Vehicle Vacuum Pump Boost Speed Control for Brake Vacuum Demand
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern motor vehicle electric vacuum pumps are costly due to the need for expensive components to maintain high pump performance, especially during critical driving situations with repetitive brake pedal actuations, which increases the demand for vacuum.
Innovation Solution
A motor vehicle vacuum pump with a rotatable vane pump rotor and an electronically commutated electric motor, featuring a pump control unit with a standard-operation control module for normal conditions and a boost-drive control module for critical situations, allowing for variable rotational speed control and temporary boosted performance when needed, thus optimizing efficiency and reducing wear.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the vacuum pump is designed to always provide high pump performance for critical driving situations, then the vacuum reliability is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases due to expensive pump components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamic speed control of the electric motor, allowing the pump to operate at different rotational speeds depending on vacuum demand. The control unit adjusts motor speed based on pressure sensor feedback, enabling the system to provide high performance when needed while operating at lower speeds during normal conditions, thus avoiding the need for expensive components designed for continuous high-performance operation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters (motor speed, power consumption) dynamically based on vacuum demand. By monitoring pressure parameters and adjusting motor speed accordingly, the system adapts its performance level to match actual needs, preventing unnecessary high-performance operation that would require expensive components
2Productivity
If the electric motor operates at high rotational speed continuously, then the pump performance is improved, but the motor wear increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic monitoring of pressure parameters and adjusts motor speed in response to actual vacuum demand. The control unit periodically reads pressure sensor data and modulates motor speed accordingly, allowing the motor to operate at high speed only during periods of high vacuum demand rather than continuously, thus reducing cumulative wear while maintaining pump performance when needed
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts motor operational characteristics based on real-time pressure feedback. The motor operates at variable speeds rather than fixed high speed, adapting its rotational velocity to match the actual vacuum requirements, which reduces unnecessary wear during low-demand periods while ensuring high performance during critical situations
3Power
If the vacuum pump operates at high power consumption, then the vacuum generation capability is improved, but the energy efficiency worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent dynamically changes power consumption parameters based on vacuum demand. The control unit adjusts motor power input by varying rotational speed according to pressure sensor feedback, enabling the system to consume high power only when high vacuum generation is actually needed, while operating at lower power levels during normal conditions, thus improving overall energy efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The system periodically assesses vacuum demand through pressure monitoring and adjusts power consumption in response. The motor operates at high power only during periodic intervals when high vacuum generation is required, rather than maintaining high power consumption continuously, thereby improving energy efficiency while preserving vacuum generation capability when needed
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
The solution provides a reliable and cost-efficient vacuum pump that maintains high performance only when necessary, reducing wear and operational costs by optimizing motor speed based on pressure demands and vehicle conditions, ensuring consistent brake booster operation.
Implementation Method 1
the pump rotor comprises a rotor body which is eccentrically arranged in a substantially cylindrical pumping chamber and which comprises several radially slidable rotor vanes. During pump operation, the rotor vanes are in touching radial contact with a pumping chamber sidewall and define several rotating pumping-chamber compartments whose volume varies within one pump rotor revolution.
Implementation Method 2
The motor vehicle vacuum pump is also provided with an electronically commutated electric motor for driving the pump rotor. The electronically commutated electric motor allows to electronically control a rotational motor speed of the electric motor.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention is directed to a motor vehicle vacuum pump (10), comprising a pumping unit (24) with a rotatable pump rotor (26), an electronically commutated electric motor (30) for driving the pump rotor (26), a pressure sensor connector (38) for periodically receiving a pressure parameter (P) provided by a motor vehicle pressure sensor (18), and a pump control unit (34) for controlling a variable rotational motor speed (MS) of the electric motor (30), the pump control unit (34) comprising - a standard-operation control module (40) which is configured to control the variable rotational motor speed (MS) within a standard-operation speed range (SSR), - a boost-drive control module (42) which is configured to overrule the standard-operation control module (40) if being triggered and to set the variable rotational motor speed (MS) corresponding to a boost speed value (BS1,BS2,BSn) which is higher than the standard-operation speed range (SSR), - a safety control module (44) which is configured to monitor the pressure parameter (P) and to trigger the boost-drive control module (42) based on the pressure parameter (P). The pump control unit (34) according to the present invention allows to generally design the motor vehicle vacuum pump (10) for the relative low standard-operation speed range (SSR) but also allows to temporarily provide a boosted pump performance in critical situations. This provides a reliable and also cost-efficient motor vehicle vacuum pump (10).