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US 10,570,930 B2Granted
Accumulator
OwnerAngus Peter Robsoninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus including an accumulator and a drive mechanism. The accumulator includes an energy storage apparatus with a first piston face configured to reversibly compress an energy storage medium and a second piston face forming at least part of an inner surface of a corresponding second fluid chamber reversibly expandable by movement of the second piston face. A third piston face forms at least part of an inner surface of a corresponding third fluid chamber reversibly expandable by the third piston face. The first, second and third piston faces are coupled together.
Claims25
An apparatus including:
- an accumulator, and
- a drive mechanism including a hydraulic drive motor;
- the accumulator including:
- an energy storage apparatus with a movable first piston face configured to reversibly compress an energy storage medium;
- a movable second piston face forming at least part of an inner surface of a corresponding second fluid chamber reversibly expandable by the second piston face;
- a movable third piston face forming at least part of an inner surface of a corresponding third fluid chamber reversibly expandable by the third piston face;
- the first, second and third piston faces being coupled together,
- wherein the apparatus further includes hydraulic fluid lines and hydraulic fluid interconnections, the hydraulic fluid lines including:
- at least one pressure line from a prime mover to;
- the drive motor;
- accumulator second fluid chamber;
- accumulator third fluid chamber;
- at least one drain line input to the prime mover from;
- the drive motor;
- accumulator second fluid chamber;
- at least one pressure line from the accumulator third fluid chamber to;
- the drive motor;
- the apparatus configured to concurrently;
- input hydraulic fluid to the second fluid chamber and
- output hydraulic fluid from the third fluid chamber to the hydraulic drive motor,
- during an expansion of the energy storage medium.
18 more elements
A method of operating an apparatus including:
- an accumulator;
- a hammer weight with at least one drive-engagement surface;
- a drive projection configured to engage with the at least one drive-engagement surface on the hammer weight, and
- a drive mechanism including a hydraulic drive motor, the drive mechanism capable of moving the drive projection reciprocally between two opposed directions,
- the accumulator including:
- an energy storage apparatus with a movable first piston face configured to reversibly compress an energy storage medium;
- a movable second piston face forming at least part of an inner surface of a corresponding second fluid chamber reversibly expandable by the second piston face;
- a movable third piston face forming at least part of an inner surface of a corresponding third fluid chamber reversibly expandable by the third piston face;
- the first, second and third piston faces being coupled together;
- wherein the apparatus further includes hydraulic fluid lines and hydraulic fluid interconnections, the hydraulic fluid lines including:
- at least one pressure line from a prime mover to;
- the drive motor;
- accumulator second fluid chamber;
- accumulator third fluid chamber;
- at least one drain line input to the prime mover from;
- the drive motor;
- accumulator second fluid chamber;
- at least one pressure line from the accumulator third fluid chamber to;
- the drive motor;
- configured to concurrently;
- input hydraulic fluid to the second fluid chamber and
- output hydraulic fluid from the third fluid chamber to the hydraulic drive motor
- during an expansion of the energy storage medium,
- wherein in the method, the drive mechanism is cyclically operable through a cycle including the stages of an up stroke, upper stroke transition, down stroke and lower stroke transition, wherein during the:
- up stroke, the drive projection engages with the drive-engagement surface to raise the hammer weight upwards;
- upper stroke transition, the hammer weight disengages from the drive projection as the hammer weight reaches its maximum extent of the up stroke and the hammer weight starts to travel downwards under the force of gravity;
- down stroke, the drive projection re-engages with the hammer weight via another drive-engagement surface as the hammer weight moves downwards, thereby adding additional impetus to the gravitational force driving downwards;
- lower stroke transition, the drive projection detaches from the drive-engagement surface allowing the hammer weight to strike an impact surface.
25 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.