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US 4,052,850 AGranted
Thrust generator
AssigneeInstitute of Gas Technology
InventorUdo H. Mohaupt
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hybrid hydraulic-pneumatic thrust generator wherein pneumatic action is used for cocking and for cushioning while hydraulic action is used for providing the driving force. The output can be increased by reducing the cocking or cushion gas pressure required to dislodge the poppet valve from its seated position in the driving port by introducing pressurized oil into the driving port between the poppet valve and poppet actuator. The thrust generator of this invention has a relatively flat thrust pattern making it especially suitable as a driving mechanism for high velocity water jets for fracturing concrete and the like.
Claims11
A thrust generator comprising:
- a substantially gas-tight driving cylinder, a floating piston adapted for substantially gas-tight reciprocating movement within said driving cylinder, a driving gas accumulator means in communication with a first end of said driving cylinder, the second end of said driving cylinder having a driving port;
- a substantially gas-tight cocking cylinder, a power piston adapted for substantially gas-tight reciprocating movement within said cocking cylinder, a cushion gas accumulator means in communication with a first end of said cocking cylinder, the second end of said cocking cylinder having a driving port in communication with the driving port of said driving cylinder, said power piston having a poppet actuator means on the side of the piston toward said second end and a power piston rod on the other side of said piston adapted for substantially gas-tight reciprocating movement through a power piston rod hole in said first end delivering thrust from said thrust generator;
- a poppet valve adapted for seating in substantially fluid-tight relation with a seating means in said driving port towards said driving cylinder, the other end of said poppet valve having a poppet valve rod adapted for substantially gas-tight reciprocating movement through a poppet rod hole in said floating piston and said first end of said driving cylinder, the other end of said driving port adapted for clearance passage of said poppet actuator;
- a bleed port in communication with said driving port between said poppet actuator and said poppet valve when both said poppet actuator and said poppet valve are within said driving port and pressurized hydraulic fluid supply means and valve means to provide pressurized hydraulic fluid to aid in dislodgement of said poppet valve from said driving port;
- a hydraulic fluid reservoir in communication with a hydraulic fluid pump and supply valve means in communication with said second end of said cocking cylinder and said pump whereby high pressure hydraulic fluid is delivered to the second end of said driving cylinder by said pump, passes through said driving port providing the force to move said power piston and drain from the second end of said cocking cylinder through said hydraulic fluid drain valve means to said reservoir;
- and
- control means for operation of said hydraulic fluid supply valve and drain valve means.
4 more elements
A process for pulsed thrust generation having pneumatic cocking and cushioning action and hydraulic transmission of the driving force comprising:
- draining hydraulic fluid from a cocking cylinder by return movement of a power piston actuated by compressed cushion gas, concurrently supplying high pressure hydraulic fluid to a driving cylinder moving a floating piston to restore driving gas pressure, the cocking cylinder and driving cylinder being isolated from each other by a seated poppet valve in a driving port;
- reducing the pressure differential between one side of said poppet valve and the other by injection of pressurized hydraulic fluid into the volume of said driving port toward said cocking cylinder from said sealed poppet valve;
- releasing said seated poppet valve from a driving port by a poppet actuator on said power piston when the power piston is at the end of its return stroke moving the poppet valve by high pressure oil in the driving cylinder to a position adjacent said floating piston;
- rapidly accelerating the power piston power stroke by the high pressure of said hydraulic fluid passing from the driving cylinder to the cocking cylinder through said driving port providing desired thrust through the power piston and its rod;
- moving said floating piston and poppet valve for seating in said driving port by action of the pressurized driving gas thereby removing the driving force of the high pressure hydraulic oil in said cocking cylinder prior to the completion of the power stroke;
- and
- repeating said thrust generation cycle.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.