Utilizing Dynamic Fuel Pressure Sensor For Detecting Bearing Spalling and Gear Pump Failure Modes in Cummins Pressure Time ( PT ) Pumps
The objective of this paper is to highlight the results of the fault detection investigation conducted to ascertain the feasibility of exploiting the existing on-board M2/M3 Bradley fuel pressure sensor for the purpose of detecting mechanical bearing spalling and gear pump failure modes of the pressure-time (PT) fuel pump used on the Cummins VTA-903T engine. To investigate this fluid-mechanical cross domain detection approach, a Bradley fuel system test bed was built. Fault tests for four PT pump failure modes were conducted including bearing faults, gear pump fault, idle adjust mis-calibration, and air-fuel control fault. The results of the first two fault tests are summarized in this paper. Due to limited number of pumps available for testing (2), these preliminary findings are not statistically substantiated. With this stated, the findings present a method for investigating the presence of a narrowband frequency-domain-based predictive fault detection capability using the existing pressure sensor installed on the Chassis Modernization and Embedded Diagnostics (CMED) variant Bradley. The test stand based seeded fault analysis was not capable of detecting an 0.080 inch outer raceway bearing spall, but there is preliminary evidence to warrant further study that a nominal 0.001 inch foreign object debris accumulation on the gear teeth of the gear pump might be detectable using a simple kurtosis based calculation using a pressure sensor with a 0-500 Hz dynamic bandwidth.
Platform degrader analysis for the design and development of Vehicle Health Management Systems
The US Armypsilas Heavy Brigade Combat Team (HBCT) is investigating the implementation of Vehicle Health Management Systems across its fleet of platforms. A vehicle degrader analysis was conducted to determine where the application of vehicle health management systems (VHMS) could potentially have the greatest impact on increasing maintainer effectiveness and operational availability. The analysis was conducted for M1 Abrams tanks and M2/M3 Bradley Fighting Vehicles using data from three sources: (1) multi-year statistical data on repairs, operating and support costs, and logistics data, (2) interviews with maintainers, service representatives and operators, and (3) questionnaires completed by the platform OEMpsilas. The paper will describe how these alternative data and information sources were used when ideal data and information sources were not available. The statistical data provided an indication of vehicle consumable and repairable cost drivers, part replacement quantity and some indication of component failure isolation for vehicle systems. The interviews with vehicle maintainers, field service representatives and operators provided insight into platform reliability, maintainability and human factors issues. The maintainability, reliability and diagnostic coverage information from the OEMpsilas, provided information about mission criticality and general diagnostic capability for specific vehicle sub-systems and components. The results of the degrader analysis include a list of components and sub-systems that contribute most to maintainability, reliability and vehicle operational availability issues. The degrader results, were used to develop the conceptual design of the optimum application of embedded vehicle diagnostics and prognostics for more effective and efficient HCBT platform maintenance, logistic support and platform life cycle management.
Organic geochemical characteristics and depositional setting of Tertiary organic-rich sediments from onshore Penyu Basin, Malaysia
Due to the poor knowledge of the organic facies characteristics of the eastern Chenor Pahang has made it remain an untapped potential in the Penyu Basin. Therefore, detailed geochemical and petrographic characterization of the Tertiary organic facies of the eastern Chenor area of the Penyu Basin was carried out to characterized its organic matter (OM) source input. Towards achieving the goal, this study focuses on determination of organic matters richness, type and origin as related to their paleoenvironmental conditions of the carbonaceous mudstone and shale using organic petrography combined with organic and inorganic geochemistry. The sedimentary succession is characterized by fine to coarse grained sandstone occurring in association with carbonaceous mudstone and shale in a predominantly fining upward sequence within a lacustrine environment. These facies are generally enriched in organic matter as indicated by the TOC results, hydrocarbon yield (S2) and extractible organic matter (EOM), suggesting significant hydrocarbon generation potential for the area.