Method of determining pump flow in rotary positive displacement pumps

Abstract

Techniques are provided for tuning a rotary positive displacement pump. The techniques include apparatus featuring a signal processor configured to the present invention may take the form of apparatus comprising a signal processor that may be configured to receive signaling containing information about actual pump performance data related to the operation of a rotary positive displacement pump; and determine corrected published pump performance data to operate the rotary positive displacement pump by compensating published pump performance data based at least partly on the actual pump performance data. The corrected published pump performance data may include a corrected published rated power, flow and slip factor, and the actual pump performance data contains information about actual power, specific gravity and viscosity related to the operation of the rotary positive displacement pump and received from a pump controller or controlling device, including a variable frequency drive.

Description

[0001] Cross references to related patent applications [0002] This patent application claims the benefit of Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 61 / 623,155, filed April 12, 2012, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Background technique [0003] 1. Technical field [0004] The present application relates to rotary positive displacement (PD) pumps, such as internal or external gear pumps, lobe pumps, vane pumps, or screw pumps; and more particularly, to techniques for adjusting such rotary PD pumps to determine pump flow. [0005] 2. A brief description of the relevant field [0006] Many different types or kinds of pumps are known in the art, including rotary positive displacement pumps. By way of example, some known pumps and the disadvantages associated with them are set forth below: [0007] U.S. Patent No. 6,591,697 entitled "Method for Determining Pump Flow Rates Using Motor Torque Measurements" discloses a method based on the relationsh...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

However, one disadvantage of this method is that calculation techniques such as those provided in pump manuals require complex knowledge to determine variables such as pump geometry coefficients and slip coefficients

These calculation techniques do not compensate for pump performance that deviates from published performance calculations

[0010] In the prior art, it is known to use external flow meters; however, external flow meters can add cost and complexity to the overall drive system

[0011] None of the preceding techniques described herein can be used to determine pump flow in a rotary positive displacement pump, as described below and in this

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