Hydraulic Lock Differential Pressure Unlocking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hydraulic locks used in challenging environments, such as the oil and gas field, face issues with the time-consuming and damaging process of unlocking actuators, which can result in wear and failure of device components due to significant movement required to release the lock.
Innovation Solution
A hydraulic lock apparatus with a lock operator piston and a fluid release valve, where the fluid release valve moves from a sealing to an open arrangement in response to a differential pressure cycle, allowing for minimal movement of the lock operator piston and reducing the risk of wear and damage, utilizing a first seal area larger than a second seal area to achieve this.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the fluid release valve is designed to move significantly to unseal the chamber, then the lock can be reliably unlocked, but the lock operator piston undergoes significant movement causing wear and damage to seals
Solution Approach 1:
A differential pressure cycle is applied to the valve member to act as an intermediary mechanism that amplifies the small movement of the lock operator piston into sufficient movement of the fluid release valve. The pressure differential acts on the second seal area of the valve member, causing it to move from the sealing arrangement to the open arrangement without requiring significant piston travel.
2Reliability
If the unlocking process requires significant movement of the lock operator piston, then the fluid can be released from the chamber, but the process becomes time-consuming and complicated
Solution Approach 1:
A differential pressure cycle is applied to the valve member to enable rapid movement from the sealing arrangement to the open arrangement. This hydraulic/pneumatic approach eliminates the need for slow, manual manipulation of components and allows for quick, reliable unlocking of the hydraulic lock.
3Ease of operation
If the first seal area is made larger than the second seal area, then minimal piston movement is required to unlock, but the valve member must be highly responsive to pressure differentials
Solution Approach 1:
The seal areas are designed with specific dimensional parameters where the first seal area (piston seal) is larger than the second seal area (valve member seal). This parameter relationship creates a mechanical advantage that reduces the unlocking force requirement and minimizes piston travel distance while maintaining reliable valve actuation through pressure differential.
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 hydraulic lock can be efficiently unlocked with minimal movement of the lock operator piston, reducing the risk of wear and damage to components, while maintaining a robust locking mechanism, even in hostile environments.
Implementation Method 1
The fluid release valve may be configured to be moveable from the sealing arrangement, in which the hydraulic chamber is isolated from the valve port, to the open arrangement, in which the hydraulic chamber is connected to the valve port, for example in response to a differential pressure cycle being applied to the valve member over the second seal area.
Data Source
AI summary
A hydraulic lock apparatus, comprising: a lock operator piston arranged to be axially moveable in a piston chamber, the lock operator piston defining a first seal area; a fluid release valve comprising a valve port and a valve member axially moveable within a valve chamber, wherein the fluid release valve is moveable from a sealing arrangement to an open arrangement, wherein the fluid release valve defines a second seal area when in the sealing arrangement; and a hydraulic chamber defined between the first seal area of the lock operator piston and the second seal area of the fluid release valve; wherein the first seal area is larger than the second seal area; and the fluid release valve is configured to be moveable from the sealing arrangement, in which the hydraulic chamber is isolated from the valve port, to the open arrangement, in which the hydraulic chamber is connected to the valve port, in response to a differential pressure cycle being applied to the valve member over the second seal area.