Grundfos Pumps Corporation

Milton Roy, LLC

Jason Carman

Ryan Haack

Kim Hoerdum Hansen

Nile Fairfield

The performance of a solenoid drive liquid pump can be very dependent on the magnitude and stability of an input voltage, with non-ideal input power resulting in loss of efficiency and potential damage to the pump. Pulse width of drive signals provided to the pump, which cause solenoids to alternately energize to move liquid through the pump, may be adjusted in duration in order to compensate for non-ideal input voltage. A drive control module of the pump gathers voltage information, determines an improved pulse width based upon that voltage information, and then provides drive signals based upon the improved pulse width. Operating in this manner, a pump can operate at or near peak efficiency despite both significant variances in input voltage and non-sinusoidal input voltage, and without customized components or adapters.

Pump drive that minimizes a pulse width based on voltage data to improve intake and discharge strokes

A pump assembly includes a pump housing, a motor coupled to the pump housing being operated to drive fluid through the pump housing, and a control module operatively coupled to the motor. The control module has a power connector with power contacts, where the power connector has a plug interface. The pump assembly also includes first and second plug assemblies configured to be selectively coupled to the power connector. The first and second plug assemblies have first and second mating interfaces both configured to mate with the plug interface of the power connector. The first plug assembly includes a line cord having a pump plug at one end of the line cord and an outlet plug at an opposite end of the line cord. The second plug assembly includes a conduit box having plug contacts configured to be field wired to a power cable within the conduit box.

Growing community of inventors

Gardner, KS, United States of America

Jason Carman