Hydraulic system and method for providing fluid pressure to hydraulically-powered systems

A hydraulic system for hydraulically powering one or more external devices, comprising:

• a crankshaft;
• and
• two pump assemblies, wherein each pump assembly is formed along a longitudinal direction extending from a proximal end to a distal end of the pump assembly, and wherein the pump assemblies are pivotably and eccentrically attached to opposite sides of the crankshaft and operating in a 180-degree offset configuration, each pump assembly including:
• an outer sleeve having at least one window formed through a sidewall of the outer sleeve,
• an inner sleeve, longitudinally movable inside the outer sleeve, the inner sleeve including a first inner cavity and a second inner cavity arranged within the inner sleeve, wherein the second inner cavity is longitudinally spaced apart and positioned distally from the first inner cavity, the inner sleeve further comprising at least one window formed through a sidewall of the inner sleeve and facing the second inner cavity,
• a valve member, longitudinally movable inside the inner sleeve and configured to reversibly move between a closed position, blocking fluid flow between the first and second inner cavities of the inner sleeve, and an open position, allowing fluid flow between the first and second inner cavities of the inner sleeve, and
• an end body, positioned distally from the valve member and longitudinally movable within the second inner cavity of the inner sleeve;
• each pump assembly can adopt:
• a driving configuration in which the valve member is in the closed position and the end body pushes the inner sleeve towards the proximal end of the pump assembly, and further in which the pump assembly drives the crankshaft to rotate, and
• a pumping configuration in which the inner sleeve and end body move distally relative to the outer sleeve and the end body provides a pushing end of the pump assembly for pushing a fluid.

A hydraulic system for hydraulically powering one or more external devices, comprising:

• at least one pump assembly, wherein each pump assembly is formed along a longitudinal direction extending from a proximal end to a distal end of the pump assembly, each pump assembly including:
• an outer sleeve having at least one window formed through a sidewall of the outer sleeve,
• an inner sleeve, longitudinally movable inside the outer sleeve, the inner sleeve including a first inner cavity and a second inner cavity arranged within the inner sleeve, wherein the second inner cavity is longitudinally spaced apart and positioned distally from the first inner cavity, the inner sleeve further comprising at least one window formed through a sidewall of the inner sleeve and facing the second inner cavity,
• a valve member, longitudinally movable inside the inner sleeve and configured to reversibly move between a closed position, blocking fluid flow between the first and second inner cavities of the inner sleeve, and an open position, allowing fluid flow between the first and second inner cavities of the inner sleeve, and
• an end body, positioned distally from the valve member and longitudinally movable within the second inner cavity of the inner sleeve;
• and
• a high pressure fluid tank;
• wherein
• the pump assembly can adopt a driving configuration in which the valve member is in the closed position and the end body pushes the inner sleeve towards the proximal end of the pump assembly, and further in which the end body is arranged within the high pressure fluid tank and is pushed toward the inner sleeve by pressure from fluid contained within the high pressure fluid tank.

A hydraulic system for hydraulically powering one or more external devices, comprising:

• at least one pump assembly, wherein each pump assembly is formed along a longitudinal direction extending from a proximal end to a distal end of the pump assembly, each pump assembly including:
• an outer sleeve having at least one window formed through a sidewall of the outer sleeve,
• an inner sleeve, longitudinally movable inside the outer sleeve, the inner sleeve including a first inner cavity and a second inner cavity arranged within the inner sleeve, wherein the second inner cavity is longitudinally spaced apart and positioned distally from the first inner cavity, the inner sleeve further comprising at least one window formed through a sidewall of the inner sleeve and facing the second inner cavity,
• a valve member, longitudinally movable inside the inner sleeve and configured to reversibly move between a closed position, blocking fluid flow between the first and second inner cavities of the inner sleeve, and an open position, allowing fluid flow between the first and second inner cavities of the inner sleeve, and
• an end body, positioned distally from the valve member and longitudinally movable within the second inner cavity of the inner sleeve;
• wherein
• the pump assembly can adopt:
• a driving configuration in which the valve member is in the closed position and the end body pushes the inner sleeve towards the proximal end of the pump assembly;
• a fluid-intaking configuration in which the end body is stopped from moving longitudinally and proximally by the outer sleeve and the inner sleeve is moving proximally relative to the end body, an enclosed internal space being formed between the inner sleeve and the end body and a depression being formed within said internal space, said depression moving the valve member to the open position allowing the passage of a specific amount of fluid from the first inner cavity of the inner sleeve to the internal space;
• and
• a fluid-transporting configuration in which said valve member is in the closed position and said inner sleeve, valve member, end body and specific amount of fluid move jointly and distally relative to the outer sleeve and carry the specific amount of fluid towards the at least one window formed on the sidewall of the outer sleeve.

A hydraulic system for hydraulically powering one or more external devices, comprising:

• two pump assemblies, wherein each pump assembly is formed along a longitudinal direction extending from a proximal end to a distal end of the pump assembly, each pump assembly including:
• an outer sleeve having at least one window formed through a sidewall of the outer sleeve,
• an inner sleeve, longitudinally movable inside the outer sleeve, the inner sleeve including a first inner cavity and a second inner cavity arranged within the inner sleeve, wherein the second inner cavity is longitudinally spaced apart and positioned distally from the first inner cavity, the inner sleeve further comprising at least one window formed through a sidewall of the inner sleeve and facing the second inner cavity,
• a valve member, longitudinally movable inside the inner sleeve and configured to reversibly move between a closed position, blocking fluid flow between the first and second inner cavities of the inner sleeve, and an open position, allowing fluid flow between the first and second inner cavities of the inner sleeve, and
• an end body, positioned distally from the valve member and longitudinally movable within the second inner cavity of the inner sleeve;
• a crankshaft arranged proximally from the two pump assemblies, wherein the two pump assemblies are pivotably and eccentrically attached to opposite sides of the crankshaft and operate in a 180-degree offset configuration;
• and
• two high pressure fluid tanks, wherein the end body of each pump assembly is arranged within a respective one of the two high pressure fluid tanks, and the end bodies of the pump assemblies are alternately pushed toward the corresponding inner sleeve by pressure from fluid contained within the respective high pressure fluid tank;
• wherein
• each pump assembly can adopt a driving configuration in which the valve member is in the closed position and the end body pushes the inner sleeve towards the proximal end of the pump assembly, and further in which the pump assembly drives the crankshaft to rotate.

A hydraulic system for hydraulically powering one or more external devices, comprising:

• at least one pump assembly, wherein each pump assembly is formed along a longitudinal direction extending from a proximal end to a distal end of the pump assembly, each pump assembly including:
• an outer sleeve having at least one window formed through a sidewall of the outer sleeve,
• an inner sleeve, longitudinally movable inside the outer sleeve, the inner sleeve including a first inner cavity and a second inner cavity arranged within the inner sleeve, wherein the second inner cavity is longitudinally spaced apart and positioned distally from the first inner cavity, the inner sleeve further comprising at least one window formed through a sidewall of the inner sleeve and facing the second inner cavity,
• a valve member, longitudinally movable inside the inner sleeve and configured to reversibly move between a closed position, blocking fluid flow between the first and second inner cavities of the inner sleeve, and an open position, allowing fluid flow between the first and second inner cavities of the inner sleeve, and
• an end body, positioned distally from the valve member and longitudinally movable within the second inner cavity of the inner sleeve;
• a crankshaft arranged proximally from the at least one pump assembly, wherein the pump assembly is pivotably and eccentrically attached to the crankshaft;
• and
• at least one piston assembly, wherein each piston assembly is associated to a respective pump assembly of said at least one pump assembly and is pivotably connected to the crankshaft and configured to expand and compress a chamber of the piston assembly in synchronization with rotation of the crankshaft, wherein the chamber of said piston assembly is in fluid communication with a valving system, wherein the valving system is configured to selectively establish fluid communication from the chamber of the piston assembly towards a low pressure fluid tank external to the piston assembly when the piston is assembly is compressing;
• wherein
• the pump assembly can adopt a driving configuration in which the valve member is in the closed position and the end body pushes the inner sleeve towards the proximal end of the pump assembly, and further in which the pump assembly drives the crankshaft to rotate.

A hydraulic system for hydraulically powering one or more external devices, comprising:

• at least one pump assembly, wherein each pump assembly is formed along a longitudinal direction extending from a proximal end to a distal end of the pump assembly, each pump assembly including:
• an outer sleeve having at least one window formed through a sidewall of the outer sleeve,
• an inner sleeve, longitudinally movable inside the outer sleeve, the inner sleeve including a first inner cavity and a second inner cavity arranged within the inner sleeve, wherein the second inner cavity is longitudinally spaced apart and positioned distally from the first inner cavity, the inner sleeve further comprising at least one window formed through a sidewall of the inner sleeve and facing the second inner cavity,
• a valve member, longitudinally movable inside the inner sleeve and configured to reversibly move between a closed position, blocking fluid flow between the first and second inner cavities of the inner sleeve, and an open position, allowing fluid flow between the first and second inner cavities of the inner sleeve, and
• an end body, positioned distally from the valve member and longitudinally movable within the second inner cavity of the inner sleeve;
• a crankshaft arranged proximally from the at least one pump assembly, wherein the pump assembly is pivotably and eccentrically attached to the crankshaft;
• and
• at least one piston assembly, wherein each piston assembly is associated to a respective pump assembly of said at least one pump assembly and is pivotably connected to the crankshaft and configured to expand and compress a chamber of the piston assembly in synchronization with rotation of the crankshaft, wherein the chamber of said piston assembly is in fluid communication with a valving system, wherein the valving system is configured to selectively establish fluid communication from a low pressure fluid tank external to the piston assembly to the chamber of the piston assembly when the piston is assembly is expanding by the crankshaft rotating responsively to the pump assembly being in the driving configuration and driving the crankshaft;
• wherein
• the pump assembly can adopt a driving configuration in which the valve member is in the closed position and the end body pushes the inner sleeve towards the proximal end of the pump assembly, and further in which the pump assembly drives the crankshaft to rotate.

A hydraulic system for hydraulically powering one or more external devices, comprising:

• at least one pump assembly, wherein each pump assembly is formed along a longitudinal direction extending from a proximal end to a distal end of the pump assembly, each pump assembly including:
• an outer sleeve having at least one window formed through a sidewall of the outer sleeve,
• an inner sleeve, longitudinally movable inside the outer sleeve, the inner sleeve including a first inner cavity and a second inner cavity arranged within the inner sleeve, wherein the second inner cavity is longitudinally spaced apart and positioned distally from the first inner cavity, the inner sleeve further comprising at least one window formed through a sidewall of the inner sleeve and facing the second inner cavity,
• a valve member, longitudinally movable inside the inner sleeve and configured to reversibly move between a closed position, blocking fluid flow between the first and second inner cavities of the inner sleeve, and an open position, allowing fluid flow between the first and second inner cavities of the inner sleeve, and
• an end body, positioned distally from the valve member and longitudinally movable within the second inner cavity of the inner sleeve;
• a crankshaft arranged proximally from the at least one pump assembly, wherein the pump assembly is pivotably and eccentrically attached to the crankshaft;
• and
• at least one piston assembly, wherein each piston assembly is associated to a respective pump assembly of said at least one pump assembly and is pivotably connected to the crankshaft and configured to expand and compress a chamber of the piston assembly in synchronization with rotation of the crankshaft, wherein the chamber of said piston assembly is in fluid communication with a valving system, wherein the valving system is configured to selectively establish fluid communication from a high pressure fluid tank external to the piston assembly to the chamber of the piston assembly to force the piston assembly to expand and drive the crankshaft;
• wherein
• the pump assembly can adopt a driving configuration in which the valve member is in the closed position and the end body pushes the inner sleeve towards the proximal end of the pump assembly, and further in which the pump assembly drives the crankshaft to rotate.