Remaining life determination system and remaining life determination method

Abstract

To properly determine a remaining life of components that are used in a moving body such as a vehicle and contribute to determining a value of the moving body.SOLUTION: A remaining life determination system 1 comprises: a measured load information acquisition unit 11 that acquires load measurement information that indicates a measurement result of a load applied to a target component 53 when using a moving body 50; a first estimated remaining life recognition unit 12 that recognizes a first estimated remaining life of the target component 53 in accordance with an accumulative fatigue degree of the target component 53 based on the load measurement information; a physical property value measurement information acquisition unit 13 that acquires physical property value measurement information that indicates a measurement result of a physical property value of the target component 53; a second estimated remaining life recognition unit 14 that recognizes a second estimated remaining life of the target component 53 in accordance with a degradation degree of the physical property value of the target component 53 based on the physical property value measurement information; and a remaining life determination unit 15 that determines a remaining life of the target component 53 on the basis of the first estimated remaining life, for a first period till the second estimated remaining life becomes longer than the first estimated remaining life.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a system and a method for determining remaining life. [Background technology]

[0002] A conventional configuration has been proposed in which the degree of fatigue of a driving force transmission device provided in a vehicle is calculated from a predetermined relationship based on the torque input to the driving force transmission device, and the engine output torque is limited according to the degree of fatigue (see, for example, Patent Document 1).With this configuration, the engine torque is limited within a range that is not excessive and is in accordance with the remaining life of the driving force transmission device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-128149 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When designing a vehicle, the lifespan of the parts used in the vehicle is designed with an assumption that a heavy user will travel a specified distance in a specified number of years, with an additional margin in mind. Therefore, when a vehicle is used by a user with a normal usage frequency, it can be used for more than the specified number of years or distance. However, because vehicle residual values ​​are primarily determined by the model year and mileage, the residual value of a vehicle that has been used by an average user is often far from its actual value. Furthermore, as the number of years of use and mileage increase, users become concerned about the remaining lifespan of their vehicle, and often end up selling their vehicle early, even though the remaining lifespan of the vehicle's parts is still sufficient. The present application has been made in view of the above background, and aims to provide a remaining lifespan determination system and a remaining lifespan determination method that can appropriately determine the remaining lifespan of parts used in mobile bodies such as vehicles, thereby contributing to determining the value of the mobile bodies. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A first aspect for achieving the above object is a remaining life determination system for determining the remaining life of a target part provided on a mobile body, the remaining life determination system comprising: a load measurement information acquisition unit that acquires load measurement information indicating measurement results of the load applied to the target part when the mobile body is in use; a first estimated remaining life recognition unit that recognizes a first estimated remaining life of the target part depending on the cumulative fatigue level of the target part based on the load measurement information; a physical property measurement information acquisition unit that acquires physical property measurement information indicating measurement results of the physical property values ​​of the target part; a second estimated remaining life recognition unit that recognizes a second estimated remaining life of the target part depending on the degree of deterioration of the physical property values ​​of the target part based on the physical property measurement information; and a remaining life determination unit that determines the remaining life of the target part based on the first estimated remaining life during a first period until the second estimated remaining life becomes longer than the first estimated remaining life.

[0006] In the above-mentioned remaining life determination system, the remaining life determination unit may be configured to determine the life of the target component based on the second estimated remaining life during a second period after the second estimated remaining life becomes longer than the first estimated remaining life.

[0007] In the above-mentioned remaining life determination system, the load measurement information acquisition unit may acquire the load measurement information by receiving the load measurement information transmitted from the mobile body at a first timing, the physical property measurement information acquisition unit acquires the physical property measurement information by receiving the physical property measurement information transmitted at a second timing from a measuring instrument that measured the physical property during maintenance of the mobile body, and the remaining life determination unit may be configured to determine the remaining life of the target component during the second period, from the previous second timing to the next second timing, based on the second estimated remaining life recognized by the second estimated remaining life recognition unit at the previous second timing and the first estimated remaining life recognized by the first estimated remaining life recognition unit at each first timing.

[0008] In the above-mentioned remaining life determination system, the remaining life determination unit may be configured to determine the remaining life of the target component by correcting the first estimated remaining life recognized by the first estimated remaining life recognition unit at each first timing during the second period from the previous second timing to the next second timing, using the second estimated remaining life recognized by the second estimated remaining life recognition unit at the previous second timing.

[0009] In the above-mentioned remaining life judgment system, the moving body may be equipped with a dummy test piece for measuring the physical property values ​​of the target component, and the physical property measurement information acquisition unit may be configured to acquire the physical property measurement information indicating the measurement results of the physical property values ​​using the dummy test piece.

[0010] A second aspect for achieving the above object is a remaining life determination method executed by a computer to determine the remaining life of a target part provided on a moving body, the remaining life determination method including: a load measurement information acquisition step of acquiring load measurement information indicating the measurement results of the load applied to the target part when the moving body is in use; a first estimated remaining life recognition step of recognizing a first estimated remaining life of the target part depending on the cumulative fatigue level of the target part based on the load measurement information; a physical property measurement information acquisition step of acquiring physical property measurement information indicating the measurement results of the physical property values ​​of the target part; a second estimated remaining life recognition step of recognizing a second estimated remaining life of the target part depending on the degree of deterioration of the physical property values ​​of the target part based on the physical property measurement information; and a remaining life determination step of determining the remaining life of the target part based on the first estimated remaining life during a first period until the second estimated remaining life becomes longer than the first estimated remaining life. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the above-described remaining life determination system, the remaining life of parts used in a mobile body such as a vehicle can be appropriately determined, thereby contributing to determining the value of the mobile body. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the configuration of a remaining life determination system. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a map of the correspondence between load and fatigue level, with the knuckle as the target part, and an explanatory diagram of the calculation of the cumulative fatigue level. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a correspondence map between the degree of deterioration of physical properties and the remaining lifespan for a knuckle. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a first flowchart of the remaining life determination process. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a second flowchart of the remaining life determination process. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of determination of remaining life based on the first estimated remaining life and the second estimated remaining life, with the knuckle being the target part. [Figure 7]FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of correction of the second estimated remaining lifespan by the first estimated remaining lifespan. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a map of the correspondence between load and fatigue level, with a power semiconductor as the target component, and an explanatory diagram of calculation of the cumulative fatigue level. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of a correspondence map between the degree of deterioration of physical properties and the remaining lifespan, with a power semiconductor as the target component. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of determination of remaining life based on the first estimated remaining life and the second estimated remaining life, with a power semiconductor as the target component. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a map showing the correspondence between load and fatigue level for a low-voltage circuit board as a target component. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of a correspondence map between the degree of deterioration of physical properties and the remaining lifespan, with a low-voltage circuit board as the target component. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of the determination of the remaining life based on the first estimated remaining life and the second estimated remaining life, with a low-voltage board as the target component. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a list showing examples of target parts. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] [1. Configuration of remaining life determination system] The configuration of a remaining life determination system 1 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. The remaining life determination system 1 performs processing to determine the remaining life of a target component 53 provided in a vehicle 50. The vehicle 50 corresponds to a moving body in the present disclosure. The remaining life determination system 1 is a computer system including a processor 10, a memory 20, a communication unit 30, etc.

[0014] The remaining life determination system 1 communicates via a communication network 200 using a communication unit 30 with an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 51 installed in a vehicle 50, a user terminal 60 used by a user U of the vehicle 50, a store management system 101 of a car dealer 100 that performs maintenance on the vehicle 50, a measuring instrument 70 used by a staff member V of the car dealer 100, and a vehicle manufacturer server 210.

[0015] The vehicle 50 is equipped with a sensor that detects the load applied to the target part 53, and the ECU 51 transmits load measurement information Lmi, which indicates the detection result of the load detected by the sensor when the vehicle 50 is in use, to the remaining life determination system 1, for example, when the vehicle 50 is turned on. Furthermore, when the vehicle 50 is brought into the car dealership 100 for maintenance such as a regular inspection, the staff member V measures the physical property values ​​of the target part using the measuring device 70, and physical property measurement information Pmi, which indicates the measurement result, is transmitted from the measuring device 70 to the remaining life determination system 1. Note that the physical property measurement information Pmi may also be transmitted from the measuring device 70 to the remaining life determination system 1 via the store management system 101.

[0016] The vehicle manufacturer server 210 transmits to the remaining life determination system 1 map information MPi, which includes a map (load-fatigue map) for converting the detected value of the load indicated by the load measurement information Lmi into the fatigue level of the target part 53, and a map (physical property degradation level-remaining life map) for converting the measured value of the physical property indicated by the physical property measurement information Pmi into the estimated remaining life of the target part 53.

[0017] The memory 20 of the remaining life determination system 1 stores a program 21 for controlling the remaining life determination system 1, as well as load-fatigue map data 22 and physical property degradation-remaining life map data 23 obtained from the map information MPi. The processor 10 reads and executes the program 21, thereby functioning as a load measurement information acquisition unit 11, a first estimated remaining life recognition unit 12, a physical property measurement information acquisition unit 13, a second estimated remaining life recognition unit 14, and a remaining life determination unit 15.

[0018] The processing executed by the load measurement information acquisition unit 11 corresponds to the load measurement information acquisition step in the remaining life estimation method of the present disclosure, and the processing executed by the first estimated remaining life recognition unit 12 corresponds to the first remaining life recognition step in the remaining life estimation method of the present disclosure. The processing executed by the physical property measurement information acquisition unit 13 corresponds to the physical property measurement information acquisition step in the remaining life determination method of the present disclosure, and the processing executed by the second estimated remaining life recognition unit 14 corresponds to the second estimated life recognition step in the remaining life determination method of the present disclosure. The processing executed by the remaining life determination unit 15 corresponds to the remaining life determination step in the remaining life determination method of the present disclosure.

[0019] The load measurement information acquisition unit 11 receives and acquires the load measurement information Lmi transmitted from the vehicle 50 via the communication unit 30. The timing at which the load measurement information acquisition unit 11 acquires the load measurement information Lmi corresponds to the first timing in the present disclosure. The first estimated remaining life recognition unit 12 recognizes a first estimated remaining life of the target component 53 according to the accumulated fatigue level of the target component 53 based on the load measurement information Lmi.

[0020] The physical property measurement information acquisition unit 13 receives and acquires the physical property measurement information Pmi transmitted from the measuring instrument 70 via the communication unit 30. The timing at which the physical property measurement information acquisition unit 13 acquires the physical property measurement information Pmi corresponds to the second second timing in the present disclosure. The second estimated remaining life recognition unit 14 recognizes a second estimated remaining life of the target part 53 according to the degree of deterioration of the physical property values ​​of the target part 53 based on the physical property measurement information Pmi.

[0021] The remaining life determination unit 15 determines the remaining life of the target component 53 based on the first estimated remaining life recognized by the first estimated remaining life recognition unit 12 and the second estimated remaining life recognized by the second estimated remaining life recognition unit 14, during a first period until the second estimated remaining life becomes longer than the first estimated remaining life. Furthermore, the remaining life determination unit 15 determines the remaining life of the target component 53 based on the second estimated remaining life during a second period after the second estimated remaining life becomes longer than the first estimated remaining life.

[0022] The details of the processes performed by the load measurement information acquisition unit 11, the first estimated remaining life recognition unit 12, the physical property measurement information acquisition unit 13, the second estimated remaining life recognition unit 14, and the remaining life determination unit 15 will be described later.

[0023] [2. First Example] As a first example, the processing by the remaining life determination system 1 when the target part 53 is a knuckle provided on the vehicle 50 will be described with reference to Figures 2 to 8. In the first embodiment, the map information MPi transmitted from the vehicle manufacturer server 210 includes the load-fatigue map shown in G1 of Figure 2 and the physical property degradation level-estimated remaining life map shown in G3 of Figure 3.

[0024] The load-fatigue map shown at G1 shows the correspondence between the load applied to the knuckle on the horizontal axis and the weight of the deterioration level (the degree of reduction in the remaining life of the knuckle) when each load is applied to the knuckle on the vertical axis. In the vehicle 50, the load applied to the knuckle is detected by an acceleration sensor. The load applied to the knuckle is expressed in a range of 0.5 to 2, with the reference load being 1, and the weight indicates the degree of deterioration caused by a single load, with the total load applied to the knuckle until the knuckle fails being 100%.

[0025] The weights are set based on the results of knuckle durability tests conducted by the vehicle manufacturer. That is, a person in charge at the vehicle manufacturer conducts durability tests on the knuckle while varying the load applied to the knuckle, and determines the number of cycles at which the knuckle fails (number of cycles to failure) under each load. The person in charge then creates a load-fatigue map for G1 by dividing 100 by the number of cycles to failure for each load, using this value as a weight.

[0026] The physical property degradation vs. remaining life map shown in G3 shows the correspondence between the knuckle's Young's modulus change rate on the horizontal axis and the knuckle's remaining life rate on the vertical axis. The remaining life rate indicates the percentage of the remaining life when the knuckle's remaining life at the time the vehicle 50 began to be used is set to 100%. The Young's modulus change rate indicates the rate of change in the knuckle's Young's modulus from the time the vehicle 50 began to be used. The Young's modulus of the knuckle of the vehicle 50 at the car dealership 100 is measured by a non-destructive method such as sound velocity measurement.

[0027] The property degradation-remaining life map shown in G3 is set based on the results of a knuckle durability test under a constant load conducted by the vehicle manufacturer. That is, during the knuckle durability test under a constant load, the vehicle manufacturer's personnel measure the relationship between the number of cycles and Young's modulus at each specified number of times, and the number of cycles at which the knuckle's remaining life rate becomes 0% is defined as the number of cycles at which the knuckle's remaining life rate reaches 0%. The personnel then determine the relationship between the number of cycles and Young's modulus, convert this relationship into the relationship between the rate of decrease in Young's modulus and the remaining life rate, and generate the property degradation-estimated remaining life map shown in G3.

[0028] Next, a series of processes for determining the remaining life of a knuckle executed by the remaining life determination system 1 will be described with reference to the flowcharts shown in Figures 4 and 5. Due to the loop process of steps S1 and S2 in Figure 4, the load measurement information acquisition unit 11 advances the process to step S20 when it receives and acquires the load measurement information Lmi transmitted from the vehicle 50 via the communication unit 30 in step S1. Also, the physical property measurement information acquisition unit 13 advances the process to step S3 when it receives and acquires the physical property measurement information Pmi transmitted from the measuring instrument 70 via the communication unit 30 in step S2.

[0029] In step S20, the first remaining life estimation recognition unit 12 calculates a weight by applying the load applied to the knuckle indicated by the load measurement information Lmi to the load-fatigue map shown in G1 of Fig. 2. Then, as shown in G2 of Fig. 2, the first remaining life estimation recognition unit 12 calculates the total value of the weighted number of times each load has been applied that has been calculated for the load measurement information Lmi that has been acquired up to that point as the cumulative fatigue level.

[0030] In the next step S21, if the cumulative fatigue level is 3.7%, for example, the first estimated remaining life recognition unit 12 recognizes 96.3%, which is 100% minus 3.7%, as the first estimated remaining life of the knuckle. In the next step S22, the remaining life determination unit 15 determines the first estimated remaining life as the remaining life of the knuckle, transmits remaining life information RLi indicating the remaining life of the knuckle to the user terminal 60, and proceeds to step S2.

[0031] As a result, a screen showing the remaining lifespan of the knuckle is displayed on the display unit of the user terminal 60 by a maintenance-compatible app (application) of the vehicle 50 executed on the user terminal 60, thereby notifying the user of the remaining lifespan of the knuckle. Note that the first estimated remaining lifespan recognition unit 12 may transmit the remaining lifespan information RLi to the ECU 51 of the vehicle 50, causing the display 52 of the vehicle 50 to display the remaining lifespan of the knuckle.

[0032] In step S3, the second remaining life estimation recognition unit 14 calculates the Young's modulus change rate from the Young's modulus of the knuckle indicated by the physical property value measurement information Pmi. In the following step S4, the second remaining life estimation recognition unit 14 applies the Young's modulus change rate to the physical property degradation degree-remaining life map shown by G3 in Figure 3 to recognize the second remaining life estimation.

[0033] In the next step S5, the remaining life determination unit 15 compares the first estimated remaining life recognized by the first estimated remaining life recognition unit 12 with the second estimated remaining life recognized by the second estimated remaining life recognition unit 14. Then, if the second estimated remaining life is longer than the first estimated remaining life, the remaining life determination unit 15 proceeds to step S3, and if the second estimated remaining life is shorter than or equal to the first estimated remaining life, the remaining life determination unit 15 proceeds to step S1.

[0034] In step S6, the remaining lifespan determination unit 15 determines the second estimated remaining lifespan as the remaining lifespan of the knuckle and transmits remaining lifespan information RLi indicating the remaining lifespan of the knuckle to the user terminal. G4 in Fig. 6 is a comparison graph in which the vertical axis represents the remaining lifespan rate of the knuckle and the horizontal axis represents the mileage (total mileage) D of the vehicle 50, with the first estimated remaining lifespan rate indicated by a1 and the second estimated remaining lifespan rate indicated by b1. In G4, when the mileage reaches Dc1, the second estimated remaining lifespan is longer than the first estimated remaining lifespan.

[0035] Therefore, as shown by G5 in FIG. 6, the remaining life determination unit 15 determines the remaining life of the knuckle to be the first estimated remaining life a1 during the first period P1 up to Dc1, and determines the remaining life of the knuckle to be the second estimated remaining life b1 during the second period P2 from Dc2 onwards.

[0036] In the next step S7, the remaining life determination unit 15 stores information on the second estimated remaining life (information on the most recent second estimated remaining life) in the memory 20. The following steps S8 to S13 and steps S30 to S32 in FIG. 5 are processes for correcting the second estimated remaining life using the first estimated remaining life. Due to the loop processes of steps S8 and S9, the load measurement information acquisition unit 11 advances the process to step S30 when it receives and acquires the load measurement information Lmi transmitted from the vehicle 50 via the communication unit 30 in step S8. Furthermore, the physical property measurement information acquisition unit 13 advances the process to step S10 when it receives and acquires the physical property measurement information Pmi transmitted from the measuring instrument 70 via the communication unit 30 in step S9.

[0037] In step S30, the first estimated remaining life recognition unit 12 applies the load applied to the knuckle indicated by the load measurement information Lmi to the load-fatigue map shown in G1 of Fig. 2 to determine a weight. Then, as shown in G2 of Fig. 2, the first estimated remaining life recognition unit 12 calculates the total value of the weighted number of times each load has been applied that has been determined for the load measurement information Lmi that has been acquired up to that point as the cumulative fatigue level, and in the next step S31, the first estimated remaining life recognition unit 12 subtracts the cumulative fatigue level from 100% to recognize the first estimated remaining life.

[0038] In the next step S32, the remaining life determination unit 15 determines the remaining life of the knuckle by correcting the second estimated remaining life recognized at the most recent second timing by subtracting the decrease in the first estimated remaining life recognized at the first timing between then and the next second timing. G6 in Fig. 7 shows an example in which the vertical axis represents the remaining life rate of the knuckle and the horizontal axis represents the travel distance of the vehicle 50, and the second estimated remaining life b1 is corrected by the first estimated remaining life a1. b11 to b19 indicate the second estimated remaining life recognized at each second timing in the second period P2.

[0039] For example, the remaining lifespan determination unit 15 determines the remaining lifespan of the knuckle for the second estimated remaining lifespan b11 by sequentially subtracting the decrease c of the first estimated remaining lifespan recognized until the next second estimated remaining lifespan b12 is recognized from the second estimated remaining lifespan b11. The same applies to b12 to b19. The remaining lifespan determination unit 15 transmits remaining lifespan information RLi indicating the remaining lifespan of the knuckle determined in this manner to the user terminal 60, and proceeds to step S9. This makes it possible to avoid a sudden decrease in the remaining lifespan rate of the knuckle notified to the user U, which may cause the user U to feel uncomfortable.

[0040] In step S10, the second remaining life estimation recognition unit 14 calculates the Young's modulus change rate from the Young's modulus of the knuckle indicated by the physical property value measurement information Pmi. In the following step S11, the second remaining life estimation recognition unit 14 applies the Young's modulus change rate to the physical property value degradation degree-remaining life map shown by G3 in Figure 3 to recognize the second remaining life estimation.

[0041] In the next step S12, the remaining life determination unit 15 determines the second estimated remaining life as the remaining life of the knuckle and transmits remaining life information RLi indicating the remaining life of the knuckle to the user terminal. In the following step S13, the remaining life determination unit 15 stores the recognized information on the second estimated remaining life (the most recent second estimated remaining life) in memory 20, and proceeds to step S8.

[0042] [3. Second Example] As a second embodiment, processing by the remaining life determination system 1 when the target component 53 is a power semiconductor provided in a vehicle 50 will be described with reference to Figures 8 to 10. Power semiconductors are used in inverters and DC-DC converters that drive motors, chargers, air conditioner compressors, etc.

[0043] In the second embodiment, the map information MPi transmitted from the vehicle manufacturer server 210 includes the load-fatigue map shown in G7 of FIG. 8 and the physical property degradation-remaining life map shown in G9 of FIG.

[0044] The load-fatigue map shown in G7 shows the correspondence between the temperature change range of the power semiconductor (the range of temperature change due to heat generation during operation) on the horizontal axis and the weight of the deterioration level (the degree of reduction in remaining life) when the power semiconductor reaches each temperature change range on the vertical axis. The weight is set based on the results of power cycle tests on power semiconductors conducted by vehicle manufacturers. In other words, personnel at the vehicle manufacturer conduct power cycle tests on power semiconductors by changing the temperature of the power semiconductor and determine the number of cycles at which the power semiconductor failed at each temperature (number of failure cycles). Then, for each temperature, the personnel divide 100 by the number of failure cycles and use this value as the weight to generate the load-fatigue map in G7.

[0045] The physical property degradation degree-estimated remaining life map shown in G9 shows the correspondence between the time constant change rate of the power semiconductor on the horizontal axis and the remaining life of the power semiconductor on the vertical axis. The remaining life rate indicates the percentage of the remaining life when the remaining life rate of the power semiconductor at the time when the vehicle 50 began to be used is set to 100%. The time constant change rate indicates the rate of change of the time constant of the power semiconductor from the time when the vehicle 50 began to be used.

[0046] The physical property degradation degree vs. remaining life map shown in G9 is set based on the results of a power cycle test of a power semiconductor conducted by a vehicle manufacturer. That is, a person in charge at the vehicle manufacturer conducts a power cycle test of the power semiconductor while maintaining a constant temperature of the power semiconductor, and measures the time constant of the power semiconductor every predetermined number of cycles (e.g., 1000 cycles) until the number of cycles at which the power semiconductor fails. Then, the person in charge creates the physical property degradation degree vs. remaining life map shown in G9 of FIG. 9, assuming that 0 cycles corresponds to a remaining life rate of 100% and the number of cycles to failure corresponds to a remaining life rate of 0%.

[0047] The time constant of a power semiconductor indicates the rate at which the power semiconductor dissipates heat (how easily it cools), and the time constant increases when the rate at which the power semiconductor dissipates heat decreases due to deterioration such as cracks in the solder layer of the power semiconductor. The time constant of a power semiconductor is measured by measuring the rate at which the temperature of the power semiconductor drops from the point at which it stops operating.

[0048] The load measurement information acquisition unit 11 receives and acquires load measurement information Lmi, which indicates the measured temperature of the power semiconductor and is transmitted from the vehicle 50, via the communication unit 30. In the vehicle 50, the temperature of the power semiconductor is detected by a temperature sensor provided in the vehicle 50. The first estimated remaining life recognition unit 12 applies the temperature of the power semiconductor recognized from the load measurement information Lmi to the load-fatigue map shown in G7 of FIG. 8 to obtain a corresponding weight. Then, as shown in G8 of FIG. 8, the first estimated remaining life recognition unit 12 calculates a cumulative fatigue degree by summing the weighted counts of each temperature, and subtracts the cumulative fatigue degree from 100% to recognize the first estimated remaining life.

[0049] The physical property measurement information acquisition unit 13 receives and acquires the physical property measurement information Pmi indicating the time constant of the power semiconductor transmitted from the measuring instrument 70 via the communication unit 30. The second estimated remaining life recognition unit 14 calculates the rate of change of the time constant of the power semiconductor from the time constant of the power semiconductor recognized from the physical property measurement information Pmi, and applies the rate of change of the time constant to the physical property degradation degree-remaining life map shown by G9 in Fig. 9 to recognize the second estimated remaining life of the power semiconductor.

[0050] As in the first embodiment described above, the remaining life determination unit 15 compares the first estimated remaining life with the second estimated remaining life to determine the remaining life of the power semiconductor. G10 in Fig. 10 is a comparison graph in which the vertical axis represents the remaining life rate of the power semiconductor and the horizontal axis represents the mileage of the vehicle 50, with the first estimated remaining life indicated by a2 and the second estimated remaining life indicated by b2. In G10, when the mileage reaches Dc2, the second estimated remaining life b2 is longer than the first estimated remaining life a1.

[0051] Therefore, the remaining life determination unit 15 determines the remaining life of the power semiconductor based on the first estimated remaining life a2 during a first period up to Dc2 when the second estimated remaining life becomes longer than the first estimated remaining life. Also, during a second period after Dc when the second estimated remaining life becomes longer than the first estimated remaining life, the remaining life determination unit 15 determines the remaining life of the power semiconductor based on the second estimated remaining life and by correcting the second estimated remaining life by the first estimated remaining life.

[0052] 4. Third Example As a third embodiment, processing by the remaining life determination system 1 when the target component 53 is a low-voltage circuit board provided in a vehicle 50 will be described with reference to Figures 11 to 13. Here, because it is difficult to directly measure the physical property values ​​that allow the remaining life of a low-voltage circuit board to be determined, a case will be described in which a low-voltage circuit board and a dummy test piece are provided in the vehicle 50, and the resistance value of the dummy test piece is measured as the physical property value of the low-voltage circuit board. This dummy test piece is designed so that a chip resistor is mounted on it and the state of deterioration of the solder joining the chip resistor to the circuit board can be determined from the resistance value of this dummy test piece.

[0053] In the third embodiment, the map information MPi transmitted from the vehicle manufacturer server 210 includes the load-fatigue map shown in G11 of FIG. 11 and the physical property degradation-remaining life map shown in G12 of FIG.

[0054] The load-fatigue map shown in G11 shows the correspondence between the acceleration measured in the vehicle 50 on the horizontal axis and the weight of the deterioration level of the low-voltage circuit board (the degree of reduction in remaining life) at the time each acceleration is measured on the vertical axis. The weight is set based on the results of vibration endurance tests that are simultaneously conducted on the low-voltage circuit board by the vehicle manufacturer.

[0055] That is, the vehicle manufacturer's personnel conduct vibration endurance tests on the low-voltage circuit board and dummy test piece by changing the acceleration, and determine the number of cycles at which the low-voltage circuit board fails (number of cycles to failure) at each acceleration. Then, for each acceleration, the personnel divide 100 by the number of cycles to failure and use that value as a weight to generate a load-fatigue map for G11.

[0056] The physical property degradation vs. remaining life map shown in G12 shows the correspondence between the resistance change rate of the dummy test piece on the horizontal axis and the remaining life rate of the low-voltage board on the vertical axis. The remaining life rate indicates the percentage of the remaining life of the low-voltage board when the remaining life rate of the low-voltage board at the time when vehicle 50 began to be used is set to 100%. The resistance change rate indicates the rate of change in the resistance of the dummy test piece from the time when vehicle 50 began to be used.

[0057] The property degradation vs. remaining life map shown in G12 is set based on the results of vibration endurance tests that are conducted simultaneously by the vehicle manufacturer on the low-voltage circuit board and dummy test piece. That is, the vehicle manufacturer's personnel conduct vibration endurance tests on the low-voltage circuit board and dummy test piece at a fixed acceleration and a specified frequency until the low-voltage circuit board fails, measuring the resistance value of the dummy test piece every time a specified number of cycles have elapsed.

[0058] The person in charge then converts the number of cycles into a remaining life rate, with 0 being a remaining life rate of 100% and the number of cycles at which the low-voltage board fails (number of failure cycles) being a remaining life rate of 0%, and generates the physical property degradation degree-remaining life map shown in G12.

[0059] The load measurement information acquisition unit 11 receives and acquires load measurement information Lmi indicating acceleration transmitted from the vehicle 50 via the communication unit 30. The first estimated remaining life recognition unit 12 applies the acceleration recognized from the load measurement information Lmi to the load-fatigue level map shown in G11 in Fig. 11 to find the corresponding weight. The first estimated remaining life recognition unit 12 then calculates the cumulative fatigue level by summing the weighted counts of each acceleration, and recognizes the first estimated remaining life by subtracting the cumulative fatigue level from 100%.

[0060] The physical property measurement information acquisition unit 13 receives and acquires physical property measurement information Pmi indicating the resistance value of the dummy test piece transmitted from the measuring instrument 70 via the communication unit 30. The second estimated remaining life recognition unit 14 calculates the resistance change rate of the dummy test piece based on the resistance value of the dummy test piece recognized from the physical property measurement information Pmi. Then, the second estimated remaining life recognition unit 14 applies the resistance change rate of the dummy test piece to the physical property degradation degree-remaining life map shown in G12 of FIG. 12 to recognize a second estimated remaining life of the power semiconductor.

[0061] As in the first and second embodiments described above, the remaining life determination unit 15 compares the first estimated remaining life with the second estimated remaining life to determine the remaining life of the low-voltage circuit board. G13 in Fig. 13 is a comparison graph in which the vertical axis represents the remaining life rate of the low-voltage circuit board and the horizontal axis represents the mileage of the vehicle 50, with the first estimated remaining life indicated by a3 and the second estimated remaining life indicated by b3. In G13, when the mileage reaches Dc3, the second estimated remaining life b3 is longer than the first estimated remaining life a3.

[0062] Therefore, during a first period up to Dc3 when the second estimated remaining life b3 becomes longer than the first estimated remaining life a3, the remaining life determination unit 15 determines the remaining life of the low-voltage board based on the first estimated remaining life a3. Furthermore, during a second period after Dc3 when the second estimated remaining life b3 becomes longer than the first estimated remaining life a3, the remaining life determination unit 15 determines the remaining life of the low-voltage board based on the second estimated remaining life b3 and by correcting the second estimated remaining life b3 by the first estimated remaining life a3.

[0063] 5. Other Embodiments In the above embodiment, the knuckle, power semiconductor, and low-voltage board provided on the vehicle 50 are exemplified as target parts for determining the remaining life, but the target parts are not limited to these. As shown in FIG. 14, the remaining life can be determined by the remaining life determination system of the present disclosure for any target part for which the cumulative fatigue level and physical property values ​​can be measured.

[0064] In the above embodiment, the vehicle 50 is shown as the moving body of the present disclosure, but the moving body of the present disclosure may be an aircraft, a ship, or the like.

[0065] In the above embodiment, the remaining life determination unit 15 corrects the second estimated remaining life using the first estimated remaining life as shown in Fig. 7, but such correction may not be performed. Alternatively, correction may be performed using another method.

[0066] 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of remaining life determination system 1 divided by main processing content to facilitate understanding of the present invention, but remaining life determination system 1 may also be divided into other categories. Furthermore, the processing of each component may be executed by one hardware unit or multiple hardware units. Furthermore, the processing of each component shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 may be executed by one program or multiple programs.

[0067] 6. Configurations Supported by the Above Embodiments The above embodiment is a specific example of the following configuration.

[0068] (Configuration 1) A remaining life determination system for determining the remaining life of a target part provided on a mobile body, comprising: a load measurement information acquisition unit that acquires load measurement information indicating measurement results of the load applied to the target part when the mobile body is in use; a first estimated remaining life recognition unit that recognizes a first estimated remaining life of the target part based on the cumulative fatigue level of the target part based on the load measurement information; a physical property measurement information acquisition unit that acquires physical property measurement information indicating measurement results of the physical property values ​​of the target part; a second estimated remaining life recognition unit that recognizes a second estimated remaining life of the target part based on the degree of deterioration of the physical property values ​​of the target part based on the physical property measurement information; and a remaining life determination unit that determines the remaining life of the target part based on the first estimated remaining life during a first period until the second estimated remaining life becomes longer than the first estimated remaining life. According to the remaining life determination system of configuration 1, the remaining life of parts used in a mobile body such as a vehicle can be appropriately determined, thereby contributing to determining the value of the mobile body.

[0069] (Configuration 2) The remaining life determination system according to Configuration 1, wherein the remaining life determination unit determines the life of the target component based on the second estimated remaining life during a second period after the second estimated remaining life becomes longer than the first estimated remaining life. In the remaining life determination system of configuration 2, the first estimated remaining life is determined according to the cumulative fatigue degree of the target component, which can be calculated relatively easily, and the second estimated remaining life is determined according to the degree of deterioration of the physical properties of the target component, which provides higher accuracy in determining the remaining life than the first estimated remaining life but requires more effort to measure. Therefore, by determining the remaining life based on the first index value until the remaining life based on the 21st index value becomes longer than the remaining life based on the first index value, and by determining the remaining life based on the second index value after the remaining life based on the first index value becomes longer than the remaining life based on the second index value, it is possible to maintain determination accuracy and efficiently determine the remaining life of the target component.

[0070] (Configuration 3) The remaining life determination system described in Configuration 2, wherein the load measurement information acquisition unit acquires the load measurement information by receiving the load measurement information transmitted from the mobile body at a first timing, the physical property measurement information acquisition unit acquires the physical property measurement information by receiving the physical property measurement information transmitted at a second timing from a measuring instrument that measured the physical property during maintenance of the mobile body, and the remaining life determination unit determines the remaining life of the target component during the second period from the previous second timing to the next second timing based on the second estimated remaining life recognized by the second estimated remaining life recognition unit at the previous second timing and the first estimated remaining life recognized by the first estimated remaining life recognition unit at each first timing. According to the remaining life determination system of configuration 3, at the second timing, the remaining life of the target part is accurately recognized based on the degree of deterioration of the physical properties, and until the next second timing, the remaining life of the target part can be updated and recognized using the first index value recognized based on the cumulative fatigue level each time the first timing occurs.

[0071] (Configuration 4) The remaining life determination system described in Configuration 3, wherein the remaining life determination unit determines the remaining life of the target component by correcting the first estimated remaining life recognized by the first estimated remaining life recognition unit at each first timing during the second period from the previous second timing to the next second timing, using the second estimated remaining life recognized by the second estimated remaining life recognition unit at the previous second timing. According to the remaining life determination system of configuration 4, by subtracting the reduction in the remaining life of the target part based on the first index value from the remaining life of the target part recognized based on the second index value, it is possible to determine the remaining life of the target part while maintaining the accuracy of the remaining life determination and quickly reflecting the usage status of the target part.

[0072] (Configuration 5) A remaining life determination system described in any one of configurations 1 to 4, wherein the moving body is equipped with a dummy test piece for measuring the physical property values ​​of the target component, and the physical property measurement information acquisition unit acquires the physical property measurement information indicating the measurement results of the physical property values ​​using the dummy test piece. According to the remaining life determination system of configuration 5, when it is difficult to measure the physical property values ​​of the target part, the physical property values ​​of the target part can be recognized using the physical property values ​​measured using a dummy test piece that is previously provided on the moving body.

[0073] (Configuration 6) A remaining life determination method executed by a computer to determine the remaining life of a target part provided on a moving body, the remaining life determination method including: a load measurement information acquisition step of acquiring load measurement information indicating the measurement results of the load applied to the target part when the moving body is in use; a first estimated remaining life recognition step of recognizing a first estimated remaining life of the target part depending on the cumulative fatigue level of the target part based on the load measurement information; a physical property measurement information acquisition step of acquiring physical property measurement information indicating the measurement results of the physical property values ​​of the target part; a second estimated remaining life recognition step of recognizing a second estimated remaining life of the target part depending on the degree of deterioration of the physical property values ​​of the target part based on the physical property measurement information; and a remaining life determination step of determining the remaining life of the target part based on the first estimated remaining life during a first period until the second estimated remaining life becomes longer than the first estimated remaining life. By executing the remaining life determination method of configuration 6 by a computer, the same effects as those of the remaining life determination system of configuration 1 can be obtained. [Explanation of symbols]

[0074] 1... remaining life determination system, 10... processor, 11... load measurement information acquisition unit, 12... first estimated remaining life recognition unit, 13... physical property measurement information acquisition unit, 14... second estimated remaining life recognition unit, 15... remaining life determination unit, 20... memory, 21... program, 22... load-fatigue map data, 23... physical property-estimated remaining life map data, 30... communication unit, 50... vehicle (mobile body), 51... ECU, 52... display, 53... target part, 60... user terminal, 70... measuring instrument, 100... car dealer, 101... store management system, 200... communication network, 210... vehicle manufacturer server, U... user, V... (car dealer) staff.

Claims

1. A remaining life determination system for determining a remaining life of a target part provided in a moving body, comprising: a load measurement information acquisition unit that acquires load measurement information indicating a measurement result of a load applied to the target part when the moving body is in use; a first estimated remaining life recognition unit that recognizes a first estimated remaining life of the target component according to a cumulative fatigue degree of the target component based on the load measurement information; a physical property measurement information acquisition unit that acquires physical property measurement information indicating measurement results of the physical property values ​​of the target part; a second estimated remaining life recognition unit that recognizes a second estimated remaining life of the target component according to a degree of deterioration of the physical property value of the target component based on the physical property measurement information; a remaining life determination unit that determines a remaining life of the target component based on the first estimated remaining life during a first period until the second estimated remaining life becomes longer than the first estimated remaining life; A remaining life determination system comprising:

2. The remaining life determination unit determines the life of the target component based on the second estimated remaining life during a second period after the second estimated remaining life becomes longer than the first estimated remaining life. The remaining life determination system according to claim 1 .

3. the load measurement information acquisition unit acquires the load measurement information by receiving the load measurement information transmitted from the mobile object at a first timing; the physical property measurement information acquisition unit acquires the physical property measurement information by receiving the physical property measurement information transmitted at a second timing from a measuring instrument that measured the physical property during maintenance of the moving body; The remaining life determination unit determines the remaining life of the target component during the second period, from the previous second timing to the next second timing, based on the second estimated remaining life recognized by the second estimated remaining life recognition unit at the previous second timing and the first estimated remaining life recognized by the first estimated remaining life recognition unit at each first timing. The remaining life determination system according to claim 2 .

4. The remaining life determination unit determines the remaining life of the target component by correcting the first estimated remaining life recognized by the first estimated remaining life recognition unit at each first timing during the second period from the previous second timing to the next second timing, using the second estimated remaining life recognized by the second estimated remaining life recognition unit at the previous second timing. The remaining life determination system according to claim 3 .

5. the moving body is provided with a dummy test piece for measuring the physical property value of the target part, The physical property measurement information acquisition unit acquires the physical property measurement information indicating the measurement results of the physical property values ​​using the dummy test piece. The remaining life determination system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. A remaining life determination method executed by a computer to determine the remaining life of a target part provided in a moving body, comprising: a load measurement information acquisition step of acquiring load measurement information indicating a measurement result of a load applied to the target part when the moving body is in use; a first estimated remaining life recognition step of recognizing a first estimated remaining life of the target component according to a cumulative fatigue degree of the target component based on the load measurement information; a physical property measurement information acquisition step of acquiring physical property measurement information indicating measurement results of the physical property values ​​of the target part; a second estimated remaining life recognition step of recognizing a second estimated remaining life of the target component according to a degree of deterioration of the physical property value of the target component based on the physical property measurement information; a remaining life determination step of determining a remaining life of the target component based on the first estimated remaining life during a first period until the second estimated remaining life becomes longer than the first estimated remaining life; A remaining life determination method including:

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