Piston Accumulator Inflow Bypass for End-Position Damping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing piston accumulators suffer from inadequate end position damping and response behavior during fluid flow, leading to leaks, turbulence, and mechanical stress on the separating piston.
Innovation Solution
A piston accumulator design incorporating a damping device and an inflow device that work together to provide improved damping during discharge and unobstructed flow during charging, utilizing a throttle gap and a bypass mechanism to control fluid flow effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a check valve with a solid valve plate controlled by a compression spring is used to control a large opening cross-section in the damping piston, then the valve can control fluid flow, but it results in leaks in the closed position and turbulence in the flow pattern when open, and rapid opening and closing processes are excluded due to inertia behaviour
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the harmful inertia behavior by replacing the solid valve plate with a hollow valve sleeve that allows fluid to pass through its wall thickness. This extraction of the solid blocking structure eliminates the turbulence and inertial effects while maintaining the valve's sealing function through a different mechanism (sealing edge on the valve plate against the valve seat).
Solution Approach 2:
The hollow valve sleeve acts as an intermediary structure that allows fluid to flow through its wall rather than being blocked by a solid plate. This intermediary approach enables the valve to control flow without creating turbulence, as the fluid passes through the sleeve wall in a controlled manner rather than being abruptly redirected by a solid plate.
2Reliability
If a damping gap that tapers conically towards the fluid port is used to dampen piston movement, then end position damping is achieved, but the damping effect varies with piston position and requires complex geometry
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies local quality by providing damping only in the critical end position region where the valve sleeve is located, rather than using a complex conical damping gap throughout the entire stroke. The cylindrical damping gap provides uniform damping characteristics, and the valve sleeve's positioning ensures damping is applied locally where needed for end position control.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the damping gap from conical to cylindrical, creating a constant cross-section damping passage. This parameter change simplifies the damping chamber geometry while maintaining effective damping through the valve sleeve's interaction with the fluid in the cylindrical gap during end position movement.
3Speed
If the entire piston cross-section responds directly during accumulator charging, then high dynamics are achieved for piston return movement, but the separating piston moves against precharge pressure requiring unobstructed fluid flow
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies dynamics by making the valve sleeve movable rather than fixed. The valve sleeve can shift axially in response to pressure differentials, dynamically opening or closing the fluid passage as needed. This dynamic behavior allows the system to provide unobstructed flow during charging when needed while maintaining damping capability during discharge, without requiring complex fixed path configurations.
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 achieves enhanced damping during discharge and accelerated charging, reducing mechanical stress and gas leaks, while maintaining high dynamics and responsiveness.
Implementation Method 1
the damping device has a damping piston on the separating piston and that the inflow device has an inflow piston which is movably guided in parts of the accumulator housing, here in the form of a housing cover, and which is inserted into a fluid port which establishes a fluid connection to the further fluid chamber via the respective fluid path
Implementation Method 2
releases a further fluid path by bypassing the one fluid path that has the throttle in order for fluid to flow into the accumulator housing
Implementation Method 3
a separating piston separates two fluid chambers from each other, in particular separates a fluid chamber having a working gas from a further fluid chamber having an operating fluid, such as hydraulic oil
Implementation Method 4
the damping device has a damping piston on the separating piston and that the inflow device has an inflow piston which is movably guided in parts of the accumulator housing
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure relates to a piston accumulator having an accumulator housing in which a separating piston is longitudinally movably guided which separates two fluid chambers, in particular separates a fluid chamber having a working gas from a further fluid chamber having an operating fluid, such as hydraulic oil, and which separating piston has a damping device, wherein, in addition to the damping device, an inflow device is provided which interacts with the damping device for damping a fluid flow out of the accumulator housing by forming a throttle along a fluid path and which releases a further fluid path by bypassing the other fluid path that has the throttle in order for fluid to flow into the accumulator housing.