Pressurized Lubrication for Large Diesel Engine Cylinders
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lubrication systems for large diesel engines rely on gravity to deliver lubricant, requiring a high reservoir elevation and are sensitive to temperature, leading to potential engine damage and increased costs due to space constraints and the need for heating devices.
Innovation Solution
A lubrication arrangement that includes a feed pump to pressurize the lubricant supply line, ensuring consistent overpressure delivery to the lubrication device, allowing for flexible reservoir placement and reducing temperature sensitivity, thus eliminating the need for heating devices and enabling efficient lubrication across various operational states.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by stationary object
If gravity is used to deliver lubricant from reservoir to lubrication device, then no additional power consumption is required, but the reservoir must be positioned at high elevation requiring significant space
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a hydraulic feed pump to deliver lubricant from the reservoir to the lubrication device, replacing the gravitational flow system. This hydraulic approach enables the reservoir to be positioned at any location without requiring high elevation, while the pump consumes electrical energy to maintain proper lubricant flow and pressure to the injection pumps.
2Device complexity
If reservoir is positioned at high elevation for gravity feed, then lubricant delivery is simple, but the system becomes sensitive to temperature variations affecting viscosity
Solution Approach 1:
The feed pump creates a pressurized hydraulic system that compensates for temperature-induced viscosity changes. By maintaining positive pressure throughout the lubricant delivery system, the pump ensures consistent flow rates regardless of whether the lubricant becomes more viscous in cold temperatures or less viscous in warm temperatures, thereby improving reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operating parameter of lubricant delivery from passive gravitational flow to active pressurized flow. This parameter change allows the system to maintain controlled delivery rates despite temperature variations affecting lubricant viscosity, as the pump can compensate by adjusting pressure to maintain proper flow conditions.
3Reliability
If heating devices are added to compensate for temperature sensitivity, then lubrication reliability improves, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The hydraulic feed pump system replaces the need for thermal heating devices by using mechanical pressure to ensure proper lubricant delivery. The pump maintains sufficient flow pressure to overcome increased viscosity in cold temperatures without requiring external heating, thereby improving reliability while reducing system complexity and eliminating heating components.
4Ease of manufacture
If gravity feed system is used, then the system is simple to implement, but flexible reservoir placement is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The feed pump creates a flexible hydraulic delivery system that can accommodate reservoir placement in various locations throughout the engine room or vessel. The pump-powered system eliminates the gravitational constraint that required the reservoir to be positioned at high elevation, allowing the reservoir to be placed in convenient locations for filling, maintenance, and space utilization while maintaining reliable lubricant delivery.
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 pressurized lubrication system ensures reliable cylinder lubrication, reduces space requirements, and simplifies lubricant switching, while minimizing the impact of viscosity and temperature variations, resulting in a more efficient and cost-effective design.
Implementation Method 1
a feed pump (5) is provided, which is arranged to pressurize the lubricant in the supply line (4), so that the lubricant is supplied with an overpressure to the inlet (31) of the lubrication device (3)
Implementation Method 2
The lubrication device (3) comprises a plurality of injection pumps (32) for delivering the lubricant into the cylinders (11)
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
A lubrication arrangement is proposed for the lubrication of cylinders (11) of a large diesel engine (10), comprising a reservoir (2) for a lubricant, a lubrication device (3) for being mounted to the large diesel engine (10), and a supply line (4) connecting the reservoir (2) with an inlet (31) of the lubrication device (3) for delivering the lubricant from the reservoir (2) to the lubrication device (3), wherein the lubrication device (3) comprises a plurality of injection pumps (32) for delivering the lubricant into the cylinders (11), and wherein a feed pump (5) is provided, which is arranged to pressurize the lubricant in the supply line (4), so that the lubricant is supplied with an overpressure to the inlet (31) of the lubrication device (3). In addition, a combination of a lubrication arrangement and a large diesel engine is proposed.