Injector Mechanical Damage Monitoring via Gaussian Deviation Analysis

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for monitoring injectors in common rail systems are primarily reactive, leading to premature maintenance recommendations and inefficient spare part procurement, particularly due to poor fuel quality, and lack the ability to accurately identify the cause of mechanical damage.

Innovation Solution

A method that determines the target/actual deviation of an operating point from individual accumulator pressure, calculates a Gaussian normal distribution from multiple deviations, and compares it with predetermined damage patterns to identify wear causes, allowing for condition-based maintenance and adapted maintenance strategies.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If injector is replaced at fixed time interval or after malfunction identification, then maintenance is simple to implement, but maintenance occurs prematurely or too late causing loss of productivity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemaintenance implementation simplicityVSAvoidengine availability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary monitoring of injector operating parameters (start of injection, end of injection, injection duration) and calculates deviations from target values before actual failure occurs. By continuously tracking these parameters and comparing them against predefined tolerance ranges, the system enables condition-based maintenance that replaces injectors based on actual wear state rather than fixed intervals, thereby maintaining engine availability while avoiding premature replacements

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Difficulty of detecting and measuring

If injector is monitored using target/actual deviation comparison with tolerance range, then fault detection is straightforward, but cause of error cannot be identified leading to unnecessary replacements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefault detection simplicityVSAvoiderror cause identification
Core Design Contradiction:
Difficulty of detecting and measuringVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the analysis by creating separate evaluation tracks for different failure modes: mechanical damage detection through start/end of injection deviation analysis, and wear cause identification through injection duration deviation analysis. By dividing the monitoring into distinct parameter groups with specific evaluation criteria, the system can identify whether deviations are caused by mechanical damage, wear, or poor fuel quality, thereby providing actionable diagnostic information without increasing overall system complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Measurement precision

If Gaussian normal distribution is used to assess injector state, then statistical analysis is applied, but poor fuel quality causes premature maintenance recommendations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinjector state assessment precisionVSAvoidmaintenance recommendation accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies different evaluation criteria to different parameter deviations: start of injection and end of injection deviations are evaluated for mechanical damage detection, while injection duration deviations are specifically evaluated for wear cause identification. By applying localized evaluation rules to specific parameter groups rather than treating all deviations uniformly, the system distinguishes between wear caused by mechanical issues versus wear caused by poor fuel quality, thereby improving the reliability of maintenance recommendations

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3976952B1Method for monitoring an injector for mechanical damage
Publication Date: 2023.07.05 ROLLS ROYCE SOLUTIONS GMBH
  • EP3976952B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3976952B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2B
  • EP3976952B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for monitoring an injector (7) for mechanical damage, in which: a target-actual deviation of an operating point of the injection is determined from an individual accumulator pressure (pE); an abstraction function, in particular a Gaussian normal distribution, is calculated from a plurality of target-actual deviations of the operating points; the abstraction function is compared with a specified damage pattern; a cause of wear is assigned on the basis of the comparison; and the continued operation of the injector (7) takes place on the basis of the comparison.