Fluid delivery system health monitoring systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022074417-A1
Application number	US-202117530905-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 19, 2021
Priority date	Feb 27, 2018
Publication date	Mar 10, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A fluid supply system includes a fluid delivery system including a pump, a sensor configured to acquire data regarding the fluid delivery system, and a processing circuit coupled to the sensor. The processing circuit is configured to determine a health level of the fluid delivery system based on the data and provide a notification in response to the health level not satisfying a threshold.

First claim

1 . A fluid supply system for a fire apparatus, the fluid supply system comprising:
a fluid delivery system including a pump; a sensor configured to acquire data regarding the fluid delivery system; and a processing circuit coupled to the sensor, the processing circuit configured to:
determine a health level of the fluid delivery system based on the data; and
provide a notification in response to the health level not satisfying a threshold.

2 . The fluid supply system of claim 1 , wherein the pump includes:
a housing defining an interior chamber, an inlet configured to receive a fluid from a fluid source, and an outlet configured to a provide pressurized fluid to a fluid output system; an impeller disposed within the interior chamber; and an input coupled to the impeller, the input configured to facilitate driving the impeller to pressurize the fluid received at the inlet to generate the pressurized fluid within the interior chamber.

3 . The fluid supply system of claim 2 , wherein:
the sensor includes:
a first pressure sensor positioned to acquire pressure data regarding a first pressure of the fluid on an inlet side of the impeller, within the housing; and
a second pressure sensor positioned to acquire pressure data regarding a second pressure of the pressurized fluid on an outlet side of the impeller, within the housing; and
the processing circuit is configured to:
determine a pressure differential between the second pressure and the first pressure; and
provide the notification in response to the pressure differential being less than a pressure differential threshold.

4 . The fluid supply system of claim 2 , wherein:
the sensor includes:
a first pressure sensor positioned to acquire pressure data regarding a first pressure of the fluid on an inlet side of the impeller, within the housing;
a second pressure sensor positioned to acquire pressure data regarding a second pressure of the pressurized fluid on an outlet side of the impeller, within the housing;
a third pressure sensor positioned to acquire pressure data regarding a third pressure of the fluid at the inlet of the housing; and
a fourth pressure sensor positioned to acquire pressure data regarding a fourth pressure of the pressurized fluid at the outlet of the housing; and
the processing circuit is configured to:
determine a first pressure differential across the impeller based on the first pressure and the second pressure;
determine a second pressure differential across the pump based on the third pressure and the fourth pressure; and
provide the notification in response to the first pressure differential and the second pressure differential deviating by less than a threshold amount.

5 . The fluid supply system of claim 2 , wherein the sensor includes an ultrasonic sensor positioned to transmit sound waves toward components of the pump to acquire ultrasound data, and wherein the processing circuit is configured to:
detect a leakage path between the components based on the ultrasound data acquired with the ultrasonic sensor; and provide the notification in response to a size of the leakage path exceeding a threshold size.

6 . The fluid supply system of claim 5 , wherein the pump includes at least one of (i) a first resilient element coupled to the housing or (ii) a second resilient element coupled to the impeller, the at least one of the first resilient element or the second resilient element positioned to prevent fluid leakage across the impeller from the interior chamber back to the inlet.

7 . The fluid supply system of claim 1 , wherein:
the sensor includes a cavitation sensor positioned to acquire cavitation data regarding cavitation events within the pump; and the processing circuit is configured to:
detect the cavitation events based on the cavitation data; and
provide the notification in response to at least one of (i) the cavitation events occurring at atypical operating conditions of the pump or (ii) the cavitation events occurring more frequently.

8 . The fluid supply system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to perform a dead-head health test to determine the health level of the pump, and wherein, to perform the dead-head health test, the processing circuit is configured to:
operate the pump at a predetermined output flow rate and a predetermined speed; dead-head the pump such that the predetermined output flow rate decreases to at least a threshold level while maintaining the predetermined speed; determine a dead-head pressure in response to dead-heading the pump; determine a pressure difference between the dead-head pressure and a predetermined dead-head pressure; compare the pressure difference to a predetermined pressure difference; and provide the notification in response to the pressure difference being greater than the predetermined pressure difference.

9 . The fluid supply system of claim 8 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to perform a dead-head baseline test on the pump to determine and store the predetermined speed, the predetermined dead-head pressure, and the predetermined pressure difference.

10 . The fluid supply system of claim 9 , wherein, to perform the dead-head baseline test, the processing circuit is configured to:
operate the pump at a predetermined output pressure and the predetermined output flow rate; determine a first speed required to achieve the predetermined output pressure and the predetermined output flow rate, wherein the first speed is the predetermined speed; dead-head the pump a first time such that the predetermined output flow rate decreases to at least the threshold level while maintaining the first speed; determine a first dead-head pressure in response to dead-heading the pump the first time, wherein the first dead-head pressure is the predetermined dead-head pressure; operate the pump at the predetermined output pressure and a maximum output flow rate; determine a second speed required to achieve the predetermined output pressure and the maximum output flow rate; dead-head the pump a second time such that the maximum output flow rate decreases to at least the threshold level while maintaining the second speed; determine a second dead-head pressure in response to dead-heading the pump the second time; and determine a baseline pressure difference between the second dead-head pressure and the first dead-head pressure, wherein the baseline pressure difference is the predetermined pressure difference.

11 . The fluid supply system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to:
receive power information regarding a power input provided to an input of the pump; determine operating characteristics of the pump based on the power input; compare the operating characteristics to predetermined operating characteristics at the power input; and provide the notification in response to the operating characteristics deviating from the predetermined operating characteristics by more than a threshold amount.

12 . The fluid supply system of claim 1 , wherein:
the sensor includes a flow sensor positioned proximate an outlet of the pump, the flow sensor configured to acquire flow data regarding an output flow from the pump; and the processing circuit is configured to:
determine operating characteristics of the pump providing the output flow;
compare the operating characteristics to predetermined operating characteristics at the output flow; and
provide the notification in response to the operating characteristics deviating from the predetermined operating characteristics by more than a threshold amount.

13 . The fluid su

Assignees

• Oshkosh Corp

Inventors

• Linsmeier Eric R
• Woelfel John D
• Archer David W

Classifications

• F04D1/00

  Radial-flow pumps, e.g. centrifugal pumps; Helico-centrifugal pumps (adapted for pumping specific fluids F04D7/00; priming or boosting F04D9/00) · CPC title

• A62C27/00 Primary

  Fire-fighting land vehicles · CPC title

• A62C37/50

  Testing or indicating devices for determining the state of readiness of the equipment · CPC title

• F04D15/00 Primary

  Control, e.g. regulation, of pumps, pumping installations or systems · CPC title

• F04D29/167

  of a centrifugal flow wheel · CPC title