Active Pressure Control for Gear Units
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gear units operating under water or increased environmental pressure face challenges in maintaining a pressure balance, leading to potential fluid penetration due to pressure differences, and existing solutions like flexible membranes or hydraulic piston systems are prone to damage or contamination, compromising reliability.
Innovation Solution
An active pressure control system using a controlled setting device, including a pump, compensating tank, and pressure sensors, allows for precise adjustment of internal pressure within the gear housing, eliminating the need for sensitive mechanical parts and ensuring reliable pressure balance across varying environmental conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a flexible membrane is used to seal the gear housing opening for pressure balance, then the pressure balance function is achieved, but the mechanical stability and reliability deteriorate under rough environmental conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the flexible membrane mechanical system with a telescopic housing system that uses axial displacement of the housing wall to change internal volume. This substitution eliminates the membrane component entirely, using instead a controlled volume change mechanism driven by axial movement of the housing structure itself, thereby improving mechanical stability while maintaining pressure balance functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of volume control from passive membrane deformation to active telescopic housing displacement. By controlling the axial position of the housing wall, the internal volume is actively adjusted to maintain pressure balance, transforming the system from passive to active control and improving reliability under rough conditions.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a hydraulic piston system is used for pressure balancing, then mechanical stability improves compared to membrane systems, but susceptibility to contamination and movement issues increases under construction site conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the hydraulic piston system with a telescopic housing mechanism. Instead of using a piston that moves within a cylinder and requires sealing, the housing wall itself telescopes axially to change volume. This eliminates the piston, seals, and hydraulic fluid pathways that are susceptible to contamination, thereby improving reliability in construction site environments while maintaining structural stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and removes the piston component and its associated sealing system from the pressure balancing mechanism. By eliminating the piston entirely and using direct axial displacement of the housing wall, the system removes the sources of contamination susceptibility while retaining the volume change capability needed for pressure balance.
3Device complexity
If passive pressure adjustment through membrane or piston is used, then the system structure is simpler, but the ability to provide reliable pressure control under varying environmental conditions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes passive membrane or piston-based pressure adjustment with an active telescopic housing system that directly controls internal volume through axial wall displacement. This active control mechanism responds dynamically to external pressure changes, providing reliable pressure control while maintaining relatively simple structural implementation through the telescopic housing design.
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
The system provides a robust and reliable means to maintain internal pressure balance, preventing fluid penetration and ensuring operational integrity in harsh conditions, such as those found in foundation engineering devices, by actively controlling pressure through a controlled setting device and sensors.
Implementation Method 1
a pump (20) for supplying a fluid into the gear housing (16)
Implementation Method 2
a compensating tank (22) for absorbing pressure variations
Implementation Method 3
the setting device (20) has a piston (28) to change an internal volume of the compensating tank (22)
Implementation Method 4
a damping member (35), in particular a spring element, through which a pressure transmission to the gear oil can be damped
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a gear unit, in particular for foundation engineering devices, comprising a gear housing and a pressure device for changing an internal pressure present in the gear housing. For a precise pressure balance to the environmental pressure it is intended that an active setting device is arranged which can be controlled by a control device in order to change the internal pressure. The invention further relates to a method for pressure balance related thereto.