Pump system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9863425-B2
Application number	US-201414202199-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 10, 2014
Priority date	Mar 11, 2013
Publication date	Jan 9, 2018
Grant date	Jan 9, 2018

Abstract

A pump system for a water supply mains has at least one pump device, a pressure detecting sensor at the pressure side of the pump device, a flow detecting sensor of the pump device, several pressure sensor units (D) remote arranged remotely from the pump device in different part regions of the mains, and a pump control device. The control device includes a model formation module designed in each case to produce a model (A) representing pressure loss from the pressure sensor to the position of the respective pressure sensor unit (D), based on several pressure measured values of at least two pressure sensor units (D) for the at least two associated part regions. The control device is designed for regulation of the pump device based on produced models (A), as well as to a corresponding method for regulation of a pump device in a water supply mains.

First claim

We claim:

1. A pump system for a water supply mains, the system comprising:
at least one pump device;
a pressure sensor configured to detect pressure at a pressure side of the pump device;
a flow sensor configured to detect a flow of the pump device;
a plurality of pressure sensor units (D) arranged remotely from the pump device in different part regions of the water supply mains; and
a control device for control of the pump device, the control device comprising a model formation module configured to produce, based on measured pressure values from at least two of the plurality of pressure sensor units from corresponding part regions, models (A), each model representing an expected pressure loss between the pressure sensor and a position of a respective one of the at least two pressure sensor units (D) as a function of time and flow of the pump device, the control device being configured to regulate the pump device based on all of the produced models (A) by applying a currently measured flow (q) of the pump device and time (t) to each of the models (A).

2. The pump system according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is designed to regulate the pump device to a predefined desired pressure, and wherein the control device comprises a desired pressure evaluation module designed to determine the desired pressure (p ref ) in a manner depending on the time (t) and currently measured flow (q) of the pump device, based on previously created models (A) representing the pressure losses.

3. The pump system according to claim 2 , wherein the desired pressure evaluation model is designed to determine the desired pressure (p ref ) for the pump device such that a desired minimal pressure is added to the pressure loss determined from the respective model (A), resulting in a summed pressure value for each of the part regions of the water supply mains, and the largest of the summed pressure values determined in this manner is selected as the desired pressure (p ref ).

4. The pump system according to claim 1 , wherein the model formation module is designed to update the produced models (A) based on newer pressure values provided by the pressure sensor units (D) in temporal intervals.

5. The pump system according to claim 1 , wherein the pressure sensor units (D) are provided respectively with a measured value memory suitable for storing a plurality of pressure measured values, in each case with a time stamp.

6. The pump system according to claim 1 , wherein the pressure sensor units (D) are provided respectively with a communication module suitable for communication with the control device.

7. The pump system according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is part of the pump device or a pump assembly.

8. The pump system according to claim 1 , wherein the control device further comprises a leakage detection module designed to detect, via the flow sensor, the flow (q) at a recurring predefined point in time or in a recurring time span, optionally daily, and to compare the thus-acquired flow (q) to a limit value and/or to at least one flow detected in preceding points in time or time spans.

9. The pump system according to claim 1 , wherein the control device further comprises a leakage detection module designed to determine a probable location of a leakage by determining in each case an actual pressure loss based on measured values of the pressure sensor and the respective pressure sensor units (D) for the respective part regions, and by comparing the actual pressure loss with an expected pressure loss derived from the respective model (A).

10. The pump system according to claim 9 , wherein the leakage detection module is designed to indicate a probable leakage for that part region for which the actual pressure loss is equal to or greater than the expected pressure loss.

11. The pump system according to claim 1 , wherein the control device further comprises a leakage detection module designed such that for the respective part regions, with an updating of the respective model (A) for an expected pressure drop in this part region by the model formation module, the leakage detection module compares the expected pressure drop for a certain operating condition according to an updated model (A) with the expected pressure drop according to a previous model (A Init ) and recognizes a probable leakage in the respective part region based on a change of the expected pressure drop.

Assignees

• Grundfos Holding
• Grundfos Holding As

Inventors

• Kallesoe Carsten Skovmose
• Hassan Abdul-Sattar

Classifications

• Y10T137/8158

  With indicator, register, recorder, alarm or inspection means · CPC title

• Y10T137/0318

  Processes · CPC title

• E03B7/02

  Public or like main pipe systems · CPC title

• Y10T137/0396

  Involving pressure control · CPC title

• E03B7/071

  Arrangement of safety devices in domestic pipe systems, e.g. devices for automatic shut-off · CPC title