Method and apparatus for flushing contaminants from a container of fluids
OwnerDennis B. Hanseninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A contaminant-flushing machine for removing contaminants from a container, such as an engine transmission, air-conditioner coil, or transmission cooler, which includes hoses for coupling to the transmission cooler and a pump for circulating fluid through the hoses and the transmission cooler, the flushing machine being configured to terminate all circulating of fluid when a pressure drop is detected during times when the fluid is circulating only in the primary flow direction, but not when the flow direction is being reversed.
Claims20
A contaminant-flushing apparatus comprising:
- a pump configured to circulate a first fluid through a container;
- a reverser configured to temporarily reverse a flow direction of said first fluid through said container and to resume flow in a primary flow direction within a predetermined reversal interval;
- a sensor configured to monitor a characteristic of said first fluid and emit a signal;
- and a programmable logic controller (PLC) operatively coupled to said pump and said sensor, said PLC configured to command cessation of pumping of said first fluid in any direction upon receiving a signal from said sensor, except during said predetermined reversal interval.
A fluid-flushing system for removing contaminants from a heat exchanger in a machine, the system comprising:
- a circulation pump;
- a fluid filter coupled in fluid communication with said circulation pump;
- a flow reverser configured to reverse and re-reverse a flow direction of a fluid through said heat exchanger within a reversal interval of less than ten (10) seconds;
- a pressure sensor disposed in a fluid line between said heat exchanger and said flow reverser;
- and a controller configured to halt operation of said circulation pump when said pressure sensor detects an anomalous pressure condition outside of said reversal interval, and configured to ignore pressure conditions detected during said reversal interval.
A method of controlling a fluid-flushing apparatus, said method comprising:
- pumping a first fluid through a container in a primary flow direction;
- periodically reversing a flow of said first fluid through said container for a reversal interval;
- monitoring a characteristic of said first fluid with a sensor;
- selectively commanding cessation of pumping based on signals received from said sensor;
- and
- wherein said cessation is commanded only when said signal is received outside of said reversal interval, and cessation is not commanded based on signals received during said reversal interval.
A control system for a fluid circulation apparatus, comprising:
- a sensor configured to detect a characteristic of a fluid being circulated through a container by a pump;
- a programmable logic controller (PLC) communicatively coupled to said sensor and to said pump;
- and wherein said PLC is programmed to:
- (i) monitor signals from said sensor during operation of said pump;
- (ii) command cessation of operation of said pump when a predetermined signal is received from said sensor;
- and (iii) suppress cessation commands generated in response to signals received from said sensor during a predetermined reversal interval in which a flow direction of said fluid is being reversed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.