Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout303.004b - Pump Boss PBA 400-500 (MAX) Effective Date: December 2018 Robert J. Garcia, Engineer Current Revision Date: 12/18/2025 Section 303.004b Next Revision (1) Date: 12/18/2027 Page 1 of 7 Fresno City Fire Department 300 Training and Equipment Manual SECTION 303.004b PUMP BOSS PBA 400/500 (MAX) PURPOSE The purpose of this policy is to outline the use and operation of the Fire Research Pump Boss Pressure Governor and Engine Monitoring Model PBA 400. APPLICATION The Pump Boss is equipped in 2017 and newer model engines on Fresno Fire Department (FFD or Department) apparatus. The Pump Boss 400/500 (MAX) pressure governor uses state-of-the-art programmable microprocessor technology and operates in one of two modes, pressure or RPM. It maintains a steady pump discharge pressure within system capabilities by controlling the engine speed or holds a selected engine RPM. The Pump Boss ensures safer operation when the pressure governor is activated by avoiding unsafe pressure surges. OPERATIONAL POLICY This section intentionally left blank. OPERATIONAL GUIDELINE The Pump Boss PBA 400/500 (MAX) should be used while operating an FFD engine. PROCESS On power-up, the governor is in the pressure mode of operating. The RPM display shows engine RPM, and the monitoring display shows green indicating readings within normal ranges. Effective Date: December 2018 Robert J. Garcia, Engineer Current Revision Date: 12/18/2025 Section 303.004b Next Revision (1) Date: 12/18/2027 Page 2 of 7 If a monitored function is not within normal parameters the display flashes, the RPM display shows an error or fault warning code, and a description is shown in the message display. If one of the inputs displayed by the LED bar graphs is not within normal range, the LEDs will be red, and you will hear an audible alarm. When all necessary throttle enables are active and the interlock circuit is complete, the “THROTTLE READY” LED comes on and the governor is ready to control the engine RPM. The control signal is set at idle regardless of the control knob position. Controls The control knob is used to adjust pressure and RPM settings. The governor senses how fast and in what direction the control knob is rotated and sends a signal to the ECM to increase or decrease the engine RPM proportionally. If the control knob is rotated quickly, the engine RPM changes quickly. If the control knob is rotated slowly; the engine RPM changes slowly. • Rotate the control knob counterclockwise* to increase engine RPM. • Rotate the control knob clockwise* to decrease engine RPM. • Press the red IDLE button to immediately return the engine to idle. Pressure Mode Operation In the pressure mode of operation, the PRESSURE LED is on. The governor maintains a constant discharge pressure within system capabilities. It adjusts the engine RPM automatically to compensate for variations in pressure. There is a maximum engine RPM programmed in the governor for pressure mode. If the engine reaches the programmed maximum RPM the message display flashes “MAX RPM / OPERATOR” and the engine RPM is not allowed to go higher. (The maximum engine RPM is normally set at 2100 and is programmable.) If the discharge pressure is below 15 PSI when the operator increases the pressure setting, the display shows “PRESS LOW”. Note: When changing from RPM to pressure mode during operations, hold the PRESSURE button for three (3) seconds. The pressure setting is the pressure that the pump was operating at in RPM mode. Effective Date: December 2018 Robert J. Garcia, Engineer Current Revision Date: 12/18/2025 Section 303.004b Next Revision (1) Date: 12/18/2027 Page 3 of 7 1. Press PRESSURE button to select the pressure mode. Result: PRESSURE LED goes on. 2. Press PRESET and/or rotate control knob to select pressure setting. Result: Message display shows pressure setting, engine RPM changes. 3. Press the IDLE button after operations to set engine to idle RPM. Result: Message display shows IDLE ENGINE, engine at idle RPM. RPM Mode Operation In the RPM mode of operation, the RPM LED is on. The governor maintains a constant engine RPM. The pump discharge pressure can vary but, as a safety feature, the governor limits the increase in pressure to 30 PSI over the last established PSI value. As the discharge pressure approaches this limit the governor automatically lowers the RPM to prevent a high-pressure surge. The RPM LED blinks as the governor sets a lower RPM. This lower RPM will be the new operating RPM setting. Note: When changing from pressure to RPM mode during operations, hold the RPM button for 3 seconds. The RPM setting is the RPM that the pump was operating at in pressure mode. 1. Press RPM button to select RPM mode. Result: RPM LED goes on. 2. Press PRESET and/or rotate control knob to select RPM setting. Result: Message display shows RPM setting, engine RPM changes. 3. Press the IDLE button after operations to bring the engine to idle RPM. Result: Message display shows “IDLE ENGINE”, engine at idle RPM. Effective Date: December 2018 Robert J. Garcia, Engineer Current Revision Date: 12/18/2025 Section 303.004b Next Revision (1) Date: 12/18/2027 Page 4 of 7 Switching Between Operating Modes • No variation in discharge pressure or RPM occurs when changing between pressure and RPM modes. • When changing to RPM mode, the RPM setting is the RPM that the pump was operating at in pressure mode. • When changing to pressure mode, the pressure setting is the pressure that the pump was operating at in RPM mode. • When the engine is at idle RPM: Press the mode button and the governor changes modes immediately. • When the engine RPM is above idle: Press and hold the mode button for three (3) seconds and the governor changes modes. (This is to avoid accidental change over if the buttons get bumped.) INFORMATION Opening/Closing Discharge Valves In pressure mode the governor maintains the pressure setting regardless of the number of discharge lines that are opened or closed providing there is sufficient water supplied. As lines are opened the discharge pressure starts to drop and the governor raises the engine RPM to maintain the required pressure. As lines are closed and the discharge pressure starts to rise, the governor lowers the engine RPM to maintain the required pressure. Operating From a Pressurized Supply When operating from a pressurized water source (hydrant, in-relay, etc.), the intake supply should be routed through a valve. If the pressurized source fails, the pump operator can close the valve. This eliminates the chance of sharp pressure spikes at the pump intake if the supply is resumed suddenly. The operator must open this valve slowly when the supply is resumed to help prevent pressure spikes. Running Away From Water, Low Water, or No Supply Water There are situations during pump operations when there may be low or no supply water. This can be due to an empty water tank, a problem on the intake line, air in the pump, changing the water source, or an insufficient water supply. Effective Date: December 2018 Robert J. Garcia, Engineer Current Revision Date: 12/18/2025 Section 303.004b Next Revision (1) Date: 12/18/2027 Page 5 of 7 The governor constantly monitors discharge pressure and compares it to engine RPM. It is programmed to limit RPM increases when conditions arise that fall outside of normal operating parameters. Running Away From Water If the discharge pressure starts dropping while operating in pressure mode, the governor increases the engine RPM and attempts to maintain the selected pressure setting. If pressure drops and an increase in RPM does not bring the pressure back up, the governor recognizes this as a running-away-from-water condition. When this condition occurs, the governor switches to the RPM LIMIT MODE, LOW WATER CYCLE or NO SUPPLY WATER, alerts the operator and controls the engine RPM accordingly. RPM Limit Mode When the RPM limit mode is in effect the PRESSURE LED stays on. To alert the operator, the RPM LED and the RPM display flash, audible alarm and the message display flashes “OPERATOR / RPM LIMIT”. In this mode the pressure setting does not change, and the PRESET button is disabled. When the pressure comes back up to the selected pressure setting, the RPM limit mode is canceled and the governor switches to normal operation in pressure mode at the selected pressure. In some cases, the pressure may not come back up but remain at a level above 45 PSI. In the RPM limit mode, the governor behaves like a manual throttle, and the operator can raise or lower the engine RPM by rotating the control knob. If the RPM is manually lowered to a point where the pump is not running away from water and pressure is stable, the RPM limit mode is canceled. The governor switches to normal operation in pressure mode with the current discharge pressure as the new pressure setting. If the engine is set to idle using the IDLE button, the governor comes out of RPM Limit Mode and cancels the pressure setting. Low Water Cycle If the discharge pressure is below 45 PSI, but stays above 15 PSI, the governor enters a low water cycle, and the message display flashes “LO WATER”. It sets the engine at 1100 RPM. If the pressure does not rise above 45 PSI in seven (7) seconds, the governor sets the engine RPM at idle. The governor repeats the low water cycle as long as the discharge pressure is between 15 and 45 PSI. When the pressure rises above 45 PSI, the governor resumes normal operation. (The values for RPM and PSI in the low water cycle are programmable and may vary for some engine/pump combinations.) Effective Date: December 2018 Robert J. Garcia, Engineer Current Revision Date: 12/18/2025 Section 303.004b Next Revision (1) Date: 12/18/2027 Page 6 of 7 No Supply Water If the discharge pressure is below 15 PSI, the engine RPM is set at idle, and the message display flashes NO WATER. If, within three (3) minutes, the discharge pressure rises above 15 PSI the governor enters the low water cycle. If the discharge pressure does not rise above 15 PSI within three (3) minutes, the governor switches to idle mode and cancels the pressure setting. To restart pump operations, the operator must take action (press PRESET and/or rotate control knob to select pressure settings). Pump Discharge Pressure is High at Engine Idle Once the governor has set the engine RPM at idle, it can do no more to reduce discharge pressures. To reduce discharge pressure the pump operator can gate incoming water, gate discharges, or disable the pump. Additional Features/Differences included with the PBA 500 (MAX) PBA 500 (MAX) Information Center The four radial gauges provide a constant display of safe operating ranges for engine coolant temp, engine oil pressure, battery voltage, and transmission temperature. They do not show exact numbers, this detailed information is shown in the info Center when the ‘MENU’ button is pressed. Also included is, engine hours and pump hours. PBA 500 (MAX) Control Parameter read out 1. Press and release menu button. 2. Display will now show value and name of one of the available parameters. 3. To switch, press and release ‘MENU’ button several times until desired parameter is displayed. 4. Parameter display will turn off immediately when the operator changes a setting by using the knob or ‘PRESET’ button and automatically in approximately 8 seconds after the last ‘MENU’ button press. PBA 500 (MAX) Silence audio alarm This feature allows the operator to temporarily silence audio alarm. This does not cancel warning condition(s) that triggered it. To silence audio alarm press ‘SILENCE’ button. PBA 500 (MAX) Screen Brightness Effective Date: December 2018 Robert J. Garcia, Engineer Current Revision Date: 12/18/2025 Section 303.004b Next Revision (1) Date: 12/18/2027 Page 7 of 7 To change the screen brightness, utilize the menu system. To temporarily change the screen brightness: 1. Press and hold ‘SILENCE’ button for 5 seconds. Do not release. 2. When ‘ADJ. SCR. BRIGHTNESS’ message displays, press and release the ‘PRESSURE’ or ‘RPM’ button to decrease or increase screen brightness. 3. Release the ‘SILENCE’ button to stop screen adjustment. Note: Screen brightness will return to previous setting when power is cycled. PBA 500 (MAX) DAY or Night display mode By default, the screen will switch between DAY or Night display as ambient light changes. All settings including brightness can be set For more information, access the following link: Fire Research Pump Boss PBA 400 Manual Fire Research Pump Boss PBA 500 Manual Fire Research Pump Boss PBA 500 Features DEFINITIONS This section intentionally left blank. CROSS-REFERENCES No cross-references recognized.