Pump monitoring and notification system

Abstract

A pump monitoring and notification system for a hydraulic pump includes a transmission speed sensor and a controller. The transmission speed sensor is associated with a transmission connected to the pump to determine an output speed of the transmission. The controller is configured to access a transmission threshold, access a time threshold, and determine a rotational speed of the transmission based upon the transmission speed sensor. The controller is further configured to determine a variation in rotational speed of the transmission based upon the rotational speed, compare the variation in rotational speed of the transmission to the transmission threshold, and generate an alert signal when the variation in rotational speed of the transmission exceeds the transmission threshold for a time period exceeding the time threshold.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A pump monitoring and notification system for a hydraulic pump, comprising:
 a transmission speed sensor associated with a transmission operatively connected to the hydraulic pump, the transmission speed sensor being configured to generate transmission speed data indicative of an output speed of the transmission; and 
 a controller configured to:
 access a transmission threshold; 
 access a time threshold; 
 determine a rotational speed of the transmission based upon the transmission speed data from the transmission speed sensor; 
 determine a variation in rotational speed of the transmission based upon the rotational speed; 
 compare the variation in rotational speed of the transmission to the transmission threshold; 
 determine leakage or cavitation in the, pump based upon whether the variation in rotational speed of the transmission exceeds the transmission threshold for a time period exceeding the time threshold; and 
 generate an alert signal when the variation in rotational speed of the transmission exceeds the transmission threshold for the time period exceeding the time threshold. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The pump monitoring and notification system of  claim 1 , wherein the transmission threshold is a transmission speed variation threshold defined by a difference between a maximum rotational speed of the transmission and a minimum rotational speed of the transmission over a predetermined period of time while operating the transmission at a steady state. 
     
     
       3. The pump monitoring and notification system of  claim 2 , wherein the transmission speed variation threshold is at least 10 RPM. 
     
     
       4. The pump monitoring and notification system of  claim 1 , wherein the transmission threshold is a variation ratio threshold defined by a difference between a maximum rotational speed of the transmission and a minimum rotational speed of the transmission over a predetermined period of time while operating at a steady state divided by a variation in the rotational speed of the transmission while operating the transmission at a steady state and without a hydraulic pump failure. 
     
     
       5. The pump monitoring and notification system of  claim 4 , wherein the variation ratio threshold is at least 2.5. 
     
     
       6. The pump monitoring and notification system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to only generate the alert signal if a rotational input to the transmission is operating at a steady state. 
     
     
       7. The pump monitoring and notification system of  claim 6 , further comprising a speed sensor for generating speed data indicative of an output speed of a prime mover operatively connected to the transmission, and the controller is configured to determine a rotational speed of the prime mover based upon the speed data from the speed sensor and determine whether the rotational input to the transmission is operating at a steady state based upon the rotational speed of the prime mover. 
     
     
       8. The pump monitoring and notification system of  claim 1 , wherein the hydraulic pump does not include a rotational speed sensor on the hydraulic pump. 
     
     
       9. The pump monitoring and notification system of  claim 8 , wherein the alert signal includes a command to shutdown the hydraulic pump. 
     
     
       10. The pump monitoring and notification system of  claim 1 , wherein the hydraulic pump is a fracking pump. 
     
     
       11. The pump monitoring and notification system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to access an accumulator threshold, integrate an extent to which the transmission threshold is exceeded to define an accumulated result, compare the accumulated result to the accumulator threshold, and generate an alert signal when the accumulated result exceeds the accumulator threshold. 
     
     
       12. A method of monitoring a hydraulic pump, the hydraulic pump being operatively connected to a transmission, the method comprising:
 accessing a transmission threshold; 
 accessing a time threshold; 
 determining a rotational speed of the transmission based upon transmission speed data from a transmission speed sensor associated with the transmission; 
 determining a variation in rotational speed of the transmission based upon the rotational speed; 
 comparing the variation in rotational speed of the transmission to the transmission threshold; 
 determining leakage or cavitation in the pump based upon whether the variation in rotation speed of the transmission exceeds the transmission threshold for a time period exceeding the time threshold; and 
 generating an alert signal when the variation in rotational speed of the transmission exceeds the transmission threshold for the time period exceeding the time threshold. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the transmission threshold is a transmission speed variation threshold defined by a difference between a maximum rotational speed of the transmission and a minimum rotational speed of the transmission over a predetermined period of time while operating the transmission at a steady state, the transmission speed variation threshold being at least 10 RPM. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the transmission threshold is a variation ratio threshold defined by a difference between a maximum rotational speed of the transmission and a minimum rotational speed of the transmission over a predetermined period of time while operating at a steady state divided by a variation in the rotational speed of the transmission while operating the transmission at a steady state and without a hydraulic pump failure, the variation ratio threshold being at least 2.5. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the alert signal is only generated if a rotational input to the transmission is operating at a steady state. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the alert signal is generated without determining a rotational speed of the hydraulic pump. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16 , wherein the alert signal is generated without determining an input pressure of fluid entering the hydraulic pump or a discharge pressure of fluid discharged from the hydraulic pump. 
     
     
       18. A pump system comprising:
 a prime mover; 
 a transmission operatively connected to and driven by the prime mover; 
 a hydraulic pump operatively connected to and driven by the transmission; 
 a state sensor for generating data indicative of whether the prime mover is operating at a steady state; 
 a transmission speed sensor associated with the transmission for generating transmission speed data indicative of an output speed of the transmission; and 
 a controller configured to:
 access a transmission threshold; 
 access a time threshold; 
 determine that the prime mover is operating at a steady state based upon data from the state sensor; 
 determine a rotational speed of the transmission based upon the transmission speed data from the transmission speed sensor; 
 determine a variation in rotational speed of the transmission based upon the rotational speed; 
 compare the variation in rotational speed of the transmission to the transmission threshold; 
 determine leakage or cavitation n the pump based upon whether the variation in rotational speed of the transmission exceeds the transmission threshold for time period exceeding the time threshold; and 
 generate an alert signal when the variation in rotational speed of the transmission exceeds the transmission threshold for the time period exceeding the time threshold. 
 
 
     
     
       19. The pump system of  claim 18 , wherein the transmission threshold is a transmission speed variation threshold defined by a difference between a maximum rotational speed of the transmission and a minimum rotational speed of the transmission over a predetermined period of time while operating the transmission at a steady state, the transmission speed variation threshold being at least 10 RPM. 
     
     
       20. The pump system of  claim 18 , wherein the transmission threshold is a variation ratio threshold defined by a difference between a maximum rotational speed of the transmission and a minimum rotational speed of the transmission over a predetermined period of time while operating at a steady state divided by a variation in the rotational speed of the transmission while operating the transmission at a steady state and without a hydraulic pump failure, the variation ratio threshold being at least 2.5.