Methods and systems for monitoring loading of an air filter

• US 9,983,114 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2015
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cummins Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Cummins Incorporated
• Inventors: Henderson, Gregory H., Lesmana, Andry, Niehus, W. Patrick, Pama, Alex
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Phuong
• Application Number:
  US14/714,026
• Publication Number:
  US 20150330857A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,110 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/0086 Filter condition indicators
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/444 by flow measuring
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/446 by pressure measuring
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/09 Clogging indicators ; Diagnosis or testing of air cleaners sensors therefore F02M35/10373
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 13/00 Devices or apparatus for measuring differences of two or more fluid pressure values
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/0826 and measuring fluid flow rate, i.e. permeation rate or pressure change
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/084 Testing filters

Abstract

Methods and systems for estimating the loading of an air filter are disclosed herein. The method includes receiving upstream mass air flow data indicative of a mass air flow on an upstream side of an air filter (i.e., the “dirty side of the filter”), receiving downstream air pressure data indicative of an air pressure on a downstream side of the air filter (i.e., the “clean side of the filter”), and receiving downstream temperature data indicative of a temperature on the downstream side of the air filter. The method also includes determining a differential pressure (ΔP) across the air filter indicative of a loading of the air filter based on the upstream mass air flow data, the downstream air pressure data, and the downstream temperature data.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving upstream mass air flow data indicative of a mass air flow on an upstream side of an air filter;

receiving downstream air pressure data indicative of an air pressure on a downstream side of the air filter;

receiving downstream temperature data indicative of a temperature on the downstream side of the air filter;

determining a differential pressure (Δ

P) across the air filter indicative of a loading of the air filter based on the upstream mass air flow data, the downstream air pressure data, and the downstream temperature data;

comparing the determined differential pressure with a reference value; and

determining a status of the air filter based on the comparison, and providing an output indicating the status of the air filter.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the status is healthy responsive to the differential pressure being less than the reference value.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the status is at least one of replace and check responsive to the differential pressure greater than or equal to the reference value.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the status is replace if the differential pressure is greater than the reference value by a first amount, wherein the status is check if the differential pressure is greater than the reference value by a second amount, wherein the first amount is greater than the second amount.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein differential pressure includes at least one of a laminar pressure loss and a turbulent pressure loss.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein differential pressure is a rated flow differential pressure, and wherein said determining differential pressure follows a formula:

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the air pressure on the upstream side (P_amb) and the coefficients (C₁ and C₂) are determined by applying a least squares method to a plurality of upstream mass air flows, a plurality of downstream air pressures, and a plurality of downstream temperatures.

8. A system, comprising:

an air filter; and

a processing system communicably coupled to the air filter, the processing system structured to;

receive upstream mass air flow data indicative of a mass air flow on an upstream side of an air filter;

receive downstream air pressure data indicative of an air pressure on a downstream side of the air filter;

receive downstream temperature data indicative of a temperature on the downstream side of the air filter;

determine a differential pressure (Δ

P) across the air filter indicative of a loading of the air filter based on the upstream mass air flow data, the downstream air pressure data, and the downstream temperature data;

compare the determined differential pressure with a reference value;

determine a status of the air filter based on the comparison, the status providing an indication of how the air filter is operating; and

provide an output indicating the status of the air filter.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the status is healthy responsive to the differential pressure being less than the reference value.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the status is at least one of replace and check responsive to the differential pressure greater than or equal to the reference value.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the status is replace if the differential pressure is greater than the reference value by a first amount, wherein the status is check if the differential pressure is greater than the reference value by a second amount, wherein the first amount is greater than the second amount.

12. An apparatus, comprising:

an upstream mass air flow module structured to receive upstream mass air flow data indicative of a mass air flow on an upstream side of an air filter;

a downstream air pressure module structured to receive downstream air pressure data indicative of an air pressure on a downstream side of the air filter;

a downstream temperature module structured to receive downstream temperature data indicative of a temperature on the downstream side of the air filter;

a differential pressure module structured to determine a differential pressure (Δ

P) across the air filter indicative of a loading of the air filter based on the upstream mass air flow data, the downstream air pressure data, and the downstream temperature data; and

an indication module structured to compare the determined differential pressure with a reference value to determine a status of the air filter based on the comparison, the status providing an indication of how the air filter is operating, and providing an output indicating the status of the air filter.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the status includes one of healthy, replace, and check based on the comparison between the determined differential pressure and the reference value, wherein the status is healthy responsive to the differential pressure being less than the reference value, and wherein the status is at least one of replace and check responsive to the differential pressure greater than or equal to the reference value.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein differential pressure is a rated flow differential pressure, and wherein the differential pressure module is further structured to determine differential pressure as follows:

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the air pressure on the upstream side (P_amp) and the coefficients (C₁ and C₂) are determined by applying a least squares method to a plurality of upstream mass air flows, a plurality of downstream air pressures, and a plurality of downstream.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the upstream side (P_amp) and the coefficients (C₁ and C₂) are determined as follows:

17. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a calibration module structured to calibrate at least one of the coefficients (C₁ and C₂) and the denominator (Den) empirically.