System And Method For Auxiliary Clutch Failure Detection
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsHenry Todd Young, Jason Daniel Kuttenkuler, Jeffrey John Wolff, Aaron Craig Mellinger
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method for auxiliary clutch failure detection determines a difference between a first output power of a powered system when a clutch system is controlled to engage and drive a load at a first output of the load and a second output power of the powered system when the clutch system is controlled to drive the load at a larger, second output. A control signal indicative of clutch failure is generated responsive to the difference being less than a designated threshold. The control signal may be used to implement one or more remedial actions.
Claims20
A system comprising:
- a controller configured for operable coupling with a clutch system of a powered system, the clutch system having a clutch and a load driven by the clutch, wherein the controller is further configured to determine a difference between a first output power of the powered system when the clutch system is controlled to engage and drive the load at a first output of the load and a second output power of the powered system when the clutch system is controlled to drive the load at a larger, second output, and wherein the controller is configured to generate a control signal indicative of clutch failure responsive to the difference being less than a designated threshold.
A method comprising:
- measuring a power output of an engine with a power sensor, the engine configured to drive a load of the powered system during a time period that a clutch system is engaged with the load;
- determining that the power output of the engine is at or above a designated, non-zero output for at least a designated, non-zero time period;
- responsive to determining that the power output is at or above the designated, non-zero output for at least the designated, non-zero time period, monitoring the power output of the engine for one or more decreases in the power output;
- and
- identifying the clutch system as being in a failure mode responsive to the power output of the engine not decreasing by at least a designated threshold amount.
A method comprising:
- directing a load of a powered system to operate at or below a first designated output, the powered system including an engine configured to drive the load during a time period that a clutch system of the powered system is engaged with the load;
- measuring a power output of the engine with a power sensor while the load is operating at or below the first designated output;
- directing the load of the powered system to operate at or above a larger, second designated output;
- measuring the power output of the engine while the load is operating at or above the second designated output;
- and
- identifying the clutch system as being in a failure mode based on a difference between the power output of the engine during operation of the load at or below the first designated output and the power output of the engine during operation of the load at or above the second designated output.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.