Crankcase Pressure Monitoring via Dynamic Setpoint Adjustment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Internal combustion engines face damage due to sudden crankcase pressure increases, which existing monitoring systems struggle to accurately detect and prevent, balancing the need to avoid unnecessary shutdowns and ensure protection against damage.

Innovation Solution

Defining and dynamically adjusting setpoint pressure values for various operating points of the engine, using a control device that filters and processes pressure information to adapt to changing engine conditions, ensuring precise monitoring and early detection of pressure changes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a fixed threshold value is used for crankcase pressure monitoring, then the monitoring system is simple to operate, but it cannot adapt to changing engine conditions and may cause unnecessary shutdowns or fail to detect actual faults

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefault detection accuracyVSAvoidmonitoring system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic threshold adjustment by continuously adapting the reference pressure value based on actual engine operating conditions. The system transitions from a fixed threshold to a dynamic threshold that automatically adjusts according to measured crankcase pressure variations across different operating points, thereby improving fault detection accuracy while maintaining system simplicity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The monitoring system performs self-adjustment by automatically learning and adapting to engine characteristics during normal operation. The control device continuously monitors crankcase pressure and autonomously updates the reference value without requiring external intervention or complex configuration, enabling the system to serve itself in adapting to changing conditions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the threshold value is set low to ensure engine protection, then damage prevention is improved, but unnecessary engine shutdowns increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveengine damage protectionVSAvoidengine availability

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system establishes a feedback loop where the measured crankcase pressure is continuously compared with the dynamically adjusted reference value. This feedback mechanism allows the system to learn from actual operating conditions and adjust the threshold accordingly, ensuring that the protection level is appropriate for each operating point and reducing false alarms that would otherwise require low threshold settings

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the reference pressure parameter dynamically based on operating conditions rather than using a fixed value. By adjusting this key parameter according to measured pressure variations across different engine operating points, the system achieves better discrimination between normal pressure fluctuations and actual fault conditions, thereby maintaining engine availability while ensuring protection

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Productivity

If the threshold value is set high to avoid unnecessary shutdowns, then engine availability is improved, but damage protection is compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveengine availabilityVSAvoidengine damage protection

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts the reference pressure value upward or downward based on actual operating conditions, allowing the threshold to be high enough to avoid unnecessary shutdowns during normal operation while automatically lowering when actual fault conditions are detected, thus resolving the contradiction between availability and protection

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

4Ease of manufacture

If a single threshold value is used for all operating points, then the monitoring system is simple to implement, but it cannot account for pressure variations across different engine operating conditions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem implementation simplicityVSAvoidpressure monitoring accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The monitoring system automatically adapts to different operating points by continuously measuring crankcase pressure and autonomously updating the reference value for each operating condition. This self-service approach maintains implementation simplicity while achieving high measurement precision across the entire operating range without requiring complex pre-programming

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS10221797B2Method and control device for monitoring pressure in a crankcase

Publication Date: 2019.03.05 ROLLS ROYCE SOLUTIONS GMBH

AI summary

A method and a control device for monitoring the pressure in a crankcase of an internal combustion engine. The desired values for the pressure in the crankcase are defined for a plurality of operating points of the internal combustion engine. Furthermore, at least one of the defined desired pressure values is modified during operation of the internal combustion engine.