Vortex reservoir

Abstract

A vortex reservoir for separation of an aerated portion of a hydraulic fluid includes an upper chamber and a lower chamber, in fluid communication with the upper chamber, having a lower chamber sidewall. The lower chamber includes a lower lower chamber and an upper lower chamber. The lower chamber includes a lower chamber partitioning plate. The lower chamber partitioning plate is located between the lower lower chamber and the upper lower chamber. The lower lower chamber is in fluid communication with the upper lower chamber via a gap between the lower chamber partitioning plate and the lower chamber sidewall.

Claims

1. A vortex reservoir for separation of an aerated portion of a hydraulic fluid, comprising: an upper chamber; a lower chamber, in fluid communication with said upper chamber, having a lower chamber sidewall; and said lower chamber including a lower lower chamber and an upper lower chamber; said lower chamber including a lower chamber partitioning plate; said lower chamber including a gap between said lower chamber partitioning plate and said lower chamber sidewall; said lower chamber partitioning plate being located between said lower lower chamber and said upper lower chamber; said lower lower chamber being in fluid communication with said upper lower chamber via said gap between said lower chamber partitioning plate and said lower chamber sidewall; said upper chamber including a lower upper chamber and an upper upper chamber; an inter-chamber downflow fluid conduit, passing through said upper lower chamber, to provide direct fluid communication between said lower upper chamber and said lower lower chamber.

2. The vortex reservoir as claimed in claim 1, wherein said upper chamber includes a upper chamber sidewall; said upper chamber including an upper chamber partitioning plate; said upper chamber including a gap between said upper chamber partitioning plate and said upper chamber sidewall; said upper chamber partitioning plate being located between said lower upper chamber and said upper upper chamber; said lower upper chamber being in fluid communication with said upper upper chamber via said gap between said upper chamber partitioning plate and said upper chamber sidewall.

3. The vortex reservoir as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: inter-chamber upflow fluid conduits, passing through said lower upper chamber, to provide direct fluid communication between said upper upper chamber and said upper lower chamber.

4. The vortex reservoir as claimed in claim 2, further comprising: inter-chamber upflow fluid conduits, passing through said lower upper chamber, to provide direct fluid communication between said upper upper chamber and said upper lower chamber.

5. The vortex reservoir as claimed in claim 1, wherein said lower lower chamber includes an outlet.

6. The vortex reservoir as claimed in claim 1, wherein said upper lower chamber includes a tangential inlet.

7. The vortex reservoir as claimed in claim 1, wherein said gap between said lower chamber partitioning plate and said lower chamber sidewall is non-continuous between said lower chamber partitioning plate and said lower chamber sidewall such that only a portion of said lower chamber partitioning plate contacts a portion of said lower chamber sidewall.

8. The vortex reservoir as claimed in claim 2, wherein said gap between said lower chamber partitioning plate and said lower chamber sidewall is non-continuous between said lower chamber partitioning plate and said lower chamber sidewall such that only a portion of said lower chamber partitioning plate contacts a portion of said lower chamber sidewall.

9. The vortex reservoir as claimed in claim 3, wherein said gap between said lower chamber partitioning plate and said lower chamber sidewall is non-continuous between said lower chamber partitioning plate and said lower chamber sidewall such that only a portion of said lower chamber partitioning plate contacts a portion of said lower chamber sidewall.

10. The vortex reservoir as claimed in claim 4, wherein said gap between said lower chamber partitioning plate and said lower chamber sidewall is non-continuous between said lower chamber partitioning plate and said lower chamber sidewall such that only a portion of said lower chamber partitioning plate contacts a portion of said lower chamber sidewall.

11. The vortex reservoir as claimed in claim 5, wherein said gap between said lower chamber partitioning plate and said lower chamber sidewall is non-continuous between said lower chamber partitioning plate and said lower chamber sidewall such that only a portion of said lower chamber partitioning plate contacts a portion of said lower chamber sidewall.

12. The vortex reservoir as claimed in claim 6, wherein said gap between said lower chamber partitioning plate and said lower chamber sidewall is non-continuous between said lower chamber partitioning plate and said lower chamber sidewall such that only a portion of said lower chamber partitioning plate contacts a portion of said lower chamber sidewall.

13. The vortex reservoir as claimed in claim 1, wherein said gap between said lower chamber partitioning plate and said lower chamber sidewall is continuous between said lower chamber partitioning plate and said lower chamber sidewall such that only a portion of said lower chamber partitioning plate contacts a portion of said lower chamber sidewall.

14. The vortex reservoir as claimed in claim 2, wherein said gap between said lower chamber partitioning plate and said lower chamber sidewall is continuous between said lower chamber partitioning plate and said lower chamber sidewall such that only a portion of said lower chamber partitioning plate contacts a portion of said lower chamber sidewall.

15. The vortex reservoir as claimed in claim 3, wherein said gap between said lower chamber partitioning plate and said lower chamber sidewall is continuous between said lower chamber partitioning plate and said lower chamber sidewall such that only a portion of said lower chamber partitioning plate contacts a portion of said lower chamber sidewall.

16. The vortex reservoir as claimed in claim 4, wherein said gap between said lower chamber partitioning plate and said lower chamber sidewall is continuous between said lower chamber partitioning plate and said lower chamber sidewall such that only a portion of said lower chamber partitioning plate contacts a portion of said lower chamber sidewall.

17. The vortex reservoir as claimed in claim 5, wherein said gap between said lower chamber partitioning plate and said lower chamber sidewall is continuous between said lower chamber partitioning plate and said lower chamber sidewall such that only a portion of said lower chamber partitioning plate contacts a portion of said lower chamber sidewall.

18. The vortex reservoir as claimed in claim 6, wherein said gap between said lower chamber partitioning plate and said lower chamber sidewall is continuous between said lower chamber partitioning plate and said lower chamber sidewall such that only a portion of said lower chamber partitioning plate contacts a portion of said lower chamber sidewall.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The drawings are only for purposes of illustrating various embodiments and are not to be construed as limiting, wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 shows an example of a conventional reservoir;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a reservoir for removing bubbles from a hydraulic fluid and for increasing the availability of fluid in a hydraulic system in order to effectively dissipate heat from the hydraulic system;

(4) FIG. 3 shows an example of fluid flows of the reservoir illustrated in FIG. 2;

(5) FIG. 4 is a top view of an embodiment of a lower chamber of the reservoir illustrating the gap between a lower chamber partitioning plate and a sidewall of the lower chamber; and

(6) FIG. 5 is a top view of another embodiment of a lower chamber of the reservoir illustrating the gap between a lower chamber partitioning plate and a sidewall of the lower chamber.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(7) For a general understanding, reference is made to the drawings. In the drawings, like references have been used throughout to designate identical or equivalent elements. It is also noted that the drawings may not have been drawn to scale and that certain regions may have been purposely drawn disproportionately so that the features and concepts may be properly illustrated.

(8) As illustrated in FIG. 2, a hydraulic fluid reservoir 10 is divided into an upper chamber 140 and a lower chamber 130 by divider plate 150. The divider plate 150 is connected to the cylindrical sidewall 142 of the upper chamber 140 and the cylindrical sidewall 132 of the lower chamber 130 so that no fluid flows between the upper chamber 140 and the lower chamber 130 along the cylindrical sidewall 142 of the upper chamber 140 and the cylindrical sidewall 132 of the lower chamber 130.

(9) As illustrated in FIG. 2, the lower chamber 130 is partitioned into an upper lower chamber 131 and a lower lower chamber 133 by lower chamber partitioning plate 135. The lower chamber partitioning plate 135 is not attached to the cylindrical sidewall 132 of the lower chamber 130 so that hydraulic fluid can flow between the upper lower chamber 131 and the lower lower chamber 133 along the cylindrical sidewall 132 of the lower chamber 130. The upper lower chamber 131 includes a tangential inlet 110, and the lower lower chamber 133 includes a tangential outlet 120.

(10) It is noted that the gap between the lower chamber partitioning plate 135 and the cylindrical sidewall 132 of the lower chamber 130 allows some of the hydraulic fluid to flow directly from the upper lower chamber 131 to the lower lower chamber 133 without the fluid making a complete cyclonic rotation around the interior volume to the upper lower chamber 131 before entering the lower lower chamber 133 and subsequently exiting the lower lower chamber 133 through the tangential outlet 120.

(11) The lower chamber partitioning plate 135 enables the containment of the air bubbles within the fluid that have migrated towards the center of the upper lower chamber 131 by only allowing flow of the concentrated liquid along the cylinder sidewall 132 to flow into the lower lower chamber 133 and producing a pressure drop that causes a portion of the fluid (the fluid with the air bubbles) to flow to the upper chamber 140 (specifically upper upper chamber 141), as will be described in more detail below.

(12) In addition, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the upper chamber 140 is partitioned into an upper upper chamber 141 and a lower upper chamber 143 by upper chamber partitioning plate 145. The upper chamber partitioning plate 145 is not attached to the cylindrical sidewall 142 of the upper chamber 140 so that hydraulic fluid can flow between the upper upper chamber 141 and the lower upper chamber 143 along the cylindrical sidewall 142 of the lower chamber 140.

(13) Hydraulic fluid may also flow between the upper chamber 140 and the lower chamber 130 via inter-chamber downflow fluid conduit 160. More specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 2, hydraulic fluid may flow between the lower upper chamber 143 of the upper chamber 140 and the lower lower chamber 133 of the lower chamber 130 via inter-chamber downflow fluid conduit 160.

(14) Additionally, hydraulic fluid may also flow between the upper chamber 140 and the lower chamber 130 via inter-chamber upflow fluid conduits 147. More specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 2, hydraulic fluid may flow between the upper upper chamber 141 of the upper chamber 140 and the upper lower chamber 131 of the lower chamber 130 via inter-chamber upflow fluid conduits 147.

(15) FIG. 3 illustrates the hydraulic fluid flow of the reservoir of FIG. 2. More specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 3, hydraulic fluid enters the upper lower chamber 131 of the lower chamber 130 via the tangential inlet 110 to create a cyclonic flow (arrow 1100) in the upper lower chamber 131 of the lower chamber 130.

(16) A portion of the hydraulic fluid flows (arrow 1315) from the upper lower chamber 131 to the lower lower chamber 133 via the gap between the lower chamber partitioning plate 135 and the cylindrical sidewall 132 of the lower chamber 130. Another portion of the hydraulic fluid flows (arrows 1310) from the upper lower chamber 131 to the upper upper chamber 141 via the inter-chamber upflow fluid conduits 147.

(17) The hydraulic fluid in the upper upper chamber 141 flows (arrows 1410) to the upper lower chamber 143 via the gap between the upper chamber partitioning plate 145 and the cylindrical sidewall 142 of the upper chamber 140.

(18) The hydraulic fluid in the lower upper chamber 143 flows (arrows 1415 and 1335) to the lower lower chamber 133 via the inter-chamber downflow fluid conduit 160.

(19) The hydraulic fluid in the lower lower chamber 133 flows (arrow 1330) out of the reservoir 10 via the tangential outlet 120.

(20) FIG. 4 is a top view of an embodiment of a lower chamber of the reservoir illustrating a gap between a lower chamber partitioning plate and a cylindrical sidewall of the lower chamber. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the lower chamber includes lower chamber partitioning plate 135 to partition the lower chamber into an upper lower chamber and a lower lower chamber.

(21) In this embodiment of FIG. 4, the lower chamber partitioning plate 135 does not contact the cylindrical sidewall 132 of the lower chamber, thereby forming a gap or opening 134.

(22) The lower chamber partitioning plate 135 is not attached to the cylindrical sidewall 132 of the lower chamber so that hydraulic fluid can flow between the upper lower chamber and the lower lower chamber along the cylindrical sidewall 132 of the lower chamber. The upper lower chamber includes a tangential inlet 110, and the lower lower chamber includes a tangential outlet 120.

(23) It is noted that the gap or opening 134 between the lower chamber partitioning plate 135 and the cylindrical sidewall 132 of the lower chamber allows some of the hydraulic fluid to flow directly from the upper lower chamber to the lower lower chamber without the fluid making a complete cyclonic rotation around the interior volume to the upper lower chamber before entering the lower lower chamber and subsequently exiting the lower lower chamber through the tangential outlet 120.

(24) The lower chamber partitioning plate 135 also enables the containment of the air bubbles within the fluid that have migrated towards the center of the upper lower chamber by only allowing flow of the concentrated liquid along the cylinder sidewall 132 to flow into the lower lower chamber and producing a pressure drop that causes a portion of the fluid (the fluid with the air bubbles) to flow to the upper chamber, as described above.

(25) FIG. 5 is a top view of another embodiment of a lower chamber of the reservoir illustrating a gap between a lower chamber partitioning plate and a sidewall of the lower chamber. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the lower chamber includes lower chamber partitioning plate 135 to partition the lower chamber into an upper lower chamber and a lower lower chamber.

(26) In this embodiment of FIG. 5, the lower chamber partitioning plate 135 only contacts (136) a portion of the cylindrical sidewall 132 of the lower chamber, thereby forming a gap or opening 134.

(27) The lower chamber partitioning plate 135 is attached (136) only to a portion of the cylindrical sidewall 132 of the lower chamber to the cylindrical sidewall 132 so that hydraulic fluid can flow between the upper lower chamber and the lower lower chamber along the cylindrical sidewall 132 of the lower chamber. The upper lower chamber includes a tangential inlet 110, and the lower lower chamber includes a tangential outlet 120.

(28) It is noted that the gap or opening 134 between the lower chamber partitioning plate 135 and the cylindrical sidewall 132 of the lower chamber allows some of the hydraulic fluid to flow directly from the upper lower chamber to the lower lower chamber without the fluid making a complete cyclonic rotation around the interior volume to the upper lower chamber before entering the lower lower chamber and subsequently exiting the lower lower chamber through the tangential outlet 120.

(29) The lower chamber partitioning plate 135 also enables the containment of the air bubbles within the fluid that have migrated towards the center of the upper lower chamber by only allowing flow of the concentrated liquid along the cylinder sidewall 132 to flow into the lower lower chamber and producing a pressure drop that causes a portion of the fluid (the fluid with the air bubbles) to flow to the upper chamber, as described above.

(30) As described above, the hydraulic fluid may flow from the upper lower chamber to the lower lower chamber via the gap between the lower chamber partitioning plate and the cylindrical sidewall of the lower chamber, or the hydraulic fluid may flow from the upper lower chamber to the upper upper chamber via the inter-chamber upflow fluid conduits.

(31) The hydraulic fluid in the upper upper chamber flows to the upper lower chamber via the gap between the upper chamber partitioning plate and the cylindrical sidewall of the upper chamber.

(32) The hydraulic fluid in the lower upper chamber flows to the lower lower chamber via the inter-chamber downflow fluid conduit.

(33) The hydraulic fluid in the lower lower chamber flows out of the reservoir via the tangential outlet.

(34) The hydraulic fluid reservoir, described above, effectively increases the availability of hydraulic fluid in the hydraulic system in order to effectively dissipate heat out of the hydraulic system.

(35) Moreover, the hydraulic fluid reservoir, described above, effectively removes gas bubbles from the hydraulic fluid.

(36) In addition, the hydraulic fluid reservoir, described above, includes 100% of reservoir capacity in the flow path of the hydraulic system, and the hydraulic fluid reservoir, described above, can effectively accommodate for sudden changes in reservoir fill height.

(37) Furthermore, the hydraulic fluid reservoir, described above, effectively maintains completely flooded pump suction at extreme off-camber operating angles.

(38) With respect to the hydraulic fluid reservoir, described above, returning hydraulic fluid, which may contain gas bubbles, enters tangentially near the top of the upper lower chamber. High speed rotation of the hydraulic fluid within the upper lower chamber produces centrifugal forces that accelerate the separation of gas and liquid.

(39) The hydraulic fluid is forced outward to the walls of upper lower chamber and flows down to lower lower chamber through a narrow annular gap between the outer diameter of the lower chamber partition plate and inner diameter of the chamber.

(40) In addition, the hydraulic fluid reservoir is configured to contain air bubbles that have migrated towards the center of the upper lower chamber.

(41) The narrow annular gap between the upper lower chamber and the lower lower chamber produces a pressure drop which causes some hydraulic fluid in the upper lower chamber to flow up to the upper upper chamber through a series of inter-chamber upflow fluid conduits, along with the gas bubbles from the incoming hydraulic fluid, which have migrated towards the center of the upper lower chamber.

(42) Flow velocities in the upper upper chamber are relatively low, allowing the concentrated gas bubbles to effectively dissipate into the headspace of the reservoir.

(43) The hydraulic fluid in the lower upper chamber, which has now been suitably de-gassed from the upper upper chamber then flows through the inter-chamber downflow fluid conduit along the axis of the reservoir to the lower lower chamber.

(44) The hydraulic fluid exits lower lower chamber tangentially to supply the pump suction.

(45) Although the various embodiments discussed above were described in the context of a hydraulic fluid system for a steering system, the configuration of the reservoir can be utilized in the various hydraulic fluid systems.

(46) Moreover, although the various embodiments discussed above were described in the context of a hydraulic fluid system for a steering system, the configuration of the reservoir can be utilized in in a fluid system utilizing or needing a gas-liquid separation process; for example, the degassing of waste water.

(47) More specifically, the various embodiments discussed above provide a reservoir for providing gas-liquid separation in a fluid system.

(48) In summary, a vortex reservoir for separation of an aerated portion of a hydraulic fluid, comprises an upper chamber and a lower chamber, in fluid communication with the upper chamber, having a lower chamber sidewall; the lower chamber including a lower lower chamber and an upper lower chamber; the lower chamber including a lower chamber partitioning plate; the lower chamber partitioning plate being located between the lower lower chamber and the upper lower chamber; the lower lower chamber being in fluid communication with the upper lower chamber via a gap between the lower chamber partitioning plate and the lower chamber sidewall.

(49) The gap may be continuous between the lower chamber partitioning plate and the lower chamber sidewall such that the lower chamber partitioning plate does not contact the lower chamber sidewall.

(50) The gap may be non-continuous between the lower chamber partitioning plate and the lower chamber sidewall such that only a portion of the lower chamber partitioning plate contacts a portion of the lower chamber sidewall.

(51) The lower lower chamber may include an outlet.

(52) The upper lower chamber may include an inlet.

(53) The upper lower chamber may include a tangential inlet.

(54) The upper chamber may include a lower upper chamber and an upper upper chamber; the upper chamber including a upper chamber sidewall; the upper chamber including an upper chamber partitioning plate; the upper chamber partitioning plate being located between the lower upper chamber and the upper upper chamber; the lower upper chamber being in fluid communication with the upper upper chamber via a gap between the upper chamber partitioning plate and the upper chamber sidewall.

(55) The vortex reservoir may include an inter-chamber downflow fluid conduit to provide fluid communication between the lower upper chamber and the lower lower chamber.

(56) The vortex reservoir may include inter-chamber upflow fluid conduits to provide fluid communication between the upper upper chamber and the upper lower chamber.

(57) The inter-chamber upflow fluid conduits enables air bubbles in the hydraulic fluid to flow from the upper lower chamber to the upper upper chamber.

(58) The gap may enable hydraulic fluid flow directly from the upper lower chamber to the lower lower chamber without the hydraulic fluid making a complete cyclonic rotation around an interior volume to the upper lower chamber before entering the lower lower chamber.

(59) It will be appreciated that several of the above-disclosed embodiments and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be desirably combined into many other different systems or applications. Also, various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations, or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the description above.