Hydraulic leak detection system

A monitoring, warning and safety system for a hydraulic system including a hydraulic pump and a reservoir, comprising:

• (a) sensing means for measuring one or more predetermined parameters of said system and producing sensor signals indicative of measurements obtained for said one or more physical parameters;
• (b) monitoring means, connected with said sensing means, for receiving the sensor signals and determining whether an abnormal condition is present and for producing responsive signals indicative of an abnormal condition;
• (c) reacting means, connected with said monitoring means, for reacting to an indication of abnormal conditions;
• and
• (d) wherein said measuring means measures hydraulic fluid flow leaving the pump and hydraulic fluid flow returning to the reservoir and wherein said monitoring means determines a ratio of these values and compares the ratio to stored values.

A monitoring, warning and safety system for detecting leakage in a closed hydraulic system including a pump driven by a prime mover and having fluid from a reservoir and a return line for returning said fluid to the reservoir, said system comprising:

• (a) sensing means for measuring one or more predetermined operating parameters in said system, the abnormality of which is indicative of a loss of hydraulic fluid from the said system and producing sensor signals indicative of the measurements obtained for said one or more physical parameters;
• (b) monitoring means, connected to said sensing means, for receiving the sensor signals and determining whether an abnormal condition indicating loss of hydraulic fluid from said hydraulic system is present in the hydraulic system based on the sensor signals and producing responsive signals indicative of an abnormal condition;
• (c) reacting means, connected with said monitoring means, for reacting to an indication of abnormal condition indicative of a loss of hydraulic fluid by interrupting the operation of the system, and
• (d) enabling means for enabling said monitoring means only upon initially verifying an absence of abnormal conditions.

A method for monitoring and disabling the operation of a closed hydraulic system, comprising the steps of:

• (a) sensing and producing sensor signals indicative of certain parameters in the closed hydraulic system;
• (b) determining the presence of an abnormal condition indicative of a loss of hydraulic fluid in the hydraulic system based on the sensor signals;
• (c) producing response signals indicative of the presence of the abnormal condition indicative of a loss of hydraulic fluid in the hydraulic system;
• and
• (d) disabling operation of the system based on the existence of an abnormal condition indicative of a loss of hydraulic fluid.