JP2014181556A - Fluid transfer system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a fluid transfer system configured such that water feed amount at the terminal is not restricted by a pump of the lowest ability in the fluid transfer system in which a plurality of engine pumps are connected in series.SOLUTION: The fluid transfer system includes: an engine 14; a motor generator 16 connected to a crank shaft 14b; a pump 15 having an impeller 15a connected to the crank shaft; and control means 20 capable of controlling the engine and the motor generator. Each control means calculates working amount of the pump and determines the presence or absence of a margin on the engine on the basis of signals from a flow sensor and a pressure sensor. The motor generator of an engine pump having the margin is operated as a power generator, feeds electric power to the engine pump having no margin, operates the motor generator of the engine pump having no margin as a motor, and assists rotation driving of the impeller.

Description

  The present invention relates to a relay transfer technique that enables a long-distance fluid transfer by connecting a plurality of pumps in series via a hose, and particularly to a relay water supply system using a pump with an engine (hereinafter simply referred to as an engine pump). And effective technology.

  Conventionally, as shown in FIG. 1, a relay water supply system is known in which a plurality of engine pumps 10 are connected in series via a hose 30 to enable liquid transportation over a long distance. For example, in long-distance water-digestion activities when forest fires or fire sites are far from firefighting irrigation, one portable firefighting pump is necessary for digestion activities due to the frictional resistance of water flowing in the fire hose. A sufficient amount of water and water pressure cannot be obtained. Therefore, there are cases where a plurality of portable fire fighting pumps are connected in series as necessary to perform long-distance water supply.

By the way, in a relay water supply system that connects multiple engine pumps in series and supplies water over long distances, the discharge pressure and flow rate may be unbalanced between pumps due to the difference in height of the place where the pump is placed and the capacity of each pump. There is.
Therefore, conventionally, by adjusting the opening degree of the throttle valve of each engine pump, the ability between the pumps is matched to improve the water supply efficiency. However, this method requires time and labor because the amount of water delivered at the end is restricted to the pump with the lowest capacity and the opening of the throttle valve of each pump must be adjusted one by one. There's a problem.

Therefore, each pump is provided with a controller and operation panel, and the controllers are connected to each pump via a wired communication line, and commands from one pump operation panel to other pump controllers are sent to control pressure and flow rate. There is an invention that can be made (Patent Document 1).
In addition, a network can be constructed by connecting multiple controllers placed at different locations via a wired communication line to a single fire pump so that commands and commands can be sent from any controller to the pump to control pressure and flow rate. This invention has also been proposed (Patent Document 2).

JP 2000-279541 A JP 2001-149493 A JP 2012-002142 A

  The invention described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 can improve remote operability in a relay water supply system in which a plurality of engine pumps are connected in series via a hose. However, there is a problem that the water supply amount at the end cannot be solved by the pump having the lowest capacity, and the energy efficiency of the entire relay water supply system cannot be improved.

  In the pumping pump using a motor as a driving source, a motor generator (auxiliary motor) having a power generation function is provided separately from the main motor, and the main motor and the auxiliary motor are operated at the time of starting that requires large electric power. In the steady state, an invention of a pumping pump has been proposed in which the efficiency is improved by adjusting the driving force of the impeller shaft by adjusting the torque generated by the auxiliary motor or the regenerative braking torque (Patent Document 3). . However, the invention described in Patent Document 3 is an invention of a pump that uses a motor as a drive source and relates to an improvement in efficiency in one pump.

This invention is made | formed in view of such a subject, The place made into the objective is to provide the relay water supply technique in which the amount of water supply at the terminal is not restricted by the pump with the lowest capacity. is there.
Moreover, the other objective of this invention is to provide the relay water supply technique which can improve the energy efficiency in the whole relay water supply system.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides:
An engine that burns fuel and outputs rotational power from a crankshaft; a motor generator that functions as a generator and a motor and that is coupled to the crankshaft of the engine; and a pump that includes an impeller coupled to the crankshaft. In a fluid transfer system in which a plurality of engine pumps including control means capable of controlling the engine and the motor generator are connected in series via a hose,
Each control means of the plurality of engine pumps,
Calculating the work of the pump based on the signals from the flow sensor and pressure sensor provided in each of the pumps to determine whether the engine has sufficient power,
The engine generator of the engine pump that has the surplus engine power operates as a generator to send power to the engine pump that has no surplus power in the engine,
The motor generator of the engine pump having no surplus power in the engine is configured to operate as a motor to assist the rotational drive of the impeller by the engine.

  According to the above configuration, in the engine pump having surplus power, the motor generator is operated as a generator to generate power with the surplus power, and the generated electric energy is sent as electric power to the engine pump having no surplus power in the engine. In the engine pump having no surplus power, the motor generator is operated as a motor to assist the rotational drive of the impeller by the engine, so that the transfer amount at the end is not limited to the pump having the lowest engine capacity. Further, in an engine pump having a surplus capacity in the engine, it is not necessary to forcibly reduce the engine output in accordance with the pump having the lowest engine capacity, so that the energy efficiency of the entire system can be improved.

  Preferably, the engine generator of the engine pump includes a chargeable / dischargeable common battery connected to each of the plurality of engine pumps via a cable, and the engine is determined to have sufficient power by the control means. The engine generator of the engine pump, which is operated as described above and is charged by sending electric power to the common battery and is determined to have no remaining power in the engine, is configured to operate as a motor upon receiving electric power from the common battery.

  According to the above configuration, the transfer amount at the end is not restricted by the pump having the lowest engine capacity. Moreover, since the common battery can be charged if the power generation amount exceeds the required amount as a whole, and the power supply can be received from the common battery if the power generation amount is insufficient, the energy efficiency can be improved.

Preferably, each of the plurality of engine pumps is provided with a chargeable / dischargeable battery, and the plurality of engine pumps are connected to each other via a cable so that electric power can be transferred.
According to the above configuration, the transfer amount at the end is not restricted by the pump having the lowest engine capacity. In addition, since the battery of each engine pump is connected by a cable so that electric power can be transferred, the amount of electricity stored is unbalanced between the batteries by turning the battery power with less amount of electricity from the battery with the larger amount of electricity stored. Can be avoided, and the energy efficiency of the entire system can be improved.

Preferably, when the control means detects the occurrence of abnormal pressure based on a signal from the pressure sensor, the motor generator operates as a motor regardless of the amount of work of the pump. Apply the regenerative brake to.
As a result, the electric energy generated when the regenerative braking by the motor is applied is stored in the battery, so that the energy efficiency can be further improved.

More preferably, the motor generator is an axial gap type motor generator, and the motor generator and the impeller are directly connected to the crankshaft.
Thereby, the engine pump can be miniaturized.

Preferably, the motor generator and the impeller are arranged on opposite sides of the crankshaft with the engine cylinder interposed therebetween.
As a result, the weight balance before and after the crankshaft becomes good, and it is possible to avoid the occurrence of vibration due to the unbalanced weight of the crankshaft.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to realize a relay water supply system in which the amount of water supply at the end is not restricted by the pump having the lowest capacity. Moreover, there exists an effect that the energy efficiency in the whole relay water supply system can fully be improved.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of a relay water supply system according to an embodiment of the present invention using an engine pump having a power generation function. Drawing 2 is a figure showing the composition of the important section of the engine pump which constitutes the relay water supply system of an embodiment. Drawing 3 is a block diagram showing the example of composition of the control system of the engine pump which constitutes the relay water supply system of an embodiment. 4A is a system configuration diagram showing another embodiment of the relay water supply system, and FIG. 4B is an explanatory diagram showing an operation example in the relay water supply system of FIG. 4A. FIG. 5A is a system configuration diagram showing another embodiment of the relay water supply system and an operation example thereof, and FIG. 5B is a system configuration diagram showing still another embodiment of the relay water supply system.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a relay water supply system according to an embodiment of the present invention using an engine pump having a power generation function.
As shown in FIG. 1, the relay water supply system of this embodiment connects a plurality of engine pumps 10 in series via a hose 30 to enable liquid transportation over a long distance. The engine pump 10 incorporates an internal combustion engine such as a gasoline engine and a pump 15 driven by the engine in a housing, and an inlet 11 and a discharge port 12 are provided outside the housing. And the edge part of the hose 30 for supplying water to the other engine pump 10 is each engaged and connected to this inflow port 11 and the discharge port 12. FIG.

Although not shown in the figure, the casing of the engine pump 10 is provided with a fuel tank that stores fuel such as gasoline, a muffler that silences exhaust gas exhausted from the engine, and discharges it to the outside. Furthermore, the engine pump 10 constituting the relay water supply system of the present embodiment is provided with a motor generator and a battery that function as a generator and also function as a motor.
A terminal 13 is provided on the outer surface of the housing of the engine pump 10 to connect a cable 31 for power exchange with another engine pump 10.

The structure of the principal part of the engine pump 10 which comprises the relay water supply system of this embodiment is shown by FIG.
As shown in FIG. 2, the engine pump 10 that constitutes the relay water supply system of the present embodiment includes one end of a crankshaft 14b (the right end in the figure) disposed below the cylinder 14a of the engine 14. ), The impeller 15a of the pump 15 is mounted. A motor generator 16 and a recoil starter 17 are attached to the other end (the left end in the figure) of the crankshaft 14b.

In the vicinity of the recoil starter 17, an inverter unit 18 having an inverter that converts the generated alternating current into direct current and converts the direct current into alternating current again is provided. Further, in the vicinity of the inverter unit 18, a controller 20 on which a control circuit composed of electronic components such as a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM is mounted is disposed.
The engine 14 may be a gasoline engine or a diesel engine.

Here, the motor generator 16 that is driven by the engine 14 to generate electric power and that can also operate as a motor will be briefly described.
The motor generator 16 used in this embodiment is an axial gap type motor generator (hereinafter referred to as an axial motor). The axial motor 16 has a disk-like rotor 16a in which a plurality of magnets are fixed in alignment in the circumferential direction and are attached to a rotation shaft, and a plurality of coils aligned in the circumferential direction. And a stator 16b disposed to face each other at a predetermined interval. The axial motor shown in FIG. 2 includes a pair of rotors 16a, and a stator 16b is disposed between the rotors 16a. The axial motor is not limited to the configuration shown in FIG. 2. For example, the axial motor may have a configuration in which the rotor 16 a is sandwiched between a pair of stators 16 b, or a configuration in which one rotor 16 a and one stator 16 b are provided. .

In the axial motor having such a configuration, when the rotation shaft is rotated, the rotor and the stator are rotated relative to each other, so that electromagnetic induction is generated by the magnet fixed to the rotor and the coil provided on the stator. Current flows to generate electricity.
Since the axial motor can be configured to be thin and can operate as a generator or a motor, there is no need to separately provide a generator and a motor, and there is an advantage that the entire engine pump can be configured in a small size. In addition, since the axial motor has a small cogging torque, it is possible to reduce power loss when the axial motor is operated.

Further, in the engine pump 10 used in the present embodiment, the impeller 15a of the pump 15 is attached to one end portion of the crankshaft 14b, and the motor generator 16 and the recoil starter 17 are attached to the other end portion of the crankshaft 14b. Has been. For this reason, the load balance applied to the shaft is better than in the case where the load is concentrated on one end, and vibrations due to the unbalance of the shaft load can be reduced.
Although not shown, the end portion of the crankshaft 14b on the side where the impeller 15a is mounted may be configured to be able to extract power to the outside as a PTO shaft (power take-off).

Next, the configuration of an electrical control system centering on the controller 20 in the engine pump 10 will be described with reference to FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, the controller 20 detects a start switch 21 provided on an operation panel or the like on the outer surface of the housing, a flow sensor 22 provided on the discharge port side of the pump 15, and a water supply pressure. A detection signal from the pressure sensor 23 is input. Further, the controller 20 is provided with detection signals from a water sensor 24 provided in the housing of the pump 15 for detecting that water has entered the inlet 11 and a rotation speed sensor 25 for detecting the rotation speed of the engine. Have been entered.
Based on signals from these switches and sensors, the controller 20 is configured to control the motor generator 16 and the inverter unit 18 as well as the engine throttle valve 26 and the power switch switches SW1 and SW2. .

Specifically, the controller 20 controls the throttle valve so that, for example, the water supply pressure or the water supply amount becomes a desired pressure or amount based on detection signals from the flow rate sensor 22 and the rotation speed sensor 25 during engine operation. 26 is adjusted.
Further, when the current work amount W = η × P × Q (η is the viscosity coefficient of the fluid to be transferred) is calculated from the operating state of the engine and it is determined that the engine has sufficient capacity, the motor generator 16 generates power. It can be operated as a machine. In this case, the switch SW1 is turned on and the switch SW2 is turned off, and the electric power generated by the motor generator 16 and converted in the inverter unit 18 is supplied from the terminal 13 to the outside. At this time, the controller 20 increases the output of the engine and causes the motor generator 16 to generate electric power while maintaining the water supply pressure and the water supply amount.

On the other hand, when the engine capacity is not sufficient, the controller 20 turns off the switch SW1 and turns on the switch SW2, and supplies electric power from the outside to the motor generator 16 from the terminal 13 to operate as a motor. Can do.
Moreover, since the water sensor 24 for detecting that water is coming to the pump 15 is provided, the controller 20 starts the engine when the water sensor 24 detects water, or stops detecting water. In such a case, the engine is stopped. The controller 20 may perform control to change the output of the engine depending on whether water is coming or not. In the case of a gasoline engine, the controller 20 also controls power supply / cutoff to the spark plug.

Next, a specific example of water supply control in the relay water supply system using the engine pump 10 having the above configuration will be described with reference to FIG.
In FIG. 4, the water feeder 1 and the water feeder 2 mean the engine pump 10 shown in FIG. 2, and here, water is sent from the water feeder 1 to the water feeder 2 side. In FIG. 4, (A) shows the case where the water supply amount Q1 in the water supply device 1 is balanced with the water supply amount Q2 in the water supply device 2, and (B) shows the water supply amounts Q1 and Q2 in the water supply device 1 and the water supply device 2. Represents the case where is unbalanced.

When the water pressure P1 in the water feeder 1 and the water pressure P2 in the water feeder 2 are in balance, as shown in FIG. 4A, the controller (CNT) 20 of the water feeder 1 and the water feeder 2 is The motor generator 16 is controlled not to do anything. That is, control is performed so that the motor generator 16 does not operate as a motor or a generator.
In addition, in such a state, for example, when there is a request to increase the water supply amount, the controller 20 of the water transmitter 1 and the water transmitter 2 determines the work amount W (= (η × P × Q) is calculated to determine whether there is a margin in capacity.
If the capacity is sufficient, the opening of the throttle valve 26 of the own engine is increased to increase the output and increase the water supply amount. On the other hand, when there is a request to reduce the amount of water supply, the opening degree of the throttle valve 26 is reduced to reduce the output, thereby reducing the amount of water supply.

  Here, for example, it is assumed that there is a request to increase the amount of water supplied in the water feeder 1 in the previous stage. In this case, the controller 20 of the front-stage water feeder 1 controls to increase the output of the engine. However, if the water-feed amount of the rear-stage water feeder 2 does not change, the water-feed pressure P1 in the water-feeder 1 increases. Therefore, the water supply pressure P1 and the water supply pressure P2 in the water transmitter 1 and the water transmitter 2 become unbalanced, and there is a possibility of causing an engine stall if the output is forcibly increased. Therefore, the controller 20 performs control to reduce the water supply amount Q1 when the water supply pressure P1 increases without increasing the water supply amount even if the engine output is increased.

Then, in the water feeder 2, the work amount W2 decreases and a margin is generated in the engine output. Therefore, the controller 20 of the water feeder 2 calculates the work amount W (= η × P × Q) and determines that there is remaining power. Then, the motor generator 16 is controlled to operate as a generator to generate power. And the electric power generated by the power generation is sent to the water feeder 1 via the cable 31 as shown in FIG.
At this time, since the controller 20 does not know the water pressure P or the work amount W of the other water transmitter, the power is sent from the other water transmitter by looking at the voltage at the terminal 13 before starting the power generation. If it is not sent, it will generate electricity and send it to another water transmitter. Also, immediately after starting to send power to other water transmitters, the voltage at the terminal 13 is checked to determine whether or not the other water transmitters are receiving power. May be canceled. Thereby, useless power generation can be avoided.

On the other hand, if the controller 20 of the water feeder 1 calculates the amount of work W and determines that the engine has no surplus power, the motor generator 16 is operated as a motor by the electric power from the water feeder 2, and the water amount Q1 is set with the assistance of the motor. Control to increase. Then, since the flow rate Q2 to be fed in the water feeder 2 increases, the controller 20 of the water feeder 2 performs feedback control for reducing the power generation amount by the motor generator 16. As a result, the amount of power generated in the water feeder 2 is reduced, the electric power supplied to the water feeder 1 is reduced, the amount of assist by the motor (16) is also reduced, and a stable operating state is achieved when a balance is achieved.
As described above, in the water feeder with surplus power, the motor generator 16 is operated as a power generator to generate power, and the generated electric energy is sent to the water feeder with no surplus power, thereby improving the energy efficiency of the entire system. Can do. When the controller 20 determines that the engine has no surplus power, the controller 20 looks at the voltage at the terminal 13 to determine whether power is being sent from another water feeder, and power is being sent. Only in such a case, the motor generator 16 may be operated as a motor.

Whether the engine capacity is sufficient is determined by, for example, storing the maximum capacity (maximum output) of the engine in the memory in the controller 20 or the work amount of the pump corresponding to the engine, and calculating in real time. This can be done by comparing with the amount of work done. Instead of comparing with the maximum capacity of the engine, the work volume of the pump in the driving state with the best fuel efficiency is memorized, and it is judged whether the capacity of the engine has a margin compared with the calculated work volume. May be.
Furthermore, in this embodiment, the case where the relay water supply system is constructed with two water feeders has been described as an example, but the present invention can also be applied to the case where the relay water supply system is constructed with three or more water feeders.

  FIG. 5 (A) shows another embodiment of the relay water supply system using the engine pump 10 having the configuration as shown in FIG. In the embodiment of FIG. 5A, a common battery 33 is provided for a plurality of water feeders. In this embodiment, the power generated by the motor generator 16 is converted from AC to DC and output from the terminal 13 to the outside, and the power supplied from the outside via the terminal 13 is changed from DC to AC. The inverter unit 18 has a function of converting and supplying it to the motor generator 16.

  As shown in FIG. 5A, in a system provided with a common battery 33, for example, when the water supply pressure P1 in the water transmitter 1 is higher than the water supply pressure P2 of the water transmitter 2, the water transmitter 1 The controller 20 performs control to reduce the water supply amount Q1. Then, in the water feeder 2, the work W2 of the pump is reduced and a margin is generated in the engine output. Therefore, the controller 20 of the water feeder 2 operates the motor generator 16 as a generator to generate electric power, and the battery 33 uses the electric power. To charge.

On the other hand, when the controller 20 of the water feeder 1 calculates the work amount and determines that the engine capacity is not sufficient, the motor generator 16 is operated as a motor by the electric power from the battery 33, and the water amount Q1 is set by the motor assist. Control to increase. Thereby, the energy efficiency of the whole system can be improved.
Furthermore, when the controller 20 of each water feeder detects the occurrence of abnormal pressure based on the signal from the pressure sensor 23, the motor generator 16 is operated as a generator regardless of the amount of work of the pump. Apply regenerative braking to the engine. The generated power can be sent to the battery 33 for charging, and the energy efficiency can be further improved.
Further, for example, when the system is started, that is, when the water supply is started or when the pressure fluctuation is large, the electric power from the battery 33 may be supplied to operate the motor generator 16 as a motor so as to assist the engine.

Instead of providing a common battery 33 for a plurality of water feeders as shown in FIG. 5A, it is possible to provide a battery for each water feeder.
FIG. 5B shows an example of a relay water supply system in which a battery 27 is provided for each water transmitter (10). In this system, the surplus water feeder can operate the motor generator 16 as a generator to supply power to other water feeders via the cable 31 or charge its own battery 27. In addition, in a water feeder having no surplus power, the engine can be assisted by operating the motor generator 16 as a motor by receiving power from its own battery 27 or another water feeder.

In the above embodiment, as an example, the motor generator 16 that operates as a generator / motor has been described as using an axial motor. However, the motor generator is not limited to an axial motor, and other types of motor generators may be used. It may be a thing.
Further, the structure in which the rotation shafts of the motor generator 16 and the impeller 15a of the pump are directly connected to the crankshaft has been described. However, the rotation shafts of the motor generator 16 and the impeller 15a are indirectly connected to the crankshaft through gears or the like. It may be a structure.

In addition, each engine pump is provided with a communication function, and information regarding the work amount calculated by the controller 20 or the detected value detected by the pressure sensor is exchanged with other engine pumps. Then, it may be determined whether the motor generator 16 functions as a motor or a generator by comparing the work of the self and another engine pump.
Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to a relay water supply system using an engine pump for fire fighting has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to the relay water supply system, and the relay transfer for transferring a fluid to a distant place. The system can be widely used in general.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Engine pump 11 Inlet 12 Discharge port 13 External terminal 14 Internal combustion engine (engine)
14a Cylinder 14b Crankshaft 15 Pump 15a Impeller 16 Motor generator (Axial motor)
17 Recoil starter 18 Inverter unit 20 Controller (control device)
21 Start switch 22 Flow sensor 23 Pressure sensor 24 Water sensor 25 Rotational speed sensor 26 Throttle valve 27 Battery 30 Hose 31 Cable 33 Common battery

Claims (6)

An engine that burns fuel and outputs rotational power from a crankshaft; a motor generator that functions as a generator and a motor and that is coupled to the crankshaft of the engine; and a pump that includes an impeller coupled to the crankshaft. A fluid transfer system in which a plurality of engine pumps including control means capable of controlling the engine and the motor generator are connected in series via hoses,
Each control means of the plurality of engine pumps,
Calculating the work of the pump based on the signals from the flow sensor and pressure sensor provided in each of the pumps to determine whether the engine has sufficient power,
The engine generator of the engine pump that has the surplus engine power operates as a generator to send power to the engine pump that has no surplus power in the engine,
A fluid transfer system, characterized in that a motor generator of an engine pump having no surplus power in an engine is configured to operate as a motor to assist the rotational drive of the impeller by the engine.   A common battery capable of charging / discharging is connected to each of the plurality of engine pumps via a cable, and the engine generator of the engine pump determined by the control means to have a surplus engine is operated as a generator to operate the common A motor generator of an engine pump that is charged by sending power to a battery and having no remaining power in the engine is configured to operate as a motor by receiving power supply from the common battery. The fluid transfer system according to claim 1.   2. The battery according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of engine pumps is provided with a chargeable / dischargeable battery, and the plurality of engine pumps are connected to each other via a cable so that electric power can be transferred. Fluid transfer system.   When the control means detects the occurrence of abnormal pressure based on a signal from the pressure sensor, the motor generator is operated as a motor to apply regenerative braking regardless of the amount of work of the pump. The fluid transfer system according to claim 2 or 3, wherein   5. The fluid transfer system according to claim 1, wherein the motor generator is an axial gap type motor generator, and the motor generator and the impeller are directly connected to the crankshaft.   6. The fluid transfer system according to claim 1, wherein the motor generator and the impeller are respectively disposed on opposite sides of the crankshaft across the cylinder of the engine.

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