Fluid pressure boost system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11808289-B2
Application number	US-202117509814-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 25, 2021
Priority date	Oct 25, 2021
Publication date	Nov 7, 2023
Grant date	Nov 7, 2023

Abstract

A hydraulic fluid pressure amplifier system includes a boost cylinder assembly, an energy storage device in fluid communication with the boost cylinder assembly, and a working cylinder assembly. The boost cylinder assembly is configured to selectively receive a plunger member into a boost cylinder, wherein movement of the plunger member received in the boost cylinder compresses a charge fluid within a blind side volume of the boost cylinder from a first fluid pressure to an amplified fluid pressure greater than the first pressure. The working cylinder assembly is selectively operable responsive to receiving a source hydraulic fluid having a nominal fluid pressure less than the amplified fluid pressure for effecting the movement of the plunger member into the boost cylinder. The energy storage device is operable to selectively receive and store a portion of the charge fluid compressed to the amplified fluid pressure.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A hydraulic fluid pressure amplifier system comprising:
a boost cylinder assembly comprising:
a boost cylinder defining a blind side volume between opposite high pressure and return ends of the boost cylinder,
wherein the boost cylinder is configured to selectively receive a plunger member into the boost cylinder,
wherein movement of the plunger member received in the boost cylinder towards the high pressure end of the boost cylinder compresses a charge fluid within the blind side volume of the boost cylinder from a first fluid pressure to an amplified fluid pressure greater than the first fluid pressure;

a working cylinder assembly operatively connected with the boost cylinder assembly and being selectively operable responsive to receiving a source hydraulic fluid having a nominal fluid pressure less than the amplified fluid pressure for effecting the movement of the plunger member towards the high pressure end of the boost cylinder;
an energy storage device in fluid communication with the blind side volume of the boost cylinder, the energy storage device being operable to selectively receive and store a portion of the charge fluid compressed to the amplified fluid pressure; and
a fluid check valve carried by the plunger member,
wherein the plunger member defines a passageway open on a first end to the compression side of the plunger member facing the blind side volume of the boost cylinder, and open on a second end on a side of the plunger member,
wherein the fluid check valve is operable to: i) permit a flow of hydraulic fluid though the passageway from the second end of the passageway to the first end of the passageway; and ii) restrict the flow of hydraulic fluid though the passageway from the first end of the passageway to the second end of the passageway.

2. The hydraulic fluid pressure amplifier system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the working cylinder assembly comprises a working cylinder and a working cylinder piston movable within the working cylinder; and
the plunger member and the working cylinder piston are operatively mutually coupled.

3. The hydraulic fluid pressure amplifier system according to claim 2 , wherein:
the working cylinder piston divides the working cylinder into volumetric sections comprising a rod side volume and a working side volume; and
the working cylinder piston is operable responsive to the working cylinder assembly receiving the source hydraulic fluid into the working side volume of the working cylinder to move the plunger member into the boost cylinder to compress the charge fluid within the blind side volume of the boost cylinder.

4. The hydraulic fluid pressure amplifier system according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a valve system comprising:
a storage valve disposed between the boost cylinder assembly and the energy storage device, the storage valve being responsive to a storage valve signal to open to permit a flow of the charge fluid having the amplified fluid pressure between the blind side volume of the boost cylinder assembly and the energy storage device for the energy storage device to selectively receive and store the portion of the charge fluid compressed to the amplified fluid pressure; and
an actuate valve disposed between the working cylinder assembly and an associated fluid source providing the source hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic fluid pressure amplifier system, the actuate valve being responsive to an actuate valve signal to open to permit a flow of the source hydraulic fluid into the working side volume of the working cylinder assembly from the associated fluid source to operate the working cylinder piston to move the plunger member into the boost cylinder to compress the charge fluid within the blind side volume of the boost cylinder.

5. The hydraulic fluid pressure amplifier system according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a control system comprising:
a processor device;
an interface device operatively coupled with the processor device;
a memory device operatively coupled with the processor device; and
logic stored in the memory device, the logic being executable by the processor device to cause the hydraulic fluid pressure amplifier system to:
selectively generate the storage valve signal to operate the storage valve to open to permit the flow of the charge fluid having the amplified fluid pressure between the blind side volume of the boost cylinder assembly and the energy storage device; and
selectively generate the actuate valve signal to operate the actuate valve to open to permit the flow of the source hydraulic fluid into the working side volume of the working cylinder assembly from the associated fluid source.

6. A hydraulic fluid pressure amplifier system comprising:
a boost cylinder assembly comprising:
a boost cylinder defining a blind side volume between opposite high pressure and return ends of the boost cylinder,
wherein the boost cylinder is configured to selectively receive a plunger member into the boost cylinder,
wherein movement of the plunger member received in the boost cylinder towards the high pressure end of the boost cylinder compresses a charge fluid within the blind side volume of the boost cylinder from a first fluid pressure to an amplified fluid pressure greater than the first fluid pressure;

a working cylinder assembly operatively connected with the boost cylinder assembly and being selectively operable responsive to receiving a source hydraulic fluid having a nominal fluid pressure less than the amplified fluid pressure for effecting the movement of the plunger member towards the high pressure end of the boost cylinder; and
an energy storage device in fluid communication with the blind side volume of the boost cylinder, the energy storage device being operable to selectively receive and store a portion of the charge fluid compressed to the amplified fluid pressure,
wherein the working cylinder assembly comprises a working cylinder and a working cylinder piston disposed in the working cylinder, wherein the working cylinder piston divides the working cylinder into working cylinder volumetric sections comprising a working side volume configured to receive the source hydraulic fluid, and a rod side volume in fluid communication with the blind side volume of the boost cylinder,
wherein a pressurized hydraulic fluid having the amplified fluid pressure is selectively delivered to an output port operatively coupled with the rod side volume of the working cylinder assembly by:
the amplified fluid pressure of the portion of the charge fluid stored in the energy storage device being selectively communicated to backfill hydraulic fluid in the rod side volume of the working cylinder assembly via:
the charge fluid in the blind side volume of the boost cylinder acting on the backfill hydraulic fluid in the rod side volume of the working cylinder assembly.

7. A hydraulic fluid pressure amplifier system comprising:
a boost cylinder assembly comprising:
a boost cylinder defining a blind side volume between opposite high pressure and return ends of the boost cylinder,
wherein the boost cylinder is configured to selectively receive a plunger member into the boost cylinder,
wherein movement of the plunger member received in the boost cylinder towards the high pressure end of the boost cylinder compresses a charge fluid within the blind side volume of the boost cylinder from a first fluid pressure to an amplified fluid pressure greater than the first fluid pressure; and

a working cylinder assembly operatively connected with the boost cylinder assembly and being selectively operable responsive to receiving a source hydraulic fluid having a nominal fluid pressure less than the amplified fluid pressure for effecting the mov

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Cliff Michael J
• Fliearman Steven R
• Dollins Benjamin K

Classifications

• F15B3/00 Primary

  Intensifiers or fluid-pressure converters, e.g. pressure exchangers; Conveying pressure from one fluid system to another, without contact between the fluids {(fluid-driven pumps F04B9/08)} · CPC title

• F15B1/024

  used as a supplementary power source, e.g. to store energy in idle periods to balance pump load · CPC title

• F15B1/033

  with electrical control means · CPC title

• F15B1/04

  Accumulators · CPC title

• F15B11/08

  with only one servomotor · CPC title