Patent ID: 7623986

Claim:
A method for determining selected performance parameters of a reciprocating piston power pump, said pump including a housing providing at least one fluid chamber therein, a fluid inlet valve opening into said chamber, a fluid discharge valve for discharging fluid from said chamber, a reciprocating piston operable to displace fluid from said chamber, inlet and discharge fluid piping in fluid flow communication with said chamber, at least one pressure sensor in communication with said chamber for measuring pressure therein, at least one position sensor for sensing piston position with respect to said chamber, and a signal processor operably connected to said sensors for receiving signals from said sensors, respectively, and for determining selected performance parameters, said method comprising the steps of: sensing pressure variations in said chamber, determining selected positions of said piston with respect to said chamber, and determining at least one pump performance parameter based on sensed pressure and piston position and selected from a group consisting of valve sealing delay, piston seal leakage, pressures in said chamber, volumetric efficiency, pump fluid flow rate, hydraulic power produced for a pump operating cycle, and a pump pulsation dampener volume factor of said pump; and causing at least one of recording and displaying said selected performance parameter.