Hydraulic Piston Accumulator with Segmented Pressure Chambers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hydraulic systems face inefficiencies in energy conversion due to dependence on system pressure for charging and discharging hydraulic accumulators, leading to energy loss through throttling and limited recycling capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A hydraulic accumulator system with a stepped piston design and multiple pressure chambers of varying sizes, allowing for adjustable effective surfaces to optimize energy conversion independent of pre-charge pressure and load pressure, enabled by a control logic that manages valve connections based on sensor signals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If a single pressure chamber accumulator is used, then the structure is simple, but energy conversion efficiency is limited due to pressure dependence
Solution Approach 1:
The accumulator is divided into multiple pressure chambers (first, second, and third pressure chambers) with different gas pressures. Each chamber can independently interact with the hydraulic system at different pressure levels, enabling energy recovery across a broader pressure range and reducing energy loss due to throttling.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the pressure parameter by providing multiple pressure chambers with different pre-charged gas pressures. This allows the accumulator to operate effectively across varying system pressures, optimizing energy conversion efficiency by matching the accumulator pressure to the system pressure requirements.
2Loss of energy
If the accumulator pressure is greater than system pressure, then energy storage capacity is increased, but throttling losses occur during pressure balancing
Solution Approach 1:
Different pressure chambers have different local pressure qualities (different pre-charged pressures). The control system selects which chamber to use based on the current system pressure requirements, matching the local pressure quality to the global system needs and minimizing throttling losses.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically switches between different pressure chambers based on real-time operating conditions. The control logic activates different chambers as needed, making the accumulator pressure adaptive to system pressure variations and eliminating the need for pressure balancing throttling.
3Loss of energy
If charging is restricted by system pressure greater than gas pressure, then safety is improved, but energy recycling capability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The accumulator is segmented into multiple pressure chambers, each with different gas pressures. This segmentation allows the system to charge from specific chambers based on pressure compatibility, expanding energy recycling opportunities while maintaining safety through selective charging operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The control logic continuously monitors system pressure and gas pressure in each chamber, using feedback to determine when and which chambers to charge. This ensures charging only occurs when pressure conditions are appropriate, maintaining safety while maximizing energy recycling 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
Enables efficient energy recycling and conversion across all operating conditions by selecting appropriate pressure levels for charging and discharging, reducing energy loss and improving system performance.
Implementation Method 1
a gas spring element (5) arranged in the first pressure chamber (11), which has a force-closing action on the piston (5)
Implementation Method 2
The piston (5) separates a gas side (7) from pressure chambers (11, 121, 123, 125) on the fluid side
Data Source
AI summary
A hydraulic system includes an actuator operating as a consumer of hydraulic energy and as a generator of hydraulic energy in different operating states, and includes a hydraulic accumulator (1). In an operating state of the actuator (49), the accumulator can be charged by the actuator for storing energy. In a different operating state, the accumulator can be discharged for delivering energy to the actuator (49). The hydraulic accumulator is an adjustable hydropneumatic piston accumulator having a plurality of pressure chambers (19, 21, 23, 25) adjoining effective surfaces (11, 13, 15, 17) of different sizes on the fluid side of the accumulator piston (5). An adjusting arrangement (51) connects a selected pressure chamber (19, 21, 23, 25) or a plurality of selected pressure chambers (19, 21, 23, 25) of the piston accumulator (1) to the actuator (49) as a function of the pressure level that prevails on the gas side of the piston accumulator (1) and on the actuator (49).