Lubricant Pump Heating Control for Cold Start Reliability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lubricant pumps face inefficiencies and operational challenges in extremely cold conditions, such as arctic environments, where lubricant hardening leads to blockages, increased flow resistance, and impaired functionality, requiring manual operator intervention to resolve faults.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a heating element actuated by a control unit, connected to sensors for monitoring current consumption, torque, and temperature, allowing for targeted heating to prevent and resolve lubricant hardening-related malfunctions, and a pressure sensor to differentiate between internal and external flow resistance issues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the pump is stopped completely when a fault message is registered, then safety is ensured, but productivity is reduced due to manual intervention requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The pump system performs self-diagnosis and self-recovery by automatically detecting lubricant viscosity issues through motor current monitoring and resolving them via activated heating elements, eliminating the need for manual operator intervention and maintaining operational continuity while ensuring safety
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors motor current consumption and uses this feedback to detect abnormal conditions caused by high lubricant viscosity, automatically responding by activating heating elements to restore proper operation without manual intervention
2Use of energy by moving object
If heating elements are switched on individually without control, then energy consumption is reduced, but the ability to resolve specific faults is impaired
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit continuously monitors motor current consumption and activates heating elements only when abnormal current values indicate high lubricant viscosity, ensuring energy is used only when necessary while maintaining the ability to resolve specific faults automatically
Solution Approach 2:
The heating system dynamically adjusts its operation based on real-time motor current measurements, activating heating elements only when abnormal conditions are detected and deactivating them when normal operation is restored, optimizing energy consumption while maintaining fault resolution capability
3Temperature
If heating is applied continuously, then lubricant viscosity is maintained, but energy consumption increases unnecessarily
Solution Approach 1:
Heating elements are activated periodically only when abnormal motor current values indicate high lubricant viscosity, rather than running continuously, thus maintaining proper lubricant temperature when needed while minimizing unnecessary energy consumption during normal operation
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically monitors its own operational status through motor current measurement and activates heating only when self-diagnosis indicates high viscosity conditions, maintaining optimal temperature through intelligent, demand-based heating rather than continuous operation
4Productivity
If the pump operates with hardened lubricant, then productivity is maintained, but the drive motor may block due to excessive resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary diagnosis by monitoring motor current consumption to detect early signs of high lubricant viscosity before the motor becomes blocked, and activates heating elements proactively to prevent motor blockage and maintain continuous operation
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit continuously monitors motor current as feedback to detect abnormal conditions indicating high lubricant viscosity, automatically activating heating elements to prevent motor blockage before it occurs, thus maintaining productivity while preventing damage
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 automatic restart of the lubricant pump and reduces operator intervention by using heating only when necessary, ensuring continuous lubrication by differentiating and addressing temperature-related faults within the pump and external lines.
Implementation Method 1
The lubricant pump (1) has additionally at least one heating element (6), which can be actuated as required via the control unit (5)
Implementation Method 2
Furthermore, according to the invention, a stirring device, for example a stirring blade, is provided in the lubricant container
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The invention relates to a lubricant pump for conveying lubricant to at least one lubrication point, comprising a lubricant reservoir (2), a pump unit, an associated drive (4), at least one lubricant outlet, and a control unit (5) associated with the drive (4). Additionally, at least one heating element (6) is provided, which can be actuated via the control unit (5) and/or a further control unit.