Pneumatic Pulse Generator with Variable Chamber Volume
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for generating pneumatic pulses in water extraction systems and geological applications suffer from energy losses during hose changes and require elaborate preparation, resulting in inefficient energy transfer and limited effectiveness in removing incrustations and stimulating geological strata.
Innovation Solution
A pulse generator with a housing featuring coaxial chambers and a movable piston with specific enlargements, allowing for variable volume adjustment and controlled gas release, optimizing energy content and pulse amplitude through adjustable parameters like area ratios and materials, enabling efficient generation of high-energy pulses with a steeper edge and broader energy range.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If hoses are changed between different connection points for loading pre-pressures, then the device can be used in different positions, but significant energy carrier losses occur due to compressed hose volume
Solution Approach 1:
The pulse generator integrates multiple chambers (back-pressure chamber, pre-chamber, working chamber) and functional components into a single self-contained unit. This merging eliminates the need for external hoses to transmit pre-pressure, as the device carries its own pressure system internally, thereby preventing energy carrier losses while maintaining position flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces an intermediary mechanism - the internally integrated pre-pressure system with piston and valve arrangements - that mediates between the need for position adaptability and energy conservation. This intermediary structure allows the device to maintain pre-pressure without external hose connections, resolving the contradiction between versatility and energy loss.
2Reliability
If elaborate preparation is performed for generating impulses, then the device can operate effectively, but the process becomes time-consuming and inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The device performs preliminary actions by pre-filling the back-pressure chamber and pre-chamber with compressed gas before operation, and by pre-positioning the piston and valve components. This preliminary preparation is done once during setup, allowing rapid impulse generation thereafter without repeated elaborate preparation, thus improving efficiency while maintaining effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The pulse generator is designed to be self-sufficient with internal pressure regulation mechanisms, piston valve systems, and chamber configurations that automatically manage the impulse generation process. This self-service design eliminates the need for external preparation steps or complex setup procedures, reducing preparation time while ensuring reliable operation.
3Device complexity
If the working chamber volume is fixed, then the device structure is simpler, but the energy content and pulse amplitude cannot be adjusted for different applications
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces dynamic adjustability to the working chamber volume through a variable base element or sliding sleeve mechanism. This allows the chamber volume to be changed according to different application requirements, enabling adjustment of energy content and pulse amplitude while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure when a specific volume is selected.
Solution Approach 2:
The device enables parameter changes by allowing adjustment of the working chamber volume, which directly affects the energy content and pulse amplitude of the generated impulses. This parameter adjustability is achieved through simple structural modifications such as variable base elements or sliding sleeves, balancing structure simplicity with application versatility.
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 pulse generator achieves a steeper pulse amplitude and variable energy content, enhancing the effectiveness of pressure waves for loosening deposits and improving water extraction yield, while allowing for adjustable frequency and amplitude to suit various applications, including well cleaning and avalanche triggering.
Implementation Method 1
The pre-chamber, which can be filled through the lateral bore, is filled by building up pressure which, upon reaching a certain level, suddenly moves the piston towards the back-pressure chamber into the open position, so that the pressurized gas in the working chamber and pre-chamber flows through the openings released by the piston towards the gas outlet openings and out of them
Implementation Method 2
Device for generating shock waves, in particular for the pneumatic generation of successive pulses
Implementation Method 3
due to the piston's travel, the back-pressure chamber is reduced in size and its volume is compressed, resulting in a pressure increase in the back-pressure chamber which allows the piston to close again
Implementation Method 4
an axially actuated counter-pressure valve, movable relative to the housing and the piston, with an axial through-bore extending through the pre-chamber and projecting into the axial bore of the piston, wherein the counter-pressure valve has a connection to a pressurized gas supply
Data Source
Figure 1a~3b
Figure 4~7
Figure 8~11
AI summary
The invention relates to a device for generating shock waves, in particular for generating pneumatically successive pulses, using a pulse generator comprising at least: - a back pressure chamber, - a pre-chamber, - a working chamber, - gas outlet openings radially arranged in an outer shell of the pulse generator, - a pressurized gas flowing into the pre-chamber and working chamber, - a connection to a pressure supply, wherein the pulse generator has a piston movable along a longitudinal axis, the piston operating in the form of a valve such that: - in a closed position of the piston, the working chamber and pre-chamber are sealed off from the back pressure chamber in such a way that no exchange of the pressurized gas takes place between the working chamber and the back pressure chamber, - in an open position of the piston, the pressurized gas located in the working chamber and pre-chamber is bypassed by aThe gas flows from the opening released by the piston towards the gas outlet openings and out of them, the total area of the gas outlet openings being essentially equal to or greater than the opening of the working chamber released by the piston, and the volume of the working chamber of the pulse generator being variable.