METHOD AND CONTROL DEVICE FOR OPERATING A RECIPROCATING PISTON PUMP

Abstract

A method for actuating a pump having a reciprocating piston or a diaphragm for pressure generation in a hydraulic system, the reciprocating piston or the diaphragm being moved by way of an actuator which is driven by a magnetic field of a magnet coil, and a system pressure in the hydraulic system being determined.

Claims

1. A method for actuating a pump having a reciprocating piston or a diaphragm for pressure generation in a hydraulic system, the reciprocating piston or the diaphragm being moved by way of an actuator which is driven by a magnetic field of a magnet coil, the lmethod comprising: determining a system pressure in the hydraulic system; and operating the magnet coil with a switch-off by way of freewheeling or a switch-off by way of rapid extinguishing in a manner which is dependent on the system pressure and/or at least one temporally filtered system pressure.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the magnet coil is operated with the switch-off by way of freewheeling if a first pressure gradient (12) lies below a first pressure threshold (14), and the first pressure gradient (12) or a second pressure gradient (13) lies above a second pressure threshold (15), the second pressure threshold (15) being lower than the first pressure threshold (14).

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the magnet coil is operated with the switch-off by way of freewheeling if a first pressure gradient (12) lies below a first pressure threshold (14), and the first pressure gradient (12) or a second pressure gradient (13) lies below a second pressure threshold (15) and above a third pressure threshold (16), and an immediately preceding switch-off took place by way of rapid extinguishing, and with the third pressure threshold (16) lying below the second pressure threshold (15).

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the magnet coil is operated with the switch-off by way of rapid extinguishing if a first pressure gradient (12) lies below a first pressure threshold (14), and the first pressure gradient (12) or a second pressure gradient (13) lies below a third pressure threshold (16).

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the magnet coil is operated with the switch-off by way of rapid extinguishing if a first pressure gradient (12) lies below a first pressure threshold (14), and a second pressure gradient (13) lies below a second pressure threshold (15) and above a third pressure threshold (16), and an immediately preceding switch-off took place by way of freewheeling.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that a decision about a switch-off of the magnet coil by way of freewheeling or by way of rapid extinguishing takes place solely or additionally on the basis of an evaluation of a time gradient of a first and/or a second pressure gradient (12, 13).

7. A control device for actuating a pump having a reciprocating piston or a diaphragm for pressure generation in a hydraulic system, an actuator which is driven by way of a magnetic field of a magnet coil being provided for moving the reciprocating piston or the diaphragm, and a pressure sensor or an evaluation of a current flow through the magnet coil being provided to determine a system pressure in the hydraulic system, the control device comprising a program sequence or a circuit for carrying out the method according to claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0017] In the following text, the invention will be described in greater detail by way of one exemplary embodiment which is shown in the figure, in which:

[0018] FIG. 1 shows a diagram of pressure gradients in a hydraulic system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] FIG. 1 shows a pressure diagram 10 with a pressure axis 11 and a time axis 17. In the pressure diagram 10, a first pressure gradient 12 and a second pressure gradient 13 are plotted which represent the time gradient of a system pressure in a hydraulic system having a reciprocating piston pump or a diaphragm pump or a variable which can be derived therefrom, which pumps are driven by way of a magnetic actuator which is moved by a magnetic field of a magnet coil. The reciprocating piston pump or diaphragm pump can be used by way of example for generating the system pressure in a metering device for a urea/water solution (AdBlue) in a nitrogen removal system in the exhaust gas channel of an internal combustion engine. In the exemplary embodiment, the first pressure gradient 12 is generated from the system pressure by way of low pass filtering. The second pressure gradient 13 is obtained from the system pressure or from the first pressure gradient 12 by way of a low pass filtering operation with a greater time constant than in the case of the generation of the first pressure gradient 12. It is provided according to the invention that the first pressure gradient 12 and the second pressure gradient 13 are compared with a first pressure threshold 14, a second pressure threshold 15 which lies below the latter, and a third pressure threshold 16 which lies below the second pressure threshold 15. A derivation is made from the comparisons and further logical links as to whether the magnet coil is operated in a following pump cycle with a switch-off by way of freewheeling or a switch-off by way of rapid extinguishing.

[0020] For a pump cycle, the magnet coil is loaded with electric voltage for a predefined duration. In the case of a switch-off by way of freewheeling, the voltage source is disconnected from the magnet coil, and the magnet force is dissipated via a freewheeling diode which is arranged in parallel to the magnet coil. In the case of a switch-off by way of rapid extinguishing, the dissipation of the magnetic force is assisted and accelerated by an extinguishing diode (Zener diode) which is connected to the magnet coil or an ohmic resistance. The switch-off by way of rapid extinguishing has the advantage that the pump cycle is shortened overall and therefore more pump cycles can proceed per unit time. As a result, the delivery quantity of the pump per unit time can be increased. Secondly, the higher speed of the magnetic actuator at the end stop leads to increased noise emission. The heat loss in the system is increased and leads to a temperature increase of the pump and the associated actuating means. The switch-off by way of freewheeling has the advantage that the current through the magnet coil is dissipated more slowly. The electric loading of the actuating means is therefore prevented, and the electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) of the system is improved. Furthermore, the noise emission is reduced by way of the reduced speed of the magnetic actuator at the end stop. This variant is suitable if the longer pump cycle and the delivery performance which is reduced as a result are sufficient in the respective operating case.

[0021] It is provided according to the invention to make a selection between the switch-off by way of freewheeling and the switch-off by way of rapid extinguishing in a manner which is dependent on the required delivery performance under the current operating conditions. A removal of liquid from the system results in a pressure drop. The system pressure is therefore used to make a decision about the type of switch-off. Here, as in the present example, the system pressure can be filtered for evaluation by way of one or more low pass filters.

[0022] The following rules apply to the decision about the type of switch-off for the exemplary embodiment which is shown here:

1. If the first pressure gradient 12 exceeds the first pressure threshold 14, the pump is not actuated.
2. An actuation of the pump and a switch-off by way of freewheeling takes place if the first pressure gradient 12 undershoots the first pressure threshold 14, and the second pressure gradient 13 exceeds the second pressure threshold 15, or
the second pressure gradient 13 undershoots the second pressure threshold 15, exceeds the third pressure threshold 16, and the last switch-off used rapid extinguishing.
3. An actuation of the pump and a switch-off by way of rapid extinguishing takes place if the first pressure gradient 12 undershoots the first pressure threshold 14, and
the second pressure gradient 13 undershoots the third pressure threshold 16, or
the second pressure gradient 13 undershoots the second pressure threshold 15, exceeds the third pressure threshold 16, and the last switch-off took place by way of freewheeling.

[0023] In addition to the first and second pressure gradient 12, 13, the switch-off operations which are derived therefrom for the pump cycles are also shown in the pressure diagram 10. At the left-hand start of the pressure diagram 10, the first pressure gradient 12 lies above the first pressure threshold 14, and no pump cycle takes place. At the first time 21, the first pressure gradient 12 undershoots the first pressure threshold 14, and a first pump cycle 31 is started. Since the second pressure gradient 13 exceeds the second pressure threshold 15, the first pump cycle 31 is controlled with a switch-off by way of freewheeling, and lasts up to the second time 22. The first pressure gradient 12 initially rises, but falls further overall on account of a further removal of liquid.

[0024] At the second time 22, the first pressure gradient 12 lies below the first pressure threshold 14, with the result that a second pump cycle 32 is started immediately. Since the second pressure gradient 13 exceeds the second pressure threshold 15, the second pump cycle 32 is controlled with a switch-off by way of freewheeling, and lasts up to the third time 23.

[0025] At the third time 23, the first pressure gradient 12 lies below the first pressure threshold 14, with the result that a third pump cycle 33 is started immediately. Since the second pressure gradient 13 undershoots the second pressure threshold 15, but exceeds the third pressure threshold 16, AND the preceding pump cycle was switched off by way of freewheeling, the third pump cycle 33 is controlled with a switch-off by way of rapid extinguishing, and lasts up to the fourth time 24.

[0026] At the fourth time 24, the first pressure gradient 12 lies below the first pressure threshold 14, with the result that a fourth pump cycle 34 is started immediately. Since the second pressure gradient 13 undershoots the second pressure threshold 15, but exceeds the third pressure threshold 16, AND the preceding pump cycle was switched off by way of rapid extinguishing, the fourth pump cycle 34 is controlled with a switch-off by way of freewheeling, and lasts up to the fifth time 25.

[0027] At the fifth time 25, the first pressure gradient 12 lies below the first pressure threshold 14, with the result that a fifth pump cycle 35 is started immediately. Since the second pressure gradient 13 undershoots the second pressure threshold 15, but exceeds the third pressure threshold 16, AND the preceding pump cycle was switched off by way of freewheeling, the fifth pump cycle 35 is controlled with a switch-off by way of rapid extinguishing, and lasts up to the sixth time 26. At the sixth time 26, the first pressure gradient 12 lies above the first pressure threshold 14, with the result that no further pump cycle is initially actuated.

[0028] At the seventh time 27, the first pressure gradient 12 undershoots the first pressure threshold 14, with the result that a sixth pump cycle 36 is started. Since the second pressure gradient 13 lies above the second pressure threshold 15, the sixth pump cycle 36 is controlled with a switch-off by way of freewheeling, and lasts up to the eighth time 28.