Double-Acting Electric Accumulator for Hydrostatic Pressure Limits
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Solution Overview
Problem
Sub-sea gas-charged accumulators experience efficiency loss due to increasing hydrostatic pressure at deeper water depths, requiring higher pre-charge pressures and increased size, weight, and complexity, which limits their operational efficiency and performance.
Innovation Solution
An accumulator system that uses an electric actuator to drive a piston and pressurize a working fluid, eliminating the reliance on pressurized gas for power and allowing for variable pressure output based on demand, thus maintaining efficiency regardless of water depth.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If gas-charged accumulators are used to provide pressurized working fluid for sub-sea equipment, then a supply of pressurized fluid can be maintained, but efficiency is lost due to increasing hydrostatic pressure at deeper water depths requiring higher pre-charge pressures and increased size and weight
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the gas charge from the traditional gas-charged accumulator design and replaces it with a hydraulic piston system. The piston is driven by an electric actuator that directly pressurizes the working fluid, eliminating the need for pre-charged gas and the associated volume and weight requirements while maintaining reliable pressurized fluid supply for sub-sea equipment
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical gas spring mechanism with an electrically-driven hydraulic system. Instead of relying on compressed gas elasticity, an electric actuator drives a piston to mechanically pressurize the working fluid, providing more efficient and controllable pressure generation that is not affected by hydrostatic pressure at depth
2Reliability
If pre-charge pressure is increased to maintain efficiency at deeper water depths, then operational efficiency can be maintained, but device complexity and size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the complex gas-charging infrastructure and high-pressure containment requirements with a simpler electric actuator-driven piston system. The electric actuator provides controlled, on-demand pressurization that maintains operational efficiency without requiring complex pre-charge systems or high-strength pressure vessels
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fundamental operating parameter from static pre-charge pressure to dynamic, controllable pressure generation. The electric actuator allows the system to adapt pressure output to actual operational demands, maintaining efficiency at various depths without requiring fixed high pre-charge pressures that increase complexity
3Volume of moving object
If traditional gas-charged accumulators are used, then a compact design can be achieved, but performance is limited by hydrostatic pressure effects at deeper depths
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the gas charge component that causes performance degradation at depth and replaces it with a piston-actuator system. This maintains a compact design while ensuring performance consistency because the electric actuator provides controlled pressurization that is not affected by hydrostatic pressure variations at different water depths
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 electric actuator-based accumulator system maintains efficiency across varying water depths without the need for increased pre-charge pressures, reducing the size, weight, and complexity of sub-sea equipment while ensuring consistent performance.
Implementation Method 1
An electric actuator couples to and drives the piston within the housing
Implementation Method 2
The piston separates the function chamber from the balance chamber. An electric actuator couples to and drives the piston within the housing to compress and drive a first fluid out of the function chamber
Data Source
AI summary
A double acting accumulator system includes a housing including an actuator housing, a first piston housing coupled to the actuator housing, a second piston housing coupled to the actuator housing, a shaft configured to move axially within the first piston housing and the second piston housing, a first piston coupled to a first end of the shaft, a second piston coupled to a second end of the shaft, an electric actuator configured to couple to and drive the shaft to alternatingly compress fluid with the first piston in the first piston housing and the second piston in the second piston housing to drive fluid out of the respective first piston housing and the second piston housing, and a plurality of anti-rotation shafts configured to block rotation of the shaft.