Hydraulic drive system for cryogenic pump

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9915250-B2
Application number	US-201514833847-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 24, 2015
Priority date	Aug 24, 2015
Publication date	Mar 13, 2018
Grant date	Mar 13, 2018

Abstract

A drive system for a cryogenic pump is provided including a spool housing having a plurality of valves disposed therein about a pump axis and a tappet housing including a plurality of tappet bores, each tappet bore in communication with a respective one of the plurality of valves. A collection cavity collects hydraulic fluid from the tappet bores. A pump flange includes a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet. An inlet manifold directs hydraulic fluid received through the fluid inlet to each of the plurality of valves. An outlet manifold directs hydraulic fluid from each of the valves and the collection cavity to the fluid outlet.

First claim

We claim:

1. A cryogenic pump for pumping liquid from a cryogenic tank comprising:
a pump assembly adapted to be submersed within a cryogenic tank; and
a hydraulic drive assembly for driving the pump assembly to pump liquid;
wherein the hydraulic drive assembly further includes:
a spool housing having a plurality of valves disposed therein about a pump axis;
a tappet housing including a plurality of tappet bores, each tappet bore in communication with a respective one of the plurality of valves;
a collection cavity for collecting hydraulic fluid from the tappet bores;
a pump flange for mounting the cryogenic pump to a cryogenic tank, the pump flange including a fluid inlet for receiving hydraulic fluid and a fluid outlet for directing hydraulic fluid out of the cryogenic pump;
an inlet manifold disposed at least partially in the spool housing for directing hydraulic fluid received through the fluid inlet to each of the plurality of valves; and
an outlet manifold disposed at least partially in the spool housing for directing hydraulic fluid from each of the valves and the collection cavity to the fluid outlet.

2. The cryogenic pump of claim 1 further including a center passage disposed at least partially in a space in the spool housing that is circumscribed by the plurality of valves and an annular passage disposed at least partially in the spool housing, wherein the inlet manifold includes one of the center passage and the annular passage and the outlet manifold includes the other of the center passage and annular passage.

3. The cryogenic pump of claim 2 wherein the inlet manifold includes the annular passage and the annular passage includes a groove in an outer wall of the spool housing and wherein the annular passage is defined at an interface between the pump flange and the spool housing with the groove in the outer wall of the spool housing being closed by the pump flange.

4. The cryogenic pump of claim 2 wherein the inlet manifold includes the annular passage and the inlet manifold further includes a first passage that communicates with the fluid inlet and the annular passage and a plurality of second passages each of which communicates with the annular passage and a supply passage associated with a respective one of the valves.

5. The cryogenic pump of claim 2 wherein the outlet manifold includes the center passage and the center passage communicates with a chamber in the pump flange, the chamber in the pump flange being in communication with the fluid outlet.

6. The cryogenic pump of claim 5 wherein the outlet manifold includes a plurality of valve discharge passages with each valve discharge passage in communication with a vent passage of a respective one of the valves and the chamber in the pump flange.

7. The cryogenic pump of claim 2 wherein the inlet manifold includes the center passage and further includes a plurality of feed passages each of which communicates with the center passage and a supply passage of a respective one of the valves.

8. The cryogenic pump of claim 7 wherein the inlet manifold includes a ring-shaped distribution passage that is arranged above the center passage.

9. The cryogenic pump of claim 2 wherein the outlet manifold includes the annular passage and the annular passage includes a groove in an upper surface of the spool housing.

10. A drive system for a cryogenic pump comprising:
a spool housing having a plurality of valves disposed therein about a pump axis;
a tappet housing including a plurality of tappet bores, each tappet bore in communication with a respective one of the plurality of valves;
a collection cavity for collecting hydraulic fluid from the tappet bores;
a pump flange for mounting the cryogenic pump to a cryogenic tank, the pump flange including a fluid inlet for receiving hydraulic fluid and a fluid outlet for directing hydraulic fluid out of the cryogenic pump;
an inlet manifold disposed at least partially in the spool housing for directing hydraulic fluid received through the fluid inlet to each of the plurality of valves; and
an outlet manifold disposed at least partially in the spool housing for directing hydraulic fluid from each of the valves and the collection cavity to the fluid outlet.

11. The drive system of claim 10 further including a center passage disposed at least partially in a space in the spool housing that is circumscribed by the plurality of valves and an annular passage disposed at least partially in the spool housing, wherein the inlet manifold includes one of the center passage and the annular passage and the outlet manifold includes the other of the center passage and annular passage.

12. The drive system of claim 11 wherein the inlet manifold includes the annular passage and the annular passage includes a groove in an outer wall of the spool housing and wherein the annular passage is defined at an interface between the pump flange and the spool housing with the groove in the outer wall of the spool housing being closed by the pump flange.

13. The drive system of claim 11 wherein the outlet manifold includes the center passage and the center passage communicates with a chamber in the pump flange, the chamber in the pump flange being in communication with the fluid outlet and wherein the outlet manifold includes a plurality of valve discharge passages with each valve discharge passage in communication with a vent passage of a respective one of the valves and the chamber in the pump flange.

14. The drive system of claim 11 wherein the inlet manifold includes the center passage and further includes a plurality of feed passages each of which communicates with the center passage and a supply passage of a respective one of the valves and wherein the inlet manifold includes a ring-shaped distribution passage that is arranged above the center passage.

15. The drive system of claim 11 wherein the outlet manifold includes the annular passage and the annular passage includes a groove in an upper surface of the spool housing.

16. A power system for a machine comprising:
a cryogenic tank for storing a cryogenic fluid;
an engine operatively associated with the cryogenic tank for receiving the cryogenic fluid;
a hydraulic system including a hydraulic pump and a hydraulic reservoir;
a cryogenic pump arranged in the cryogenic tank, the cryogenic pump having a pump assembly submersed within the cryogenic tank and a hydraulic drive assembly for driving the pump assembly to pump the cryogenic liquid, wherein the hydraulic drive assembly further includes:
a spool housing having a plurality of valves disposed therein arranged about a pump axis;
a tappet housing including a plurality of tappet bores, each tappet bore in communication with a respective one of the plurality of valves;
a collection cavity for collecting hydraulic fluid from the tappet bores;
a pump flange for mounting the cryogenic pump to the cryogenic tank, the pump flange including a fluid inlet in communication with the hydraulic pump and a fluid outlet in communication with the hydraulic reservoir;
a center passage disposed at least partially in a space in the spool housing that is circumscribed by the plurality of valves;
an annular passage disposed at least partially in the spool housing;
an inlet manifold for directing hydraulic fluid received through the fluid inlet to each of the plurality of valves, the inlet manifold including one of the center passage and the annular passage; and
an outlet manifold for directing hydraulic fluid from each of the valves and the collection cavity to the fluid outlet, the outlet manifold including t

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Brasche Adrienne M
• Brown Cory A
• Bean Sunil J

Classifications

• F04B15/08 Primary

  the liquids having low boiling points · CPC title

• F04B53/146

  Piston-rod guiding arrangements · CPC title

• F17C2227/0142

  with specified pump type, e.g. piston or impulsive type · CPC title

• F04B53/10

  Valves; Arrangement of valves · CPC title

• F04B37/085

  Regeneration of cryo-pumps · CPC title