Pump control system and method for controlling a pump with automatic pump model calibration

Abstract

A method controls a pump, with the following steps: running a pump at a set pump speed (ω) based on an operating value model function (Pω(q)) corresponding to the set pump speed (ω); determining an actual operating value (P) at the set pump speed (ω); comparing the actual operating value (P) with a maximum (Pmax) of the operating value model function (Pω(q)) and/or a minimum (Pmin) of the operating value model function (Pω(q)); and automatically updating the operating value model function (Pω(q)) to a higher new operating value model function (Pω,up(q)) if the actual operating value (P) is higher than the maximum (Pmax) of the operating value model function (Pω(q)), and/or automatically updating the operating value model function (Pω(q)) to a lower operating value model function (Pω,down(q)) if the operating value (P) is lower than the minimum (Pmin) of the operating value model function (Pω(q)).

1 . A pump control system comprising:
 a storage element having stored a plurality of model parameter sets for a plurality of pump speeds, wherein each model parameter set is indicative of an operating value model function (P ω (q)) corresponding to a pump speed (ω);   control electronics configured to command the pump to run at a set pump speed (ω) based on the operating value model function (P ω )(q)) corresponding to the set pump speed (ω), wherein a corresponding model parameter set of the stored model parameter sets is retrieved from the storage element; and   model updating electronics, wherein the model updating electronics are configured to:   determine an actual operating value (P) at the set speed (ω);   compare the actual operating value (P) with a maximum (P max ) of the operating value model function (P ω (q)) and/or a minimum (P min ) of the operating value model function (P ω (q)); and   automatically determine an updated model parameter set if the actual operating value (P) is higher than the maximum (P max ) of the operating value model function (P ω (q)) or if the actual operating value (P) is lower than the minimum (P min ) of the operating value model function (P ω (q)), wherein the updated model parameter set is indicative of a higher new operating value model function (P ω,up (q)) if the actual operating value (P) is higher than the maximum (P max ) of the operating value model function (P ω (q)), and wherein the updated model parameter set is indicative of a lower new operating value model function (P ω,down (q)) if the actual operating value (P) is lower than the minimum (P min ) of the operating value model function (P ω )(q)), wherein the storage element is further configured to store the updated model parameter set.   
     
     
         2 . The pump control system of  claim 1 , wherein the model updating electronics are configured to shift or scale the operating value model function (P ω (q)) upward to the higher new operating value model function (P ω,up (q)) and/or to shift or scale the operating value model function (P ω (q)) downward to a lower new operating value model function (P ω,down (q)). 
     
     
         3 . The pump control system of  claim 2 , wherein a shift amount and/or a scale factor is applied, wherein the shift amount and/or the scale factor is a pre-determined constant or depends in a pre-determined way on the set pump speed (ω). 
     
     
         4 . The pump control system of  claim 2 , wherein a shift amount and/or a scale factor is applied, wherein the shift amount and/or the scale factor depends on a difference and/or ratio between the actual operating value (P) and the maximum (P max ) of the operating value model function (P ω (q)) or the minimum (P min ) of the operating value model function (P ω )(q)). 
     
     
         5 . The pump control system of  claim 1 , wherein the model updating electronics are configured to apply a correction function to tweak a shape of the operating value model function (P ω (q)). 
     
     
         6 . The pump control system of  claim 1 , wherein the operating value model function (P ω (q)) is a model curve of the operating value (P) in dependence of a pumped flow (q) within a pre-determined flow range ([q min , q max ]) 
     
     
         7 . The pump control system of  claim 6 , wherein the higher new operating value model function (P ω,up (q)) is at least in a sub-range of the pre-determined flow range ([q min , q max ]) higher than the previous operating value model function (P ω (q)), and wherein the lower new operating value model function (P ω,down (q)) is at least in a sub-range of the pre-determined range [q min , q max ] lower than the previous operating value model function (P ω (q)). 
     
     
         8 . The pump control system of  claim 1 , wherein the control electronics are further configured to run the pump in a set of calibration batch runs at different pump speeds if the actual operating value (P) is at or higher than the minimum (P min ) of the operating value model function (P ω (q)) and if the actual operating value (P) is at or lower than the maximum (P max ) of the operating value model function (P ω (q)). 
     
     
         9 . The pump control system of  claim 8 , wherein the model updating electronics are further configured to:
 determine a maximum actual operating value (P batch,max ) and/or a minimum actual operating value (P batch,min ) among the calibration batch runs,   compare the maximum actual operating value (P batch,max ) with the maximum (P max ) of the operating value model function (P ω (q)) and/or the minimum actual operating value (P batch,min ) with the minimum (P min ) of the operating value model function (P ω (q)); and   automatically update the operating value model function (P ω (q)) to a higher new operating value model function (P ω,up (q)) if the maximum actual operating value (P batch,max ) is higher than the maximum (P max ) of the operating value model function (P ω (q)), and/or automatically update the operating value model function (P ω (q)) to a lower new operating value model function (P ω,down (q)) if the minimum actual operating value (P batch,min ) is lower than the minimum (P min ) of the operating value model function (P ω (q)).   
     
     
         10 . The pump control system of  claim 1 , wherein the model updating electronics are integrated into the control electronics. 
     
     
         11 . A pump assembly comprising:
 a pump;   an electric motor for driving the pump:   an electronics housing for housing motor control electronics; and   the pump control system according to  claim 1 , wherein the pump control system is arranged within the electronics housing   
     
     
         12 . A method for controlling a pump, wherein the method comprises the following steps:
 running a pump at a set pump speed (ω) based on an operating value model function (P ω (q)) corresponding to the set pump speed (ω);   determining an actual operating value (P) at the set pump speed (ω);   comparing the actual operating value (P) with a maximum (P max ) of the operating value model function (P ω (q)) and/or a minimum (P min ) of the operating value model function (P ω (q)); and   automatically updating the operating value model function (P ω (q)) to a higher new operating value model function (P ω,up (q)) if the actual operating value (P) is higher than the maximum (P max ) of the operating value model function (P ω (q)), and/or automatically updating the operating value model function (P ω (q)) to a lower new operating value model function (P ω,down (q)) if the actual operating value (P) is lower than the minimum (P min ) of the operating value model function (P ω (q)).   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein updating the operating value model function (P ω (q)) to a higher new operating value model function (P ω,up (q)) includes shifting or scaling the operating value model function (P ω (q)) upward and/or updating the operating value model function (P ω (q)) to a lower new operating value model function (P ω,down (q)) includes shifting or scaling the operating value model function (P ω (q)) downward. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein a shift amount and/or a scale factor is applied, wherein the shift amount and/or the scale factor is a pre-determined constant or depends in a pre-determined way on the set pump speed (ω). 
     
     
         15 . The pump control system of  claim 13 , wherein a shift amount and/or a scale factor is applied, wherein the shift amount and/or the scale factor depends on a difference and/or ratio between an actual operating value (P) and the maximum (P max ) of the operating value model function (P ω (q)) or the minimum (P min ) of the operating value model function (P ω )(q)). 
     
     
         16 . The method  12 , further comprising running ( 601 ) the pump in a set of calibration batch runs at different pump speeds if the actual operating value (P) is at or higher than the minimum (P min ) of the operating value model function (P ω (q)) and if the actual operating value (P) is at or lower than the maximum (P max ) of the operating value model function (P ω (q)). 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising
 determining a maximum actual operating value (P batch,max ) and/or a minimum actual operating value (P batch,min ) among the calibration batch runs;   comparing the maximum actual operating value (P batch,max ) with the maximum (P max ) of the operating value model function (P ω (q)) and/or the minimum actual operating value (P batch,min ) with the minimum (P min ) of the operating value model function (P ω (q)); and   automatically updating the operating value model function (P (q)) to a higher new operating value model function (P ω,up (q)) if the maximum actual operating value (P batch,max ) is higher than the maximum (P max ) of the operating value model function (P ω (q)), and/or automatically updating the operating value model function (P ω (q)) to a lower new operating value model function (P ω,down (q)) if the minimum actual operating value (P batch,min ) is lower than the minimum (P min ) of the operating value model function (P ω (q)).