Dual Pneumo-Hydraulic Pump Layout for Continuous Oil Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hydropneumatic pumps face limitations such as interrupted oil flow during reversal, low oil volume displacement, and inability to achieve high speeds in hydraulic actuators due to their design, which results in inefficient use of space and energy.
Innovation Solution
A dual hydraulic pump system driven by compressed air, featuring a central pneumatic cylinder that moves hydraulic liners instead of pistons, allowing for increased oil volume displacement and efficient pressurization using a pressure accumulator, reducing physical space and energy consumption while eliminating metal-to-metal contact and spark risks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single hydropneumatic pump is used, then the structure is simple, but the oil flow is interrupted during reversal and the speed is low
Solution Approach 1:
The single pump is segmented into two parallel pumps working simultaneously. Each pump has its own pneumatic cylinder and hydraulic chamber, allowing independent operation. This segmentation eliminates the flow interruption problem during reversal because while one pump is reversing, the other continues to deliver oil flow, maintaining constant output to the actuator.
Solution Approach 2:
Two pumps are merged into a single integrated unit sharing a common compressed air supply system and operating in parallel. The pneumatic cylinders are positioned symmetrically and connected to a common air supply, allowing synchronized operation. This merging provides the benefits of both individual pump simplicity and combined pump performance, achieving high speed while maintaining structural efficiency.
2Quantity of substance
If the pump displacement volume is increased to achieve higher flow, then the pump dimensions increase significantly in the axial direction
Solution Approach 1:
The pump design transitions from increasing axial dimension to increase displacement volume by utilizing radial expansion. The hydraulic chamber is formed between the piston and the cylinder wall, allowing volume increase through radial rather than axial dimensions. This enables higher oil displacement without proportionally increasing the pump's axial length, maintaining a compact profile.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If compressed air is used as energy source, then spark risks are eliminated in flammable environments, but the system requires additional pneumatic components
Solution Approach 1:
The compressed air system is designed to perform multiple functions: it provides the driving force for the pneumatic cylinders, acts as a clean energy source eliminating sparks in flammable environments, and can be integrated with existing pneumatic control systems. The symmetric dual-pump configuration allows the air supply system to serve both pumps simultaneously, reducing the number of separate components needed compared to two independent systems.
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 achieves faster, more uniform displacement of hydraulic actuators, reduces equipment size, conserves energy, and operates safely in flammable environments by using compressed air, minimizing noise and wear, and preventing spark-related hazards.
Implementation Method 1
hydropneumatic pumps have the function of pumping hydraulic oil using compressed air as an energy source
Implementation Method 2
a pressure accumulator, what has the function of storing a certain volume of pressurized oil, to allow greater speed in the actuators the moment they are used
Implementation Method 3
machines and equipment that use hydraulic force to perform work
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
The invention comprises a system containing a multipurpose hydraulic unit that can be used in machines and equipment, driven by low-pressure compressed air or other gases, comprising two hydraulic pumps that work together with a hydraulic pressure accumulator, where the main function of the hydraulic pumps is to pump oil to ensure that the hydraulic pressure accumulator (28) is always full, in which the pumping of oil begins with the supply of compressed air, which passes through the pneumatic directional valve (11) and is conveyed to the lower pneumatic chamber (22) or to the upper pneumatic chamber (4) to move the pneumatic cylinder and to push the hydraulic liners of the pumps, which pumps are assembled in parallel with the shaft of the pneumatic cylinder, each on one side, and as such, when the hydraulic chambers move, they exert a force on this volume of oil and force this stored oil out through the check valves to the hydraulic pressure accumulator, where it is kept under pressure and ready for use, and while this volume of oil is being pumped out of the hydraulic chamber, another volume of oil is being drawn into the hydraulic chamber opposite this hydraulic chamber, also to be pumped when the reverse movement of the pneumatic cylinder occurs, at which point said pneumatic cylinder begins pumping this new volume of oil, and so on until the pressure accumulator is full and pumping is stopped as a result of pressure equilibrium being reached, nonetheless maintaining the system under pressure, said system being restarted whenever oil is consumed as a result of the movement of any hydraulic actuator of the machine that is using this invention.