Drivetrain Failure Detection in Materials Handling Vehicles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Materials handling vehicles with regenerative braking systems face issues due to mechanical interconnecting joints becoming loose or failing, affecting braking and handling characteristics, as existing monitoring systems fail to accurately detect such failures in real-time and differentiate them from external anomalies.
Innovation Solution
A dynamic monitoring system that observes and analyzes operating parameters to detect potential drivetrain failures, followed by a static test to confirm the failure, restricting vehicle operability if a failure is confirmed, ensuring safe operation by preventing unintentional use of a defective vehicle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If dynamic monitoring of operating parameters is implemented to detect drivetrain failures, then detection capability is improved, but false detections from external anomalies cannot be differentiated
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs a static test before allowing vehicle operation to proactively identify drivetrain failures. This preliminary detection prevents false operation and ensures that any mechanical decoupling is detected before it causes safety issues or operational problems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors operating parameters during vehicle operation and uses this feedback to detect changes indicating drivetrain failure. The monitoring system compares actual performance against expected patterns to identify anomalies that suggest mechanical decoupling.
2Reliability
If the vehicle is restricted from operation when drivetrain failure is detected, then safety is improved, but productivity is reduced due to vehicle downtime
Solution Approach 1:
The static test is performed before vehicle operation to identify and address potential failures in advance. By detecting issues before they affect safety or performance, the system prevents unnecessary vehicle downtime while maintaining safety standards.
3Measurement precision
If a static test is performed to confirm dynamic detection, then measurement precision is improved, but loss of time occurs during the testing process
Solution Approach 1:
The static test is conducted as a brief preliminary verification before full vehicle operation begins. This quick confirmation test minimizes time loss while ensuring accurate detection of drivetrain failures, preventing longer downtime that would result from undetected failures during operation.
Data Source
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Figure 3
Figure 4A~4B
AI summary
A plurality of industrial vehicle operating parameters are observed and evaluated to monitor drivetrain(s) of the vehicle to determine whether a traction motor has become decoupled from its drivetrain, i.e., a dynamic gearbox failure. Determining whether a drivetrain failure has occurred comprises determining if the actual speed of an inside traction motor is greater than the expected speed based on a detected steer angle and speed of an outside traction motor. If a dynamic gearbox failure is detected, a static test may be performed while the vehicle is stopped to confirm the failure. Drive capabilities of the vehicle may be restricted if the dynamic gearbox failure is confirmed by the static test while full drive capabilities are enabled if not. Methods and corresponding vehicles and systems are disclosed.