Patent Application
20230243357
The present disclosure relates to drainage pump systems, and more specifically to drainage pump systems configured for use in a bilge of a marine vessel.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,174,146 discloses an electric bilge pump for collecting liquid found in a bottom of a vessel or any other place. The pump is formed of three parts in axial alignment. The assembly is secured to a surface in substantially a horizontal position. An electric motor is enclosed in a cylindrical jacket and has an output shaft with an impeller at its distal end. A second part of the housing is tubular and defines a chamber with the impeller in the chamber. The chamber has an axial inlet with a tangential outlet. A filter is fitted over the inlet to filter out any unwanted debris.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,729,847 discloses a bilge pump including an outer housing having an interior wall separating a first cavity and a second cavity, an on/off electrical switch located within the first cavity, and a single-piece float located within the second cavity and having a float body and an actuator arm extending outwardly therefrom, wherein the float operably connects the electrical switch through an aperture in the interior wall, and wherein the float is configured such that the aperture remains above a water line within the second cavity during operation of the pump. The bilge pump also includes a motor having a motor housing having a hub and a power shaft extending from the hub, wherein the motor is located within the first cavity of the outer housing such that the hub of the motor housing is located within a hub of the first cavity, and seal member having a centrally located aperture receiving the power shaft therethrough, wherein the seal member is closely received about the hub of the motor housing and within the hub portion of the first cavity, thereby providing a water-tight seal about the power shaft and between the outer housing and the motor housing.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,121,399 discloses a straining device for a drainage pump, the straining device comprising a body defining an inner chamber; at least one straining element by which liquid may enter the chamber; and at least one outlet by which liquid may leave the chamber. The straining device further includes a liquid level sensor arranged to detect the level of a liquid in which said straining device is located during use and, upon determining that said liquid level exceeds a threshold, to cause an activation signal to be sent to said pump. The liquid level sensor comprises non-contact sensing means such as an electric field sensor. The sensor is located at the top of the straining device and arranged to project its sensing field upwardly.
U.S. Pat. No. 10,737,753 discloses a bilge pump monitoring system for a bilge pump on a marine vessel including a current sensor configured to measure a current draw of the bilge pump, and a bilge pump monitor module executable on a processor. The bilge pump monitor module is configured to receive current draw measurements by the current sensor and determine a pump diagnosis of the bilge pump based on the current draw measurements. The pump diagnosis is then wirelessly communicated to a user located remotely from the marine vessel.
The above-noted patents are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.
This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in limiting the scope of the claimed subject matter.
According to one example, a pump system comprises a bilge pump powered by an electric motor and a controller controlling the electric motor. The controller is configured to determine if the pump system is malfunctioning. In response to determining that the pump system is malfunctioning, the controller is configured to control the electric motor according to a predetermined routine configured to rectify the malfunction.
According to another example, a pump system comprises a first bilge pump including a first electric motor configured to power the first bilge pump and a first controller controlling the first electric motor and a second bilge pump including a second electric motor configured to power the second bilge pump and a second controller controlling the second electric motor. The first and second controllers are in signal communication with one another.
Examples of pump systems for a bilge of a marine vessel are described with reference to the following Figures. The same numbers are used throughout the Figures to reference like features and like components.
Marine vessels, which are valuable assets, are often left unattended on moorings or at docks, and thus are often vulnerable to the elements and the malfunctioning of on-board equipment. For example, all marine vessels accumulate water in the bilge area. Bilge pumps, which are activated to pump water out of the bilge once the water level in the bilge area reaches a certain level, are standard. Various water-level monitoring systems and bilge pump activation systems exist that automatically activate the bilge pump when a threshold amount of water accumulates in the bilge. Once the bilge pump has evacuated the water, the bilge pump is automatically turned off. If any element in the system, including the switch, the power system to the bilge pump, or the bilge pump itself stops operating properly, or if any portion of the pump system, including the inlet, the outlet, or the hoses are blocked, then the marine vessel can take on excess water and be damaged. Furthermore, a falsely triggered bilge pump or an airlocked bilge pump results in the pump running without having any effect on water level, which runs down the vessel's power supply unnecessarily. Absent vessel owners often have limited resources for monitoring the condition of their bilge pump system, and thus the water-level condition on their vessel.
Accordingly, the present inventors have recognized a need for a bilge pump monitoring system and method that self-diagnoses any malfunctions. Moreover, the inventors have recognized that a bilge pump monitoring system and method are needed that, in addition to determining whether a bilge pump is operating or not operating, is able to diagnose problems with a bilge pump system with specificity and accuracy, to attempt to rectify such malfunctions, and to provide such information remotely to the user. Additionally, the inventors have recognized that a bilge pump monitoring system and method are needed that can automatically and remotely operate the bilge pump that is malfunctioning or another bilge pump on board the vessel to prevent water damage.
The pump 12 has an inlet 26, which may be covered with a grate/strainer, and an outlet 28, which may be connected to a hose 30, which carries water from the bilge pump 12 to an outlet that drains the water overboard. A power source, such as a battery 32, provides power to the electric motor 14. When the relay 15 is activated, current is provided from the battery 32 to the electric motor 14, which rotates to output a torque to an impeller or to move a diaphragm in order to pump standing water from the bilge, thorough the inlet 26, and to the outlet 28, as is known in the art. The relay 15 can be an electromechanical or solid-state relay. The electric motor 14 can be a brushed or brushless DC motor. The battery can be the marine vessel's main battery or a battery provided specifically for the bilge pump 12.
The pump controller 16 is in signal communication with a telematics control module 33, which communication can be wired (such as by way of direct wiring or by way of a serial bus) or wireless (such as by way of transceivers). Exemplary wireless protocols that could be used for this purpose include, but are not limited to, Bluetooth®, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), ANT, and ZigBee. The telematics control module 33 relays information from the bilge pump 12 and/or water-level sensor 24 to the cloud 34 via a mobile broadband network (e.g., via 3G or 4G broadband cellular network technology). The telematics control module 33 includes a cell chip 36 enabling such cellular communication with a central computing system 38 in the cloud 34, such as for transferring information provided by controller 16 and/or water-level sensor 24. In other embodiments, other communication means may be employed between the telematics control module 33 and the central computing system 38, such as via satellite internet service. Such communication means may be provided as an alternative to, or in addition to, the cell chip 36 providing cellular network access.
The central computing system 38 includes a processing system 40 and a storage system 42 accessible by the processing system 40. The central computing system 38 is able to communicate with a user device 44, which may be any computing device accessible by a user to communicate with the central computing system 38 (or, in certain embodiments, directly with the telematics control module 33), such as a cell phone, laptop, or other personal computing device. The user device 44 includes a user interface 46 that presents information to the user, such as a pump malfunction diagnosis and/or other information about the bilge pump 12, as will be described further herein below.
The pump controller 16 includes a bilge monitor module 48, which is a set of software instructions executable to monitor the bilge pump 12, determine a pump diagnosis, and execute a routine to rectify the malfunction, as described herein below. The pump controller 16 also includes a processing system 50 and a storage system 52 accessible by the processing system 50. The bilge monitor module 48 may be a set of software instructions stored within the storage system 52 and executable by the processing system 50 to operate as described herein, including determining a pump malfunction diagnosis and/or to control the bilge pump 12 to rectify the malfunction as described herein. In other embodiments, the bilge monitor module 48 is located in the storage system 42 of the central computing system 38 in the cloud 34. In still other embodiments, portions of the software instructions for the bilge monitor module 48 are located in the storage system 52 and executed by the processing system 50 in the controller 16, and portions of the software instructions for the bilge monitor module 48 are located in the storage system 42 and executed by the central computing system 38 on the cloud 34.
As described herein below, the controller 16 is configured to determine if the pump system 10 is malfunctioning, and in response to determining that the pump system 10 is malfunctioning, the controller 16 is configured to control the electric motor 14 according to a predetermined routine configured to rectify the malfunction. Types of malfunctions that the pump system 10 might have include an air-locked state of a hose (e.g., hose 30, another hose downstream of hose 30, within pump 12, or inlet 26) in fluid communication with the bilge pump 12, a stalled state of the electric motor 14, a blockage in the bilge pump 12 (e.g., debris stuck in the impeller) and/or the hose (e.g., a hose upstream of inlet 26, hose 30, a hose downstream of hose 30), and a blown fuse 31 between the battery 32 and the electric motor 14. This list is not exhaustive, and the controller 16 may be able to identify other malfunctions in the pump system 10. For example,
There are many possible sources of information which the controller 16 can use to determine if the pump system 10 is malfunctioning. In some examples, the controller 16 uses information from at least one of the current sensor 18 and the water-level sensor 20, 22, 24 to determine if the pump system 10 is malfunctioning. For example, as shown in
As mentioned, the controller 16 receives and analyses the current draw measurements made by the current sensor 18. Such current draw measurements can be used to determine information about the current operation of the bilge pump 12.
If the electric motor 14 is operating, then the current draw measurements will be greater than or equal to the first threshold T1. As shown in
The current draw will not exceed a third threshold T3 unless there is a problem with the bilge pump 12. For example, a staled motor or jammed impeller may cause a sudden spike in current draw as the electric motor 14 consumes more current in an attempt to continue its pumping operation. As exemplified in
Accordingly, a bilge pump diagnosis may be determined by comparing the current draw measurements measured by the current sensor 18 during an ongoing pump cycle, and how those current draw measurements compare to one or more thresholds. The thresholds may be preset values, such as based on the pump model being monitored and/or the power configuration therefore. Additionally, the controller 16 may be configured to determine one or more normal operating values for the bilge pump 12 based on acquired current draw measurements over time—i.e., over multiple pump cycles executed during the normal operation of the bilge pump 12. Outside of extenuating circumstances, such as a major leak or heavy rain allowing abnormally high amounts of water into the bilge, the bilge pump 12 will run at a fairly regular cycle. For example, if the bilge pump 12 is operating in an automatic mode such that a water-level sensor 20, 22, 24 is controlling the cycling of the bilge pump 12 on and off, the bilge pump 12 will cycle on and off at a fairly regular interval. Accordingly, a normal cycle interval for a given bilge pump can be determined based on the current draw information gathered over a period of time, such as a period of days or weeks.
The normal cycle interval may vary based on external conditions, such as seasonal conditions or based on varying locations of the marine vessel. Thus, the normal cycle interval determined based on the normal current draw values may vary over an extended period of time, such as weeks or months. For example, the normal cycle interval may vary based on seasonal conditions or a change in a geographical location of the marine vessel—i.e., based on changes in the amount of rainfall. The normal cycle interval calculation can remain sufficiently updated by, for example, constraining the amount of data the controller 16 uses to calculate the normal cycle interval. For example, the normal cycle interval may be calculated based on a predetermined number of previous pump cycles, or based on the current draw measurements gathered over a predetermined amount of time (such as based on the previous few days' worth of data). Other normal operating values may likewise be calculated.
The normal operating values are determined based on the values calculated for the pump cycles in the analysis set, such as for each of the predetermined number of pump cycles used in the running normal calculation. The normal operating values determined for a bilge pump 12 based on the current draw measurements over numerous pump cycles may include a normal cycle interval, a normal pump-on duration, a normal pump-off duration, a normal peak current draw, a normal minimum current draw, a normal average current draw, etc. For example, a normal peak current draw may be determined by averaging the peak current draw for each pump cycle in the analysis set. A normal minimum current draw may be determined for each pump cycle, which may represent the average current draw during the running period for which no water was present (see
Returning to
The controller 16 compares the current draw for an on-going pump cycle to one or more thresholds to make an initial determination regarding pump functioning. As described above, the threshold values are determined based on a particular pump and electrical configuration on a particular marine vessel. In the depicted example, if the current draw is less than a threshold of 1 ampere, then an assumption is made that the bilge pump 12 is not running. In that case, the diagnosis may be determined as one or all of a blown fuse 31, a failed electric motor 14, a failed wire harness, or a poor ground. In certain examples, voltage measurements at various locations in the wire harness (between the battery 32 and the bilge pump 12) may provide additional information as to the location of the problem.
If the current draw for the ongoing pump cycle is between 1 amp and 2 amps, then an assumption is made that the bilge pump 12 is running, but water is not present. Because the water-level sensor 20, 22, 24 should turn off the bilge pump 12 if water is not present, then the continued operation of the pump could indicate that the water-level sensor 20, 22, 24 has failed and thus is not turning the bilge pump 12 off. Alternatively, the inlet 26 to the bilge pump 12 may be clogged such that water is not getting to the bilge pump 12. In certain embodiments, the diagnosis may be set as indicating that either one of the failed water-level sensor or clogged inlet condition has occurred. In other embodiments, further tests may be conducted to determine which diagnosis is more accurate. For example, to further test if a clogged inlet 26 is the problem, the water sensor 56 installed at the outlet 28 and/or along the hose 30 can be used to determine if water is flowing out of the bilge pump 12. If water is detected in the bilge by the water-level sensor 20, 22, 24, the bilge pump 12 is running, and no water is detected at the outlet 28 or hose 30, the controller 16 can determine that a clogged inlet 26 is the problem. In still other embodiments, the controller 16 may default to indicate one or the other diagnosis, such as setting the diagnosis equal to failed water-level sensor.
As further shown in
If, on the other hand, the current draw is 2 to 4 amps and the pump-on duration for the ongoing pump cycle is the same as the normal pump-on duration, or within a predetermined range of the normal pump-on duration, then the bilge pump 12 is determined to be operating correctly and the diagnosis is set to normal.
If the current draw is 2-4 amps and the ongoing pump-on duration exceeds the normal pump-on duration, such as by at least a threshold amount of time, then an assumption is made that water is present in the bilge, but that the water is not being evacuated as quickly as usual. Thus, the diagnosis is determined to be one of a clogged pump outlet 28, excess water due to heavy rain or a major leak, or the bilge pump 12 is airlocked. The increased or continued run time of the bilge pump 12 may indicate that water is accumulating in the bilge, which could be due to heavy rain, a severe leak, non-operation of the bilge pump 12, or air in the hose 30 downstream of the outlet 28. Logic can be executed as described herein to determine whether the bilge pump 12 is operating. Furthermore, to further test if airlock is the problem, the water sensor 56 installed at the outlet 28 and/or along the hose 30 can be used to determine if water is flowing therethrough. If water is detected in the bilge by the water-level sensor 20, 22, 24, the bilge pump 12 is running, and no water is detected by the water sensor 56 at the outlet 28 or hose 30, the controller 16 can determine that airlock is the problem. In such a case, the controller 16 may not need to know that the bilge pump was also on for longer than a normal duration. To further test if a clogged outlet 28 or hose 30 is the problem, the pump system 10 may utilize the flowmeter 58 at or near the outlet end of the hose 30. If the reading from the flowmeter 58 shows that the water flow is less than would otherwise be indicated given the reading from the water-level sensor 20, 22, 24, the controller 16 may diagnose the malfunction as a clogged outlet 28 or hose 30.
If the current draw for the ongoing pump cycle exceeds 4 amps, then it is determined that the bilge pump 12 is drawing too much current, and the diagnosis is set equal to a stalled motor or stuck impeller (which may be one or both of the diagnoses). Namely, a current draw above a certain high threshold is an indication of a seized rotor, meaning that the motor output shaft is not turning. This is most likely caused by something being caught in the pump's impeller or diaphragm, such as debris, or by a downstream blockage that imparts a heavy load on the output shaft of the electric motor 14.
Referring to
By way of one particular example, if the controller 16 determines that a hose 30 downstream of the bilge pump 12 is airlocked, the controller 16 may stop the bilge pump 12, and after a predetermined period of time (e.g., one minute) has elapsed, re-start the bilge pump 12. The controller 16 may then determine the current running through the electric motor 14 using the current sensor 18, and if this current draw does not indicate the bilge pump 12 is operating properly, again stop the bilge pump 12, wait a predetermined period of time, and again re-start the bilge pump 12. After the controller 16 has repeated this sequence a predetermined number of times or for a predetermined period and still does not sense that the current flow is normal, the controller 16 may stop the bilge pump 12 and not re-start it again until after a user override. On the other hand, such repeated stopping and starting of the bilge pump 12 may be enough to force the air out of the system, in which case the controller 16 will sense that current flow through the bilge pump 12 is normal and will command the bilge pump 12 to resume normal operation, i.e., to operate at the parameters it was operating at before the malfunction was detected.
By way of another particular example, if the controller 16 determines that the bilge pump 12 is blocked at the inlet 26 or outlet 28, the controller 16 may run a clearing routine, which may include running the bilge pump 12 at a slower flow rate than normal. This could be done if the electric motor 14 is a variable speed electric motor by applying varying currents and/or voltages thereto. Additionally or alternatively, an electrically controlled variable orifice 60 could be provided downstream of the outlet 28, which the controller 16 could control to adjust flow rate from the bilge pump 12. The controller 16 could decrease and then increase flow rate in an attempt to adjust backpressure in the bilge pump 12 and jog loose the obstruction. If repeated attempts at changing flow rate do not rectify the malfunction (i.e., the sensed current flow is still not normal), the controller 16 can then turn off the bilge pump 12. Alternatively, if the flow meter 54 and or water sensor 56 downstream of the bilge pump 12 show that the blockage is not a full blockage, and some water is still being evacuated, the controller 16 can run the bilge pump 12 at a slower flow rate to counteract the backpressure from the blockage, while still safely evacuating the bilge. On the other hand, if the controller 16 determines that the clearing routine(s) is/are effective (i.e., the sensed current flow has returned to normal), the controller 16 may then resume operation of the bilge pump 12 at the parameters it was operating at before the malfunction was detected.
The controller 16 may further be configured to communicate details of the malfunction and whether the predetermined routine was able to rectify the malfunction to a display device, such as the user interface 46 on user device 44 (step 614). This is especially important if the predetermined routine was not able to rectify the malfunction and the bilge pump 12 was therefore turned off (step 608), in which case the alert might be a push notification. On the other hand, the alert may be a more passive alert, such as an email or text message, if the malfunction was able to be rectified (YES at step 606). However, sending an alert even after the malfunction was rectified allows the user to determine if any further action needs to be taken to check that the bilge pump 12 is still in good working order. Such alerts may be sent via the telematics control module 33 and cloud to the user device 44. In other examples, the controller 16 sends the alerts to a hub computing system onboard the marine vessel, especially those alerts that require more timely intervention.
In yet another example, the controller 16 is configured to determine when a component of the pump system 10 is nearing its end of life and to communicate an alert to a display device, such as user interface 46 or a display on a vessel's hub computing system, in response to same. For example, if the controller 16 determines that the electric motor 14 has stalled a predetermined number of times, the controller 16 may alert the user that the electric motor 14 or a part thereof needs to be replaced. If the controller 16 determines that the impeller or diaphragm is jammed a predetermined number of times, the controller 16 may alert the user that a replacement part may be needed. If the controller 16 determines that the inlet 26, outlet 28, or hose 30 is clogged a predetermined number of times, the controller 16 may alert the user that a new strainer, tube, or hose is required. Because the controller 16 is uniquely associated with the bilge pump 12, the controller 16 can also be preprogrammed with end-of-life estimates for components subject to failure, based on information collected from the same pump model via the cloud 34. The central computing system 38 and/or controller 16 could automatically place an order to replenish that part when collected data indicates it is nearing its end of life, or at least send a link to a website to the user where the user can purchase the replacement part. This could be done by consulting a reference table in the storage system 42 that links the pump's serial number to replacement parts therefore.
Even if the user is able to receive a push notification or similar type of alert regarding the bilge pump 12 malfunctioning, the present inventors realized that there still may be nothing the user can do about the malfunction or the controller's inability to rectify same until he or she returns to the marine vessel. In such a case, the pump system 100 of
The serial bus 106 is connected via a gateway or bridge 114 to another serial bus 116, and then to a telematics control module 33, which operates as noted herein above to communicate with the cloud 34. Other devices and/or modules, such as a digital switching module and/or a multifunction display and/or a keypad (not shown) can also be connected to the serial bus 116, by way of which the user can interact with one or more of the bilge pumps 12, 102, 108 to manually turn them on or off or by way of which the user can view the status of any of the connected components.
Although details of the first, second, and third controllers 16, 104, 110 and relays, water-level sensors, and current sensors are not shown in
Because the pump controllers 16, 104, 110 are connected to each other via the serial bus 106, the pump system 100 as a whole is able to control water build-up in the bilge when one of the bilge pumps 12, 102, 108 malfunctions and the respective controller 16, 104, 110 is not able to rectify the malfunction. For example, the first controller 16 may be configured to control the first electric motor 14 in response to a command from the second controller 104. For example, referring to
If the second bilge pump 102 is not able to rectify the malfunction (NO at 704), the second controller 104 can command the first controller 16 to maintain the first bilge pump 12 on, if the first bilge pump 12 was otherwise programmed to turn off after running for a predetermined period of time. On the other hand, if the first controller 16 was programmed to run the first bilge pump 12 until the second controller 104 commanded the first controller 16 to shut the first bilge pump 12 off, no additional signal may be needed. The first bilge pump 12 will shut off once the second controller 104 signals the first controller 16 to do so, such as after a second water-level sensor 112 on the second bilge pump 102 no longer senses water. In another example, the second controller 104 only commands the first controller 16 to turn the first bilge pump 12 on after determining that the malfunction associated with the second bilge pump 102 could not be rectified (i.e., if NO at 704, proceed to 706).
On the other hand, if the malfunction was rectified after running the predetermined routine (YES at step 704), the second controller 104 may resume operation of the second bilge pump 102 according to parameters at which the second bilge pump 102 was operating before the second controller 104 determined that the pump system 100 was malfunctioning (step 708). The second controller 104 may also command the first bilge pump 12 to turn off (step 710), as the second bilge pump 102 is now able to evacuate water from the bilge.
By way of another example, if the integral water-level sensors 20 and/or 22 for the first bilge pump 12 is/are malfunctioning, the integral water level sensor 112 on the second bilge pump 102 can instead provide the initiating electrical impulse that starts the first bilge pump 12. For example, the pump system 100 includes a water-level sensor 112 connected to (i.e., attached to or within) the second bilge pump 102 and electrically connected (wired or wirelessly) to the second controller 104, and the second controller 104 is configured to command the first controller 16 to start or stop the first electric motor 14 in response to the water-level sensor 112 sensing the presence and/or absence of water.
Similar to the pump system 10 described above with respect to
Of course, the reference to the pumps as “first” or “second” in the above exemplary routines is arbitrary, and, for example, the first controller 16 can be the one that causes the second pump 102 to start in response to the first water-level sensor 20 sensing water, or to stop in response to water dropping below the water-level sensor 22. Furthermore, any one of the controllers 16, 104, 110 can be configured to control one or both of the other pumps 12, 102, 108, for example perhaps depending on the location of those other pumps, which locations may be stored in the storage system of the controllers 16, 104, 110 and/or in the storage system 42 of the central computing system 38.
In this way, the pump system 100 can evacuate water from the bilge even if one of the pumps fails or the inlet, outlet, or hose associated with one of the pumps is blocked. In one particular example, if the first bilge pump 12 (which may be located lowest in the bilge) fails, the second and third bilge pumps 102, 108 (which may be higher than the first bilge pump 12) can be turned on in response to a command from the first controller 16, in order to evacuate water while the first bilge pump 12 attempts to self-repair and/or after the first bilge pump 12 is not able to self-repair. In another example, if the separate water-level sensor 24 is placed at a location in the bilge indicating high water (i.e., above the first, second, and third bilge pumps 12, 102, 108), activation of the water-level sensor 24 can result in turning on one or both of the second and third bilge pumps 102, 108. In either case, the second and third bilge pumps 102, 108 can be run for a predetermined period (e.g., ten minutes) or until the water-level sensor on one or both of the second and third pumps no longer detects water. In yet another example, after a higher pump is run to evacuate water, and the water sensor associated with that pump no longer senses water, the controller of the higher pump can command a lower pump (which may or may not have an integral water sensor) to turn on for a predetermined period of time to empty the remainder of water from the bilge.
In the present description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clarity, and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes only and are intended to be broadly construed. The different components and assemblies described herein may be used or sold separately or in combination with other components and assemblies. Various equivalents, alternatives, and modifications are possible within the scope of the appended claims.
The present application is a division of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/952,515, filed Nov. 19, 2020, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 16952515 | Nov 2020 | US |
| Child | 18295372 | US |
