Method for operating a centrifugal separator

Abstract

A method for operating a centrifugal separator associated with a prime mover and/or a working machine. The centrifugal separator comprises at least one rotatably mounted rotor that can be rotated at a variable speed via a drive controlled by a control unit. The method is characterized in that the speed of the rotor is controlled according to the sound emissions of the prime mover and/or according to the sound emissions of the working machine.

Claims

1. A method for operating a centrifugal separator associated with at least one of a prime mover or a working machine in a motor vehicle, the centrifugal separator having at least one rotatably mounted rotor, the method comprising the steps: setting the at least one rotatably mounted rotor into rotation with a variable rotational speed by a drive controlled by a control unit, and, adjusting the variable rotational speed of the at least one rotatably mounted rotor as a function of acoustic emissions of the at least one of the prime mover or the working machine such that the rotation speed of the at least one rotatably mounted rotor increases as the acoustic emissions of the at least one of the prime mover or the working machine increase and the rotation speed of the at least one rotatably mounted rotor decreases as the acoustic emissions of the at least one of the prime mover or the working machine decrease.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the controlling of the rotational speed of the at least one rotatably mounted rotor takes place such that the at least one rotatably mounted rotor is operated with a maximum rotational speed such that acoustic emissions from the centrifugal separator are not perceptible to human hearing amid the respective current acoustic emissions of the at least one of the prime mover or the working machine.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein signals that represent acoustic emissions of the at least one of the prime mover or the working machine and that are supplied to the control unit are ascertained from at least one operating parameter already stored or acquired at the at least one of the prime mover or the working machine for some other purpose.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the at least one of a prime mover or a working machine comprises prime mover, and wherein the at least one operating parameter from which the signals to be supplied to the control unit are ascertained is a current prime mover operating point in a stored prime mover operating characteristic map.

5. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the at least one of a prime mover or a working machine comprises the prime mover, and wherein the at least one operating parameter from which the signals to be supplied to the control unit are ascertained is at least one of a rotational speed measurement value or a load value of the prime mover.

6. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the at least one of a prime mover or a working machine comprises the working machine, and wherein the at least one operating parameter from which the signals to be supplied to the control unit are ascertained is at least one of a speed of movement of the working machine or a set transmission gear of a transmission of the working machine.

7. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the at least one of a primer mover or a working machine comprises the working machine, and wherein the at least one operating parameter from which the signals to be supplied to the control unit are ascertained are at least one of stored, speed-dependent wind noises or rolling noises of the working machine.

8. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the at least one operating parameter from which the signals to be supplied to the control unit are ascertained are generated and supplied to the control unit from at least one of an onboard network or bus network of the at least one of the prime mover or the working machine, and wherein the control unit, formed by an electronics unit integrated in the centrifugal separator, takes over the controlling of the rotational speed of the at least one rotatably mounted rotor of the centrifugal separator in accordance with characteristic values pertaining to the control signals, stored in the control unit.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein signals that represent the acoustic emissions of the at least one of the prime mover or the working machine, and that are to be supplied to the control unit, are acquired by one or more acoustic sensors.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein a microphone in or on the at least one of the prime mover or the working machine is used as the one or more acoustic sensors.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein, for the drive of the at least one rotatably mounted rotor, an electrical drive is used that is switched over by the control unit, in accordance with signals supplied to the control unit, between a first operating mode in which the electrical drive drives the at least one rotatably mounted rotor and a second operating mode in which the electrical drive brakes the at least one rotatably mounted rotor, and a switched-off state.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein in the operating mode in which the electrical drive brakes the at least one rotatably mounted rotor, electrical energy is produced by the electrical drive and is fed back into an electrical network of the at least one of the prime mover or the working machine.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein as the drive of the at least one rotatably mounted rotor a hydraulic drive is used that is switched over by the control unit at least between a driving operating mode and a switched-off state, in accordance with signals that represent acoustic emissions of the at least one of the prime mover or the working machine supplied to the control unit.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein when there is a need for a reduction in the rotational speed of the at least one rotatably mounted rotor, the hydraulic drive is switched over to a braking operating mode by the control unit in accordance with the signals supplied to the control unit.

15. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein when there is a need for a reduction in the rotational speed of the at least one rotatably mounted rotor, a separate brake device, assigned to the rotor or to a shaft of the at least one rotatably mounted rotor or to the drive, is activated by the control unit.

16. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein in accordance with signals that are supplied to the control unit by a machine control device of the prime mover or the working machine before an impending stop, signaled by the control device, of the prime mover or the working machine, the control unit brings the at least one rotatably mounted rotor to a standstill before or up until the stopping of the at least one of the prime mover or the working machine.

17. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one of a primer mover or a working machine comprises the prime mover, and wherein the steps are performed in the prime mover formed by an internal combustion engine.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein in accordance with signals that are supplied to the control unit by a control device of the internal combustion engine before an impending start, signaled by the control device, of the internal combustion engine, the control unit activates the at least one rotatably mounted rotor for a pre-evacuation of a crankcase of the internal combustion engine before the start of the internal combustion engine takes place.

19. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the steps are used to operate the centrifugal separator that removes oil from crankcase ventilation gas or cleans lubricant oil in an internal combustion engine of a hybrid motor vehicle or of a motor vehicle having an engine start-stop automated system.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In the following, an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is explained on the basis of a drawing.

(2) The single FIGURE of the drawing shows, in a purely schematic representation, a centrifugal separator having a rotor with a drive, and having a control unit that controls the drive in accordance with a plurality of control parameters.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(3) In its lower part, the FIGURE schematically shows a centrifugal separator 1 having a rotor 10 realized, for example, as a plate stack separator. Rotor 10 is rotatably mounted, by a rotor shaft 11 and two rotor bearings 13, in a separator housing not shown separately here. Using a drive 2 connected to rotor shaft 11, such as an electric motor, rotor 10 can be set into rotation during operation of centrifugal separator 1, in order to use centrifugal force to separate droplets or particles of a second medium out from a first medium flowing through rotor 10, in a known manner.

(4) In addition, the exemplary embodiment shown here of centrifugal separator 1 includes a brake 12 that can exert a braking force on rotor shaft 11 and thus also on rotor 10 as needed, using friction. Alternatively, brake 12 can also be an electric brake, possibly having energy recuperation.

(5) Centrifugal separator 1 is assigned to a prime mover or working machine not further shown in the drawing, for example an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle, and can, for example, be used specifically for removing oil from crankcase ventilation gas of the internal combustion engine.

(6) An electronic control unit 3 is assigned to centrifugal separator 1, which control unit controls drive 2 of rotor 10 of centrifugal separator 1 with a variable rotational speed, via electrical signal and supply connections 20, in accordance with parameters explained below. Via the electrical signal connection 20, control unit 3 acquires the current actual rotational speed of drive 2, and thus of rotor 10, and compares this to the current target rotational speed, calculated as a function of parameters, in order to correspondingly increase or reduce the actual rotational speed in case of deviations. Via a further electrical signal connection 30, control unit 3 activates brake 12 when there is a need for a reduction in the rotational speed of rotor 10.

(7) A first parameter used to control the rotational speed of drive 2 of rotor 10 in the exemplary embodiment shown in the drawing is the rotational speed of an associated internal combustion engine. This rotational speed is acquired via an internal combustion engine rotational speed sensor 4 indicated at the top in the FIGURE, and is communicated to control unit 3 as a measurement signal, via a further electrical signal connection 40.

(8) A further source for one or more further control parameters that are supplied to control unit 3 is an engine control device 5 of the associated internal combustion engine. In modern internal combustion engines, engine control devices that acquire or have stored various operating parameters of the internal combustion engine are already present anyway, and can here additionally be used for the controlling of drive 2. Here, suitable data or signals are transmitted to control unit 3 by engine control device 5 via signal connection 50.

(9) A further parameter used to control drive 2 is the speed of an associated vehicle, such as a motor vehicle having an internal combustion engine. Using a vehicle speed sensor 6, the speed of the vehicle is ascertained and is supplied to control unit 3 as measurement signal via a further signal connection 60.

(10) Finally, in the exemplary embodiment a further acoustic sensor 7 is provided that acquires noises or a noise level in the surrounding environment of centrifugal separator 1, for example in an internal compartment of the motor vehicle having an internal combustion engine equipped with centrifugal separator 1, and supplies these to control unit 3 as a measurement signal via a further signal connection 70.

(11) Control unit 3 controls the rotational speed of rotor 10 as a function of signals supplied to control unit 3 that represent the acoustic emissions of the prime mover and/or of the working machine. In particular, the controlling of the rotational speed of rotor 10 takes place in such a way that rotor 10 is operated with a maximum rotational speed such that, amid the currently prevailing acoustic emissions of the associated prime mover and/or working machine, centrifugal separator 1 is not perceptible, or at least not disturbing, for human hearing.

(12) Using drive 2, controlled by control unit 3, rotor 10 can be quickly accelerated and brought to a current desired rotational speed that is a function of parameters processed in control unit 3. Conversely, using the brake 12 provided here, also controlled by control unit 3, rotor 10 can be quickly braked as needed and brought to a lower rotational speed or to a standstill.

(13) In practice, for the realization of the method it can also suffice to supply fewer different signals than are shown in the FIGURE to control unit 3. Conversely, it is also possible to use even more signals than those shown in the drawing for the controlling of drive 2 of rotor 10 by control unit 3.

(14) While at least one exemplary embodiment of the present invention(s) is disclosed herein, it should be understood that modifications, substitutions and alternatives may be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art and can be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. This disclosure is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the exemplary embodiment(s). In addition, in this disclosure, the terms “comprise” or “comprising” do not exclude other elements or steps, the terms “a” or “one” do not exclude a plural number, and the term “or” means either or both. Furthermore, characteristics or steps which have been described may also be used in combination with other characteristics or steps and in any order unless the disclosure or context suggests otherwise. This disclosure hereby incorporates by reference the complete disclosure of any patent or application from which it claims benefit or priority.

LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS

(15) 1 centrifugal separator 10 rotor 11 rotor shaft 12 brake 13 rotor bearing 2 drive for 10 20 signal connection and/or supply connection between 2 and 3 3 control unit 30 signal connection of 3 to 12 4 internal combustion engine rotational speed sensor 40 signal connection of 4 to 3 5 engine control device of the internal combustion engine 50 signal connection of 5 to 3 6 vehicle speed sensor 60 signal connection of 6 to 3 7 acoustic sensor 70 signal connection of 7 to 3