Reversible hydraulic pressure converter employing tubular valves

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9695840-B2
Application number	US-201414461850-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 18, 2014
Priority date	Aug 20, 2013
Publication date	Jul 4, 2017
Grant date	Jul 4, 2017

Abstract

The reversible hydraulic pressure converter ( 1 ) employing tubular valves includes a medium-pressure stage ( 44 ) consisting of a medium-pressure cylinder ( 2 ) and a double-acting medium-pressure piston ( 3 ) the position of which is sent to a control computer of the converter ( 19 ) by a piston position sensor ( 14 ), the cylinder ( 2 ) and the piston ( 3 ) forming two medium-pressure chambers ( 5 ) that can be placed in communication with a medium-pressure inlet-outlet circuit ( 15 ) by at least one tubular valve ( 12 ), the converter ( 1 ) also including two high-pressure cylinders ( 9 ) each cooperating with a high-pressure piston ( 8 ) of smaller diameter and defining two high-pressure chambers ( 11 ) that can be placed in communication with a high-pressure inlet-outlet circuit ( 16 ) by at least one tubular valve ( 12 ), each of the various tubular valves ( 12 ) cooperating with an independent valve actuator ( 13 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A reversible hydraulic pressure converter ( 1 ) employing tubular valves, comprising:
a medium-pressure stage ( 44 ) consisting of a medium-pressure cylinder ( 2 ) each of the two ends of which is closed by a medium-pressure head ( 4 ) and in which can move in translation in a fluid-tight manner a double-acting medium-pressure piston ( 3 ) that has a pressure face ( 5 ) facing each medium-pressure head ( 4 ) while said medium-pressure cylinder ( 2 ), said heads ( 4 ) and said pressure faces ( 5 ) form two medium-pressure chambers ( 6 ) axially positioned on respective opposite sides of the double-acting medium-pressure piston ( 3 );
at least one high-pressure stage ( 45 ) consisting of a piston connecting rod ( 7 ) for each pressure face ( 5 ), said rod ( 7 ) being fastened to the double-acting medium-pressure piston ( 3 ) and to a high-pressure piston ( 8 ), said rod ( 7 ) passing in a fluid-tight manner through the medium-pressure head ( 4 ) so as to extend into a high-pressure cylinder ( 9 ) the diameter of which is smaller than that of the medium-pressure cylinder ( 2 ), while the high-pressure piston ( 8 ) can move in translation in a fluid-tight manner in the high-pressure cylinder ( 9 ), the high-pressure cylinder ( 9 ) being closed by a high-pressure head ( 10 ) so as to constitute with said high-pressure piston ( 8 ) a high-pressure chamber ( 11 );
at least one tubular valve ( 12 ) for each medium-pressure chamber ( 6 ) adapted to place the medium-pressure chamber ( 6 ) in communication with a medium-pressure inlet-/outlet circuit ( 15 ), said valve ( 12 ) cooperating with an independent valve actuator ( 13 );
at least one tubular valve ( 12 ) for each high-pressure chamber ( 11 ) adapted to place the high-pressure chamber ( 11 ) in communication with a high-pressure inlet-outlet circuit ( 16 ), said valve ( 12 ) being adapted to be actuated to be opened or closed by an independent valve actuator ( 13 );
at least one piston position sensor ( 14 ) that can transmit to a control computer ( 19 ) of the converter the position of the double-acting medium-pressure piston ( 3 ) or the position of any of the high-pressure pistons ( 8 ),
the tubular valve ( 12 ) includes at least one rectilinear tube ( 20 ) hollowed out in the axial direction to form a balancing passage ( 32 ), said at least one rectilinear tube ( 20 ) being accommodated with a small clearance in a tube cylinder ( 24 ) to constitutes a seal, and said at least one rectilinear tube ( 20 ) being movable in longitudinal translation in said tube cylinder ( 24 ), the tube cylinder ( 24 ) being mounted on or disposed in a valve casing ( 21 ) inside which is provided an annular internal chamber ( 22 ) into which discharges an annular chamber inlet-outlet orifice ( 23 ) that communicates with an annular chamber inlet-outlet passage ( 37 ), said tube cylinder ( 24 ) discharging into said annular internal chamber ( 22 ), the annular internal chamber ( 22 ) including a closure seat ( 27 ) opposite and coaxial with said tube cylinder ( 24 ), while the at least one rectilinear tube ( 20 ) has on the one hand a first end ( 25 ) located in the annular internal chamber ( 22 ) and terminated by a contact flange ( 34 ) that can come into annular contact with the closure seat ( 27 ) externally of the balancing passage ( 32 ) so as to constitute a seal with said seat ( 27 ) and on the other hand a second end ( 26 ) that discharges into a balancing chamber ( 31 ) and is mechanically connected to the valve actuator ( 13 ), the balancing passage ( 32 ) establishing communication between the closure seat ( 27 ) and the balancing chamber ( 31 ).

2. The reversibly hydraulic pressure converter ( 1 ) employing tubular valves according to claim 1 , wherein the balancing passage ( 32 ) communicates with a rectilinear tube inlet-outlet orifice ( 35 ) that communicates with a rectilinear tube inlet-outlet passage ( 38 ) at the center of the closure seat ( 27 ) and passes through the closure seat ( 27 ) axially, said rectilinear tube inlet-outlet orifice ( 35 ) being located inside the annular contact that the contact flange ( 34 ) makes with the closure seat ( 27 ).

3. The reversibly hydraulic pressure converter ( 1 ) employing tubular valves according to claim 1 , wherein the balancing passage ( 32 ) communicates with a rectilinear tube inlet-outlet orifice ( 35 ) that discharges into the balancing chamber ( 31 ).

4. The reversibly hydraulic pressure converter ( 1 ) employing tubular valves according to claim 3 , wherein the at least one rectilinear tube ( 20 ) includes at least one radial inlet-outlet passage ( 36 ) disposed radially in said at least one rectilinear tube ( 20 ) and the first end of which discharges into the balancing passage ( 32 ) while a second end discharges into the balancing chamber ( 31 ).

5. The reversibly hydraulic pressure converter ( 1 ) employing tubular valves according to claim 1 , wherein a closure spring ( 28 ) cooperates with the at least one rectilinear tube ( 20 ) to hold the contact flange ( 34 ) in contact with the closure surface ( 27 ).

6. The reversibly hydraulic pressure converter ( 1 ) employing tubular valves according to claim 1 , wherein a closure spring ( 28 ) cooperates with the at least one rectilinear tube ( 20 ) to hold the contact flange ( 34 ) at a certain distance from the closure surface ( 27 ).

7. The reversibly hydraulic pressure converter ( 1 ) employing tubular valves according to claim 1 , wherein the valve actuator ( 13 ) includes a coil ( 29 ) of conductive wire that attracts a magnetic core or armature ( 30 ) when an electrical current passes through said coil ( 29 ), said core or armature ( 30 ) being fastened directly or indirectly to the second end ( 26 ) of the at least one rectilinear tube ( 20 ).

8. The reversibly hydraulic pressure converter ( 1 ) employing tubular valves according to claim 7 , wherein the coil ( 29 ) of conductive wire is accommodated inside the balancing chamber ( 31 ).

9. The reversibly hydraulic pressure converter ( 1 ) employing tubular valves according to claim 7 , wherein the coil ( 29 ) of conductive wire is accommodated outside the balancing chamber ( 31 ), the magnetic field generated by said coil ( 29 ), when an electrical current passes through said coil ( 29 ), passing through the external wall of said balancing chamber ( 31 ) so as to exert a force on the magnetic core or armature ( 30 ).

10. The reversibly hydraulic pressure converter ( 1 ) employing tubular valves according to claim 1 , wherein the contact flange ( 34 ) is a truncated sphere and has a line of contact with the closure seat ( 27 ).

11. The reversibly hydraulic pressure converter ( 1 ) employing tubular valves according to claim 1 , wherein the closure seat ( 27 ) is on a floating plate ( 33 ) free to align radially with the contact flange ( 34 ) when the contact flange ( 34 ) comes into contact with the closure seat ( 27 ) while said plate ( 33 ) bears in a fluid-tight manner on a plate seat ( 39 ) in the valve casing ( 21 ).

12. The reversibly hydraulic pressure converter ( 1 ) employing tubular valves according to claim 11 , wherein the balancing passage ( 32 ) communicates with a rectilinear tube inlet-outlet orifice ( 25 ) that communicates with a rectilinear tube inlet-outlet passage ( 38 ) at the center of the closure seat ( 27 ) and passes through the closure seat ( 27 ) axially, said rectilinear tube inlet-outlet orifice ( 35 ) being located inside the annular contact that the contact flange ( 34 ) makes with the closure seat ( 27 ), and wherein the floating plate ( 33 ) constitutes with the valve casing ( 21 ) a check valve that can open when the pressure i

Assignees

• Rabhi Vianney

Inventors

• Rabhi Vianney

Classifications

• F04B9/113

  reciprocating movement of the pumping members being obtained by a double-acting liquid motor · CPC title

• 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

• F03C1/0076

  the liquid under pressure being continuously delivered to one cylinder chamber through a valve in the piston for actuating the return stroke · CPC title

• F15B1/024

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

• F03C1/0073

  one side of the double-acting piston being always under the influence of the liquid under pressure · CPC title