Patent ID: 6779983
Filing Date: 2004-08-24
Classification: F04B,G01F,Y10S

Abstract:
A sludge pump system having means for determining an accurate estimate of actual pump output, comprising;a pump cylinder having a pump chamber; a piston movable in the pump chamber between a forward shift point and a rear shift point; power means for moving the piston through a pumping cycle in a direction from the rear shift point toward the forward shift point on a discharge stroke, and in a direction from the forward shift point toward the rear shift point on a fill stroke; an inlet valve to the pump chamber; an outlet valve from the pump chamber; a sludge receptacle for storing sludge preparatory to introduction of the sludge into the pump chamber through the inlet valve; a feed mechanism to feed sludge from the sludge receptacle through the inlet valve to the pump chamber on the fill stroke of the piston; means for storing a pump performance calibration, said calibration including a calibrated sludge output value for a calibration pumping cycle, and a calibrated lost travel piston position value defined as a location of the piston in the pump chamber when the pressure in the pump chamber reaches a reference pressure value during a discharge stroke; means for sensing the pressure in the pump chamber and determining the actual lost travel piston position value during an actual pumping cycle; means for determining an estimated actual pump output for a pumping cycle by making an adjustment to the calibrated output value according to the difference between the calibrated lost travel piston position value and the actual lost travel piston position value; and means for reporting the estimated actual output value.