Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US7765704?dq=6373188
Timestamp: 2016-05-30 01:28:10
Document Index: 523561850

Matched Legal Cases: ['art” 12', 'art” 12', 'art 12', 'art 12', 'art 12', 'art 12', 'art 12', 'art 12']

Patent US7765704 - Method of aligning properties for dynamometer testing - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inPatentsA method of aligning a property for testing in a dynamometer cell is provided, including the steps of: mounting a laser travel car to each of four risers in a repositionable manner; mounting a laser to each of the laser travel cars in a repositionable manner; securing a dyno cart into a cart receiving...http://www.google.com/patents/US7765704?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US7765704 - Method of aligning properties for dynamometer testingAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS7765704 B2Publication typeGrantApplication numberUS 12/177,443Publication dateAug 3, 2010Priority dateJul 22, 2008Fee statusPaidAlso published asCN101644573A, CN101644573B, DE102009033956A1, US20100018300Publication number12177443, 177443, US 7765704 B2, US 7765704B2, US-B2-7765704, US7765704 B2, US7765704B2InventorsMichael R. Cline, Robert W. Regener, Dennis P. Klinkhamer, Clary L. Laffin, Dennis A. McLeod, Jayasri R. ChariOriginal AssigneeGm Global Technology Operations, Inc.Export CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (10), Referenced by (3), Classifications (9), Legal Events (13) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetMethod of aligning properties for dynamometer testing
US 7765704 B2Abstract
A method of aligning a property for testing in a dynamometer cell is provided, including the steps of: mounting a laser travel car to each of four risers in a repositionable manner; mounting a laser to each of the laser travel cars in a repositionable manner; securing a dyno cart into a cart receiving station between the four risers; calibrating each of the lasers; preparing the dyno cart to receive the property; mounting the property to the dyno cart; orienting the various lasers based, at least in part, upon predetermined optimal alignment dimensions to thereby provide a set of target locations; orienting the property such that predetermined locations of the property align with the set of target locations to ensure appropriate property orientation during testing; and removing the dyno cart from the cart receiving station for delivery to the dynamometer cell.
The present invention relates generally to apparatuses for testing mechanical power sources, and more specifically to methods of preparing motor and engine assemblies for transportation to and testing in dynamometer cells.
Original equipment manufacturers (OEM) of high quality mechanical power sources, such as motors, engines, and other prime movers, almost invariably test the power source prior to releasing the same for sale to ensure that it performs properly and up to its rated capability. Dynamometer testing apparatuses (or “dyno” for short) of various types are used to determine the performance characteristics of motor and engine assemblies, transmissions, and of vehicles powered by such motors and engine assemblies. A dyno can be used, for example, to measure the torque and rotational speed from which power produced by an internal combustion engine can be calculated.
In the case of internal combustion engine assemblies, testing is often done on a large scale basis where testing is performed in a continuous manner on a variety of different types of engines at any one point in time at a single test facility. Test engineers and technicians often use a dressing area which allows the engines to be prepped or “dressed” prior to entering the engine test cell (e.g., engine dynamometer room). As a further means of facilitating the testing process and minimizing the down time of the dynamometer room, a test operator often may use engine transport systems to expedite the preparation and delivery of the engine to the dynamometer room.
According to prior practices, “dressing an engine” generally consists of fixing the engine assembly to a box-shaped tubular frame assembly that rests directly on the base of the staging area. An adapter may then be connected to the tubular frame assembly for mounting the electrical and mechanical umbilical interfaces thereto. A transmission adapter extension plate may also be connected to the engine at this time for facilitating the testing of a corresponding power transmission device. Once the engine is properly dressed, the engine and tubular frame must be moved to the dynamometer room. Conventionally, this step has been accomplished by connecting the box frame to an overhead crane which, with the assistance of an operator, transfers the dressed engine to the dynamometer room. Another conventional manner of transporting the engine assembly is via a wheeled pallet assembly or “dyno cart” which attaches to the tubular frame assembly and supports the engine during dressing, and can thereafter deliver it to a dynamometer room where the pallet assembly works in conjunction with a pallet locating system.
In many of the abovementioned testing environments, the efficiency, reliability, and throughput of the individual testing cells is highly dependent upon the accuracy and dependability of the interconnection between the testing apparatus and the “property” (e.g., engine) being tested. As such, most OEM testing facilities put a premium on simple, rapid, and reliable means for connecting the property being tested to the dynamometer unit. Under less than optimal circumstances, there is a recognizable possibility that errors may be made in connecting the testing equipment to the power source, which may produce conditions detrimental to the accuracy and integrity of the equipment, as well as the proper performance of the engine.
The present invention reduces the effort and inefficiencies of current carting processes, breaking from current practices of aligning properties for dynamometer testing by utilizing a laser based carting cell, which integrates mechanical details to scan features of the properties with lasers. The mechanical details of the carting cell create a four-sided envelope within which the property can be hoisted, mounted, scanned and aligned in an efficient and accurate fashion. For the process, carts, jigs, and end-effectors are pre-assembled inside the carting cell envelope to locations determined by data provided through 3-d modeling. A dyno cart is introduced to the laser carting cell where the property (e.g., engine, transmission, engine and transmission assembly, etc.) can be hoisted and thereafter attached. Targets will be located on the property based on modeled data to precision-locate the property relative to the cart datum. Through the integration of a number of stanchions, jacks, and other mechanisms, the property may be adjusted to pre-specified target locations in space that will ensure appropriate orientation for testing.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method of aligning a property for testing in a dynamometer cell is provided, including the following steps: orienting two or more lasers based, at least in part, upon predetermined optimal alignment dimensions (i.e., math data provided through 3-d modeling) to thereby provide a set of target locations; and orienting the property such that predetermined locations of the property align with the individual target locations to ensure appropriate property orientation during testing. In this particular instance, the method of aligning a property may be practiced inside of a testing cell or at a separate staging location. As used herein, the term “property” should be interpreted or defined to mean an assembly which includes, at a minimum, at least one of an engine, a motor, and a transmission.
FIG. 1 is a plan-view schematic illustration of a representative laser carting cell for practicing the methods of the present invention;
Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference numbers refer to like components throughout the several views, FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a staging or dressing area, which is identified generally as 10 and referred to hereinafter as “laser carting cell”, with which the present invention may be utilized. The embodiments of the present invention will be described herein with respect to the laser carting cell 10 of FIG. 1 as an exemplary application by which the present invention may be practiced. It should be readily understood that the present invention is by no means limited to the particular arrangement of FIG. 1. In addition, the drawings presented herein—i.e., FIGS. 1 and 2, are not to scale and are provided purely for explanatory purposes. Thus, the specific and relative dimensions shown in the drawings are not to be considered limiting.
As seen in FIG. 1, the laser carting cell 10 consists primarily of a wheeled pallet assembly or “dyno cart” 12, a receiving station 14, and a plurality of mechanical details, defined herein as first, second, third and fourth laser stations 16A, 16B, 16C and 16D, respectively. Each laser station 16A, 16B, 16C, 16D includes a respective riser or platform 18A, 18B, 18C and 18D having a rail portion 20A, 20B, 20C and 20D (more clearly illustrated in FIG. 2) elongated in a linear fashion along a respective upper surface thereof. The laser stations 16A, 16B, 16C, 16D, namely first, second, third and fourth risers 18A, 18B, 18C, 18D, are positioned relative to one another to thereby create a four-sided envelope therebetween (indicated for illustration purposes with hidden box E), and within which a property can be hoisted, mounted, scanned and aligned in an efficient, timely, and accurate fashion. With this said, the design (e.g., length, width, height, geometry, etc.) and arrangement (e.g., square, rectangular, elliptical, etc.) of the laser stations 16A, 16B, 16C, 16D may be individually or collectively varied so long as the four-sided envelope E is maintained. Moreover, it is plausible to eliminate the risers 18A, 18B, 18C, 18D altogether, and create the four-sided envelope E by elongating the rail portions 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D along the floor of the carting cell 10.
Looking back to FIG. 1, the laser carting cell 10 also includes a wheeled pallet assembly or “dyno cart” 12 that is configured to support, accurately position, transport, and maintain a “property” 50 during testing in a dynamometer cell (not shown). As used herein, the term “property” should be interpreted or defined to mean an assembly which includes, at a minimum, at least one of an engine, a motor, and a transmission. By way of example, the property 50 may consist of an internal combustion engine (ICE) assembly, an ICE connected to a corresponding power transmission assembly, a hybrid-type powertrain (e.g., one or more motor/generator devices and an ICE assembly in power flow communication with a power transmission), etc. Moreover, it should be recognized that the functionality of the present invention is not limited in scope to the motive power devices as embodied herein. To this regard, existing technological devices, such as fuel cells, as well as those yet to be contrived will benefit from the invention disclosed herein. It is also conceivable, as will be described below with respect to FIG. 3, to eliminate the dyno cart 12, and practice the present invention inside of a test cell (e.g., engine dynamometer room).
The fundamental components of the dyno cart 12 include a base plate 52, a plurality of preferably pivotable and lockable wheel assemblies 54, and a handle 56 that is positioned along one of the four sides of the base plate 52. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the dyno cart 12 and its various constituent components—i.e., base plate 52, wheels 54, and handle 56, can be made out of any material suitable for the intended use of the dyno cart 12 (e.g., steel, aluminum, plastic, composite materials, and any combination thereof). However, steel is preferred; and, if necessary, the steel may be pretreated with an anti-corrosive coating.
The method 100 begins with step 101, in which the necessary math data (referred to hereinafter as the “optimal property alignment dimensions”) is acquired for aligning and carting the property 50. For example, available math models of the property 50 (e.g., ICE assembly, engine and transmission assemblies), along with generated math models of the various support elements (e.g., cross beams 62, stanchions 70A-70D, etc.) and the dynamometer cart 12, are integrated into a computer-aided-drafting program (CAD) to place the engine model on the cart model in the optimal test position. Dimensions from the cart rails 64, 66, through the engine mounts 72, to complementary mounting points on the property 50 dictate the proper support elements to be selected and added to the assembly model. Pre-established testing dimensions are then incorporated into the math model, which generates the necessary placement and height of the support elements, along with a final set of dimensions (“optimal property alignment dimensions”) for verifying that the property 50 is in the proper position for testing.
Finally, an absolute zero height position is established for the lasers 40A-40D. This can be accomplished, for example, by providing a height standard (not shown) with a single, vertical reference point. The travel cars 22A-22D and height gauge assemblies are then adjusted until the laser beams 90A-90D emitted from each laser 40A-40D cross the vertical reference point. Subsequently, the electronic gauge with digital readout 30 is “zeroed out”—i.e., set to absolute zero.
Once the property 50 is accurately aligned, and properly carted, the dyno cart is removed from the cart receiving station 14—i.e., disengaging locking mechanism 88, rotating the center lever 86 back to its original, inactive position, and removing the dyno cart 12 from the bed plate 80.
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Fixturlaser AbDevice and procedure for aligning of componentsUS20060042105 *Aug 24, 2004Mar 2, 2006Mcgrail PeterMethod and apparatus for positioning a billiard game rack* Cited by examinerReferenced byCiting PatentFiling datePublication dateApplicantTitleUS8453334 *Jun 4, 2013GM Global Technology Operations LLCFuel cell plate measurement featuresUS20120198714 *Aug 9, 2012GM Global Technology Operations LLCFuel cell plate measurement featuresUS20140163826 *Dec 11, 2012Jun 12, 2014Yona Ben-DavidTracked-vehicle characteristic tester (tct)* Cited by examinerClassifications U.S. Classification33/286International ClassificationG01B11/27, G01C15/00Cooperative ClassificationG01M15/044, G01M15/02, G01B11/272European ClassificationG01M15/02, G01B11/27B, G01M15/04D2Legal EventsDateCodeEventDescriptionJul 23, 2008ASAssignmentOwner name: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC., MICHIGANFree format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:CLINE, MICHAEL R.;REGENER, ROBERT W.;KLINKHAMER, DENNIS P.;AND OTHERS;REEL/FRAME:021276/0649;SIGNING DATES FROM 20080623 TO 20080707Owner name: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC., MICHIGANFree format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:CLINE, MICHAEL R.;REGENER, ROBERT W.;KLINKHAMER, DENNIS P.;AND OTHERS;SIGNING DATES FROM 20080623 TO 20080707;REEL/FRAME:021276/0649Feb 3, 2009ASAssignmentOwner name: UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY,DISTRICTFree format text: SECURITY AGREEMENT;ASSIGNOR:GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.;REEL/FRAME:022201/0363Effective date: 20081231Owner name: UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY, DISTRICTFree format text: SECURITY AGREEMENT;ASSIGNOR:GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.;REEL/FRAME:022201/0363Effective date: 20081231Apr 16, 2009ASAssignmentOwner name: CITICORP USA, INC. 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