An apparatus for recuperating hydraulic energy in a working machine includes at least one first differential cylinder piston device with a differential cylinder and separate rod and bottom sides, and at least one hydraulic accumulator which is hydraulically connectable with the differential cylinder piston device. The potential energy of the differential cylinder piston device retracting under pressing load is at least partly storable in the hydraulic accumulator. The rod and bottom sides are connectable with each other via at least one brake valve for recirculating hydraulic fluid from the bottom side into the rod side.

The invention relates to a hydraulic device for driving an actuator to be hydraulically controlled or actuated, comprising a motor arranged in a motor housing, a compensating tank (31) for accommodating hydraulic fluid, and a hydraulic pump, which is arranged in a pump housing and driven by the motor, wherein the hydraulic pump is designed in such a way that the hydraulic pump permits conveyance of hydraulic fluid in two directions, namely in the forward direction and in the backward direction, wherein the hydraulic actuator comprises a drive cylinder, which has a first and a second cylinder chamber and a drive piston (3) arranged therebetween, to which drive piston a drive shaft (2) that can be displaced in the longitudinal direction is attached, wherein the device comprises a loading cylinder for an emergency closing spring (16), in which loading cylinder a loading cylinder chamber (12) and a loading piston (11) that can be coupled to the drive shaft (2) are arranged, wherein the emergency closing spring (16) can be loaded into a loaded or emergency-triggering readiness position by the loading piston (11), wherein the loading cylinder chamber (12) is connected to an outlet of the hydraulic pump in such a way that the loading cylinder chamber (12) can be filled with hydraulic fluid by means of the hydraulic pressure of the hydraulic pump and the loading piston can be transferred into a loading position as the emergency closing spring (16) is compressed and the loading piston can be locked there hydraulically by means of check valves (36, 37), and wherein a controlled seat valve (50) is connected to an inflow/outflow opening of the loading cylinder chamber, by means of which seat valve the emergency closing spring (16) can be transferred from the loaded readiness position into an emergency-triggering opening position, wherein both the hydraulic fluid that is contained in the loading cylinder chamber (12) and holds the emergency closing spring (16) in the readiness position and the hydraulic fluid contained in the first cylinder chamber can be discharged via the controlled seat valve (50).

A system and method for storing potential energy for a material handler. The system and method involves actuating a machine element using hydraulic cylinders; measuring a position of the machine element; controlling the hydraulic cylinders with a hydraulic circuit by an electronic control unit; determining a maximum target pressure for at least one gas actuator coupled to the machine element; calculating a target pressure for the at least one gas actuator at the position; measuring a gas pressure measurement from the at least one gas actuator; comparing the target pressure to the gas pressure measurement; and adjusting a hydraulic adjustment valve to increase or decrease an amount of hydraulic fluid within a hydraulic chamber of an accumulator thereby changing a gas pressure within the at least one gas actuator to correspond to the target pressure.

The present invention relates to an electro-hydrostatic system (1) with a hydraulic machine (11) which is driven by an electric motor (10) and has a variable volume and/or rotational speed for providing a volumetric flow rate of a hydraulic fluid, a differential cylinder (20) with a piston surface and with an annular surface, and at least one equalization container (30, 37), wherein the drive system (1) has a closed hydraulic circuit and during operation has an overpressure relative to the environment by means of the hydraulic machine (11) and/or a pretensioning source (15, 37), and the drive system (1) provides a movement of the cylinder in a first direction by means of a volumetric flow rate of the hydraulic machine (11) and a volumetric flow rate from the equalization container (30, 37), and provides a movement in a second direction by means of a volumetric flow rate of the hydraulic machine (11) and a volumetric flow rate into the equalization container (30, 37), and a power operating mode and a speed operating mode are provided with the differential cylinder (20).

Control fluid power apparatus and related methods are disclosed. An example control fluid power apparatus includes a first housing having a first piston defining a first chamber and a second chamber, where the first chamber receives a control fluid and the second chamber receives a process fluid from a process system. The first chamber is oriented above the second chamber when the control fluid power apparatus is coupled to a control valve assembly. A second housing has a second piston defining a third chamber and a fourth chamber, where the third chamber receives the control fluid and the second chamber receives the process fluid. The third chamber is oriented above the fourth chamber when the control fluid power apparatus is coupled to the control valve assembly.

An integrated hybrid energy recovery and storage system for recovering and storing energy from multiple energy sources 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 further includes two 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 two 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.

A hydraulic system including an accumulator and a hydraulic transformer is disclosed. The hydraulic transformer includes first and second variable displacement pump/motor units mounted on a rotatable shaft. The rotatable shaft has an end adapted for connection to an external load. The first variable displacement pump/motor unit includes a first side that fluidly connects to a pump and a second side that fluidly connects to a tank. The second variable displacement pump/motor unit includes a first side that fluidly connects to the accumulator and a second side that fluidly connects with the tank.

A hydraulic arrangement for supplying a consumer or actuator includes a first supply device that has at least one pump with an adjustable delivery volume. The hydraulic arrangement further includes a second supply device that is connected in parallel to the first supply device. The second supply device includes a loadable accumulator and a digitally regulated switching valve arrangement.

A device recovers energy in working machines with at least one power drive actuated to move a load mass back and forth and with an energy storage system (16) absorbing the energy released in the movement of the load mass in one direction and making it available for a subsequent movement in the other direction. The energy storage system includes an accumulator cylinder (16) mechanically coupled to the load mass and storing pneumatic pressure energy for movement in one direction. For movement in the other direction, the accumulator cylinder acts as an auxiliary working cylinder supporting the power drive and converting the stored pressure energy into driving force.

A hydraulic accumulator including an energy storage apparatus with a first piston face configured to reversibly compress an energy storage medium and a second piston face forming at least part of an inner surface of a corresponding second fluid chamber reversibly expandable by movement of the second piston face. A third piston face forms at least part of an inner surface of a corresponding third fluid chamber reversibly expandable by the third piston face. The first, second and third piston faces are coupled together.