Pump system with electric motor and pump controller

Abstract

A pump system for a vehicle having an electronic control unit (ECU) for operating the pump system, the pump system including: a pump assembly having an electric motor; and a pump controller having a command input in communication with an ECU of the vehicle. The pump controller is configured to determine whether a command input of the pump controller is selectively connected to the ECU of the vehicle, and furthermore the pump controller is operable in at least two modes including: a first mode in which a command input of the pump controller is selectively connected to the ECU when the pump controller is in communication with the ECU, and a second mode in which the command input of the pump controller is selectively connected to the ECU when the pump controller is in communication with the ECU; the first mode utilizes an effective pulse width modulation (PWM) input from the ECU; and a second mode utilizing discrete digital inputs for controlling the speed of the pump assembly when the pump controller is not in communication with the ECU.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This PCT international application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 to U.S. patent application No. 17 / 884,123, filed on August 9, 2022, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to a pump system having a pump controller, and in particular to a pump controller including a control circuit having multi-function commands. Background Art

[0004] The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.

[0005] Generally speaking, in a vehicle, a pump controller operates a pump, each of which is installed in a fuel system and / or a coolant system. Specifically, the pump is generally driven by an electric motor (e.g., a brushless direct current (BLDC) motor). For example, a BLDC motor rotates a rotor by sequential switching of electromagnetic coils placed in a stator. In a BLDC motor, the control of the number of rotations is performed by detecting the magnetic pole position of the rotor (i.e., the relative position between the magnetic rotor and the stator winding due to the speed electromotive force induced on the stator winding of the BLDC motor). The relative position between the rotor and the stator winding is assumed or obtained, so that the control of the rotation speed of the BLDC motor can be performed according to the result of the assumption.

[0006] The motor installed in the fuel pump system or the coolant pump system is generally controlled by the electronic control unit (ECU) of the vehicle so that the speed of the pump having the motor is adjusted according to the pulse width modulation (PWM) signal from the ECU of the vehicle. The ECU of the vehicle communicates with a plurality of controllers to operate various systems in the vehicle. Specifically, the ECU of the vehicle communicates with the pump controller for operating the motor to adjust the speed of the pump in the fuel pump system or the coolant pump system of the vehicle. In a conventional pump controller, in order to additionally create the function of the pump controller for adjusting the speed of the pump, additional hardware or a wiring system is generally required in the pump assembly, and it increases cost and weight. Summary of the invention

[0007] The present disclosure relates to a pump system having a pump assembly and a pump controller, wherein the pump system can adjust the speed of the pump according to a command input of a pump controller circuit. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a pump system for a vehicle having an electronic control unit (ECU) for operating the pump system includes: a pump assembly having an electric motor; and a pump controller having a command input that communicates with the ECU of the vehicle. The pump controller is configured to determine whether the command input of the pump controller is selectively connected to the ECU of the vehicle, and further the pump controller is capable of operating in at least two modes, the at least two modes including: a first mode, when the pump controller is communicating with the ECU, the first mode utilizing an effective pulse width modulation (PWM) input from the ECU; and a second mode, when the pump controller is not communicating with the ECU, the second mode utilizing a discrete digital input for controlling the speed of the pump assembly.

[0008] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, when the pump controller determines that the command input of the pump controller is not connected to the ECU of the vehicle, the pump controller is configured to utilize the discrete digital input and adjust the speed of the pump having the motor at a constant value. When the command input of the pump controller remains unconnected, the pump controller is configured to adjust the speed of the pump having the motor at a constant low speed. When the command input of the pump controller is connected to ground, the pump controller is configured to adjust the speed of the pump having the motor at a constant high speed. In particular, for aftermarket uses or when replacing a pump controller in other ways, some end users may not have access to a PWM output or simply do not want to implement variable speed control. Therefore, the end user can configure a pump controller with multiple configurations, i.e., for variable speed PWM control or for discrete pump speed control (high or low). The system and controller of the present disclosure allow the end user to ignore traditional PWM commands and statistically set the pump to high or low speed, all utilizing the same PWM wiring.

[0009] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, when the pump controller determines that the command input of the pump controller is connected to the ECU of the vehicle to detect a valid PWM input, the pump controller is configured to use the valid PWM input as a frequency cycle or a duty cycle. The pump controller receiving the valid PWM input is configured to adjust the speed of the pump having the electric motor according to the frequency cycle or the duty cycle.

[0010] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the pump system further includes a relay switch connected to the pump controller to provide power transfer.

[0011] Additional details and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description of the accompanying drawings.The drawings provided herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] In order to enable a better understanding of the present disclosure, various forms of the present disclosure given by way of example will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0013] Figure 1 shows a plan view of a pump assembly according to an exemplary form of the present disclosure;

[0014] Figure 2 Shows that there is Figure 1 Wiring diagram of the pump system of the pump assembly;

[0015] Figure 3 and Figure 3A Shows Figure 1 a schematic diagram of a circuit of a pump controller in a pump assembly; and

[0016] Figure 4 Shows Figure 2 Logic flow diagram of the pump controller.

[0017] The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the present disclosure or its application or uses. It should be understood that throughout the drawings, corresponding reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts and features.

[0019] The present disclosure relates to a pump assembly for use in a fuel system and / or cooling system of a vehicle. As one embodiment, Figure 1 The fuel pump assembly 10 is shown installed in a vehicle (not shown) and powered by an onboard battery system. The pump assembly 10 described in the present disclosure may also be used in a cooling system of a vehicle. Figure 1As shown in, for example, the pump assembly 10 includes a pump 12 and a motor (e.g., a brushless DC (BLDC) motor) 14 integrally disposed in a cylindrical housing 16. In addition, the pump 12 includes a pump housing 18, a pump cover 20, and an impeller 22 fixedly disposed in the bottom of the housing 16. Both the pump housing 18 and the pump cover 20 are fixed to the housing 16 by caulking or press-fitting, and a pump cavity is formed between them, and the impeller 22 is rotatably supported in the pump cavity. The impeller 22 is fixedly connected to the shaft 24 of the BLDC motor 14.

[0020] exist Figure 1 In, for example, the BLDC motor 14 is an electric motor driven by a five-phase armature winding, and is composed of a cylindrical stator 26 fixedly disposed in a housing 16 and a magnetic rotor 28 rotatably supported in the housing 16. The bottom end of the shaft 24 is rotatably supported by a first bearing 29 of a first bearing holder 31 fixed to the pump housing 18. The upper end of the shaft 24 is rotatably supported by a second bearing 32, which is held by a second bearing holder 33 fixedly disposed in the housing 16. In addition, the pump 12 includes a pump controller 34, which controls the power supply to the armature winding in the stator 26 and also adjusts the speed of the pump. Figure 1 For example, the pump controller 34 is located in the upper end of the shaft 24, but according to other forms of the present disclosure, the pump controller 34 having the microcontroller 48 and the memory 50 can be located anywhere in the pump 12 (see Figure 2 ).

[0021] For example, when the impeller 22 of the pump 12 is driven by the BLDC motor 14, the fuel in the fuel tank (not shown) is sucked into the pump chamber through the inlet port (not shown), and is pumped out from the outlet port (not shown) of the pump chamber into the inner space of the housing 16. The fuel entering the housing 16 flows through the gap between the magnetic rotor 28 and the stator 26, and is applied to the injector (not shown) through the outlet port 36.

[0022] Figure 2 1 shows a wiring block diagram of a pump system 11 having a pump controller 34 that communicates with an electronic control unit (ECU) 38 of a vehicle (not shown) and also adjusts the speed of the BLDC motor 14 to control the pump 12 according to commands from the ECU 38. Figure 2As shown in , the pump controller 34 is connected to the BLDC motor 14 in the fuel pump 12 via a wiring arrangement 40 so that the pump controller 34 can control the speed of the pump 12 having the BLDC motor 14. For effective communication between the pump controller 34 and the BLDC motor 14 in the fuel pump 12, the wiring arrangement 40 between the pump controller 34 and the BLDC motor 14 is simplified and also firmly connected to each other. Therefore, the wiring arrangement 40 must be robust without any failure. For example, a welding method for the wiring arrangement 40 is generally used to connect each other. In addition, the end-to-end resistance for any phase wiring is less than 100 mΩ to reduce any risk of failure of pump performance.

[0023] exist Figure 2 In FIG. 1 , the pump controller 34 is also connected to an electrically operated relay switch 42. Generally, relay switches 42 use electromagnets (coils) to operate mechanical switching mechanisms (contacts) within them and are widely used throughout vehicle electrical systems. In addition, the switching circuit of the relay switch 42 does not require high current rated switches or cables, which reduces its cost and weight. The relay switch 42 can be positioned anywhere in the vehicle to provide efficient power transfer to electrical accessories for control. As shown in FIG. Figure 2 As shown in , for example, the relay switch 42 is positioned proximate to the fuel pump 12 having the pump controller 34 to control the BLDC motor 14 .

[0024] exist Figure 2 , the relay switch 42 is a 5-pin relay that is used to switch power between two circuits. Figure 2 As shown in the , 5 pin relay switches provide two (2) pins (85 and 86) to control the coil and three (3) pins (30, 87 and 87A) - which switch power between the two circuits. They have both normally open and normally closed connection pins. For example, when the coil is activated, power will switch from the normally closed pin to the normally open pin. The two circuits (terminals 87 and 87a) have a common terminal (30), and when the relay is at rest, terminal 87a is connected to terminal 30 (see Figure 2 ). Furthermore, when the relay is energized, terminal 87 becomes connected to terminal 30, but never to both terminals (87 and 87a) simultaneously.

[0025] In addition, as in Figure 2As shown in FIG. 1 , the coil connected between the two pins (85 and 86) should be fed with +12V to terminal 86 and grounded via terminal 85. In addition, the current carrying capacity of the high current circuit is typically between 25A and 40A. When the pump controller 34 with the relay switch 42 is assembled with an aftermarket vehicle, the terminal 30 is also connected to the battery and the terminal 86 can be connected to the OEM wiring harness so that the pump controller 34 can control the pump assembly in the aftermarket vehicle.

[0026] As in Figure 2 As shown in , in addition, the pump controller 34 includes a ground input 43 connected to ground, and also includes a command input 44, which receives a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal from the ECU 38 of the vehicle. In addition, the command input 44 is used to implement the additional function of the pump controller 34 to adjust the speed of the pump 12. Typically, the effective pulse width modulation (PWM) signal is used in conjunction with the transfer function to simply command the pump speed (i.e., the speed of the BLDC motor) or the open-loop voltage within a predetermined range. In the present disclosure, the command input 44 of the pump controller 34 is selectively connected to the output 46 of the ECU 38 in the vehicle to control the pump assembly 10, and further the command input 44 of the pump controller 34 is selectively connected to the ground, so that the pump controller 34 can adjust the speed of the pump 12 in the pump assembly 10 without adding any hardware or wiring system. The effective PWM signal usually comes from the ECU 38 of the vehicle to implement the variable speed of the BLDC motor 14. However, some end users may not be able to access the output 46 of the ECU 38, or simply do not want to implement variable speed control through an effective PWM signal. Alternatively, they may want to control discrete pump speeds as an additional functionality of pump 12 via selective connection of command input 44 .

[0027] exist Figure 2 , the output 46 of the ECU 38 can be connected to the command input 44 of the pump controller 34, and the valid PWM signal from the vehicle's ECU 38 is transmitted via the connecting line between the pump controller 34 and the ECU 38. As described above, when the valid PWM signal is transmitted, the pump speed will generally follow the supplied transfer function so that the speed of the pump is controlled according to the output of the transfer function. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the command input 44 of the pump controller 34 can be connected to ground or left unconnected to control the pump assembly 10 with additional functions. When the connecting line between the command input 44 and the output 46 of the ECU 38 is disconnected and the command input 44 is unconnected, the internal circuit system of the pump controller 34 pulls the input command to a high level of voltage (i.e., the base of the transistor (T103) is pulled high to Vbatt, see Figure 3), so that the pump controller 34 is configured to interpret the input command as the "maximum speed" of the pump assembly 10 and make the pump 12 run constantly at the maximum speed, which is defined as one of the additional functions without adding any hardware or wiring system.

[0028] When the connection line between the command input 44 of the pump controller 34 and the output 46 of the ECU 38 is disconnected and the command input 44 is connected to ground, the internal circuitry of the pump controller 34 pulls the input command down to a low level (i.e., the base of the transistor (T103) is pulled down to ground, see Figure 3 ), such that the pump controller 34 is configured to interpret the input command as a "low speed" for the pump assembly 10 and cause the pump 12 to run constantly at a minimum speed, which is defined as another function in the additional functions. Therefore, the additional functions of the pump assembly 10 in the present disclosure allow the pump controller 34 to ignore the valid PWM signal and statistically set the fuel pump 12 to enter a constant high speed or low speed using the same hardware including the wiring arrangement 40. In addition, the pump controller is typically configured to set the fuel pump to enter any constant speed, including high speed and low speed. As described above, the pump controller 34 with additional functions (such as discrete commands with any static speed of the pump) can also be used in aftermarket vehicles. In another approach, the pump controller 34 of the present disclosure can be used in a cooling system of a vehicle.

[0029] Figure 3 and Figure 3A A circuit schematic diagram of a pump controller 34 having a microcontroller 48 is shown. Figure 3 and Figure 3A In FIG. 1 , when the output 46 of the ECU 38 in the vehicle is connected to the command input 44 (i.e., a valid PWM signal is transmitted to the pump controller 34 via the command input 44), the pump controller 34 converts the signal amplitude to 5V and sends the signal amplitude as an input on the pump controller 34 to control the pump assembly 10. Figure 3 and Figure 3A , when a valid PWM signal is transmitted, the pump controller 34 utilizes the input (i.e., register counter input (RA4)) as the frequency cycle or duty cycle so that the speed of the pump 12 can be adjusted according to the frequency cycle or duty cycle. If the pump controller does not detect a valid PWM signal, a decision is made to ignore the register counter input (RA4) and utilize the register counter input (RA4) as a discrete digital input. As in Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 3AAs shown in , if the command input 44 remains unconnected, the base of the transistor (T103) is pulled high to Vbatt, which is seen as a logic low for the register counter input (RA4), so that the pump 12 is instructed to operate at the maximum speed or a constant high speed (e.g., greater than 50% of the maximum speed) of the pump 12. In addition, if the command input 44 is connected to ground, the base of the transistor T103 is pulled to ground, which is seen as a logic high for the register counter input (RA4), so that the pump 12 is instructed to operate at the minimum speed or a constant low speed (e.g., less than 50% of the maximum speed) of the pump 12.

[0030] Figure 4 A flow chart 100 of a pump controller 34 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. In step 102, the pump controller 34 is configured to determine whether a valid PWM input (signal) from the ECU 38 of the vehicle is detected in the command input 44. In step 104, if a valid PWM input (signal) from the ECU 38 of the vehicle is detected, the pump controller 34 is configured to use the input (signal) as a frequency cycle or a duty cycle, so that the pump controller 34 controls the speed of the pump according to the frequency cycle or the duty cycle. In step 106, if a valid PWM signal from the ECU 38 is not detected, the pump controller 34 is configured to determine whether the command input 44 of the controller 34 remains unconnected or is connected to ground. In step 108, if the command input 44 of the controller 34 remains unconnected, the pump controller 34 is configured to adjust the speed of the pump at a constant low speed or minimum speed. In step 110, if the command input 44 of the controller 34 is connected to ground, the pump controller 34 is configured to adjust the speed of the pump at a constant high speed or maximum speed. Thus, in the present disclosure, the pump controller 34 of the pump assembly 10 may control additional functions, such as any static speed of the pump 12, without requiring additional hardware or wiring systems.

[0031] The methods, devices, processors, modules, engines, and logic described above can be implemented in many different ways and in many different hardware and software combinations. For example, all or part of the embodiments may be: a circuit system including an instruction processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a microcontroller or microprocessor, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), or a field programmable gate array (FPGA); or a circuit system including discrete logic or other circuit components (including analog circuit components, digital circuit components, or both); or any combination thereof. As an embodiment, the circuit system includes discrete interconnected hardware components and / or a combination of multiple integrated circuit chips on a single integrated circuit chip, distributed between multiple integrated circuit chips, or implemented in a multi-chip module (MCM) of multiple integrated circuit chips in a common package.

[0032] The circuit system also includes or has access to instructions for execution by the circuit system. The instructions are stored in a tangible storage medium other than a transient signal, such as a flash memory, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM); or a magnetic or optical disk, such as a compact disk read-only memory (CDROM), a hard disk drive (HDD) or other magnetic or optical disk; or stored in or on another machine-readable medium. A product, such as a computer program product, includes a storage medium, and instructions stored in or on the medium, and the instructions, when executed by the circuit system in a device, cause the device to implement any of the processes described above or illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

[0033] The embodiment is embodied as a circuit system between multiple system components, such as a circuit system between multiple processors and memories (optionally including multiple distributed processing systems). Parameters, databases, and other data structures are stored and managed separately, incorporated into a single memory or database, logically and physically organized in many different ways, and implemented in many different ways (including as data structures such as linked lists, hash tables, arrays, records, objects, or implicit storage mechanisms). Programs are parts of a single program (e.g., subroutines), separate programs, distributed across several memories and processors, or implemented in many different ways (such as in a library), such as a shared library (e.g., a dynamic link library (DLL)). For example, a DLL stores instructions that perform any of the processing described above or illustrated in the accompanying drawings when executed by the circuit system.

[0034] The above description of various forms of the present invention has been presented for the purpose of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present invention to the precise form disclosed. In accordance with the above teachings, multiple modifications or variations are possible. The forms discussed are selected and described to provide the best illustration of the principles of the present invention and its practical application, so that those of ordinary skill in the art can utilize the present invention in various forms and using various modifications to suit the specific purpose intended. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the present invention as determined by the appended claims when interpreted according to the breadth they are fairly, legally and equitably entitled to.

Claims

1. A pump system for a vehicle having an electronic control unit (ECU) for operating the pump system, the pump system comprising: a pump assembly comprising a motor; and a pump controller having a command input for communicating with an ECU of the vehicle, wherein the pump controller is configured to determine whether the command input of the pump controller is selectively connected to the ECU of the vehicle, and The pump controller is capable of operating in at least two modes, the at least two modes comprising: a first mode, when the pump controller is communicating with the ECU, the first mode utilizing an effective pulse width modulation (PWM) input from the ECU; and a second mode, when the pump controller is not communicating with the ECU, the second mode utilizing a discrete digital input for controlling the speed of the pump assembly.

2. The pump system of claim 1 , wherein when the pump controller determines that the command input of the pump controller is not connected to the ECU of the vehicle, the pump controller is configured to utilize the discrete digital input and adjust the speed of the pump having the electric motor at a constant value.

3. The pump system of claim 2, wherein when the command input of the pump controller remains unconnected, the pump controller is configured to adjust the speed of the pump having the electric motor at a constant low speed.

4. The pump system of claim 2, wherein when the command input of the pump controller is connected to ground, the pump controller is configured to adjust the speed of the pump having the motor at a constant high speed.

5. The pump system of claim 1 , wherein when the pump controller determines that the command input of the pump controller is connected to the ECU of the vehicle to detect a valid PWM input, the pump controller is configured to utilize the valid PWM input as a frequency cycle or a duty cycle. 6 . The pump system of claim 5 , wherein the pump controller receiving the active PWM input is configured to adjust a speed of a pump having the electric motor according to the frequency cycle or the duty cycle.

7. The pump system of claim 1, wherein the pump system further comprises a relay switch connected to the pump controller to provide power transfer.

8. A method for controlling a pump system in communication with an electronic control unit (ECU) of a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of: providing a pump assembly having a motor and a pump controller having a command input; determining a connection for said command input; generating an output signal based on the determined connection of the command input, the output signal being based on a valid pulse width modulation (PWM) input when the pump controller is connected to the ECU and the output signal being based on a discrete digital input when the pump controller is not connected to the ECU; and A speed of a pump having the electric motor is adjusted based on the input.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of determining the connection of the command input of the pump controller comprises the steps of: determining a connection with the ECU of the vehicle; Make sure to remain unconnected; or Make sure to connect to ground.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein if it is determined to remain unconnected, the pump controller is configured to utilize the discrete digital input.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of adjusting the speed of the pump with the motor at a constant low speed.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein if a connection to ground is determined, the pump controller is configured to utilize the discrete digital input.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of adjusting the speed of the pump having the electric motor at a constant high speed.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein if a connection with the ECU of the vehicle is determined, the pump controller is configured to utilize a valid PWM input.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of adjusting the speed of the pump having the electric motor based on a frequency cycle or duty cycle from the effective PWM input.

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