Pump installation, control device, method, program, and storage medium

Abstract

To maintain a high liquid level in a fuel sub-tank in a pump installation.SOLUTION: A pump installation 100 includes: a main pump 1; a main pump engine 2 configured to drive the main pump; a fuel sub-tank 4 configured to store fuel supplied to the main pump engine; fuel transfer pumps 6-1 and 6-2 configured to supply fuel from a fuel tank 7 to the fuel sub-tank; motors M1, M2 configured to drive the fuel transfer pumps; a timer T configured to count elapsed time from the start of the motors; and a control device 10 configured to control the motors so that the liquid level of the fuel sub-tank becomes higher than a first liquid level, based on the count value of the timer.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to pump equipment, a control device, a method, a program, and a storage medium.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in a fuel supply system, there is known a technique of starting a fuel transfer pump when the oil level of a small fuel tank is at a low level (L) and stopping the fuel transfer pump when it is at a high level (H) (see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, if the oil level (liquid level) of the small fuel tank is used as a trigger for the fuel transfer pump when it is in a low level (L) state, in the case where the fuel transfer pump cannot be operated due to a power failure or the like with the oil level of the small fuel tank being low, since the amount of fuel stored in the small fuel tank is small, there is a risk that the internal combustion engine (engine) at the supply destination cannot be operated for a long time.

[0005] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to maintain the liquid level of the small fuel tank in the pump equipment at a high level.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] [1] The pump equipment according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a main pump, a main pump engine that drives the main pump, a small fuel tank that stores fuel to be supplied to the main pump engine, a fuel transfer pump for supplying fuel from a fuel tank to the fuel small outlet tank; a motor for driving the fuel transfer pump; a control device having a timer that counts the elapsed time since the start of the motor, and controlling the motor using the count value of the timer so that the liquid level of the fuel small outlet tank becomes higher than the first liquid level; and is provided with.

[0007] [2] The pump equipment according to one aspect of the present invention is the pump equipment according to [1] above, when the main pump engine is in operation, the control device starts the motor when the liquid level of the fuel small outlet tank is less than the first liquid level and the elapsed time since the previous start of the motor is equal to or more than the allowable start interval.

[0008] [3] The pump equipment according to one aspect of the present invention is the pump equipment according to [2] above, even when the elapsed time since the previous start of the motor is less than the allowable start interval, the control device starts the motor when the liquid level of the fuel small outlet tank is less than a second liquid level lower than the first liquid level.

[0009] [4] The pump equipment according to one aspect of the present invention is the pump equipment according to [3] above, the control device stops the motor when the liquid level of the fuel small outlet tank is equal to or higher than the first liquid level.

[0010] [5] The pump equipment according to one aspect of the present invention is the pump equipment according to [4] above, the control device also stops the motor when the liquid level of the fuel small outlet tank is equal to or higher than a third liquid level higher than the first liquid level.

[0011] [6] The pump equipment according to one aspect of the present invention is the pump equipment according to [5] above, when the main pump engine is stopped, When the liquid level of the small fuel outlet tank is less than a fourth liquid level between the first liquid level and the second liquid level, the control device issues a failure alarm.

[0012] [7] The pump facility according to one aspect of the present invention is the pump facility described in [6] above, When the liquid level of the small fuel outlet tank is less than the first liquid level and the elapsed time since the previous start of the motor is equal to or more than the allowable start interval, the control device starts the motor only once while the main pump engine is stopped.

[0013] [8] A control device according to one aspect of the present invention is a control device that controls the motor of a pump facility including a main pump, a main pump engine that drives the main pump, a small fuel outlet tank that stores fuel to be supplied to the main pump engine, a fuel transfer pump that supplies fuel from a fuel tank to the small fuel outlet tank, and a motor that drives the fuel transfer pump, having a timer that counts the elapsed time since the start of the motor, and controlling the motor using the count value of the timer so that the liquid level of the small fuel outlet tank becomes higher than the first liquid level.

[0014] [9] A method according to one aspect of the present invention is a method of controlling the motor of a pump facility including a main pump, a main pump engine that drives the main pump, a small fuel outlet tank that stores fuel to be supplied to the main pump engine, a fuel transfer pump that supplies fuel from a fuel tank to the small fuel outlet tank, and a motor that drives the fuel transfer pump, a step of counting the elapsed time since the start of the motor using a timer, a step of controlling the motor using the count value of the timer so that the liquid level of the small fuel outlet tank becomes higher than the first liquid level, and including.

[0015]

[10] A program according to one aspect of the present invention is A program for causing a computer to execute a method for controlling the motor of a pump facility, the pump facility comprising a main pump, a main pump engine for driving the main pump, a fuel small outlet tank for storing fuel to be supplied to the main pump engine, a fuel transfer pump for supplying fuel from a fuel tank to the fuel small outlet tank, and a motor for driving the fuel transfer pump, the method comprising: counting, using a timer, the elapsed time since the start of the motor; controlling the motor using the count value of the timer so that the liquid level of the fuel small outlet tank becomes higher than a first liquid level; A program including the above.

[0016]

[11] A storage medium according to one aspect of the present invention is a computer-readable storage medium storing the program described in

[10] above.

Advantages of the Invention

[0017] According to one aspect of the present invention, the liquid level of the fuel small outlet tank in the pump facility can be maintained at a high level.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] Hereinafter, each embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. However, a more detailed description than necessary may be omitted. For example, a detailed description of well-known matters and a redundant description of substantially the same configuration may be omitted. This is to avoid making the following description unnecessarily redundant and to facilitate the understanding of those skilled in the art. <First Embodiment>

[0020] (Schematic Configuration of Pump Facility) FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a pump facility 100 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the pump facility 100 according to the present embodiment includes a main pump 1, a main pump engine 2, a self-power generation device (self-power generation engine) 3, a fuel small outlet tank 4, a float switch (liquid level detector) 5, fuel transfer pumps 6-1 and 6-2, a fuel tank 7, a fuel pipe (primary side) 8, a fuel pipe (secondary side) 9, a control panel (control device) 10, and an operation panel 11.

[0021] The main pump 1 is driven by the main pump engine 2 via a speed reducer G. The water in the suction water tank is pumped up by the main pump 1 and discharged into a discharge water tank (not shown).

[0022] In the fuel small outlet tank 4 of the pump facility 100 according to the present embodiment, fuel is supplied from a fuel tank 7 installed outdoors (above or below ground) of the pump facility 100 to the fuel transfer pumps (fuel transfer pumps 6-1, 6-2) via the primary fuel pipe 8 on the primary side.

[0023] This fuel small outlet tank 4 is installed at a higher position than the main pump engine 2 and the in-house power generation device 3, and the fuel stored in the fuel small outlet tank 4 is supplied to the main pump engine 2 and the in-house power generation engine of the in-house power generation device 3 via the secondary fuel pipe 9 by gravity flow.

[0024] Further, the fuel small outlet tank 4 is provided with a float switch (liquid level detector) 5 for monitoring the liquid level of the stored fuel. This float switch (liquid level detector) 5 detects the liquid level of the fuel in the fuel small outlet tank 4 in four levels, for example, in descending order of liquid level, upper upper limit HH (third liquid level), upper limit H (first liquid level), lower limit L (fourth liquid level), and lower lower limit LL (second liquid level). A signal (liquid level signal) indicating the liquid level detected by the float switch (liquid level detector) 5 is sent to the control panel 10.

[0025] The control panel 10 is a control device that controls motors (first motor M1, second motor M2) that drive the fuel transfer pumps (first fuel transfer pump 6-1, second fuel transfer pump 6-2) of the pump facility 100. A timer T for counting the time since the previous start of the motors (first motor M1, second motor M2) is provided in this control panel (control device) 10. The control panel (control device) 10 controls the fuel transfer pumps (first fuel transfer pump 6-1, second fuel transfer pump 6-2) based on the count value of this timer T and the liquid level signal sent from the float switch (liquid level detector) 5.

[0026] (Hardware Configuration of the Control Device) FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the control panel (control device) 10.

[0027] The CPU 201 is a processing device that controls the operation of the entire control panel (control device) 10. The ROM 202 is a non-volatile memory that stores control programs and various data executed by the CPU 201. The RAM 203 is a volatile memory used for the load area and work area of the program executed by the CPU 201. The storage device 204 is a storage means for storing various information, which may be built into the control panel (control device) 10 itself or have a detachable storage medium. The input device 205 is a device for the user of the control panel (control device) 10 to input information, such as a keyboard, mouse, touch panel, microphone, etc. The display 206 is a display device that displays various information (user interface, etc.). The timer 207 counts the time since the previous start of the motor (first motor M1, second motor M2). This timer 207 may be composed of a hardware timer or a software timer. Both are collectively referred to as timer T. The communication I / F (interface) 208 is an interface for connecting to a network. The bus 209 is a bus line that interconnects the above components. Note that the control by the control panel (control device) 10 may use a relay circuit.

[0028] (Control method according to the comparative example) First, the control method of the fuel transfer pump according to the comparative example will be described. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the outline of the control method of the fuel transfer pump according to the comparative example.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 9, in the comparative example, the fuel stored in the small fuel outlet tank is consumed by the engine (main pump engine and / or self-generation engine), so that the liquid level of the small fuel outlet tank drops. When the liquid level falls below the lower limit (L), a signal to operate the fuel transfer pump is sent from the control panel (control device) to the motor of the fuel transfer pump, and the fuel transfer pump starts.

[0030] On the other hand, when the liquid level reaches the upper limit (H) due to the fuel being supplied to the small fuel outlet tank by the fuel transfer pump, a signal to stop the fuel transfer pump is sent to the motor of the fuel transfer pump, and the fuel transfer pump stops.

[0031] Also, when the liquid level in the fuel small outlet tank falls below the lower limit LL or exceeds the upper limit HH due to some abnormality, the control panel (control device) issues a failure alarm.

[0032] In this way, in the comparative example, since the fuel transfer pump is driven triggered by the liquid level falling below the lower limit L, when the fuel transfer pump cannot be driven due to a power failure or the like with the liquid level in the fuel small outlet tank being close to the lower limit L, the engine could not be operated for a long time. Also, in the comparative example, uniform pump control is performed regardless of whether the engine is operating or not. Therefore, when fuel is leaking from the fuel pipe on the secondary side of the fuel small outlet tank, even when the engine is stopped, the liquid level falls below the lower limit L, and the fuel transfer pump is started to supply fuel to the fuel small outlet tank, resulting in a problem of further fuel leakage from the fuel pipe. (Control method according to this embodiment) Next, the control method of the fuel transfer pump according to this embodiment will be described.

[0033] FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the outline of the control method of the fuel transfer pump by the control panel (control device) 10. As shown in FIG. 3, the control panel (control device) 10 controls the motor of the fuel transfer pump based on (1) the liquid level in the fuel small outlet tank 4 and (2) the count value of the timer T (the elapsed time since the previous start of the fuel transfer pump). The details will be described below using a flowchart.

[0034] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the main flow of the control method of the fuel transfer pump according to this embodiment.

[0035] First, the control device 10 determines whether the engine (main pump engine 2 or self - generating engine 3) is in operation (step S1). If this determination is affirmative, after setting the start count N of the fuel transfer pump to 0 (step S2), the process proceeds to the control during engine operation (operation - time control) (step S3). On the other hand, if the determination is negative, the process proceeds to the control during engine stop (stop - time control) (step S4).

[0036] (Operation - time control) FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the flow of the operation - time control (sub - routine of step S3 in FIG. 4) of the control device 10.

[0037] First, the control device 10 determines whether the liquid level of the small fuel outlet tank 4 is equal to or higher than the upper limit H based on the liquid - level signal sent from the float switch (liquid - level detector) 5 (step S10). If this determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S11; if negative, the process proceeds to step S12.

[0038] In step S12, the control device 10 further determines whether the liquid level of the small fuel outlet tank 4 is equal to or higher than the upper - upper limit HH. If this determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S11; if negative, the process returns to step S10.

[0039] In step S11, the control device 10 sends a stop signal to the motors (first motor M1 and second motor M2) of the fuel transfer pumps (fuel transfer pumps 6 - 1 and 6 - 2) to stop the fuel transfer pumps (step S11).

[0040] In this way, the control device 10 stops the fuel transfer pump in operation not only when the liquid level is determined to be equal to or higher than the upper limit H, but also when it is determined to be equal to or higher than the upper - upper limit HH. This is to prevent fuel from overflowing from the small fuel outlet tank 4 by stopping the fuel transfer pump when the liquid level of the small fuel outlet tank 4 exceeds the upper - upper limit H in case the upper limit H cannot be detected due to a malfunction of the float switch (liquid - level detector) 5.

[0041] Next, the control device 10 determines whether the liquid level in the small fuel outlet tank 4 is less than the upper limit H (step S13). If the determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S14; if negative, the process proceeds to step S15.

[0042] In step S14, the control device 10 refers to the count value of the timer T and determines whether the elapsed time t since the previous start of the motors (the first motor M1 and the second motor M2) of the fuel transfer pumps 6-1 and 6-2 is equal to or greater than the allowable start interval t1. If the determination is affirmative, the control device 10 starts the motors (the first motor M1 and the second motor M2) (step S16). On the other hand, if the determination is negative, it waits until the elapsed time t since the previous start of the motors becomes equal to or greater than the allowable start interval t1. Here, if the start interval of the motors (the first motor M1 and the second motor M2) is short, the heat generated during startup accumulates before it can decrease, which can cause a failure. Therefore, the allowable start interval is determined in advance considering the load on the motors.

[0043] In this way, the control device 10 starts the fuel transfer pumps when the liquid level in the small fuel outlet tank 4 is less than the upper limit H, and stops the fuel transfer pumps when the liquid level in the small fuel outlet tank 4 is equal to or greater than the upper limit H. That is, the control device 10 controls the motors (the first motor M1 and the second motor M2) of the fuel transfer pumps so that the liquid level in the small fuel outlet tank 4 becomes equal to or greater than the upper limit H. Thereby, the liquid level in the small fuel outlet tank 4 can be maintained at a high level (equal to or greater than the upper limit H).

[0044] In step S15 (when the liquid level is not less than the upper limit H), it is determined whether the liquid level in the small fuel outlet tank 4 is less than the lower lower limit LL. If this determination is affirmed, the process proceeds to step S16, and if it is negated, the process returns to step S13. That is, when the liquid level in the small fuel outlet tank 4 is less than the lower lower limit LL, the determination of the elapsed time t since the previous start of the motor is skipped and the fuel transfer pumps 6-1 and 6-2 are started. Normally, since the fuel consumption by the engine is less than the fuel transfer pump supply amount, it is impossible for the liquid level to fall below the lower lower limit LL during the operation of the fuel transfer pump. However, if the timer T malfunctions, the fuel transfer pump is not automatically operated. Therefore, when the liquid level falls below the lower lower limit LL, the fuel transfer pump is started.

[0045] After starting the fuel transfer pumps 6-1 and 6-2 (the first motor M1 and the second motor), the control device 10 resets the count value of the timer T to 0 and starts a new count (step S17).

[0046] (Stop control) Next, the stop control of the control device 10 when the engine (the main pump engine 2 or the self-generated power engine 3) is stopped will be described.

[0047] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the flow of the stop control (subroutine of step S4 in FIG. 4) of the control device 10.

[0048] First, the control device 10 determines whether the liquid level in the small fuel outlet tank 4 is not less than the upper limit H based on the liquid level signal sent from the float switch (liquid level detector) 5 (step S20). If this determination is affirmed, the process proceeds to step S21, and if it is negated, the process proceeds to step S22.

[0049] In step S22, the control device 10 further determines whether the liquid level in the small fuel outlet tank 4 is not less than the upper upper limit HH. If this determination is affirmed, the process proceeds to step S21, and if this determination is negated, the process returns to step S20.

[0050] ​In step S21, the control device 10 transmits a stop signal to the motors (the first motor M1 and the second motor M2) of the fuel transfer pumps (the fuel transfer pumps 6-1 and 6-2) to stop the fuel transfer pumps (step S21).

[0051] Thus, the control device 10 stops the fuel transfer pump in operation not only when the liquid level is determined to be equal to or higher than the upper limit H, but also when it is determined to be equal to or higher than the upper upper limit HH. This is to prevent fuel from overflowing from the fuel small discharge tank 4 by stopping the fuel transfer pump even when the liquid level of the fuel small discharge tank 4 exceeds the upper limit H in case the upper limit H cannot be detected due to a failure of the float switch (liquid level detector) 5.

[0052] Next, the control device 10 determines whether the liquid level of the fuel small discharge tank 4 is less than the upper limit H (step S23). If this determination is affirmed, the process proceeds to step S24; if it is negated, the process proceeds to step S25.

[0053] In step S24, the control device 10 refers to the count value of the timer T to determine whether the elapsed time t since the previous start of the motors (the first motor M1 and the second motor M2) of the fuel transfer pumps 6-1 and 6-2 is equal to or longer than the allowable start interval t1. If this determination is affirmed, the process proceeds to step S26; if it is negated, the control device 10 waits until the elapsed time t since the previous start of the motors (the first motor M1 and the second motor M2) of the fuel transfer pumps 6-1 and 6-2 becomes equal to or longer than the allowable start interval t1. Here, if the start interval of the motors (the first motor M1 and the second motor M2) is short, the heat generated during startup accumulates before it can decrease, which can cause a failure. Therefore, the allowable start interval is determined in advance considering the load on the motors.

[0054] In step S26, the control device 10 determines whether the start count N of the fuel transfer pump is 0. If this determination is affirmed, the control device 10 sends a drive signal to the motors (the first motor M1 and the second motor M2) to start the fuel transfer pump (step S27). On the other hand, if this determination is negated, the stop-time control ends.

[0055] In this way, when the liquid level of the small fuel outlet tank 4 is less than the upper limit H, the control device 10 starts the fuel transfer pump, and when the liquid level of the small fuel outlet tank 4 is equal to or higher than the upper limit H, the control device 10 stops the fuel transfer pump. That is, the control device 10 controls the motors (the first motor M1 and the second motor M2) of the fuel transfer pump so that the liquid level of the small fuel outlet tank 4 becomes equal to or higher than the upper limit H. Thereby, the liquid level of the small fuel outlet tank 4 can be maintained at a high level (equal to or higher than the upper limit H).

[0056] Also, in the stop control, the fuel supply to the small fuel outlet tank 4 by the fuel transfer pump is only once. This is because if the liquid level of the small fuel outlet tank 4 drops while the engine is stopped, there is a possibility of fuel leakage from the piping, so as to minimize the damage caused by oil leakage.

[0057] After starting the fuel transfer pump, the control device 10 resets the count value of the timer T to 0 and starts a new count (step S28).

[0058] Then, the control device 10 sets the start count N of the fuel transfer pump to 1 (step S29) and ends the stop control.

[0059] On the other hand, in step S25 (when it is determined in step S23 that "the liquid level is not less than the upper limit H"), it is determined whether the liquid level of the small fuel outlet tank 4 is less than the lower lower limit L. If this determination is affirmed, it means that the liquid level is low even though the engine is stopped, so there is a high possibility of oil leakage from the secondary fuel pipe 9. Therefore, the control device 10 issues a failure alarm (step S30) and ends the stop control. If this determination is negated, the stop control is ended without issuing a failure alarm. <Second Embodiment: Alternate Driving of Fuel Transfer Pumps> Next, a control method for the fuel transfer pump according to the second embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, it is different from the first embodiment in that two fuel transfer pumps (fuel transfer pumps 6-1 and 6-2) are driven alternately. The main flow (Figure 4) described in the first embodiment is common to the second embodiment. Hereinafter, the operation control (subroutine of step S3 in Figure 4) and the stop control (subroutine of step S4 in Figure 4) when driving two fuel transfer pumps alternately will be described.

[0060] (Operation control) Figure 7 is a diagram showing the flow of the operation control (subroutine of step S3 in Figure 4) of the control device 10 when driving two fuel transfer pumps alternately.

[0061] First, the control device 10 determines whether the liquid level of the fuel small outlet tank 4 is equal to or higher than the upper limit H based on the liquid level signal sent from the float switch (liquid level detector) 5 (step S100). If this determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step 101; if it is negative, the process proceeds to step S32.

[0062] In step S102, the control device 10 further determines whether the liquid level of the fuel small outlet tank 4 is equal to or higher than the upper upper limit HH. If this determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S101; if it is negative, the process returns to step S100.

[0063] In step S101, the control device 10 sends a stop signal to the motor (first motor M1 or second motor M2) of the fuel transfer pump (fuel transfer pump 6-1 or 6-2) that is being driven, and stops the drive of the fuel transfer pump.

[0064] In this way, the control device 10 stops the fuel transfer pump that is being driven not only when the liquid level is determined to be equal to or higher than the upper limit H, but also when it is determined to be equal to or higher than the upper upper limit HH. This is to prevent the fuel from overflowing from the fuel small outlet tank 4 by stopping the fuel transfer pump even when the liquid level of the fuel small outlet tank 4 exceeds the upper limit H in case the upper limit H cannot be detected due to a failure of the float switch (liquid level detector) 5.

[0065] Next, the control device 10 determines whether the liquid level of the small fuel outlet tank 4 is less than the upper limit H (step S103). If this determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S104; if negative, the process proceeds to step S105.

[0066] In step S104, the control device 10 refers to the count value of the timer T and determines whether the elapsed time t from the previous start of the motor (the first motor M1 or the second motor M2) of the fuel transfer pump that was not driven last among the fuel transfer pumps 6-1 and 6-2 is equal to or greater than the allowable start interval t1. If this determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S106; if negative, it waits until the elapsed time t from the previous start of the motor becomes equal to or greater than the allowable start interval t1. Here, if the start interval of the motor (the first motor M1 and the second motor M2) is short, the heat generated during startup accumulates before it can decrease, which can cause a failure. Therefore, the allowable start interval is determined in advance considering the load on the motor.

[0067] In step S105 (when the liquid level is not less than the upper limit H), it is determined whether the liquid level of the small fuel outlet tank 4 is less than the lower lower limit LL. If this determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S106; if negative, the process returns to step S103. That is, when the liquid level of the small fuel outlet tank 4 is less than the lower lower limit LL, the determination of the elapsed time t from the previous start of the motor is skipped, and the fuel transfer pump 6-1 or 6-2 is started. This is because when the liquid level of the small fuel outlet tank 4 is in a very low state, it is necessary to replenish the fuel in the small fuel outlet tank 4 immediately.

[0068] In step S106, the control device 10 starts the motor (the first motor M1 or the second motor M2) of the fuel transfer pump that was not driven last (step S106). That is, if the fuel transfer pump that was driven last was the fuel transfer pump 6-1, the fuel transfer pump 6-2 (the second motor M2) is started.

[0069] Next, for the motor (the first motor M1 or the second motor M2) of the fuel transfer pump that has started, the control device 10 resets the count value of the timer T to 0 and starts counting anew (step S107).

[0070] (Stop control) Next, the stop control of the control device 10 when the engine (the main pump engine 2 or the self - generating engine 3) is stopped will be described. The stop control of the control device 10 will be described.

[0071] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the flow of the stop control (sub - routine of step S4 in FIG. 4) of the control device 10 when two fuel transfer pumps are driven alternately.

[0072] First, the control device 10 determines whether or not the liquid level of the small fuel outlet tank 4 is equal to or higher than the upper limit H based on the liquid level signal sent from the float switch (liquid level detector) 5 (step S200). If this determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S201; if negative, the process proceeds to step S202.

[0073] In step S202, the control device 10 further determines whether or not the liquid level of the small fuel outlet tank 4 is equal to or higher than the upper upper limit HH. If this determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S201; if negative, the process returns to step S200.

[0074] In step S201, the control device 10 sends a stop signal to the motor (the first motor M1 or the second motor M2) of the fuel transfer pump in operation (fuel transfer pump 6 - 1 or 6 - 2) to stop the drive of the fuel transfer pump.

[0075] In this way, the control device 10 stops the fuel transfer pump in operation not only when the liquid level is determined to be equal to or higher than the upper limit H, but also when it is determined to be equal to or higher than the upper upper limit HH. This is to prevent fuel from overflowing from the small fuel outlet tank 4 by stopping the fuel transfer pump even when the upper limit H cannot be detected due to a failure of the float switch (liquid level detector) 5 and when the liquid level of the small fuel outlet tank 4 exceeds the upper limit H.

[0076] Next, the control device 10 determines whether the liquid level of the small fuel outlet tank 4 is less than the upper limit H (step S203). If this determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S204, and if it is negative, the process proceeds to step S205.

[0077] In step S204, the control device 10 refers to the count value of the timer T and determines whether the elapsed time t from the previous start of the motor (the first motor M1 or the second motor M2) of the fuel transfer pump (fuel transfer pump 6-1 or 6-2) that has not been driven previously is equal to or greater than the allowable start interval t1. If this determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S206, and if it is negative, the control device waits until the elapsed time t becomes equal to or greater than the allowable start interval t1. Here, if the start interval of the motors (the first motor M1 and the second motor M2) is short, the heat generated during start-up accumulates before it can decrease, which can cause a failure. Therefore, the allowable start interval is determined in advance considering the load on the motors.

[0078] In step S206, the control device 10 determines whether the start count N of the fuel transfer pumps (fuel transfer pumps 6-1 and 6-2) is 0. If this determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S207, and if it is negative, the stop-time control ends.

[0079] In step S207, the control device 10 sends a drive signal to the motor (the first motor M1 or the second motor M2) of the fuel transfer pump that has not been driven previously to start the fuel transfer pump. That is, if the fuel transfer pump that was driven previously was the fuel transfer pump 6-1, the fuel transfer pump 6-2 (the second motor M2) is started.

[0080] In this way, in the stop-time control, the fuel supply to the small fuel outlet tank 4 by the fuel transfer pump is limited to once. This is because if the liquid level of the small fuel outlet tank 4 drops while the engine is stopped, there is a possibility of fuel leakage from the pipes, so as to minimize the damage caused by fuel leakage.

[0081] Next, for the motor (the first motor M1 or the second motor M2) of the fuel transfer pump that has started, the control device 10 resets the count value of the timer T to 0 and starts counting anew (step S208).

[0082] Then, the control device 10 sets the start count N of the fuel transfer pumps (fuel transfer pumps 6-1 and 6-2) to 1 (step S209) and ends the stop-time control.

[0083] On the other hand, in step S205 (when it is determined in step S203 that "the liquid level is not less than the upper limit H"), it is determined whether the liquid level in the small fuel outlet tank 4 is less than the lower lower limit L. If this determination is affirmed, it means that the liquid level has become low despite the engine being stopped, so there is a high possibility of fuel leakage from the secondary fuel pipe 9. Therefore, the control device 10 issues a failure warning (step S210) and ends the stop-time control. If this determination is negated, the stop-time control is ended without issuing a failure warning.

[0084] As described above, in the control method of the fuel transfer pump according to the second embodiment, in addition to the determination of the allowable start interval t1, the two fuel transfer pumps (fuel transfer pumps 6-1 and 6-2) are driven alternately, so the load on the motors (the first motor M1 and the second motor M2) of the fuel transfer pumps can be further suppressed.

[0085] As described above, the pump facility 100 according to the present embodiment includes a main pump 1, a main pump engine 2 that drives the main pump 1, a small fuel outlet tank 4 that stores fuel supplied to the main pump engine, fuel transfer pumps 6-1 and 6-2 that supply fuel from the fuel tank to the small fuel outlet tank 4, motors (the first motor M1 and the second motor M2) that drive the fuel transfer pumps 6-1 and 6-2, and a timer T that counts the time from the start of the motor, and a control device 10 that controls the motor using the count value of the timer so that the liquid level in the small fuel outlet tank 4 becomes higher than the first liquid level (upper limit H).

[0086] With this configuration, the pump facility 100 according to this embodiment can maintain the liquid level of the small fuel outlet tank 4 at a high level (equal to or higher than the upper limit H).

[0087] As described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment as it is, and at the implementation stage, the components can be modified and embodied without departing from the gist thereof. Further, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining a plurality of components disclosed in the above-described embodiment. For example, some components may be deleted from all the components shown in the embodiment. Furthermore, components from different embodiments may be appropriately combined.

Explanation of Signs

[0088] 100 Pump facility 1 Main pump 2 Engine for main pump 3 Self-power generation device (self-power generation engine) 4 Small fuel outlet tank 5 Float switch (liquid level detector) 6-1 First fuel transfer pump 6-2 Second fuel transfer pump 7 Fuel tank 8 Fuel pipe (primary side) 9 Fuel pipe (secondary side) 10 Control panel (control device) 11 Operation panel M1 First motor M2 Second motor T Timer

Claims

1. A main pump, a main pump engine that drives the main pump, a fuel small outlet tank that stores fuel to be supplied to the main pump engine, a fuel transfer pump that supplies fuel from a fuel tank to the fuel small outlet tank, a motor that drives the fuel transfer pump, a control device having a timer that counts the elapsed time since the start of the motor, and using the count value of the timer, controls the motor so that the liquid level of the fuel small outlet tank becomes higher than a first liquid level, A pump facility comprising.

2. When the main pump engine is in operation, the control device starts the motor when the liquid level of the fuel small outlet tank is less than the first liquid level and the elapsed time since the previous start of the motor is equal to or more than an allowable start interval. The pump facility according to claim 1.

3. The control device starts the motor even when the elapsed time since the previous start of the motor is less than the allowable start interval, if the liquid level of the fuel small outlet tank is less than a second liquid level lower than the first liquid level. The pump facility according to claim 2.

4. The control device stops the motor when the liquid level of the fuel small outlet tank is equal to or higher than the first liquid level. The pump facility according to claim 3.

5. The control device also stops the motor when the liquid level of the fuel small outlet tank is equal to or higher than a third liquid level higher than the first liquid level. The pump facility according to claim 4.

6. When the main pump engine is stopped, the control device issues a failure alarm when the liquid level of the fuel small outlet tank is less than a fourth liquid level (L) between the first liquid level and the second liquid level. The pump facility according to claim 5.

7. The control device starts the motor only once when the main pump engine is stopped, when the liquid level of the fuel small outlet tank is less than the first liquid level and the elapsed time since the previous start of the motor is equal to or more than an allowable start interval. The pump facility according to claim 6.

8. A control device that controls the motor of a pump facility including a main pump, a main pump engine that drives the main pump, a fuel small outlet tank that stores fuel to be supplied to the main pump engine, a fuel transfer pump that supplies fuel from a fuel tank to the fuel small outlet tank, and a motor that drives the fuel transfer pump, It has a timer that counts the elapsed time since the start of the motor, and uses the count value of the timer to control the motor so that the liquid level in the small fuel outlet tank is higher than the first liquid level. Control device.

9. A method for controlling the motor of a pump facility comprising a main pump, a main pump engine for driving the main pump, a small fuel outlet tank for storing fuel supplied to the main pump engine, a fuel transfer pump for supplying fuel from a fuel tank to the small fuel outlet tank, and a motor for driving the fuel transfer pump, the method comprising: Counting the elapsed time since the start of the motor using a timer; Controlling the motor using the count value of the timer so that the liquid level in the small fuel outlet tank is higher than the first liquid level; A method comprising:

10. A program for causing a computer to execute a method for controlling the motor of a pump facility comprising a main pump, a main pump engine for driving the main pump, a small fuel outlet tank for storing fuel supplied to the main pump engine, a fuel transfer pump for supplying fuel from a fuel tank to the small fuel outlet tank, and a motor for driving the fuel transfer pump, the method comprising: Counting the elapsed time since the start of the motor using a timer; Controlling the motor using the count value of the timer so that the liquid level in the small fuel outlet tank is higher than the first liquid level; A program comprising:

11. A computer-readable storage medium storing the program according to claim 10.

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