor configured to generate a second signal indicative of a torque associated with the rotational component, and a controller electronically connected to the first and second sensors. The controller may be configured to determine a remaining lifetime of the at least one rotational component based on the design lifetime, the at least one design parameter, and the first and second signals over a period of operating time, and generate a maintenance signal based on the remaining lifetime.

Gearbox component and lubricant condition monitoring system

A system for collecting a fluid sample from a machine having a fluid module is provided. The system includes a docking station disposed on the machine. The system also includes a pump selectively disposed in fluid communication with the fluid module of the machine. The pump is configured to draw a fluid from the fluid module. The system further includes an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). The UAV is configured to detachably dock onto the docking station. The UAV is also configured to collect the fluid sample from the pump.

System and method for collecting fluid sample from machine

A method for estimating health and remaining useful life of a hydraulic element of a machine is provided. The method includes determining a charge time of a hydraulic accumulator coupled to the hydraulic element in which a current pressure of a hydraulic fluid in the hydraulic accumulator reaches an upper threshold pressure, the current pressure being measured by a hydraulic accumulator pressure sensor coupled to the processor and the hydraulic accumulator. The method includes determining a discharging flow rate of the hydraulic element based upon the determined charge time of the hydraulic accumulator, a health indicator of the hydraulic element based upon a difference between the discharging flow rate and a stored discharging flow rate. The method includes determining a remaining useful life of the hydraulic element based upon the health indicator of the hydraulic element.

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Chillicothe, IL, United States of America

Richard A Carpenter