Safeguarding equipment based on detection of reduced cyclical pump performance

An aircraft, comprising:

• an airframe;
• an engine mounted to the airframe to provide thrust for aircraft flight;
• a pump coupled with the engine;
• and
• a controller coupled with the pump, the controller being constructed and arranged to:
• derive a pressure pulse amplitude value based on operation of the pump,
• perform a comparison operation that compares the pressure pulse amplitude value to a predefined threshold, and
• in response to a result of the comparison operation indicating that the pressure pulse amplitude value has fallen below the predefined threshold, perform a remedial activity to save the aircraft while the aircraft is in flight;
• wherein the aircraft is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV);
• and
• wherein the pump is an oil injection pump for a 2-stroke engine of the UAV, the 2-stroke engine being constructed and arranged to drive a propeller for UAV flight;
• wherein the operation of the pump produces a pressure pulse at an outlet of the pump during a pumping action cycle of the pump;
• wherein the method further comprises:
• sampling pressure readings at the outlet of the pump during the pumping action cycle;
• and
• wherein deriving a pressure pulse amplitude value includes:
• calculating the pressure pulse amplitude value based on the pressure readings by subtracting a lowest pressure value of the pressure readings from a highest pressure value of the pressure readings, the pressure pulse amplitude value indicating a fluid flow rate during the pumping action cycle.

Electronic circuitry to safeguard equipment, the electronic circuitry comprising:

• memory;
• and
• control circuitry coupled to the memory, the memory storing instructions which, when carried out by the control circuitry, cause the control circuitry to:
• derive a pressure pulse amplitude value based on operation of a pump of the equipment,
• perform a comparison operation that compares the pressure pulse amplitude value to a predefined threshold, and
• in response to a result of the comparison operation indicating that the pressure pulse amplitude value has fallen below the predefined threshold, perform a remedial activity to save the equipment;
• wherein the equipment is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV);
• and
• wherein the pump is an oil injection pump for a 2-stroke engine of the UAV, the 2-stroke engine being constructed and arranged to drive a propeller for UAV flight;
• wherein the operation of the pump produces a pressure pulse at an outlet of the pump during a pumping action cycle of the pump;
• wherein the method further comprises:
• sampling pressure readings at the outlet of the pump during the pumping action cycle;
• and
• wherein deriving a pressure pulse amplitude value includes:
• calculating the pressure pulse amplitude value based on the pressure readings by subtracting a lowest pressure value of the pressure readings from a highest pressure value of the pressure readings, the pressure pulse amplitude value indicating a fluid flow rate during the pumping action cycle.

A computer program product having a non-transitory computer readable medium which stores a set of instructions to safeguard equipment;

• the set of instructions, when carried out by computerized circuitry, causing the computerized circuitry to perform a method of:
• deriving a pressure value based on operation of a pump of the equipment;
• performing a comparison operation that compares the pressure value to a predefined threshold;
• and
• in response to a result of the comparison operation indicating that the pressure value has fallen below the predefined threshold, performing a remedial activity to save the equipment;
• wherein the equipment is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV);
• and
• wherein the pump is an oil injection pump for a 2-stroke engine of the UAV, the 2-stroke engine being constructed and arranged to drive propeller for UAV flight;
• wherein the operation of the pump produces a pressure pulse at an outlet of the pump during a pumping action cycle of the pump;
• wherein the method further comprises:
• sampling pressure readings at the outlet of the pump during the pumping action cycle;
• and
• wherein deriving a pressure pulse amplitude value includes:
• calculating the pressure pulse amplitude value based on the pressure readings by subtracting a lowest pressure value of the pressure readings from a highest pressure value of the pressure readings, the pressure pulse amplitude value indicating a fluid flow rate during the pumping action cycle.