Vehicle management system

Abstract

To provide a vehicle management system that is able to surely detect deterioration of components constituting a power train system of a vehicle.SOLUTION: A vehicle management system 300 for managing a vehicle 101 having a power train system 10 composed of a plurality of components 11 to 14 including an engine 11, comprises a processing device 202 that calculates input / output energy of one of the plurality of components 11 to 14, based on information of the vehicle 101 detected by a sensor 101a provided in the vehicle 101. The processing device 202 includes setting, as a stable traveling section, a traveling section in which the input / output energy is stable among traveling sections of the vehicle 101, aggregating values of the input / output energy in the stable traveling section, and detecting deterioration of the one component, based on the values of the input / output energy aggregated in the stable traveling section.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a system for detecting deterioration of components that constitute a powertrain system of a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, technology has been disclosed that detects abnormalities in an on-board power generating device by analyzing vehicle data under specific conditions (Patent Document 1), or that detects abnormalities in an engine (Patent Document 2). In Patent Document 1, the generated power is learned under specific cycle conditions, and during evaluation, the generated power when the same cycle conditions as those used during learning are established is compared with the learned generated power, and it is determined that deterioration has occurred in the power generating device when the generated power becomes smaller than that during learning. In Patent Document 2, the peak value of the blow-by pressure is calculated under conditions of high engine load, and if the peak value is greater than a predetermined value, it is determined that there is an engine abnormality. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2021-0114583 [Patent Document 2] JP 2000-305618 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in Patent Document 1, the load weight, which has a large effect on the amount of generated power, is not sufficiently considered, and there is a risk that an abnormality will be overlooked if the load weight is large, and conversely, if the load weight is small, it will be erroneously determined to be deterioration. In addition, in Patent Document 2, if blow-by pressure control is introduced to return gas that has blown into the crankcase to the intake path, the crank pressure will be kept constant, which may make it difficult to determine engine abnormalities. In order to solve these problems, it is possible to add further operating conditions, but in exchange for improving the accuracy of diagnosis, the number of fitting man-hours will increase and the number of opportunities to determine deterioration will decrease.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and its object is to provide a vehicle management system that can reliably detect deterioration of components that make up a vehicle's powertrain system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned objective, a vehicle management system that manages a vehicle having a powertrain system consisting of a plurality of parts including an engine is provided with a processing device that calculates the input / output energy of one of the plurality of parts based on information of the vehicle detected by a sensor provided on the vehicle, and the processing device sets a driving section of the vehicle where the input / output energy is stable as a stable driving section, collects the values ​​of the input / output energy in the stable driving section, and detects deterioration of the one part based on the value of the input / output energy collected in the stable driving section. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, by determining deterioration of a part that constitutes a vehicle's powertrain system based on the compiled results of the input / output energy of the part during a driving section in which the input / output energy of the part is stable, the opportunities for determining deterioration of the part are increased, making it possible to reliably detect deterioration of the part. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] Overview of the mine management system [Diagram 2] A diagram showing the energy flow of the powertrain system of a mining dump truck. [Diagram 3] A block diagram showing an example of a deterioration determination process for a powertrain system. [Figure 4] A flowchart showing an example of a process of a deterioration determination unit. [Diagram 5] A flowchart showing an example of a process for registering a stable driving section in a database or the like. [Figure 6] An example of the visualization of one week's worth of driving data for one vehicle [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displaying the results of tallying the frequency of travel in stable travel sections for each vehicle; [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displaying the average fuel energy in the stable driving section for each vehicle. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the distribution of fuel energy used to calculate the average fuel energy in a stable driving section; [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displaying time series changes in fuel energy and regenerative power; [Figure 11] A chart showing an example of time series changes in fuel energy when traveling in a stable driving section [Figure 12] A chart showing an example of the time series change in blow-by pressure when driving in a stable driving section [Figure 13] A flowchart showing an example of a process for separating factors that increase fuel energy. [Figure 14] A chart showing an example of time series changes in grid temperature when traveling in a stable section [Figure 15] A flowchart showing an example of a process for determining deterioration of a grid fan. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same reference numerals are used to denote the same elements, and duplicated explanations will be omitted as appropriate. EXAMPLES

[0010] A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall view of the mine management system. The mine management system 200 includes a storage device 201 (e.g., a database) that consolidates position information and operation information from a plurality of mining machines (mining dump truck 101, shovel 102, dozer 103, etc.) traveling in the same mine area 100 that are managed together, a processing device 202 (e.g., a server) that calculates a mine productivity index based on the position information and operation information of each mining machine 101-103 and determines deterioration and abnormal conditions of parts used in the mining dump truck 101, and a display terminal device 203 (e.g., a notebook computer or a mobile terminal) that displays the productivity index, deterioration, abnormal conditions, etc. in a dashboard format. Here, it is desirable that the operation data of each mining machine 101-103 is transmitted to the mine management system 200 sequentially, but considering the communication conditions and communication costs, it is not necessarily possible to transmit the data sequentially. Therefore, the processing device 202 in this embodiment starts processing after buffering the operation data to a certain extent. The extent to which the operational data is buffered is determined based on, for example, the time equivalent to the longest cycle from loading to the next loading or the amount of data equivalent to the longest cycle. The mining dump truck 101 (hereinafter referred to as the "vehicle" as appropriate) is equipped with a sensor 101a (GPS sensor, pitch angle sensor, payload sensor, current sensor, voltage sensor, etc.) that detects information about the vehicle 101. The display terminal device 203 includes a notebook computer and a mobile terminal, so the display destination is not limited to one device, but may be multiple devices. In that case, since the display area size differs between a personal computer and a mobile terminal, the information displayed in a dashboard format may be displayed on the personal computer in the office, and only the information edited and selected in the office may be displayed on the on-board monitor of the mining machine or a mobile terminal such as a smartphone. It is possible to realize flexible information provision according to the usage environment.

[0012] A user of the mine management system 200 can detect a decrease in productivity in the mine early by using the information (dashboard information) displayed on the display terminal device 203, and can maintain and manage the productivity of the mine by implementing measures based on the cause of the decrease in productivity. For example, a mine operation planner 301 can use the dashboard information to revise the operation plan of each mining dump truck 101. An operator instructor 302 can find an operator who needs to improve their driving from the dashboard information and provide driving guidance to the operator. A road maintenance worker 303 can identify road surface locations that are leading to a decrease in productivity early from the dashboard information and repair them. An equipment maintenance worker 304 can identify deterioration or failure of equipment used in the mining machines 101 to 103 from the dashboard information and perform repairs or calibration. In addition, by combining weather information (history and forecast) and mineral prices (history and forecast) acquired via the Internet 400 with dashboard information, it is possible to issue an instruction to correct the mining and maintenance plan to the mining manager 305, and to issue improvement instructions to the operation planner 301, the operator instructor 302, the road surface maintenance staff 303, and the equipment maintenance staff 304 to prevent a decrease in productivity. The display format of the display terminal device 203 is not limited to the dashboard format, and may be a report format or an email format. The vehicle management system 300 in this embodiment is configured as a subsystem of the mine management system 200 that notifies the equipment maintenance staff 304 of the deterioration state of the mining dump truck 101, but may be configured as a system independent of the mine management system 200.

[0013] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the energy flow of a powertrain system (hereinafter referred to as "powertrain system") of a mining dump truck 101. The powertrain system 10 has an engine 11, a main generator 12 (including a rectifier), an inverter 13, and a motor 14. The engine 11 is controlled according to a rotation speed command, boost pressure, exhaust temperature, and cooling temperature. The main generator 12 is controlled according to a power generation command and generator temperature. The inverter 13 is controlled according to a torque command and inverter temperature. The motor 14 is controlled according to running resistance (gradient, acceleration) and motor temperature.

[0014] Thermal energy (fuel energy) input to the engine 11 is converted into kinetic energy (engine output) by the engine 11. During motor power running, this engine output is used to rotate the main generator 12, which is then converted into electrical energy (DC power) by a rectifier, and then further converted into electrical energy (AC power) according to a torque command by an inverter 13, after which it is converted back into kinetic energy (motor output) by the motor 14. For this reason, the fuel energy input during power running varies greatly depending on the driver's request (accelerator operation).

[0015] On the other hand, during motor regeneration, the kinetic energy of the vehicle 101 is converted to electric energy (regenerative power) by rotating the motor 14 via the tires, and after being converted to DC by the inverter 13, it is released as thermal energy at the grid resistor 16 through the chopper circuit 15. The chopper circuit 15 is controlled in response to a brake command and the grid resistor temperature. At this time, the main generator 12 stops generating power, and the thermal energy input to the engine 11 is consumed by the auxiliary generator 17 as drive power for the grid fan 18 for cooling the grid resistor 16. The grid fan is controlled in response to a rotation speed command and the grid resistor temperature. In general, the grid fan 18 has a smaller output and smaller output change compared to the motor 14, so the fluctuation of the fuel energy is smaller (more stable) than during power running.

[0016] In addition, an accumulator pump 19 for driving the steering and friction brake is connected to the engine 11, and a drop in accumulator pressure results in a load to drive the accumulator pump 19, which manifests itself as rotation fluctuations in the engine 11 and an increase in fuel to suppress the rotation fluctuations. However, for example, on a steep downhill gradient (about 10% slope) without load, the road is straight to ensure safety, and there is no steering operation, and there is no accelerator operation to apply maximum regenerative braking, so the grid fan 18 is fixed at maximum output, and the fuel energy is stable. In this embodiment, a driving section where such thermal energy is stable is previously determined as a stable driving section, and a method of determining engine deterioration using the thermal energy aggregate value in the stable driving section will be described.

[0017] Furthermore, the energy efficiency of the powertrain system 10 shown in Figure 2 varies greatly depending on temperature and operating conditions. For example, regenerative power varies greatly depending on the deceleration rate and the load weight or the magnitude of the gradient, so it is difficult to determine deterioration by simply comparing regenerative power. A steep downhill gradient without a load is the driving section where this regenerative power is most stable, and this embodiment discloses a method for determining deterioration of the motor 14 or inverter 13 from the total value of the regenerative power in this driving section. Furthermore, the main generator 12 is in a stopped state in this driving section, and a method for determining deterioration of the main generator 12 based on the efficiency of the powertrain system during unloaded driving with the main generator 12 operating is also disclosed. Details are explained below.

[0018] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of a deterioration determination process of the powertrain system 10. The stable driving section determination unit 21 determines whether the driving section on which the vehicle 101 is traveling is a stable driving section. Specifically, it determines whether the road is a steep downhill slope using altitude information from a GPS sensor or pitch angle sensors at the front and rear of the vehicle body, and determines whether the vehicle is operating unladen using tire suspension pressure (detected by a payload sensor). Generally, the road shape changes as mining progresses in a mine, but if the stable driving section is determined in advance by a method described later, it becomes possible to determine the stable driving section using only GPS position information without performing gradient calculations during diagnosis. Alternatively, if the GPS coordinates of a steep downhill slope beside the trolley wire are known in advance from map information on the mine site, the stable driving section may be determined using the coordinates.

[0019] The input / output energy calculation unit 22 calculates the kinetic energy (engine output and motor output) of the engine 11 and motor 14 from torque and rotation speed information held by the vehicle body controller (the controller that controls the vehicle 101), calculates the electrical energy converted by the main generator 12, inverter 13, and chopper circuit 15 from the circuit voltage and current (detected by a voltage sensor and a current sensor), and further calculates the fuel energy input to the engine 11 from the fuel flow rate input to the engine 11.

[0020] The deterioration determination unit 23 tally up the input and output energies (kinetic energy, electrical energy, fuel energy, etc.) in the stable driving section, and determines the deterioration of the powertrain system 10 based on these input and output energy values. All of these processing blocks 21 to 23 may be implemented in the server 202, or some of these blocks may be implemented in the mining dump truck 101. For example, if the stable driving section determination unit 21 and the input / output energy calculation unit 22 are mounted on the mining dump truck 101 and only the deterioration determination unit 23 is mounted on the server 202, the data transmitted from the mining dump truck 101 to the server 202 is limited to the input and output energy in the stable driving section, so that the deterioration determination can be realized with a smaller amount of communication.

[0021] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the process of the deterioration determination unit 23. In step S401, the input / output energy aggregation period and the stable running section are set in response to the user's operation of the display terminal device 203. In this embodiment, the stable running section is managed by a mesh ID as described later, and here, the user can specify the mesh ID and period for tallying the input / output energy using a GUI such as a dashboard.

[0022] In step S402, input and output energy in at least one stable driving section is tallied. At this time, if the number of mesh IDs is set to a large number and the talliation period is set to a short number, conditions such as road surface and atmospheric temperature will be more equal to those of other vehicles, and therefore it is possible to more appropriately select vehicles to be maintained by a relative comparison of input and output energy, which will be described later. Conversely, if the number of mesh IDs is set to a small number and the talliation period is set to a long number, input and output energy of one vehicle will be tallied under the same conditions, which makes it easier to determine deterioration due to aging of the vehicle. Therefore, deterioration judgment is first performed using mesh IDs of about one week and 20 locations, and for vehicles judged to be deteriorated, a relative comparison with other vehicles will be made over a shorter period, or aging will be examined over a longer period, thereby making it possible to more reliably realize deterioration judgment.

[0023] Step S403 and onwards are processes for identifying deteriorated parts of the powertrain system 10. In step S403, it is determined whether the collected average fuel energy (here, the average is used, but other statistics such as the median or mode may be used) is greater than a predetermined threshold 1, and if it is greater than threshold 1 (YES), the process proceeds to step S404, and if it is equal to or less than threshold 1 (NO), the process proceeds to step S405.

[0024] In step S404, the increase in fuel energy is determined to be due to engine deterioration, and the user is notified of this fact, and the flow ends. In step S405, it is determined whether the collected average regenerative power energy is smaller than a predetermined threshold 2. If it is smaller than threshold 2 (YES), the flow proceeds to step S406, and if it is equal to or greater than threshold 2 (NO), the flow proceeds to step S407.

[0025] In step S406, the decrease in regenerative power is assumed to be due to deterioration of the motor or inverter, and the user is notified of this fact, and the flow ends. In step S407, the powertrain efficiency when traveling unladen is tallied. Specifically, the average efficiency (Σmotor efficiency / Σfuel output) is tallied from the fuel energy and motor output when it is determined that the vehicle is unladen based on the load during the tabulation period. In the following step S408, it is determined whether the average powertrain efficiency is smaller than a predetermined threshold 3, and if it is smaller than threshold 3 (YES), the flow proceeds to step S409, and if it is equal to or greater than threshold 3 (NO), the flow proceeds to step S410.

[0026] In step S409, because the engine 11, motor 14, and inverter 13 have been determined to be normal in steps S403 and S405, it is determined by a process of elimination that the drop in average power training efficiency is due to deterioration of the main generator 12, and the user is notified of this fact and the flow ends. In step S410, the user is notified that the power training system 10 is normal and the flow ends.

[0027] The notification of the deterioration judgment in steps S404, S406, and S409 may be in any format as long as the user can recognize it, such as a graph showing the time series change according to the degree of deterioration, or a simple text format showing stages such as A to C. In addition, since the display terminal device 203 to which the notification is to be sent includes notebook computers and mobile terminals as described above, the notification destinations may be arbitrarily combined, for example, the notification of engine deterioration may be sent to notebook computers and in-vehicle monitors, and the notification of motor / inverter deterioration may be sent only to mobile terminals. Furthermore, the user may arbitrarily set the frequency of notifications, such as daily notifications of engine deterioration and weekly notifications of motor / inverter.

[0028] This allows the user to know not only which vehicle has a deteriorated powertrain system 10, but also which specific part of the powertrain system 10 has deteriorated, making it possible to arrange for maintenance parts and prepare inspection equipment in advance. Also, by changing the number of stable driving sections and the collection period, it becomes possible to more reliably determine deterioration.

[0029] A method for determining a stable running section in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 5 and FIG.

[0030] Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for registering a stable driving section in a database, etc. By setting mesh information (mesh ID, GPS position information) of the stable driving section in advance using this flowchart, the stable driving section can be determined from GPS and load information during driving.

[0031] In step S501, a collection period is set. The collection period is the time it takes for the mining dump truck 101 to travel the main route in the mine, and although it depends on the size of the mine, it is sufficient to set a period of about one week. Note that this flowchart shows a case where the stable driving section is set using data from one vehicle, but this period can be shortened when data from multiple vehicles is used.

[0032] In step S502, the descending slope angle is calculated from the GPS altitude coordinates and the vehicle speed information. The slope can be calculated as ΔH / V [%] from the altitude change ΔH [m / s] and the speed V [m / s] in one second, for example.

[0033] In step S503, it is determined whether the downward inclination angle is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value 4 (for example, 10%, which is considered a steep slope) and the load is zero (unladen state).If the downward inclination angle is equal to or greater than threshold value 4 and the vehicle is unladen (YES), the flow proceeds to step S504; if the downward inclination angle is less than threshold value 4 or the vehicle is loaded (NO), the flow ends.

[0034] In step S504, fuel energy is calculated from the fuel flow rate. The fuel energy can be calculated by l*D*H, which is the fuel flow rate l [l / h], the fuel density D [kg / l], and the low calorific value H [kW / kg].

[0035] In step S505, it is determined whether the fluctuation range of the fuel energy is smaller than a predetermined threshold value 5. If it is smaller than the threshold value 5 (YES), the flow proceeds to step S506. If it is equal to or greater than the threshold value 5 (NO), the flow ends. This makes it possible to eliminate the state where the accelerator is not released at the start of a steep gradient or the gradient ends and the accelerator is pressed. Figure 6 shows an example of the visualization result of one week's worth of driving data for one vehicle. Here, the GPS data is divided into meshes of about 30 m, and meshes that have been passed at least once are displayed in gray. In step S506, the driving frequency is calculated for each mesh of the steep gradient downhill without a load. In the following step S507, it is determined whether the frequency ranking is smaller than a predetermined threshold value 6. If it is smaller than the threshold value 6 (YES), the flow proceeds to step S508. If it is equal to or greater than the threshold value 6 (NO), the flow ends. In Figure 6(a), the meshes of the stable driving section whose driving frequency ranking is determined to be equal to or less than the threshold value 6 in step S507 are represented by circles.

[0036] In step S508, the mesh ID is set as the stable driving section, and the flow ends. Any method of identifying the mesh ID from the GPS may be used, but for example, quadkey can be used to easily calculate the mesh ID from the GPS coordinates. With this configuration, the user can select a stable driving section that has a steep unladen downhill gradient where the vehicle travels more frequently and has little variation in fuel energy. Note that the process described here is only an example, and the stable driving section can be set in the same way by using the pitch angle of the pitch sensor instead of the slope to determine the downhill gradient, or by using regenerative power instead of fuel energy.

[0037] Furthermore, in this embodiment, deterioration judgment is not performed on all steep unladen downhill gradients, but rather, as explained in Fig. 5, steep unladen downhill gradients with a high driving frequency are registered as stable driving sections, and the user selects from these stable driving sections for which input and output energy is actually tallied (step S401 in Fig. 4). Fig. 6(b) shows, among the meshes shown as circles in Fig. 6(a), the meshes set as stable driving sections in step S401 in Fig. 4 as squares. By setting stable driving sections in this way, it is possible to compare multiple vehicles under the same conditions, and reliable deterioration judgment is possible by relative comparison, which will be described later.

[0038] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displaying the results of the stable driving section travel frequency for each vehicle. xxx1 and xxx2 each represent a different vehicle. By presenting to the user whether the travel frequency of each vehicle is greater than a predetermined threshold (misjudgment prevention threshold), the user can determine whether to set more mesh IDs or to extend the collection period to prevent misjudgment due to outliers. For example, since the travel frequency of the xxx1 vehicle is higher than the misjudgment prevention threshold, the result of the deterioration judgment is reliable, and the reliability of the xxx2 vehicle is low even if it is judged to be deteriorated. Therefore, in order to make the deterioration judgment of the xxx2 vehicle more reliable, it is sufficient to state in the user manual that it is necessary to extend the collection period or increase the stable driving section, or to notify the user of this on the system. In addition, if the travel frequency is lower than the misjudgment prevention threshold, the in-vehicle monitor of the target vehicle, xxx2, may display a message saying "The reliability is not sufficient because the collected value is low."

[0039] (summary) In this embodiment, a vehicle management system 300 that manages a vehicle 101 having a powertrain system 10 consisting of a plurality of parts 11-14 including an engine 11 is provided with a processing device 202 that calculates input / output energy (fuel energy or regenerative power) of one of the plurality of parts 11-14 based on information about the vehicle 101 detected by a sensor 101a provided on the vehicle 101, and the processing device 202 sets a driving section of the vehicle 101 where the input / output energy is stable as a stable driving section, collects values ​​of the input / output energy in the stable driving section, and detects deterioration of the one part based on the value of the input / output energy collected in the stable driving section.

[0040] According to the present embodiment configured as described above, by determining the deterioration of the parts 11-14 based on the aggregation results of the input / output energy of the parts 11-14 constituting the powertrain system 10 of the vehicle 101 in a driving section where the input / output energy of the parts 11-14 is stable, the opportunities for determining the deterioration of the parts 11-14 are increased, making it possible to reliably detect the deterioration of the parts 11-14.

[0041] Further, the powertrain system 10 in this embodiment has a main generator 12 driven by an engine 11, a motor 14 that drives the vehicle 101, and an inverter 13 that supplies power from the main generator 12 to the motor 14, and the stable running section is a running section where the main generator 12 stops generating power. This makes it possible to set a running section where the input and output energy is more stable as the stable running section.

[0042] In addition, the stable running section in this embodiment is a running section with a downward gradient where the vehicle 101 runs in an unladen state. This makes it possible to reliably detect deterioration of the powertrain system 10 of the mining dump truck 101.

[0043] In addition, the sensor 101a in this embodiment includes a pitch angle sensor or a GPS sensor, and the processing device 202 detects the downward gradient based on the pitch angle of the vehicle 101 detected by the pitch angle sensor or the altitude information detected by the GPS sensor. This makes it possible to improve the detection accuracy of the downward gradient.

[0044] Furthermore, the processing device 202 in this embodiment detects the deterioration of the engine 11 based on the fuel energy input to the engine 11, which is tallied in the stable running section. This makes it possible to reliably detect the deterioration of the engine 11.

[0045] Furthermore, the processing device 202 in this embodiment detects the deterioration of the motor 14 or the inverter 13 based on the regenerative power of the motor 14 collected in the stable running section. This makes it possible to reliably detect the deterioration of the motor 14 or the inverter 13.

[0046] Furthermore, in the case where the processing device 202 in this embodiment does not detect deterioration of the engine 11, the motor 14, or the inverter 13, it detects deterioration of the main generator 12 based on the efficiency of the powertrain system 10 collected during unloaded traveling. This makes it possible to reliably detect deterioration of the main generator 12.

[0047] Furthermore, the processing device 202 in this embodiment notifies, as a vehicle to be maintained, a vehicle 101 whose fuel energy in a predetermined period is greater than a predetermined threshold, a vehicle 101 whose regenerative power in the predetermined period is less than a predetermined threshold, or a vehicle 101 whose efficiency of the powertrain system 10 in the predetermined period is less than a predetermined threshold. This makes it possible to quickly perform maintenance work on a vehicle 101 whose powertrain system 10 has deteriorated. EXAMPLES

[0048] A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 8 to 10. In the first embodiment, a method for detecting deterioration of the engine 11, main generator 12, inverter 13, or motor 14 while preventing erroneous determination in determining deterioration of the powertrain system 10 was described. It was also explained that erroneous determination due to outliers can be prevented by adjusting the number of stable running sections and the counting period. In this embodiment, a method for selecting vehicles that should be given priority for regular maintenance (vehicles subject to regular maintenance) from among vehicles whose powertrain system 10 has not yet deteriorated will be described.

[0049] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displaying the results of tallying the average fuel energy in the stable driving section for each vehicle. The deterioration judgment threshold in the figure is the deterioration judgment threshold of the engine 11 (threshold 1 in step S403 in FIG. 4), and as already explained, a vehicle exceeding this is a maintenance target vehicle. In this embodiment, a vehicle to be subject to regular maintenance is selected from among vehicles that are below the deterioration judgment threshold. This is because maintenance of a dump powertrain system requires preparation and man-hours, and therefore maintenance (regular maintenance) is often performed at a predetermined interval, and in that case, it is considered preferable to perform maintenance on the vehicle that is most deteriorated. Therefore, in FIG. 8, a relative comparison is performed by arranging the unit IDs in order of the vehicle with the largest average fuel energy. Here, candidates for vehicles to be subject to regular maintenance are selected in order from the vehicle on the leftmost side of FIG. 8 (the vehicle with the highest average fuel energy). Although not shown, the results of tallying the average regenerative power in the stable driving section for each vehicle may be displayed.

[0050] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the distribution of fuel energy used to calculate the average fuel energy in the stable running section. In FIG. 9(a) and FIG. 9(b), the fuel energy distribution of the xxx1 vehicle with the high average fuel energy Exx1 is shown by a dashed line, and the fuel energy distribution of all other vehicles is shown by a solid line. FIG. 9(a) shows the distribution when the engine 11 of the xxx1 vehicle is deteriorated due to mechanical wear or the like, and the fuel energy distribution is shifted to the right side with respect to the distribution of all other vehicles. Such deterioration rarely progresses suddenly. On the other hand, FIG. 9(b) shows the distribution when the engine 11 of the xxx1 vehicle sometimes has an abnormality, and there is a possibility that the xxx1 vehicle will be unable to run due to an abnormality such as a trouble in the engine electrical system. Therefore, the fuel energy distribution is investigated in order from the vehicle with the highest average fuel energy on the left side of FIG. 8, and if the fuel energy distribution of all vehicles is as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 9(a), the vehicles with the highest average fuel energy are selected as regular maintenance target vehicles in order, and if there is a vehicle with a fuel energy distribution as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 9(b), that vehicle is given priority as a regular maintenance target vehicle. 9 is an example of a distribution map of the fuel energy used to calculate the average fuel energy, and a vehicle that occasionally experiences abnormalities, as in (b), is of high urgency. For this reason, the ID of the maintenance technician in charge of the vehicle and the identification information of the mobile terminal (e.g., a telephone number) may be associated with the vehicle and set to a high priority as a notification destination. Also, if simple information such as the necessity and urgency of maintenance inspection is displayed on the mobile terminal and detailed information is displayed on the display terminal device 203 in the office, more flexible responses will be possible.

[0051] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displaying the time series changes in fuel energy and regenerative power. FIG. 10(a) shows the time series changes corresponding to FIG. 9(b), and the cause of deterioration may be identified by more detailed analysis of the data of the place and time when the deterioration judgment threshold was exceeded (described in detail in Examples 3 and 4). FIG. 10(b) also shows a situation in which the regenerative power of all vehicles is reduced for a certain period of time. This situation is caused by the deterioration of road conditions due to weather, and by excluding the data for such a period from the aggregation period of input / output energy (fuel energy and regenerative power) (prohibiting diagnosis), a more reliable deterioration judgment can be made.

[0052] As explained above, by presenting the user with not only the average values ​​of input and output energy but also comparisons with other units, distribution of the amount of energy, and time series changes, it becomes possible to select vehicles for maintenance according to the state of the powertrain. Also, up until now, we have explained a method for determining engine 11 deterioration using fuel energy, but if the fuel properties (fuel density, low heat value) do not change, the same results can be obtained by substituting fuel flow rate.

[0053] (summary) The vehicle management system 300 in this embodiment includes a display terminal device 203 that displays the time series changes in fuel energy or regenerative power.

[0054] According to the present embodiment configured as described above, it becomes possible to perform an analysis for determining the cause of deterioration of the powertrain system 10.

[0055] In addition, the vehicle management system 300 in this embodiment includes a display terminal device 203 that displays the average fuel energy or average regenerative power in the stable driving section for each vehicle. This makes it possible to more appropriately select vehicles to be maintained.

[0056] Furthermore, when the regenerative power of a plurality of vehicles 101 simultaneously drops during a specific period, the processing device 202 in this embodiment excludes the specific period from the aggregation period of the fuel energy or regenerative power. This makes it possible to reliably determine the deterioration of the engine 11, the motor 14, or the inverter 13. EXAMPLES

[0057] A third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 11 to 13. In this embodiment, a method for determining the cause of deterioration when it is determined in step S404 of Figure 4 that the engine 11 is deteriorated, from operation data during traveling in a stable traveling section (when traveling on a steep slope downhill without a load) will be described.

[0058] FIG. 11 is a chart showing an example of time series changes in fuel energy when traveling in a stable driving section. When the accumulator pressure drops, an additional load is placed on the engine 11 to drive the accumulator pump 19. As a result, the fuel energy periodically increases to suppress the rotational fluctuations of the engine 11, and a peak period is observed. The peak period becomes shorter according to the deterioration of the accumulator. If the deterioration progresses further, the accumulator pump 19 will eventually be driven constantly, and the peak period will no longer be observable. Therefore, deterioration of the accumulator can be detected by capturing the phenomenon of the peak period becoming shorter.

[0059] FIG. 12 is a chart showing an example of the time series change of the blow-by pressure when the vehicle is traveling in a stable driving section. As shown in this figure, the blow-by pressure when the vehicle is traveling in a stable driving section is observed, and if the value exceeds a predetermined threshold, it is determined that the engine 11 has deteriorated due to a blow-by abnormality. This utilizes the property that the engine 11 is in an idle state when the grid fan 18 is rotated by the auxiliary generator 17, and since the idle state is generally a non-supercharged state, there is no escape route for the blow-by pressure, and the blow-by pressure does not decrease even if blow-by control is performed. Therefore, it is easiest to detect a pressure increase due to blow-by blow-by while the vehicle is traveling in a stable driving section, and this makes it possible to determine that the cause of engine deterioration is blow-by blow-by (insufficient compression).

[0060] Fig. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for separating the cause of an increase in fuel energy. In step S1301, engine deterioration is determined by judging an increase in fuel energy (corresponding to steps S401 to S404 in Fig. 4) or by comparing with other vehicles (described in detail in the second embodiment). In step S1302, the peak period of fuel energy when traveling in a stable traveling section is calculated. In step S1303, it is determined whether or not the peak period is smaller than a predetermined threshold value 7. If it is smaller than threshold value 7 (YES), the process proceeds to step S1304, and if it is equal to or greater than threshold value 7 (NO), the process proceeds to step S1305.

[0061] In step S1304, the user is notified that a leak or a drop in the output of accumulator pump 19 (accumulator abnormality) has occurred because the accumulator start interval has become shorter, and the flow ends. In step S1305, the blow-by pressure in the stable driving section is calculated. In step S1306, it is determined whether the peak value of the blow-by pressure is greater than a predetermined threshold value 8. If it is greater than threshold value 8 (YES), the flow proceeds to step S1307, and if it is equal to or less than threshold value 8 (NO), the flow proceeds to step S1308.

[0062] In step S1307, the system notifies the user that the amount of blow-by has increased, and that an abnormality has occurred in the piston ring, gasket, etc. In step S1308, the system notifies the user that an abnormality has occurred in a part other than the accumulator or piston ring. This allows the user to appropriately determine which part to check when engine deterioration is detected.

[0063] (summary) When the processing device 202 in this embodiment detects deterioration of the engine 11, it detects an abnormality in the cylinder ring or gasket of the engine 11 based on the blow-by pressure of the engine 11 in a stable running section.

[0064] In addition, when the processing device 202 in this embodiment detects deterioration of the engine 11, it detects an abnormality in the accumulator that accumulates pressure for the fuel supplied to the engine 11 based on the peak period of the fuel energy supplied to the engine 11 in the stable driving section.

[0065] According to this embodiment configured as described above, when deterioration of the engine 11 is detected, the user can appropriately determine which part should be checked. EXAMPLES

[0066] A fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 14 and Fig. 15. In this embodiment, a method for detecting deterioration of the grid fan 18 when the engine 11, the motor 14, and the inverter 13 are determined to be normal in the flowchart of Fig. 4 will be described.

[0067] Figure 14 is a chart showing an example of time series changes in grid temperature when traveling in a stable driving section. If the rotation speed of the grid fan 18 slows down due to deterioration, or if the air flow rate hitting the grid resistance 16 decreases due to a clogged filter, the grid temperature becomes higher than normal. Therefore, if the grid temperature exceeds a predetermined judgment threshold, the grid fan 18 is judged to be degraded. Furthermore, when traveling in a stable driving section, regenerative power is almost at its maximum, and the grid fan 18 also operates at its maximum in response to this, so the impact of a decrease in rotation speed due to deterioration of the grid fan 18 is most noticeable on the grid temperature.

[0068] 15 is a flowchart showing an example of a deterioration determination process for the grid fan 18. In step S1501 (corresponding to steps S401 to S406 in FIG. 4), it is determined whether the engine 11, motor 14, and inverter 13 are normal or not based on the magnitude of the fuel energy or regenerative power. If a normal determination is made in step S1501 (YES), the process proceeds to step S1502, and if an abnormality is determined (NO), the flow ends.

[0069] In step S1502, the grid temperatures in the stable driving section are tallied. Then, in step S1503, it is determined whether the tallied grid temperatures are greater than a predetermined threshold value 9. If they are greater than threshold value 9 (YES), the process proceeds to step S1504, and if they are equal to or less than threshold value 9 (NO), the flow ends.

[0070] In step S1504, because there is no increase in regenerative power and the engine 11 is normal, it is determined that the grid fan 18 has deteriorated and the user is notified of this fact. The key point of this embodiment is that it is determined in advance that the engine 11, motor 14, and inverter 13 are normal, which makes it possible to prevent erroneous determination of grid fan deterioration due to a decrease in engine output or regenerative power.

[0071] (summary) In the present embodiment, when the processing device 202 does not detect deterioration of the engine 11, the motor 14, or the inverter 13, it detects an abnormality in the grid fan 18 that cools the grid resistor 16 based on the temperature (grid temperature) of the grid resistor 16, which converts regenerative power into heat, in a stable driving section.

[0072] According to this embodiment configured as above, it becomes possible to appropriately detect an abnormality in the grid fan 18.

[0073] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above in detail, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments and includes various modified examples. For example, the above-mentioned embodiments have been described in detail to easily explain the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to those having all of the configurations described. In addition, it is possible to add a part of the configuration of one embodiment to the configuration of another embodiment, and it is also possible to delete a part of the configuration of one embodiment or replace it with a part of another embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0074] 10...powertrain system, 11...engine (component), 12...main generator (component), 13...inverter (component), 14...motor (component), 15...chopper circuit, 16...grid resistor, 17...auxiliary generator, 18...grid fan, 19...accumulator pump, 21...stable driving section determination unit, 22...input / output energy calculation unit, 23...deterioration determination unit, 100...mine area, 101...mine dump (vehicle), 101a...sensor, 102...shovel, 103...dozer, 200...mine management system, 201...storage device, 202...server (processing device), 203...display terminal device, 300...vehicle management system, 301...operation planner, 302...operator instructor, 303...road surface maintenance worker, 304...equipment maintenance worker, 305...mining manager, 400...Internet.

Claims

1. In a vehicle management system for managing a vehicle having a powertrain system including a plurality of parts including an engine, a processing device that calculates an input / output energy of one of the plurality of components based on information of the vehicle detected by a sensor provided in the vehicle; The processing device includes: setting a traveling section in which the input / output energy is stable as a stable traveling section among the traveling sections of the vehicle; aggregating the input / output energy values ​​in the stable running section; Deterioration of the one part is detected based on the input / output energy values ​​collected in the stable running section. A vehicle management system comprising:

2. The vehicle management system according to claim 1, the powertrain system includes a main generator driven by the engine, a motor that drives the vehicle, and an inverter that supplies electric power from the main generator to the motor, The stable running section is a running section in which the main generator stops generating power. A vehicle management system comprising:

3. The vehicle management system according to claim 2, The stable driving section is a downward slope driving section in which the vehicle travels in an unladen state. A vehicle management system comprising:

4. The vehicle management system according to claim 3, The sensor includes a pitch angle sensor or a GPS sensor, The processing device detects the downward gradient based on the pitch angle of the vehicle detected by the pitch angle sensor or altitude information detected by the GPS sensor. A vehicle management system comprising:

5. The vehicle management system according to claim 2, The processing device detects deterioration of the engine based on the fuel energy input to the engine, which is collected during the stable running section. A vehicle management system comprising:

6. The vehicle management system according to claim 5, The processing device detects deterioration of the motor or the inverter based on the regenerative power of the motor collected in the stable running section. A vehicle management system comprising:

7. The vehicle management system according to claim 6, When the processing device does not detect deterioration of the engine, the motor, or the inverter, it detects deterioration of the main generator based on the efficiency of the power train system collected during unladen traveling. A vehicle management system comprising:

8. The vehicle management system according to claim 7, The processing device notifies the vehicle in which the fuel energy in a predetermined period is greater than a predetermined threshold, the vehicle in which the regenerative power in the predetermined period is less than a predetermined threshold, or the vehicle in which the efficiency of the powertrain system in the predetermined period is less than a predetermined threshold, as a vehicle to be maintained. A vehicle management system comprising:

9. The vehicle management system according to claim 6, A display terminal device is provided that displays a time series change in the fuel energy or the regenerative power. A vehicle management system comprising:

10. The vehicle management system according to claim 9, A display terminal device is provided for displaying the results of tallying the average fuel energy or the average regenerative power in the stable driving section for each vehicle. A vehicle management system comprising:

11. The vehicle management system according to claim 5, When the processing device detects deterioration of the engine, the processing device detects an abnormality in a cylinder ring or a gasket of the engine based on a blow-by pressure of the engine in the stable running section. A vehicle management system comprising:

12. The vehicle management system according to claim 5, When the processing device detects deterioration of the engine, the processing device detects an abnormality in an accumulator that accumulates pressure for fuel supplied to the engine based on a peak period of fuel energy supplied to the engine in the stable running section. A vehicle management system comprising:

13. The vehicle management system according to claim 6, When the processing device does not detect deterioration of the engine, the motor, or the inverter, the processing device detects an abnormality in a grid fan that cools a grid resistor, the grid resistor converting the regenerative power into heat, based on a temperature of the grid resistor in the stable running section. A vehicle management system comprising:

14. The vehicle management system according to claim 6, When the regenerative power of a plurality of the vehicles simultaneously decreases during a specific period, the processing device excludes the specific period from a collection period of the fuel energy or the regenerative power. A vehicle management system comprising:

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