Variable Pump Control Valve With Suction-Side Pressure Relief
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pumps face challenges in efficiently and cost-effectively relieving pressure on adjustment devices, often resulting in fluid contamination, energy wastage, and increased costs due to direct discharge or the need for additional return lines when adjusting delivery volume.
Innovation Solution
A pump design with a control valve that includes a relief connection bypassing the reservoir, allowing the control fluid to return to the suction area, thereby preventing contamination and energy loss, and integrating the control valve within the pump housing to eliminate separate connections and potential assembly errors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the control fluid is discharged directly into the environment via the pilot valve, then the pressure relief function is achieved, but the fluid contaminates surrounding components and energy is wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a return line as an intermediary pathway that directs the discharged control fluid back to the reservoir instead of allowing it to flow freely into the environment. This mediator (return line) captures the harmful effect (contaminated fluid) and redirects it to a safe destination, resolving the contradiction between achieving pressure relief and preventing contamination
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of discarding the control fluid directly into the environment where it causes contamination and energy loss, the system recovers it by routing it back to the reservoir through the return line. This allows the fluid to be reused in the hydraulic system, simultaneously achieving pressure relief while preventing contamination and energy wastage
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a return line is provided to route the control fluid back to the reservoir, then contamination and energy loss are prevented, but the device complexity and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The return line is integrated into the existing pump housing structure, merging the pressure relief function with the housing design. By combining the return line with the housing, the patent reduces the number of separate components and assembly steps, thereby lowering complexity and costs while still preventing fluid contamination
Solution Approach 2:
The pump housing is designed to serve multiple functions: it houses the pump mechanism, provides mounting for the pilot valve, and incorporates the return line pathway. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate dedicated return line components, reducing device complexity while maintaining the benefit of preventing fluid contamination
3Ease of manufacture
If the control valve is located remotely from the pump, then the pump design is simplified, but the flow cross-sections cannot be dimensioned sufficiently for quick adjustment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the control valve in a strategically located position that is both close enough to the pump for quick adjustment (solving the productivity issue) and integrated into the housing structure (maintaining manufacturing simplicity). This spatial optimization in a different dimensional arrangement resolves the contradiction between location benefits
4Reliability
If the control fluid flows freely due to gravity into the reservoir, then the pressure relief is achieved, but foamed fluid is fed into the reservoir and energy is wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The return line acts as an intermediary that guides the control fluid back to the reservoir in a controlled manner, preventing it from flowing freely and creating foam. This mediator ensures the fluid returns efficiently without energy wastage while still achieving the pressure relief function
Solution Approach 2:
The return line is designed to utilize gravity and pressure differential to guide the fluid back to the reservoir without requiring additional energy input. By creating a pathway that allows natural flow back to the reservoir, the system achieves pressure relief without energy wastage or foam generation
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
This design ensures energy-efficient, clean, and cost-effective pressure relief, reducing the risk of contamination and assembly complexities, while maintaining high-pressure control fluid efficiency and preventing air ingress into the pump system.
Implementation Method 1
The control valve (30) is set up to apply control pressure using a control fluid from the high-pressure side to the adjustment device (20, 20')
Implementation Method 2
a relief connection (S, 35) for the control fluid, which is connected to the suction area (4) in a manner bypassing the reservoir (98)
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Pump with an adjustable delivery volume, the pump comprising the following: (a) a pump housing (1, 2) with a pump connection (3) for connecting the pump (100) to a reservoir (98) of a fluid to be delivered, a delivery chamber (5) which has a delivery chamber inlet (6) on a low-pressure side of the pump and a delivery chamber outlet (7) for a fluid on a high-pressure side of the pump, and a suction region (4) extending from the pump connection (3) on the low-pressure side to at least the delivery chamber inlet (6) , (b) a support member (5) movable in the funding chamber (10) to promote the fluid from the low pressure side to the high pressure side, preferably a axis of rotation (5) rotatable conveyor rotor (10), (c) one Adjusting device (20, 25, K) for adjusting the delivery volume of the pump, (d) an outside of the suction area (4) arranged control valve (30), which comprises the following: (d1) a pressure connection (P) for a fluid from the high pressure control fluid branched off on the rear, (d2) a working connection (A) for the control fluid, which is connected to the adjustment device (20), (d3) a relief connection (S) for the control fluid, (d4) a valve chamber (31) and a control piston (32), which can be moved back and forth in the valve chamber (31) between a first piston position and a second piston position, (d5) and a tensioning device (33) for generating a tensioning force acting on the control piston (32) in the direction of one of the piston positions, (e) and an additional control device (36, 37, 40) for generating a control force that counteracts the clamping force of the clamping device (33) on the control piston (32), (f) the control valve (30) (f1) being in the first piston position ( 32) connects the working port (A) to the pressure port (P) and (f2) when the control piston (32) is in the second piston position, separates the working port (A) from the pressure port (P) and to the relief port s (S), (g) and wherein the relief port (S) is connected to the suction region (4) bypassing the reservoir (98).