Pump condition monitoring and recovery

Abstract

A fluid pumping system includes a fluid pump, an actuator coupled to said fluid pump, and a controller operatively coupled to the actuator. The controller is configured to detect an irregular condition of at least one of the fluid pump, the actuator or the controller, and upon detecting the irregular condition, modify at least one operating parameter of the actuator to prevent the irregular condition from transitioning to a fault condition.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION DATA[0001]This application claims priority of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61 / 911,505 filed on Dec. 4, 2013, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.FIELD OF INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to fluid pumps, and more particularly, to an apparatus, system and method for minimizing the occurrence of fault conditions that would otherwise shut down a fluid pump.BACKGROUND[0003]Control systems for controlling devices, such as electric motors, are well known in the art. Typically, a control system includes a main power component, e.g., a power module or the like that provides current and voltage to the motor, and a controller, e.g., a computer or other “smart” device that supervises system operation and provides control signals to the power module.[0004]Part of the supervisory function of the controller includes the detection of fault conditions. A fault condition typically refers to any condition that is not within a predefined operati...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The patent text describes a system for controlling a fluid pump that can detect and respond to various abnormal conditions, such as low voltage, no load, high temperature, and so on. The system can reduce the pump's speed to prevent shutdowns, increase speed to remove air, and protect against damage from high temperatures. The controller monitors the temperature of the pump, system, actuator, and controller, and will modify the actuator's operating parameters to prevent irregular conditions from becoming faults. Overall, the technology ensures safe and efficient operation of the fluid pump system.

Problems solved by technology

Damage to the motor may result, however, if the motor is operated when the motor temperature falls outside the temperature range.

A problem with conventional control systems that shut down on the occurrence of a fault is that they prevent use of the system, which can be problematic in certain situations.

For example, if the fluid pump is a fuel pump for a vehicle, shutting down the fuel pump prevents operation of the vehicle.

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