Monitoring system for reciprocating pumps

• US 20040213677A1
• Filed: 04/23/2004
• Published: 10/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: SPM Flow Control Inc. (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: SPM Flow Control Inc. (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kight, Russell D., Matzner, Mark D.
• Application Number:
  US10/831,467
• Publication Number:
  US 20040213677A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 417/63
• CPC Class Codes: F01B 25/00 Regulating, controlling, or safety means regulating or controlling in general G05
• CPC Class Codes: F01B 25/04 Sensing elements
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 2201/0804 Noise
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 2203/0206 Vibration
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 2205/05 Pressure after the pump outlet
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 51/00 Testing machines, pumps, or pumping installations

Abstract

A reciprocating pump assembly includes a pump housing that houses a crankshaft. Pistons are mechanically connected to the crankshaft for pumping fluid through cylinders. Each cylinder has a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet. The pump also has a monitoring housing connected to the reciprocating pump. Within the monitoring housing is a computer with memory. Pressure sensor assemblies sense a pressure value of a fluid within the pump, and are in electrical communication with the memory. An accelerometer positioned on the pump measures vibrations of the pump and is also in electrical communication with the memory for storage of sensed vibrations or displacements during operations. A proximity sensor in electrical communication with the memory is located within the pump housing to determine the rotational velocity of the crankshaft.

Claims

1. In a reciprocating pump assembly having a pump housing that houses a crankshaft, a plurality of pistons mechanically connected to the crankshaft for pumping a fluid through a plurality of cylinders, each of the cylinders having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, the reciprocating pump, comprises:

a monitoring housing mounted to the reciprocating pump assembly;

a computer located within the monitoring housing, the computer having a memory; and

a plurality of pressure sensor assemblies mounted to the pump and in electrical communication with the memory to sense a pressure value of a fluid within the pump.

2. The pump assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a proximity sensor assembly in electrical communication with the memory and positioned adjacent the crankshaft to calculate a rotational velocity of the crankshaft.

3. The pump assembly according to claim 2, wherein the crankshaft is mechanically connected to a gear assembly having a plurality of teeth, and the proximity sensor counts teeth on gear assembly to calculate the rotational velocity of the crankshaft.

4. The pump assembly according to claim 1, further comprising an accelerometer in electrical communication with the memory and positioned on the pump housing to sense vibrations of the pump.

5. The pump assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a port extending through a sidewall of the reciprocating pump;

wherein each pressure sensor assembly further comprises a plug member having an aperture that registers with the port; and

a seal member positioned between the sidewall of the reciprocating pump and the plug member.

6. The pump assembly according to claim 5, wherein the seal member further comprises a passageway extending longitudinally therethrough, so that the aperture registers with the port.

7. The pump assembly according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of sensor assemblies is positioned adjacent the fluid outlet of each of the cylinders to sense the fluid pressure of the fluid exiting the pump.

8. The pump assembly according to claim 7, wherein the fluid outlet further comprises a discharge flange for receiving fluid from one of the plurality of cylinders, with at least one of said plurality of sensor assemblies being positioned on the discharge flange.

9. The pump assembly according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of sensor assemblies is positioned adjacent the fluid inlet of the cylinder to sense the fluid pressure of the fluid entering the pump.

10. The pump assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a cover plate connected to each of the cylinders on a side of each cylinder opposite from the crankshaft;

and

wherein one of said sensor assemblies is mounted to each of the cover plates to sense a discharge fluid pressure within each of the cylinders.

11. A reciprocating pump assembly, comprising:

a pump housing that houses a crankshaft for the reciprocating pump;

a plurality of piston rods extending from the pump housing, each being mechanically connected to and driven by the crankshaft, each of the piston rods having a piston portion on the end extending away from the crankshaft;

a plurality of piston chambers in fluid communication with the piston portion of each of the piston rods, each of the piston chambers receiving fluid to be pumped by the piston portion of each of the piston rods, each of the piston chambers having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet;

a plurality of ports extending through a selected plurality of sidewalls of the reciprocating pump, each of the ports having a threaded counter-bore, defining an outward facing shoulder;

a monitoring housing mounted to the reciprocating pump;

a computer located within the monitoring housing, the computer having a memory; and

a plurality of pressure sensor assemblies in electrical communication with the memory to sense a pressure value of a fluid within the pump, each pressure sensor assembly comprising;

a threaded plug member that secures to one of the ports, the plug member having an aperture therethrough that registers with the port;

a metal annular seal member compressed between an inward facing end of the plug member and the outward facing shoulder; and

a transducer mounted to the plug and in fluid communication with the aperture.

12. The pump assembly according to claim 11, wherein the transducer is mounted on an outer end of the plug member.

13. The pump assembly according to claim 11, further comprising an accelerometer in electrical communication with the memory and positioned on the pump housing to sense vibrations of the pump.

14. The pump assembly according to claim 11, further comprising a proximity sensor assembly in electrical communication with the memory and positioned adjacent the crankshaft to calculate a rotational velocity of the crankshaft.

15. The pump assembly according to claim 11, wherein the seal member has a pair frusto-conical surfaces on opposite ends of the seal member and through which a passageway extends and wherein the pump assembly further comprises:

a first conical counter-bore formed in the plug member adjacent an inner end of the aperture, the first conical counter-bore engaging one of the frusto-conical surfaces of the seal member; and

a second conical counter-bore formed in the outward facing shoulder, the second conical counter-bore engaging the other of the frusto-conical surfaces of the seal member.

16. The monitoring assembly according to claim 11, wherein at least one of said pressure sensor assemblies is positioned adjacent a fluid outlet of the piston chambers to sense an overall fluid pressure of the fluid exiting the pump.

17. The monitoring assembly according to claim 11, wherein at least one of said pressure sensor assemblies is positioned adjacent a fluid inlet of the piston chambers to sense an overall fluid pressure of the fluid entering the pump.

18. The monitoring assembly according to claim 11, further comprising a cover plate enclosing a side of each of the piston chambers opposite from the crankshaft;

and

wherein at least one of said sensor assemblies is mounted to each of the cover plates to sense an individual fluid pressure of the fluid within each of the piston chambers.

19. The monitoring assembly according to claim 11, further comprising a memory housing, and wherein the memory is a portable module that adapted to be removed to have information retrieved from the memory at another location and replaced with another portable module to receive data from the sensors.

20. A method of monitoring the operating conditions of a reciprocating pump assembly having a pump housing that houses a crankshaft, a plurality of pistons mechanically connected to the crankshaft for pumping a fluid through a plurality of cylinders, each of the cylinders having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, the method comprising:

providing a computer with a memory, mounting the computer in a monitoring housing, and mounting the monitoring housing to the reciprocating pump;

positioning a plurality of pressure sensor assemblies in fluid communication with ports formed in a selected location and electrically connecting the sensor assemblies to the computer of the reciprocating pump, operating the pump, sensing fluid pressure with the sensor assemblies; and

communicating pressure values from each of the sensor assemblies to the memory.

21. A method of claim 20, further comprising:

mounting an accelerometer to the pump housing and electrically connecting the accelerometer to the computer;

operating the pump and sensing vibrations with the accelerometer; and

communicating a sensed vibration value from the accelerometer to the memory.

22. A method of claim 20, further comprising:

positioning a proximity sensor adjacent the crankshaft to calculate a rotational velocity of the crankshaft;

communicating a counted value of sensed proximity values from the proximity sensor to the memory.

23. A method of claim 20, further comprising downloading the sensed values from the memory to a remote computer via an access terminal.

24. A method of claim 20, further comprising removing the memory after a predetermined length of time through a memory drive located within the monitoring housing and inserting a replacement memory for the computer through the memory drive.