SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MEASURING VALVE LIFT AND FOR DETECTING A FAULT IN A VALVE ACTUATOR BASED ON THE VALVE LIFT

• Main Authors: DIBBLE DONOVAN L, FELDMANN SCOTT T, KUBANI RONALD J
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 05.08.2015
• Subjects: BLASTING; CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TOTRANSPORTATION; COMBUSTION ENGINES; CONTROLLING COMBUSTION ENGINES; CYCLICALLY OPERATING VALVES FOR MACHINES OR ENGINES; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; HEATING; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS; LIGHTING; MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; STEAM ENGINES; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINSTCLIMATE CHANGE; WEAPONS

The invention discloses a system and a method for measuring a valve lift and detecting a fault in a valve actuator based on the valve lift. The system according to the principles of the present disclosure includes a valve lift determination module and a fault detection module. The valve lift determination module determines valve lift based on at least one of a first period when a valve is open and N differences between a first value of a valve lift signal generated by a valve lift sensor when the valve is closed and a second value of the valve lift signal when the valve is open, wherein N is an integer greater than one. The fault detection module detects a fault in a valve actuator based on the valve lift.