Accumulator for prevention of hydraulic pump cavitation

Abstract

To prevent cavitation damage to a hydraulic fluid pump, a low pressure accumulator is fluidly connected to the suction line of an engine-driven hydraulic pump to boost suction line pressures during instantaneous demands for higher pump flows. The accumulator acts as a localized reservoir for the engine-driven pump to avoid deleterious pressure drops which give rise to pump cavitation. In one disclosed architectural arrangement, the accumulator is directly coupled to the suction line of an aircraft engine-driven hydraulic pump to supply hydraulic fluid upon demand, with both the pump and accumulator contained within an engine nacelle of an aircraft. The low pressure accumulator operates fully independently of a remote main aircraft accumulator, and while the main accumulator operates at thousands of psi, and requires periodic service, the low pressure accumulator operates at less than 30 psi, and is formed of a maintenance-free construction.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.