Fluid power regenerator
AssigneeRoche Engineering Corporation
InventorRichard M. Roche
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A regenerator for a fluid power system is arranged to control flow rates while converting pressure drops accompanying resulting changes in flow rates into useful work. A gang of displacers are incorporated into a fluid flow network that also includes an array of selectable flow paths through the displacers. A control system, responsive to changes in demand for the flow of fluid, selects among the flow paths to operate the displacers in various combinations as motors, pumps, and recirculators for dividing the flow of fluid into two variably sized portions. One portion of the flow is sized to match the demand for fluid flow, and the other portion of the flow is converted into useful work.
Claims13
A regenerator for use in a system having a fluid power actuator that receives a flow of fluid under pressure from a pressure line comprising:
- first and second displacers that are mechanically interconnected with each other independently of the fluid power actuator and have an input port and respective output ports;
- an exhaust line for connecting an output port of the fluid power actuator to said input port of said first and second displacers;
- said first and second displacers providing for dividing the flow of fluid in said exhaust line into predetermined proportions;
- a return line for connecting said output ports of said first and second displacers to a low pressure store of the fluid;
- a feedback line for connecting said output port of the first displacer to one of the pressure line and a power beyond circuit;
- a first valve for alternatively connecting said output port of the first displacer to one of said return line and said feedback line;
- a sensor for monitoring changes in a demand for fluid power by the fluid power actuator;
- and
- a control system responsive to a decreased demand for fluid power by connecting said output port of the first displacer to said feedback line and said output port of the second displacer to said return line.
A fluid actuating system comprising:
- a store of low pressure fluid;
- a supply of high pressure fluid;
- a power beyond circuit for delivering high pressure fluid to another fluid actuating system;
- an actuator operable by a flow of said high pressure fluid for moving a load and having input and output ports;
- first and second displacers mechanically interconnected with each other independently of said actuator and having an input port and respective output ports;
- a pressure line connecting said input port of the actuator to said supply of high pressure fluid;
- an exhaust line connecting said output port of the actuator to said input port of the first and second displacers;
- a return line connecting said respective output ports of the first and second displacers to said store of low pressure fluid;
- a feedback line connecting said output port of the first displacer to said power beyond circuit;
- and
- a valve for alternatively connecting said output port of the first displacer to one of said return line and said feedback line.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.