Four-Chamber Cylinder Emergency Spring Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hydraulic actuating devices for safety-relevant applications face challenges such as high equipment and engineering costs due to mechanical activation functions and hydraulic systems required for positioning control and locking devices, which are inefficient and costly, especially with separate cylinders needed for these functions.
Innovation Solution
A four-chamber cylinder with two piston devices and aligned piston rods, allowing for bi-directional operation and installation, where the piston devices are pressed together to pretension an emergency spring, which can be relaxed during emergency operations, enabling a compact and efficient hydraulic actuating device with reduced installation space and engineering costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a mechanical coupling device with emergency spring is used for safety-relevant valve adjustment, then the valve can be closed during emergency operation, but the emergency spring is repeatedly relaxed or tensioned with each adjustment movement, increasing device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the emergency spring mechanism with the hydraulic actuating device into a single integrated unit. The emergency spring is positioned within the cylinder assembly and works in conjunction with the hydraulic pistons, eliminating the need for separate mechanical coupling devices and reducing overall system complexity while maintaining the emergency closing function.
2Reliability
If a bell-crank lever device is activated during emergency operation to relax the emergency spring and extend the coupling device, then the valve closes, but equipment-engineering cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The emergency closing mechanism is merged with the hydraulic cylinder assembly. The emergency spring is integrated within the cylinder, and the piston rods directly interact with the spring and valve body, eliminating the need for separate bell-crank lever devices and reducing manufacturing costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses hydraulic pressure applied to the pistons to control the emergency spring tensioning and relaxation. By using hydraulic forces instead of complex mechanical levers, the system achieves emergency closing functionality with simpler, more cost-effective components.
3Ease of operation
If a hydraulic locking device with two pistons is used to keep the emergency spring in tensioned state during normal operation, then the valve position is controlled, but equipment-engineering cost increases due to separate cylinders
Solution Approach 1:
The locking function is merged with the actuating cylinder. The same two pistons that control valve positioning also serve to tension and maintain the emergency spring. This dual-function design eliminates the need for separate locking cylinders, reducing device complexity while maintaining positioning control capability.
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 solution provides a compact, volumetrically balanced, and cost-effective hydraulic actuating device that ensures full functionality, including emergency element tensioning, control operation, and emergency operation, with reduced equipment costs and increased safety, suitable for applications like power plants.
Implementation Method 1
via which a pressure force can be applied to the first piston device in the direction towards the second piston device
Implementation Method 2
a compressive-elastic emergency element (e.g. an emergency spring) is pretensioned and held there, and in the case of a supply failure of the four-chamber cylinder can be relaxed during an emergency operation and can create an emergency movement
Data Source
AI summary
A four-chamber cylinder comprises a first piston device including a first piston and a first piston rod, the first piston delimiting a first chamber and a second chamber, a second piston device including a second piston and a second piston rod aligned with the first piston rod, the second piston delimiting a third chamber and a fourth chamber, and a compressive-elastic emergency element. The first piston, via the first chamber, and the second piston, via the fourth chamber, are configured to move towards each other and held with each other to tension the compressive-elastic emergency element. With the four-chamber cylinder according to the disclosure, an actuating movement is possible via the emergency spring even in the case of a supply failure, wherein the four-chamber cylinder can be installed and operated bi-directionally.