Intelligent Stationary Power Equipment Remote Diagnostics

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Solution Overview

Problem

Stationary power equipment in remote locations faces challenges with costly and time-consuming maintenance due to the need for frequent site visits to diagnose and repair malfunctions, often without access to necessary parts or technical manuals, and potential for serious damage from undetected errors between visits.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of intelligent stationary power equipment that collects operational data, such as temperature, voltage, and torque, and stores it in a data storage device, allowing for remote diagnostics via a data transmission network, enabling self-diagnosis, notification of errors, and execution of corrective actions using machine-executable instructions, with the option to retrieve needed information or parts from a remote site.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If regular site visits and scheduled checks are performed to detect malfunctions, then reliability is improved, but loss of time and loss of money increase due to costly and time-consuming technician visits

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveequipment reliabilityVSAvoidmaintenance time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The power equipment performs self-diagnostics by automatically collecting operational data through sensors and processing it with embedded logic to identify malfunctions, eliminating the need for continuous technician monitoring and reducing site visit frequency while maintaining reliable detection

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously monitors operational parameters through sensors and provides real-time feedback about equipment status, enabling immediate detection of malfunctions and automatic notification to technicians, thereby reducing the need for frequent physical inspections

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Measurement precision

If technicians perform comprehensive tests to identify errors and causes, then measurement precision is improved, but loss of time increases due to long diagnostic procedures

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveerror detection precisionVSAvoiddiagnostic time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system continuously collects and pre-processes operational data through sensors and embedded logic before malfunctions occur, maintaining a ready state that enables immediate and accurate error identification without requiring time-consuming tests when problems arise

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Manual diagnostic procedures performed by technicians are replaced with automated electronic sensing and data processing systems that continuously monitor operational parameters and automatically identify malfunctions, achieving both high precision and speed

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Ease of repair

If replacement parts and technical manuals are kept at the site for immediate repair, then ease of repair is improved, but device complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverepair accessibilityVSAvoidsite inventory complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of repairVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A communication interface and data transmission system serve as intermediaries between the remote power equipment and the technician, enabling electronic exchange of diagnostic data, error codes, and technical information that replaces the need for physical parts and manuals at the site

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

Technical manuals and diagnostic information are transmitted electronically to the technician or displayed locally through the communication interface, creating a digital copy of the knowledge that would otherwise require physical manuals and parts inventory

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

4Ease of operation

If self-diagnostic capacities are added to the power equipment, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional sensors and data processing components

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveself-diagnosis capabilityVSAvoidequipment complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The microprocessor and data processing system serve multiple functions including controlling power generation operations, processing sensor data, performing self-diagnostics, and communicating with technicians, thereby achieving self-diagnostic capability without proportionally increasing complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS7603586B1Intelligent stationary power equipment and diagnostics

Publication Date: 2009.10.13 SNAP ON INC

AI summary

Stationary power equipment including a sensing device configured to collect data associated with an operation of the equipment, and a data storage device configured for storing the collected data. Information derived from the collected data may be transmitted to a remote system via a data transmission network, or be downloaded to a data storage medium or a diagnostic device. An operation condition of the stationary power equipment is determined based on the information. Responsive to the operation condition, the power equipment receives data that is selected based on the operation condition, and modifies an operation of the power equipment based on the received data.