US 11,913,429 B2
System and method for slip detection and surface health monitoring in a slip coupling of a rotary shaft
Shahid Ali, Bangalore (IN); Rupam Mukherjee, Bangalore (IN); Jishnu Kavil Kambrath, Kannur (IN); Veena Padmarao, Bangalore (IN); Arvind Kumar Tiwari, Niskayuna, NY (US); Benjamin Simon Engels, Osnabrueck (DE); and Norman Arnold Turnquist, Carlisle, NY (US)
Assigned to General Electric Renovables Espana, S.L., Barcelona (ES)
Filed by General Electric Renovables Espana, S.L., Barcelona (ES)
Filed on Apr. 29, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/244,151.
Prior Publication US 2022/0349385 A1, Nov. 3, 2022
Int. Cl. F03D 17/00 (2016.01); F03D 7/04 (2006.01); F03D 15/00 (2016.01); H02P 9/10 (2006.01); H02P 101/15 (2016.01)
CPC F03D 17/00 (2016.05) [F03D 7/046 (2013.01); F03D 15/00 (2016.05); H02P 9/102 (2013.01); F05B 2220/706 (2013.01); F05B 2260/80 (2013.01); F05B 2270/303 (2013.01); F05B 2270/327 (2013.01); F05B 2270/331 (2013.01); F05B 2270/335 (2013.01); F16D 2300/18 (2013.01); H02P 2101/15 (2015.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for operating a drivetrain having a generator and a shaft, the shaft having a slip coupling mounted thereon, the method comprising:
receiving, via a controller, a time series of a plurality of operating signals of the generator, the plurality of operating signals comprising generator speed, generator current, and generator voltage;
applying at least one algorithm to the time series of the plurality of operating signals of the generator to generate a processed time series of the plurality of operating signals of the generator, wherein applying the at least one algorithm to the time series of the plurality of operating signals of the generator further comprises estimating an electromagnetic torque of the generator as a function of the generator speed, the generator current, and the generator voltage, estimating a shaft torque of the generator using the electromagnetic torque of the generator and the generator speed, and estimating a coupling torque of the generator using the shaft torque;
identifying, via the controller, patterns in the processed time series of the plurality of operating signals of the generator to identify either of a slip event occurring in the slip coupling or a surface health of the slip coupling; and
implementing, via the controller, a control action when the slip event occurring in the slip coupling is identified or the surface health of the slip coupling is indicative of degradation in the slip coupling,
wherein applying the at least one algorithm to the time series of the plurality of operating signals of the generator to generate the processed time series of the plurality of operating signals of the generator further comprises at least one of estimating a first derivative of the shaft torque of the generator or determining a second derivative of the generator speed.