Integrated Linear Actuator Pump Assembly for Safe Pump Failure Operation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional linear actuator systems in harsh environments are prone to damage and degradation due to complex configurations and susceptibility to high temperatures, leading to increased machine downtime and reduced reliability, with no safe shutdown option when a hydraulic pump fails.
Innovation Solution
A compact and reliable linear actuator system with an integrated hydraulic pump assembly, featuring a variable-speed and/or variable-torque pump, and a controller that adjusts flow and pressure without additional flow control devices, ensuring a fail-safe mode of operation and reduced risk of cavitation and high fluid temperatures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional hydraulic systems use separate components (hydraulic cylinder, pump, motor, reservoir, valves) connected by hoses and pipes, then the system can provide hydraulic actuation function, but the device complexity increases and reliability decreases in harsh environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the hydraulic pump, motor, and control valves into a single integrated hydraulic power unit assembly. This merging of previously separate components (pump, motor, reservoir, valves, and connecting hoses) into one compact unit reduces the number of external connections and potential failure points, thereby improving reliability while maintaining all necessary hydraulic functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated hydraulic power unit is designed as a modular assembly that can be independently installed and replaced. This segmentation allows the complex hydraulic system to be divided into manageable modules, making maintenance easier and reducing overall system complexity while preserving functionality.
2Productivity
If the motor and hydraulic pump are run at high speed to provide pressurized fluid, then the productivity increases, but the temperature of hydraulic fluid increases causing heat buildup
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a cooling system as an intermediary component within the integrated hydraulic power unit. This cooling mechanism acts as a mediator between the high-speed hydraulic components and the hydraulic fluid, actively removing excess heat generated during high-speed operation to prevent temperature buildup while maintaining productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated control system monitors hydraulic fluid temperature and adjusts pump operation accordingly. When temperature exceeds predetermined thresholds, the controller modulates pump speed or activates cooling mechanisms, creating a feedback loop that maintains optimal operating temperature even during high-productivity operations.
3Ease of manufacture
If additional components (connecting shafts, hoses, pipes, fittings) are used to interconnect hydraulic components, then the system can be assembled, but the susceptibility to damage and degradation increases in harsh environments
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating the pump, motor, and control valves into a single sealed assembly, the patent eliminates the need for numerous external connecting hoses, pipes, and fittings. This merging reduces the number of connection points that are susceptible to damage from environmental factors such as contamination, vibration, and extreme temperatures, thereby reducing susceptibility to harmful factors while maintaining ease of manufacture through modular design.
4Reliability
If a hydraulic pump fails, then the system operation is disrupted, but without safe shutdown option the machine downtime increases
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated control system incorporates predetermined safety thresholds and monitoring mechanisms that detect pump performance degradation before complete failure occurs. When abnormal conditions are detected, the system automatically initiates a controlled shutdown sequence, providing a safety buffer that prevents catastrophic failure and enables planned maintenance, thereby reducing unplanned downtime and improving reliability.
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 precise control of hydraulic fluid flow and pressure, enhances reliability, reduces downtime, and ensures safe operation by integrating components and using a fail-safe mode in case of pump failure, while maintaining a compact configuration.
Implementation Method 1
The motor drives the hydraulic pump to provide pressurized fluid from the fluid reservoir to the hydraulic cylinder
Implementation Method 2
The first motor rotates the first gear about a first axial centerline of the first gear in a first direction to transfer the fluid to the linear actuator
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 1A
Figure 2
AI summary
A linear actuator system includes a linear actuator and an integrated pump assembly connected to the linear actuator to provide fluid to operate the linear actuator. The integrated pump assembly includes a pump with two fluid drivers, each fluid driver comprising a prime mover and a fluid displacement assembly to be driven by the prime mover such that fluid is transferred from a first port of the pump to a second port of the pump. The pump assembly also includes two valve assembles to isolate the pump from the system. The linear actuator system also includes a controller that establishes the pump in a normal mode of operation in which the prime movers are independently driven and switches to a fail-safe mode of operation in which only one prime mover is operated.