Methods and apparatus for cooling a solenoid coil of a solenoid pump
AssigneeSynerject, LLC
InventorsJames Fochtman, John Walters
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In some embodiments, a solenoid-actuated pump includes a first pumping chamber and a second pumping chamber, where the first pumping chamber delivers fluid from the pump to portions of a vehicle to facilitate the operation of the vehicle. The second (or “parasitic”) pumping chamber implements a forced convection cooling method, which utilizes parasitic pumping loss to produce a flow within and/or around the solenoid coil to cool the coil and/or maintain the temperature of the coil during operation. In this manner, the second pumping chamber produces a flow that reduces thermally-related increases in electrical resistance of the solenoid coil of the solenoid-actuated pump.
Claims20
An apparatus, comprising:
- a pump assembly defining a first pumping chamber and a second pumping chamber that is fluidically isolated from the first pumping chamber, the first pumping chamber fluidically coupled to a first fluid path, the second pumping chamber fluidically coupled to a second fluid path;
- and
- a pumping element configured to move within the pump assembly between a first configuration and a second configuration, the pumping element configured to move a first fluid into the first pumping chamber and to move a second fluid into the second pumping chamber when the pumping element moves from the first configuration to the second configuration,
- the pumping element configured to expel the first fluid from the first pumping chamber and the second fluid from the second pumping chamber when the pumping element moves from the second configuration to the first configuration.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a pump assembly including a pumping element and defining a first pumping chamber and a second pumping chamber that is fluidically isolated from the first pumping chamber, the first pumping chamber fluidically coupled to a first fluid path, the second pumping chamber fluidically coupled to a second fluid path;
- a solenoid assembly including a solenoid coil and at least one electrical lead, the solenoid assembly configured to move the pumping element within the first pumping chamber and the second pumping chamber when the solenoid coil is energized;
- and
- a housing configured to contain the solenoid assembly, the housing configured to be disposed within a reservoir containing a fluid, the housing defining at least a portion of the second fluid path, the housing defining an opening in fluid communication with the second fluid path, the opening aligned with the electrical lead of the solenoid assembly,
- the pumping element configured to convey a portion of the fluid within the second fluid path via the opening when the solenoid assembly is energized and de-energized.
A method, comprising:
- receiving, at a first time, a signal configured to energize a solenoid coil to cause a pumping element to move in a first direction within a pump assembly, the pump assembly defining a first pumping chamber and a second pumping chamber that is fluidically isolated from the first pumping chamber, the first pumping chamber fluidically coupled to a first fluid path, the second pumping chamber fluidically coupled to a second fluid path;
- and
- removing, at a second time after the first time, the signal from the solenoid coil to cause the pumping element to move in a second direction within the pump assembly,
- the pumping element conveying a first fluid from the first pumping chamber into the first fluid path and a second fluid from the second pumping chamber into the second fluid path in response to the receiving and the removing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.