Hydropneumatic system

Abstract

hydropneumatic system. This patent application relates to a hydropneumatic system, which will be applied to the field of hydropneumatic units generating hydraulic pressure, consisting of a hydropneumatic unit generating hydraulic pressure with the aid of a pickup valve (4) and weight valve (6), a hydropneumatic pump (11) with a cylindrical pneumatic chamber (9) accommodating the pneumatic piston (7) supported on a spring (8) with a hydraulic injector piston (1) housed internally in the hydraulic pressurization chamber (2), which reduces or eliminates the presence of air bubbles and / or foam.

Description

1 / 9 “HYDROPNEUMATIC SYSTEM”. FIELD OF APPLICATION

[001] This patent application relates to a hydropneumatic system, which will be applied to the field of hydropneumatic units generating hydraulic pressure for use in jacks, winches, presses, cylinders and other equipment. STATE OF THE ART

[002] In this report, the cylindrical hydraulic chamber will be referred to as the hydraulic pressurization chamber.

[003] In this report, the first check valve will be referred to as the fisherman's valve.

[004] In this report, the word oil will be used to refer to any hydraulic fluid or hydraulic liquid used as the means of transmitting energy to any hydraulic system for transmitting energy and force.

[005] Hydropneumatic units that generate hydraulic pressure are typically applied in the design of jacks, winches, presses, cylinders and other hydropneumatic equipment, to increase hydraulic pressure in hydraulic pressure vessels.

[006] For flow and pressure control of hydraulic and pneumatic systems, several valve models are used, such as pressure relief valves, as described in document BRMU8000817-8Y1 of 2007 by the same author, which function to retain and limit the maximum working pressure in hydraulic equipment, more precisely those used in jacks, floor jacks, presses and others.

[007] Document BRPI1001494-2A2 from 2010 by the same author describes an external air flow reversal valve actuation system applied to a hydropneumatic pump, developed Petition 870200014698, dated 01 / 31 / 2020, page 4 / 20 2 / 9 specifically designed to function as a built-in valve, for use in any hydraulic equipment that operates by injecting air through the main inlet to fill the entire air compartment, thus activating the movement of the injector piston within the injector guide channel.

[008] Document BRMU9000721-2U2 from 2010 by the same author describes a hydropneumatic pump that is intended to use air pumping as a pressure source to push oil to drive any machine or equipment.

[009] This pumping described in document BRMU9000721-2U2 occurs by filling the injector guide channel with oil which is pushed down by the injector piston forcing the valve open, releasing the pressurized oil at the outlet to drive any hydraulic equipment, mechanism or machine.

[010] However, in the current market, these and other models of hydropneumatic pumps present the problem of low efficiency, which occurs due to the injector guide channel not being completely filled with oil due to the occurrence of air bubbles.

[011] In current models, the injector guide channel is usually partially filled with a mixture of air and oil when the injector piston is fully raised.

[012] This unwanted mixture of air and oil reduces the oil flow at the valve outlet and forces the piston to work harder to compensate for this loss, precisely because of the presence of air bubbles or foam.

[013] These air bubbles are created because the injector guide channel is not completely filled with oil, so when the injector piston descends it pushes the air and oil together, creating the aforementioned bubbles or foam, which are directed under pressure from the hydraulic pressurization chamber to the outlet valve. Petition 870200014698, dated 01 / 31 / 2020, page 5 / 20 3 / 9

[014] The problem occurs because the mixture of air with oil reduces the output flow, generating increased electricity consumption, the need for prolonged operation of the hydropneumatic pump, and increased wear on the pump due to its intensive use to compensate for the failure.

[015] The presence of air bubbles that result in the loss of the desired flow rate forces the hydropneumatic pump to perform the pumping work for longer in order to obtain the pressure necessary to operate an external hydraulic machine, equipment or device.

[016] That is, in the current technique, the hydraulic part of the hydropneumatic unit that generates hydraulic pressure operates with the aid of at least two check valves mounted in series, and between them is installed a hydropneumatic pump, whose hydraulic injector piston is housed inside a cylindrical hydraulic chamber, here called the "hydraulic pressurization chamber", which, by performing cyclic and linear movements, promotes the increase and decrease of the volume of this chamber, which is filled with hydraulic oil.

[017] During the upward movement of the “hydraulic pressurization chamber”, during the piston's ascent, the oil coming from a reservoir is drawn in by the negative pressure, passing through the first check valve, here called the “oil pickup valve”, which occupies part of this volume, with the excess being occupied by air bubbles and / or oil foam.

[018] During the downward movement of this same chamber, the oil is compressed and forced by the hydraulic injector piston to exit the “hydraulic pressurization chamber” passing through the second check valve, here called the “weight valve”. Petition 870200014698, dated 01 / 31 / 2020, page 6 / 20 4 / 9

[019] In the pneumatic part of the hydraulic pressure generating unit, the hydraulic injector piston is kept in contact with the plunger by means of the force of a spring inside a cylindrical pneumatic chamber, which, by performing cyclic and linear movements, promotes the increase and decrease of the volume of this chamber, which is activated and filled with compressed air.

[020] During the cycle, the injection of compressed air generates an increase in internal pressure, expanding the pneumatic chamber, moving the pneumatic plunger and the hydraulic injector piston.

[021] These hydropneumatic systems described above are subject to loss of efficiency due to the way oil is collected by the formation of negative pressure.

[022] The suction of oil by this negative pressure promotes the expansion of the hydraulic oil and / or its partial suction, making the pumping cycle less efficient, due to the hydraulic oil not fully occupying the pressurization chamber.

[023] Knowing that hydropneumatic systems have inefficient hydraulic oil suction, the author developed a mechanism capable of forcing oil into the “hydraulic pressurization chamber”, increasing its capacity, and thus preventing the possibility of air entering.

[024] This solution to the inefficiency in hydraulic oil suction and reservoir pressurization occurs with the technological innovation developed here, which causes the compressed air injected above the oil level inside the reservoir to force the hydraulic oil through the pickup valve, occupying the hydraulic pressurization chamber more efficiently. Petition 870200014698, dated 01 / 31 / 2020, page 7 / 20 5 / 9

[025] This complete filling of the hydraulic pressurization chamber reduces or even eliminates the presence of air bubbles and / or oil foam and consequently increases the oil flow of the hydropneumatic system with each descent of the hydraulic injector piston.

[026] This improvement, in addition to eliminating the problem described above, results in a technological advance to improve the efficiency of hydropneumatic systems that generate hydraulic pressure for use in jacks, presses, winches, cylinders and other hydropneumatic equipment. OBJECTIVES OF THE INVENTION

[027] Its main objective is to fill the hydraulic pressurization chamber with oil more efficiently, eliminating the existence of air bubbles.

[028] Another objective is to increase the air pressure inside the reservoir to increase the pressure of the hydraulic oil passing through the pickup valve.

[029] The objective is to provide an increase in the flow rate of pressurized oil, thereby generating an increase in operating speed in whatever application it may be used for.

[030] It also aims to ensure that the oil released from the oil pickup valve into the injector guide channel is injected under pressure.

[031] Another desired objective is that the pressurized oil exit from the hydraulic pressurization chamber in the pickup valve occurs free of air bubbles or foam.

[032] Another objective of the present invention contemplates a reduction and simplification of the elements necessary for the realization of the aforementioned system. Petition 870200014698, dated 01 / 31 / 2020, page 8 / 20 6 / 9 DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[033] The attached drawings show the hydropneumatic system, which together with the detailed numerical references below, makes it easier to understand, although this invention may vary in many different constructive forms, always customized for each application, not shown in the drawings that will be described here in detail and forms for carrying out the said invention.

[034] Figure 1 presents a partial cutaway perspective view showing, as an example, a hydropneumatic hydraulic pressure generating unit designed to reduce or even eliminate the presence of air bubbles and / or oil foam, through pressurization with compressed air injected above the oil level inside the hydraulic equipment reservoir, represented by indicative arrows to force its passage through the pickup valve, occupying the hydraulic pressurization chamber more efficiently.

[035] Figure 2 presents a partial cutaway perspective view showing a constructive variant of the reservoir of the hydraulic equipment controlled manually by an opening and closing valve.

[036] Figure 3 presents a partial cutaway perspective view showing the mounting position of the hydropneumatic pump between the weight valve and the oil pickup valve coming from the hydraulic equipment reservoir. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[037] In the hydraulic part of the hydropneumatic unit generating hydraulic pressure with the aid of at least two check valves, namely the pickup valve (4) and the weight valve (6), mounted in series, a hydropneumatic pump (11) is installed between them, whose hydraulic injector piston (1) in the form of a cylindrical shaft, inside a Petition 870200014698, dated 01 / 31 / 2020, page 9 / 20 7 / 9 cylindrical hydraulic chamber, herein referred to as hydraulic pressurization chamber (2), performs cyclic and linear movements, cyclically increasing and decreasing the volume of the hydraulic pressurization chamber (2), which is filled with hydraulic oil (3).

[038] During the movement of increasing the hydraulic pressurization chamber (2) and passing through the first check valve, here called the pickup valve (4), the oil (3) that comes from a reservoir (5), passing through a communication channel and / or hose (not shown) is sucked in by the negative pressure formed by this movement and occupies a part of this volume, the excess being occupied by air bubbles and / or foam.

[039] During the lowering movement of this same chamber, the oil (3) is compressed and forced by the hydraulic injector piston (1) to exit the hydraulic pressurization chamber (2) passing through the second check valve, here called the weight valve (6).

[040] This continuous and frequent movement generates hydraulic pressure.

[041] In the pneumatic part of the hydropneumatic unit generating hydraulic pressure, the hydraulic injector piston (1) is kept in contact with a pneumatic plunger (7) by means of the force of a spring (8).

[042] This pneumatic piston (7) in the form of a cylindrical shaft, inside a cylindrical pneumatic chamber (9), performs cyclic and linear movements, cyclically increasing and decreasing the volume of this cylindrical pneumatic chamber (9), which is actuated and filled with compressed air.

[043] During the cycle, the injection of compressed air generates an increase in internal pressure, expanding the cylindrical pneumatic chamber (9), moving the pneumatic plunger (7) and the hydraulic injector piston (1). Petition 870200014698, dated 01 / 31 / 2020, page 10 / 20 8 / 9

[044] These hydropneumatic systems are subject to loss of efficiency due to the way the oil is collected (3), which is done by forming negative pressure.

[045] The suction of oil (3) by this negative pressure promotes its expansion or partial suction, making the pumping cycle less efficient, due to the incomplete occupation of the hydraulic pressurization chamber (2) by oil (3).

[046] Knowing that hydropneumatic systems have oil suction inefficiency (3) the author developed a mechanism capable of forcing the entry of oil (3) into the hydraulic pressurization chamber (2), increasing its occupancy and consequently its efficiency.

[047] This refers to the pressurization of the reservoir (5), as the compressed air (10), injected above the oil level (3), inside the reservoir (5), forces the passage of oil (3) through the pickup valve (4), occupying the hydraulic pressurization chamber (2) more efficiently, reducing or even eliminating the presence of air bubbles and / or foam.

[048] This results in an increase in the oil flow rate of the hydropneumatic system.

[049] The system is characterized by the increase in pressure inside the oil reservoir (5) (3) forcing it to be injected under pressure into the hydraulic pressurization chamber (2), when the pickup valve (4) opens.

[050] Thus, whenever the oil pickup valve (4) opens, the oil (3) is pushed in with more pressure, completely filling the hydraulic pressurization chamber (2) with oil (3), leaving it free of air and / or foam.

[051] In this way, with each upward movement of the hydraulic injector piston (1), the hydraulic pressurization chamber (2) is filled. Petition 870200014698, dated 01 / 31 / 2020, page 11 / 20 9 / 9 completely filled with oil (3), providing a higher oil outlet flow (3) at the weight valve (6), generating a higher hydraulic flow rate with each descent of the injector piston.

[052] The exit of oil (3) free of air bubbles from the hydraulic pressurization chamber (2) in the pickup valve (4) generates an increase in oil flow in the hydropneumatic system.

[053] In other words, this complete filling of the hydraulic pressurization chamber (2) with oil (3) results in increased efficiency of the entire system, since with each pumping cycle of the hydraulic injector piston (1) going up and down, only oil (3), free from unwanted air bubbles, will be pushed down to exit the pickup valve (4).

[054] This pressure inside the reservoir (5) of the hydraulic equipment can be controlled manually by an opening and closing valve (12), which allows the internal pressure of the reservoir (5) to be switched on or off manually or by another constructive form that allows this control automatically. Petition 870200014698, dated 01 / 31 / 2020, page 12 / 20

Claims

1) “HYDROPNEUMATIC SYSTEM, comprising a hydropneumatic unit generating hydraulic pressure with the aid of a pickup valve (4) and weight valve (6), a hydropneumatic pump (11) with a cylindrical pneumatic chamber (9) accommodating the pneumatic piston (7) supported on a spring (8), with a hydraulic injector piston (1) housed internally in the hydraulic pressurization chamber (2), and an oil reservoir (5) connected to the pickup valve (4), characterized in that the reservoir (5) comprises a compressed air inlet (10) positioned above the oil level (3), so as to keep the interior of the reservoir (5) under compressed air pressure (10) above the free surface of the oil (3). 2) “HYDROPNEUMATIC SYSTEM”, according to claim 1, characterized by the reservoir (5) additionally comprising an opening and closing valve (12) for manual or automatic control of the compressed air pressure (10) inside. Petition 870260059426, dated 06 / 18 / 2026, page 16 / 19

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