Axial Piston Pump Flow Regulation via Static Head and Ball Joint

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current axial piston pumps lack mechanical regulation of flow rate and pressure, often resulting in pulsations and low efficiency, especially in single piston designs, and fail to provide volumetric fluid delivery without rotational movement.

Innovation Solution

An axial piston pump with a static head and parallel cavities, featuring a regulable movement transmission system that includes a rotary plate, ball joint support, and crank mechanism, allowing for variation of piston stroke to regulate flow rate and pressure without rotational mobility of pistons, utilizing check valves for volumetric operation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If a single axial piston pump is used, then the structure is simple, but the efficiency is very low and flow rate cannot be regulated

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural simplicityVSAvoidefficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The pump uses multiple axial pistons (at least two) arranged in parallel cavities within a static head, dividing the pumping function into multiple independent but coordinated units. This segmentation allows the system to maintain structural simplicity while achieving higher efficiency through combined operation and enabling flow rate regulation by controlling the reciprocating movement of individual pistons.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The invention introduces a regulable movement transmission system that dynamically controls the reciprocating movement of pistons. This system allows the flow rate to be regulated by adjusting the extent or speed of piston reciprocation, transforming a static single-function pump into a dynamic system with adjustable performance characteristics.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Ease of operation

If radial piston or axial piston pumps are used, then the flow rate can be regulated, but the pistons rotate as a grouped assembly by way of a rotating revolver mechanism

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveflow rate regulationVSAvoidrotating revolver mechanism
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of rotating the pistons as a grouped assembly (traditional approach), the invention inverts the approach by keeping the pistons stationary in parallel cavities and regulating their reciprocating movement through a transmission system. This eliminates the rotating revolver mechanism while maintaining flow rate regulation capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention extracts the rotational movement from the piston assembly itself and separates it into a dedicated regulable movement transmission system. This allows the pistons to remain fixed in position while their reciprocating movement is controlled independently, eliminating the need for complex rotating mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Ease of operation

If volumetric piston pumps with multiple pistons are used, then the flow rate can be regulated, but pulsations occur in the supplied fluid

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveflow rate regulationVSAvoidfluid pulsations
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

By using multiple pistons operating in parallel within separate cavities, the pumping action is segmented into multiple independent cycles. The combined output of multiple pistons smooths out individual piston pulsations, reducing overall fluid pulsation while maintaining flow rate regulation capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

4Object-generated harmful factors

If the number of pistons is increased to reduce pulsations, then fluid delivery becomes smoother, but efficiency is marked loss in single piston pump design

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefluid pulsationsVSAvoidefficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The regulable movement transmission system enables dynamic control of piston reciprocating movement, optimizing the coordination between multiple pistons. This dynamic control allows the system to maintain high efficiency by minimizing dead zones and optimizing fluid displacement timing, while the multiple-piston configuration simultaneously reduces pulsations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP4407179B1Axial piston pump
Publication Date: 2024.09.25 FERNÁNDEZ MORÁN EMILIANO
  • EP4407179B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4407179B1 patent drawingFigure 1a
  • EP4407179B1 patent drawingFigure 1b

AI summary

The axial piston pump for a fluid comprises a regulable movement transmission system that enables the flow rate of the fluid at the pump outlet to be varied; wherein by means of said rotational transmission system, the stroke of the pistons (3) that move axially within respective cavities (16) can be varied to supply a flow rate of fluid to the outlet of said cavities (16) that are distributed in a circumferential path. The variation of the fluid flow rate is carried out by means of the linear movement of a mobile runner (9) that can move in both directions in a direction parallel to the direction of movement of the pistons (3); wherein by moving said mobile runner (9) the tilt of a ball joint support (5) in which the pistons (3) are coupled by one of the ends thereof is varied.