Fluid Conditioning Module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016195053-A1
Application number	US-201514589154-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 5, 2015
Priority date	Jan 5, 2015
Publication date	Jul 7, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A fluid conditioning system includes a first filter mount having a first filter inlet port and a first filter outlet port, a first motor, a first pump operatively coupled to the first motor, a second filter mount having a second filter inlet port, a second pump, and a controller operatively coupled to the first motor. The controller is configured to operate the first pump at a flowrate that is higher than a flowrate of the second pump. An outlet of the first pump is fluidly coupled to the first filter inlet port via a first filter inlet conduit, and an inlet of the first pump is fluidly coupled the first filter outlet port via a first filter outlet conduit. An inlet of the second pump is fluidly coupled to the first filter outlet port via the first filter outlet conduit.

First claim

1 . A fluid conditioning system, comprising:
a first filter mount having a first filter inlet port and a first filter outlet port; a first motor; a first pump operatively coupled to the first motor via a first shaft, an outlet of the first pump being fluidly coupled to the first filter inlet port via a first filter inlet conduit such that the first filter inlet port receives a discharge pressure from the outlet of the first pump, an inlet of the first pump being fluidly coupled the first filter outlet port via a first filter outlet conduit; a second filter mount having a second filter inlet port; a second pump, an inlet of the second pump being fluidly coupled to the first filter outlet port via the first filter outlet conduit, an outlet of the second pump being fluidly coupled to the second filter inlet port via a second filter inlet conduit, the second filter inlet port being disposed downstream of the outlet of the second pump along a flow direction extending from the inlet of the second pump toward the outlet of the second pump; a block defining the first filter mount and the second filter mount, the first pump being fastened to the block, the first filter inlet conduit being defined by the block; and a controller operatively coupled to the first motor, the controller being configured to operate the first pump at a flowrate that is higher than a flowrate of the second pump.

2 . The fluid conditioning system of claim 1 , wherein the second pump is mechanically coupled to the first motor.

3 . The fluid conditioning system of claim 1 , further comprising a second motor mechanically coupled to the second pump.

4 . The fluid conditioning system of claim 1 , wherein the inlet of the first pump is fluidly coupled to a fluid reservoir via a flow path that does not include the second pump, and
the inlet of the second pump is fluidly coupled to the fluid reservoir via a flow path that does not include the first pump.

5 . The fluid conditioning system of claim 1 , further comprising a first filter removably coupled to the first filter mount, and a second filter removably coupled to the second filter mount.

6 . The fluid conditioning system of claim 1 , further comprising a pressure regulating valve, an outlet port of the second filter mount being fluidly coupled to the first filter inlet conduit via the pressure regulating valve along a flow path that includes the second filter mount, the pressure regulating valve, and the first filter inlet conduit disposed fluidly in series with one another,
wherein the pressure regulating valve is disposed downstream of the second filter mount along the flow direction extending from the inlet of the second pump toward the outlet of the second pump, and wherein the first filter inlet conduit is disposed downstream of the pressure regulating valve along the flow direction extending from the inlet of the second pump toward the outlet of the second pump.

7 . The fluid conditioning system of claim 1 , further comprising a pressure sensor in fluid communication with an outlet port of the second filter mount via a second filter outlet conduit, the pressure sensor being operatively coupled to the controller, and the controller being further configured to adjust the flowrate of the second pump based at least partly on a signal from the pressure sensor.

8 . The fluid conditioning system of claim 1 , wherein an outlet port of the second filter mount is fluidly coupled to an inlet of a common rail fuel pump via a common rail supply conduit, the outlet port of the second filter mount being disposed fluidly in series with the common rail fuel pump, the outlet port of the second filter mount being disposed upstream of the common rail fuel pump along a flow direction that extends from an inlet of the common rail fuel pump toward an outlet of the common rail fuel pump.

9 - 19 . (canceled)

20 . A method for conditioning a fluid through a fluid conditioning system, the fluid conditioning system including
a first filter mount having a first filter inlet port and a first filter outlet port, a first motor, a first pump operatively coupled to the first motor via a first shaft, an outlet of the first pump being fluidly coupled to the first filter inlet port via a first filter inlet conduit such that the first filter inlet port receives a discharge pressure from the outlet of the first pump, an inlet of the first pump being fluidly coupled the first filter outlet port via a first filter outlet conduit, a second filter mount having a second filter inlet port, a second pump, an inlet of the second pump being fluidly coupled to the first filter outlet port via the first filter outlet conduit, an outlet of the second pump being fluidly coupled to the second filter inlet port via a second filter inlet conduit, the second filter inlet port being disposed downstream of the outlet of the second pump along a flow direction extending from the inlet of the second pump toward the outlet of the second pump, a block defining the first filter mount and the second filter mount, the first pump being fastened to the block, the first filter inlet conduit being defined by the block, and a controller operatively coupled to the first motor, the controller being configured to operate the first pump at a flowrate that is higher than a flowrate of the second pump, the method comprising: pumping a fluid flow through the first pump; filtering the fluid flow through a first filter mounted to the first filter mount; recirculating a first portion of the fluid flow through the first filter via the first pump; pumping a second portion of the fluid flow through the second pump, the second portion of the fluid flow being less than the first portion of the fluid flow; and filtering the second portion of the fluid flow through a second filter mounted to the second filter mount.

21 . The fluid conditioning system of claim 1 , wherein the first filter outlet conduit is defined by the block, and
wherein the second pump is fastened to the block, and the second filter inlet conduit is defined by the block.

22 . The fluid conditioning system of claim 21 , wherein the block further defines a module inlet port, the inlet of the first pump being fluidly coupled to the module inlet port via a module inlet conduit defined by the block.

23 . The fluid conditioning system of claim 1 , wherein the first motor is operatively coupled to the second pump via a second shaft.

24 . The fluid conditioning system of claim 23 , wherein a longitudinal axis of the first shaft is substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the second shaft.

25 . The fluid conditioning system of claim 1 , further comprising a second motor operatively coupled to the second pump via a second shaft.

26 . The fluid conditioning system of claim 21 , wherein the first pump and the second pump are fastened to a first side of the block, and
wherein the first filter inlet port and the second filter inlet port are defined by apertures through a second side of the block, the second side of the block being opposite the first side of the block.

27 . The fluid conditioning system of claim 26 , wherein a first direction extends from the first pump toward the second pump, and the first filter inlet port is located beside the second filter inlet port along the first direction.

28 . The fluid conditioning system of claim 27 , wherein the first motor is disposed between the first pump and the second pump along the first direction.

29 . The fluid conditioning system of claim 28

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Shafer Scott F
• Hackett David E
• Tian Steven Y
• Lehman Martin

Classifications

• B01D35/005

  Filters specially adapted for use in internal-combustion engine lubrication or fuel systems · CPC title

• F02B3/06

  with compression ignition (compression ignition engines using air or gas for blowing fuel into compressed air in cylinder F02B13/02) · CPC title

• B01D35/30

  Filter housing constructions · CPC title

• B01D35/26

  Filters with built-in pumps {filters provided with a pump mounted in or on the casing (aquarium pumps or filters A01K63/04)} · CPC title

• F02M63/0265 Primary

  Pumps feeding common rails · CPC title