Hydraulic Pump with Integral Electromagnetic Drive and Asymmetric Roller Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hydraulic pumps face challenges in reducing complexity, manufacturing difficulty, weight, cost, and maintenance while meeting efficiency and flow-rate requirements.
Innovation Solution
A hydraulic pump design featuring a rotor with magnets generating a magnetic field, driven by an internal stator winding, which interacts with the magnetic fields to provide rotational drive, and incorporates a radial roller mechanism with springs for sealing, optimized for low maintenance and reduced pressure pulsation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a traditional hydraulic pump design with separate motor and pump components is used, then the pump can achieve required flow-rate and pressure, but the device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the motor and pump into a single integrated unit where the motor drives the rotor directly. The stator winding and rotor magnets form an electromagnetic motor that is mechanically coupled to the pumping mechanism, eliminating the need for separate motor and pump assemblies. This merging reduces device complexity while maintaining the required flow-rate through optimized chamber geometry and roller arrangement.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotor serves dual functions: it acts as both the electromagnetic armature (interacting with stator windings to generate rotational motion) and the pumping element (with chambers that trap and transport fluid). This multi-functionality reduces the number of components needed while achieving both motor drive and fluid pumping objectives, thereby reducing complexity without sacrificing productivity.
2Stability of the object's composition
If multiple rollers are added to reduce pressure pulsation, then fluid pressure stability improves, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs an asymmetric distribution of rollers around the rotor, with rollers positioned at specific angular intervals rather than evenly spaced. This asymmetric arrangement is designed to balance the hydraulic forces acting on the rotor and minimize pressure pulsation. The asymmetric configuration achieves pressure stability with fewer rollers, thereby reducing manufacturing complexity compared to symmetric multi-roller designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The pockets containing the rollers are positioned at specific locations around the rotor circumference, with each pocket strategically placed to address local pressure variations. The radially extending walls of the pockets are configured to provide sealing at critical locations where pressure pulsation occurs, rather than attempting to seal the entire rotor perimeter. This localized approach reduces manufacturing complexity while achieving pressure stability.
3Ease of repair
If an integral electromagnetic motor is used to drive the rotor, then maintenance requirements are reduced, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The electromagnetic motor is designed as a self-contained integral unit with the stator winding mounted directly on the pump housing and the rotor magnets attached to the pumping rotor. This self-service design eliminates the need for external drive mechanisms and reduces maintenance requirements. The motor and pump operate as a single unit, simplifying repair and maintenance while the manufacturing precision is managed through standardized component tolerances and modular assembly procedures.
4Ease of manufacture
If the rotor chambers are formed with shallow arcuate recesses, then manufacturing ease improves, but the volume of fluid trapped per chamber decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent compensates for the reduced radial depth of shallow arcuate recesses by increasing the circumferential extent of each chamber. The arcuate shape allows the chambers to extend further in the circumferential direction while maintaining shallow depth, thereby preserving adequate fluid volume. This dimensional trade-off enables easy manufacturing through simple rotary tooling while maintaining sufficient chamber volume for effective fluid trapping and transport.
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 design simplifies manufacturing, reduces maintenance, and enhances efficiency by using electromagnetic interaction and a radial roller mechanism to achieve stable fluid pressure and flow, while minimizing complexity and weight.
Implementation Method 1
The rotor may be driven within the housing by electromagnetic fields generated within the winding interacting with the magnetic fields of the magnets of the rotor
Implementation Method 2
The magnets on the rotor and the winding on the stator may be configured as a three-phase motor to provide rotational drive to the rotor
Implementation Method 3
Hydraulic pressure in the fluid may be sufficient to urge the roller against the side of the pocket to provide a seal
Implementation Method 4
A spring may be provided to bias or to further bias the roller toward the outer surface of the rotor
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
A hydraulic pump (10) is described comprising a rotor (22) provided for rotation about a longitudinal axis (X-X) within a housing (16). The pump comprises a plurality of chambers (32) for pumping a fluid that are provided by longitudinally extending recesses in a circumferential outer surface of the rotor. During use the recesses are moved across a circumferential inner surface of the housing, and in so doing, are moved over an inlet port (28b) in the housing to draw fluid into the chamber and then over an outlet port (30a) in the housing to discharge the fluid. The hydraulic pump further comprises a roller (20) that is mounted in a longitudinally extending pocket (35) of the housing. The roller is positioned after the outlet port in a direction of the rotor's rotation and is arranged to follow the outer surface of the rotor and seal against each recess as it is drawn past the roller, thereby directing fluid from the chamber into the outlet port. The hydraulic pump may be driven directly by an integral motor.