DEVICE FOR OUTPUTTING A FUTURE STATE OF A LUBRICATION SYSTEM

Abstract

A device for outputting a future state of a central lubrication system includes at least one sensor for recording a parameter of the central lubrication system, a processing unit for processing the recorded parameter, determining a current state of the central lubrication system based on the processed parameter, and estimating a future state of the central lubrication system over a certain period of time based on the current state and stored data, and an output unit for outputting the future state of the central lubrication system.

Claims

1. A device for outputting a future state of a central lubrication system, including: at least one sensor for recording a parameter of the central lubrication system, a processing unit for processing the recorded parameter, determining a current state of the central lubrication system based on the processed parameter, and estimating of a future state of the central lubrication system over a certain period of time based on the current state and stored data, and an output unit for outputting the future state of the central lubrication system.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein: the at least one sensor is configured to record at least two parameters, and wherein the processing unit is configured to estimate the future state of the central lubrication system based on a combination of the at least two parameters.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the future state indicates a failure probability of the central lubrication system and/or a maintenance timing of the central lubrication system.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the current state of the central lubrication system indicates a fault of the central lubrication system, and wherein the processing unit is configured to determine a position of the fault.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein the output unit is configured to output the current state of the central lubrication system and the position of the fault.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is a temperature sensor, a fill-level sensor, a pressure sensor, a flow sensor, a contamination sensor, and/or a lubricant-detection sensor.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the stored data are historical data.

8. (canceled)

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein the output unit is configured to transmit the current and/or the future state to a storage device.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the storage device is an external storage device and the output unit is configured to communicate with the storage device via a communication connection.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein the communication connection is a radio connection.

12. The device according to claim 2, wherein the future state indicates a failure probability of the central lubrication system and/or a maintenance timing of the central lubrication system, wherein the current state of the central lubrication system indicates a fault of the central lubrication system, and the processing unit is configured to determine a position of the fault, wherein the output unit is configured to output the future and/or current state of the central lubrication system and the position of the fault to a storage device, wherein the sensor is a temperature sensor, a fill-level sensor, a pressure sensor, a flow sensor, a contamination sensor, and/or a lubricant-detection sensor, and wherein the stored data are historical data.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] FIG. 1 shows a schematic block diagram of a device for outputting a future state of a central lubrication system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] In the following, identical or functionally equivalent elements are designated by the same reference numbers.

[0025] FIG. 1 shows a device 1 for outputting a future state of a central lubrication system 2. The device 1 can be disposed separate from the central lubrication system 2 or can form a part of the central lubrication system 2.

[0026] In order to detect a state of the central lubrication system 2, the device 1 includes one or more sensors 4, 6. These sensors 4, 6 serve to record parameters of the central lubrication system 2, such as, for example, temperatures, pressures, volume flows, etc.

[0027] These parameters are processed by a processing unit 8. Based on the parameters and stored data a current state of the central lubrication system is thereby determined and a future state of the central lubrication system is estimated. The stored data can be stored in a storage device 12.

[0028] In particular, the processing unit 8 determines the current and the future state of the central lubrication system 2 based on a combination of the parameters of the sensors 4, 6. In this way in addition to the current state, i.e., possible already occurring faults, of the central lubrication system 2 a failure probability of the central lubrication system 2 for the future and/or a maintenance timing can also be estimated. In this way repair times can be easily planned. Downtime due to failures of the central lubrication system 2 can be reduced since it can already be estimated in advance when a failure/fault will occur, and therefore countermeasures can already be taken before a failure.

[0029] The parameters can be, for example, a current fill-level indicator and a lubrication interval per time unit. Based thereon the processing unit 8 can estimate the number of operating hours until a refilling of the lubricant tank.

[0030] In addition to the future state, the processing unit 8 can precisely specify the current state based on the parameters. This means that in the case of a fault, not only the fault itself, but also the position of the fault can be determined. For this purpose a combination of parameters is also used. Various combinations of parameters with their associated error pattern can be stored in the storage device 12.

[0031] An output unit 10 can be used to output the current state and the future state. On the one hand the output unit 10 can indicate these states. On the other hand the output unit 10 can transmit these states to the storage device 12. The output unit 10 or the processing unit 8 can communicate with the storage device 12 via a communication connection, in particular a radio connection.

[0032] In summary, by the above-described device not only can the current state of a central lubrication system be determined, but an estimation about a future state of the central lubrication system can also be carried out. In this way it is possible to already take corresponding countermeasures or correspondingly plan maintenance and repairs even before a fault or failure of the central lubrication system.

REFERENCE NUMBER LIST

[0033] 1 Device [0034] 2 Central lubrication system [0035] 4, 6 Sensors [0036] 8 Processing unit [0037] 10 Output unit [0038] 12 Storage device