Disclosed herein are robust disposable alternating tangential flow (ATF) housing and diaphragm pump units and associated methods of manufacturing, testing, wetting, and using the same.

An equalization device is, in particular, in the form of a tank. The housing (2) of the tank has at least one inlet (8) and one outlet (10) for receiving and discharging fluid, respectively, at least in one of the housing walls (4) of the housing, which housing can be filled with the fluid. At least one equalization body (14) is arranged within the housing (2). The equalization body is at least partly provided with an elastically compliant separating wall (20). The interior of the equalization body is delimited, and is at least partly in pressure-equalizing connection (32) with the surroundings at a passage (12, 32) through one of the housing walls (4).

1. Separator element

2. A separator element consisting of at least two types of layers of plastic material, one type of which layers is media resistant to mineral oils; and the other type of which layers has low permeability to gases or is gas-tight,
wherein the two types of layers are firmly bonded to each other when in direct contact and form the elastically flexible separator element (12).

A diaphragm for use in a fluid storage tank in which the fluid storage tank comprises first and second shell portions defining an interior tank space, wherein the diaphragm is configured to be secured within the interior tank space between the first and second shell portions, to define a fluid storage reservoir between the diaphragm and one of the shell portions. The diaphragm comprises a body of deformable material having a part-spherical portion defining a central longitudinal axis. A thickness of the diaphragm varies between different regions of the diaphragm. The thickness of the diaphragm is asymmetric about the longitudinal axis. Also provided is a fluid storage tank including such a diaphragm.

A fluid pump inlet stabilizer dampener includes a deformable diaphragm separating an enclosure into a gas chamber and a liquid chamber; and a piston coupled to the deformable diaphragm and being movable with respect to a valve housing, wherein the piston is configured to be positioned in at least first, second, and third positions, wherein in the first position a first fluid flow path from a pressurized gas inlet port to the gas chamber is open, in the second position the first fluid flow path is closed, and in the third position the first fluid flow path is closed and a second fluid flow path that activates a venturi vacuum generator is open.

The present invention provides lightweight high-pressure accumulators that avoids diaphragm failure observed in conventional diaphragm accumulators. Lightweight high-pressure composite overwrapped accumulators of the invention are made from a plurality of hollow casings that are mated to form an accumulator housing. The accumulator housing is overwrapped with a composite material to provide additional mechanical strength and structural integrity. More significantly, the accumulators of the invention includes a plurality of annular grooves and a plurality of bulb on the flexible diaphragm such that the plurality of bulbs on the flexible diaphragm are placed in the plurality of annular grooves that are formed between the first and the second hollow casing. In this manner, diaphragm failure is significantly reduced or even completely eliminated during repeated high pressure charge/discharge cycle of the accumulator.

A hydraulic actuator includes a body defining a bore having a first end surface, a second end surface, and a bore surface, and a piston slidable in the bore. The piston, bore surface and first end surface define a first chamber, and the piston, bore surface and second end surface define a second chamber. The body also defines an accumulator chamber and a fluid passage between the first chamber and the accumulator chamber. An accumulator is received in the accumulator chamber and a valve selectably opens and closes the fluid passage.

Disclosed herein are robust disposable alternating tangential flow (ATF) housing and diaphragm pump units and associated methods of manufacturing, testing, wetting, and using the same.

Disclosed is an expansion tank having an internal cavity separated by a flexible diaphragm to form an upper pressurized gas portion and a lower pressurized fluid portion, and an indicator positioned at an upper part of the expansion tank in communication with the contents of the upper pressurized gas portion. The indicator is configured so as to display a first color if the operating conditions are normal in the pressurized gas portion, and a second color if the amount of moisture detected in the pressurized gas portion greater than or equal to a predetermined amount. Further disclosed is a method for detecting whether there is an excessive amount of moisture in a pressurized gas portion of an expansion tank by allowing pressurized gas from the pressurized gas portion to come into contact with the indicator, and viewing the color displayed by the indicator. As such, the tank can be simply visually inspected to determine whether there is a potential failure in the tank.

A diaphragm accumulator provided with a flexible diaphragm inside an accumulator housing has a stress relaxing member having a contact surface which the diaphragm deformed by a pressure fluctuation inside the accumulator housing contacts and regulating the deformed attitude of the diaphragm by the contact surface on the inner surface. When the diaphragm is deformed by the pressure fluctuation inside the accumulator housing, the stress relaxing member regulates the deformed attitude of the diaphragm to reduce a stress generated in the diaphragm.