Patents by Inventor Yanchai Zhang
Yanchai Zhang has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 10473008Abstract: A system and method for activating on a user interface an indicator of a condition of a lubricant in a machine module. The system may comprise a controller and a user interface. The controller may be configured to, for each of a first time window and a second time window: receive a plurality of lubricant characteristics and measured lubricant temperatures, calculate an adjusted lubricant characteristic, and determine a slope based on the plurality of adjusted lubricant characteristics. The controller may further determine a change in slope, and generate a signal to activate the indicator on the user interface based on the change in slope, wherein, if the change in slope exceeds a threshold, the indicator is a lubricant changed indicator.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2017Date of Patent: November 12, 2019Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.Inventors: Yanchai Zhang, Venkata Dandibhotla, Kyle Brent Walton, John J. Krone
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Patent number: 10458352Abstract: A control system for an engine includes an operational data sensor generating signals indicative of operational data of the engine and a controller communicably coupled with the engine and the operational data sensor. The controller operates the engine based on operational parameters defined by a baseline engine model. The controller receives the signals indicative of the operational data of the engine, and generates a dynamic engine model which defines at least one operational parameter of the engine based on the received operational data of the engine. The controller compares the baseline engine model to the dynamic engine model. The controller determines a difference between the baseline engine model and the dynamic engine model based on the comparison. The controller compares the determined difference to a threshold difference value and operates the engine based on the dynamic engine model, if the determined difference exceeds the threshold difference value.Type: GrantFiled: September 19, 2017Date of Patent: October 29, 2019Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.Inventors: Yanchai Zhang, Perry Dwain Converse, Michael Andrew Snopko
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Publication number: 20190316496Abstract: Some examples described herein may involve determining an advance timing window between the valve opening or closing and a designated time that the valve is scheduled to open or close; determining a closing velocity of the valve; monitoring an engine speed of the engine; determining valve lash information based on the advance timing window, the closing velocity, and the engine speed, wherein the valve lash information identifies a magnitude of the valve lash or whether the magnitude of the valve lash associated with the valve satisfies a threshold; and performing an action based on the valve lash information.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 13, 2018Publication date: October 17, 2019Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.Inventors: Yanchai ZHANG, Zhaoxu DONG, Arun RAJENDRAN, Yifeng LU, Xuefei HU, Lidi CHEN, Rodney D. HARMS
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Patent number: 10415348Abstract: A hydraulic fracturing system comprises a plurality of hydraulic fracturing rigs. Each hydraulic fracturing rig includes an engine, a transmission, and a hydraulic fracturing pump. A driveshaft is coupled between the transmission and the hydraulic fracturing pump to transfer torque from the engine to the hydraulic fracturing pump. The hydraulic fracturing system also includes a fuel consumption data for each hydraulic fracturing rig, and a controller. The controller is programmed to receive a total pump flow and pressure request, and identify a pump flow distribution for each hydraulic fracturing rig of the plurality of hydraulic fracturing rigs based on the total pump flow and pressure request and the fuel consumption data.Type: GrantFiled: May 2, 2017Date of Patent: September 17, 2019Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.Inventors: Yanchai Zhang, Maurice Dust
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Patent number: 10385841Abstract: A pump monitoring and notification system for a hydraulic pump includes a transmission speed sensor and a controller. The transmission speed sensor is associated with a transmission connected to the pump to determine an output speed of the transmission. The controller is configured to access a transmission threshold, access a time threshold, and determine a rotational speed of the transmission based upon the transmission speed sensor. The controller is further configured to determine a variation in rotational speed of the transmission based upon the rotational speed, compare the variation in rotational speed of the transmission to the transmission threshold, and generate an alert signal when the variation in rotational speed of the transmission exceeds the transmission threshold for a time period exceeding the time threshold.Type: GrantFiled: February 9, 2017Date of Patent: August 20, 2019Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.Inventors: Yanchai Zhang, Vijay Janardhan, Jason Weber, Venkata Dandibhotla
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Patent number: 10378537Abstract: A method for detecting a leak in a pump comprises: monitoring discharge pressure time domain signals of the pump; monitoring piston position time domain signals for each piston of a plurality of pistons; filtering the monitored discharge pressure time domain signals and the monitored piston position time domain signals of each piston of the plurality of pistons via a band pass filter; determining, at each pump revolution for each piston, a sum of product of the filtered discharge pressure time domain signals and the filtered piston position time domain signals; determine, at each pump revolution for each piston, an absolute value of each sum; determining, at each pump revolution, a largest absolute value of the determined absolute values; determining a corresponding piston of the plurality of pistons associated with the largest absolute value; and determining a cylinder of the pump associated with the determined corresponding piston as leaking.Type: GrantFiled: October 6, 2016Date of Patent: August 13, 2019Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.Inventors: Yanchai Zhang, Venkata Bhagavathi Dandibhotla, Zhijun Cai, Zhaoxu Dong, Xuefei Hu
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Publication number: 20190195097Abstract: A system and method for activating on a user interface an indicator of a condition of a lubricant in a machine module. The system may comprise a controller and a user interface. The controller may be configured to, for each of a first time window and a second time window: receive a plurality of lubricant characteristics and measured lubricant temperatures, calculate an adjusted lubricant characteristic, and determine a slope based on the plurality of adjusted lubricant characteristics. The controller may further determine a change in slope, and generate a signal to activate the indicator on the user interface based on the change in slope, wherein, if the change in slope exceeds a threshold, the indicator is a lubricant changed indicator.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 22, 2017Publication date: June 27, 2019Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.Inventors: Yanchai Zhang, Venkata Dandibhotla, Kyle Brent Walton, John J. Krone
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Publication number: 20190195292Abstract: Methods and apparatus for predicting clutch local peak temperatures in real time and controlling engagement of a friction clutch are disclosed. The clutch local peak temperature prediction can take into account machine operating parameters such as clutch control current, clutch shaft speed and clutch load to determine clutch local peak temperatures at hot spots within the friction clutch. A thermal-mechanical finite element analysis model may be developed for the friction clutch and used to generate a surrogate model of the friction clutch that can be used by an electronic control module of the machine to predict the local peak temperature of the friction clutch in real time and control engagement and disengagement of the friction clutch to maintain the local peak temperature below a critical peak temperature above which damage to the components of the friction clutch may occur.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 22, 2017Publication date: June 27, 2019Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.Inventors: Chunhui Pan, James Grant Cotner, Xuefei Hu, Zhaoxu Dong, Yong Sun, Yanchai Zhang
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Patent number: 10247182Abstract: A pumping system for use in a well stimulation application includes a pump controlled by a controller, the controller operating to monitor operation of the pump and determine when cavitation is present or imminent in the pump. When cavitation is present, the controller automatically adjusts an operating condition of the pump reduce pump speed or increase a fluid pressure at the pump inlet.Type: GrantFiled: February 4, 2016Date of Patent: April 2, 2019Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.Inventors: Yanchai Zhang, Zhaoxu Dong, Xuefei Hu
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Publication number: 20190085781Abstract: A control system for an engine includes an operational data sensor generating signals indicative of operational data of the engine and a controller communicably coupled with the engine and the operational data sensor. The controller operates the engine based on operational parameters defined by a baseline engine model. The controller receives the signals indicative of the operational data of the engine, and generates a dynamic engine model which defines at least one operational parameter of the engine based on the received operational data of the engine. The controller compares the baseline engine model to the dynamic engine model. The controller determines a difference between the baseline engine model and the dynamic engine model based on the comparison. The controller compares the determined difference to a threshold difference value and operates the engine based on the dynamic engine model, if the determined difference exceeds the threshold difference value.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 19, 2017Publication date: March 21, 2019Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.Inventors: Yanchai Zhang, Perry Dwain Converse, Michael Andrew Snopko
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Publication number: 20190052093Abstract: A maintenance optimization control system for load sharing between includes a first engine having an associated first criteria, a second engine having an associated second criteria, and a load having a steady component and a transient component. The control system includes a controller communicably coupled to the first engine, the second engine and the load. The controller selects an engine from the first engine and the second engine based at least on the first criteria and the second criteria. The controller distributes the load between the first engine and the second engine such that only the selected engine is operated under transient component of the load.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 14, 2017Publication date: February 14, 2019Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.Inventors: Perry Dwain Converse, Robin Ernest de Ruiter, Theodore Ernest Wiersema, III, Yanchai Zhang
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Publication number: 20190033171Abstract: A system for detecting wear or failure of a genset coupling of a genset power system is provided. The system includes a vibration sensor for measuring vibrations, and an additional sensor for measuring an operating condition. A controller is configured to process operating condition data from the additional sensor using a modeling software to generate simulated data. The controller applies time domain information of at least one of the simulated data and vibration sensor data to the modeling software using a machine learning algorithm, and perform a comparison to identify wear or failure of the coupling, wherein, when performing the comparison, the controller compares at least one of: time domain information of the vibration sensor data to time domain information of the simulated data or frequency domain information of the vibration sensor data to frequency domain information of the simulated data, to identify wear or failure of the coupling.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 26, 2017Publication date: January 31, 2019Inventors: Yanchai Zhang, Maurice Dust, Perry D Converse, Xuefei Hu, Yong Sun
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Publication number: 20190033843Abstract: A system for detecting an abnormal operating condition of a component of a genset power system, which includes an engine drivingly coupled to a generator, is provided. The system also includes at least one vibration sensor configured to measure vibrations of the genset power system, and a controller. The controller is programmed to receive vibration sensor data from the vibration sensor, and process the vibration sensor data using a modeling software to generate simulated data. The simulated data is filtered using frequency-based filtering to obtain filtered data, and frequency domain information of the filtered data is compared to threshold data to identify the abnormal operating condition of the component.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 26, 2017Publication date: January 31, 2019Inventors: Yanchai Zhang, Maurice Dust, Perry D Converse, Xuefei Hu, Zhaoxu Dong, Yong Sun
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Patent number: 10190582Abstract: A system for monitoring a pump, while the pump operates at a worksite, is disclosed. The system includes one or more sensors, wherein each of the one or more sensors is associated with the pump and is configured to collect high frequency data associated with the pump. The system further includes a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) controller configured to receive the high frequency data from the one or more sensors and is also configured to generate low frequency data based on the high frequency data. The system further includes a low frequency controller configured to receive the low frequency data from the FPGA controller and configured to transmit the low frequency data to a monitor.Type: GrantFiled: October 28, 2015Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.Inventors: Yanchai Zhang, Vijay Janardhan, Maurice Dust
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Publication number: 20190017900Abstract: A system for commissioning a machine such as an internal combustion engine includes commissioning probes, and a user interface having a computer receiving test data from the commissioning probes. The computer is structured to store a commissioning profile for the machine on a memory, and to populate the commissioning profile based on a compensation factor that depends on a difference between a performance response of ancillary equipment connected with the machine and an expected response. The computer outputs a commissioning suitability signal based on comparing the commissioning profile to a target profile.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 11, 2017Publication date: January 17, 2019Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.Inventors: Perry Converse, Michael Coppinger, Yanchai Zhang
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Patent number: 10134257Abstract: Operating a pumping system includes moving a pumping element to transition liquid through the pump, and determining a value based at least in part upon inlet pressure and pumping speed that is indicative of a pressure of the liquid within a bore susceptible to cavitation. Pumping speed and/or inlet pressure can be varied responsive to the determined value to limit cavitation.Type: GrantFiled: August 5, 2016Date of Patent: November 20, 2018Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.Inventors: Yanchai Zhang, Zhaoxu Dong, Xuefei Hu
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Publication number: 20180320483Abstract: A hydraulic fracturing system comprises a plurality of hydraulic fracturing rigs. Each hydraulic fracturing rig includes an engine, a transmission, and a hydraulic fracturing pump. A driveshaft is coupled between the transmission and the hydraulic fracturing pump to transfer torque from the engine to the hydraulic fracturing pump. The hydraulic fracturing system also includes a fuel consumption data for each hydraulic fracturing rig, and a controller. The controller is programmed to receive a total pump flow and pressure request, and identify a pump flow distribution for each hydraulic fracturing rig of the plurality of hydraulic fracturing rigs based on the total pump flow and pressure request and the fuel consumption data.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 2, 2017Publication date: November 8, 2018Inventors: Yanchai Zhang, Maurice Dust
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Patent number: 10113552Abstract: A method, system, and apparatus to monitor health of a compressor are provided. The method, system, and apparatus include detecting whether the compressor has a fault associated using one or more of performance-based modeling and structure-based modeling of physical aspects associated with operation of the compressor; diagnosing any detected fault to determine the cause or causes of the fault; and evaluating each diagnosed fault to assess the significance of the fault. Data pertaining to the cause or causes of the fault and the significance of the fault is used to output health information corresponding to a health state or status of the compressor. The method, system, and apparatus also predict future health-related conditions of the compressor, and data pertaining to the predicted future health-related conditions is used to output health information corresponding to a future health state or status of the compressor.Type: GrantFiled: October 13, 2016Date of Patent: October 30, 2018Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.Inventors: Yanchai Zhang, Maurice J. Dust, Zhaoxu Dong, Xuefei Hu
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Publication number: 20180291712Abstract: A hydraulic fracturing system includes an engine, transmission, and hydraulic fracturing pump. A driveshaft is coupled between the transmission and the hydraulic fracturing pump to transfer torque from the engine to the hydraulic fracturing pump. The hydraulic fracturing system also includes an advisory system including a display, a memory storing fuel consumption data and component durability data, and a controller. The controller is programmed to receive pump flow and pressure settings, identify an optimal transmission gear based on the pump flow and pressure settings, the fuel consumption data and the component durability data, and cause the optimal transmission gear to be displayed on the display.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 6, 2017Publication date: October 11, 2018Inventors: Yanchai Zhang, Venkata Dandibhotla, Maurice Dust
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Patent number: 10047741Abstract: A monitoring system for a fluid pump having a fluid end and a power end is provided. The monitoring system includes an inlet pressure sensor attached to an inlet manifold of the fluid end. The inlet pressure sensor generates a signal indicative of an inlet pressure of a fluid being supplied to the fluid end. The monitoring system includes a discharge pressure sensor attached to the fluid end. The discharge pressure sensor generates a signal indicative of a discharge pressure of the fluid exiting the fluid end. The monitoring system includes at least one accelerometer attached to the fluid end. The accelerometer generates a signal indicative of vibrational data of the fluid pump. The monitoring system includes a controller which receives signals from the inlet pressure sensor, the discharge pressure sensor and the accelerometer and determines a possible failure mode of the fluid pump.Type: GrantFiled: August 18, 2016Date of Patent: August 14, 2018Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.Inventors: Yanchai Zhang, Daryl Belshan, Vijay Janardhan, Zhaoxu Dong