DEVICE FOR OUTPUTTING A FUTURE STATE OF A CENTRAL 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. 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.

9. The device according to claim 8, 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.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the communication connection is a radio connection.

11. 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

[0043] FIG. 1 shows a schematic block diagram of a device for outputting a future state of a central lubrication system, and

[0044] FIG. 2 shows a schematic block diagram of a method for determining a state of a central lubrication system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] In the following, identical or functionally equivalent elements are designated by the same reference numbers.

[0046] 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.

[0047] 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.

[0048] 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.

[0049] 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.

[0050] 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.

[0051] 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.

[0052] 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 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.

[0053] In the following, an exemplary method for determining an actual operation state of the central lubrication system 2 will be described. It should be noted that also other implementations are possible. Further, this example may also be used for detecting future states of the central lubrication system 2. The method may be executed by the processing unit 8 as described above.

[0054] In a first step S1, the measured values of the sensors 4, 6 are transmitted to the processing unit 8. The sensors 4, 6 may sense the lubricant pressure as well as the temperature within the central lubrication system 2.

[0055] In step S2, the received measured values may be stored as variables, for example in the form of an array having multiple values per time. The multiple values include at least the pressure and the temperature of the central lubrication system 2 per time.

[0056] In step S3, the processing unit 8 determines the start and end points of the lubrication cycles based on the measured values. A lubrication cycle may be detected by allocating pressure variations within the measured values to a start and an end of a lubrication cycle. For example, pressures readings may be substantially constant or remain below a predetermined level between lubrication cycles. The first measurement of a pressure above that predetermined pressure may indicate the beginning of a lubrication cycle and the drop of the pressure to below the predetermined level may indicate the end of the lubrication cycle.

[0057] If a lubrication cycle is detected, the processing unit 8 calculates an average pressure per lubrication cycle (step S4). The average pressure may be in particular an average value of all pressure values of one lubrication cycle.

[0058] In step S5, the processing unit 8 stores an average pressure of the lubrication cycle, a maximum pressure of the lubrication cycle, a minimum pressure of the lubrication cycle and a temperature of the lubrication cycle.

[0059] Then, in step S6, the processing unit 7 may allocate the average pressure to a temperature window, dependent on the temperature of the actual lubrication cycle. For allocating the average pressure to a temperature window, the processing unit 8 may retrieve information from a storage or data base 12, in which the existing temperature windows are stored with corresponding normal pressure values. If no normal pressure for the actual temperature window exists, the processing unit 8 may enter into a learning phase, which will be explained below.

[0060] If a normal pressure for the actual temperature window exists, the processing unit 8 may compare the actual average pressure with the normal pressure of the temperature window in step S7.

[0061] Then, the processing unit 8 may interpret the result in step S8, as described in the following. Generally, the processing unit 8 may detect a fault-free operation (E6), a fault of the central lubrication system 2 (E2-E5) or no function of the central lubrication system 2 (E1).

[0062] If the sensor 4, 6 has no signal or if the measured values do not contain any pressure variations, the processing unit 8 may determine that there is no function (E1) of the central lubrication system 2. This may be the case when there is a complete failure of the central lubrication system 2 or when the sensor(s) 4, 6 failed completely.

[0063] The processing unit 8 may detect a blockage of a lubricant line (E2), when at least three consecutive average pressure values are greater by a factor k than the temperature-dependent normal pressure and the average pressure values continuously increase. Alternatively, a blockage may be assumed when one value of the average pressure is greater by 200% than the normal pressure. A blockage means that a lubricant line is blocked by foreign matter, fat deposition or the like. In particular, such a blockage may built-up continuously, for example by decreasing the passage of the lubricant line further and further.

[0064] The processing unit 8 may detect a lubricant line kink (E3) when at least three consecutive average pressure values are greater by a factor k than the temperature-dependent normal pressure and the average pressure values non-continuously increase. The factor k for detecting a kink may be less than the factor k for detecting a blockage as some lubricant may still flow past a kink.

[0065] If the processing unit 8 detects at least three consecutive average pressure values being smaller by a factor k than the temperature-dependent normal pressure, wherein the average pressure values non-continuously decrease, this may indicate a lubricant line rupture (E4). Such a lubricant line rupture leads to leakage of the lubricant, which decreases the pressure within the central lubrication system 2.

[0066] If any other kind of deviation from the normal pressure is detected, which cannot be allocated to a specific kind of malfunction, this may be defined as a general malfunction of the central lubrication system (E5) by the processing unit 8.

[0067] If the processing unit 8 detects a regular change between the lubrication cycles and break times and there are no relevant deviations of the average pressure values from the normal pressure, this may be interpreted as a fault-free operation of the central lubrication system 2 (E6). In this case, the processing unit 8 may use this information to update the data base 12. This means that the actual values may be used for the learning phase SE1-SE to provide more accurate information for the further operation.

[0068] The actually determined average pressure may be used for updating the data base 12 of the normal pressure of the temperature window (SE1). If there already exists a value for the actual temperature window, the average pressure may be used to calculate a new normal pressure value (SE2). The normal pressure value is an average of all fault-free pressure values of one temperature window. Thus, each time, when the processing unit 8 detects a fault-free state (E6), the data base 12 is updated accordingly, and the stored normal pressure will increase its accuracy.

[0069] If it has been detected in step S6 that there is no normal pressure for the actual temperature window, the data base 12 will not be updated but extended. The actually measured and calculated average pressure of the temperature window will be stored as normal pressure for the actual temperature window. As it may be assumed that the central lubrication system 2 works without fault at the beginning of the operation of the central lubrication system 2, this actual average pressure may be considered as normal pressure for the temperature window.

[0070] 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

[0071] 1 Device [0072] 2 Central lubrication system [0073] 4, 6 Sensors [0074] 8 Processing unit [0075] 10 Output unit [0076] 12 Storage device [0077] S1-S8 method steps [0078] SE1-SE2 learning phase