Intensifier Pump Monitoring System

Abstract

An apparatus and method of graphically indicating the performance of intensifier pumps used in water-jet cutting utilizes output signals from end-of-stroke proximity sensors to establish stroke times for the pump's plungers. The stroke times are then used to present bar graphs for each plunger reflecting the magnitude of the time valve by the height of the bars and performance status by the color of the bars.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of displaying operational status of an intensifier for water-jet cutting systems comprising the steps of:
 (a) providing an intensifier having first and second cylinder blocks affixed to opposed ends of a hydraulic cylinder that contains a relatively large diameter piston to which is affixed at least one plunger of a lesser diameter than that of the piston slidably disposed in bores formed in the first and second cylinder blocks, the large diameter piston adapted to be driven in reciprocal strokes by pressurized hydraulic fluid injected into the hydraulic cylinder;   (b) providing first and second proximity sensors for producing electrical signals upon the large diameter piston reaching an end of each stroke;   (c) connecting a microprocessor to receive the electrical signals and programmed to compare the time required for the large diameter piston to move from right-to-left (SRL) with the time required to move from left-to-right (SRR); and   (d) providing a display screen coupled to the microprocessor for graphically indicating when the stroke time drops below preset thresholds.   
     
     
         2 . The method as in  claim 1  wherein the SRL is graphically represented by the size of a first image and SRR is represented by the size of a second image. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the first and second images comprise adjacently positioned bars whose length dimensions are proportional to SRR and SRL, respectively. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the degree that SRR and SRL differ from a predetermined threshold is indicated by the color of the bar. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein a bar is of a first color when the SRR or SRL associated therewith is less than a first preset threshold, a second color when the SRR or SRL associated with that bar is below the first preset threshold and of a third color when the SRR or SRL associated with that bar fall below s a second preset threshold. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein plungers are affixed to opposed sides of the large diameter piston. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  and further including the step of providing a pair of hydraulic cylinders each with a relative large diameter piston therein, each having a plunger of a lesser diameter than that of the piston affixed thereto and individually slidable in one of the bores formed in the first and second cylinder blocks. 
     
     
         8 . A monitoring system for indicating operational performance of an intensifier of a water-jet cutting system, the intensifier comprising an inline configuration of at least one hydraulic cylinder containing a piston of a predetermined diameter and having first and second plungers affixed to opposed face surfaces of the piston and cylinder blocks affixed to opposed ends of the hydraulic cylinder and receiving the first and second plungers in cylinder bores formed in the cylinder blocks, the hydraulic cylinder adapted to be coupled to a motor-driven hydraulic pump through a manifold for cyclicly delivering high pressure hydraulic fluid on the opposed face surfaces of the piston characterized in that:
 (a) first and second end-of-stroke proximity sensors are operatively coupled to the hydraulic cylinder for producing electrical output signals during reciprocal movement of the piston;   (b) a microprocessor is provided that receives the electrical output signals and is programmed to measure SRL and SRR values for the first and second plungers; and   (c) a graphics display panel is coupled to the microprocessor for graphically indicating when SRL and SRR values approach and decrease below preset thresholds.   
     
     
         9 . The monitoring system of  claim 8  wherein the SRL is graphically represented by the size of a first image and SRR is represented by the size of a second image. 
     
     
         10 . The monitoring system of  claim 9  wherein the first and second images comprise adjacently positioned rectangular bars whose length dimension are proportional to SRL and SRR values, respectively. 
     
     
         11 . The monitoring system of  claim 10  wherein the bars are of a first color when the SRL or SRR associated with the bars are below a first threshold value, a second color when the SRL or SRR associated with the bars decrease below the first threshold, but not a second threshold and a third color when the SRL or SRR associated with the bars decrease below the second threshold.