Compressed Air Cylinder Piston Control for Gearbox Noise Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current compressed air cylinder systems in gearboxes experience loud impact noise during piston movement due to the lack of effective damping solutions, with existing methods either leading to premature failure of damping elements, slowing down gear changes, or being expensive and complex, especially at low temperatures.
Innovation Solution
A compressed air cylinder arrangement with a control unit that regulates compressed air flow through a valve device to manage piston movement between multiple positions, using a constant or pulsed air supply to minimize noise by precisely controlling piston velocity and position, and an unregulated aperture for air release, reducing the number of components and enhancing safety through position detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If an impact-damping elastic element is provided between the piston and casing, then impact noise is reduced, but the damping element disintegrates over time causing reliability issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the elastic damping element entirely from the system. Instead of placing an element between the piston and casing, the invention uses a controlled air cushion created by the valve device and aperture to absorb the impact energy, extracting the damping function from mechanical elements and transferring it to a pneumatic system.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs a pneumatic damping mechanism where compressed air in the closed space acts as a cushion between the piston and casing. The valve device controls air supply while the aperture allows controlled release, creating a pneumatic buffer that reduces impact noise without the reliability issues of elastic materials.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a permanent constriction is placed on the compressed air supply to reduce piston velocity, then impact noise is reduced, but gear change speed is slowed down
Solution Approach 1:
The valve device dynamically adjusts the air supply to the piston based on the operational phase. During gear engagement, it provides full air pressure for rapid movement. During piston deceleration, it closes to allow the air cushion to form, dynamically switching between speed and damping modes to resolve the contradiction.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses periodic control of the valve device - opening during the power stroke for speed, closing during the return stroke to create the damping air cushion. This periodic action allows the system to achieve both rapid gear changes and impact noise reduction at different times in the operational cycle.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If hydraulic damping is used to reduce impact noise, then damping effectiveness is improved, but system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The compressed air system serves dual purposes: it provides both the driving force for piston movement and the damping cushion for impact reduction. The same compressed air that moves the piston also creates the cushion that dampens impact, eliminating the need for separate hydraulic damping systems and reducing overall complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The compressed air in the closed space performs multiple functions: it acts as the actuating medium to move the piston during gear changes and simultaneously serves as a damping medium to reduce impact noise. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate damping systems, reducing complexity and cost.
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 effectively reduces noise and maintains precise control of piston movement, allowing for rapid gear changes without the drawbacks of existing damping methods, while being cost-effective and functional across varying temperatures.
Implementation Method 1
a spring which acts between the piston and the casing of the cylinder chamber so that the spring acts to urge the piston to an extreme position in the cylinder chamber
Implementation Method 2
When compressed air is supplied to the space V1 or V2, the piston moves quickly towards one of the extreme positions
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
An arrangement for moving a piston (12) in a compressed air cylinder (10), which arrangement comprises: a compressed air cylinder (10); a valve device (17); a compressed air device; a control unit (30); and an aperture (20) in the cylinder chamber casing (11), or a valve which allows air to leave a space (V1 ) formed within the compressed air cylinder (10). The arrangement is characterised in that the control unit (30) comprises means for controlling the valve device (17) in such a way that it supplies compressed air to the space (V1 ) in a constant flow, or in pulses of varying length, so that the piston (12) and the stem (13) coupled to it are thereby moved to desired positions in the cylinder chamber (15). The invention relates also to a method for control of a piston movement.