Motor Vehicle Hydraulic Pump Capacity Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Advanced hydraulic brake systems in motor vehicles require powerful pumps with consistent pressure, but existing methods for detecting pump element defects, especially in multi-piston pumps, can only reveal capacity issues during high-pressure demands, potentially leading to brake system failure without immediate detection, and rely on costly pressure sensors that increase the risk of defects.
Innovation Solution
A method to determine pump element capacity without pressure sensors by generating a test pressure in a brake circuit and acquiring motor-related parameters such as current consumption or rotational speed, comparing these to predefined values to identify any deviations, allowing for the detection of capacity issues before they affect braking performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If hydraulic pressure sensors are used to detect pump element capacity, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the electric motor as an intermediary element to detect pump element capacity. Instead of directly measuring hydraulic pressure with sensors, the system measures electrical parameters (current, power, rotational speed) of the motor that indirectly reflect the hydraulic pump's performance. This intermediary approach allows capacity detection without adding pressure sensors to the brake system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/hydraulic measurement system (pressure sensors) with an electrical measurement system (motor parameter sensors). By substituting the measurement domain from hydraulic to electrical, the system achieves pump element capacity detection using existing electrical infrastructure without adding hydraulic sensors.
2Power
If multiple pump elements are used per brake circuit, then power and pressure consistency are improved, but defect detection difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the detection process by analyzing motor parameters under different operating conditions to identify individual pump element defects. By controlling the motor to operate at specific rotational speeds and analyzing the resulting current or power consumption patterns, the system can isolate and detect defects in individual pump elements even when multiple elements operate together in parallel.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses excessive action by operating the motor at higher rotational speeds than normal operation to amplify the effects of pump element defects. This allows defects that would be imperceptible during normal braking to manifest as measurable deviations in motor parameters, enabling detection of capacity issues before they affect braking performance.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables the early detection of pump element capacity issues without the need for pressure sensors, ensuring brake system effectiveness during critical vehicle states like hazardous braking operations, thereby enhancing safety and reducing the risk of system failure.
Implementation Method 1
a drive, for example an electric motor, actuates a plurality of pump elements
Implementation Method 2
generating a hydraulic pressure in a first brake circuit of the brake system by means of a plurality of pump elements
Data Source
AI summary
A method for determining a lack of capacity of a pump, actuated by an electric motor, of a hydraulic brake system of a motor vehicle comprises the steps of generating a hydraulic pressure in a first brake circuit of the brake system by means of a plurality of pump elements of the pump that are assigned to the first brake circuit, limiting the generated hydraulic pressure to a test pressure and simultaneously acquiring a motor-related parameter, and determining a lack of capacity of at least one of the pump elements on the basis of a comparison of the parameter with a comparison value.