Hydrodynamic retarder

Abstract

The utility model relates to a hydrodynamic retarder, comprising a working medium tank consisting of a tank housing part and a tank cover, in which an oil separation device is arranged, through which a ventilation and exhaust gas stream can flow, said working medium tank comprising an air chamber and an oil chamber for receiving a working medium, in particular oil. According to the oil separation device, the oil separation device is arranged in the air chamber of the working medium tank and is connected with the working medium tank in an air communication manner only through at least one flow-through channel, the oil separation device is provided with an oil collection area, and the oil collection area is arranged relative to the flow-through channel in a manner that the oil collection area is communicated with the working medium tank through the flow-through channel. When the working medium tank is ventilated, oil collected in the oil collection region is conveyed into the oil chamber through the flow passage by means of a compressed air flow.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to a hydraulic retarder with an oil separation device, the oil separation device being particularly used for installation in the working medium tank of the hydraulic retarder, the hydraulic retarder being applied in a vehicle transmission system. Background Technology

[0002] The construction of this hydraulic retarder is known in the prior art and includes a working medium tank and a working medium circuit connected thereto, in which a working chamber consisting of a rotor and a stator is arranged. The retarder primarily operates in two states: non-braking operation and braking operation.

[0003] In non-braking operation, the working medium, especially oil, is filled to a certain height in the working medium tank, thus forming a working medium space and an air space in the working medium tank.

[0004] When the retarder switches to braking operation, the working medium tank is loaded with compressed air, thereby delivering the working medium into the working medium circuit. If the retarder switches back to non-braking operation, the working medium tank vents to the environment, thereby pumping the working medium back into the working medium tank through the pumping action between the rotor and stator. Therefore, the working medium tank is designed as a pressure tank, emptied or filled according to the air pressure.

[0005] Torque is transmitted from the blade rotor to the blade stator through a working medium. When the working chamber is filled, the rotor is slowed down, and thus the shafts designed to resist torsion with the rotor, especially the universal joint shafts or gearbox output shafts indirectly connected to the vehicle's wheels, are also slowed down.

[0006] The retarder's rotor and stator form an annular working chamber, which is connected to a working medium circuit containing a working medium tank via a channel system. The working chamber is vented through an exhaust system, allowing air to be discharged into the environment through the connection between the working chamber and the surrounding environment. The working medium tank can be connected to a compressed air interface via a compressed air regulator including multiple valves.

[0007] To switch the retarder to braking mode, compressed air must be supplied to the working medium tank via the compressed air regulator, also known as the MRCU, and the working chamber must be emptied. The air in the working chamber is then introduced into the surrounding environment through the side ventilation system.

[0008] When the retarder switches to non-braking operation, the working medium tank must be vented and the working chamber ventilated. The working chamber is ventilated to ambient air via a side ventilation system, as well as is well known in document DE 10 2013 006 611A1. The working medium tank is discharged into the environment via an oil separator and MRCU. Therefore, the oil separator is arranged between the working medium tank and the environment. The connection to the environment can be disconnected via the MRCU and a pressure regulating valve, as is known, for example, in document DE 10 2019 134843 A1.

[0009] Therefore, a side ventilation system and an oil separator are known from document CN 105 697 749A, designed to prevent the working medium, especially oil, from entering the environment. Especially when switching to non-braking operation, oil foam forms, its volume being much larger than oil, and thus quickly fills the air space in the working medium tank with oil foam or oil, where oil entry into the environment is not permitted. To prevent this from happening, separate channel wiring is known between the working medium tank and the environment. Therefore, channel wiring with multiple separation chambers, each with a different structure, is known from document CN 105 697 602A.

[0010] For example, as known from document CN 105 697 601A, the channels of the oil separator are die-cast as open channels in the tank cap. An intermediate element, in this case a seal, is needed between the tank cap and the tank shell to close the channels or to allow for channel extension. Ventilation and exhaust are achieved through these channels, and the airflow is deflected perpendicular to the oil surface, which facilitates the formation of oil mist. Utility Model Content

[0011] The technical problem to be solved by this utility model is to propose an oil separation device, which further prevents oil from being sprayed from the working medium tank of the retarder into the surrounding environment.

[0012] The aforementioned technical problem is solved by a hydraulic retarder according to this utility model.

[0013] A hydraulic retarder is proposed, comprising a working medium tank consisting of a tank shell and a tank cover, wherein an oil separation device is arranged in the working medium tank, the oil separation device being circulated by ventilation and exhaust airflow, wherein the working medium tank includes an air chamber and an oil chamber for containing the working medium, particularly oil.

[0014] According to the present invention, the oil separation device is arranged in the air chamber of the working medium tank and is connected to the working medium tank in an air-conducting manner only through at least one flow channel. The oil separation device has an oil collection area, which is arranged relative to the flow channel such that, when the working medium tank is ventilated, the oil collected in the oil collection area is transported to the oil chamber through the flow channel by means of a compressed air flow.

[0015] By arranging the oil collection area and flow outlet, the oil separator is flushed in this way every time it switches to braking operation, making the oil separator essentially oil-free.

[0016] Furthermore, it can be specified that the flow outlet is arranged in a partition element, which is arranged between the tank shell and the tank cover. The partition element can separate the area of ​​the tank shell and the area of ​​the tank cover from each other within the working medium tank, or connect the area within the tank shell and the area within the tank cover.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment, the separating element may be a seal disposed between the tank body and the tank cover, thereby sealing the working medium tank relative to the surrounding environment.

[0018] Furthermore, preferably, the area arranged between the tank cover and the separating element is formed by the oil separation device or oil separator plug-in.

[0019] The oil separator can optionally be a separate component, i.e., an oil separator insert fixed in the tank cover. Such an insert can be easily adapted to new conditions, and its internal structure can become more complex, especially since castings cannot be easily modified.

[0020] The oil separation device or oil separator plug-in may in particular include labyrinth barrier elements, baffles and / or cyclone separators.

[0021] In addition, or particularly additionally, the oil separation device or oil separator insert may include a filter element, wherein the filter element may be a flow control element, a sintered metal part, or a metal wire mesh.

[0022] In order to prevent the formation of oil mist, the compressed air flow 33 must be specifically directed into the air chamber. For this purpose, a channel sealed relative to the air chamber is provided in the working medium tank, through which the compressed air can be delivered to the oil separator or oil separator insert by means of a compressed air regulator.

[0023] Preferably, the channel has multiple sections, each section consisting of either a tank support and a partition element, a partition element and a tank cover, or a tank support, a partition element, and a tank cover. The partition element has an opening through which air can flow from one section to another. Thus, the channel can extend into the working medium tank, which allows for better oil removal of the exhaust gas during tank venting. Attached Figure Description

[0024] The present invention will now be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

[0025] Figure 1 A functional diagram of the retarder is shown.

[0026] Figure 2 An oil separation device according to the present invention is shown.

[0027] Figure 3 Showing the compressed air flow through the oil separator Detailed Implementation

[0028] Figure 1 A functional schematic diagram of retarder 1 is shown, illustrating its main functions. The entire working medium loop through retarder 1 and the controller is also shown. Retarder 1 is essentially composed of its retarder housing, which is made up of multiple housing components 2, 3, 15, and 16. The stator housing 3 and the tank housing component can also be designed as a single piece. The rotor 6 and stator 7 are arranged between rotor housing 2 and stator housing 3. Oil, serving as the working medium 9, enters the working chamber 14 between rotor 6 and stator 7 through filling channel 12. The working medium 9 is returned to the working medium tank 4 via heat exchanger 11 and return channel 13.

[0029] As shown in the figure, the can consists of a can housing 15, a can lid 16, and at least one partition element 17 installed between them. For additional functionality, further partition elements, not shown in the figure, may be provided within the can. The partition element 17 is designed such that it seals the gap between the can housing 15 and the can lid 16 relative to the surrounding environment. An additional function of the partition element 17 is to, together with the can housing 15 and / or the can lid 16, form multiple sub-regions 18, 34, or channels 36 for specific functions.

[0030] The oil-fillable area of ​​the working medium tank 4 is the oil chamber 30, and the space above the oil surface is the air chamber 31. An oil separator 18 is disposed in the air chamber 31, and the oil separator has a flow passage 29. The outlet of the oil separator 18 is connected to the pressure regulating unit 19 and the compressed air supply device 32 via passages 20, 34, and 36. Through these passages 20, 34, and 36, compressed air can be loaded into the working medium tank for switching to braking operation and vented from the working medium tank after switching to non-braking operation.

[0031] Exhaust is achieved by switching corresponding valves within the compressed air regulator 19. During exhaust, the air, typically containing oil, flows into the oil separator 18 through the flow passage 29. The oil separator can be designed in various ways. The oil separator 18 may include labyrinthine baffles, baffles, and / or cyclone separators, which can be shaped to reduce the oil content in the air. The air can then directly enter the surrounding environment through passage 20, the compressed air regulator 19, and the exhaust passage 21, or, as shown, the exhaust gas can be again introduced into the working medium tank 4 through the exhaust chamber 23 or passage and from there enter the surrounding environment through the exhaust outlet 22.

[0032] The exhaust chamber 23 helps with sound insulation, and other measures can be installed in the exhaust outlet 22.

[0033] Figure 1 Further details will not be elaborated here, as these details are already well known from existing technology.

[0034] Figure 2 The first embodiment of an oil separation device 18 according to the present invention is shown, which has an oil separator insert 18a, the oil separator insert being designed as a separate component and inserted into a housing cover 16.

[0035] When the retarder 1 switches to braking operation, compressed air 33 first flows through the ventilation and exhaust passage 20, which continues to be guided through an opening in the separator element 17, and thus connects to the ventilation and exhaust passage 20 within the intermediate cavity 34 in the tank housing 15. This indicates that compressed air 33 is introduced from the intermediate cavity through the separator element 17 into the passage 37, which terminates above the oil separator insert 18a, wherein the passage is not connected to the adjacent air chamber 31.

[0036] The oil separator insert 18a has multiple planes separated by one or more grid surfaces 35. Compressed air 33 flows through the grid surfaces 35 and can then exit the oil separator insert 18a only through the flow channel 29 in the intermediate element 17 and flow into the air chamber 31. Other geometries, such as labyrinthine baffles, baffles, or cyclone separators, can also be used instead of grid surfaces. Importantly, the geometry of the oil separator insert 18a has an oil collection area 36, ​​which is designed such that the compressed air flow 33 carries the collected oil through the flow channel 29 to the air chamber 31 and from there back to the oil chamber 30. Thus, the flow channel 29 is arranged such that the oil accumulated in the oil separator insert 18a is blown into the working medium tank 4 by the compressed air flow 33. Equally important, the compressed air flow 33 is not directly directed to align with the oil surface, resulting in less atomized oil from the working medium tank.

[0037] The greater the pressure in the working medium tank 4, the greater the filling degree of the working chamber 14, which in turn increases the braking torque of the retarder 1.

[0038] When switching to non-braking operation, the working medium tank 4 is emptied. At this time, oil-containing air from the working medium tank 4 is introduced into the oil separator insert 18a through the flow channel 29, then through the channel 37, intermediate chamber 34, ventilation and exhaust channel 20, and pressure regulator 19, and from there further enters the surrounding environment, such as... Figure 1 As shown and described above.

[0039] Most of the oil droplets are separated in the oil separator insert 18a, and the oil is collected at the deepest part of the oil separator insert 18a, namely the oil collection area 36.

[0040] To improve oil separation, a filter element (not shown) can be installed in the oil separator insert 18a. It should be noted that each time the system switches to braking operation, the filter element is pulsed cleaned or de-oiled by the incoming compressed air 33, because the flow rate of the compressed air 33 into the working medium tank 4 is significantly higher than the flow rate during the exhaust process. The filter element can be, for example, a flow control element, a sintered metal component, or a wire mesh.

[0041] exist Figure 3 The compressed air flow through the oil separator 18 is shown again in a highly simplified manner. Line 33 indicates the direction of compressed air flow, where the flow direction during exhaust is omitted because it is simply reversed. It is clear from the schematic diagram how the exhaust chamber 23 and the passage 37 leading to the oil separator insert 18a are constructed, where the oil separator insert 18a is a separate component that is inserted into the tank cover 16 and connected to the air chamber 31 of the working medium tank 4 only through the through-flow passage 29 in the dividing element 17.

[0042] The separating element 17 may be, for example, a seal between the can housing part 15 and the can lid 16. The separating element is essentially a component that separates the areas from each other. The separating element 17 has a channel or through hole that allows airflow to be diverted from one side of the separating element 17 to the other side.

[0043] In an alternative design, the oil separator insert 18a can also be designed as an oil separation chamber with labyrinthine barriers, baffles, and / or a cyclone separator, the chamber being designed as a single piece with the tank cover, i.e., consisting of a single casting, wherein the filter insert is subsequently inserted into the tank cover. Even in this design, an oil collection area 36 is provided, and the arrangement of the flow channels 29 is configured according to the aforementioned functions.

[0044] In both embodiments, the preferred arrangement of the flow passage 29 is within the partition element 17, which in both embodiments separates the entire airflow region and oil separator region passing through the working medium tank 4 from the air region, thus establishing a connection with the air chamber only through the flow passage 29. Consequently, the compressed air flow 33 or exhaust airflow can only flow into or out of the working medium tank 4 through the flow passage 29.

[0045] List of reference numerals

[0046] 1. Retarder

[0047] 2 Rotor housing

[0048] 3. Stator housing

[0049] 4 Working medium tank

[0050] 5a and b bearings

[0051] 6 rotors

[0052] 7. Stator

[0053] 8 Rotor shaft

[0054] 9. Working medium

[0055] 10. Housing partition

[0056] 11 Heat Exchanger

[0057] 12 Infusion Channels

[0058] 13 Return Channel

[0059] 14 Working Chamber

[0060] 15 tank shell parts

[0061] 16 can lids

[0062] 17. Separating element

[0063] 18. Oil Separation Unit

[0064] 18a Oil separator insert

[0065] 19 Compressed Air Regulator

[0066] 20 Ventilation and exhaust channels

[0067] 21 Exhaust Gas Passage

[0068] 22 Exhaust Gas Outlet

[0069] 23 Exhaust Chamber

[0070] 24 Lubrication Channels

[0071] 25 Bypass

[0072] 26 Exhaust passage

[0073] 27 Controller

[0074] 28. Exhaust valve

[0075] 29 Crossflow Channel

[0076] 30 oil chambers

[0077] 31 Air Chamber

[0078] 32 Compressed air interface

[0079] 33 Compressed air flow

[0080] 34 Intermediate cavity

[0081] 35 grid surfaces

[0082] 36 Oil collection area

[0083] 37 channels.

Claims

1. A hydraulic retarder (1) comprising a working medium tank (4) consisting of a tank shell (15) and a tank cover (16), wherein an oil separator (18) is arranged in the working medium tank, the oil separator being traversable by ventilation and exhaust airflow, wherein, The working medium tank (4) includes an air chamber (31) and an oil chamber (30) for containing the working medium (9), characterized in that the oil separation device (18) is arranged in the air chamber (31) of the working medium tank (4) and is connected to the working medium tank (4) in an air-conducting manner only through at least one flow channel (29), wherein the oil separation device (18) has an oil collection area (36) arranged relative to the flow channel (29) such that, when the working medium tank (4) is ventilated, the oil collected in the oil collection area (36) is transported through the flow channel (29) to the oil chamber (30) by means of a compressed air flow (33).

2. The hydraulic retarder (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The working medium (9) is oil.

3. The hydraulic retarder (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that, A flow channel (29) is arranged in a partition element (17) between the tank shell part (15) and the tank cover (16). The partition element (17) can separate the area of ​​the tank shell part (15) and the area of ​​the tank cover (16) within the working medium tank (4), or connect the area within the tank shell part (15) and the area within the tank cover (16).

4. The hydraulic retarder (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that, The separating element (17) is a seal disposed between the tank shell part (15) and the tank cover (16) to seal the working medium tank (4) relative to the surrounding environment.

5. The hydraulic retarder (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The area between the tank cover (16) and the separating element is formed by the oil separation device (18) or the oil separator insert (18a).

6. The hydraulic retarder (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that, The oil separator (18) is a separate component, namely the oil separator insert (18a) fixed in the tank cover (16).

7. The hydraulic retarder (1) according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that, The oil separation device (18) or oil separator insert (18a) includes a labyrinth barrier, a baffle, and / or a cyclone separator.

8. The hydraulic retarder (1) according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that, The oil separation device (18) or oil separator insert (18a) includes a filter element.

9. The hydraulic retarder (1) according to claim 8, characterized in that, The filter element is a flow control element, a sintered metal part, or a metal wire mesh.

10. The hydraulic retarder (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that, The working medium tank (4) is provided with a channel (37) that is sealed relative to the air chamber (31), through which compressed air can be delivered to the oil separator (18) or oil separator insert (18a) by means of a compressed air regulator (19).

11. The hydraulic retarder (1) according to claim 10, characterized in that, The channel (37) has multiple sections, each of which is composed of either a can support and a partition element (17), or a partition element (17) and a can lid (16), or a can support, a partition element (17) and a can lid (16), wherein the partition element has an opening through which air can flow from one section to another.

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