System and method for power pump performance monitoring and analysis

A method for determining selected performance parameters of a reciprocating piston power pump, said pump including a housing providing at least one fluid chamber therein, a fluid inlet valve opening into said chamber, a fluid discharge valve for discharging fluid from said chamber, a reciprocating piston operable to displace fluid from said chamber, inlet and discharge fluid piping in fluid flow communication with said chamber, a power sensor for measuring power input to said pump, at least one pressure sensor in communication with said chamber for measuring pressure therein, at least one position sensor for sensing movement of said piston to determine a piston end of stroke position with respect to said chamber, and a signal processor operably connected to said sensors for receiving signals from said sensors, respectively, and for determining selected performance parameters, said method comprising the steps of:

• sensing pressure variations in said chamber, determining selected positions of said piston with respect to said chamber, and determining at least one pump performance parameter based on sensed pressure and piston position and selected from a group consisting of valve sealing delay, piston seal leakage, maximum and minimum pressures in said chamber, volumetric efficiency, pump fluid flow rate, hydraulic power produced for a pump operating cycle, and a pump pulsation dampener volume factor of said pump;
• and
• displaying said selected performance parameter.

A performance analysis system for analyzing selected performance parameters of a pump system including a reciprocating piston power pump having at least one reciprocating piston operable to displace fluid from a housing having a pumping chamber, said analysis system comprising:

• a piston displacement position sensor operable to sense a predetermined position of said piston comprising a beam generator and beam interrupter for generating a square wave pulse signal for transmission to said processor whereby the time from generation of a leading edge of said square wave pulse to the next square wave pulse generated by said position sensor determines the pump cycle in terms of rotation of a crankshaft operably connected to said piston, said beam interruptor is mounted on a linkage between said piston and said crankshaft and is operable to interrupt a beam when said piston has reached a predetermined position;
• a pressure sensor operable to sense pressure in said chamber;
• a signal processor operably connected to said sensors for receiving signals therefrom and for generating information corresponding to at least one performance parameter selected from a group consisting of delay in opening or closing of one or more valves for admitting fluid to and discharging fluid from said chamber, pressure variation indicative of a leakage condition of a piston seal, maximum and minimum chamber pressure, pump volumetric efficiency and pump fluid flow rate, and said processor is operable to determine a fluid suction stroke of said piston represented by one half of a crankshaft rotation cycle between 0° and 180° beginning with a computed beginning of stroke signal from said position sensor, and a piston fluid discharge stroke is represented by one half of said crankshaft rotation cycle between 180° and 360° of said piston stroke;
• and
• means for displaying said at least one performance parameter.

A performance analysis system for analyzing selected performance parameters of a pump system including a reciprocating piston power pump having at least one reciprocating piston operable to displace fluid from a housing having a pumping chamber, said analysis system comprising:

• a piston displacement position sensor operable to sense a predetermined position of said piston;
• a pressure sensor operable to sense pressure in said chamber;
• a signal processor operably connected to said sensors for receiving signals therefrom and for generating information corresponding to at least one performance parameter selected from a group consisting of delay in opening or closing of one or more valves for admitting fluid to and discharging fluid from said chamber, pressure variation indicative of a leakage condition of a piston seal, maximum and minimum chamber pressure, pump volumetric efficiency and pump fluid flow rate;
• said pressure sensor is operable to provide signals to said processor for determination by said processor of pump valve sealing delays, fluid compression delay, piston seal leakage and maximum and minimum chamber pressures, respectively;
• and
• means for displaying said at least one performance parameter.

A method for determining selected performance parameters of a reciprocating piston power pump, said pump including a housing providing at least one fluid chamber therein, a fluid inlet valve opening into said chamber, a fluid discharge valve for discharging fluid from said chamber, a reciprocating piston operable to displace fluid from said chamber, inlet and discharge fluid piping in fluid flow communication with said chamber, a power sensor for measuring power input to said pump, at least one pressure sensor in communication with said chamber for measuring pressure therein, at least one position sensor for sensing piston end of stroke position with respect to said chamber, and a signal processor operably connected to said sensors for receiving signals from said sensors, respectively, and for determining selected performance parameters, said method comprising the steps of:

• sensing pressure variations in said chamber, determining selected positions of said piston with respect to said chamber, and determining at least one pump performance parameter based on sensed pressure and piston position and selected from a group consisting of valve sealing delay, piston seal leakage, maximum and minimum pressures in said chamber, volumetric efficiency, pump fluid flow rate, hydraulic power produced for a pump operating cycle, and a pump pulsation dampener volume factor of said pump;
• displaying said selected performance parameter;
• and
• displaying piston seal leakage as a function of fluid discharge pressure variation during a discharge stroke of said piston.

A method for determining selected performance parameters of a reciprocating piston power pump, said pump including a housing providing at least one fluid chamber therein, a fluid inlet valve opening into said chamber, a fluid discharge valve for discharging fluid from said chamber, a reciprocating piston operable to displace fluid from said chamber, inlet and discharge fluid piping in fluid flow communication with said chamber, a power sensor for measuring power input to said pump, at least one pressure sensor in communication with said chamber for measuring pressure therein, at least one position sensor for sensing piston end of stroke position with respect to said chamber, and a signal processor operably connected to said sensors for receiving signals from said sensors, respectively, and for determining selected performance parameters, said method comprising the steps of:

• sensing pressure variations in said chamber, determining selected positions of said piston with respect to said chamber, and determining at least one pump performance parameter based on sensed pressure and piston position and selected from a group consisting of valve sealing delay, piston seal leakage, maximum and minimum pressures in said chamber, volumetric efficiency, pump fluid flow rate, hydraulic power produced for a pump operating cycle, and a pump pulsation dampener volume factor of said pump;
• displaying said selected performance parameter;
• and
• displaying pump chamber pressure as a function piston position with respect to said chamber to determine pressure variation during displacement of fluid from said chamber, delay in chamber pressure increase during a piston fluid discharge stroke and delay in chamber pressure decrease during a piston fluid inlet stroke.

A method for determining selected performance parameters of a reciprocating piston power pump, said pump including a housing providing at least one fluid chamber therein, a fluid inlet valve opening into said chamber, a fluid discharge valve for discharging fluid from said chamber, a reciprocating piston operable to displace fluid from said chamber, inlet and discharge fluid piping in fluid flow communication with said chamber, a power sensor for measuring power input to said pump, at least one pressure sensor in communication with said chamber for measuring pressure therein, at least one position sensor for sensing piston end of stroke position with respect to said chamber, and a signal processor operably connected to said sensors for receiving signals from said sensors, respectively, and for determining selected performance parameters, said method comprising the steps of:

• sensing pressure variations in said chamber, determining selected positions of said piston with respect to said chamber, and determining at least one pump performance parameter based on sensed pressure and piston position and selected from a group consisting of valve sealing delay, piston seal leakage, maximum and minimum pressures in said chamber, volumetric efficiency, pump fluid flow rate, hydraulic power produced for a pump operating cycle, and a pump pulsation dampener volume factor of said pump;
• displaying said selected performance parameter;
• and
• displaying delay in fluid inlet and discharge valve closure with respect to piston position at selected pump speeds.

A method for determining selected performance parameters of a reciprocating piston power pump, said pump including a housing providing at least one fluid chamber therein, a fluid inlet valve opening into said chamber, a fluid discharge valve for discharging fluid from said chamber, a reciprocating piston operable to displace fluid from said chamber, inlet and discharge fluid piping in fluid flow communication with said chamber, a power sensor for measuring power input to said pump, at least one pressure sensor in communication with said chamber for measuring pressure therein, at least one position sensor for sensing piston end of stroke position with respect to said chamber, and a signal processor operably connected to said sensors for receiving signals from said sensors, respectively, and for determining selected performance parameters, said method comprising the steps of:

• sensing pressure variations in said chamber, determining selected positions of said piston with respect to said chamber, and determining at least one pump performance parameter based on sensed pressure and piston position and selected from a group consisting of valve sealing delay, piston seal leakage, maximum and minimum pressures in said chamber, volumetric efficiency, pump fluid flow rate, hydraulic power produced for a pump operating cycle, and a pump pulsation dampener volume factor of said pump;
• displaying said selected performance parameter;
• and
• displaying peak pressures as a function of frequency of said peak pressures for selected speed of movement of said piston in strokes per minute.