Hydraulic Oil Condition Sensing for Real-Time Failure Prediction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing hydraulic oil deterioration assessment technologies require equipment shutdown for sampling, limiting frequent evaluations and failing to predict equipment failures, thus impacting productivity and maintenance accuracy.

Innovation Solution

A failure prediction system comprising an oil condition sensor, a parameter calculator, and a failure prediction determiner that processes sensor data in real-time to calculate hydraulic oil parameters and predict equipment failures, providing timely maintenance alerts.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of time

If hydraulic oil is collected while the equipment is in use, then the determination time is reduced, but equipment operation must be stopped which affects productivity and work efficiency

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedetermination timeVSAvoidproductivity and work efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical sampling process (which requires stopping equipment to collect oil samples) with an optical detection system. The oil condition sensor uses light absorption characteristics to measure hydraulic oil condition parameters continuously without physical contact, eliminating the need to stop equipment for sampling while maintaining accurate deterioration assessment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an oil condition sensor as an intermediary device that indirectly measures hydraulic oil deterioration through light absorption characteristics. This intermediary approach allows continuous monitoring without direct physical sampling, thus avoiding equipment shutdown while still obtaining accurate oil condition data

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If hydraulic oil is collected while the equipment is in use, then real-time monitoring is possible, but frequent evaluation cannot be performed making predictive maintenance inaccurate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepredictive maintenance accuracyVSAvoidevaluation frequency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements continuous monitoring of hydraulic oil condition by maintaining constant operation of the oil condition sensor. The sensor continuously measures light absorption characteristics, enabling frequent evaluations without interrupting equipment operation, thus improving predictive maintenance accuracy through timely detection of oil deterioration trends

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent establishes a feedback mechanism where the oil condition sensor continuously monitors hydraulic oil parameters and provides real-time data to the control unit. This feedback loop enables frequent evaluations and timely detection of deterioration trends, improving the accuracy of predictive maintenance decisions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Loss of information

If only hydraulic oil deterioration is estimated, then oil condition is known, but equipment failure prediction is not provided

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefailure prediction informationVSAvoidsystem functionality

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent makes the oil condition sensor and control unit perform multiple functions: they not only measure hydraulic oil deterioration parameters but also analyze the relationship between oil condition and equipment operation to predict equipment failure. This multi-functionality eliminates information loss about failure prediction without significantly increasing system complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent combines the oil condition monitoring function with the equipment failure prediction function into a single integrated system. The control unit processes both oil deterioration data and operational data together to generate comprehensive failure predictions, merging multiple functions without adding separate complex subsystems

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS12130250B2Failure prediction system

Publication Date: 2024.10.29 KYB CORP

AI summary

A technique involves outputting not only the condition of hydraulic oil but also information on failure prediction of equipment by processing in real time. Such a technique utilizes an oil condition sensor attached to the equipment, a parameter calculator that calculates the values of a plurality of parameters indicating the state of the hydraulic oil based on the sensor output of the oil condition sensor and correlation information between the sensor output and the values of a plurality of parameters indicating the state of the hydraulic oil, and failure prediction determiner that predicts equipment failures based on parameter values and identifies and outputs parameters that are inferred as the cause of the failure prediction, and outputs not only the condition of hydraulic oil but also information on failure prediction of the equipment by processing in real time.