Relay Contact Bounce Monitoring for Deterioration Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for predicting relay failure, such as diagnosing relay life based on operating time, face challenges in accuracy due to individual differences in relay performance, making it difficult to determine whether a relay has deteriorated.
Innovation Solution
A relay state determination device that acquires voltage values between contacts and measures contact bounce time after an ON instruction, comparing this with a set time threshold to determine relay deterioration, allowing for accurate assessment of relay condition.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If relay life is diagnosed based on operating time, then the diagnosis process is simple, but the accuracy is low due to individual differences in relay performance
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the diagnostic parameter from operating time to contact bounce time. By measuring the temporal change in voltage values after an ON instruction and calculating the contact bounce time, the system achieves more accurate relay deterioration determination that accounts for individual relay performance differences, while maintaining operational simplicity through automated measurement and comparison with threshold values.
2Measurement precision
If contact bounce time is measured to determine relay deterioration, then determination accuracy is improved, but measurement complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The measurement system utilizes the relay's own operational characteristics (contact bounce) to perform self-diagnosis. By monitoring the voltage temporal change during the relay's natural operation and automatically calculating the contact bounce time, the system achieves accurate deterioration detection without requiring external complex testing equipment or manual procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by comparing the measured contact bounce time with pre-stored threshold values. This feedback mechanism enables automated determination of relay deterioration status, where the comparison result can trigger appropriate responses, thereby managing measurement complexity through intelligent decision-making rather than complex hardware.
3Ease of operation
If a fixed time threshold is used for determining relay deterioration, then the determination process is simple, but adaptability to different usage states is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The invention transitions from a static fixed threshold to a dynamic adaptable threshold system. The time threshold can be adjusted based on different usage states, relay types, and operational conditions. This dynamic approach maintains determination process simplicity through automated threshold selection while improving adaptability to various usage scenarios and relay characteristics.
Data Source
AI summary
A relay state determination device includes a voltage value acquisition unit, a contact bounce time acquisition unit, and a state determination unit. The voltage value acquisition unit acquires a voltage value between one pair of contacts mutually opened and closed in a relay. The contact bounce time acquisition unit obtains a contact bounce time indicated by the one pair of contacts based on the temporal change in the voltage value after the ON instruction to the relay. The state determination unit compares the contact bounce time with a time threshold value to determine whether or not the relay 4 has deteriorated.