Electro-mechanical actuation system for a piston-driven fluid pump

A method of controlling an electro-mechanical actuation system for a fluid pump having a plurality of cylinders, each cylinder including a piston operable to reciprocate within the cylinder to cause pumping of fluid, and the electro-mechanical actuation system including a plurality of electro-mechanical actuators, each electro-mechanical actuator configured to operatively couple with a piston of the fluid pump, the method comprising:

• determining a target output of fluid to be pumped by the fluid pump;
• individually controlling a speed and a phase at which each electro-mechanical actuator of the plurality of electro-mechanical actuators actuates the corresponding piston of the fluid pump, such that the plurality of cylinders collectively pump fluid at an actual output that corresponds to the target output;
• and
• in response to detecting an operating condition including an indication that the one or more electro-mechanical actuators and/or corresponding pistons are degrading or a deactivation or reduced output of one or more of the electro-mechanical actuators and/or corresponding pistons, individually adjust the speed and/or the phase at which one or more of the electro-mechanical actuators actuates the corresponding piston based on the operating condition, to thereby cause actual output of the fluid pump to correspond to an updated target output.

An electro-mechanically driven pump system comprising:

• a storage tank configured to hold a fluid;
• a fluid pump including a plurality of cylinders, each cylinder including a piston operable to reciprocate within the cylinder to pump the fluid from the storage tank;
• a plurality of electro-mechanical actuators, each electro-mechanical actuator operatively coupled to a corresponding piston of the plurality of cylinders and configured to actuate the corresponding piston;
• and
• a control system electrically connected to the plurality of electro-mechanical actuators and configured to:
• (1) determine a target output of the fluid;
• (2) individually control a speed and a phase at which each electro-mechanical actuator of the plurality of electro-mechanical actuators actuates the corresponding piston, such that the plurality of cylinders collectively pump the fluid from the storage tank at an actual output that corresponds to the target output while minimizing ripple in the actual output;
• and
• (3) in response to detecting an operating condition in which one or more of the electro-mechanical actuators and/or corresponding pistons is deactivated or has reduced output, individually adjust the speed and/or the phase at which one or more other electro-mechanical actuators of the plurality of electro-mechanical actuators actuates the corresponding piston based on the detected operating condition, such that the plurality of cylinders collectively pump the fluid from the storage tank at an updated actual output while minimizing ripple in the updated actual output.

An electro-mechanical actuation system for a fluid pump having a plurality of cylinders, each cylinder including a piston operable to reciprocate within the cylinder to cause pumping of fluid, comprising:

• a plurality of electro-mechanical actuators, each electro-mechanical actuator configured to operatively couple with a piston of the fluid pump;
• and
• a control system electrically connected to the plurality of electro-mechanical actuators and configured to:
• (1) determine a target output of fluid to be pumped by the fluid pump;
• (2) individually control a speed and a phase at which each electro-mechanical actuator of the plurality of electro-mechanical actuators actuates the corresponding piston of the fluid pump, such that the plurality of cylinders collectively pump fluid at an actual output that corresponds to the target output;
• and
• (3) in response to detecting an operating condition, individually adjust both the speed and the phase at which one or more of the electro-mechanical actuators actuates the corresponding piston based on the operating condition, to thereby cause actual output of the fluid pump to correspond to an updated target output.