Patent ID: 8360743

Claim:
A pressure production system for pressurizing a hydraulic fluid, the system comprising a rotary pressure production device comprising: (a) a plurality of piston assemblies, each comprising: i. a hollow needle piston shaft through which hydraulic fluid is moved from a low pressure volume to a high pressure volume as the piston shaft moves in a first direction; ii. a high pressure header in fluid communication with the high pressure volume; iii. a vacuum check valve in fluid communication with the low and high pressure volumes, the vacuum check valve being closed as the hollow needle piston shaft moves in the first direction and open as the hollow needle piston shaft moves in a second, opposite direction; (b) a rotary actuator constructed and arranged to move each hollow needle piston shaft in the first direction; (c) a discharge check valve in fluid communication with the high pressure volume and the high pressure header, the discharge check valve being open when the hollow needle piston shaft is moving in the first direction, and when fluid pressure in the high pressure volume exceeds fluid pressure in the high pressure header, the discharge check valve being closed when the hollow needle piston shaft is moving in the second direction; (d) a first aspirated accumulator including: i. a spherical shell; ii. a diaphragm operably positioned within the spherical shell defining a gas volume and a hydraulic fluid volume, the hydraulic fluid volume being in fluid communication with the high pressure header; iii. a compressed gas within the gas volume; iv. a compressed gas conduit winding in fluid communication with the gas volume, the gas conduit winding being wound about the spherical shell; v. a gas compressor to deliver compressed gas to the gas volume via the gas conduit winding.