This invention relates to hydraulic energy storage and management systems. In particular, this invention relates to a hydraulic energy management system that has a reconfigurable energy storage and release capability that adjusts to varying available energy input and power demand output requirements. The hydraulic energy management system can be resized by a hydraulic bridge circuit to permit hydraulic power units to be added or removed, both physically and operationally, to capture available energy over time, adjust to peak demand cycles, and maintain power output in the event of a failure of a portion of the system.

An accumulator for storing fluid that includes a shell that defines an interior volume of the accumulator. The shell includes at least one port for providing fluid to a fluid system. The accumulator also includes an accumulator shaft disposed in the interior volume and extending at least partially across the interior volume from a first interior surface of the shell along a longitudinal axis of the shell, e.g., a central axis. The accumulator includes a piston-plate disposed in the interior volume such that the piston-plate and a second interior surface of the shell define a chamber in the interior volume. The accumulator further includes a motor disposed in the interior volume. The accumulator is configured such that rotational movement of the motor translates to linear movement of the piston-plate along the accumulator shaft.

An agricultural vehicle having a chassis, wheels, a power unit, and a header. The header has a center section, at least one wing section extending laterally from the center section, and a wing section support. The center section is movable relative to the chassis, the wing section is movable relative to the center section, and the wing support is movable relative to the wing section. The combine has a control system that is configured to determine that the combine is configured to drive at a road-driving speed, and in response to such determination: operate a center section actuator to move the center section to a raised center section position, operate a wing section actuator to move the wing section to a raised wing section position, and operate a wing support actuator to move the wing support to a raised wing support position.

An object of the present invention is to provide a construction machine that can use the return oil from a hydraulic actuator effectively. For this purpose, a controller computes a flow rate of the return oil from a first hydraulic actuator on the basis of an operation signal from a first operation device, computes a flow rate of oil to be supplied to a second hydraulic actuator on the basis of an operation signal from a second operation device, sets smaller one of the flow rate of the return oil and the flow rate of the oil to be supplied, as a regeneration flow rate that is a flow rate of oil to be regenerated in the second hydraulic actuator, sets a flow rate obtained by subtracting the regeneration flow rate from the flow rate of the return oil, as a recovery flow rate that is a flow rate of oil to be recovered to a pressure accumulating device, adjusts an opening degree of a first control valve 2 such that a flow rate of oil supplied from the first hydraulic actuator to the pressure accumulating device coincides with the recovery flow rate, and adjusts an opening degree of a second control valve such that a flow rate of oil supplied from the first hydraulic actuator to the second hydraulic actuator coincides with the regeneration flow rate.

The present disclosure relates to a hydraulic-electric coupling driven multi-actuator system and control method, and belongs to technical fields of hydraulic transmission and electro-mechanical transmission. The hydraulic-electric coupling driven multi-actuator system comprises one or more hydraulic-electric hybrid driven actuators, first inverters, control valves, centralized hydraulic units and control units, wherein the number of the first inverters and the number of the control valves are the same as that of the hydraulic-electric hybrid driven actuators; each hydraulic-electric hybrid driven actuator is correspondingly connected with one first inverter and one control valve; the centralized hydraulic units are connected with the control valves and configured to supply oil for the hydraulic-electric hybrid driven actuators and to perform power compensation; and the control units are respectively connected with the hydraulic-electric hybrid driven actuators, and each control unit is configured to control output torque of a first motor of the corresponding hydraulic-electric hybrid driven actuator based on pressure information of the hydraulic-electric hybrid driven actuator, such that pressure of driving cavities of the hydraulic-electric hybrid driven actuators is equal, which greatly reduces throttling loss caused by the load differences of the actuators.

This invention is a portable pneumatically driven pressure intensifying positive displacement hydraulic power unit that can be transported in a bag or backpack and carried or worn by the user. The device can be powered by any suitable high pressure gas that is preferably contained in a small pressure vessel for portability. The device can be used to supply high pressure hydraulic fluid to tools with a wide range of uses in many fields including construction, industrial, breaching, and emergency service situations. This novel device does not require an electric or fuel powered hydraulic fluid pumping system, which allows it to be very portable and used in almost any environment (e.g., hazardous atmosphere or under water) without being tethered to an electric or fuel powered power source.

A renewable energy and waste heat harvesting system is disclosed. The system includes an accumulator unit having a high pressure accumulator and a low pressure accumulator. At least one piston is mounted for reciprocation in the high pressure accumulator. The accumulator unit is configured to receive, store, and transfer energy from the hydraulic fluid to the energy storage media. The system collects energy from a renewable energy source and transfers the collected energy using the pressurized hydraulic fluid. The system further includes one or more rotational directional control valves, in which at least one rotational directional control valve is positioned on each side of the accumulator unit. Each rotational directional control valve includes multiple ports. The system also includes one or more variable displacement hydraulic rotational units. At least one variable displacement hydraulic rotational unit is positioned adjacent each of the rotational directional control valves.

Provided is a hydraulic machine. A pump pressurizes fluid using power provided by a power source. An actuator works using the pressurized fluid from the pump. A recovery part recovers energy from fluid discharged from the actuator. A first operator input device receives a desired input from an operator to select an eco-mode or a boost mode. The recovery part includes an accumulator storing hydraulic energy by receiving the fluid discharged from the actuator and an assist unit assisting the power source using the hydraulic energy stored in the accumulator. The controller controls the pump such that output power of the pump does not exceed Plmax when the eco-mode is selected or the assist unit does not assist the power source and that the output power does not exceed P2max when the boost mode is selected and the assist unit assists the power source, where Plmax < P2max.

The invention concerns a device for the direct recovery of hydraulic energy in a machine, comprising at least one single-acting storage cylinder-piston device with a storage cylinder, a storage cylinder-piston and a storage cylinder chamber, with at least one differential cylinder-piston device with a differential cylinder comprising a separate rod side and base side, and with at least one hydraulic accumulator, which may be connected to the storage cylinder-piston device and/or the differential cylinder-piston device, wherein the potential energy of the storage cylinder-piston device, which retracts under a compressive load, may be at least partially stored in the hydraulic accumulator.

Device for recovering hydraulic energy in a machine comprising at least a first differential cylinder-piston assembly having a differential cylinder with a separate rod and base side, at least a second differential cylinder-piston assembly having a differential cylinder with a separate rod and base side, and at least one hydraulic accumulator that can be hydraulically connected to at least one of the differential cylinder-piston assemblies, wherein the differential cylinder-piston assemblies are mechanically coupled to one another, and wherein the potential energy of at least one of the differential cylinder-piston assemblies retracting under a compressive load can at least partially be stored in the hydraulic accumulator.