US 11,840,826 B1
Hydraulic health system
Adam Martin Nackers, Washington, IL (US); Christopher Michael Ruemelin, Morton, IL (US); Steven D. Spencer, Germantown Hills, IL (US); and Rustin Glenn Metzger, Carlock, IL (US)
Assigned to Caterpillar SARL, Geneva (CH)
Filed by Caterpillar SARL, Geneva (CH)
Filed on Nov. 21, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/991,215.
Int. Cl. E02F 9/26 (2006.01); E02F 9/24 (2006.01); E02F 9/22 (2006.01)
CPC E02F 9/24 (2013.01) [E02F 9/2292 (2013.01); E02F 9/2296 (2013.01); E02F 9/265 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for determining a health status of a hydraulic system disposed on a machine, the machine including a body and an attachment disposed on the body, the body including a pivotable upper frame, the attachment including one or more members, the method comprising:
receiving a request to determine a health status of a hydraulic system disposed on a machine, the hydraulic system including a plurality of components, the plurality of components including one or more hydraulic cylinders, one or more pumps, one or more valves, each pump in fluid communication with at least one hydraulic cylinder of the one or more hydraulic cylinders and/or at least one valve, at least one hydraulic cylinder of the one or more hydraulic cylinders coupled to and configured to actuate movement of at least one member of the one or more members disposed on the machine, the member comprising a boom, a stick or a bucket;
in response to the request, automatically conducting a health test and determine the health status, the health test including:
moving at least one member of the one or more members or the upper frame from a starting position to one or more test positions;
receiving information indicative of one or more measurements associated with the moving;
determining from the information one or more parameters, the one or more parameters including one or more pump flows, one or more swing flows, one or more cylinder flows, one or more pump pressures, one or more hydraulic cylinder lengths, one or more hydraulic cylinder head end pressures, or one or more hydraulic cylinder rod end pressures;
comparing each parameter to a check range or value;
determining for one or more components of the hydraulic system a pump volumetric efficiency, a pump status, a main control valve leakage status, an in-line relief valve leakage status, a cylinder drift status or a cylinder seal leak status; and
if the pump status, the main control valve leakage status, the in-line relief valve leakage status, the cylinder drift status or the cylinder seal leak status associated with the component is currently failing, predicted to fail or out of specification, identifying the component as service-needed on an output member or activating an alarm of an output member,
wherein the attachment includes a first member, a second member and a third member, the first member the boom, the second member the bucket, the bucket coupled to the stick, the third member the stick,
wherein the moving, of the at least one member of the one or more members or the upper frame, from the starting position to the one or more test positions includes one or more of:
(a) swinging the upper frame;
(b) raising the boom;
(c) moving the stick inward or outward;
(d) dumping the bucket; or
(e) curling the bucket;
wherein the one or more parameters includes:
(a) if the swinging, a pump flow and a swing motor flow during the swinging;
(b) if the raising, a boom-up pump flow and a boom cylinder flow during the raising of the boom;
(c) if the moving of the stick, a stick pump flow and a stick cylinder flow during the moving;
(d) if the dumping, a bucket-dump pump flow and a bucket-dump cylinder flow during the dumping; and
(e) if the curling, a bucket-curl pump flow and a bucket-curl cylinder flow during the curling.