Fuel pump health assessment system
AssigneeCaterpillar Inc.
InventorsDaniel R. Puckett, Bradley S. Bashore
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pump health assessment system and a method for providing a pump health of a pump is disclosed. The method includes: determining that there is an imbalance in the pump; increasing pump flow from the pump; measuring a rail pressure of a fuel rail; determining if the rail pressure is substantially equal to an expected rail pressure profile; and in accordance with a determination that the rail pressure is not substantially equal to the rail pressure profile, outputting an indication of pump damage.
Claims17
A method for providing a pump health of a pump, comprising:
- determining that there is an imbalance in the pump;
- increasing pump flow from the pump;
- alternating between increasing the pump flow to a high pump flow and subsequently decreasing the pump flow to zero;
- measuring a rail pressure of a fuel rail during a period of zero pump flow;
- determining if the rail pressure is substantially equal to an expected rail pressure profile;
- and
- in accordance with a determination that the rail pressure is not substantially equal to the rail pressure profile, outputting an indication of pump damage.
A pump health assessment system, comprising:
- a pump;
- a liquid fuel rail;
- a sensor for measuring a rail pressure of the liquid fuel rail;
- and
- a controller configured to:
- determine that there is an imbalance in the pump;
- increase pump flow from the pump;
- measure the rail pressure of the liquid fuel rail;
- determine if the rail pressure is substantially equal to an expected rail pressure profile;
- in accordance with a determination that the rail pressure is not substantially equal to the rail pressure profile, output an indication of pump damage;
- and
- in accordance with a determination that the rail pressure is substantially equal to the rail pressure profile, output an indication that pump health is normal based on air purge.
A method for providing a pump health of a pump, comprising:
- determining that there is an imbalance in the pump;
- increasing pump flow from the pump;
- measuring a rail pressure of a fuel rail;
- determining if the rail pressure increases at an expected increase rate;
- in accordance with a determination that the rail pressure does not increase at the expected increase rate, outputting an indication of pump damage;
- in accordance with a determination that the rail pressure increases at the expected increase rate, outputting an indication that pump health is normal based on air purge;
- measuring a pump flow rate of the pump;
- determining whether the pump flow rate is substantially equal to an expected pump flow rate;
- in accordance with a determination that the pump flow rate is substantially equal to the expected pump flow rate, outputting an indication that pump health is normal;
- and
- in accordance with a determination that the pump flow rate is not substantially equal to the expected pump flow rate, outputting an indication of pump damage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.