Cooling Component Life Prediction via Thermal Strain Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cooling components in machines subjected to thermal stress face challenges in predicting their remaining useful life due to the difficulty in determining temperature differences within the components, which is more complex than pressure or acceleration, leading to unexpected failures and downtime.
Innovation Solution
A system and method utilizing a power output sensor and controller to perform thermal strain analysis, determining power output, temperature, temperature differences, and thermal strain at multiple analysis locations, and calculating accumulated damage to predict the remaining useful life of cooling components connected to a prime mover.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If thermal strain analysis is performed to predict remaining useful life of cooling components, then reliability of prediction is improved, but device complexity increases due to multiple analysis locations and thermal strain calculations
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling component is divided into multiple spaced-apart analysis locations along its length. Temperature differences are calculated between these segmented locations to determine thermal strain at each position, enabling comprehensive damage accumulation analysis without requiring a single complex measurement system
Solution Approach 2:
Power output measurements serve as an intermediary parameter to indirectly determine thermal strain and temperature differences within the cooling component. Instead of directly measuring temperature at multiple points, the system uses power output as a mediator that correlates to thermal conditions, simplifying the measurement approach while maintaining prediction reliability
2Measurement precision
If temperature measurements are taken at multiple analysis locations to determine thermal strain, then measurement precision is improved, but difficulty of detecting and measuring increases due to complexity of temperature determination
Solution Approach 1:
Power output serves as an intermediary measurement that indirectly provides information about temperature differences and thermal strain within the cooling component. This approach achieves precise thermal strain determination without the practical difficulties of direct multi-point temperature measurement
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces direct thermal measurement methods with mechanical/power-based measurement. By measuring power output and using it to calculate thermal parameters, the system avoids the complexity of direct temperature sensing while maintaining measurement precision
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
The system effectively predicts the remaining useful life of cooling components, enabling proactive maintenance and reducing unexpected downtime by accurately assessing thermal strain and damage over time.
Implementation Method 1
Operation of the machines, and the resulting generation of heat, causes temperature differences along and within the cooling components. The temperature differences along and within the cooling components cause thermal stress on the components.
Implementation Method 2
determining a thermal strain for each of the at least some of the plurality of analysis locations based upon the temperature difference
Data Source
AI summary
A system for determining a remaining useful life of a cooling component operatively connected to a prime mover. A controller performs a thermal strain analysis that includes determining the power output of the prime mover based upon sensor signals, determining a temperature output of the prime mover based upon the power output, determining a temperature at each of the plurality of analysis locations based upon the temperature output, determining a temperature difference based upon the temperature at each respective one of the plurality of analysis locations, and determining a thermal strain based upon the temperature difference. The controller repeats the thermal strain analysis at time intervals over a period of time, determines an accumulated damage for the cooling component based upon the thermal strain from each thermal strain analysis, and determines a remaining useful life of the cooling component based upon the material characteristics and the accumulated damage.