Reversible Hydraulic Pump Control for Slope-Independent Chassis Lowering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fluid systems for vehicle chassis, particularly pneumatic systems, are complex, costly, prone to errors, and have limited lowering capabilities, especially when the vehicle is on a slope or angle, requiring complex valve arrangements and electronic control units.
Innovation Solution
A hydraulic system with a pump that can reverse delivery direction to fluidically pressurize actuators, using a control valve to control actuator valves without the need for complex electronic controls, allowing reliable actuator relief independent of vehicle position, reducing valve complexity and manufacturing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a complex valve arrangement with electronic control is used to release the vehicle, then the vehicle can be lowered, but the system becomes costly and susceptible to errors
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the complex electronic control system and associated valves from the fluid system. By using a mechanically actuated valve design that operates directly through fluid pressure differentials, the system removes the need for electronic controllers, sensors, and complex control logic, thereby improving reliability while reducing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve arrangement is designed to operate autonomously based on fluid pressure conditions without requiring external electronic control signals. The system uses the inherent pressure differentials created during vehicle lowering to automatically control valve operation, making the system self-regulating and eliminating susceptibility to electronic failures.
2Ease of operation
If electronically controlled valves are used to regulate actuator pressure, then precise control is achieved, but manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces expensive electronically controlled valves with simpler, mechanically actuated valve components that can be manufactured at lower cost. The mechanical valve design uses basic components such as springs, diaphragms, and pressure-sensitive elements that are cheaper to produce than electronic control systems while maintaining adequate control functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention substitutes electronic control mechanisms with purely mechanical valve actuation. The valves are controlled through fluid pressure differentials and mechanical spring forces rather than electronic signals, eliminating the need for expensive electronic controllers, circuit boards, and associated components while achieving sufficient control precision through mechanical means.
3Reliability
If the vehicle has dead weight to compress actuators during lowering, then the actuators can be compressed to desired extent, but the system cannot ensure compression when vehicle is on slope or angle
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces a spring-loaded valve mechanism that provides a mechanical counterforce to compensate for insufficient vehicle weight. The spring force in the valve assembly ensures that actuators are compressed to the desired extent regardless of whether the vehicle is on level ground or a slope, as the spring provides the necessary additional force when gravitational force is insufficient.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve system is designed with dynamic characteristics that allow it to adapt to different operating conditions including slopes and angles. The spring-loaded valve mechanism automatically adjusts its force output based on the pressure differential, ensuring consistent actuator compression whether the vehicle is stationary on level ground or positioned on an incline.
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 system ensures reliable operation with reduced manufacturing costs and susceptibility to errors, enabling effective actuator control and stable chassis positioning regardless of vehicle inclination.
Implementation Method 1
the pump is designed to deliver fluid to be delivered in a first delivery direction and in a second delivery direction opposite the first delivery direction, so that the first actuator and the second actuator are fluidically pressurized by the pump
Implementation Method 2
a control valve for controlling, preferably for fluidically controlling, the first actuator valve and the second actuator valve
Data Source
AI summary
A fluid system for a vehicle includes a pump for delivering a fluid, wherein the pump has a first and a second fluid connections, a first and a second actuators to be connected to the first fluid connection via a first and a second actuator valves, respectively, wherein the pump is designed to deliver fluid in a first delivery direction and in a second delivery direction, so that the first actuator and the second actuator are fluidically pressurized by the pump via the first fluid connection when the pump delivers in the first delivery direction, and a control valve for controlling the first and the second actuator valves. The control valve is fluidically separated from the second fluid connection when the pump delivers in the first delivery direction, and the control valve is connected to the second fluid connection when the pump delivers in the second delivery direction.