US2006292018A1PendingUtilityA1

Hydraulic powered pneumatic super charger for on-board inert gas generating system

47
Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Jul 8, 2004Filed: Jul 8, 2005Published: Dec 28, 2006
Est. expiryJul 8, 2024(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Philip Jones
F04B 45/022B64D 37/32
47
PatentIndex Score
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Cited by
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Claims

Abstract

The inert gas generating system includes an air separation module (ASM) and a super charger. The ASM includes an ASM inlet configured for receiving an air flow, and an ASM outlet configured for expelling nitrogen enriched air (NEA). The super charger has a hydraulic system including a cylinder, a hydraulic piston housed within the cylinder, and a switching valve. The switching valve has a hydraulic fluid inlet, a hydraulic fluid outlet, and hydraulic passages fluidly coupling the switching valve to the cylinder near opposing ends of the cylinder. The switching valve is configured to alternate hydraulic fluid received at the fluid inlet between the hydraulic passages. The super charger also has a pneumatic system having identical pneumatic pistons coupled to opposing sides of the hydraulic piston, where each pneumatic piston is coupled to a pneumatic chamber having an air inlet and an air outlet coupled to the ASM inlet.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . An inert gas generating system comprising: 
 an air separation module (ASM) having an ASM inlet configured for receiving a pressurized air flow, and having an ASM outlet configured for expelling nitrogen enriched air (NEA);    a super charger comprising: 
 a hydraulic system configured to be coupled to a hydraulic pressure differential; and  
 a pneumatic system coupled to said hydraulic system, where said pneumatic system is configured to supply said air flow to said ASM.  
   
   
   
       2 . The inert gas generating system of  claim 1 , wherein said hydraulic system and said pneumatic system are fluidly isolated from each other so as to prevent contamination of the output air to the air separation module.  
   
   
       3 . The inert gas generating system of  claim 1 , wherein said hydraulic system comprises: 
 a cylinder;    a hydraulic piston housed within said cylinder; and    a switching valve having a hydraulic fluid inlet, a hydraulic fluid outlet, and hydraulic passages fluidly coupling said switching valve to said cylinder near opposing ends of said cylinder, where said switching valve is configured to alternate hydraulic fluid received at said fluid inlet between said hydraulic passages.    
   
   
       4 . The inert gas generating system of  claim 3 , wherein said pneumatic system comprises identical pneumatic pistons coupled to opposing sides of said hydraulic piston, where each pneumatic piston is coupled to a pneumatic chamber having an air inlet and an air outlet, wherein said air outlet is coupled to said ASM inlet.  
   
   
       5 . The inert gas generating system of  claim 4 , wherein said pneumatic chamber is a bellows.  
   
   
       6 . The inert gas generating system of  claim 4 , wherein said pneumatic chamber is a pneumatic cylinder.  
   
   
       7 . The inert gas generating system of  claim 4 , further comprising a check valve in said air inlet for preventing airflow out of said pneumatic chamber.  
   
   
       8 . The inert gas generating system of  claim 4 , further comprising a check valve in said air outlet for preventing airflow into said pneumatic chamber.  
   
   
       9 . The inert gas generating system of  claim 4 , wherein a surface area of said hydraulic piston is sized to provide optimum pneumatic pressure.  
   
   
       10 . The inert gas generating system of  claim 4 , wherein a ratio of a surface area of said pneumatic piston to a surface area of said hydraulic piston is approximately 30:1.  
   
   
       11 . The inert gas generating system of  claim 4 , wherein ambient air is provided to each said pneumatic chamber.  
   
   
       12 . The inert gas generating system of  claim 11 , wherein the ambient air is collected by an air scoop.  
   
   
       13 . A hydraulic powered pneumatic super charger, comprising: 
 a hydraulic cylinder;    a hydraulic piston housed within said hydraulic cylinder;    a switching valve having a hydraulic fluid inlet, a hydraulic fluid outlet, and hydraulic passages fluidly coupling said switching valve to said cylinder near opposing ends of said cylinder, where said switching valve is configured to alternate hydraulic fluid received at said fluid inlet between said hydraulic passages; and    at least one pneumatic piston coupled to a side of said hydraulic piston, where said at least one pneumatic piston is coupled to a pneumatic chamber having an air inlet and an air outlet.    
   
   
       14 . The super charger of  claim 13 , wherein said hydraulic cylinder, said hydraulic piston, and said switching valve are fluidly isolated from said at least one pneumatic piston and said pneumatic chamber so as to prevent contamination of the output air to the air separation module.  
   
   
       15 . The super charger of  claim 13 , wherein said pneumatic chamber is a bellows.  
   
   
       16 . The super charger of  claim 13 , wherein said pneumatic chamber is a pneumatic cylinder.  
   
   
       17 . The super charger of  claim 13 , further comprising a check valve in said air inlet for preventing airflow out of said pneumatic chamber.  
   
   
       18 . The super charger of  claim 13 , further comprising a check valve in said air outlet for preventing airflow into said pneumatic chamber.  
   
   
       19 . The super charger of  claim 13 , wherein a surface area of said hydraulic piston is sized to provide optimum pneumatic pressure.  
   
   
       20 . The super charger of  claim 13 , wherein a ratio of a surface area of said pneumatic piston to a surface area of said hydraulic piston is approximately 30:1.  
   
   
       21 . The super charger of  claim 13 , wherein ambient air is provided to each said pneumatic chamber.  
   
   
       22 . The super charger of  claim 21 , wherein the ambient air is collected by an air scoop.  
   
   
       23 . A method of generating inert gas using an air separation module (ASM) having an ASM outlet configured for receiving an air flow and having an ASM outlet configured for expelling nitrogen enriched air (NEA), and a super charger having a hydraulic system and a pneumatic system coupled to said hydraulic system, where said pneumatic system is configured to supply said air flow to said ASM, the method comprising: 
 receiving pressurized hydraulic fluid into a switching valve of said hydraulic system;    directing said hydraulic fluid to a first side of a hydraulic cylinder connected to said switching valve by a hydraulic fluid inlet and a hydraulic fluid outlet;    moving a hydraulic piston housed within said hydraulic cylinder into a first hydraulic piston position;    moving a first pneumatic piston attached to a first side of said hydraulic piston to a first pneumatic position;    contracting a first pneumatic chamber attached to said first pneumatic piston;    receiving ambient air into the first pneumatic chamber;    moving a second pneumatic piston attached to a second side of said hydraulic piston to a second pneumatic position;    compressing a second pneumatic chamber attached to said second pneumatic piston;    expelling pressurized air from said second pneumatic chamber into the ASM;    expelling hydraulic fluid from a second side of said hydraulic cylinder;    directing pressurized hydraulic fluid to said second side of said hydraulic cylinder;    moving said hydraulic piston into a second hydraulic position;    moving said second pneumatic piston to a third pneumatic position;    contracting said second pneumatic chamber;    receiving ambient air into said second pneumatic chamber;    moving said first pneumatic piston to a fourth pneumatic position;    compressing said first pneumatic chamber;    expelling pressurized air from said first pneumatic chamber into the ASM; and    expelling hydraulic fluid from said first side of said hydraulic cylinder.    
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein said pneumatic chamber is a bellows.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein said pneumatic chamber is a pneumatic cylinder.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein said second and third receiving steps further comprise receiving ambient air through a first and second air inlet, respectively.  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein said first and second air inlets are fitted with check valves for preventing backflow out of said first and second pneumatic chambers.  
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein said first and third expelling steps further comprise expelling pressurized air through a first and second air outlet, respectively.  
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein said first and second air outlets are fitted with check valves for preventing backflow into said first and second pneumatic chambers.  
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein a surface area of said hydraulic piston is sized to provide optimum pneumatic pressure.  
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein ratios of surface areas of each said first and second pneumatic pistons to a surface area of said hydraulic piston is approximately 30:1.  
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein said ambient air is collected by an air scoop.

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