# US 10,871,174 B2 · Prime mover system and methods utilizing balanced flow within bi-directional power units > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,871,174 B2 - Document ID: US10871174B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/198,135 - Filed: 2018-11-21 - Published: 2019-05-30 - Granted: 2020-12-22 - Earliest claimed: 2015-10-23 - Assignees: AOL Inc. - Applicants: AOI (Advanced Oilfield Innovations, Inc.) - Inventors: Daniel Maurice Lerner; Andre Orban; Ranjit Singh - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10871174B2 ## CPC - F15B 7/10: Compensation of the liquid content in a system (F15B7/08 takes precedence) - F03C 1/06: with cylinder axes generally coaxial with, or parallel or inclined to, main shaft axis - F04B 1/12: having cylinder axes coaxial with, or parallel or inclined to, main shaft axis - F04B 23/021: {the pump being immersed in the reservoir} - F04B 27/0839: {valve means, e.g. valve plate} - F04B 27/1804: {Controlled by crankcase pressure} - F04B 49/22: by means of valves (F04B49/03 takes precedence) - F15B 1/26: Supply reservoir or sump assemblies - F15B 15/17: of differential-piston type - F15B 19/005: {Fault detection or monitoring} - F04B 11/00: Equalisation of pulses, e.g. by use of air vessels; Counteracting cavitation - F04B 41/02: having reservoirs - F15B: SYSTEMS ACTING BY MEANS OF FLUIDS IN GENERAL; FLUID-PRESSURE ACTUATORS, e.g. SERVOMOTORS; DETAILS OF FLUID-PRESSURE SYSTEMS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - F03C: POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT ENGINES DRIVEN BY LIQUIDS (positive- displacement engines for liquids and elastic fluids F01; positive- displacement machines for liquids F04; fluid-pressure actuators F15B; fluid gearing F16H) - F04B: POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS (machines for liquids, or pumps, of rotary-piston or oscillating-piston type F04C; non-positive-displacement pumps F04D; pumping of fluid by direct contact of another fluid or by using inertia of fluid to be pumped F04F) ## Abstract Systems, methods and devices are described providing a selective hydraulic or electrically powered prime mover that is a bi-directional power unit system, including movement within a device used to compress and/or expand a fluid and provide fluid movement. The use of a hydraulic power unit is involved and comprises at least a pump or other fluid moving device, a first set of selective control valves delivering pressurized fluid to the device(s), and a second set of selective control valves returning unpressurized fluid from the device(s), a reservoir comprising a compensator tank, a port for operation at ambient pressure, and a pressure measuring device measuring ambient pressure allowing for unbalanced flow to and from the device as well as thermal expansion or compression. The use of a multiport and in some cases a swashplate pump that incorporates the features and functions of several valves for the system is also described. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus that actuates and moves one or more devices in either a single or bi-directional direction that utilizes at least one hydraulic power unit(s) (HPU) comprising; one or more fixed displacement four port pumps, said pumps having at least one inlet port, one outlet port, and one reservoir port that act to balance fluid flow and allow fluid flow in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction into and out of a pipeline that has access to at least one reservoir such that said fluid flow enters and exits said pumps from either a designated clockwise (CW) or counterclockwise (CCW) inlet/outlet port such that a clockwise or counterclockwise flow path is created with said one or more four ports pumps and ensures balanced fluid flow into and out of said apparatus and system. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said one or more pumps are selected from the group consisting of; swashplate pumps, reciprocating pumps, scroll pumps, piston pumps, diaphragm pumps, injection pumps, centrifugal pumps, gear pumps, and metering pumps. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said one or more pumps are at least one swashplate pump that includes a four port valve plate such that fluid flow into and out of said swashplate pump is either unidirectional or bidirectional. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said swashplate pump together with said at a four port valve plate ensures balanced fluid flow exists and is maintained within said pump in that a fluid flow volume remains constant throughout operation of said swashplate pump and within said pipeline as said pump is utilized for operation of said apparatus and system. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The swashplate pump of claim 4, wherein said four port valve plate provides at least three ports, wherein at least one port is designated for counterclockwise flow, at least one port is designated for clockwise flow and at least one port is designated as a reservoir port, wherein said reservoir port allows for fluid flow balancing in that fluid is either replaced or added as required to keep said fluid balanced. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said swashplate pump with a four port valve plate integrates all features that require use of an inverse shuttle valve and/or an inverse shuttle valve within said apparatus thereby reducing cost, complexity, and risk of failure caused by inoperative valves. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The four port valve plate of claim 6, wherein said four port valve plate includes a monitor port, wherein said monitor port provides a location for sensors and/or hydraulic actuators. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said pump and/or said four port valve plate with said swashplate pumps are immersed in said at least one reservoir. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said pumps and/or said swashplate pump allows for fluid flow into and out of said at least one reservoir. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at least one reservoir is vented, sealed, pressure compensated, preloaded and/or expandable. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said pumps have four ports that open and close ensuring balanced fluid flow is maintained along said flow path with force and direction required to move, control, and/or maintain position of one or more moving device(s) in a precise and controlled fashion as determined by a user. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The pumps of claim 11, wherein one of said four ports is utilized as either a reservoir port and a sensor port so that a sensor can be inserted into said port to measure pressure, temperature, and additional fluid parameters within said pumps as well as within said apparatus and system. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein fluid is delivered to at least one port within said moving device(s) and fluid along said flow path from said moving device(s) is blocked, redirected, or continues to flow into one or more pumps said pumps containing components that control fluid flow returning from said moving device(s) back into said pumps, thereby completing said flow path and accomplishing an ability to control intermittent or continuous movement of said devices. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus and system is an electrical power unit(s) apparatus for actuating and moving one or more devices in either a single or bi-directional direction wherein hydraulic power units are selected from the group consisting of pumps, motors, compressors, engines, turbines and inverters. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein fluid flow along said flow path continues flowing into and out of said pumps keeping one or more motor seals and associated ports filled with fluid to reduce or eliminate hydraulic lock and cavitation. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus also includes a pressure compensator tank that is operationally connected to a pump inlet port of said pump through a fluid flow filter and wherein said compensator tank is a portion of a variable fluid reservoir. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said one or more pumps function as a motor. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said fluid reservoir includes at least one compensator tank and a port to ambient pressure and a reservoir pressure measuring device that measures ambient pressure and ensures the ability to operate even in the presence of unbalanced flow to and from said moving device(s) and allows for thermal expansion or compression within said system. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said pipeline is completely closed and has no open ports to the atmosphere. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said pipeline has at least one port that is opened to the atmosphere. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a controller is utilized to increase volume, change direction, and/or increase pressure within said fluid along said flow path. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein fluid within said fluid reservoir is controlled by a controller. ### Claim 23 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein fluid reaches an upper bi-directional port of said device(s) and is delivered to said device(s) and returns from said device(s) into a lower bi-directional port. ### Claim 24 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus contains at least one valve and wherein said valve is a check valve and wherein said check valve has two ports. ### Claim 25 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus contains at least one set of pilot operated check valves and wherein said pilot operated check valves have at least three ports. ### Claim 26 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus contains at least two sets of pilot operated check valves. ### Claim 27 (depends on 1) The apparatus f claim 1, wherein said apparatus contains one or more valves that is a detented shuttle valve with at least three ports. ### Claim 28 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus contains one or more valves that is an inverted shuttle valve with at least three ports. ### Claim 29 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said pipeline has at least one fluid flow filter. ### Claim 30 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said pipeline has at least one pressure measuring device. ### Claim 31 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said one or more devices are selected from the group consisting of; mechanical devices, electro-mechanical devices, and electro-hydraulic devices. ### Claim 32 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said one or more devices are valves, gate valves, ball valves, seat valves, flapper valves, rotary valves, sleeve valves, packers, gears, hydraulic cylinders, hydraulic rotary actuators, bladders, accumulators, and reservoirs. ### Claim 33 (depends on 32) The apparatus of claim 32, wherein said valves are flow control elements used in a fluid circuit to maintain balanced flow, selected from the group consisting of: shuttle valves, inverted shuttle valves, inverse shuttle valves, detented shuttle valves, inverted detented shuttle valves, check valves, pilot check valves, solenoid valves, servo valves, ball valves, and gate valves. ### Claim 34 (depends on 32) The apparatus of claim 32, wherein said valves are provided in parallel, in series, or in any combination of parallel and series throughout said system so that said system is operational in that fluid can travel in either a unidirectional and/or bi-directional flow path through said system and so that fluid powers devices that operate in either a singular or bi-directional manner. ### Claim 35 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said hydraulic power unit (HPU) moves a device that moves fluid in a flow path. ### Claim 36 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said hydraulic power unit (HPU) maintains pressure required to lock a position of said devices and maintains pressure utilizing one or more check valves. ### Claim 37 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said hydraulic power unit (HPU) does not maintain pressure when said apparatus is not receiving energy so that said pumps cannot function in a forward direction but are able to function in a reverse direction such that pressure that acts on said devices is released and reduced to greater than or equal to zero such that said devices can reach and reside in any desired static position. ### Claim 38 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said hydraulic power unit (HPU) extracts energy from a flow path to an external energy sink. ### Claim 39 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus functions as a flow measuring device.