# US 2015/0147192 A1 · Vehicle and a method of reducing sound produced by a liquid fluid pump

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- Number: US 2015/0147192 A1
- Document ID: US20150147192A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/087,439
- Filed: 2013-11-22
- Published: 2015-05-28
- Earliest claimed: 2013-11-22
- Assignees: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
- Applicants: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
- Inventors: Bryan K. Pryor; Bruce A. Tucker; Karl R. Gilgenbach; Richard B. Jess
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20150147192A1

## CPC

- F04C 14/226: {by pivoting the cam around an eccentric axis}
- F02M 21/0254: {Electric actuators, e.g. solenoid or piezoelectric}
- F02M 37/04: Feeding by means of driven pumps
- F02M 69/02: Pumps peculiar thereto {(elastic wall type pumps F02M59/14)}
- F04B 53/001: {Noise damping}
- Y02T 10/30: Use of alternative fuels, e.g. biofuels
- F04C: ROTARY-PISTON, OR OSCILLATING-PISTON, POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS (engines F03C); ROTARY-PISTON, OR OSCILLATING-PISTON, POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS
- F02M: SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF
- 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)
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

A vehicle and a method of reducing sound produced by a liquid fluid pump are disclosed. A pump is activated when a predetermined event is detected. A control valve of the pump is operated in one of an initial and a standard mode when the pump is activated. The control valve is operable to allow a gaseous fluid to vent out of the pump when in the initial mode corresponding to the pump being in a first phase. The control valve is operable to allow a liquid fluid to move through the pump when in the standard mode corresponding to the pump being in a second phase. A solenoid of the control valve is energized and de-energized, at a calibrated frequency, in a sequence when in the initial mode to reduce the sound in the pump during the initial mode.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of reducing sound produced by a liquid fluid pump, the method comprising:
detecting, via a controller, a predetermined event;
activating, via the controller, the pump when the predetermined event is detected, wherein the pump contains a gaseous fluid when in a first phase of the pump and a liquid fluid when in a second phase of the pump;
operating a control valve of the pump in one of an initial operating mode and a standard operating mode when the pump is activated, with the control valve operable to allow the gaseous fluid to vent out of the pump when in the initial operating mode corresponding to the pump being in the first phase, and with the control valve operable to allow the liquid fluid to move through the pump when in the standard operating mode corresponding to the pump being in the second phase; and
energizing and de-energizing, at a calibrated frequency, via the controller, a solenoid of the control valve in a sequence when in the initial operating mode to reduce the sound produced by the pump during the initial operating mode.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the pump is utilized with a vehicle and further comprising:
communicating a vehicle operating parameter to the controller when the predetermined event is detected; and
wherein operating the control valve includes selecting, via the controller, one of the initial operating mode and the standard operating mode based on the vehicle operating parameter.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

A method as set forth in claim 2 further comprising extracting a valve operating parameter for the solenoid from a look-up table based on the vehicle operating parameter when the control valve is in the initial operating mode.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

A method as set forth in claim 3 further comprising communicating, via the controller, the valve operating parameter to the control valve to energize and de-energize the solenoid in the sequence when in the initial operating mode.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

A method as set forth in claim 4 wherein:
the valve operating parameter includes an electrical signal having the frequency to energize and de-energize the solenoid in the sequence; and
communicating, via the controller, the valve operating parameter includes communicating, via the controller, the electrical signal to energize and de-energize the solenoid in the sequence when in the initial operating mode.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

A method as set forth in claim 4 wherein:
the valve operating parameter includes a duty cycle of the solenoid; and
communicating, via the controller, the valve operating parameter includes communicating, via the controller, the duty cycle of the solenoid when in the initial operating mode.

### Claim 7 (depends on 4)

A method as set forth in claim 4 wherein:
the valve operating parameter includes a total time of the sequence; and
communicating, via the controller, the valve operating parameter includes communicating, via the controller, the total time that the solenoid is energized and de-energized in the sequence when in the initial operating mode.

### Claim 8 (depends on 4)

A method as set forth in claim 4 wherein:
the vehicle operating parameter is further defined as a plurality of vehicle operating parameters;
communicating the vehicle operating parameter includes communicating the vehicle operating parameters to the controller when the predetermined event is detected; and
extracting the valve operating parameter for the solenoid from the look-up table includes extracting the valve operating parameter for the solenoid from the look-up table based on each of the vehicle operating parameters when the control valve is in the initial operating mode.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

A method as set forth in claim 8:
wherein the vehicle operating parameters include an oil temperature, a coolant temperature, an intake air temperature and a voltage of a battery;
further comprising measuring each of the oil temperature, the coolant temperature, the intake air temperature and the voltage of the battery;
communicating the vehicle operating parameters to the controller includes communicating each of the measured oil temperature, the measured coolant temperature, the measured intake air temperature and the measured voltage of the battery to the controller;
the valve operating parameter is further defined as a plurality of valve operating parameters;
the valve operating parameters include an electrical signal having the frequency to energize and de-energize the solenoid in the sequence, a duty cycle of the solenoid and a total time of the sequence; and
communicating, via the controller, the valve operating parameters include communicating, via the controller, each of the electrical signal to energize and de-energize the solenoid in the sequence when in the initial operating mode, the duty cycle of the solenoid when in the initial operating mode and the total time that the solenoid is energized and de-energized in the sequence when in the initial operating mode.

### Claim 10 (depends on 2)

A method as set forth in claim 2:
wherein the vehicle operating parameter includes an oil temperature;
further comprising measuring the oil temperature; and
wherein communicating the vehicle operating parameter to the controller includes communicating the measured oil temperature to the controller.

### Claim 11 (depends on 2)

A method as set forth in claim 2:
wherein the vehicle operating parameter includes a coolant temperature;
further comprising measuring the coolant temperature; and
wherein communicating the vehicle operating parameter to the controller includes communicating the measured coolant temperature to the controller.

### Claim 12 (depends on 2)

A method as set forth in claim 2:
wherein the vehicle operating parameter includes an intake air temperature;
further comprising measuring the intake air temperature; and
wherein communicating the vehicle operating parameter to the controller includes communicating the measured intake air temperature to the controller.

### Claim 13 (depends on 2)

A method as set forth in claim 2:
wherein the vehicle operating parameter includes a voltage of a battery;
further comprising measuring the voltage of the battery; and
wherein communicating the vehicle operating parameter to the controller includes communicating the measured voltage of the battery to the controller.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

A method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising moving a blocking member of the control valve when the solenoid is energized and de-energized in the sequence when in the initial operating mode.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

A method as set forth in claim 14 wherein moving the blocking member includes engaging a first seat of the control valve with the blocking member when the solenoid is de-energized such that the blocking member is spaced from a second seat of the control valve, and engaging the second seat with the blocking member when the solenoid is energized such that the blocking member is spaced from the first seat.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein detecting the predetermined event includes detecting a key-on event.

### Claim 17

A vehicle comprising:
a liquid fluid pump including a control valve, with the control valve including a solenoid,
wherein the pump contains a gaseous fluid when in a first phase of the pump and a liquid fluid when in a second phase of the pump; and
a controller in communication with the pump, with the controller including a processor and tangible, non-transitory memory on which is recorded instructions for reducing sound produced by the pump, wherein the controller is configured to execute the instructions from the memory, via the processor, to thereby:
detect a predetermined event;
activate the pump when the predetermined event is detected;
operate the control valve of the pump in one of an initial operating mode and a standard operating mode when the pump is activated, with the control valve operable to allow the gaseous fluid to vent out of the pump when in the initial operating mode corresponding to the pump being in the first phase, and with the control valve operable to allow the liquid fluid to move through the pump when in the standard operating mode corresponding to the pump being in the second phase; and
energize and de-energize, at a calibrated frequency, the solenoid of the control valve in a sequence when in the initial operating mode to reduce sound produced by the pump during the initial operating mode.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

A vehicle as set forth in claim 17 wherein:
the controller is configured to receive a plurality of vehicle operating parameters when the predetermined event is detected; and
the controller being configured to operate the control valve further includes the controller being configured to select one of the initial operating mode and the standard operating mode based on the vehicle operating parameters.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

A vehicle as set forth in claim 18 wherein:
the controller is configured to extract a plurality of valve operating parameters for the solenoid from a look-up table based on the vehicle operating parameters when the control valve is in the initial operating mode; and
the controller is configured to communicate the valve operating parameters to the control valve to energize and de-energize the solenoid in the sequence when in the initial operating mode.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

A vehicle as set forth in claim 19 wherein:
the vehicle operating parameters include an oil temperature, a coolant temperature, an intake air temperature and a voltage of a battery;
the controller being configured to receive the vehicle operating parameters further includes the controller being configured to receive each of the oil temperature, the coolant temperature, the intake air temperature and the voltage of the battery;
the valve operating parameters include an electrical signal having the frequency to energize and de-energize the solenoid in the sequence, a duty cycle of the solenoid and a total time of the sequence;
the controller being configured to communicate the valve operating parameters further includes the controller being configured to communicate each of the electrical signal to energize and de-energize the solenoid in the sequence when in the initial operating mode, the duty cycle of the solenoid when in the initial operating mode and the total time that the solenoid is energized and de-energized in the sequence when in the initial operating mode.