Fuel pump health assessment system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11598302-B2
Application number	US-202017102524-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 24, 2020
Priority date	Nov 24, 2020
Publication date	Mar 7, 2023
Grant date	Mar 7, 2023

Abstract

A pump health assessment system and a method for providing a pump health of a pump is disclosed. The method includes: determining that there is an imbalance in the pump; increasing pump flow from the pump; measuring a rail pressure of a fuel rail; determining if the rail pressure is substantially equal to an expected rail pressure profile; and in accordance with a determination that the rail pressure is not substantially equal to the rail pressure profile, outputting an indication of pump damage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for providing a pump health of a pump, comprising:
determining that there is an imbalance in the pump;
increasing pump flow from the pump;
alternating between increasing the pump flow to a high pump flow and subsequently decreasing the pump flow to zero;
measuring a rail pressure of a fuel rail during a period of zero pump flow;
determining if the rail pressure is substantially equal to an expected rail pressure profile; and
in accordance with a determination that the rail pressure is not substantially equal to the rail pressure profile, outputting an indication of pump damage.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that there is an imbalance in the pump includes:
measuring a pump flow rate from the pump;
determining whether the pump flow rate is substantially equal to an expected pump flow rate; and
in accordance with a determination that the pump flow rate is not substantially equal to the expected pump flow rate, determining that there is an imbalance in the pump.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rail pressure profile includes expected rail pressure increase rates for various rates of increased pump flow.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rail pressure profile includes expected rail pressure decrease rates for various rates of decreased pump flow.

5. The method of claim 1 , further including:
in accordance with a determination that the rail pressure is substantially equal to the rail pressure profile, outputting an indication that pump health is normal based on air purge.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein after outputting the indication that pump health is normal based on air purge, the method further includes:
measuring a pump flow rate of the pump;
determining whether the pump flow rate is substantially equal to a pump flow profile; and
in accordance with a determination that the pump flow rate is substantially equal to the pump flow profile, outputting an indication that pump health is normal.

7. The method of claim 6 , further including:
in accordance with a determination that the pump flow rate is not substantially equal to the pump flow profile, outputting an indication of pump damage.

8. A pump health assessment system, comprising:
a pump;
a liquid fuel rail;
a sensor for measuring a rail pressure of the liquid fuel rail; and
a controller configured to:
determine that there is an imbalance in the pump;
increase pump flow from the pump;
measure the rail pressure of the liquid fuel rail;
determine if the rail pressure is substantially equal to an expected rail pressure profile;
in accordance with a determination that the rail pressure is not substantially equal to the rail pressure profile, output an indication of pump damage; and
in accordance with a determination that the rail pressure is substantially equal to the rail pressure profile, output an indication that pump health is normal based on air purge.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein determining that there is an imbalance in the pump includes the controller configured to:
measure a pump flow rate from the pump;
determine whether the pump flow rate is substantially equal to an expected pump flow rate; and
in accordance with a determination that the pump flow rate is not substantially equal to the expected pump flow rate, determine that there is an imbalance in the pump.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the rail pressure profile includes expected rail pressure increase rates for various rates of increased pump flow.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein after outputting the indication that pump health is normal based on air purge, the controller is further configured to:
measure a pump flow rate of the pump;
determine whether the pump flow rate is substantially equal to a pump flow profile; and
in accordance with a determination that the pump flow rate is substantially equal to the pump flow profile, output an indication that pump health is normal.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
in accordance with a determination that the pump flow rate is not substantially equal to the pump flow profile, output an indication of pump damage.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
decrease pump flow from the pump to zero after increasing the pump flow.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
alternate between increasing the pump flow to a high pump flow and decreasing the pump flow to zero.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the rail pressure profile includes expected rail pressure decrease rates for various rates of decreased pump flow.

16. A method for providing a pump health of a pump, comprising:
determining that there is an imbalance in the pump;
increasing pump flow from the pump;
measuring a rail pressure of a fuel rail;
determining if the rail pressure increases at an expected increase rate;
in accordance with a determination that the rail pressure does not increase at the expected increase rate, outputting an indication of pump damage;
in accordance with a determination that the rail pressure increases at the expected increase rate, outputting an indication that pump health is normal based on air purge;
measuring a pump flow rate of the pump;
determining whether the pump flow rate is substantially equal to an expected pump flow rate;
in accordance with a determination that the pump flow rate is substantially equal to the expected pump flow rate, outputting an indication that pump health is normal; and
in accordance with a determination that the pump flow rate is not substantially equal to the expected pump flow rate, outputting an indication of pump damage.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
decreasing pump flow from the pump to zero after increasing the pump flow; and alternating between increasing the pump flow to a high pump flow and decreasing the pump flow to zero.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Puckett Daniel R
• Bashore Bradley S

Classifications

• F02M63/0205 Primary

  for cutting-out pumps or injectors in case of abnormal operation of the engine or the injection apparatus, e.g. over-speed, break-down of fuel pumps or injectors (safety devices acting on engine fuel system on lubricant pressure failure F01M1/24); for cutting-out pumps for stopping the engine · CPC title

• F02D41/3845

  by controlling the flow into the common rail, e.g. the amount of fuel pumped · CPC title

• F02D2200/0602

  Fuel pressure · CPC title

• F02M65/001 Primary

  Measuring fuel delivery of a fuel injector · CPC title

• G01M15/09

  by monitoring pressure in fluid ducts, e.g. in lubrication or cooling parts · CPC title