Patent Publication Number: US-2017363059-A1

Title: Hydraulic engine with hydraulic pump

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE 
     This application claims foreign priority under Paris Convention to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2016-0076554, filed 20 Jun. 2016, with the Korean Intellectual Property Office. 
     The present invention relates to a hydraulic engine with hydraulic pumps, and more particularly, to a hydraulic engine with hydraulic pumps that moves the oil filled in the body thereof through the hydraulic pumps to allow rotational load bodies to be driven by means of the reciprocation of pistons, thereby obtaining a rotational force required for driving. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Generally, a conventional heat engine is an engine which applies a thermal energy generated from the combustion of fuel as a heat source to a working fluid, expands the working fluid, converts the mechanical energy generated from the expansion of the working fluid into a shaft torque or fluid blowing, and thus obtains power therefrom. 
     Since heat is applied at a low temperature to the working fluid having a small volume to make the high temperature working fluid, a temperature difference in the heat engine is important, without exception, and therefore, the higher the temperature difference is, the higher the expansion force of the working fluid is. 
     The heat engine is largely divided into an external combustion engine and an internal combustion engine according to the kinds of working fluids, the expansion processes of the working fluids, the main mechanisms of the engine, and the states of the power generated therefrom. 
     The external combustion engine basically burns the fuel through a boiler located at the outside of the engine body, applies the heat generated from the fuel to the water stored in the boiler to make steam, induces the superheated steam as the working fluid having an expansion pressure to the engine body, and converts the superheated steam into successive power. 
     A steam engine as one of the external combustion engines is classified into a positive displacement piston type steam engine that applies the expansion pressure of the working fluid to a piston and converts the reciprocation of the piston into the torque of crankshafts and a velocity turbine type steam engine that applies the pressure of the working fluid to a turbine and generates a torque from the shaft of the turbine. 
     The steam engine may use low quality fuel like coals or heavy oil, and if the expansion pressure of the steam is maintained constantly, the rotational speed region of the shaft becomes large so that advantageously, there is no need to install a transmission, the torque is constant irrespective of the degree of the rotational speed of the shaft, the engine itself starts to rotate, and a degree of exhaust gas contamination due to external combustion is reduced. 
     Contrarily, the steam engine has the following problems. That is, there is a need to install the boiler having large volume and weight on the outside, a large radiator has to be installed to pluralize the steam, a substantially long period of time is delayed until water is turned into the superheated steam before the engine works, rapid heating of water is delayed when the acceleration in heating the water is needed, working and stopping are repeatedly carried out, the steam engine is not adequate for the external combustion engine for automobiles that have to has large power ranges, and above all, the heat efficiency of the energy is greatly decreased according to the changes in the internal energy of water when the water is vaporized. 
     The internal combustion engine is the heat engine which carries out the combustion of fuel and the expansion of a working fluid in the interior thereof at the same time, and accordingly, the internal combustion engine has the following advantages. That is, there is no need to install any combustion device like a boiler, the engine is small and lightness, the engine starts in a short time through a small-sized starting device, the engine is made in a wide range from a small output to a large output, and the acceleration of the output is rapidly adjusted, so that the internal combustion engine is adequate for the engine for automobiles. However, the internal combustion engine has the following disadvantages. That is, the heat efficiency is decreased, there is a need to install a cooling device due to the high temperature of the engine, the lowest rotational range of the engine is determined, a transmission has to be mounted on the output of the engine, fuel is unnecessarily consumed due to the continuous working of the engine upon the brake of the engine of a vehicle, good quality fuel is needed, and above all, air pollution is seriously caused by exhaust gas. 
     Further, most of heat engine automobiles have the following problems. That is, the rotation output of the engine is cooperatively operated with the load side, so that the spare energy generated from the engine cannot be stored, thereby making it difficult to reuse the energy generated from the engine brake of the automobile, and the rotation output of the engine cannot be reversed, thereby requiring a separate reversing gear. Furthermore, it is necessary to install successive crank mechanisms and all kinds of power transmission belts according to the linear reciprocation of the piston of the engine, thereby making the engine very complicated in configuration, and also, there is a need to install a differential gear on an output load side of the rear end of the transmission of the automobile engine. 
     One example of conventional hydraulic engines is disclosed in Korean Patent Application No. 10-2000-0036673 (dated on Jul. 5, 2000 and entitled ‘hydraulic engine vehicle’), which is hereinafter referred to as ‘Patent Document 1’. 
     According to Patent Document 1, the hydraulic engine vehicle, which is in the fields of heat engine and driving system, is configured wherein air is compressed by means of a compressor operated with hydraulic energy and is burnt in a combustor together with fuel so that the hydraulic energy is increasingly produced through the increment of the operating force of an expander with the volume expansion of the compressed burnt gas, and a hydraulic motor is driven with the increased hydraulic energy. In this case, the hydraulic engine vehicle includes the piston type compressor that is continuously reciprocated by the hydraulic energy through the control of a pilot-operated control valve and a pilot-operated normally open and closed type opening and closing valve operated with the hydraulic energy and produces the compressed air. 
     Further, the hydraulic engine vehicle includes the combustor capable of adjusting the flow rate of fuel in the successive combustion of the compressed air together with the fuel, the piston type expander continuously reciprocated by the compressed burnt gas through the control of a pilot-operated control valve and a pilot-operated normally open and closed type opening and closing valve operated with the hydraulic energy to produce the compressed air, an exhaust turbine rotating by means of the exhaust heat and exhaust pressure of the exhaust gas of the expander, a cooling tank in which cooling water is stored to allow the compressor and the expander to be submergedly disposed therein so that cooling water is heated with the air compressed heat and a cooling heat source of the expander to produce steam energy, and a steam turbine rotating with the steam energy heated to a high temperature through the exhaust gas heat source of the exhaust turbine. 
     Furthermore, the hydraulic engine vehicle includes a hydraulic pump and a generator cooperatively operated with the rotational shafts of the exhaust turbine and the steam turbine to produce the hydraulic energy and the electric energy, a reversing hydraulic motor having two independent driving shafts having driving load forces obtained by the hydraulic energy and the same torque characteristics as each other, and an intensifier for intensifying the hydraulic energy to a plurality of stages to store the intensified energy to an accumulator or to drive the hydraulic motor. 
     Another example of conventional hydraulic engines is disclosed in Korean Patent Application No. 10-2005-0092218 (dated on Sep. 21, 2005 and entitled ‘electric hydraulic engine’), which is hereinafter referred to as ‘Patent Document 2’. 
     According to Patent Document 2, the electric hydraulic engine includes a battery to which power is charged, a power supply and charging controller for supplying the power of the battery to an electric motor and for controlling the power generated from a generator so that the power is charged to the battery or supplied as the driving power of the electric motor, the electric motor driven by means of the power of the battery or the power generated from the generator under the control of the power supply and charging controller to produce a rotational force, a hydraulic pump for pumping the oil accommodated in an oil tank with the rotational force of the electric motor to produce hydraulic pressure used as the driving sources of first and second hydraulic motors, the first hydraulic motor driven by means of the hydraulic pressure produced from the hydraulic pump to produce a rotational force that is usable as a main power source, the second hydraulic motor driven by means of the hydraulic pressure produced from the hydraulic pump to produce a rotational force for power generation, and the generator for generating power by means of the rotational force of the second hydraulic motor to supply the generated power as the charging power of the battery or the driving power of the electric motor under the control of the power supply and charging controller. 
     Advantageously, the conventional hydraulic engine vehicle can drive the vehicle with the hydraulic pressure, and disadvantageously, it is limitedly installed in the vehicle. Further, the conventional electric hydraulic engine inconveniently has to cool the heat generated by the rotation of the hydraulic motors. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems occurring in the prior art, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a hydraulic engine with hydraulic pumps that has a plurality of rotational load bodies on a single power driving part in such a manner as to be at the same time driven by means of the rotational force generated from the power driving part. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a hydraulic engine with hydraulic pumps that is capable of driving an engine or generator with the rotational force generated from a power driving part. 
     To accomplish the above-mentioned objects, according to the present invention, there is provided a hydraulic engine including: a power supply adapted to supply power to a driving part and to charge the power generated from rotational load bodies through the driving of a power driving part; the driving part driven through the power supplied from the power supply; a pair of hydraulic pumps adapted to pump a fluid through the rotation of the driving part; and the power driving part adapted to generate a driving force through the reciprocation of a driving piston caused by the fluid supplied from the pair of hydraulic pumps. 
     According to the present invention, desirably, the power driving part includes: a casing having a given size; a pair of pistons reciprocated in the interior of the casing by means of the hydraulic pumps; the driving piston reciprocated by a given distance by means of the reciprocation of the pair of pistons; a pair of connecting rods rotating reciprocatedly by means of the driving piston; and rotational load bodies rotating by means of the rotation of the pair of connecting rods. 
     According to the present invention, desirably, the pair of pistons includes: a first piston located on one side of the casing in such a manner as to be reciprocated by a given distance by means of the driving of one side hydraulic pump; and a second piston located on the other side of the casing in such a manner as to be reciprocated by a given distance by means of the driving of the other side hydraulic pump. 
     According to the present invention, desirably, the pair of connecting rods includes: a first connecting rod and a second connecting rod disposed in the opposite directions to each other, and the power driving part further includes crankshafts rotating by means of the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod. 
     According to the present invention, desirably, the driving part includes: a transmission adapted to change the number of rotations thereof; and a hydraulic motor adapted to drive the pair of hydraulic pumps. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic view showing a configuration of a hydraulic engine with hydraulic pumps according to a first embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic view showing a configuration of a hydraulic engine with hydraulic pumps according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Hereinafter, an explanation on a hydraulic engine with hydraulic pumps according to the present invention will be in detail given with reference to the attached drawings. 
     A hydraulic engine according to the present invention includes a power supply  10  adapted to supply power to a driving part  20  and to charge the power generated from rotational load bodies  49  through the driving of a power driving part  40 , the driving part  20  driven through the power supplied from the power supply  10 , a pair of hydraulic pumps  30  adapted to pump a fluid through the rotation of the driving part  20 , and the power driving part  40  adapted to generate a driving force through the reciprocation of a driving piston  45  caused by the fluid supplied from the pair of hydraulic pumps  30 . 
     According to the present invention, the hydraulic engine is configured wherein a pair of first and second pistons  42  and  43  disposed on the power driving part  40  moves in the same direction as each other through the pumping of the pair of hydraulic pumps  30  so that the driving piston  45  disposed in a casing  41  of the power driving part  40  is reciprocated to rotate connecting rods  46  and  47 , thereby rotating the rotational load bodies  49 . 
     Moreover, the power driving part  40  obtains the power or electric power source from the rotation of the rotational load bodies  49  caused by the rotational forces of the connecting rods  46  and  47 . 
     First Embodiment 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic view showing a configuration of a hydraulic engine with hydraulic pumps according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the hydraulic engine with hydraulic pumps according to the present invention includes the driving part  20  rotating by means of the power supply  10 . 
     The power supply  10  includes a battery or charger (not shown) to which the power is charged, and otherwise, the power supply  10  includes a battery adapted to supply power to the driving part  20  and a charger adapted to charge the power generated from the power driving part  40  thereto. 
     That is, the power supply  10  includes both of the battery for supplying power and the charger for charging power, and otherwise, the power supply  10  includes a single charger for supplying power to the driving part  20  and for charging power thereto. 
     The driving part  20  makes use of an electric motor rotating by means of the power supplied from the power supply  10 . 
     The driving part  20  is connected to the pair of hydraulic pumps  30 , and the hydraulic pumps  30  serve to pump a fluid through the driving of the driving part  20 . The hydraulic pumps  30  supply or recover the fluid according to the rotation of the driving part  20 . 
     The hydraulic pumps  30  have connection hoses  31  connected to the first and second pistons  42  and  43  of the power driving part  40 . The connection hoses  31  are made of a soft synthetic resin capable of moving gently in accordance with the movements of the first and second pistons  42  and  43 . 
     One pair of hydraulic pumps  30  is disposed to allow the first and second pistons  42  and  43  to move in different directions from each other, and one of the hydraulic pumps  30  is located correspondingly to the first piston  42 , while the other is being located correspondingly to the second piston  43 . 
     On the other hand, the hydraulic pumps  30  are configured wherein the first piston  42  and the second piston  43  can move to the opposite directions to each other by means of one pump. If the first piston  42  moves forward, the second piston  43  moves backward, and contrarily, if the second piston  43  moves forward, the first piston  42  moves backward. 
     The power driving part  40  rotates the rotational load bodies  49  by means of the first and second pistons  42  and  43  moving through the hydraulic pumps  30  and by means of the driving piston  45  reciprocated by the first and second pistons  42  and  43 . 
     The power driving part  40  includes the casing  41  having a given size, the first and second pistons  42  and  43  reciprocated in the interior of the casing  41  by means of the hydraulic pumps  30 , the driving piston  45  reciprocated by a given distance by means of the reciprocation of the first and second pistons  42  and  43 , the connecting rods  46  and  47  reciprocatedly rotating by means of the driving piston  45 , and the rotational load bodies  49  rotating by means of the rotation of the connecting rods  46  and  47 . 
     The casing  41  takes a shape of a cylinder having given length and diameter and has the first piston  42  and the second piston  43  disposed in the interior thereof in such a manner as to be reciprocated by means of the hydraulic pumps  30 . 
     The first piston  42  is located on one side of the casing  41  in such a manner as to be reciprocated by a given distance by means of the driving of one side hydraulic pump  30 , and the second piston  43  is located on the other side of the casing  41  in such a manner as to be reciprocated by a given distance by means of the driving of the other side hydraulic pump  30 . 
     The first piston  42  is located on one side of the casing  41  and is connected to one side connection hose  31  in such a manner as to be driven by means of one side hydraulic pump  30 . The second piston  43  is located on the other side of the casing  41  and is connected to the other side connection hose  31  in such a manner as to be driven by means of the other side hydraulic pump  30 . 
     The fluid, which moves by means of the first piston  42  and the second piston  43 , is filled between the first piston  42  and the second piston  43 , and the fluid makes use of general oil as an incompressible fluid. 
     Further, the driving piston  45  is located between the first piston  42  and the second piston  43 . That is, the driving piston  45  is disposed on the intermediate position of the casing  41  in such a manner as to be movable according to the movement of the fluid. 
     The driving piston  45  has a shape of a disc having a given thickness, and the connecting rods  46  and  47  are disposed on both surfaces of the driving piston  45  to convert the linear motion of the driving piston  45  into rotational motion. 
     The first connecting rod  46  is disposed on one surface of the driving piston  45 , and the second connecting rod  47  on the other surface of the driving piston  45 . Further, crankshafts  48  are rotatably mounted on the first connecting rod  46  and the second connecting rod  47 . 
     The crankshafts  48  serve to convert the linear motions of the first connecting rod  46  and the second connecting rod  47  into the rotational motions. The rotational load bodies  49  are disposed on the first connecting rod  46  and the second connecting rod  47 . 
     The rotational load bodies  49  are disposed on both ends of the crankshaft  48  mounted on the first connecting rod  46  and also disposed on both ends of the cranks shaft  48  mounted on the second connecting rod  47 , so that the four rotational load bodies  49  are provided. 
     It should be understood that the rotational load bodies  49  include rotational shafts (not shown) requiring rotational forces or all of parts requiring rotational forces like a generator from which power is generated. That is, the rotational load bodies  49  are generators or rotational shafts. 
     Further, shock absorbing members  50  are disposed on both ends of the casing  41  to prevent the connection hoses  31  from being damaged or broken and to absorb the shocks caused upon the contacts of the first piston  42  and the second piston  43  with both ends of the casing  41 . 
     Second Embodiment 
       FIG. 2  is a schematic view showing a configuration of a hydraulic engine with hydraulic pumps according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the hydraulic engine according to the second embodiment of the present invention includes the power supply  10 , the hydraulic pumps  30  and the power driving part  40  in the same manner as according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Accordingly, an explanation on the same parts will be avoided, and hereinafter, a driving part  20  adopted in the second embodiment of the present invention will be in detail explained. 
     The driving part  20  is driven by means of the power supplied from the power supply  10  and includes a transmission  21  rotating by means of the driving part  20  and a hydraulic motor  22  rotating by means of the transmission  21 . 
     The transmission  21  rotates by means of the rotational force of the driving part  20  and increase or decreases the number of rotations of the driving part  20 . That is, the transmission  21  increases the number of rotations of the motor as the driving part  20 , so that the driving part  20  can rotate at a higher speed. 
     The transmission  21  rotates the hydraulic motor  22 , and the hydraulic motor  22  rotates at a high speed by means of the transmission  21  rotating at a high speed so that the hydraulic pumps  22  can pump a fluid at a higher speed. 
     Next, an explanation on an operating method for the hydraulic engine with the hydraulic pumps according to the present invention will be in detail given. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the hydraulic engine according to the first embodiment of the present invention is configured wherein the driving part  20  is driven by means of the power supplied from the battery or charger to which the power is charged. The driving part  20  makes use of the electric motor rotating by means of the power applied thereto. 
     The driving part  20  drives the hydraulic pumps  30 , and the hydraulic pumps  30  serve to pump an incompressible fluid stored through the rotation of the driving part  20 . 
     The fluid pumped by means of the hydraulic pumps  30  is supplied to the first piston  42  through the connection hose  31 , and the first piston  42  linearly moves by means of the fluid supplied through the connection hose  31  disposed on one side hydraulic pump  30 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the first piston  42  moves in a left direction from a right direction in the drawing, and the second piston  43  and the driving piston  45  move in a left direction of  FIG. 1  by means of the fluid filled between the first piston  42  and the second piston  43 . 
     At this time, the second piston  43  located in the opposite direction to the first piston  42  moves in the left direction of  FIG. 1 . 
     As the driving piston  45  moves, accordingly, the first connecting rod  46  and the second connecting rod  47  rotate the crankshafts  48 . 
     On the other hand, the second piston  43  moves in the right direction of  FIG. 1  by means of the fluid supplied from the other side hydraulic pump  30 , and at this time, the first piston  42  moves in the right direction of  FIG. 1 . 
     The driving piston  45  moves in the right direction on the drawing together with the first piston  42  and the second piston  43 , and as the driving piston  45  moves, accordingly, the first connecting rod  46  and the second connecting rod  47  move to rotate the crankshafts  48 . 
     As the crankshafts  48  rotate, accordingly, the rotational load bodies  49  rotate. That is, the rotational load bodies  49  rotate by means of the crankshafts  48 . 
     The rotational load bodies  49  disposed on the power driving part  40  rotate by the rotation of the connecting rods  46  and  47  and the crankshafts  48  as the driving piston  45  moves according to the movement of the fluid. 
     The rotational load bodies  49  rotate by means of the fluid supplied from the hydraulic pumps  30 , and even if relatively large loads are generated from the rotation of the rotational load bodies  49 , the rotational load bodies  49  can rotate with the same number of rotations as each other. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the hydraulic engine according to the second embodiment of the present invention is configured wherein the driving part  20  is driven by means of the power supplied from the power supply  10  to rotate the transmission  21 . The transmission  21  rotates with the number of rotations higher or lower than the driving part  20 . 
     That is, the transmission  21  rotates with the number of rotations higher than the driving part  20  to allow the hydraulic motor  22  to rotate at a higher speed, and if necessary, the transmission  21  allows the hydraulic motor  22  to rotate at a low speed to obtain a large torque (output). 
     The hydraulic motor  22  drives the hydraulic pumps  30 , and since the operations of the hydraulic pumps  30  are the same as above, a repeated explanation will be avoided. 
     As set forth in the foregoing, the hydraulic engine according to the present invention is configured wherein the rotational load bodies like the rotational shafts or generators can be at the same time driven on the single power driving part by means of the driving of the hydraulic pumps to obtain a large output, so that large torques can be produced from the rotational shafts or large power can be produced from the generators. 
     While the present invention has been described with reference to the particular illustrative embodiments, it is not to be restricted by the embodiments but only by the appended claims. It is to be appreciated that those skilled in the art can change or modify the embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.