Deterioration degree output device, deterioration degree output method, and deterioration degree output program

Abstract

To provide a deterioration degree output device, a deterioration degree output method and a deterioration degree output program which can calculate and output a deterioration degree of a desiccant more accurately.SOLUTION: A deterioration degree output device, which outputs a deterioration degree of desiccants which are infused into air dryers provided at a downstream side of a compressor that is operated by power from an engine of a vehicle and at an upstream side of an air tank to remove moisture included in high-pressure air supplied from the compressor to the air tank, comprises a control part. The control part obtains information concerning a temperature of the high-pressure air supplied from the compressor to the desiccants in the air dryers, and outputs the deterioration degree of the desiccants on the basis of the information concerning the temperature.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a degradation level output device, a degradation level output method, and a degradation level output program. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, air brakes on large vehicles are devices that generate braking force by compressing outside air using a compressor and storing the high-pressure air in an air tank.

[0003] When a vehicle takes in outside air to fill its air tank, it needs to remove moisture from the air to prevent it from accelerating the deterioration of brake parts and causing air leaks from the air tank. For this reason, the vehicle is equipped with an air dryer containing a desiccant located downstream of the compressor and upstream of the air tank.

[0004] Patent Document 1 describes an inspection timing prediction device that estimates the deterioration state of a desiccant based on the mileage, duration of the trip, and the amount of compressed air passed through. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-049484 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The desiccant in an air dryer deteriorates due to factors other than the amount of air passing through, but the inspection timing prediction device described in Patent Document 1 above does not sufficiently take into account the effects of deterioration due to other factors.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a deterioration level output device, a deterioration level output method, and a deterioration level output program that can more accurately calculate and output the deterioration level of a desiccant in an air dryer. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, an output device for outputting a deterioration level of a desiccant in an air dryer, the desiccant being sealed in an air dryer located downstream of a compressor powered by a vehicle engine and upstream of an air tank, and removing moisture contained in high-pressure air supplied from the compressor to the air tank, includes a control unit, which acquires information about the temperature of the high-pressure air supplied from the compressor to the desiccant in the air dryer, and outputs a deterioration level of the desiccant based on the information about the temperature of the high-pressure air. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a deterioration level output device, a deterioration level output method, and a deterioration level output program that can estimate the deterioration state of a desiccant in an air dryer. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic block diagram of a vehicle and a vehicle management device (deterioration level output device) according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a desiccant enclosed in an air dryer in a new state, a deteriorated state, and a state where a relatively large amount of oil is attached. [Figure 3] (A) is a graph showing the temperature of the high-pressure air supplied from the compressor to the air dryer for each engine rotation speed (≒ compressor rotation speed), (B) is a graph showing the frequency for each engine rotation speed (range), and (C) is a graph showing the frequency for the temperature of the high-pressure air supplied from the compressor to the air dryer. [Figure 4] (A) is a graph showing the frequency for each deceleration of each vehicle, (B) is a graph showing the frequency for each vehicle's total vehicle weight, and (C) is a graph showing the frequency for each brake application time obtained from (A) and (B). [Figure 5](A) is a graph showing the frequency versus temperature of the high-pressure air supplied from the compressor to the air dryer shown in Figure 3(C) and the frequency versus brake operation time shown in Figure 4(C) arranged one above the other, (B) is a graph showing the frequency versus temperature of the supplied high-pressure air obtained from the two frequencies in (A), and (C) is a graph showing an Arrhenius plot. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an Arrhenius plot. [Figure 7] This is a correspondence table that hypothetically defines the lifespan of a desiccant relative to the magnitude of the heat load (stress) (temperature) from the compressor. [Figure 8] 1 is a table showing the frequency of heat load time relative to the magnitude (temperature height) of heat load (stress) on the desiccant from the compressor. [Figure 9] 1 is a graph showing the relationship between (cumulative travel time) / (cumulative travel distance) and the deterioration level for a plurality of different vehicles. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic block diagram of a vehicle and a vehicle management device (deterioration level output device) according to a modified example of the embodiment. [Figure 11] (A) is a graph showing the relationship between the amount of oil discharged and each engine rotation speed (≒ compressor rotation speed), (B) is a graph showing the frequency for each engine rotation speed (range), and (C) is a graph showing the frequency of oil discharged from the compressor to the air dryer for each engine rotation speed. [Figure 12] (A) is a graph showing the frequency of oil discharge from the compressor to the air dryer versus the engine speed shown in Figure 11(C) and the frequency versus the brake operation time shown in Figure 4(C), arranged vertically, and (B) is a graph showing the amount of oil discharged for each engine speed (range). [Figure 13] 1 is a graph showing the deterioration characteristics of the water absorption performance of a desiccant relative to the amount of oil attached to the desiccant, and also showing the allowable amount of oil attached to the desiccant. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] For example, many large vehicles 10, such as large trucks, medium-sized trucks, and tractors, have brake devices 12 with drum brakes that use high-pressure air (compressed air) stored in an air tank 30 when braking, on each wheel (four or more wheels).

[0012] The high-pressure air stored in the air tank 30 is used for the brake chamber 32 of the brake device 12, and can also be used for the air suspension, transmission, etc. The high-pressure air stored in the air tank 30 can also be used for opening and closing bus doors, adjusting the vehicle height, etc. For this reason, multiple air tanks 30 may be installed on one vehicle 10.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 10 includes a control unit 20, a memory device 21, a communication unit 22, an engine (internal combustion engine) 24, a sensor (rotation speed detection sensor) 25 provided in the engine 24, a compressor 26, an air dryer 28, an air tank 30, a brake chamber 32, and a weight sensor 34.

[0014] The control unit 20 controls the storage device 21, the communication unit 22, the engine (internal combustion engine) 24, the sensor 25, the weight sensor 34, and the like.

[0015] The control unit 20 is a computer including a processor such as a CPU, and performs integrated control of the entire vehicle 10. The control unit 20 executes control to realize various functions of the control unit 20 based on programs such as system software, application software, or firmware stored in a storage device 21 such as a ROM or an auxiliary storage device.

[0016] The processor may be, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a micro processing unit (MPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or a combination of these. The control unit 20 may have one or more processors.

[0017] The control unit 20 executes processes to perform various functions by causing the processor to execute programs stored in the storage device 21. It is also preferable that the control program of the control unit 20 is not stored in the storage device 21 of the control unit 20 but is stored on an appropriate server or cloud. In this case, it is preferable that the control program is executed while communicating with, for example, a control unit 42 (processor) of a vehicle management device 40 (described later) via the communication unit 22. In other words, it is also preferable that a deterioration level output program (deterioration level prediction program) (described later) is stored on the cloud and the deterioration level output program is executed on the cloud.

[0018] The storage device 21 of the control unit 20 is, for example, an HDD or SSD. The storage device 21 of the control unit 20 stores, for example, information (first information) relating to the rotation speed of the engine 24 obtained from a signal detected by the sensor 25, and information (second information) relating to the temperature of the high-pressure air supplied to the desiccant 28a of the air dryer 28 obtained from the relationship with the rotation speed of the compressor 26, for example.

[0019] The communication unit 22 is controlled by the control unit 20 and communicates with a control unit 42 of the vehicle management device 40, which will be described later.

[0020] The engine 24 is used as a power source to rotate a plurality of wheels. The rotation speed of the engine 24 can be detected by various methods using a sensor 25 that is linked to information displayed on a tachometer, for example, provided on the dashboard of the vehicle 10. For example, the sensor 25 can detect the rotation speed of the engine 24 by detecting changes in a magnetic field that occurs when a ring gear mounted coaxially with the engine crank rotates.

[0021] The compressor 26 is provided in the engine 24, operates using power from the engine 24 to compress air, and supplies high-pressure air toward the air dryer 28. The compressor 26 is connected to the crankshaft of the engine 24 via a gear. The power of the engine 24 is transmitted to the compressor 26 by the crankshaft.

[0022] The rotation speed of the compressor 26 is approximately equal to a value obtained by multiplying the rotation speed of the engine 24 by an appropriate coefficient. Therefore, the rotation speed of the compressor 26 increases as the rotation speed of the engine 24 increases, and decreases as the rotation speed of the engine 24 decreases. When the rotation speed of the compressor 26 increases, the amount of high-pressure air supplied per unit time increases, and when the rotation speed of the compressor 26 decreases, the amount of high-pressure air supplied per unit time decreases.

[0023] The temperature of the high-pressure air supplied from the compressor 26 to the desiccant 28a of the air dryer 28 is obtained in advance for each rotation speed of the compressor 26 through testing of the compressor 26 or the like.

[0024] An air dryer 28 is provided downstream of the compressor 26 and upstream of the air tank 30. A desiccant 28a (see FIG. 2) is enclosed in the air dryer 28. The desiccant 28a in the air dryer 28 removes moisture contained in the high-pressure air supplied from the compressor 26, and the high-pressure air from which moisture has been appropriately removed is supplied from inside the air dryer 28 to the air tank 30. The desiccant 28a in the air dryer 28 also removes oil mist contained in the high-pressure air (compressed air) supplied from the compressor 26.

[0025] The amount of oil mist supplied from the compressor 26 is obtained in advance for each rotation speed of the compressor 26 through testing of the compressor 26 or the like.

[0026] Here, Figure 2 shows a new desiccant 28a, a desiccant 28a that has been determined to be in a deteriorated state due to the thermal load caused by the high-pressure air supplied from the compressor 26 and / or the adhesion of mist-like oil (lubricating oil, etc.) contained in the high-pressure air supplied from the compressor 26, and a desiccant 28a that has continued to be used even after being determined to be in a deteriorated state and to which a relatively large amount of oil has adhered.

[0027] The control unit 42, which will be described later, can output that the desiccant 28a determined to be in a deteriorated state in Figure 2 has a deterioration level of 1 or higher or close to 1, and should be replaced.

[0028] 1 stores high-pressure air supplied from the compressor 26 and having moisture and oil removed through the desiccant 28a of the air dryer 28. The high-pressure air in the air tank 30 is used for the brake chamber 32 and other devices mentioned above, for example, in response to the driver's operation. The pressure in the air tank 30 is regulated by a check valve (not shown) provided in the air tank 30.

[0029] The amount of air used by the brake device 12 of the vehicle 10 varies not only depending on the deceleration and weight of the vehicle 10 itself, but also on the presence or absence of a load and the presence or absence of a towed object such as a trailer. The vehicle 10 is provided with a weight sensor 34 that detects, for example, the presence or absence of luggage. Therefore, the control unit 20 can detect the vehicle weight including luggage as the total vehicle weight at appropriate intervals. Note that the weight sensor 34 may be disposed on a trailer coupled to the vehicle 10, and the estimated weight of the vehicle 10 and the trailer combined may be used as the total vehicle weight. In this case, the control unit 20 can estimate the total vehicle weight based on a signal related to the weight of the trailer weight sensor 34 in addition to the vehicle weight estimated in advance.

[0030] The vehicle management device 40 includes a control unit 42, a storage device 44, a communication unit 46, and a notification unit 48.

[0031] The control unit 42, like the control unit 20 of the vehicle 10, is a computer including a processor such as a CPU, and performs integrated control of the entire vehicle management device 40. The control unit 42 executes control to realize various functions of the control unit 42 based on programs such as system software, application software, or firmware stored in a storage device 44 such as a ROM or an auxiliary storage device.

[0032] The processor may be, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a micro processing unit (MPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or a combination of these. The control unit 42 may have one or more processors.

[0033] The control unit 42 executes processes to perform various functions by causing the processor to execute programs and the like stored in the storage device 44. It is preferable that the control program of the control unit 42 is not stored in the storage device 44 of the control unit 42, but is instead placed on an appropriate server or cloud. In this case, it is preferable that the control program is executed while communicating with the control unit (processor) 42 via the communication unit 46.

[0034] The storage device 44 of the control unit 42 is, for example, an HDD or SSD. The control unit 42 stores, in the storage device 44, for each hour, the following information (first information) regarding the rotation speed of the engine 24 obtained from a signal detected by, for example, the sensor 25 of each vehicle 10, which is acquired via the communication unit 22 of the vehicle 10: information (second information) regarding the temperature of the high-pressure air supplied to the desiccant 28a of the air dryer 28 obtained from its relationship with, for example, the rotation speed of the compressor 26; and information (second information) regarding the amount of oil mist supplied to the desiccant 28a of the air dryer 28 obtained from its relationship with, for example, the rotation speed of the compressor 26.

[0035] In this embodiment, a deterioration level output program for the desiccant 28a in the air dryer 28 is stored in the storage device 44 of the vehicle management device 40. The control unit 42 of the vehicle management device 40 according to this embodiment reads out the deterioration level output program stored in the storage device 44 from the storage device 44, and can output the deterioration level of the desiccant 28a in the air dryer 28 of each vehicle 10 until it reaches the central deterioration state in Fig. 2. In other words, the deterioration level output program is executed by the control unit 42, and the deterioration level of the desiccant 28a in the air dryer 28 of each vehicle 10 until it reaches the central deterioration state in Fig. 2 is output.

[0036] In addition, as one function of the deterioration level output program, the control unit 42 of the vehicle management device 40 can predict the life (time) of the desiccant 28a in the air dryer 28 based on the deterioration level of the desiccant 28a in the air dryer 28, determine whether maintenance is necessary based on the deterioration level, and notify the user, etc.

[0037] The communication unit 46 is controlled by the control unit 42. The communication unit 46 is capable of communicating with the vehicle 10 under the control of the control unit 42. The communication unit 46 can receive the various types of information described above that are acquired by the control unit 20 of the vehicle 10. In the present embodiment, the communication unit 46 can receive information (first information) related to the rotation speed of the engine 24 of each vehicle 10, which is obtained from a signal detected by, for example, the sensor 25, and which is stored in the storage device 21 of the vehicle 10; information (second information) related to the temperature of the high-pressure air supplied to the desiccant 28a of the air dryer 28, which is obtained from the relationship with the rotation speed of the compressor 26; and information (second information) related to the amount of oil mist supplied to the desiccant 28a, which is obtained from the relationship with the rotation speed of the compressor 26.

[0038] The notification unit 48 notifies, for example, the sales company of the vehicle 10, a maintenance company contracted by the user or manager of the vehicle 10, etc., for maintenance of the air dryer 28, depending on the degree of deterioration of the desiccant 28a, for example.

[0039] Hereinafter, a method for outputting the deterioration level of the desiccant 28a in the air dryer 28 of each vehicle 10 using the control unit 42 of the vehicle management device 40 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0040] The control unit 42 of the vehicle management device 40 stores data on the temperature of the high-pressure air supplied for each rotation speed of the engine 24 corresponding to the rotation speed of the compressor 26 shown in Fig. 3(A) in the storage device 44. Alternatively, if the data shown in Fig. 3(A) is not stored in the storage device 44, the control unit 42 controls the control unit 20 of the vehicle 10 to obtain the data from the storage device 21 of the vehicle 10.

[0041] Therefore, the control unit 42 of the vehicle management device 40 can obtain the relationship between the rotation speed (rpm) of the engine 24 corresponding to the rotation speed of the compressor 26 and the temperature (°C) of the high-pressure air corresponding to the rotation speed of the engine 24.

[0042] For example, the control unit 42 of the vehicle management device 40 controls the control unit 20 of the vehicle 10 and acquires the frequency (total time (hours)) of the number of revolutions of the engine 24 shown in FIG. 3(B) from the storage device 21 of the vehicle 10.

[0043] 3(B), the control unit 42 divides the rotation speed of the engine 24 into, for example, eight ranges, outputs the frequency (total time (hours)) of the rotation speed of the engine 24 for each divided range, and stores it in the storage device 44. Here, the rotation speed and rotation frequency of the engine 24 indicate the state from the new car state to the present if the air dryer 28 has never been replaced since the new car state, but after the air dryer 28 has been replaced, it is preferable to indicate the state from immediately after the last replacement of the air dryer 28 to the present.

[0044] As described above, Fig. 3(B) shows the operating time (first information) for each range of the rotation speed of the engine 24. Preferably, the size of each range of the rotation speed of the engine 24 is the same, for example. The left side of the horizontal axis in Fig. 3(B) indicates a range in which the rotation speed of the engine 24 is lower, and the right side indicates a range in which the rotation speed of the engine 24 is higher.

[0045] Although not described in detail here, instead of using the operating time for each range of engine 24 rotation speed as shown in Figure 3(B), it is also possible to use the operating time for each engine 24 rotation speed (first information) without dividing the range.

[0046] Then, by multiplying the graph shown in Figure 3(B) by an appropriate correlation coefficient based on the rotation speed of the engine 24 and the rotation speed of the compressor 26, the frequency of high-pressure air being supplied from the compressor 26 to the desiccant 28a of the air dryer 28 for each appropriate temperature range is output, as shown in Figure 3(C). Here, the horizontal axis represents temperature (°C) and the vertical axis represents frequency. Figure 3(C) shows how much high-pressure air at each temperature is supplied to the desiccant 28a.

[0047] For example, 90°C indicates a temperature range of 85°C or higher but lower than 95°C, and 100°C indicates a temperature range of 95°C or higher but lower than 105°C. Ranges of 110°C, 120°C, ..., 160°C are similarly defined.

[0048] Although it is expected that this will differ depending on the vehicle 10, in the example shown in FIG. 3(C), it can be seen that the most high-pressure air at 110° C. is supplied to the desiccant 28a of the air dryer 28.

[0049] FIG. 4A shows a graph of deceleration (m / s) based on the operation of the brake device 12 in a vehicle 10. 2 4A shows a graph in which the vertical axis represents frequency and the vertical axis represents total time (seconds). The control unit 20 of each vehicle 10 can acquire this data as, for example, ON / OFF data for the stop lamps of each vehicle 10. The left side of the horizontal axis in FIG. 4A shows a state in which the deceleration change in speed per unit time is greater, and the right side shows a state in which the deceleration change in speed per unit time is smaller.

[0050] Figure 4(B) shows a graph (histogram) of a certain vehicle 10, with the horizontal axis representing the total vehicle weight (tons) of each vehicle 10 with or without luggage loaded, and the vertical axis representing the frequency of the total vehicle weight as total time (seconds). In Figure 4(B), the further to the right of the horizontal axis, the heavier the total vehicle weight and the heavier the luggage load, and the further to the left, the lighter the total vehicle weight and the lighter the luggage load. The control unit 20 of each vehicle 10 can acquire data from the weight sensor 34 of that vehicle 10 over time.

[0051] 4(C) is a graph showing the amount of high-pressure air used based on the operation of the brake device 12, with the horizontal axis representing the time (seconds) for each operation, and the vertical axis representing the frequency (total time (hours)), based on the graphs shown in FIG. 4(A) and FIG. 4(B) and the number of brake operations. The graph shown in FIG. 4(C) is intended to show the amount of high-pressure air used based on the operation of the brake device 12.

[0052] FIG. 5(A) is a diagram in which the frequency for each temperature of the supplied high-pressure air shown in FIG. 3(C) and the frequency for each range of the operating time of the brake device 12 shown in FIG. 4(C) are arranged one above the other.

[0053] Figure 5(B) is created based on the graph shown in Figure 5(A). The horizontal axis of the graph shown in Figure 5(B) represents the temperature (°C) of the high-pressure air supplied from the compressor 26 to the desiccant 28a of the air dryer 28, and the vertical axis represents the total time (hours) as a frequency for the temperature (range). The graph shown in Figure 5(B) appears to be the same as the upper diagram of Figure 5(A) (the diagram shown in Figure 3(C)), but it reflects the operating time of the brake device 12, i.e., the amount of high-pressure air used.

[0054] FIG. 5(C) shows an Arrhenius plot, which will be described later.

[0055] Fig. 6 shows the Arrhenius plot shown in Fig. 5(C). The Arrhenius plot shown in Fig. 6 indicates that the lower the temperature used, the longer the estimated lifespan of a certain item, and the higher the temperature used, the shorter the estimated lifespan of a certain item. When applied to this embodiment, this indicates that when the rotation speed of the engine 24 is relatively high and the desiccant 28a is exposed to relatively high-temperature high-pressure air (see Fig. 3(A)), the lifespan of the desiccant 28a is shorter than when the rotation speed of the engine 24 is relatively low and the desiccant 28a is exposed to relatively low-temperature high-pressure air.

[0056] The deterioration of the desiccant 28a according to this embodiment is believed to follow a chemical reaction kinetics known as the Arrhenius law. This law generally states that a 10°C increase in operating temperature halves the lifespan, and a 10°C decrease in operating temperature doubles the lifespan. Therefore, the following general formula (1) of the Arrhenius law can be obtained for the lifespan of the desiccant 28a:

[0057]

number

[0058] Here, L is the estimated lifespan (hours) of the desiccant 28a at the operating temperature, L0 is the lifespan (hours) of the desiccant 28a at the maximum operating temperature, T is the maximum operating temperature (°C) of the desiccant 28a, and T0 is the operating temperature (°C) of the desiccant 28a. The lifespan here indicates the time until the water absorption capacity of the desiccant 28a becomes smaller than a certain threshold.

[0059] Here, as shown in Figure 7, the lifetime of the desiccant 28a is hypothetically defined relative to the thermal load (magnitude of stress) on the desiccant 28a. The upper part of Figure 7, T (K), represents the temperature (temperature range), and the lower part of Figure 7 represents the lifetime. Here, the lifetime of the desiccant 28a is defined as Ln = 2 n-2 L (n is an integer equal to or greater than 1). That is, the lifetime Ln of the desiccant 28a is defined for the magnitude of heat in each temperature range applied to the desiccant 28a (the magnitude of stress applied to the desiccant 28a).

[0060] The upper row T(K) in Fig. 8 indicates the temperature (temperature range), and the lower row Sn in Fig. 8 indicates the time (cumulative time) exposed to heat at that temperature (temperature range). The information shown in Fig. 8 indicates how long the desiccant 28a was exposed to each of the predetermined temperature ranges of temperatures T1, T2, ..., Tn. Such information is obtained for each temperature (temperature range) from the relationship between the rotation speed of the compressor 26, which corresponds to the rotation speed of the engine 24, and the temperature, and the frequency (time) of that rotation speed.

[0061] In this way, when the lifetime shown in Fig. 7 is Lk and the time shown in Fig. 8 is Sk, the degree of deterioration of the desiccant 28a due to heat can be expressed by the following equation (2), where k is an integer from 1 to n.

[0062]

number

[0063] In this way, the control unit 42 can output the degree of deterioration of the desiccant 28a of the air dryer 28 due to the heat load caused by the high-pressure air supplied from the compressor 26.

[0064] Based on the graph shown in FIG. 5(B), the degree of deterioration of the desiccant 28a of the air dryer 28 due to the temperature of the high-pressure air was output as 0.8 according to the formula (2).

[0065] The control unit 42 determines that the closer the deterioration level of the desiccant 28a is to "1," the more advanced the deterioration is. When the deterioration level reaches "1," the control unit 42 determines that the life of the desiccant 28a in the air dryer 28 has expired, and when the deterioration level exceeds "1," the control unit 42 determines that the desiccant 28a in the air dryer 28 has exceeded its life.

[0066] The control unit 42 of the vehicle management device 40 can output the degree of deterioration due to heat of the desiccant 28a in the air dryer 28, for example, periodically (every week, month, or appropriate distance traveled, etc.). Based on this output, the control unit 42 can output the degree of deterioration of the desiccant 28a due to the heat of the high-pressure air for a vehicle 10 that has traveled a certain amount of time or a certain distance, and can also estimate the time when the degree of deterioration will reach 1, as described below.

[0067] Hereinafter, an example of setting the criteria for determining when the deterioration level reaches 1 (the notification timing to notify the user or manager through the notification unit 48) regarding the life expectancy prediction of the desiccant 28a of the air dryer 28 will be described.

[0068] FIG. 9 shows a graph in which the horizontal axis represents the [driving time (cumulative driving time)] / [driving distance (cumulative driving distance)] of a certain vehicle 10, and the vertical axis represents the deterioration level of the desiccant 28a of the air dryer 28. Here, the cumulative driving time refers to the cumulative time with the engine 24 turned on. In this case, a vehicle 10 that requires replacement of the desiccant 28a of the air dryer 28, for example, one year after being new, is determined to have a steep slope of the deterioration level, and the desiccant 28a of the air dryer 28 is relatively susceptible to deterioration (the deterioration level is likely to approach 1). In addition, a vehicle 10 that requires replacement of the desiccant 28a of the air dryer 28, for example, three years after being new, is determined to have a shallow slope of the deterioration level, and the desiccant 28a of the air dryer 28 is relatively resistant to deterioration (the deterioration level is unlikely to approach 1). For example, the degree of deterioration of a vehicle 10 that requires replacement of the desiccant 28a of the air dryer 28 after two years from a new state will have a gradient between replacement after one year and replacement after three years.

[0069] The control unit 42 of the vehicle management device 40 can predict, for example, when the deterioration level of the desiccant 28a will reach 1 from the state of the plot shown in FIG. 9. Therefore, the control unit 42 of the vehicle management device 40 can obtain the value at which the deterioration level reaches 1 ([driving time (cumulative driving time)] / [driving distance (cumulative driving distance)] in FIG. 9) using an appropriate approximation formula, thereby obtaining the time to replace the desiccant 28a or the air dryer 28 itself. In other words, the control unit 42 can indicate how far the vehicle 10 will need to travel in the future before it will be necessary to replace the desiccant 28a or the air dryer 28 itself.

[0070] For vehicles 10 that have had the desiccant 28a of the air dryer 28 replaced in the past, it is possible to set a deterioration level determination standard (acceptable range) based on the deterioration level of the desiccant 28a of the air dryer 28 for each vehicle 10, as shown in Fig. 9. For example, it is expected that the rate of increase in the deterioration level will be higher for vehicles 10 that have had the air dryer replaced every year than for vehicles 10 that have had the air dryer replaced every two years or vehicles 10 that have had the air dryer replaced every three years. For this reason, as in the example of "vehicle 10 whose air dryer 28 was replaced every one year" in Fig. 9, the control unit 42 presents a prediction of the end of life to the user or caretaker, etc., via the notification unit 48, when the rate of deterioration is steep, for example, when the deterioration level reaches 0.7, thereby allowing the user or caretaker to easily bring the vehicle 10 in for maintenance. Similarly, the control unit 42 presents a prediction of the end of life to the user or manager, etc. via the notification unit 48 when the rate of deterioration is gentle, such as in the example of "in the case of a vehicle 10 whose air dryer 28 was replaced every three years," when the deterioration level reaches 0.9, and presents a prediction of the end of life to the user or manager, etc. via the notification unit 48 when the rate of deterioration is relatively gentle, such as in the example of "in the case of a vehicle 10 whose air dryer 28 has been replaced every two years," when the deterioration level reaches 0.8, thereby making it easier for the user or manager to take the vehicle 10 in for maintenance at their own pace.

[0071] The control unit 42 outputs the degree of deterioration of the desiccant 28a in the air dryer 28 of each vehicle 10, for example at appropriate intervals, and predicts the time or mileage at which the degree of deterioration obtained by accumulating the deterioration degree outputs will reach 1, thereby being able to notify the vehicle 10 of the need for maintenance of the air dryer 28 approximately the same number of days in advance of the end of its life, regardless of whether the vehicle 10 is one in which the desiccant 28a in the air dryer 28 is prone to deterioration or one in which the deterioration is unlikely to progress.

[0072] In the above-described embodiment, information about the temperature of the high-pressure air supplied to the desiccant 28a of the air dryer 28, which is obtained from the relationship with the rotation speed of the compressor 26, is not actually acquired but is estimated and used. For example, as shown in Fig. 10, a temperature sensor 29 may be disposed in the air dryer 28 to actually measure the temperature of the high-pressure air supplied from the compressor 26, and the measured value may be used to output the degree of deterioration of the desiccant 28a due to heat.

[0073] As described above, the deterioration of the desiccant 28a is thought to be caused by the heat of the high-pressure air from the compressor 26 and / or by the oil supplied from the compressor 26 and adhering to the desiccant 28a.

[0074] 11(A), the control unit 20 of each vehicle 10 acquires the relationship between the rotation speed (rpm) of the engine 24 corresponding to the rotation speed of the compressor 26 and the amount of oil discharged corresponding to the rotation speed of the engine 24. This is not measured in real time, but is acquired by previously acquiring the amount of oil discharged corresponding to the rotation speed of the compressor 26. This information is stored in the storage device 44 from the control unit 20 of the vehicle 10 via the control unit 42 of the vehicle management device 40.

[0075] For example, the control unit 42 of the vehicle management device 40 is the same as that shown in Fig. 3(B), but as shown in Fig. 11(B), the engine 24 rotation speed is divided into, for example, eight ranges, and the frequency of the engine 24 rotation speed for each divided range is output and stored in the storage device 44. It is preferable that the size of each range of the engine 24 rotation speed is the same, for example. Note that the left side of the horizontal axis in Fig. 11(B) indicates a range where the engine 24 rotation speed is lower, and the right side indicates a range where the engine 24 rotation speed is higher.

[0076] Then, by multiplying the graph shown in Fig. 11(B) by an appropriate correlation coefficient based on the graph shown in Fig. 11(A), the frequency of oil discharge by the compressor 26 for each rotation speed (range) of the engine 24 is output as shown in Fig. 11(C). Here, the rotation speed (range) of the engine 24 is taken on the horizontal axis, and the frequency of oil discharge is taken on the vertical axis.

[0077] Figure 12(A) is a diagram in which the frequency of oil discharge from the compressor 26 for each rotation speed (range) of the engine 24 shown in Figure 11(C) is arranged vertically with the frequency for each brake application time shown in Figure 4(C). Referring to the upper graph in Figure 12(A), it is not the case that the higher the rotation speed of the engine 24, the more frequently oil is discharged from the compressor 26. However, when the rotation speed of the engine 24 is relatively low, the frequency of oil discharge from the compressor 26 increases. This indicates that the engine 24 of this vehicle 10 often rotates in a lower rotation speed range.

[0078] Figure 12(B) is created based on the two graphs shown in Figure 12(A). The horizontal axis of Figure 12(B) represents the rotation speed (range) of the engine 24, and the vertical axis represents the amount of oil (second information) discharged from the compressor 26 to or adhering to the desiccant 28a of the air dryer 28. Based on the graph shown in Figure 12(A) and the graph shown in Figure 11(A), the relationship between the rotation speed of the engine 24 and the amount of oil (second information) discharged from the compressor 26 can be obtained. In other words, the amount of oil adhering to the desiccant 28a (second information) is calculated.

[0079] Fig. 13 shows the water absorption capacity of desiccant 28a (vertical axis) versus the amount of oil adhering to desiccant 28a (horizontal axis). The graph in Fig. 13 shows that as the amount of oil adhering to desiccant 28a increases, the water absorption capacity of desiccant 28a decreases. In other words, as the amount of oil adhering to desiccant 28a increases, the degradation of desiccant 28a progresses.

[0080] The amount of oil adhering to the desiccant 28a when the water absorption capacity of the desiccant 28a of the air dryer 28 becomes smaller than a certain threshold value can be set as the usage limit (allowable oil adhering amount) of the desiccant 28a of the air dryer 28.

[0081] The degree of deterioration of the desiccant 28a due to oil adhesion is as follows: (amount of oil adhering to the desiccant 28a of the air dryer 28) / (allowable amount of oil adhering) The deterioration level becomes 1 when the allowable oil adhesion amount, which is the usage limit, is reached. When the deterioration level becomes "1," it is determined that the life of the desiccant 28a in the air dryer 28 has expired, and when the deterioration level exceeds "1," it is determined that the desiccant 28a in the air dryer 28 has been used beyond its life.

[0082] The degree of deterioration of the desiccant 28a is as follows: when, due to the structure of the air dryer 28, almost all of the oil discharged toward the desiccant 28a of the air dryer 28 adheres to the desiccant 28a of the air dryer 28, (amount of oil discharged toward the desiccant 28a of the air dryer 28) / (allowable amount of oil adhesion) It may be calculated by:

[0083] Therefore, the amount of oil discharged for each rotation speed of the compressor 26 is referenced, and the degree of deterioration based on the amount of oil adhering to the desiccant 28a of the air dryer 28 (second information) is output.

[0084] Even when estimating the deterioration level of desiccant 28a based on the amount of oil adhesion, control unit 42 can obtain a graph such as that shown in Fig. 9 (with the deterioration level on the vertical axis and the amount of oil adhesion on the horizontal axis) in the same way as when estimating the deterioration level of desiccant 28a based on thermal load. Therefore, it is possible to predict the time when the deterioration level of desiccant 28a will become 1 due to oil adhesion.

[0085] As an example, the control unit 42 of the vehicle management device 40 in this embodiment can output, every week or every month, the degree of deterioration of the desiccant 28a due to heat caused by supplying appropriately high-temperature high-pressure air to the desiccant 28a, and the degree of deterioration due to oil adhesion to the desiccant 28a.

[0086] For example, it is preferable that the control unit 42 is configured to use the value that is determined to indicate the most advanced deterioration of the two deterioration levels, and evaluate the deterioration level of the desiccant 28a.

[0087] As described above, the control unit 42 of the vehicle management device 40 according to this embodiment can output the degree of deterioration of the desiccant 28a due to heat caused by supplying appropriately high-temperature high-pressure air to the desiccant 28a (e.g., <1), and the degree of deterioration due to oil adhesion to the desiccant 28a (e.g., <1).

[0088] The control unit 42 can notify the user or manager of the vehicle 10, the company to which the user or manager belongs, the maintenance company, the sales company, etc. of the deterioration level of the desiccant 28a of the air dryer 28 via the notification unit 48.

[0089] Note that the desiccant 28a of the air dryer 28 typically deteriorates due to both the thermal load of the high-pressure air and the adhesion of oil. Therefore, the actual degree of deterioration of the desiccant 28a due to heat and the degree of deterioration of the desiccant 28a due to oil adhesion are estimated by multiplying each by an appropriate coefficient, either individually or the same. In other words, the contributions of the two factors that cause deterioration of the desiccant 28a of the air dryer 28, namely the thermal load and the adhesion of oil to the desiccant 28a of the air dryer 28, are expressed as coefficients, and the total degree of deterioration of the desiccant 28a can be estimated.

[0090] Such a coefficient may be set based on data accumulated for each vehicle 10, or may be set based on data obtained from a large number of vehicles 10 of the same model.

[0091] The control unit 42 of the vehicle management device 40 can estimate the life of the desiccant 28a of the air dryer 28 by using, for example, an Arrhenius plot (see FIG. 6) for the degree of deterioration or various information for calculating the degree of deterioration. In other words, the control unit 42 of the vehicle management device 40 can estimate the maintenance timing for the desiccant 28a of the air dryer 28.

[0092] Therefore, the deterioration level output device (vehicle management device) 40 according to this embodiment has a control unit 42 that outputs the deterioration level of the desiccant 28 in the air dryer 28, which is enclosed in an air dryer provided downstream of the compressor 26 powered by the engine 24 of the vehicle 10 and upstream of the air tank 30, and which removes moisture contained in the high-pressure air supplied from the compressor to the air tank. The control unit 42 of the deterioration level output device 40 acquires information related to the temperature of the high-pressure air supplied from the compressor 26 to the desiccant 28a in the air dryer 28, and outputs the deterioration level of the desiccant 28a based on the information related to the temperature of the high-pressure air. In this embodiment, a deterioration level output method (deterioration level prediction method) for the desiccant 28a of the air dryer 28, which is sealed in an air dryer provided downstream of the compressor 26 powered by the engine 24 of the vehicle 10 and upstream of the air tank 30, and which removes moisture contained in the high-pressure air supplied from the compressor to the air tank, includes obtaining information regarding the temperature of the high-pressure air supplied from the compressor 26 to the desiccant 28a of the air dryer 28, and outputting the deterioration level of the desiccant 28a based on the information regarding the temperature of the high-pressure air. In this embodiment, the deterioration level output program (deterioration level prediction program) for the desiccant 28a of the air dryer 28, which is sealed in an air dryer located downstream of the compressor 26 powered by the engine 24 of the vehicle 10 and upstream of the air tank 30, and which removes moisture contained in the high-pressure air supplied from the compressor to the air tank, causes a computer to acquire information regarding the temperature of the high-pressure air supplied from the compressor 26 to the desiccant 28a of the air dryer 28, and output the deterioration level of the desiccant 28a based on the information regarding the temperature of the high-pressure air.

[0093] In this way, in this embodiment, the degree of deterioration of the desiccant 28a of the air dryer 28 can be calculated and output more accurately.

[0094] The control unit 42 of the deterioration level output device (vehicle management device) 40 predicts the life of the desiccant 28 based on the deterioration level of the desiccant 28a. Therefore, the control unit 42 can notify the user, manager, or the like of the timing for maintenance of the air dryer 28 of the vehicle 10.

[0095] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made in the implementation stage without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, the embodiments may be implemented in appropriate combinations, in which case the combined effects can be obtained. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments include various inventions, and various inventions can be extracted by combining selected elements from the disclosed elements. For example, if the problem can be solved and the desired effect can be obtained even if some elements are deleted from all elements shown in the embodiments, the configuration from which these elements are deleted can be extracted as an invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0096] 10...vehicle, 12...brake device, 20...control unit, 21...storage device, 22...communication unit, 24...engine, 25...sensor, 26...compressor, 28...air dryer, 28a...desiccant, 29...temperature sensor, 30...air tank, 32...brake chamber, 34...weight sensor, 40...vehicle management device (deterioration level output device), 42...control unit, 44...storage device, 46...communication unit, 48...notification unit

Claims

1. A deterioration level output device outputs a deterioration level of a desiccant that is enclosed in an air dryer that is provided downstream of a compressor that is operated by power from a vehicle engine and upstream of an air tank, and that removes moisture contained in high-pressure air that is supplied from the compressor to the air tank, acquiring information about the temperature of the high-pressure air supplied from the compressor to the desiccant of the air dryer; outputting a degree of deterioration of the desiccant based on the information about the temperature; A deterioration level output device including a control unit.

2. the control unit acquires an amount of oil discharged from the compressor to the desiccant of the air dryer, outputting a deterioration level of the desiccant based on the information about the temperature and the amount of oil; The deterioration level output device according to claim 1 .

3. the control unit predicts the life of the desiccant based on the degree of deterioration of the desiccant. The deterioration level output device according to claim 2 .

4. the control unit acquires first information related to a rotation speed of the engine; acquiring information about the temperature and the amount of oil as second information based on the first information; outputting a deterioration level of the desiccant based on the second information; The deterioration level output device according to claim 2 .

5. the first information is information indicating an operating time for each rotation speed of the engine; The deterioration level output device according to claim 4 .

6. the first information is information indicating an operating time for each range of engine speeds, The deterioration level output device according to claim 4 .

7. a communication unit controlled by the control unit, capable of communicating with the vehicle, and configured to receive the first information and the second information; 7. The deterioration level output device according to claim 4, wherein the deterioration level output device is a device for outputting a deterioration level of an object.

8. the control unit predicts an amount of oil adhering to the desiccant based on the first information and a deterioration level of the desiccant based on the amount of oil adhering.

7. The deterioration level output device according to claim 4, wherein the deterioration level output device is a device for outputting a deterioration level of an object.

9. a notification unit that is controlled by the control unit and that notifies a user or manager of the vehicle of the degree of deterioration of the desiccant; 7. The deterioration level output device according to claim 4, wherein the deterioration level output device is a device for outputting a deterioration level of an object.

10. A deterioration level output device outputs a deterioration level of a desiccant that is enclosed in an air dryer that is provided downstream of a compressor that is operated by power from a vehicle engine and upstream of an air tank, and that removes moisture contained in high-pressure air that is supplied from the compressor to the air tank, Acquire the amount of oil discharged from the compressor to the desiccant of the air dryer; outputting a deterioration level of the desiccant based on the amount of oil; A deterioration level output device including a control unit.

11. 1. A degradation degree output method for outputting a degradation degree of a desiccant sealed in an air dryer provided downstream of a compressor operated by power from a vehicle engine and upstream of an air tank, the desiccant removing moisture contained in high-pressure air supplied from the compressor to the air tank, comprising: obtaining information about the temperature of the high-pressure air supplied from the compressor to the desiccant of the air dryer; outputting a degree of deterioration of the desiccant based on information about the temperature; A degradation degree output method including:

12. A deterioration level output program that outputs a deterioration level of a desiccant that is sealed in an air dryer that is provided downstream of a compressor that is operated by power from a vehicle engine and upstream of an air tank, and that removes moisture contained in high-pressure air that is supplied from the compressor to the air tank, obtaining information about the temperature of the high-pressure air supplied from the compressor to the desiccant of the air dryer; outputting a degree of deterioration of the desiccant based on information about the temperature; A deterioration level output program that causes a computer to execute the above.

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