Systems and methods for monitoring a drive shaft condition
AssigneeDana Automotive Systems Group, LLC
InventorsRaghu MUTTIGE, Sandip S. RAKHE, Siddarth MEHRA
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and systems are provided for monitoring a condition of a drive shaft by including a U-joint equipped with a plurality of sensors and a U-joint controller. In one example, a method may include transmitting sensor data from a plurality of sensors coupled to a universal joint (U-joint) of a drive shaft of a motor vehicle, the plurality of sensors including an accelerometer coupled to a U-joint cross of the U-joint, a gyroscope coupled to the U-joint cross, a strain gauge coupled to the U-joint cross, and a first temperature sensor coupled to a first trunnion of the U-joint.
Claims20
A method, comprising:
- transmitting sensor data from a plurality of sensors coupled to a universal joint (U-joint) of a drive shaft of a motor vehicle, the plurality of sensors including at least two of an accelerometer coupled to a U-joint cross of the U-joint, a gyroscope coupled to the U-joint cross, a strain gauge coupled to the U-joint cross, and a first temperature sensor coupled to a first trunnion of the U-joint.
A method, comprising:
- receiving sensor data from a U-joint coupled to a drive shaft via a wireless connection;
- determining an estimated life of the drive shaft based on the sensor data;
- and
- adjusting at least one of a drive shaft replacement schedule and a drive shaft maintenance schedule based on the estimated life of the drive shaft.
A system, comprising:
- a universal joint (U-joint) comprising a U-joint cross, a first trunnion, a second trunnion, a third trunnion, and a fourth trunnion;
- a first sensor holder extending within the first trunnion, the first sensor holder mechanically coupled to a first temperature sensor;
- a second sensor holder extending within the second trunnion, the second sensor holder mechanically coupled to a second temperature sensor;
- a third sensor holder extending within the third trunnion, the third sensor holder mechanically coupled to a third temperature sensor;
- a fourth sensor holder extending within the fourth trunnion, the fourth sensor holder mechanically coupled to a fourth temperature sensor;
- a strain gauge mechanically coupled to the U-joint cross;
- and
- a printed circuit board (PCB) coupled to the U-joint cross, the PCB electrically coupled to each of the first temperature sensor, the second temperature sensor, the third temperature sensor, the fourth temperature sensor, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and the strain gauge, each of the accelerometer and the gyroscope mounted to the PCB.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.