Hydraulic Dipper Door Actuator with Energy Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing power shovel dipper latches suffer from high-cycle fatigue due to manual cable actuation, leading to frequent servicing and machine downtime, and previous solutions like hydraulic cylinders increase complexity and wear.
Innovation Solution
A hydraulic system with a single-acting cylinder, accumulator, and control valve for the dipper door, allowing remote power and control, reducing mechanical strain and enhancing durability by capturing kinetic energy and reducing wear.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If manual cable actuation is used for the dipper latch, then the system is simple, but the components suffer high-cycle fatigue and require frequent servicing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual cable actuation system with a hydraulic cylinder system. The hydraulic cylinder uses fluid pressure to actuate the latch mechanism, eliminating the continuous mechanical strain and high-cycle fatigue that occurs with cable tensioning. This substitution of mechanical actuation with hydraulic actuation directly improves reliability while maintaining operational simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a hydraulic system using fluid pressure to control the dipper latch. The hydraulic cylinder receives pressurized fluid that pushes the piston to actuate the latch, providing a more durable alternative to mechanical cable tensioning. The hydraulic system reduces wear and fatigue by eliminating continuous mechanical loading on the cable and latch components.
2Reliability
If a double-acting hydraulic cylinder is used, then the latch durability improves, but the system complexity and potential for malfunction increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the hydraulic system into distinct functional components: a single-acting cylinder for latch actuation, a separate accumulator for energy storage, and a control valve for fluid management. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining the durability benefits of hydraulic actuation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses an accumulator to capture and store kinetic energy during the dipper door's downward motion, then releases this energy to assist the upward motion. This energy recovery mechanism reduces the overall power requirements and simplifies the hydraulic system by eliminating the need for a complex double-acting cylinder with separate power sources for each direction.
3Ease of operation
If the dipper door is allowed to pivot freely under gravity, then the operation is simple, but kinetic energy is not captured and reused
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a control valve that senses the dipper door's motion and automatically adjusts fluid flow accordingly. When the door pivots downward under gravity, the control valve opens to allow fluid to flow to the accumulator, capturing the kinetic energy. When the door needs to pivot upward, the accumulated energy is fed back to assist the motion. This feedback mechanism maintains ease of operation while recovering energy that would otherwise be lost.
Solution Approach 2:
The accumulator captures and stores kinetic energy during the dipper door's downward pivot, converting the energy that would be discarded as heat and friction into useful hydraulic energy. This recovered energy is then reused during the upward pivot motion, reducing the overall energy consumption of the system while maintaining simple gravitational operation.
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 improves dipper latch durability and reliability by reducing mechanical complexity, capturing kinetic energy, and minimizing wear, resulting in increased longevity and reduced downtime.
Implementation Method 1
a control valve movable to selectively direct fluid from the cylinder into the accumulator and fluid from the reservoir into the cylinder
Implementation Method 2
The system improves dipper latch durability and reliability by reducing mechanical complexity, capturing kinetic energy, and minimizing wear
Data Source
AI summary
A hydraulic system for a power shovel may have a cylinder operatively connectable to a dipper door of the power shovel, a reservoir located at and fluidly connected to the cylinder, and an accumulator located at and fluidly connected to the cylinder in parallel with the reservoir. The hydraulic system may further have a control valve disposed between the cylinder, the reservoir, and the accumulator. The control valve may be movable to selectively direct fluid from the cylinder into the accumulator and fluid from the reservoir into the cylinder.