METHOD AND DEVICE FOR OPERATING A PUMP

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and to a device for calibrating a pump (1) provided in a pump line (6), the device comprising an actuator (2) for setting the pumping capacity of the pump (1), and a control unit (3). The device comprises a flow monitor (4) in the fuel line (6). The control unit (3) is designed to substantially steadily vary the controlled variable of the actuator (2), when starting the pump (1), up to the switch point (SP) of the flow monitor (4), and to ascertain and store a controlled variable associated with the respective switch point (SP), to ascertain a controlled variable difference value (Δf) between a reference controlled variable (fR) stored for the pump (1) and the flow monitor (4) and a calibration controlled variable (fK) ascertained during the calibration, and to calibrate the controlled variable of the actuator (2) of the pump (1) based on the controlled variable difference value (Δf).

Claims

1. A method for operating a pump, and in particular a measurement circuit pump for measuring fuel consumption on an engine test stand, wherein a flow monitor having a certain switch point (SP) is provided in the pump line, the method being characterized by the following steps: in advance, when the pump is new, ascertaining once a reference controlled variable (f.sub.R) for an actuator of the pump by starting the pump by substantially steadily varying the controlled variable of the actuator up to the switch point (SP); and ascertaining a controlled variable associated with the switch point (SP), and storing this controlled variable as the reference controlled variable (f.sub.R); prior to use of the pump, carrying out a calibration step on the same pump by: starting the pump by substantially steadily varying the controlled variable of the actuator up to the switch point (SP); ascertaining a controlled variable associated with the switch point (SP), and defining this controlled variable as the calibration controlled variable (f.sub.K); ascertaining a controlled variable difference value (Δf) between the reference controlled variable (f.sub.R) stored for the pump and the flow monitor and the calibration controlled variable (f.sub.K); and calibrating the actuator of the pump based on the controlled variable difference value (Δf).

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the density and/or the viscosity of the pumped medium are ascertained via a density and/or viscosity sensor, and the difference between the density and/or viscosity of the medium during the ascertainment of the reference controlled variable and the density and/or viscosity of the medium during the calibration step is taken into consideration in the calibration of the actuator.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein a wear value identifying the wear of the pump is ascertained during the calibration step based on the controlled variable difference value (Δf).

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein a replacement point in time is ascertained for the pump based on the wear value.

5. A device for calibrating a pump (1) provided in a pump line (6), the device comprising an actuator (2) for setting the pumping capacity of the pump (1) and a control unit (3), wherein the device comprises a flow monitor (4) in the fuel line (6), the control unit (3) being designed to substantially steadily vary the controlled variable of the actuator (2), when starting the pump (1), up to the switch point (SP) of the flow monitor (4), and to ascertain and store a controlled variable associated with the respective switch point (SP); ascertain a controlled variable difference value (Δf) between the reference controlled variable (f.sub.R) stored for the pump (1) and the flow monitor (4) and a calibration controlled variable (f.sub.K) ascertained during the calibration; and calibrate the controlled variable of the actuator (2) of the pump (1) based on the controlled variable difference value (Δf).

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein the flow monitor (4) is integrated in the pump (1).

7. The device according to claim 5, wherein the flow monitor (4) is a binary sensor.

8. The device according to claim 5, wherein the flow monitor (4) is provided on the pressure side of the pump (1).

9. The device according to claim 5, wherein the device comprises a density sensor (5) and/or a viscosity sensor for the pumped medium.

10. The device according to claim 5, wherein the device is a fuel consumption measuring device for an engine test stand, wherein the pump (1) is a fuel pump, and in particular a measurement circuit pump (17) provided in a measurement circuit of the fuel consumption measuring device.

11. The use of a device according to claim 5 for ascertaining a maintenance and/or replacement point in time for a pump.

Description

[0036] The present invention will be described in more detail hereafter with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, which show advantageous embodiments of the invention by way of example and in a schematic and non-limiting manner. In the drawings:

[0037] FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of the essential elements of the device according to the invention;

[0038] FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of a device according to the invention for fuel consumption measurement for an engine test stand; and

[0039] FIG. 3 shows a diagram having differing characteristic curves of a pump.

[0040] FIG. 1 shows a device according to the invention in a simplified schematic illustration, wherein a pump 1 pumps a medium to be pumped in a pump line 6 from a media source 7 to a media destination 8. “Pump line” in connection with the present description denotes the line in which the pump is disposed and through which the pump pumps the medium to be pumped. The pump line may also be routed in a circuit, as is customary with heating systems, for example.

[0041] The pump 1 is connected to an actuator 2, wherein the actuator 2 predefines a controlled variable which determines the delivery capacity of the pump 1. The controlled variable can be a frequency, for example, and the actuator 2 can be a frequency converter.

[0042] A density sensor 5 is provided upstream of the pump in the pump line 6, wherein it is also possible for a viscosity sensor to be provided instead of the density sensor 5, or in addition to the same.

[0043] A flow monitor 4 is provided downstream of the pump. The flow monitor 4 can be a conventional flow switch comprising a paddle disposed in the fuel line, wherein the paddle is pushed to the side by the flow and triggers a switch in the process when the flow exceeds a certain threshold value (this defines the above-mentioned switch point of the flow monitor). It is also possible to use flow monitors that are based on a different principle; the illustrated design, however, represents a particularly simple and cost-effective solution, which has the advantage of having very reliable switch points (which is to say, the flow velocity or the flow rate at which the flow monitor switches hardly changes over the service life).

[0044] A control unit 3 is connected to the actuator 2, the flow monitor 4 and the density sensor 5. From the density sensor 5 (and possibly the viscosity sensor), the control unit 3 receives signals identifying the density (and the viscosity). Furthermore, the control unit 3 receives signals from the flow monitor 4 which identify the presence or the absence of a flow in the pump line 6. The control unit 3 can control the controlled variable of the actuator 2. The parameters of the control unit 3 can be set by a user via a user interface 11. For example, it is also possible to enter parameters for the density and/or the viscosity of the medium to be pumped via the user interface 11, if no density sensor 5 or no viscosity sensor is present in the equipment.

[0045] The method according to the invention for operating a pump will now be described in greater detail with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 shows a diagram in which the flow rate Q in liters per hour (y axis) is plotted against the frequency f of the frequency converter of a pump in Hertz (x axis).

[0046] So as to ascertain a reference controlled variable f.sub.R, the frequency of the frequency converter is steadily (or substantially steadily) increased, after the installation of a new pump, starting from a stopped state of the pump, and the frequency f.sub.R starting at which the flow monitor detects a flow is ascertained, wherein this point is referred to as the switch point SP.sub.R. The flow rate associated with this switch point is denoted by Q.sub.SP. The switch point SP.sub.R is located on the characteristic curve KL.sub.R of the new pump, wherein the characteristic curve KL.sub.R is usually know from the data sheet of the pump and can be ascertained in advance. The delivery capacity of the pump is established by setting the frequency which corresponds to the desired delivery capacity, wherein the relationship between the control frequency and the flow rate volume is defined by the characteristic curve KL.sub.R.

[0047] Based on the known characteristic curve KL.sub.R, it would generally be easy to ascertain the exact value Q.sub.sp for the switch point flow rate of the flow monitor; however, precise knowledge of this value is not required for the further steps of the calibration. During the one-time step for ascertaining the reference frequency conducted in advance, only the value of the reference frequency f.sub.R is stored, and this is used subsequently for the same combination of pump and flow monitor.

[0048] Prior to every renewed use of the device, for example on an engine test stand prior to every new test run, the pump is calibrated with the aid of the stored values for the reference frequency f.sub.R. For calibration, the pump, as was already done for the ascertainment of the reference frequency, is started up in a ramp-like manner by steadily (or at least substantially steadily) increasing the frequency of the frequency converter, and the calibration frequency f.sub.K is ascertained, which in the illustrated case is higher than the reference frequency f.sub.R. (The corresponding switch point is denoted by SP.sub.K in FIG. 2 and corresponds to the same flow rate Q.sub.sp as the reference switch point SP.sub.R.)

[0049] The frequency difference Δf between the stored reference frequency f.sub.R and the calibration frequency f.sub.K ascertained during calibration (where Δf=f.sub.R−f.sub.K) now shows that the instantaneous characteristic curve KL.sub.K of the pump differs from the characteristic curve KL.sub.R of the new pump. If use of the pump were now to be continued using the original settings, a deviation ΔQ for the flow rate at this frequency would be obtained, which is dependent on the respective control frequency and must be compensated for prior to every test run by conducting a calibration. In FIG. 2, the deviation ΔQ.sub.K of the flow rate is indicated at the calibration frequency f.sub.K.

[0050] So as to calibrate the actuator, which is to say the frequency converter of the pump, the instantaneous characteristic curve KL.sub.K must be “shifted” toward the original characteristic curve KL.sub.R by adapting the control frequencies. Since the characteristic curve qualitatively does not differ (for the sake of simplicity, FIG. 2 shows both characteristic curves as straight lines passing through the origin), measuring only the calibration frequency f.sub.K suffices for the calibration of the entire progression of the characteristic curve. In the illustrated example, this can be easily reproduced by way of the relationship Q.sub.K/ΔQ.sub.K=f.sub.K/Δf.

[0051] The deviation of the respective calibrated characteristic curve KL.sub.K from the reference characteristic curve KL.sub.R may differ significantly from one test run to the next since this is influenced by the respective pressure of the pumped fuel and the degree of wear of the pump, wherein the value Q.sub.SP of the flow monitor for the switch point flow rate changes only insignificantly. In experiments, it was found that in practice a surprisingly precise calibration of the pump can even be achieved with very simple and cost-effective flow monitors.

[0052] Even though the switch point of a flow monitor hardly changes over time, and it is also influenced only insignificantly by the pressure of the medium, the switch point is still somewhat heavily dependent on the respective density and the viscosity of the fuel. So as to take this into consideration in the calibration, it is possible according to the invention to use a density sensor and/or a viscosity sensor so as to be able to take the change in the value Q.sub.SP for the switch point flow rate into consideration in the calibration.

[0053] The method according to the invention can be applied not only to pumps having linear characteristic curves, but may also be used for pumps in which the characteristic curve takes on a different form. For example, the characteristic curve may be curved in a convex or concave manner and/or include bends or points of discontinuity. The implementation of the method according to the invention for a different characteristic curve forms part of the knowledge of a person of average skill in the art.

[0054] FIG. 3 shows the essential elements of a device for fuel consumption measurement for an engine test stand. An input circuit pump 16, a flow rate sensor 12 (such as a Coriolis sensor), a density sensor 5, a measurement circuit pump 17, and a flow monitor 4 are disposed in a fuel line 6′, which leads from a fuel tank 7′ to an item under test 8′ (or the test engine). Due to its better response behavior, the flow monitor 4 is disposed on the pressure side of the measurement circuit pump 17.

[0055] The device illustrated in FIG. 3 can be divided into two circuits, these being an input circuit 9 between the fuel tank 7′ and the flow rate sensor 12 provided in the fuel line 6′, and a measurement circuit 10 between the flow rate sensor 12 and the item under test 8. In the input circuit 9, a tank return 14, which leads back into the fuel tank 7′ and in which a return flow pressure regulator 15 is provided, branches off between the input circuit pump 16 and the flow rate sensor 12. In the measurement circuit 10, an engine return 13 is provided proceeding from the item under test 8′, the engine return opening into the fuel line 6′ between the flow rate sensor 12 and the density sensor 5.

[0056] In the illustrated schematic sketch, the density sensor 5 is disposed directly upstream of the measurement circuit pump 17 and the flow monitor 4. The density sensor 5, however, may be provided in any arbitrary other location, such as in the region of the tank 7 or on the engine 8. For simple embodiments, it is also possible to entirely dispense with a density sensor, in particular when no significant changes in the density of the fuel are to be expected, or when the density can be ascertained in another manner or entered via the user interface. In addition to or instead of the density sensor 5, a viscosity sensor may also be provided.

[0057] The viscosity and the density of the customarily used fuels are generally known or can be ascertained in advance by way of experimentation. If the type of fuel is known (such as diesel or gasoline), and the switch point has been determined once for all fluids by way of experimentation, it is possible to infer the fluid via the density and ascertain the exact switch point. If only the fluid having the minimum density and that having the maximum density are known, it is possible, based on the linear dependency of the dynamic viscosity on the density, to make a very good assessment as to where the switch point must be located. It is to be expected that this assessment is within the measuring accuracy, at least for liquids common in the automotive industry. A person skilled in the art will be able to adapt the invention to the respective fuel properties and the required measuring accuracy.

[0058] The input circuit pump 16 pumps the fuel from the fuel tank 7′ and establishes a supply pressure in the region between the input circuit pump 16 and the measurement circuit pump 17, the supply pressure being limited by the return flow pressure regulator 15. If the item under test 8′ does not consume any fuel and thus no fuel flows through the flow rate sensor 12, the fuel delivered by the input circuit pump 16 is pumped via the tank return 14 back into the tank 7′. In the measurement circuit 10, in turn, the fuel pumped by the measurement circuit pump 17 is supplied to the item under test 8′ in the form of a steady flow. Fuel that is not consumed by the item under test 8′ is returned via the engine return 13 back to the fuel line 6′.

[0059] The advantage of these two circuit systems composed of the input circuit 9 and the measurement circuit 10 is that the delivery capacities of the input circuit pump 16 and of the measurement circuit pump 17 can vary within a certain tolerance range, since the amount of fuel actually consumed by the item under test 8′ can be ascertained very exactly via the very precise flow rate sensor 12, even if the amounts delivered by the input circuit pump 16 and the measurement circuit pump 17 are not exactly known. All that is needed is for the input circuit pump 16 and the measurement circuit pump 17 to each be able to make the necessary pressure increases available.

[0060] Depending on the type of item under test 8′, it may be necessary for the measurement circuit pump 17 to also have to supply very high pressures, wherein, based on this load, defects generally occur on the measurement circuit pump 17, and not on the input circuit pump 16. While fluctuations in the delivery volume of the input circuit pump 16 or the measurement circuit pump 17 are unproblematic to a certain degree, an excessive drop in the delivery volume may prevent the item under test 8′ from obtaining the required amount of fuel, or for the pressure of the fuel supplied to the item under test 8′ to be too low. In this case, the results of a test run would be unusable.

[0061] Tests conducted by the applicant have shown that the pumping capacity of the measurement circuit pump 17, depending on the delivered medium, can deviate from the actual set value (such as 800 L/h) by 200 L/h as early as after one third of the target service life of the pump. This corresponds to a deviation of 25%. With the aid of the device according to the invention, this deviation can be limited with very low complexity to a value of less than 10% over the entire service life. Additionally, every calibration step enables a reliable evaluation of the actual wear of the pump.

[0062] The method according to the invention is carried out by the device according to FIG. 3 analogously to the above-described procedure, wherein, during the ramping up of the delivery capacity of the measurement circuit pump 17, the fuel is pumped in a loop in the measurement circuit 10.

[0063] So as to exactly ascertain the pumping capacity of the measurement circuit pump 17, it would also be possible to install a second flow rate sensor in the region of the measurement circuit, which is to say downstream of the measurement circuit pump 17, for example; however, the Coriolis sensors generally used for this purpose are very expensive and have the disadvantage that these influence the pressure of the fuel that is supplied to the item under test 8′. In practice, a second flow meter is thus not a useful option.

[0064] So as to be able to advantageously apply the method according to the invention also to the input circuit pump 16, the input circuit 9 in the illustrated embodiment comprises a dedicated flow monitor 4′, wherein the input circuit 9 can be separated from the measurement circuit 10 by way of a check valve 18, so that all the fuel in the input circuit 9 is pumped via the return flow pressure regulator 15 and the tank return 14 in a loop back into the tank. The calibration can then also be carried out for the input circuit pump 9 analogously to the above-described method (the control devices, which is to say in particular an actuator and a control unit via which the input circuit pump is controlled, are not illustrated for the sake of clarity; a person skilled in the art, however, knows how to implement such controls in practice).

[0065] In connection with the present invention, arbitrary pumps may be used as pumps, having a pumping capacity that can be controlled with sufficient precision for the particular application by the actuator that is used. For example, such pumps include gear pumps, rotary vane pumps, rotary lobe pumps, rotary piston pumps or the like. In essence, the method according to the invention can advantageously be applied to any pump in which the delivery volume can be set in a variable manner. It is advantageous if the pump has a linear delivery volume/speed characteristic curve. However, this is not an absolute prerequisite.

[0066] The invention can be applied not only to a use in connection with fuel measurements of engine test stands, but also for other types of pumps. For example, the invention could also be used to monitor and correct the delivery capacity of pumps in heating circuits.

REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0067] pump 1 [0068] actuator 2—frequency converter 2′ [0069] control unit 3 [0070] flow monitor 4, 4′ [0071] density sensor 5 [0072] pump line 6—fuel line 6′ [0073] media source 7—fuel tank 7′ [0074] media destination 8—item under test 8′ [0075] input circuit 9 [0076] measurement circuit 10 [0077] user interface 11 [0078] flow rate sensor 12 [0079] engine return 13 [0080] tank return 14 [0081] return flow pressure regulator 15 [0082] input circuit pump 16 [0083] measurement circuit pump 17 [0084] check valve 18