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| Vehicle wheel cover |
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| Automatic revolution counting and data transmission device |
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| Ferromagnetic speed sensor |
| We claim: 1. A rotational speed sensor, in particular, a gear wheel sensor, comprising: a magnet ... |
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| Rotation sensor using a radiation emitter and detector and a duty cycle feedback loop |
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| Time based low tire pressure warning sensor |
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| Method and device for automatic calibration of an odometer |
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| Tire condition monitoring system |
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| Collision avoidance method and system |
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Method and apparatus for determining the severity of a trend toward an impending machine failure and responding to the same
| Details |
Inventors: Sarangapani, Jagannathan; Rangarajan, Sri K.;
Assignee: Caterpillar Inc. (Peoria, IL)
Primary Examiner: Hilten; John S.
Assistant Examiner: Le; John
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Blackwell Sanders Peper Martin LLP
A method and apparatus for determining severity of a trend toward an impending machine failure under actual operating conditions. The method and apparatus includes providing a typical failure trend based on a set of normal operating conditions for the machine, determining a slope value for the typical failure trend, determining a slope value for the trend toward the impending machine failure under the actual or proposed operating conditions, determining a weight value for at least the actual or proposed operating conditions, and determining the severity as a function of the slope values and the weight value. |
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION What is claimed is: 1.
A method for determining severity of a trend toward an impending machine failure under actual operating conditions, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a typical failure trend based on a set of normal operating conditions for the machine; (b) providing a trend toward an impending machine failure under actual operating conditions; (c) determining a slope value for the typical failure trend; (d) determining a slope value for the trend toward the impending machine failure under the actual operating conditions; (e) determining a weight value for at least the actual operating conditions; and (f) determining the severity as a function of the slope values and the weight value.
2.
The method of claim 1, wherein the weight value is determined for the typical failure trend and the severity is determined as a function of the slopes and the weight values for the normal operating conditions and the actual operating conditions.
3.
The method of claim 2, wherein the weight value for the normal operating conditions is determined based on data selected from the group consisting of projected life data for the machine, design data for the machine, environmental data, experimental data, application specific data, and combinations thereof.
4.
The method of claim 1, wherein the weight value for the actual operating conditions is determined from data selected from the group consisting of load data, temperature data, pressure variation data, environmental data, application data, and combinations thereof.
5.
The method of claim 1, wherein the severity is compared to a typical severity value, and if greater, then a signal is outputted for alerting appropriate personnel.
6.
The method of claim 1, wherein the severity is compared to a typical value, and if the severity is greater than the typical value, a root cause of the severity is determined as a function of at least the actual operating conditions.
7.
The method of claim 1, wherein the severity is determined as a function of a severity trend
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