Configurable Hydraulic Tank Chambers for Variable Fluid Capacity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hydraulic tanks of uniform size are often used in systems with varying hydraulic requirements, leading to inefficiencies, increased fluid usage, and environmental impact due to excess hydraulic fluid.
Innovation Solution
A hydraulic tank with configurable fluid chambers that can be selectively included or excluded from the fluid flow path, allowing adjustment of internal volume to match system demands, using internal or external communication means like apertures and conduits, and maintaining functional ancillary components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a uniform size hydraulic tank is used in systems with varying hydraulic requirements, then manufacturing cost is reduced and ease of manufacture is improved, but hydraulic system efficiency deteriorates and hydraulic fluid usage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tank body is divided into multiple fluid chambers that can be independently configured. Each chamber can be selectively included or excluded from the fluid flow path, allowing the tank to be segmented into different effective volumes based on system requirements while maintaining a uniform external tank structure.
2Ease of manufacture
If a uniform size hydraulic tank is used in systems with varying hydraulic requirements, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but hydraulic fluid usage increases and environmental harm worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The tank configuration is made dynamic through the selective inclusion or exclusion of fluid chambers from the fluid flow path. This allows the effective tank volume to be adjusted based on actual system requirements, reducing hydraulic fluid usage while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the same hydraulic tank is used in different screening machines with different hydraulic requirements, then adaptability to spatial requirements is improved, but hydraulic performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The tank is segmented into multiple fluid chambers that can be independently configured. This segmentation allows the same tank to be adapted to different spatial requirements while maintaining optimal hydraulic performance by adjusting the active chamber configuration to match system flow rate requirements.
Data Source
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AI summary
A hydraulic tank comprises a tank body with an internal fluid reservoir, a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet and a fluid flow path from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet through the reservoir. The tank body comprises a plurality of fluid chambers providing the fluid reservoir, the tank being configurable to selectively include or exclude at least one of the fluid chambers from the fluid flow path. The tank is configurable between at least two different configurations in which a respective different number of fluid chambers are included in the fluid flow path thereby adjusting the fluid capacity of the reservoir, thereby allowing the tank to be adapted for use with hydraulic systems with different flow demands.