阅读说明：本技术 预测减震器故障的系统 (System for predicting shock absorber failure ) 是由 拉胡尔·钱德拉什卡尔 克里斯托弗·M·尼米埃克 斯科特·W·麦克尼尔 于 2020-01-31 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种可以包含至少一个传感器的减震器系统,所述传感器配置为在缓冲装置操作期间测量所述减震器的操作参数。所述操作参数可以包括压力、温度、所述减震器的活塞杆的位置、所述活塞杆的速度和/或所述活塞杆的加速度中的一项或多项。所述系统可以配置为评估测量到的操作参数数据并预测所述减震器的寿命和/或检测故障。(A shock absorber system may include at least one sensor configured to measure an operating parameter of the shock absorber during operation of a cushioning apparatus. The operating parameter may comprise one or more of pressure, temperature, position of a piston rod of the shock absorber, velocity of the piston rod and/or acceleration of the piston rod. The system may be configured to evaluate measured operating parameter data and predict a life of the shock absorber and/or detect a fault.)

1. A shock absorber system comprising:

a shock absorber having a body and a force-receiving member movably connected to the body such that movement of the force-receiving member relative to the body causes a working fluid to flow against the force-receiving member;

at least one sensor configured to generate sensor data corresponding to at least one of: a position of the force-receiving member relative to the body, a pressure of the working fluid, and a temperature of the working fluid;

at least one computing device operably coupled with the at least one sensor;

a notification device operably coupled with the at least one computing device; and wherein:

the computing device is configured to determine whether sensor data from the at least one sensor meets a predefined criterion, and when the sensor data meets the predefined criterion, cause the notification device to provide information regarding at least one of: 1) failure of the shock absorber; 2) failure of the shock absorber; and 3) a predicted failure of the shock absorber.

2. The shock absorber system of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one sensor comprises: 1) a first sensor configured to generate sensor data corresponding to at least one of a pressure of the working fluid and a temperature of the working fluid; and 2) at least one proximity sensor configured to generate sensor data corresponding to a position of the force-receiving member relative to the body.

3. The shock absorber system of claim 1, wherein:

the computing device is configured to combine sensor data from the first sensor and sensor data from the proximity sensor to calculate an overall stroke time of the shock absorber.

4. The shock absorber system of claim 2 or claim 3, wherein:

the force-bearing member being configured to move from a first position to a second position and back to the first position is defined as a cycle;

the computing device is configured to determine a number of cycles that occurred within a predefined time interval using data from at least one of the first sensor and the proximity sensor.

5. The shock absorber system of any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein:

the computing device is configured to compare the number of cycles to an expected number of cycles for the life of the shock absorber and generate a signal to the notification device if the measured number of cycles is sufficiently close to or exceeds the expected number of cycles for the life of the shock absorber.

6. The shock absorber system of any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein:

the first sensor comprises a pressure sensor; and is

The computing device is configured to identify pressure peaks in the data from the pressure sensor and determine how many pressure cycles have occurred based on the number of pressure peaks.

7. The shock absorber system of any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein:

the computing device is configured to determine whether the shock absorber is malfunctioning and/or determine the expected life of the shock absorber using sensor data measured at different times and predefined criteria.

8. The shock absorber system according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein:

the shock absorber body including a cylinder, the force receiving member including a piston rod movably connected to the cylinder, the shock absorber further including an external accumulator external to the cylinder, the external accumulator having a cavity that receives operating fluid from the cylinder when the piston rod is active;

and wherein the first sensor is configured to measure at least one of a pressure and a temperature of the operating fluid within the external battery.

9. The shock absorber system of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein:

the at least one sensor includes a wireless transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit sensor data to the computing device.

10. The shock absorber system according to any one of claims 2 to 9, wherein:

the first sensor has a unique identifier associated with the first sensor, and the computing device is configured to store data from the first sensor using the unique identifier and a timestamp;

the computing device is configured to utilize the stored sensor data to determine a trend of the data over time;

the computing device is configured to cause the notification device to display information regarding at least one trend of the stored sensor data over time.

11. The shock absorber system according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein:

the notification device is configured to display information regarding one or more operating parameters selected from the group consisting of: pressure, temperature, historical sensor data, and derivative data.

12. The shock absorber system according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein:

the at least one sensor is configured to measure at least one of a position, a velocity, and an acceleration of the force-receiving member; and is

The predefined criteria include failure mode criteria including a plurality of data values for at least one of position, velocity, and acceleration.

13. An amusement park apparatus comprising a shock absorber system according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein:

the amusement park facility comprises a tower; a punt movably supported by the tower; a powered elevator configured to move the punt upwards to an upper position where the punt is released in free fall to a lower position; and a control unit configured to provide operator control of the amusement park facility;

wherein when the punt reaches the lower position, the force receiving member of the shock absorber moves relative to the body to absorb energy and decelerate the punt;

and wherein the notification device is located at the control unit of the amusement park facility, whereby the notification device is configured to provide information about the shock absorber to an operator located at the control unit.

14. A machine incorporating a shock absorber system according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein:

the machine includes at least one moving part that is decelerated by the shock absorber during operation of the machine.

15. The shock absorber system of any one of claims 1 to 14, comprising:

at least one additional sensor configured to generate additional measurement data corresponding to at least one characteristic of the shock absorber, wherein the at least one characteristic is selected from the group consisting of: vibration, acceleration, viscosity of the working fluid, noise, sound, and infrared light, wherein:

the system is configured to utilize the additional measurement data to determine at least one of a fault, a predicted end-of-life, and a predicted maintenance.

16. A method of monitoring a shock absorber, the method comprising:

generating operating parameter data by measuring at least one operating parameter of the shock absorber using at least one sensor;

evaluating the operating parameter data using predefined criteria to determine whether the operating parameter data indicates excessive wear and/or failure and/or a prediction that failure will occur; and

generating an alarm when the shock absorber is excessively worn and/or fails and/or is predicted to fail within a predefined time and/or number of cycles, according to the predefined criteria.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the at least one sensor is configured to measure at least one of a pressure and a temperature of a working fluid of the shock absorber.

18. The method of claim 16 or claim 17, comprising:

an alarm is generated if the pressure measured by the at least one sensor is below a predefined value.

19. The method of any one of claims 16 to 18, comprising:

generating an alarm comprising a warning if the pressure measured by the at least one sensor meets a predefined warning criterion.

20. The method of any one of claims 16 to 19, comprising:

storing time-varying operating parameter data generated by the at least one sensor; and

evaluating the operating parameter data to determine whether the operating state of the shock absorber deteriorates over time.

21. The method of any one of claims 16 to 20, comprising:

evaluating the data to determine a predicted life of the shock absorber.

22. The method of any one of claims 16 to 21, wherein:

the at least one sensor is configured to measure at least one of a pressure and a temperature of a working fluid of an external battery of the shock absorber.

23. The method of any one of claims 16 to 22, comprising:

communicating operational parameter data for a plurality of shock absorbers located at a remote geographical location to a monitoring device; and

simultaneously monitoring the operating conditions of the plurality of shock absorbers with the operating parameter data.

24. The method of any one of claims 16 to 23, comprising:

the operating parameter data is stored a plurality of times over a period of at least one year.

Background

Various energy absorbing mechanisms (e.g., shock absorbers) have been developed to decelerate moving objects. However, known energy absorbing mechanisms may suffer from various drawbacks.

Disclosure of Invention

The present disclosure relates generally to a system configured to monitor one or more operating parameters of one or more shock absorbers with one or more sensors. The system may be configured to predict and/or detect failure and/or degradation and/or excessive wear of one or more shock absorbers.

One aspect of the present disclosure is a shock absorber having a monitoring/sensing system that detects and/or monitors one or more operating parameters of the shock absorber. The system may be configured to provide information to an operator regarding one or more operating parameters of the shock absorber. The system may also be configured to detect and/or predict failure and/or excessive wear and/or failure of the shock absorber to alert an operator and/or remotely monitor equipment.

The shock absorbers and the monitoring system according to the present disclosure may be configured for use with virtually any machine or device that utilizes shock absorbers, such as steel plants, lumber plants, shipyards, warehouses, stacker cranes, automated storage and retrieval systems, and the like. According to another example, the system may optionally be configured for use in conjunction with an apparatus such as a stair-jump installation having a damping device that decelerates a moving component (such as a punt). The shock absorber may optionally comprise a body and a force receiving member which may be moveably connected to the body whereby movement of the force receiving member relative to the body may vary the pressure of an operating fluid (e.g. oil) of the shock absorber. The body may optionally include a cylinder having a first cavity or chamber and the force receiving member may optionally include a piston rod. The shock absorber may optionally contain an external accumulator having a second chamber or chamber that receives operating fluid from the cylinder as the piston rod moves when a force is applied to the piston rod. The monitoring system may optionally include at least one sensor configured to measure an operating parameter of the shock absorber. The operating parameter may comprise one or more of pressure, temperature, position of the piston rod, velocity of the piston rod or acceleration of the piston rod. In particular, the sensor may be configured to measure the pressure and/or temperature of the operating fluid in the first and/or second cavity and/or the fluid channel interconnecting the first and second cavity. The sensor or other sensors may include one or more proximity switches that generate a signal when the piston rod is fully extended and/or fully retracted. This data can be used to determine the number of cycles the shock absorber has undergone since installation. Each sensor may comprise a unique sensor having a serial number or other suitable unique identifier so that the measured and stored data may be associated with a particular (unique) sensor and shock absorber. The data may also have a time stamp or other indicator to store the measured time associated with each data point. However, it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to a building jumper or other amusement ride.

The monitoring system is configured to utilize at least one suitable processing/computing device operatively coupled with one or more sensors to receive operating parameter data from the sensors. The at least one notification device is configured to be operatively coupled with the at least one computing device. The computing means is configured to evaluate the operating parameter data according to predefined criteria and to cause the notification means to display 1) a failure of the shock absorber; 2) failure of the shock absorber; and 3) predicted failure of the shock absorber. The monitoring system may be configured to receive and evaluate data from a plurality of shock absorbers located at different geographical locations.

The system may be configured to predict end-of-life of the shock absorber and/or detect premature failure and/or excessive wear based on a deterioration of a characteristic, which may be summarized using wear and/or failure characteristics read by a sensor operatively connected to the shock absorber. The system may be configured to utilize sensor data collected internally or externally to each shock absorber. Each sensor may optionally include a wireless sensor. Each sensor may optionally have a unique digital asset number (identification number or code) that may be used for a particular shock absorber. Each sensor may optionally monitor characteristics of the shock absorber IN real time by collecting data on piston Rod position (e.g., Rod OUT and/or Rod IN), pressure, temperature, vibration, and/or other operating parameters. The signals (data) may optionally communicate with one or more ground control units using a suitable communication protocol such as Wi-Fi, bluetooth, MQTT, LORA, NuBit, ethernet, Paho, etc. The system may optionally include one or more additional sensors configured to monitor various other operating parameters, such as vibration, sound, viscosity, and the like.

The system may optionally be configured to provide information about the number of cycles each shock absorber has experienced since installation (or other selected time) based on information calculated from piston rod extension status and/or pressure/shock to the shock absorber during each cycle. As discussed in more detail below in connection with fig. 7A-7D, the system may be configured to utilize data from one or more proximity switches and/or pressure signals (e.g., pressure data) to calculate the entire travel time per cycle. The system may optionally be configured to calculate the end-of-life of the shock absorber based at least in part on one or more of: 1) the number of cycles; 2) the total travel time; 3) the nature of the cycle; and/or 4) the operating temperature of the shock absorber. The above data may optionally be measured within the shock absorber.

The system may optionally include one or more surface control units or other suitable arrangement having one or more computing devices configured to process the signals (data) from each unique sensor. This processing may involve constantly or periodically updating various calculations over a period of time, or obtaining additional sensor data. The processing may optionally utilize edge calculations or other suitable settings. The system may optionally be configured to compare recent measurements (measurement data) with historical data (previous measurement data). The system may optionally be configured to utilize algorithms that adjust values (measurement data) based on collected sensor readings (measurement data) and summarize (i.e., determine) the type of failure or excessive wear that has occurred or is predicted to occur. Based on the detected or predicted future failure profile, a notification may be sent to an operator of the surface control unit and/or the central facility to provide an alert regarding any action that may need to be performed. The ground control unit may optionally provide a live view of the performance characteristics of one or more selected shock absorbers, thereby providing an instrument panel view to an operator of the ground control unit. The system may also be configured to provide information regarding the status (e.g., charge level) of the battery within one or more sensors and/or to notify an operator when the battery has expired for replacement.

The system may optionally be configured to provide performance values for calibration by engineers or other personnel so that the platform algorithms may be reused and/or modified to provide specific fault detection. For example, the pressure value of the system alert may be adjusted according to the particular application. The adjustment may be based at least in part on historical fault data for the same or similar applications. The system may be configured to provide platform (software) updates to ground station software using a flash over air (FOTA) protocol. The data set collected from each digital asset may be uploaded to the cloud/server space, and the user may utilize the stored data to compare the characteristic values of the shock absorber from the start date.

The computing device may be configured (e.g., programmed) to detect and/or predict a fault based at least in part on a deterioration in a measured parameter, such as pressure and/or temperature. The sensor may have a unique identifier (e.g., a serial number) and the computing device may be configured to store data for the particular sensor and shock absorber over time. The system may include a plurality of sensors associated with a particular shock absorber, and a plurality of shock absorbers located at different geographic locations may be configured to communicate with one or more monitoring/evaluation devices. A computing device (or devices) may be configured to perform real-time ("live") monitoring of the operating characteristics of one or more shock absorbers by collecting operating parameter data such as pressure, temperature and acceleration of the piston rod. This data may be communicated wirelessly to the gateway module and then to the ground control edge or cloud unit using a wireless communication protocol such as Wi-Fi, bluetooth, MQTT, LORA, NuBit, ethernet, Paho, etc. Additional sensors may be used to monitor various characteristics of the shock absorber, such as vibration (acceleration), working fluid viscosity, noise (sound), infrared light, etc., and data from the additional sensors may also be used to detect and/or predict a damping device failure by comparing the measured to predefined failure criteria and/or failure prediction criteria.

The apparatus may comprise a control station such as a surface control unit and the computing device may comprise part of the surface control unit. The surface control unit may process the signal from each unique digital asset (sensor) over a period of time (e.g., by using edge calculations) and may compare the calculated value to a predefined desired value or range of values. The computing device of the surface control unit (or central monitoring/evaluation device) may be configured to adjust the computed values and profile the fault types based on the collected sensor readings. According to the fault summary, a notification may be sent to an operator of the surface control unit (e.g., to a notification node of the surface control unit) and/or to an external device or location. For example, the notification may be sent to a notification device/node at a ground station of the facility or other machine or device, or may be sent to a remote device that monitors and/or assesses the operation of the facility. The computing device of the ground control unit may also be operatively connected to a remote station or device, and may perform a live broadcast of the characteristics of one or more selected shock absorbers to an instrument panel view (e.g., a display screen) for monitoring by one or more remote operators. The data set collected from each digital asset (e.g., sensor) may be configured in a cloud/service library, and the user may compare the characteristics of each shock absorber to the characteristics of other shock absorbers and/or the characteristics of each shock absorber over time.

The system may optionally be configured to immediately detect the error or fault and communicate the error and/or fault to an operator of the facility or other machine or device. The system may optionally be configured to notify a smartphone, smartwatch, or the like immediately using email, telephone message (SMS), or the like. The system may also optionally be configured to predict a fault before it occurs by evaluating data (e.g., by using an algorithm) from a sensor (or sensors) of one or more shock absorbers. The history of the operating parameters (sensor data) may be used to detect degradation of one or more shock absorbers (e.g., using one or more algorithms). The software of the computing device or the device of the ground control unit and/or other components of the system may be updated from cloud flash software using a flash over air (FOTA) protocol if the software needs to be updated.

The system may be configured to predict the fault before the fault occurs using a pattern recognition algorithm designed to process the sensor signals. The system may be configured to provide information regarding the status of the battery within the sensor and to notify an operator when the battery has expired for replacement.

The system may optionally include an edge calculation processor that may be configured to utilize preloaded characteristic curves for fault characterization. The edge computer may be configured to compare the peak signals using raw data from the sensors and perform pattern analysis on the raw data using the signature curves to identify patterns and predict faults. The system may be configured to provide a counter that measures an activation period of the shock absorber based at least in part on the internal pressure data. The system may be configured to calculate the total travel time using data from two proximity switches (Rod OUT and Rod IN). The system may be configured to combine/utilize the data from the proximity switch and the pressure signal to calculate the overall travel time using one or more methods discussed in more detail below in conjunction with fig. 6A-6D. The system may be configured to predict an end of life of the shock absorber based at least in part on the number of cycles and/or one or more operating conditions. The system may be configured to use the full stroke time parameter to detect a state of health of the shock absorber to be used in the end-of-life prediction model. The intelligent solution may be configured to record a history of some or all of the operating parameters that may be used to detect and/or predict shock absorber degradation using an algorithm.

The system may be configured to predict the end of life of a normal shock absorber to allow for optimal preventative maintenance in a manufacturing environment to maximize run time and minimize cost. The system may also be configured to predict failures earlier than normal failures and allow proactive measures to be taken to avoid equipment damage. The system may also be configured to directly measure the entire travel time using two proximity switches (e.g., one for Rod OUT and one for Rod IN). The system may also be configured to combine the lever proximity switch state with measured pressure data to calculate (determine) the overall travel time. The system may also be configured to calculate the entire travel time using only the pressure signal. The entire stroke time can be used to predict the end of life of the shock absorber. The system may be configured to detect an occurring fault and immediately communicate the fault so that it can be processed to prevent further damage.

The system of the present disclosure may be used in conjunction with virtually any type of machine or equipment that utilizes one or more shock absorbers to decelerate one or more moving objects.

These and other features, advantages, and objects of the present disclosure will be further understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art by reference to the following specification, claims, and appended drawings.

Drawings

In the figure:

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a production machine incorporating one or more shock absorbers in accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a stair-jump machine incorporating shock absorbers and a monitoring system, according to one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of a shock absorber and sensor according to another aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating shock absorbers and sensors, computing devices, and notification nodes or devices according to another aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4A is a notification display;

FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating operation of a system according to one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating shock absorber fault detection and/or prediction according to one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating shock absorber fault detection and/or prediction according to another aspect of the present disclosure; and

7A-7D are schematic diagrams illustrating the overall travel time determination.

Detailed Description

For ease of description, the terms "upper," "lower," "right," "left," "rear," "front," "vertical," "horizontal," and derivatives thereof shall relate to the disclosure as oriented in FIG. 2. However, it is to be understood that the disclosure may assume various alternative orientations and step sequences, except where expressly specified to the contrary. It is also to be understood that the specific devices and processes illustrated in the attached drawings, and described in the following specification are simply exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts defined in the appended claims. Hence, specific dimensions and other physical characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting, unless the claims expressly state otherwise.

The present disclosure relates generally to industrial shock absorbers that may be used to decelerate moving objects. The industrial shock absorber can be widely applied to steel plants, wood plants, ship plants, warehouses, stacking spaces, automatic storage and retrieval systems, production machinery and the like. For example, referring to fig. 1, a production system 110 or other industrial system may include a machine 112 that includes one or more moving components 118A, 118B, etc. that are decelerated by one or more buffer devices 120A, 120B, etc. In the illustrated example of fig. 1, the machine 112 converts the raw material 114 into a finished product 116. However, it should be appreciated that the present disclosure is not limited to any particular type of machine or application. Cushioning devices 120A and 120B are substantially similar to shock absorber 10 and the associated monitoring system described in greater detail below. In particular, the cushioning devices 120A and 120B may contain sensors for predicting end of life and/or detecting failures and/or excessive wear. The buffer devices 120A and 120B may also be operably connected to one or more remote devices or stations 16, which may be used to monitor the buffer devices 120A and 120B. As discussed in more detail below in connection with fig. 2, the station 16 may include one or more computing devices 14 operatively connected to the one or more sensors 12 of the buffer devices 120A and/or 120B. The sensor 12 and the computing device 14 may communicate via wireless signals 18 or other suitable means (e.g., low loss cables/wires, etc.). The station 16 may also be configured to communicate with one or more smartphones or other remote devices 22 via a network/cloud 20 and/or cellular system 24.

Another application of such shock absorbers relates to amusement park installations of the type comprising moving parts that must be decelerated. One example of this type of amusement park ride is commonly referred to as a tower jump. A building jumper installation typically includes a flat-bottomed vessel suspended to the top of a large tower. The punt is then released and allowed to fall freely from the tower. Various types of brakes and other energy absorbing devices have been developed to slow the punt as it approaches the bottom of the installation.

Referring to fig. 2, the device 1 may comprise a movable member 3, the movable member 3 engaging a shock absorber 3 to decelerate the movable member 3 when the movable member approaches an end-of-stroke position 3A. The apparatus 1 may comprise a guide structure such as a tower 2 and the movable member 3 may comprise a punt 3. In use, a power mechanism (not shown) of known type raises the movable member 3 from the lower or ground position 3A to the raised position 3B in the direction of arrow "a". The movable member 3 is then released and the movable member 3 moves down to the lower position 3A. The apparatus 1 may comprise almost any type of apparatus that includes a shock absorber 10 configured to decelerate a moving member.

As the movable member 3 approaches the lower position 3A, the damping device engagement structure 6 of the movable member 3 engages with the shock absorber 10 located near the ground 4, thereby decelerating the movable member 3. The damper 10 may be fixed to the tower structure 2. Alternatively, shock absorber 10 may be mounted to a moving component (e.g., movable member 3), and the present disclosure is not limited to any particular arrangement or configuration.

The apparatus 1 may include a ground station 16 having one or more computing devices 14 operatively connected to the one or more sensors 12 of the shock absorbers 10. The sensor 12 and the computing device 14 may include a wireless transmitter and/or receiver to communicate via wireless signals 18. The wireless signals 18 may include Wi-Fi signals, bluetooth signals, and the like. It will be appreciated that the sensor 12 may be connected to the computing device 14 using conventional wires or the like. Computing device 14 may also be configured to communicate with one or more remote devices 22 via a network or cloud 20 and/or a base station 24 or other suitable communication device. The remote device 22 may include a smartphone, a computer, or the like. For example, remote device 22 may include a smartphone used by remote personnel to monitor the operation of shock absorber 10 and/or device 1. The remote device 22 may also comprise a computing device at the monitoring apparatus. For example, one or more remote devices 22 may be used to monitor multiple shock absorbers 10 on multiple devices 1 at a centralized location. In this way, a centralized monitoring facility may be used to monitor multiple devices 1 at one or more geographic locations simultaneously. It will be appreciated that the computing device 14 of the ground station 16 may be physically located outside of the physical structure of the ground station 16 or remote from the physical structure of the ground station 16. Further, computing device 14 may include multiple computing devices connected to one another. Thus, as used herein, the term "computing device" may include virtually any number of devices in any configuration that perform the evaluation and/or monitoring.

With further reference to FIG. 3, shock absorber 10 comprises a body in the form of a cylinder 26 and a force-receiving member, such as a piston rod 28. Shock absorber 10 may comprise an external battery 30 having an internal chamber 32 fluidly connected to a main chamber 34 of cylinder 26 by a fluid passageway comprising a fitting 36. The sensor 12 may be connected to the fitting 36 such that the sensor 12 measures the pressure and/or temperature of the working fluid (e.g., oil) passing through the fitting 36. Thus, the sensor 12 may be configured to measure the pressure and/or temperature of the fluid in the chamber 32 of the external battery 30. However, the sensor 12 may be configured to measure the pressure and/or temperature of the working fluid in the chamber 34 of the cylinder 26. It will be appreciated that the system may include a plurality of sensors to measure one or more of the pressure and/or temperature of the working fluid in the chambers 32 and/or 34 and/or the metering channel 42 and/or any other suitable location. Shock absorber 10 may include brackets 27 or other suitable mounting structure for mounting shock absorber 10 to tower structure 2 or the like. The sensors 12 preferably include an antenna 13 to provide wireless communication with one or more devices, such as a computing device 14, such as a ground station 16 (fig. 2).

In use, if a force "F" is applied to the outer end 38 of the piston rod 28, the piston rod 28 will move linearly and the piston 40 (inner end) of the piston rod 28 will cause the working fluid pressure in the main chamber 34 of the cylinder 26 to rise. The metering channel 42 and the fitting 36 are fluidly interconnected with the main chamber 34 and the internal chamber 32 of the external battery 30. The metering channel 42 controls the flow of working fluid from the primary chamber 34 to the internal chamber 32 of the external battery 30 in a manner well known in the art. It will be appreciated that the metering channel 42 is shown schematically. The metering passage may include an inner tube (not shown) disposed within the cylinder 26 (outer tube), and the inner tube may include an aperture (not shown). A variety of orifice (metering) configurations are known, and the present disclosure is not limited to any particular orifice/metering configuration.

Sensor 12 is preferably located in fluid communication with an internal chamber 34 of external battery 30 to measure one or more operating parameters of shock absorber 10. The operating parameter may include at least one of a pressure and a temperature of the working fluid in the external battery 30. However, as noted above, it will be appreciated that the sensor 12 may alternatively be configured to measure the pressure and/or temperature of the working fluid in the metering channel 42 or the primary chamber 34.

Wireless sensor 44 may optionally be used to measure an operating parameter of shock absorber 10, such as the acceleration of piston rod 28. The sensor 44 may comprise a self-charging sensor comprising a battery that charges when the sensor 44 is moved. Sensor 46 may optionally be used to sense an operating parameter of shock absorber 10. The sensor 46 may include a wireless proximity switch or sensor that may be configured to detect whether the Rod end 40 is within the cylinder 26 when the piston Rod 28 is in the fully extended position, thereby generating a "Rod OUT" signal. When configured in this manner, the proximity sensor 46 provides a switching function (limit switch). One or more sensors 46A (e.g., proximity switches) may also be used to detect operating parameters of shock absorber 10. Sensor 46A may include a proximity switch for detecting when piston rod 28 is in the fully retracted (compressed) position. Accordingly, the system may be configured to detect operating parameters including the fully extended ("Rod OUT") and/or fully retracted/compressed ("Rod IN") positions of piston Rod 28. Proximity switch or sensor 46 may be configured to send a wireless signal to computing device 14 when rod end 40 is detected (e.g., when piston rod 28 is fully extended or fully compressed). The proximity sensor 46 may be utilized to determine the number of cycles that the cushioning apparatus 10 has experienced (e.g., since it was installed in the apparatus 1) and/or other operating parameters (e.g., overall travel time). Sensor 46A may be used to generate a "Rod IN" signal that may also be used to determine the number of cycles and/or the total travel time of the buffer device 10. Alternatively, the sensor 46 may comprise a position sensor configured to detect (measure) the position of the piston rod 28 relative to the cylinder 26. The position data may be measured continuously or at very small time intervals (e.g., 0.01 seconds, 0.005 seconds, 0.0001 seconds, etc.), and the position data and the time data may be used to determine the velocity of the piston rod 28 during each cycle of the damping device 10 by numerically calculating the derivative of position with respect to time. The acceleration of the piston rod 28 may also be determined by taking the second derivative of the (calculated) position with respect to time. As discussed in more detail below in connection with fig. 7, data from sensors 12 and/or sensors 46 may be used to determine a predicted life of the cushioning device 10 and/or to determine whether the cushioning device 10 is malfunctioning according to predefined failure criteria. The acceleration sensor 44 may not be necessary if the sensor 46 is configured to determine acceleration and/or if the life cycle is predicted and/or if the fault criteria do not require acceleration. It is understood that the cushioning device 10 may include both sensors 12 and 46, either only sensor 12 or only sensor 46, as desired for a particular application. Further, the location, type, and number of sensors 12, 46, etc. may vary as desired for a particular application, and the present disclosure is not limited to any particular number of sensors or sensor types. In general, any sensor capable of providing data related to operating parameters and/or cycle times may be utilized.

With further reference to FIG. 4, sensors 12 and 46 of shock absorber 10 are configured to communicate with one or more computing devices 14 using wireless signals 18 and 18A. It will be appreciated that virtually any means of communication (e.g., low loss cable) may be utilized. Wireless signals from the sensors 12 and/or 46 may be communicated via a wireless receiver node 19 configured to use Wi-Fi, MQTT, bluetooth, LORA, NuBit, eSIM, GSM, ethernet, Paho, or other suitable wireless technology. The wireless receiver node 19 generates a wireless signal 18B that is received by the computing device 14. Computing device 14 may include virtually any suitable computing device or devices and may be programmed to process data from sensors 12 and/or 46 of shock absorber 10. It will be appreciated that only data from sensor 12 or data from sensor 46 may be utilized if desired for a particular application. Computing device 14 may be configured to receive data from a plurality of shock absorbers 10 having sensors 12 and/or 46, and computing device 14 may be configured to process data from a plurality of sensors 12 and/or 46. Each sensor 12 and/or 46 may have a unique identifier (e.g., a serial number) and time-varying data from each sensor 12 and/or 46 may be stored and retrieved for processing and evaluation.

The computing device 14 is preferably configured to generate a notification that may be wirelessly transmitted via signal 18B to a notification device, such as display 15 (fig. 4) that may optionally be located at a ground station 16 (fig. 2). The notification device may alternatively include a smartphone 22 or other device remote from the ground station 16. It will be appreciated that the system may include multiple screens and/or other suitable notification devices disposed at different locations.

Referring to fig. 4, display 15 may include a first portion 48 that displays pressure data from sensor 12 and a second portion 50 that displays temperature data from sensor 12. The pressure and/or temperature data may be displayed in graphical form and/or numerical form and/or in any other suitable manner. For example, the pressure sensor display may include a real-time display 48A that displays the current pressure reading and a chart or graph 48B that displays the change in pressure over time. Similarly, the temperature display may display a current temperature 50A and a time-varying temperature 50B. The pressure and/or temperature display may be continuously updated quickly.

The notification device 15 may include a pressure cycle display 52 that displays the number of pressure peaks 54 experienced by the shock absorber 10. Using pressure data from the pressure sensor 12, a pressure cycling display 52 may be provided. It will be appreciated that the number "241" shown in FIG. 4 is merely an example of the number of cycles that shock absorber 10 may undergo in operation, and that the number will increase over the life cycle of shock absorber 10. The notification device 15 may also include a rod position cycle counter display 56 that displays the number of cycles 58 measured by the proximity sensor 46. As discussed in more detail below in connection with fig. 6, the system may be configured to detect and/or predict a failure of one or more cushioning devices 10 operatively connected to the system based at least in part on data from sensors 12 and/or sensors 46.

With further reference to fig. 4A, notification device 15A is similar to device 15 and further includes a battery display/notification feature 55. The display characteristics 55 may include a battery voltage level of one or more batteries used to provide power to one or more of the sensors 12, 44, 46, and/or other electrical devices of the system.

FIG. 5 illustrates a pressure-based monitoring diagnostic process 60 according to one aspect of the present disclosure. Pressure data from sensor 12 (step 62) may be provided to computing device 14 (step 64). In step 66, computing device 14 determines whether the measured sensor data meets predefined criteria. In the example shown, the sensor data 62 may include pressure measurements, and the criterion applied in step 66 may be to determine whether the measured pressure is below a predefined value (e.g., 30 psi). If the pressure at step 66 is not less than 30psi, the process returns to step 64 and a subsequent pressure reading is received and evaluated. If the series of pressure readings in step 66 is above 30psi, the process will continue to loop between steps 62, 64 and 66. However, if the pressure data reading given in step 66 is less than 30psi, the process continues to step 68 where computing device 14 determines whether the pressure is less than 20 psi. If not, the process continues to step 72 and notification information is provided to the operator. For example, the notification device 15 or 15A may generate a "yellow" alarm (e.g., "pressure Low") indicating that the pressure is above 20psi, but below 30 psi. In this example, the pressure range represents a pressure (operating parameter) that may not be optimal or expected, but that also does not meet predefined fault and/or warning criteria.

If the pressure data measured in step 68 is below a predefined threshold level (e.g., 20psi), the process continues to step 70 and a "red" warning or alarm is generated to the operator. For example, the notification device 15 or 15A may provide a warning message that alerts the operator of low pressure and instructs the operator to stop operation of the device 1 (fig. 2) or other devices (fig. 1). The system may be configured to automatically shut down or stop operation if the sensor data indicates that shock absorber 10 is malfunctioning and/or an unsafe operating condition is reached.

It is to be understood that fig. 5 is merely an example of one possible standard and process. For example, computing device 14 may be configured to receive temperature data in step 64 and evaluate the temperature data in steps 66 and 68 to generate an alarm and/or warning when the temperature data indicates a potential problem or a potential fault or unsafe operating condition. It will be appreciated that the system may be configured to utilize sensor data input to simultaneously evaluate a plurality of operating parameters, including pressure, temperature, lever proximity (lever extend/ready-proximity switch) position, velocity, acceleration, vibration, etc., to determine if potentially problematic operating conditions exist and/or if faulty or unacceptable operating conditions exist.

Further, the system may be configured to evaluate data from sensors 12 over time to determine whether there is a trend indicating that shock absorber 10 is no longer operating properly and/or to predict future failure of shock absorber 10. For example, shock absorber 10 may be tested to collect empirical measurements of pressure, temperature, and/or other operating parameters over time, and this data may be used to formulate a criterion for predicting failure of shock absorber 10 in service. If the test indicates that the pressure and/or temperature data typically varies over time (e.g., linear or exponential peak pressure drop as a function of cycle number) and that a fault may occur once the peak pressure reaches or approaches a given value, the measured pressure data may be used to predict the remaining cycle number for the life of the buffer device.

Moreover, if one or more shock absorbers 10 are used in multiple devices (e.g., multiple devices 1 (FIG. 2) or other machines) (FIG. 1), historical data for the multiple shock absorbers 10 may be collected, stored, and evaluated to determine criteria for predicting future failure of shock absorber 10. Computing device 14 may be configured to generate a signal to one or more notification devices 15 (or 15A) to alert an operator and/or a remote facility of a fault and/or to provide an operator with an estimated life (e.g., number of cycles remaining) of one or more shock absorbers 10.

One or more computing devices 14 may be operably connected to one or more remote devices 22. For example, remote device 22 (fig. 1 and 2) may comprise a device or system located at a central monitoring station or facility operatively connected to a plurality of shock absorbers 10 located at a plurality of geographic locations. An engineer or other technical expert at the monitoring center may monitor and evaluate data received from the shock absorbers 120A, 120B (fig. 1) and/or shock absorbers 10 (fig. 2) located at one or more remote geographic locations to provide additional monitoring and alerts to operators or other personnel at the individual apparatus 1 and/or equipment/locations. This data may be used to formulate additional criteria to predict buffer life and acceptable operating parameter combinations, and the like. It will be appreciated that devices 110 and 112 (FIG. 1) and device 1 (FIG. 2) are merely examples of machines and/or devices that may utilize the fault detection/prediction system and shock absorber 10.

As discussed in more detail below in conjunction with fig. 6, the system may utilize a controller configured to predict the normal end of life of one or more shock absorbers 10 and/or to detect a premature failure based on a deterioration in an operating parameter (characteristic) of the shock absorber 10. The system may be configured to detect and evaluate a deterioration of an operating parameter (characteristic) that may be summarized using fault signatures read by one or more sensors 12, 44, 46, etc. of shock absorber 10.

Each sensor 12, 44, 46, etc. (fig. 3) may optionally have a unique numerical identifier (e.g., a serial number) that may be associated with each particular shock absorber 10 to monitor the performance characteristics of each shock absorber 10 in real time by collecting data for one or more of pressure, temperature, vibration, and/or other operating parameters. These signals (e.g., data) may be communicated to the ground control station 16 using a suitable wireless protocol such as Wi-Fi, bluetooth, MQTT, LORA, NuBit, ethernet, Paho, etc., or other suitable arrangement. The system may include one or more sensors (e.g., 12, 44, 46, etc.) configured to monitor various operating parameters (characteristics), such as sound, viscosity, pressure, temperature, position of the piston rod, etc.

The system may be configured to provide information regarding the number of cycles each shock absorber 10 has undergone (e.g., cycle counters 54 and/or 58, fig. 4). Computing device 14, or other computing device, may be configured to determine information regarding the number of cycles based on information calculated from pressure spikes and/or rod positions during each impact of shock absorber 10. The system may be configured to calculate the end-of-life for each shock absorber 10 based on the number of cycles and/or operating temperature and/or virtually any other measured variable (operating parameter) for each shock absorber 10.

The computing device 14 and/or other computing equipment of the ground station (or remote device) may optionally be configured to perform edge calculations on the signals from each unique digital asset (sensor) over time and compare the values to historical data sets stored in the computing device 14 or other devices. The system may be configured to utilize algorithms that adjust the values and profile fault types based on collected sensor readings/data. Based on the fault summary, a notification may be sent to an operator or other device, and then additional actions may be performed. Ground control station 16 may be configured to provide a live broadcast of the performance characteristics of one or more shock absorbers 10 to one or more operators and/or remote personnel in an instrument panel view (e.g., notification device 15, fig. 4).

The system provides a solution in which performance values (fault and/or warning criteria) can be calibrated by engineers or other technicians so that algorithms can be modified (if necessary) and used to detect specific faults based on the needs of specific users. The system may be configured as required by different types of machinery and devices. Moreover, the system may be configured to predict failure of a particular type or size of shock absorber 10. Accordingly, the system may be modified to provide fault prediction and/or warning for a particular type/size of cushioning apparatus 10 and/or a particular application. For example, a particular size and type of cushioning device 10 may be used in a first machine (e.g., 118A, fig. 1), and the same cushioning device 10 may also be used in a second machine (e.g., 118B, fig. 1) having a significantly different configuration. In use, there may be significant differences in pressure, temperature, overall travel time due to differences between the first and second machines. The operating parameter criteria used to determine the buffer failure and/or the prediction of the buffer failure may be different for two different machines. For example, a measured pressure of 25psi may trigger an alert type warning for a first machine, while the same 25psi pressure may trigger a malfunction warning for a second machine.

If the ground station 16 software needs to be updated, it may be updated from cloud flash software using the flash over air (FOTA) protocol. The data set collected from each digital asset (sensor) may be updated to the cloud and/or other surface space, and the user may then compare the measured value of the operating parameter (characteristic) of shock absorber 10 to the initial operating parameter measured the day of initiation (e.g., first use).

Referring to fig. 6, a process 80 according to another aspect of the present disclosure utilizes one or more data inputs 82, 84, and/or 86. Input 82 may include the pressure and/or temperature of the fluid in the main pipe cylinder 26, and input 84 may include the pressure and/or temperature of the fluid in the outer pipe or battery 30 received from a second pressure/temperature sensor (not shown) operatively connected to the battery 30. Input 86 may include acceleration data from sensor 44, or acceleration data determined using position data from proximity sensor 46 (e.g., by determining a second derivative of position with respect to time).

The sensor or listener module 88 may be configured to receive data from the inner tube pressure/temperature sensor 82, the outer tube pressure/temperature sensor 84, and/or the acceleration sensor 86. The sensors 82, 84, and 86 are merely examples of sensors that may be used in accordance with the present disclosure, and the present disclosure is not limited to these particular sensors or variations thereof. The sensor or listener module 88 provides information to a process 90 (e.g., an edge calculation process) that also receives measured parameter (characteristic) data (e.g., a predefined fault criterion or characteristic 94). Then, in step 92, the system (e.g., one or more processors operatively connected to the sensors) determines whether the measured latent failure mode (e.g., combination of measurement data) from one or more of the sensors matches one or more predefined failure criteria or characteristics. If the measured pattern (data) does not match the predetermined fault criteria or pattern, the process returns to step 88 (sensor listener module). If, however, the system determines that the measured data matches the predetermined fault signature in step 92 (i.e., meets the predefined fault criteria), then the process continues to step 96. The step 92 criteria may include predefined criteria that may be met even if only relatively small (non-critical) operating parameter anomalies are defined. In step 96, the system determines whether an alert mode should be activated. The determination may include a determination of a failure signature type (standard) mode patch type. For example, the predefined fault signature may be classified as a warning fault pattern or an informational fault pattern depending on the severity of the fault pattern. For example, the fault signature/pattern/criteria may include a particular combination of operating parameter data that has been determined to correspond to a fault of the buffer device 10 or to a predictable remaining life of the buffer device 10. One or more fault characteristics/patterns/criteria may be empirically determined.

Referring again to FIG. 6, if the system determines in step 96 that the measured data meets the predefined warning failure criteria and a warning mode is to be implemented, then in step 98 the system provides a warning notification to the operator. If, in step 96, the system determines that the measurement data does not meet the warning fault criteria and the warning mode is not implemented, the system provides an informational notification to the operator, as shown in step 100.

In general, the present disclosure provides a method of immediately detecting errors or other operational problems and communicating the errors to an operator via a smartphone, smartwatch, email, SMS, or the like. The system may include a counter that determines and updates the number of activation cycles for shock absorber 10 based on measurement data, such as internal pressure data. The system may be configured to predict the end of life of the shock absorber based on the number of cycles, operating conditions (e.g., operating parameters) such as pressure, temperature, and/or other data. The system of the present invention provides a method of recording (storing) operating parameter history. The stored data may be used to detect corruption and/or failure using one or more methods (e.g., algorithms). The system may be configured to predict a fault before it occurs using predefined criteria (e.g., algorithms) configured to process using signals (data) from the sensors. The system may be configured to predict end of life based on pattern recognition (e.g., algorithms) using an end of life model. The system may be configured to provide updates of ground station software from the cloud using the FOTA protocol.

With further reference to FIG. 7, a process 130 according to another aspect of the invention utilizes data 132 from proximity sensor (e.g., switch) 46 and pressure and/or temperature data 134 from sensor 46. It will be appreciated that the sensors may include wireless sensors, or the sensors may be connected to the computing device 14 and/or other devices that utilize wires. In step 136, data 132 and/or data 134 is processed, and then transmitted to the edge computing service listener in step 138. Steps 136 and 138 may be performed by wireless device 19 and/or computing device 14 (fig. 4). The measured data 140 is also provided to the edge compute service listener 138 and the data is transferred to the database 144. Database 144 may include one or more computing devices 14.

The measured data 132 and 134 are passed to step 142, and the system (e.g., one or more processors) determines whether the data meets predefined failure criteria. If not, the process loops back to step 136. However, if the system determines that the measured data meets the predefined failure criteria (i.e., the data meets a pattern match), the system proceeds to step 148. In step 148, the system uses the buffer operating life calculation data from step 146 and determines whether an alert mode is to be implemented. If an alert mode is to be implemented, the system proceeds as shown at step 150 and the system provides an alert to the operator. If the system determines in step 148 that an alert mode is not required (i.e., alert criteria have not been met), the system proceeds to step 152 and provides notification information to the operator. Generally, the warnings and/or information of steps 150 and 152 may be provided by the display screen 15, an audio device, or the warnings may be remotely transmitted to the other apparatus 22. The remote device 22 may include a smart phone, laptop, and/or centralized computing device and system at a central monitoring facility.

Fig. 7A-7D are diagrams illustrating various methods of determining the overall travel time of the cushioning device 10 using sensor data. It is to be understood that the methods of fig. 7A-7D may be combined in any combination. For example, the total travel time may be determined using a variety of methods (e.g., 2 or more of fig. 7A-7D), and a total travel time average may be determined and used to determine and/or predict a shock absorber failure. It will be appreciated that fig. 7A-7D are schematic in nature, and that the actual signals of the switches and sensors may vary depending on the particular application.

In fig. 7A-7D, the vertical line "T1" represents the time at which the signal 168 from the Rod OUT switch transitions from "off" to "on". Line "T2" represents the time at which the signal 174 for Rod IN transitions from the off state to the on state. As shown in FIG. 7D, time "T3" represents the time at which the pressure signal 162 begins to increase during a cycle, and time "T4" represents the time at which the pressure signal transitions to a level or constant value.

Referring to fig. 7A, sensor data 160A includes sensor readings from the Rod OUT proximity switch (line 168) and the Rod IN proximity switch (line 174). Lines 168 and 174 of fig. 7A represent the "on" and "off" states of the Rod OUT and Rod IN proximity switches, respectively. Line 168 includes horizontal "off" segments 170A and 170E, and horizontal "on" segment 170C. Vertical line segments 170B and 170D represent transitions from an off state to an on state and vice versa. Points 172A-172D represent transitions between these line segments. Similarly, line 174 includes horizontal "off" portions 176A and 176E, a horizontal "on" segment 176C, and vertical transition line segments 176B and 176D. Points 178A-178D represent transitions between horizontal and vertical line segments. Δ T1 is the total travel time calculated by taking the time difference of the vertical lines T1 and T2.

Referring to fig. 7B, sensor data 160B includes a pressure signal line 162 from the battery that generally includes a first horizontal line segment 164A (baseline pressure) that transitions to a sloped line segment 164B at a rounded corner 166A as pressure begins to increase during a cycle. The pressure then settles as shown by horizontal line segment 164C extending between points 166B and 166C. Then, as indicated by line segment 164D extending between points 166C and 166D, the pressure drops and transitions to a horizontal (baseline) pressure, as indicated by horizontal line segment 164E. It will be appreciated that the line 162 is representative, and that the actual line segments 164A-164E may not be perfectly linear, and that the transitions 166A-166D may include points, curves, etc. The total stroke time Δ T2 of fig. 7B can be calculated by taking the distance between the vertical lines T1 and T4.

The measurement criteria may be used to generate a plurality of pressure measurements (i.e., line 162) and proximity switch measurements (i.e., line 168) over a period of time while the buffer is in use, thereby allowing the Δ T2 operating parameter to be determined to vary over time. Changes in Δ T2 over time may be used to predict end of life of the cushioning device 10 and/or detect deterioration in performance of the cushioning device 10, which may indicate a location or problem where the cushioning device 10 is near end of life, even though changes in Δ T2 operating parameters do not constitute an actual failure or end of life of the cushioning device.

Referring to fig. 7C, the overall time of flight Δ T3 operational parameter for the sensor data 160C may be calculated by determining the distance between times T3 and T2. As discussed above, time T3 represents the time at which the pressure signal 162 begins to increase, and time T2 represents the off-state to on-state transition of the Rod IN signal 174.

Referring to fig. 7D, the overall time of flight Δ T4 operational parameter for the sensor data 160D may be calculated by taking the difference between times T3 and T4. The times T3 and T4 indicate the time at which the pressure signal 162 initially begins to increase (T3), and the time at which the pressure signal 162 transitions to a relatively constant value (T4).

The system may be configured to determine the overall time-of-flight operating parameter using one or more of the methods illustrated in fig. 7A-7D, and may store the overall time-of-flight data for a given buffer device. For example, the system may be configured to determine only a single entire travel time (i.e., one of Δ T1, Δ T2, Δ T3, or Δ T4). Alternatively, the system may be configured to utilize a combination of entire travel time calculations. Also, the entire travel time may be calculated using only the proximity sensor data (i.e., only line 168, only line 174, or lines 168 and 174).

In addition, other operating parameter criteria may be used to determine whether the cushioning device is deteriorating and/or to predict the end of life of the cushioning device 10. For example, referring to fig. 7D, for a given cushioning device 10, the pressure (line 162) may initially vary between 35psi (baseline pressure) and 90psi (peak pressure). However, over time, one or both of these pressures may drop, which may be used to predict cushioning device wear and/or end-of-life of cushioning device 10. For example, a failure of the cushioning device 10 may be defined as a peak pressure of less than 60psi, and the system may be configured to generate a failure signal if the peak pressure falls below 60 psi. Also, if the peak pressure changes over time from 90psi to, for example, 70psi, the drop can be extrapolated to predict the time or number of cycles that the pressure will be predicted to drop below 60 psi. The end-of-life prediction may be continuously updated and communicated to the user of the ground station 16 and/or the remote device or apparatus 22 (fig. 1 and 2). This information may be provided on the display screen 15 or 15A (fig. 4 and 4A) or other suitable device. It will be appreciated that the information may also be provided in audio form in conjunction with a visual display, or simply as an audio signal.

The total time of flight over time may also be used to predict the end of life of the cushioning device 10 and/or detect a fault. Generally, the overall stroke time of the cushioning device 10 is approximately the same each time the cushioning device 10 is exposed to the same load. In certain applications (e.g., production machinery), the cushioning device 10 may be exposed to a particular magnitude of force in a repetitive manner (i.e., the load magnitude is the same for each cycle). If the cushioning devices 10 begin to wear and/or fail, the overall stroke time of the cushioning devices 10 may be reduced even though the load applied to the cushioning devices 10 over time is substantially the same. Thus, the entire time-of-flight operating parameter of the damping device 10 over time may be utilized to predict end-of-life and/or detect faults. For example, if empirical data indicates that a given cushioning device 10 has a high probability of failure once the total time-of-flight operating parameter falls below a predetermined threshold time, the predefined total time-of-flight may be used to predict end of life (e.g., the total time-of-flight data over time may be used to extrapolate the number of cycles that the cushioning device 10 will reach the total time-of-flight threshold time).

Empirical data and corresponding operational data (parameters) about the buffer device failure may be used to predict the end of life of the buffer device. Empirical data may be used to determine correlations between measured operating conditions/parameters (e.g., pressure, temperature, number of cycles, total travel time, etc.), and the data may be used to extrapolate measured data (operating parameters) of the buffer devices 10 that are not predictive of the end-of-life of a given buffer device 10. For example, different criteria (e.g., pressure criteria and time-of-flight criteria) may be utilized to determine multiple end-of-life predictions for a given cushioning device 10, and if an end-of-life prediction is imminent, a warning may be generated utilizing the criteria that provides the shortest predicted cushioning device life. It will be appreciated that various end-of-life predictions may be continuously recalculated and communicated to the operator of the ground station 16 and/or the remote device or equipment 22. Furthermore, if additional data has been developed that indicates that changes in end-of-life prediction provide a more accurate way to predict the end-of-life of the cushioning devices 10, the criteria for predicting the end-of-life of a given cushioning device 10 may be modified over time.

The system and method of the present disclosure may be used to predict the normal end of life of a shock absorber to provide optically preventative maintenance in a manufacturing environment to maximize run time and minimize cost. It may also be configured to predict failures earlier than normal failures and allow proactive measures to be taken to avoid damage. The system may be configured to detect the occurrence of a fault and immediately communicate the fault so that the fault may be quickly handled, prevented from further damage and safety achieved. In this way, the system can be significantly cost effective.

The system may include a surface control unit having a preload characteristic for a characteristic fault. Based on the raw data from the sensors, the surface control unit may compare the peak signal and pattern analysis of the raw data to built-in characteristics to identify patterns and predict failures.