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US 4,382,748 AGranted
Opposed piston type free piston engine pump unit
AssigneePneumo Corporation
InventorRobert D. Vanderlaan
Life of this patent
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AssigneePneumo Corporation
InventorRobert D. Vanderlaan
Estimating the term…
A free piston engine pump (FPEP) converts combustion energy into hydraulic power in an efficient, controlled and relatively uncomplicated manner, for example, for vehicle propulsion, auxiliary system power, etc. The FPEP is substantially naturally mass balanced having opposed engine pistons driving respective in-line hydraulic pumps. An adjustable accumulator with a deformable fluid-tight chamber containing a compressible fluid stores and delivers energy for compression, and an arrangement of control valves and check valves enables selective operation of the FPEP in primary (high flow) and secondary (high pressure) modes. Plural FPEP's may be interfaced for parallel operation sharing common elements and functions. Cycle rate, intermittent operation and start-up also may be controlled. Electronic monitoring and control of one or more operational parameters of a FPEP also are disclosed.
A free piston engine pump system comprising free piston engine means for producing output work, pump means responsive to such output work for producing a hydraulic output, said pump means comprising a pump cylinder, a pump piston movable in said pump cylinder, and reset means for resetting said pump piston to a predetermined position in said pump cylinder, said reset means comprising a fluid pressure intensifier.
A grouped free piston engine pump system, comprising at least two free piston engine pumps, each including a free piston engine having an engine cylinder and engine piston means for reciprocating said engine cylinder to produce work, and fluid pump means responsive to such work for pumping fluid and having a pump cylinder and a pump piston means for pumping fluid, said pump piston means dividing said pump cylinder into first and second pump chambers;
A free piston engine pump system comprising free piston engine means for producing output work, pump means responsive to such output work for producing a hydraulic output, said pump means comprising a pump cylinder and a pump piston movable in said pump cylinder, and a reset apparatus for resetting said pump means, including an inlet fluid chamber and an outlet fluid chamber, a reset piston having a relatively large surface area exposed to fluid in said inlet fluid chamber and a relatively small surface area exposed to fluid in said outlet fluid chamber, means for setting said reset piston to a position reducing the size of said inlet fluid chamber and enlarging the size of said outlet fluid chamber, means for substantially filling said outlet fluid chamber with fluid, means for fluidically coupling said outlet fluid chamber to said pump means, and means for supplying fluid to said inlet fluid chamber to move said reset piston to force fluid via said means for fluidically coupling to move said pump piston to a predetermined position in said pump cylinder.
A free piston engine pump system comprising free piston engine means for producing output work, pump means responsive to such output work for producing a hydraulic output, and selectively actuable acceleration boost means for increasing initial acceleration of said free piston engine means in a compression stroke, including boost piston means engageable with said free piston engine means to be moved in one direction during a power stroke and during the beginning of a compression stroke to supply said work to said free piston engine means tending to move the latter to effect compression and thereby accelerating the compression stroke, and fluid control means selectively operable to effect movement of said boost piston means in an activated position to effect such increased acceleration and to a deactivated position in which said boost piston means ordinarily is not engaged by said free piston engine means.
A grouped free piston engine pump system, comprising at least two free piston engine pumps, each including a free piston engine having an engine cylinder and engine piston means for reciprocating said engine cylinder to produce work, and fluid pump means responsive to such work for pumping fluid and having a pump cylinder and a pump piston means for pumping fluid, said pump piston means dividing said pump cylinder into first and second pump chambers;
A free piston engine pump system comprising free piston engine means for producing work, and pump means responsive to such work for producing a hydraulic output, said pump means comprising a pump cylinder, a pump piston movable in said cylinder and defining first and second pump chambers therein, and valve means for controlling flow of fluid into and out of said pump chambers, said valve means comprising first check valve means for passing inlet flow of relatively low pressure fluid to said first pump chamber, second check valve means for passing outlet flow of relatively high pressure fluid from said first pump chamber, first selectively operable valve means fluidically in parallel with said second check valve means for selectively bypassing the latter, third and fourth check valve means respectively for passing inlet flow of relatively low pressure fluid to said second chamber and outlet flow of relatively high pressure fluid from said second pump chamber, second selectively operable valve means fluidically in parallel with said third check valve means for selectively bypassing the latter, and third selectively operable valve means fluidically in series with said fourth check valve means for selectively controlling fluid flow through the latter.
A free piston engine comprising an engine cylinder, engine piston means movable in said engine cylinder in one direction during a compression stroke and in an opposite direction during a power stroke for producing work, and selectively actuable acceleration boost means for increasing initial acceleration of said engine piston means in a compression stroke, including boost piston means engageable with said engine piston means to be moved in one direction during a power stroke and during the beginning of a compression stroke to apply work to said engine piston means tending to move the latter to effect compression, and fluid control means selectively operable to effect movement of said boost piston means in an activated position to effect such increased acceleration and to a deactivated position in which said boost piston means ordinarily is not engaged by said engine piston means.
A reset apparatus for resetting a fluid pump having a pump piston for reciprocating in a pump cylinder to pump fluid and forming plural pump chambers in said pump cylinder, comprising an inlet fluid chamber and an outlet fluid chamber, a reset piston having a relatively large surface area exposed to fluid in said inlet fluid chamber and a relatively small surface area exposed to fluid in said outlet fluid chamber, means for setting said reset piston to a position reducing the size of said inlet fluid chamber and enlarging the size of said outlet fluid chamber, means for substantially filling said outlet fluid chamber with fluid, means for fluidically coupling said outlet fluid chamber to one of said pump chambers, and means for supplying fluid to said inlet fluid chamber to move said reset piston to force fluid via said means for fluidically coupling to move said pump piston to a predetermined position in said pump cylinder.
An in line opposed piston free piston engine pump system comprising a free piston engine including an engine cylinder having a linear axis, a pair of engine pistons movable in said engine cylinder along such axis toward each other during a compression stroke and away from each other during a power stroke;
A pump system comprising a pump cylinder, a pump piston movable in said pump cylinder and defining first and second pump chambers therein, and valve means for controlling flow of fluid into and out from said pump chambers, said valve means including first check valve means for passing inlet flow of relatively low pressure fluid to said first pump chamber, second check valve means for passing outlet flow of relatively high pressure fluid from said first pump chamber, first selectively operable valve means fluidically in parallel with said second check valve means for selectively bypassing the latter, third and fourth check valve means respectively for passing inlet flow of relatively low pressure fluid to said second chamber and outlet flow of relatively high pressure fluid from said second pump chamber, second selectively operable valve means fluidically in parallel with said third check valve means for selectively bypassing the latter, and third selectively operable valve means fluidically in series with said fourth check valve means for selectively controlling fluid flow through the latter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.