Vehicle Fluid Supply Valve Layout for Multi-Pump Demand Matching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fluid supply systems for motor vehicles often require large pumps that provide excessive volume flow and pressure, leading to energy losses as surplus fluid is discharged into a reservoir, as they struggle to meet the diverse demands of different fluid consumers with varying volume flows and pressures.
Innovation Solution
A fluid supply system comprising a first pump for a first fluid consumer and a second pump for a second fluid consumer, with a directional control valve that allows fluid to be delivered between the pumps and circulations to optimize pressure and volume flow, reducing the need for excessive pump sizing and minimizing energy losses by allowing the second pump to assist the first pump when necessary.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a large pump is used to meet the maximum demands of all fluid consumers, then the system can supply all consumers with sufficient volume flow and pressure, but the pump provides excessive volume flow and pressure for individual consumers, leading to energy losses as surplus fluid is discharged into a reservoir
Solution Approach 1:
The fluid supply system is divided into multiple independent pump units, each responsible for specific fluid consumers or circulation branches. This segmentation allows each pump to be sized appropriately for its specific task, avoiding the energy waste of a single oversized pump discharging surplus fluid to reservoir.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs variable displacement pumps with adjustable delivery volumes that can be dynamically adapted to the actual requirements of different fluid consumers. This dynamic adjustment eliminates the need for a fixed oversized pump configuration and prevents energy loss from discharging excess fluid.
2Device complexity
If a single large pump is used to serve multiple fluid consumers with different demands, then the system structure remains simple, but the pump cannot efficiently meet the diverse volume flow and pressure requirements of different consumers
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses multiple specialized pump units instead of a single general-purpose pump. Each pump can be optimized for specific pressure and volume flow requirements of particular fluid consumers, improving adaptability while maintaining reasonable structural complexity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The pump system provides multi-functionality by having different pump units that can serve different fluid consumers with varying requirements. The system can adapt to diverse demands through the coordinated operation of multiple pumps with different characteristics.
3Productivity
If the delivery volume of the pump is increased to meet peak demands, then all fluid consumers can be supplied during high-demand periods, but the pump becomes oversized for normal operation, reducing system efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
Variable displacement pumps with adjustable delivery volumes are used, allowing the pump capacity to be dynamically matched to actual demand. This eliminates the inefficiency of operating an oversized pump at partial load and prevents energy waste from discharging surplus fluid.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the delivery volume parameter of the pumps based on actual operational requirements. By adjusting pump displacement or selecting appropriate pump sizes for different consumers, the system maintains high efficiency across varying demand conditions without requiring peak-capacity pumps for all operations.
Data Source
AI summary
A fluid supply system supplying multiple fluid consumers of a vehicle with fluid, the fluid supply system including: a first pump supplying a first fluid consumer, arranged in a first supply circulation of the vehicle, with fluid; a second pump supplying a second fluid consumer, arranged in a second supply circulation of the vehicle, with fluid; and a directional control valve adjustable between a first valve position and at least one other, second valve position and preferably includes an electromagnetic device for adjusting. The directional control valve allows the fluid to be delivered from the second pump into the first supply circulation in the first valve position and separates the first supply circulation from the second pump, or allows the fluid to be delivered from the second pump into the first supply circulation only to a restricted extent as compared to the first valve position, in the second valve position.