Hydropneumatic Accumulator Valve Projections Bypass Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hydropneumatic pressure accumulators face issues with sudden pressure drops leading to 'oil pockets' and incorrect gas pre-charge pressure readings due to the closure of the housing opening, which complicates the manufacturing process and operating behavior.
Innovation Solution
The valve body is designed with projections that form a bypass arrangement, allowing limited flow through the housing opening in the closed position, ensuring safe outflow of oil content without modifying the accumulator housing, and featuring a slotted annular body with regular partial ring segments for efficient production and stable flow behavior.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the valve body is designed to completely close the housing opening, then the protection against contamination is improved, but the formation of oil pockets occurs leading to incorrect pressure readings
Solution Approach 1:
The valve body surface is designed with locally different properties: most of the surface contacts the valve seat for sealing, while specific local areas (protrusions) maintain gaps to allow limited bypass flow. This local quality differentiation enables simultaneous sealing and pressure equalization functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The bypass arrangement ensures continuous pressure equalization between the gas chamber and fluid chamber even when the valve is closed. The limited flow through protrusions maintains continuous communication, preventing pressure discrepancies and ensuring accurate pressure readings throughout operation.
2Reliability
If grooves are worked into the housing opening to form a bypass arrangement, then the limited flow is enabled, but the manufacturing complexity and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of modifying the housing opening with grooves to create bypass flow, the invention inverts the approach by adding protrusions to the valve body surface. This shifts the manufacturing complexity from the housing to the valve body, where it is easier to implement and does not require post-processing of the housing.
Solution Approach 2:
The protrusions on the valve body act as an intermediary element that creates the bypass flow path without requiring modifications to the housing. This intermediate structure on the valve body surface enables the bypass function while keeping the housing manufacturing simple.
3Speed
If the membrane is highly flexible to respond to pressure changes, then the response speed is improved, but rapid closing causes oil pockets to form
Solution Approach 1:
The bypass arrangement through protrusions maintains continuous pressure equalization between chambers during rapid membrane movement. This continuous communication prevents the formation of isolated oil pockets, ensuring that even during rapid closing, the pressure remains balanced and readings remain accurate.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design simplifies the production and improves the operating behavior of hydropneumatic pressure accumulators by preventing oil pockets and ensuring accurate gas pre-charge pressure readings, while maintaining structural stability and efficient manufacturing processes.
Implementation Method 1
a flexible membrane (3) arranged in an accumulator housing (1), which separates a fluid chamber (5) and a gas chamber (7)
Implementation Method 2
the valve body (29) is designed in such a way that it has at least two projections (37) on its surface (34) facing the valve seat (33), between which projections (37) there is an intermediate space (41) that enables throughflow
Implementation Method 3
which projections (37), which form spacers relative to the valve seat (33), prevent the surface (34) of the valve body (29) from coming into direct contact with the valve seat (33)
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The invention relates to a hydropneumatic pressure accumulator, comprising a movable separating element arranged in an accumulator housing (1), which separating element separates a first working chamber, preferably a gas chamber (7), from a fluid chamber (5) as a second working chamber and is formed by means of a membrane (3) made of a flexible material, in particular an elastomer, a housing opening (15) that forms an access to the fluid chamber (5) and is located on the accumulator housing (1), the passage of which housing opening can be controlled by means of a valve arrangement that can be transferred into a release position and a closed position, wherein the valve arrangement has a valve body (29) located on a surface section of the membrane (3), wherein the valve body transfers the valve arrangement into the closed position when a valve seat (33) located on the housing opening (15) is approached, the valve arrangement having a bypass arrangement that enables a limited flow through the housing opening in the closed position, the hydropneumatic pressure accumulator being characterized in that the valve body (29) has at least one projection (37) on the surface (34) of the valve body facing the valve seat (33) in order to form the bypass arrangement, which projection forms a spacer that enables the flow relative to the valve seat (33).