Circulation pump monitoring for a dishwasher appliance

Abstract

A dishwasher appliance includes a wash tub that defines a wash chamber, a sump for collecting wash fluid, a pump assembly for selectively urging a flow of the wash fluid from the sump, a microphone for monitoring sound generated during operation of the dishwasher appliance, and a controller in operative communication with the pump assembly and the microphone. The controller is configured to energize the pump assembly, obtain a sound signal generated during energization of the pump assembly, determine that the pump assembly has experienced an arcing event based at least in part on the sound signal, and implement a responsive action in response to determining that the pump assembly has experienced the arcing event based at least in part on the sound signal.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A dishwasher appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the dishwasher appliance comprising:
 a wash tub that defines a wash chamber;   a sump for collecting wash fluid;   a pump assembly for selectively urging a flow of the wash fluid from the sump;   a microphone for monitoring sound generated during operation of the dishwasher appliance; and   a controller in operative communication with the pump assembly and the microphone, the controller being configured to:
 energize the pump assembly; 
 obtain a sound signal generated during energization of the pump assembly; 
 determine that the pump assembly has experienced an arcing event based at least in part on the sound signal; and 
 implement a responsive action in response to determining that the pump assembly has experienced the arcing event based at least in part on the sound signal. 
   
     
     
         2 . The dishwasher appliance of  claim 1 , wherein determining that the pump assembly has experienced the arcing event based at least in part on the sound signal comprises:
 determining that an amplitude of the sound signal falls outside of a predetermined sound threshold range.   
     
     
         3 . The dishwasher appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
 monitor a power draw during the energization of the pump assembly; and   determine that the pump assembly has experienced the arcing event based at least in part on the power draw.   
     
     
         4 . The dishwasher appliance of  claim 3 , wherein determining that the pump assembly has experienced the arcing event based at least in part on the power draw comprises:
 determining that the power draw has increased by a predetermined power threshold.   
     
     
         5 . The dishwasher appliance of  claim 3 , wherein determining that the pump assembly has experienced the arcing event comprises determining identifying an increase in an amplitude of the sound signal and a simultaneous increase in the power draw. 
     
     
         6 . The dishwasher appliance of  claim 3 , wherein the controller comprises an integrated circuit configured to monitor the power draw. 
     
     
         7 . The dishwasher appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the microphone is a piezoelectric microphone. 
     
     
         8 . The dishwasher appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the microphone is positioned within the sump of the dishwasher appliance. 
     
     
         9 . The dishwasher appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:
 transmit the sound signal to a remote server for analysis.   
     
     
         10 . The dishwasher appliance of  claim 1 , wherein implementing the responsive action comprises:
 providing a user notification that the pump assembly has experienced the arcing event.   
     
     
         11 . The dishwasher appliance of  claim 10 , wherein the user notification is provided through a user interface panel. 
     
     
         12 . The dishwasher appliance of  claim 10 , wherein the controller is in operative communication with a remote device through an external network, and wherein the user notification is provided through the remote device. 
     
     
         13 . The dishwasher appliance of  claim 12 , wherein the remote device comprises at least one of a mobile phone or a smart speaker. 
     
     
         14 . A method of operating a dishwasher appliance, the dishwasher appliance comprising a pump assembly for selectively urging a flow of wash fluid from sump and a microphone for monitoring sound generated during operation of the dishwasher appliance, the method comprising:
 energizing the pump assembly;   obtaining a sound signal generated during energization of the pump assembly;   determining that the pump assembly has experienced an arcing event based at least in part on the sound signal; and   implementing a responsive action in response to determining that the pump assembly has experienced the arcing event based at least in part on the sound signal.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein determining that the pump assembly has experienced the arcing event based at least in part on the sound signal comprises:
 determining that an amplitude of the sound signal falls outside of a predetermined sound threshold range.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 monitoring a power draw during the energization of the pump assembly; and   determining that the pump assembly has experienced the arcing event based at least in part on the power draw.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein determining that the pump assembly has experienced the arcing event comprises determining identifying an increase in an amplitude of the sound signal and a simultaneous increase in the power draw. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the microphone is a piezoelectric microphone positioned within the sump of the dishwasher appliance. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 transmitting the sound signal to a remote server for analysis.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein implementing the responsive action comprises:
 providing a user notification that the pump assembly has experienced the arcing event.