Water pump anti-stall structure and control method thereof

Abstract

The application discloses a water pump anti-blocking structure and a control method thereof. The water pump anti-blocking structure comprises a filter valve arranged on a water pump inlet pipeline. The filter valve comprises a valve body channel communicated with the water pump inlet pipeline, a filter valve core is arranged in the valve body channel, and the valve body channel is further communicated with a foreign matter collecting chamber. The filter valve further comprises a driving assembly, which is used for moving the filter valve core in the valve body channel. When the filter valve core is in a first position, the filter valve core filters water flowing into the water pump, and simultaneously opens a cavity opening of the foreign matter collecting chamber. When the filter valve core is in a second position, the filter valve core does not filter water flowing into the water pump, and simultaneously covers the cavity opening of the foreign matter collecting chamber. When blocking occurs, the filter valve can filter water near the water pump, remove part of foreign matters, and thus solve part of the blocking problem and reduce maintenance cost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automotive body technology, and more specifically to a water pump anti-stallization structure and its control method. Background Technology

[0002] The core components of a pure electric vehicle include the drive motor, drive battery, and current converter. These components have specific temperature requirements for operation. Excessively high ambient temperatures can reduce the efficiency of these components, or even cause them to burn out, leading to safety hazards. To ensure the normal operation of the drive motor and drive battery, electric vehicles are generally equipped with a water pump-driven cooling circuit to dissipate heat from these core components.

[0003] Although each component in the cooling circuit has cleanliness requirements, accidental contamination can cause the water pump to stall, rendering the cooling circuit ineffective and leading to serious consequences. The current solution is to directly replace the coolant and water pump after the vehicle controller reports a water pump stall; however, this solution is costly. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a water pump anti-blocking structure and its control method, which can filter the water flow near the water pump when blockage occurs, remove some impurities, thereby solving part of the blockage problem and reducing maintenance costs.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides a water pump anti-blocking structure, including a filter valve disposed on the water pump inlet pipe. The filter valve includes a valve body channel communicating with the water pump inlet pipe, a filter valve core disposed within the valve body channel, and the valve body channel also communicating with an impurity collection chamber. The filter valve further includes a drive assembly for moving the filter valve core within the valve body channel, enabling the filter valve core to move to a first position or a second position, and:

[0006] When the filter valve core is in the first position, the filter valve core filters the water flowing into the water pump and opens the cavity of the impurity collection chamber. If the water flow in the inlet pipe stops, the filtered impurities can settle into the impurity collection chamber under the action of gravity.

[0007] When the filter valve core is in the second position, the filter valve core does not filter the water flowing into the water pump, and at the same time seals the opening of the impurity collection chamber.

[0008] In the aforementioned water pump anti-stagnation structure, when the water pump is operating normally, the filter valve core remains in the second position. By moving the filter valve core through the drive assembly, the filter valve core can be switched between the two positions. Thus, in the event of stagnation, the water pump can be reversed first, redirecting the water flow near the pump impeller back into the inlet pipe, attempting to carry the impurities stuck on the impeller to the inlet pipe. Then, the filter valve core is moved to the first position, and the water pump is restarted to rotate forward, using the filter valve core to filter the impurities in the water flow. After the water pump has been running for a certain period of time, it stops, and the filtered impurities will settle into the impurity collection chamber, thereby solving part of the water pump stagnation problem. In addition, when the water pump is operating normally, the opening of the impurity collection chamber is blocked by the filter valve core, preventing the filtered impurities from re-entering the cooling circuit, reducing the water pump failure rate and lowering the overall vehicle maintenance cost.

[0009] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides a control method for the above-mentioned anti-stagnation structure of a water pump, which includes the following steps when the water pump stalls:

[0010] Step 1: Start the water pump in reverse and count i. If it can rotate normally, control the reverse time t1 and jump to step 3; if it cannot rotate normally, jump to step 2, where i is the number of times to enter step 1.

[0011] Step 2: If i≤n, then jump to Step 1 after an interval of time t2; if i>n, then stop the water pump and the vehicle controller will sound an alarm.

[0012] Step 3: Control the filter valve core to move to the first position;

[0013] Step 4: Start the water pump and run it forward for time t3, then stop for time t4;

[0014] Step 5: Move the filter valve core to the second position, then start the water pump to rotate forward and end the method.

[0015] Furthermore, when the water pump is operating normally, the drive assembly controls the filter valve core to remain in the second position.

[0016] In the above control method, when the water pump is working normally, it rotates in the forward direction, and the filter valve core remains in the second position, which does not affect the working circuit of the entire water pump. When the water pump is stalled, the current increases. First, try to start the water pump in reverse to loosen the stuck impurities. If it can be reversed, it means that the water pump has returned to normal. First, run it in reverse for a certain period of time to flush the impeller with water flow and carry the impurities to the inlet pipe. Then, control the filter valve core to move to the first position, and then start the water pump in the forward direction for a certain period of time and then stop. This allows smaller impurities in the water flow to flow into the water pump with the coolant, while larger impurities are filtered by the filter valve core. After the water flow stops, the larger impurities will settle into the impurity collection chamber, thus solving part of the stall problem. If it cannot be reversed, it means that the water pump is still stalled. Then, repeat the reverse start multiple times, with a certain time interval between each start, and repeat the attempt to loosen the stuck impurities multiple times. If it still cannot be solved, then an alarm is triggered. This increases the success rate of this treatment method, reduces the probability of false diagnosis of water pump failure, and reduces maintenance costs.

[0017] In summary, the above-mentioned anti-stallization structure and control method for water pumps can reduce the probability of misdiagnosis of water pump failures and reduce maintenance costs. Attached Figure Description

[0018] In the attached diagram:

[0019] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram showing the filter valve core of the anti-blockage structure of the water pump of the present invention in the second position.

[0020] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram showing the filter valve core of the anti-blockage structure of the water pump of the present invention in the first position.

[0021] Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of the filter valve core of the water pump anti-blockage structure of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the cooling circuit structure inside an electric vehicle.

[0023] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the water pump PWM signal received by the vehicle controller.

[0024] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the operating current of the water pump.

[0025] In the diagram, 1. Water pump; 21. Valve body channel; 211. Inlet; 212. Outlet; 213. Chamfer; 22. Filter valve core; 221. Filter holes; 23. Impurity collection chamber; 24. Drive assembly; 241. Electric cylinder; 242. Push rod; 3. Vehicle controller; 4. Drive battery; 41. First water pump; 42. First water injection box; 43. First filter valve; 44. Cooler; 5. Drive motor; 51. Current conversion module; 52. Second water pump; 53. Second filter valve; 54. Second water injection box; 55. Inverter; 6. Heater; 61. Third water pump; 62. Third filter valve; 63. Water heater; 64. Third water injection box. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that these descriptions of the embodiments are for the purpose of helping to understand the present invention, but do not constitute a limitation thereof.

[0027] Example 1

[0028] Figure 1-6 This invention illustrates a water pump anti-stallization structure. For example... Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the anti-blocking structure of the water pump includes a filter valve installed on the inlet pipe of the water pump 1. The filter valve includes a valve body channel 21 connected to the inlet pipe of the water pump 1, a filter valve core 22 installed in the valve body channel 21, and an impurity collection chamber 23 connected to the valve body channel 21. The filter valve also includes a drive assembly 24, which is used to move the filter valve core 22 within the valve body channel 21, so that the filter valve core 22 can move to a first position or a second position, and:

[0029] When the filter valve core 22 is in the first position, such as Figure 2 As shown, the filter valve core 22 filters the water flowing into the water pump 1 and opens the cavity of the impurity collection chamber 23. If the water flow in the inlet pipe stops at this time, the filtered impurities can settle into the impurity collection chamber 23 under the action of gravity.

[0030] When the filter valve core 22 is in the second position, such as Figure 1 As shown, the filter valve core 22 does not filter the water flowing into the water pump 1, and at the same time seals the opening of the impurity collection chamber 23.

[0031] Optional, such as Figure 2 As shown, the valve body channel 21 and the filter valve core 22 are both structures located inside the filter valve body; the impurity collection chamber 23 and the drive assembly 24 are both located outside the filter valve body, forming an integrated structure that is easy to install and use.

[0032] Optionally, the valve body channel 21 is a vertically arranged pipe with an inlet 211 on one side and an outlet 212 on the other side. The outlet 212 is higher than the inlet 211. A sludge collection chamber 23 is provided through the bottom of the valve body channel 21. The sludge collection chamber 23 is located at the bottom, which facilitates the settling of sludge from the bottom of the filter valve core 22 when the water flow stops, and makes it difficult for sludge to be carried out of the sludge collection chamber 23 by the water flow. The outlet 212 is close to the inlet of the water pump 1, usually 5-20 cm away.

[0033] Optional, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the filter valve core 22 is a cylindrical block adapted to the valve body channel 21 and is slidably disposed within the valve body channel 21. The filter valve core 22 is provided with filter holes 221. The filter valve core 22 has a filtering function and can be understood as a movable filter screen. Depending on the impurities in the cooling circuit, smaller impurities with an outer diameter of 0~0.3mm can pass through the filter holes 221; larger impurities with an outer diameter of 0.3mm~5mm cannot pass through the filter holes 221.

[0034] Optionally, a chamfer 213 is provided at the inlet 211. This chamfer 213 can be an arc-shaped bevel, which facilitates the filtering of impurities when the filter valve core 22 is in the first position, allowing them to fall into the impurity collection chamber 23 at the bottom of the valve body channel 21. The structure is cleverly designed. To prevent the chamfer 213 from affecting impurities in the backflow when the filter valve core 22 is reversed, the upper surface of the filter valve core 22 is flush with the bottom of the inlet 211 when the filter valve core 22 is in the first position. This creates a recessed area between the chamfer 213 and the side of the filter valve core 22, which can also collect impurities. After the filter valve core 22 leaves the second position, the impurities collected here tend to fall into the impurity collection chamber 23 and are easily collected.

[0035] Optionally, the drive assembly 24 includes an electric cylinder 241 located at the top of the valve body channel 21 and a push rod 242 located within the valve body channel 21. The electric cylinder 241 drives the push rod 242 to extend and retract in the vertical direction, and the push rod 242 is fixedly connected to the filter valve core 22. The electric cylinder 241 has high operating precision and strong controllability.

[0036] Optionally, both water pump 1 and drive assembly 24 are connected to vehicle controller 3. The entire filter valve is controlled by vehicle controller 3, working in tandem to clear blockages in water pump 1. Typically, the water pump 1 in the cooling system is an electric water pump, with a motor driving the impeller to pump water.

[0037] Optional, such as Figure 4As shown, this is a diagram of three independent cooling circuits for an electric vehicle, respectively cooling the drive battery 4, drive motor 5, and heater 6. The first water pump 41, first water inlet box 42, first filter valve 43, and cooler 44 form a cooling circuit for the drive battery 4. The second water pump 52, second filter valve 53, and second water inlet box 54 form a cooling circuit for the drive motor 5, current conversion module 51, and inverter 55; the third water pump 61, third filter valve 62, and third water inlet box 64 form a cooling circuit for the heater 6 and water heater 63.

[0038] The cooling circuits for the drive battery 4, drive motor 5, and heater 6 are three independent cooling circuits; however, the water pump 1 and filter valve are both controlled by the vehicle controller 3. Figure 4 In the diagram, the dashed lines represent signal control lines.

[0039] In addition, in each cooling circuit, the filter valve is installed at the lowest spatial position of the corresponding cooling circuit, lower than other components of the cooling circuit; the water pump 1 is installed at a higher spatial position than the filter valve, which facilitates the settling of impurities into the impurity collection chamber 23. Figure 4 The cooling circuit of the drive battery 4 shown has the first water pump 41 and the first filter valve 43 arranged at the bottom of other components and pipelines, especially the impurity collection chamber 23 of the first filter valve 43 located at the bottom.

[0040] This invention provides a control method for addressing partial stalling issues in actual cooling circuits using the aforementioned anti-stallization structure for water pumps. This control method is divided into two processes, a and b, depending on whether water pump 1 experiences stalling.

[0041] When the vehicle is running normally and water pump 1 is operating normally, water pump 1 will send a 4.5s high-level and 0.5s low-level PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) signal back to the vehicle controller 3. This is the normal operation signal for pulse width modulation. Figure 5 As shown. When welding slag adsorbed on the cooling plate of the drive battery 4 is mixed into the battery cooling circuit after repeated flushing with coolant, or when impurities fall into the battery cooling circuit when adding coolant from the water inlet box, the water pump 1 will become blocked due to the impurities, causing the operating current to increase, for example, from 3A to 10A. Figure 6 As shown, simultaneously, water pump 1 continuously feeds back a 1.5s low-level, 1s high-level PWM stall signal to vehicle controller 3, such as... Figure 5 As shown.

[0042] a. When the water pump 1 is operating normally, the drive assembly 24 controls the filter valve core 22 to remain in the second position. The filter valve core 22 seals the opening of the impurity collection chamber 23, preventing the collected impurities from returning to the coolant circuit, and also preventing the normal flow of coolant from being filtered, thus avoiding damping and affecting cooling efficiency.

[0043] b. When water pump 1 stalls, that is, when the vehicle controller 3 detects that water pump 1 has suddenly switched from normal working state to stalled working state, it immediately uses the above-mentioned water pump anti-stall structure to diagnose and handle the situation, including the following steps:

[0044] Step S10: Start water pump 1 in reverse and count i. If it can rotate normally, control the reverse time t1 and jump to step S30; if it cannot rotate normally, jump to step S20, where i is the number of times to enter step S10.

[0045] After receiving the stall signal, the vehicle controller 3 immediately enters the execution step S10, starts the water pump 1 to reverse, applies reverse force to the impurities stuck on the impeller, and attempts to loosen them and relieve the jamming phenomenon.

[0046] ① If water pump 1 can reverse normally at this time, it means that the reverse rotation action has worked and solved the blockage problem. At this time, control the reverse operation time t1 of water pump 1. Since the filter valve core 22 is in the second position at this time, the reverse rotation will drive the coolant flow in the opposite direction to flush the impeller of water pump 1. At the same time, it will drive the impurities that are stuck on the impeller back to the vicinity of the filter valve or the front end of water pump 1, such as the inlet pipe, and then proceed to step S30.

[0047] Typically, the reverse rotation is initiated only once in step S10, with an initiation time of approximately 5 seconds; the initiation control of the vehicle controller 3 takes approximately 1 second; if the reverse rotation can proceed normally, the reverse rotation running time t1 is 1.5~2.5 seconds.

[0048] ② If pump 1 cannot reverse normally at this time, it means that this reverse rotation is ineffective and cannot solve the stall problem. Then proceed to step S20.

[0049] If one or two reversal operations fail to resolve the stalling issue, it cannot be concluded that pump 1 is faulty. This approach is not scientifically rigorous and requires repeated forward and reverse operations for verification before drawing a conclusion. Therefore, when executing step S10, a parameter i is introduced, representing the number of times step S10 is executed, i.e., the number of times reverse operation is initiated after stalling. The parameter i can take the value of a natural number such as 1, 2, 3, etc., to count the number of reverse operation attempts.

[0050] Step S20: If i≤n, then after an interval of time t2, proceed to step S10; if i>n, then stop water pump 1 and the vehicle controller 3 will sound an alarm.

[0051] The number of reversals (n) is used to control the number of restart attempts, allowing for repeated attempts to resolve and verify the existence of stall issues, thus avoiding false alarms. For example, if water pump 1 restarts only once, the vehicle controller 3 will immediately report a fault code, leading to a false alarm. If n is too small, verification will be insufficient; if it is too large, the verification process will take too long, preventing the vehicle's infotainment system from cooling down and potentially damaging it. A reasonable value for n is recommended. A value of 5 is suggested.

[0052] ①When i≤n, after each unsuccessful attempt to reverse, a time interval t2 is required before proceeding to step S40 to restart forward rotation, as continuous starts can cause significant damage to water pump 3. Optionally, t2 can be 4.5~5.5s.

[0053] ②When i>n, the water pump 1 has been confirmed to be faulty after n-1 verifications, and an alarm is triggered. The vehicle controller 3 generates a vehicle fault code, the vehicle speed is reduced, and the vehicle enters a protective deceleration mode.

[0054] Step S30: Control the filter valve core 22 to move to the first position. The drive assembly 24 controls the filter valve core 22 to move to the first position, adjusts the position of the filter valve core 22, and prepares to filter the water flow returned in step S10 ① to remove impurities, especially impurities that cause the motor to stall.

[0055] Step S40: After the water pump 1 starts rotating forward for time t3, it stops operating for time t4. Due to the reverse rotation effect of step S10, the impurities stuck on the impeller are successfully loosened and move from their stuck position to the upstream of the filter valve. At this time, the water pump 1 is controlled to rotate forward for time t3, and these impurities will be blocked at the filter valve core 22. After the water pump 1 is stopped for time t4, the filtered impurities will settle into the impurity collection chamber 23. The value of t3 is 1.5~2.5s.

[0056] Optionally, if the water pump 1 stalls again during step S40, it means that the stuck impurities have not been successfully removed by the filter valve core 22. In this case, it is necessary to first control the filter valve core 22 to move to the second position, and then return to step S10 to repeat the process and try to filter out the impurities again.

[0057] Step S50: Drive component 24 controls filter valve core 22 to the second position, then restart water pump 1 to rotate forward and it can work normally, and the method ends, the blockage problem is solved.

[0058] Optionally, when the value of i equals n, the value of time t2 is m1; when the value of i equals 1, 2, ..., n-1, the value of time t2 is m2, and m1 > m2. That is, if during the execution of this control method, if the nth execution of step S10 still fails to reverse normally, then after an interval of t2 = m1, the (n+1)th execution of step S10 is performed, where m1 is greater than any previous restart interval, and all previous intervals were t2 = m2.

[0059] For example, such as Figure 6 As shown, n is 5. After the fifth restart of water pump 1 in reverse, it is still blocked. The sixth restart in reverse is performed after an interval of t4=15s. The interval t4 between the first and fourth restarts is the same, which is 5s. Since the fifth restart is the last one, the t2 time is longer, which is 15s, to allow the impurities to settle fully and to perform the final verification.

[0060] Optionally, the total time from the start of water pump 1 stalling to the alarm in vehicle controller 3 is less than the set threshold t5. The set threshold t5 is the time required for the temperature of the cooled component to rise to a dangerous temperature after the cooling circuit stops, and is generally given by the factory. In the embodiment of the present invention, when n is 5, the final alarm time is the sum of the time for six motor restarts and the interval between the six restarts. The values ​​of time parameters such as t1 and t2 can be designed in reverse based on the given t5.

[0061] Note that during the implementation of a stall control method, the vehicle controller 3 may continuously receive multiple stall signals from the water pump 1. The vehicle controller 3 can identify and distinguish each stall signal and apply them in an orderly and accurate manner, such as by marking them according to time. Each stall control method is initiated only when the normally operating water pump 1 suddenly stalls, meaning the vehicle controller 3 can also identify the first stall signal that initiates the control method each time.

[0062] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and not to limit its scope of protection. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that after reading the present invention, they can still make various changes, modifications or equivalent substitutions to the specific implementation of the invention, but these changes, modifications or equivalent substitutions are all within the scope of protection of the pending claims of the invention.

Claims

1. A control method for a water pump anti-stall structure, characterized in that, The anti-blocking structure of the water pump includes a filter valve installed on the inlet pipe of the water pump (1). The filter valve includes a valve body channel (21) connected to the inlet pipe of the water pump (1). A filter valve core (22) is installed in the valve body channel (21). The valve body channel (21) is also connected to an impurity collection chamber (23). The filter valve also includes a drive assembly (24). The drive assembly (24) is used to move the filter valve core (22) within the valve body channel (21), so that the filter valve core (22) can move to a first position or a second position, and: When in the first position, the filter valve core (22) filters the water flowing into the water pump (1) and opens the cavity of the impurity collection chamber (23). If the water flow in the inlet pipe stops, the filtered impurities can settle into the impurity collection chamber (23) under the action of gravity. When in the second position, the filter valve core (22) does not filter the water flowing into the water pump (1), and at the same time seals the opening of the impurity collection chamber (23); The control method for the anti-stall structure of the water pump includes the following steps when the water pump (1) stalls: Step 1: Start the water pump (1) reverse and count i. If it can rotate normally, control the reverse time t1 and jump to step 3; if it cannot rotate normally, jump to step 2, where i is the number of times to enter step 1. Step 2: If i≤n, then jump to step 1 after an interval of time t2; if i>n, then stop the water pump (1) and the vehicle controller (3) alarms; Step 3: Control the filter valve core (22) to move to the first position; Step 4: Start the water pump (1) Forward rotation time t3 followed by stop operation time t4; Step 5: Control the filter valve core (22) to move to the second position, then start the water pump (1) to rotate forward and end the method.

2. The control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The valve body channel (21) is a vertically arranged pipe with an inlet (211) on one side and an outlet (212) on the other side. The outlet (212) is higher than the inlet (211). The impurity collection chamber (23) is provided through the bottom end of the valve body channel (21).

3. The control method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The filter valve core (22) is in the shape of a column that is adapted to the valve body channel (21) and is slidably disposed in the valve body channel (21). The filter valve core (22) is provided with filter holes (221).

4. The control method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The bottom of the inlet (211) is provided with a chamfer (213).

5. The control method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The drive assembly (24) includes an electric cylinder (241) located at the top of the valve body channel (21) and a push rod (242) located in the valve body channel (21). The electric cylinder (241) drives the push rod (242) to extend and retract in the vertical direction. The push rod (242) is fixedly connected to the filter valve core (22).

6. The control method according to claim 2, characterized in that, Both the water pump (1) and the drive assembly (24) are connected to the vehicle controller (3).

7. The control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: When the water pump (1) is running normally, the drive assembly (24) controls the filter valve core (22) to remain in the second position.

8. The control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the value of i equals n, the value of time t2 is m1; when the value of i equals 1, 2...n-1, the value of time t2 is m2, and m1>m2.

9. The control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, From the moment the water pump (1) stalls until the vehicle controller (3) alarms, the total time consumed is less than the set threshold t5.

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