Variable radial fluid devices in series

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9303638-B2
Application number	US-201213532077-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 25, 2012
Priority date	Jun 25, 2012
Publication date	Apr 5, 2016
Grant date	Apr 5, 2016

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a radial fluid device comprises a cylinder block, a first plurality of pistons, a second plurality of pistons, a first cam, a second cam, and a coupling device. Each of the first plurality of pistons are slidably received within a different one of a first plurality of radially extending cylinders. Each of the second plurality of pistons are slidably received within a different one of a second plurality of radially extending cylinders. The first cam is disposed about the first plurality of radially extending cylinders. The second cam is disposed about the second plurality of radially extending cylinders. The coupling device is operable to couple the cylinder block to a cylinder block of a second radial fluid device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fluid flow system comprising:
a first radial fluid device comprising:
a first cylinder block comprising a first plurality of radially extending cylinders, a second plurality of radially extending cylinders, and a shaft opening;
a first plurality of cylindrical pistons each slidably received within a different one of the first plurality of radially extending cylinders, wherein each cylindrical piston includes:
a radially extending aperture; and
a shoe configured to slide along a surface of a first cam that has two or more lobes configured such that the shoe completes two or more sinusoidal strokes per revolution of the cylinder block, the shoe having a rounded forward edge and a rounded trailing edge, the forward edge being the forward most edge of the shoe when the shoe experiences movement, the trailing edge being the rearmost edge of the shoe when the shoe experiences movement, the first cam being disposed about the first plurality of radially extending cylinders;

a second plurality of cylindrical pistons each slidably received within a different one of the second plurality of radially extending cylinders, wherein each cylindrical piston comprises:
a radially extending aperture; and
a shoe configured to slide along a surface of a second cam that has two or more lobes configured such that the shoe completes two or more sinusoidal strokes per revolution of the cylinder block, the shoe having a rounded forward edge and a rounded trailing edge, the forward edge being the forward most edge of the shoe when the shoe experiences movement, the trailing edge being the rearmost edge of the shoe when the shoe experiences movement, the second cam being disposed about the second plurality of radially extending cylinders, the second cam movable relative to the first cam;

an input shaft coupled to the first cylinder block at the shaft opening, the input shaft operable to transmit rotational energy to the first cylinder block of the first radial fluid device; and
a cam rotation device operable to rotate the first cam of the first radial fluid device in a first direction and the second cam of the first radial fluid device in a second direction opposite the first direction, the cam rotation device of the first radial fluid device comprising:
a first worm gear in contact with the first cam of the first radial fluid device;
a first reverse rotation gear coupled to the first worm gear;
a second worm gear in contact with the second cam of the first radial fluid device; and
a second reverse rotation gear coupled to the second worm gear and in contact with the first reverse rotation gear;

a second radial fluid device comprising:
a second cylinder block comprising a third plurality of radially extending cylinders, a fourth plurality of radially extending cylinders, and a shaft opening;
a first plurality of cylindrical pistons each slidably received within a different one of the third plurality of radially extending cylinders, wherein each cylindrical piston includes:
a radially extending aperture; and
a shoe configured to slide along a surface of a third cam that has two or more lobes configured such that the shoe completes two or more sinusoidal strokes per revolution of the cylinder block, the shoe having a rounded forward edge and a rounded trailing edge, the forward edge being the forward most edge of the shoe when the shoe experiences movement, the trailing edge being the rearmost edge of the shoe when the shoe experiences movement, the third cam being disposed about the first plurality of radially extending cylinders;

a second plurality of cylindrical pistons each slidably received within a different one of the fourth plurality of radially extending cylinders, wherein each cylindrical piston comprises:
a radially extending aperture; and
a shoe configured to slide along a surface of a fourth cam that has two or more lobes configured such that the shoe completes two or more sinusoidal strokes per revolution of the cylinder block the shoe having a rounded forward edge and a rounded trailing edge, the forward edge being the forward most edge of the shoe when the shoe experiences movement, the trailing edge being the rearmost edge of the shoe when the shoe experiences movement, the fourth cam being disposed about the second plurality of radially extending cylinders, the fourth cam movable relative to the third cam; and

a coupling device in mechanical communication with the shaft opening of the second radial fluid device and the first cylinder block of the first radial fluid device opposite the shaft opening of the first radial fluid device, the coupling device operable to transmit rotational energy from the first cylinder block of the first radial fluid device to the second cylinder block of the second radial fluid device.

2. The fluid flow system of claim 1 , wherein the input shaft and the coupling device are coaxial.

3. The fluid flow system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first cylinder block of the first radial fluid device further comprises a second shaft opening opposite the shaft opening; and
the coupling device is a coupling shaft coupled to the first cylinder block of the first radial fluid device at the second shaft opening and coupled to the second cylinder block of the second radial fluid device at the shaft opening.

4. The fluid flow system of claim 1 , wherein rotating the first cam of the first radial fluid device changes when the first plurality of cylindrical pistons of the first radial fluid device begins its strokes.

5. The fluid flow system of claim 1 , wherein movement of the first and second cams of the first radial fluid device is independently controllable from movement of the first and second cams of the second radial fluid device.

6. The fluid flow system of claim 1 , wherein:
moving the first cam of the first radial fluid device changes a volume rate of fluid flowing through the first radial fluid device; and
moving the first cam of the second radial fluid device changes a volume rate of fluid flowing through the second radial fluid device.

7. The fluid flow system of claim 6 , wherein the volume rate of fluid flowing through the first radial fluid device is different from the volume rate of fluid flowing through the second radial fluid device.

8. The fluid flow system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first radial fluid device comprises a housing with a first fluid port and a second fluid port, wherein each cylinder has a passageway which selectively communicates with the first fluid port and the second fluid port as the first cylinder block rotates; and
the second radial fluid device comprises a housing with a first fluid port and a second fluid port, wherein each cylinder has a passageway which selectively communicates with the first fluid port and the second fluid port as the second cylinder block rotates.

9. The fluid flow system of claim 8 , wherein:
the first fluid port of the first radial fluid device and the first fluid port of the second radial fluid device are inlets; and
the second fluid port of the first radial fluid device and the second fluid port of the second radial fluid device are exhausts.

10. The fluid flow system of claim 9 , wherein moving the second cam of the first radial fluid device relative to the first cam of the first radial fluid device is operable to convert the first fluid port of the first radial fluid device from an inlet to an exhaust and convert the second fluid port of the first radial fluid device from an exhaust to an inlet.

11. The fluid flow system of claim 1 , wherein the radially extending cylinders of the first radial fluid device are not in fluid communication with the radially extending cylind

Assignees

• Fenny Carlos A
• Sobel James E
• Bell Helicopter Textron Inc

Inventors

• Fenny Carlos A
• Sobel James E

Classifications

• F04B19/02

  having movable cylinders · CPC title

• F04B9/042

  the means being cams · CPC title

• F04B23/06

  the pumps being all of reciprocating positive-displacement type · CPC title

• F04B1/1077

  located side-by-side · CPC title

• F04B49/005 Primary

  changing the phase relationship of two working pistons in one working chamber or the phase-relationship of a piston and a driven distribution member · CPC title