Komatsu Corporation

Sadachika Akiyama

Shigeru Yamamoto

Nobuki Hasegawa

Takao Nagai

Taku Murakami

Kazunori Kuromoto

Jiro Akagi

Kunihiko Imanishi

Only snapshot data necessary for monitoring faults are collected from machine such as vehicles, allowing faults to be more accurately monitored, and the amount of data and the memory storage volume at a monitoring station to be reduced. The values of a plurality of (A), (B), (C), and (D) operating parameters (engine rotational speed, lever operating position, vehicle speed, and tractive force) which change during the operation of the machine are sequentially detected for each machine. The fault detection history data are thus updated every time a fault (drop in engine oil pressure, overheating) is detected during the operation of the machine. Thus, when a fault (drop in engine oil pressure) is detected during the operation of the machine, it is determined on the basis of the history data whether or not to send to the monitoring station the sequential values of the operating parameters ((A) engine rotational speed, (B) lever operating position, (C) vehicle speed, (D) tractive force) from within a prescribed period of time (from 10 min. before to 5 min. after) around the point in time t0 at which the fault was detected. When it is determined that they should be sent, the type of detected fault (0001 (drop in engine oil pressure)), the values detected ((A) 2, (B) 3, (C) 3, (D) 2) at the time the fault was detected, as well as the sequential values of the operating parameters from within a prescribed period of time (from 10 min. before to 5 min. after) around the time the fault was detected are transmitted to the monitoring station. When it is determined that they should not be sent, on the other hand, the type of detected fault (0001 (drop in engine oil pressure)) and the values detected ((A) 2, (B) 3, (C) 3, (D) 2) at the time the fault was detected are sent to the monitoring station.

Machine fault monitoring apparatus and method

Maintenance due times of components of a machine are determined according to the status of user-performed in-house maintenance and according to the occurrence of abnormalities during machine operation. A subtraction point (20 points) associated with an abnormality (overheating) detected during machine operation is subtracted from the score (80 points) of a corresponding component (engine) in the machine. An addition point (50 points) associated with the type of maintenance (overhaul performed by in-house maintenance) indicated in maintenance information is added to the score (80 points). Thus, at the time where the value resulting from subtractions from and additions to the score for that component (engine) reaches a prescribed value (10 points) indicating maintenance due time, it is determined that the maintenance due time for that component (engine) has been reached.

Method and apparatus for determining machine maintenance due times

In engine abnormality detection, the engine output is measured, and values of a specific operating variable of the fuel system, the lubrication system, the cooling system, the intake system, or the exhaust system of the engine, are measured and the specific values are converted to corrected data values at the equivalent rated power point, which are compared to corresponding threshold values in order to detect an abnormality in the respective system. The apparatus includes detection sensors (33-38) for detecting values of specific operating variables; an engine rotational speed sensor (31); a fuel injection volume sensor (32); storing means (45a), for storing in memory the values of the engine rotational speed and the volume of injected fuel at the rated power point; specific data selection means (45b, 45d), for storing in memory the rotational speed value and the fuel injection volume value for a point in time within a first period of time, for measuring the value of the specific operating variable at that point in time, and for selecting the largest value from among the measured values of the specific operating variable; specific data conversion means (45c, 45e), for converting the largest value to a corrected value at the equivalent rated power point of the engine, and for storing the results in memory; and alarm output means (46), for issuing an alarm if the corrected value is larger than a corresponding threshold value.

Method and apparatus for engine abnormality detection

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Yuki, Japan

Sadachika Akiyama