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US 10,604,350 B1Granted
System for controlling torque-limiting drive charge car
AssigneeSurface Combustion, Inc.
InventorsWilliam J. Bernard, III, Joseph T. McCormick, Mark Stender
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A load-moving system and a method for controlling the load-moving system for a heat treating furnace are described where the method includes detecting and transmitting signals and positions of the load-moving system as the load-moving system traverses a plurality of positions into, in, and out of the heat treating furnace. The signals being detected include one or more of: current, torque, or power used by the load-moving system at a determined position and/or time.
Claims20
A method for controlling a load-moving system for a heat treating furnace, comprising:
- i) detecting and transmitting a signal and a position of a load-moving system as the load-moving system traverses a plurality of positions into, in, and out of the heat treating furnace;
- wherein the signal being detected comprising one or more of:
- current, torque, or power used by the load-moving system at a determined position and/or time;
- ii) establishing a baseline of signals detected;
- iii) determining a maximum signal for each position;
- and
- iv) comparing the maximum signal for each position to a predetermined threshold signal;
- wherein the system suggests maintenance if the maximum signal for a position is greater than, or equal to, the predetermined threshold signal
- v) trending the baseline over time;
- and,
- vi) recommending inspecting, repairing, and/or replacing a furnace aspect when the detected signals data surpasses a predetermined threshold value;
- wherein the maximum signal for the position is appended to a maximum signal trend, and the method further comprising:
- vii) regressing the maximum signal trend over time;
- viii) extrapolating the regression to determine a time intercept with the predetermined threshold signal;
- and
- ix) calculating time to service by subtracting a current time from the determined time intercept, wherein the system updates time to service if the calculated time to service is greater than, or equal to, a stored time to service.
13 more elements
A method for controlling a load-moving system for a heat treating furnace, comprising:
- i) detecting and transmitting a signal and a position of a load-moving system as the load-moving system traverses a plurality of positions into, in, and out of the heat treating furnace;
- wherein the signal being detected comprising one or more of:
- current, torque, or power used by the load-moving system at a determined position and/or time:
- ii) establishing a baseline of signals detected;
- iii) determining a maximum signal for each position;
- and
- iv) comparing the maximum signal for each position to a predetermined threshold signal;
- wherein the system suggests maintenance if the maximum signal for a position is
- greater than, or equal to, the predetermined threshold signal
- v) trending the baseline over time;
- wherein a trend mode is set on the load-moving system and,
- vi) recommending inspecting, repairing, and/or replacing a furnace aspect when the detected signals data surpasses a predetermined threshold value:
- wherein the maximum signal for each position is appended to a maximum signal trend for the trend mode, and the method further comprises:
- vii) regressing the maximum signal trend for the trend mode over time;
- viii) extrapolating the regression to determine an extrapolated time intercept with the predetermined threshold signal;
- and
- ix) calculating time to service by subtracting a current time from the extrapolated time intercept, wherein the system updates time to service if the calculated time to service is greater than, or equal to, a stored time to service.
14 more elements
A method for controlling a load-moving system comprising:
- reading a signal and a position of a load-moving system as the load-moving system traverses a plurality of positions, wherein the signal is at least one of current, torque, or power used by the load-moving system at the position:
- appending a signal vector from the signals read to a signal trend;
- regressing the signals read at each position versus time to produce a regression line;
- extrapolating the regression line for each position to find a time intercept with a predetermined threshold signal;
- and
- calculating the time to service for each position by subtracting a current time from the determined time intercept, wherein the system updates the time to service at a given position if the calculated time to service at the position is greater than, or equal to, a stored time to service for the position;
- and,
- recommending maintenance at a position if the signal at the position exceeds a predetermined threshold signal.
5 more elements
A method for controlling a load-moving system comprising:
- reading a signal and a position of a load-moving system as the load-moving system traverses a plurality of positions, wherein the signal is at least one of current, torque, or power used by the load-moving system at the position;
- and
- appending a signal vector from the signals read to a signal trend for a trend mode;
- regressing the signals read at each position for the trend mode versus time to produce a regression line;
- extrapolating the regression line for each position for the trend mode to determine a time intercept with a predetermined threshold signal;
- and
- calculating time to service for each position by subtracting current time from the determined time intercept at each position, wherein the system updates time to service for a given position if the calculated time to service for the position is greater than, or equal to, a stored time to service for the position;
- and,
- recommending maintenance at a position if the signal at the position exceeds a
- predetermined threshold signal;
- the method further comprising a step of reading a trend mode before reading the signal and the position.
8 more elements
A load-moving system comprising:
- a charge car having a receptacle configured to carry a load, a handler drive motor, and a lateral motor;
- a torque-limiting drive adapted to control the handler drive motor;
- a variable speed drive adapted to control the lateral motor;
- an encoder configured to sense movement;
- and
- a programmable logic controller capable of shutting off the handler drive motor which is configured to:
- i) detect and transmit a signal and a position of the load-moving system as the load-moving system traverses a plurality of positions into, in, and out of a heat treating furnace;
- wherein the signal being detected comprising one or more of:
- current, torque, or power used by the load-moving system at a determined position and/or time;
- ii) establish a baseline of signals detected;
- iii) determine a maximum signal for each position;
- and
- iv) compare the maximum signal for each position to a predetermined threshold signal;
- wherein the system suggests maintenance if the maximum signal for a position is greater than, or equal to, the predetermined threshold signal:
- v) trend the baseline over time;
- and,
- vi) recommend inspecting, repairing, and/or replacing a furnace aspect when the detected signals data surpasses a predetermined threshold value:
- wherein the maximum signal for the position is appended to a maximum signal trend, and the programmable logic controller is further configured to:
- vii) regress the maximum signal trend over time;
- viii) extrapolate the regression to determine a time intercept with the predetermined threshold signal;
- and,
- ix) calculate time to service by subtracting a current time from the determined time intercept,
- wherein the system updates time to service if the calculated time to service is greater than, or equal to, a stored time to service.
20 more elements
A furnace system comprising:
- a furnace chamber;
- and
- a load-moving system comprising:
- a charge car having a receptacle configured to carry a load, a handler drive motor, and a lateral motor;
- a torque-limiting drive adapted to control the handler drive motor;
- a variable speed drive adapted to control the lateral motor;
- an encoder configured to sense movement;
- and
- a programmable logic controller capable of shutting off the handler drive motor which is configured to:
- i) detect and transmit a signal and a position of the load-moving system as the load-moving system traverses a plurality of positions into, in, and out of a heat treating furnace;
- wherein the signal being detected comprising one or more of:
- current, torque, or power used by the load-moving system at a determined position and/or time;
- ii) establish a baseline of signals detected;
- iii) determine a maximum signal for each position;
- and
- iv) compare the maximum signal for each position to a predetermined threshold signal;
- wherein the system suggests maintenance if the maximum signal for a position is greater than, or equal to, the predetermined threshold signal:
- v) trend the baseline over time;
- and,
- vi) recommend inspecting, repairing, and/or replacing a furnace aspect when the detected signals data surpasses a predetermined threshold value:
- wherein the maximum signal for the position is appended to a maximum signal trend, and the programmable logic controller is further configured to:
- vii) regress the maximum signal trend over time;
- viii) extrapolate the regression to determine a time intercept with the predetermined threshold signal;
- and,
- ix) calculate time to service by subtracting a current time from the determined time intercept,
- wherein the system updates time to service if the calculated time to service is greater than, or equal to, a stored time to service.
23 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.