Patent ID: 11898551
Assignee: CATERPILLAR INC.
Field: Engines, pumps, turbines (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC F | IPC F

Claim 0:
1. A system, comprising:
a fluid end including a block having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet;
an intake manifold fluidly coupled to the fluid inlet of the block;
a fluid conduit fluidly coupled to each of the fluid outlet of the block and the intake manifold;
a valve fluidly coupled to the fluid conduit, the valve configured to control fluid flow through the fluid conduit;
an actuator coupled to the valve and configured to transition the valve to an open position or a closed position;
a prime mover configured to rotate a drive shaft;
a pump having a plunger disposed at least partially within the block of the fluid end, the pump being coupled to the drive shaft of the prime mover via a transmission, the transmission configured to transfer rotational energy from the drive shaft to the pump;
one or more sensors configured to generate sensor data associated with at least one of the prime mover, the pump, or the transmission, the sensor data including at least one of:
driver speed data indicative of a driver speed of the prime mover, or
transmission data indicative of a transmission state; and

a controller communicatively coupled to the actuator and the one or more sensors, the controller configured to:
receive the sensor data from the one or more sensors,
determine, based at least in part on the sensor data, whether the driver speed is:
less than a threshold driver speed, or
equal to or greater than the threshold driver speed,

determine, based at least in part on the sensor data, whether the transmission is engaged or disengaged, and
cause the actuator to transition the valve to the open position, based at least in part on determining that the driver speed is less than the threshold driver speed and determining that the transmission is engaged.