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

Claim 6:
7. A fluid 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;
a fluid manifold fluidly coupled to the fluid outlet;
a fluid conduit fluidly coupled to the fluid outlet and the intake manifold;
a valve fluidly coupled to the fluid conduit, the valve configured to control fluid flow through the fluid conduit;
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 one or more sensors, the controller configured to:
position the valve in an open position or a closed position, wherein fluid is directed through the fluid conduit when the valve is in the open position and fluid is directed only to the fluid manifold via the fluid outlet when the valve is in the closed position,
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 valve to be positioned in 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.