Brake Performance Monitoring With Parasitic Loss Correction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for monitoring brake performance in machines lack accuracy and reliability, particularly in accounting for parasitic losses such as windage and rolling resistance, which affect deceleration during brake engagement.

Innovation Solution

A system and method that detect brake engagement, measure parasitic losses, and use predicted deceleration based on these losses to determine brake performance, incorporating oil temperature to estimate windage loss and accounting for rolling resistance, while filtering out data from skid events to improve accuracy.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If traditional brake performance monitoring methods are used (visual checks, basic deceleration measurement), then the monitoring process is simple, but the accuracy and reliability of brake performance determination is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebrake performance measurement accuracyVSAvoidmonitoring system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces traditional mechanical/visual inspection methods with an electronic control system that automatically measures multiple parameters (brake pressure, deceleration, temperature, speed) and calculates brake performance using processed data, thereby improving measurement accuracy while managing system complexity through automation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The control system acts as an intermediary between various sensors (brake pressure sensor, deceleration sensor, temperature sensor, speed sensor) and the brake performance evaluation, processing and integrating data from multiple sources to provide accurate brake performance determination

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If parasitic losses (windage, rolling resistance) are not accounted for in deceleration measurements, then the calculation is simpler, but the brake performance determination becomes less accurate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebrake performance measurement accuracyVSAvoidcalculation complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and separately measures parasitic loss components (windage loss based on oil temperature, rolling resistance based on deceleration sensor data) from the total deceleration measurement, then subtracts these from the measured deceleration to isolate the brake system's actual performance contribution

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the parameter set used in brake performance calculation by incorporating temperature-dependent windage loss models and rolling resistance corrections, transforming the simple deceleration measurement into a corrected brake performance metric that accounts for environmental and operational variables

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If all deceleration data is used for brake performance evaluation, then more data is available for analysis, but data from skid events contaminates the results and reduces reliability

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebrake performance determination reliabilityVSAvoiddata processing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The control system continuously monitors wheel speed and deceleration data, compares actual deceleration against expected values, and uses this feedback to identify skid events, automatically filtering out contaminated data points to maintain reliable brake performance evaluation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary analysis of deceleration data to identify and flag potential skid events before they contaminate the brake performance calculation, using pre-established criteria (such as deceleration thresholds or wheel speed patterns) to prevent inclusion of invalid data

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Enhances the accuracy and reliability of brake performance monitoring by accounting for additional decelerating forces, providing timely alerts and more precise maintenance scheduling, and identifying potential issues before they impact performance.

Implementation Method 1

the parasitic loss comprises an estimated windage loss in the machine during the brake engagement; and the estimated windage is determined from an oil temperature of oil lubricating a rotating component of the machine

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectWindage loss: Drag

Data Source

PatentEP3883831B1Monitoring machine brake performance
Publication Date: 2023.12.27 CATERPILLAR SARL
  • EP3883831B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3883831B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3883831B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Monitoring the brake performance of a brake system (18) of a machine (11) and a control system (20) for performing such monitoring. The machine's brake system (18) is monitored by detecting a brake engagement for decelerating the machine (11). When a brake engagement is detected, a parasitic loss decelerating the machine (11) during the brake engagement is determined. The parasitic loss is used to predict deceleration of the machine (11) during the brake engagement. Brake performance (BP) of the brake system (18) of the machine (11) is processed from the predicted deceleration (PD).