Variable Displacement Throttle Plate for Radial Piston Pump
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing radial piston pumps suffer from inefficiencies due to a dead portion of the piston cycle where no fluid is drawn or expelled, leading to a third of the cycle being inactive, and require a large diameter due to outlet valves and passages, making them unsuitable for space-constrained applications.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a throttle plate with variable orifices that adjust fluid flow by altering the alignment of control apertures with inlet passages, allowing for rapid closure in the first half of the throttle plate's travel and slower reduction in the second half, along with passive check valves and a tubular sleeve to reduce pump diameter.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a throttle plate with variable orifices is used to control fluid flow, then the piston cycle efficiency is improved by eliminating dead time, but the device complexity increases due to the additional throttle control mechanism
Solution Approach 1:
The throttle plate is made rotatable to dynamically adjust the size of orifices in real-time during the piston cycle. The orifice area varies from fully open to fully closed positions, enabling adaptive flow control that eliminates dead time and improves piston cycle efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The physical parameter being changed is the cross-sectional area of the orifices in the throttle plate. By rotating the throttle plate, the effective flow area is continuously varied, allowing precise control over fluid flow rate and elimination of inactive periods in the piston cycle.
2Reliability
If outlet valves and passages are located radially outward from each cylinder, then fluid flow control is achieved, but the pump diameter increases making it unsuitable for space-constrained applications
Solution Approach 1:
The outlet passages are repositioned from a radial outward arrangement to an axial arrangement extending through the center of the pump housing. This dimensional change allows the outlet valves to be located at the axial center rather than at the radial periphery, significantly reducing the pump's overall diameter while maintaining effective fluid flow control.
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 configuration ensures that the entire piston cycle is utilized for fluid intake and expulsion, reducing the piston stroke distance and pump size, enhancing efficiency and allowing for compact installation in limited spaces.
Implementation Method 1
A throttle plate communicates with each of the plurality of inlet passages for varying a rate of fluid flow through the inlet passages
Implementation Method 2
A separate inlet check valve is located in each of the plurality of inlet passages and allows fluid flow only in a direction from the inlet port into one of the plurality of cylinders
Implementation Method 3
A separate outlet check valve is located in each of the plurality of outlet passages and allow fluid flow only in a direction from one of the plurality of cylinders into the outlet port
Data Source
AI summary
A radial piston pump has a plurality of cylinders within which pistons reciprocally move. Each cylinder is connected to a first port by an inlet passage that has an inlet check valve, and is connected to a second port by an outlet passage that has an outlet check valve. A throttling plate extends across the inlet passages and has a separate aperture associated with each inlet passage. Rotation of the throttling plate varies the degree of alignment of each aperture with the associated inlet passage, thereby forming variable orifices for altering displacement of the pump. Uniquely shaped apertures specifically affect the rate at which the variable orifices close with throttle plate movement, so that the closure rate decreases with increased closure of the variable orifices.