# US 10,371,153 B2 · Multi-pump system with system check > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,371,153 B2 - Document ID: US10371153B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/124,010 - Filed: 2018-09-06 - Published: 2019-03-21 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-05-19 - Assignees: Lt Lighting (Taiwan) Corp. - Applicants: Lt Lighting (Taiwan) Corp. - Inventors: Geoffrey Wen-Tai Shuy; Wen Ten Chang; Jau-Dar Liao; Hsin-Chen Lai; Chang-Horang Li; Ming Huei Lu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10371153B2 ## CPC - F04D 13/068: {Battery powered} - F04B 17/03: driven by electric motors - F04B 23/02: having reservoirs - F04B 23/04: Combinations of two or more pumps - F04B 49/02: Stopping, starting, unloading or idling control - F04B 49/065: {and making use of computers} - F04B 49/106: {Responsive to pumped volume} - F04B 51/00: Testing machines, pumps, or pumping installations - F04D 13/12: Combinations of two or more pumps (combinations with priming pumps or booster pumps to counteract vapour-lock F04D9/04) - F04D 15/0005: {by using valves} - F04D 15/0088: {Testing machines} - F04D 15/0236: {Lack of liquid level being detected by analysing the parameters of the electric drive, e.g. current or power consumption} - F04D 15/029: {for pumps operating in parallel} - F04B 2205/09: Flow through the pump - F04B 2207/00: External parameters - F04B 2207/703: Stopping - F04D 15/0281: {responsive to a condition not otherwise provided for} - F04D: NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS (engine fuel-injection pumps F02M; ion pumps H01J41/12; electrodynamic pumps H02K44/02) - F04B: POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS (machines for liquids, or pumps, of rotary-piston or oscillating-piston type F04C; non-positive-displacement pumps F04D; pumping of fluid by direct contact of another fluid or by using inertia of fluid to be pumped F04F) ## Abstract Design solutions to mitigate the following four fatal flaws in the conventional pump system design; namely, (1) surprise pump-failure in single pump designs that can result in costly water damage; (2) the threat of fatal high voltage electrocution due to flooding; (3) grid power outage and no energy supply to support the needed pumping power that results in water damage; (4) foil odor from the standing water in the well after a period of low seeping rate with or without activated pumping. The principles described herein can completely mitigate the above four fatal design issues. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A liquid pump system comprising: a plurality of liquid pumps that are powered by a common low voltage DC energy reservoir to pump a liquid; an AC/DC power supply to convert AC power from an AC electric power source, into a low voltage direct current to charge the low voltage DC energy reservoir; an energy level detection subsystem for the low voltage DC energy reservoir configured to determine a percentage of energy remaining in the low voltage DC energy reservoir and send signals to indicate when the low voltage DC energy reservoir reaches a specified percentage of stored energy; a set of liquid level sensor subsystems configured to turn on each of the plurality of liquid pumps one at a time as a liquid level rises, and configured to turn off each of the plurality of liquid pumps one at a time as the liquid level lowers; a pump-detection subsystem configured to detect whether each specific pump of the plurality of liquid pumps is running or not and also to send detection signals to indicate the operating status of each said specific pump; and an analysis module configured to receive the detection signals and in response to a high level signal perform real time checks of the plurality of liquid pumps to verify proper operation of the plurality of liquid pumps, and configured to cause communications to be transmitted to one or more recipients when the analysis module detects improper operation of a subset of the plurality of liquid pumps. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The liquid pump system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising: an AC power outage/recovery detection subsystem configured to detect AC power outage/recovery occurrences and send signals to indicate the occurrences. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The liquid pump system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the liquid is water. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The liquid pump system in accordance with claim 1, wherein a number of the plurality of liquid pumps is one more than that required to have a pumping rate equal to or exceeding an anticipated maximum seepage rate. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The liquid pump system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising: a stored energy assurance subsystem to assure the liquid pump system has adequate energy storage in the low voltage DC energy reservoir to evacuate a designed amount of water seepage. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The liquid pump system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the AC electric power source comprises an AC power grid. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The liquid pump system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the AC electric power source comprises an auxiliary power source, including a gasoline generator or a diesel generator. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The liquid pump system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the AC electric power source comprises a low voltage AC power source. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The liquid pump system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the low voltage DC energy reservoir comprises at least one battery. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The liquid pump system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the low voltage DC energy reservoir comprises at least one battery and one capacitor. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The liquid pump system in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one pump of the plurality of liquid pumps comprises a brushless DC motor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The liquid pump system in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least two pumps of the plurality of liquid pumps are located at about the same horizontal level in a pump well. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The liquid pump system in accordance with claim 1, wherein none of the plurality of liquid pumps are located at different horizontal levels in a pump well. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The liquid pump system in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one pump of the plurality of liquid pumps is located at a different horizontal level in a pump well. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The liquid pump system in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one pump of the plurality of liquid pumps is located on or above the ground with respect to a pump well. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The liquid pump system in accordance with claim 1, wherein all the pumps of the plurality of liquid pumps are located at or above the ground with respect to a pump well. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The liquid pump system in accordance with claim 1, all of a plurality of liquid level sensors of the set of liquid level sensor subsystems are located inside of a pump well. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The liquid pump system in accordance with claim 1, at least one liquid level sensor of a plurality of liquid level sensors of the set of liquid level sensor subsystems are located above a bottom of a pump well. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The liquid pump system in accordance with claim 1, wherein all signals communication from the liquid pump system pass through electric cables.