DE102019118401A1 - Machine with a sensor network - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a machine with a sensor network. The machine is formed, for example, by an electric drive machine, by a transmission, by an internal combustion engine or by a unit comprising an electrical drive machine, a transmission and / or an internal combustion engine. The sensor network comprises several sensors and an evaluation unit (11). The sensors are preferably arranged at different positions in the machine and are each designed to measure a physical variable. According to the invention, the sensors are each electrically connected to the evaluation unit (11) in a wireless manner. The evaluation unit (11) is preferably designed to process wirelessly received signals from the sensors

Description

The present invention relates to a machine with a sensor network. The sensor network comprises several sensors and an evaluation unit. The sensors are arranged in the machine and each designed to measure a physical variable.

The CN 109687805 A shows a controller for a switched reluctance motor of a motor vehicle. The controller comprises a microcontroller, a power converter, a speed sensor, a network connection module, a wireless data transmission module and a position detection unit. An output of the microcontroller is connected to an input of the switched reluctance motor. One input of the microcontroller is provided with an X capacitor. One input of the X capacitor is connected to a common mode inductance. There is also a Y capacitor. The common mode noise in the microcontroller is to be suppressed by connecting the X capacitor, the common mode inductance and the Y capacitor in series with the input circuit of the microcontroller and the Y capacitor output is connected externally to an electrical unit in the vehicle system.

The CN 109515207 A shows an intelligent driving control system for an unmanned vehicle. The travel control system includes an axle, a wheel, a wheel speed sensor, a drive motor, a wheel control system, a steering motor, a power control unit, a remote control unit, a wireless communication unit, a communication interface and a main controller. A wheel is attached to each end of the axle. One of the wheel speed sensors is arranged on each of the wheels. The steering motor is installed in the middle of the axle. The wheel is connected to the drive motor, while the drive motor and wheel speed sensor are connected to the wheel control system and the wheel. The control system is connected to the main controller via a communication interface. The main controller is also connected to the power management unit, the steering motor, the remote control unit and the wireless data transmission unit.

From the US 9,834,114 B2 systems and methods for determining battery heating conditions and battery preheating times in electric and hybrid vehicles are known. The preheating times are at least a minute or more and are determined based on input parameters and sets of input parameters. A secondary battery is dynamically heated according to the pre-heating time determined in this way.

In electrical drive machines and transmissions, temperature detection is necessary at several points in order to optimize the expenditure for the electrical drive machine or the transmission and its or its efficiency. In such a transmission, the temperature is usually only recorded by cable in the oil sump and the temperatures at relevant points in the transmission are calculated using software models. The cable laying and the software are complex. The detection of the temperature on rotating components, in particular on a rotor of an electric drive machine, is only possible with great effort. High temperatures damage the electric drive machine, in particular the magnets of the electric drive machine. Since the temperature can only be determined very imprecisely according to the prior art, the electric drive machines are usually oversized or a safety margin to the upper temperature limit is maintained, which in particular requires the use of higher-quality magnetic materials.

Based on the prior art, the object of the present invention is to reduce the cost of extensive monitoring of a machine, for example for monitoring the temperatures in an electric drive machine.

The stated object is achieved by a machine according to the appended claim 1.

The machine according to the invention is used to generate and / or transmit a drive torque and / or a drive force. For this purpose, the machine comprises several machine elements for generating and / or transmitting a drive torque and / or a drive force. The machine includes a sensor network for monitoring the machine. The sensor network comprises several sensors and an evaluation unit. The sensors are arranged in the machine and each designed to measure a physical quantity occurring in the machine, the physical quantities also being able to be corresponding dimensions and proportions. The evaluation unit is designed to evaluate signals from the sensors. According to the invention, the sensors are each electrically connected to the evaluation unit in a wireless manner. Wireless electrical connections can therefore be set up between the individual sensors and the evaluation unit in order to transmit signals from the individual sensors to the evaluation unit. These signals are measurement signals that represent the physical quantity measured with the respective sensor. The wireless electrical connections are preferably based on electromagnetic waves, so that they are preferably radio connections. The sensor network can of course include further sensors which are connected to the evaluation unit by electrical lines. Preferably, however, the sensor network exclusively comprises the sensors mentioned, which are each electrically connected to the evaluation unit in a wireless manner.

A particular advantage of the machine according to the invention is that physical variables, such as temperatures at different positions or locations in the machine, for example, can also be recorded on rotating machine elements. The measured temperatures are recorded by the evaluation unit and can be processed application-specifically in order to be able to control the machine optimally.

Another advantage of the machine according to the invention is that no effort is required for laying cables. This is particularly advantageous if the sensors are arranged at different locations in the machine. In addition, there is no heat dissipation through cables. In comparison to the prior art, no software model or only a reduced or adaptive software model is required for the simulation, so that the measurement uncertainty is lower. Correspondingly, cheaper magnets can be used, for example, in an electric drive machine, and insulation can be dimensioned smaller. The electric drive machine is thus better utilized overall. In addition, the high-voltage safety of electrical components or, for example, an electrical drive train is improved, since no measuring cables have to be routed into the machine.

If the machine is formed by a gearbox, for example, the temperature can be recorded at different positions or locations for cooling the gearbox as required. For example, an oil supply can be regulated according to the recorded temperatures. This leads, for example, to lower drag losses, to a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, to a lower delivery rate of the oil pump and to a lower oil requirement.

In preferred embodiments of the machine according to the invention, the evaluation unit is designed to process the wirelessly received signals from the sensors, in particular to determine the physical variable measured with the respective sensor from the signals. This processing is preferably application-specific. The evaluation unit is preferably designed to output the processed signals in order to provide them, for example, to a control of the machine.

The machine according to the invention is preferably formed by an electric drive machine, by a transmission or by an internal combustion engine. The machine according to the invention is preferably formed by a unit made up of an electric drive machine, a transmission and / or an internal combustion engine. The machine according to the invention is preferably formed by a unit made up of an electric drive machine and a transmission driven by the electric drive machine. The electric drive machine is preferably formed by an electric motor.

In preferred embodiments of the machine according to the invention, the sensors are arranged at different positions or locations in the machine. This allows the machine to be monitored in detail.

The physical variables that can be measured directly or indirectly by the sensors are preferably through at least one temperature and / or through at least one force and / or through at least one speed and / or through at least one torque and / or through at least one path and / or through at least one Position and / or by at least one angle and / or by at least one speed and / or by at least one acceleration and / or by at least one pressure and / or by at least one electrical voltage and / or by at least one electrical current and / or by at least an electrical resistance and / or by at least one capacitance and / or by at least one inductance and / or by at least one energy and / or by at least one efficiency and / or by at least one power and / or by at least one magnetic voltage and / or by at least one magnetic flux and / or through at least one mag Netic flux density and / or formed by at least one magnetic resistance and / or by at least one magnetic field strength. Accordingly, the sensor network comprises at least one temperature sensor and / or at least one force sensor and / or at least one speed sensor and / or at least one torque sensor and / or at least one displacement sensor and / or at least one position sensor and / or at least one angle sensor and / or at least one speed sensor and / or at least one acceleration sensor and / or at least one pressure sensor and / or at least one electrical voltage sensor and / or at least one electrical current sensor and / or at least one magnetic flux density sensor and / or at least one magnetic field strength sensor. Preferred embodiments of the machine according to the invention comprise several temperature sensors, which are at different positions or locations are arranged in the machine. If the named physical quantities are measured indirectly, the measured value can preferably be determined by the evaluation unit on the basis of at least one measurement signal from at least one of the sensors.

In preferred embodiments of the machine according to the invention, at least some of the sensors are each arranged in a sensor unit. The sensor units each include the respective sensor and an antenna for a wireless electrical connection with the evaluation unit. The antenna is preferably smartly integrated into the sensor unit.

At least one or more of the sensor units preferably each include an energy harvesting element for supplying the respective sensor unit with electrical energy.

The evaluation unit preferably comprises an antenna for wireless connections with the individual sensors in order to receive signals from the individual sensors or also to send signals to the individual sensors. The evaluation unit preferably comprises a computing unit for processing the signals transmitted wirelessly by the sensors.

The evaluation unit preferably also includes an analog-digital converter for converting the received signals.

In preferred embodiments of the machine according to the invention, at least some of the sensors and / or some of the. Sensor units designed for passive operation, for which purpose the sensors or the sensor units are designed to reflect a signal sent by the evaluation unit as a function of the physical variable to be measured. The signal sent by the evaluation unit is preferably an electromagnetic signal or an optical signal or also an acoustic signal. As a result, these sensors or the sensor units do not need their own power supply, so that, for example, no batteries have to be changed. The evaluation unit sends a signal to these sensors or to these sensor units, which change this signal, in particular the value of a frequency and / or an amplitude and / or a phase position of this signal, according to a measure of the physical variable to be measured and back to the evaluation unit reflect or send.

In preferred embodiments of the machine according to the invention, at least some of the sensors are on a stator, on a rotor, on a bearing, on a gearwheel, on a clutch actuator, on a clutch disc, on a synchronization, on a planetary gear set, on a planetary pin, in a lubricant - And / or coolant circuit, arranged on power electronics and / or on a battery of the machine.

The wireless electrical connections from the individual sensors to the evaluation unit or from the evaluation unit to the individual sensors are made with a frequency which is preferably 433 MHz; 13.68 MHz; 865 MHz to 868 MHz; 900 MHz; 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz. Such frequencies can usually be used freely.

• 1 eine bevorzugte Ausführungsform einer erfindungsgemäßen Maschine; und
• 2 ein Blockschaltbild einer Sensoreinheit und einer Auswerteeinheit der in 1 gezeigten Maschine.

Further details, advantages and developments of the invention emerge from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention with reference to the drawing. Show it:

• 1 a preferred embodiment of a machine according to the invention; and
• 2 a block diagram of a sensor unit and an evaluation unit of the in 1 shown machine.

1 shows a preferred embodiment of a machine according to the invention in the form of a unit comprising an electric drive machine 01 and a gearbox 02 . The electric prime mover 01 includes a rotor 03 and a stator 04 . The transmission includes a planetary gear set 06 , a synchronization 07 and a gear 08 . The machine further comprises power electronics (not shown) and a battery (not shown). A sensor unit is attached to each of the components mentioned, for example 09 (shown in detail in 2 ) arranged.

2 shows one of the in 1 sensor units shown 09 and an evaluation unit 11 the in 1 machine shown in a block diagram. The sensor unit 09 includes a sensor and an antenna. The sensor unit 09 is for the wireless transmission of a sensor signal from the sensor to the evaluation unit 11 educated. The evaluation unit 11 is to receive the from the sensor unit 09 Emitted sensor signal formed, for which the evaluation unit 11 comprises an antenna and a receiver. The receiver is a reader that amplifies the received signal and uses it to determine a value for the physical quantity measured by the sensor. A software is used for the application-specific evaluation of the determined value of the physical quantity measured with the sensor.

List of reference symbols

01

electric drive machine

02

transmission

03

rotor

04

stator

05

-

06

Planetary gear set

07

synchronization

08

gear

09

Sensor unit

10

-

11

Evaluation unit

QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Patent literature cited

• CN 109687805 A [0002]
• CN 109515207 A [0003]
• US 9834114 B2 [0004]

Claims (10)

Machine (01, 02) with a sensor network which comprises several sensors and an evaluation unit (11), the sensors being arranged in the machine (01, 02) and each designed to measure a physical variable, characterized in that the sensors are each electrically connected wirelessly to the evaluation unit (11). Machine (01, 02) Claim 1 , characterized in that the evaluation unit (11) is designed to process wirelessly received signals from the sensors. Machine (01, 02) Claim 1 or 2 , characterized in that it is provided by an electric drive machine (01), a gearbox (02), an internal combustion engine or a unit (01, 02) made up of an electric drive machine (01), a gearbox (02) and / or a Internal combustion engine is formed. Machine (01, 02) after one of the Claims 1 to 3 , characterized in that the sensors are arranged at different positions in the machine (01, 02). Machine (01, 02) after one of the Claims 1 to 4th , characterized in that the physical quantities measurable by the sensors by at least a temperature, a force, a speed, a torque, a distance, a position, an angle, a speed, an acceleration, a pressure, an electrical voltage, an electrical Current, an electrical resistance, a capacitance, an inductance, an energy, an efficiency, a power, a magnetic voltage, a magnetic flux, a magnetic flux density, a magnetic resistance and / or a magnetic field strength are formed. Machine (01, 02) after one of the Claims 1 to 5 , characterized in that at least some of the sensors are each arranged in a sensor unit (09), the sensor units (09) each comprising the respective sensor and an antenna for a wireless connection with the evaluation unit (11). Machine (01, 02) Claim 6 , characterized in that at least one of the sensor units (09) comprises an energy harvesting element for supplying the sensor unit (09) with electrical energy. Machine (01, 02) Claim 6 or 7th , characterized in that at least some of the sensor units (09) are designed for passive operation, for which purpose these sensor units (09) are designed to reflect a signal sent by the evaluation unit (11) as a function of the physical variable to be measured. Machine (01, 02) after one of the Claims 1 to 8th , characterized in that the evaluation unit (11) comprises an antenna for wireless connections to the sensors and a computing unit for processing signals from the sensors. Machine (01, 02) after one of the Claims 1 to 9 , characterized in that at least some of the sensors on a stator (04), on a rotor (03), on a bearing, on a gear wheel (08), on a clutch actuator, on a clutch disc, on a synchronization (07) a planetary gear set (06), on a planetary pin, in a lubricating and / or coolant circuit, on power electronics and / or on a battery of the machine.

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