LIFTING SYSTEM AND LIFTING METHOD FOR JIB OF AN OPERATING MACHINE, AND AN OPERATING MACHINE THEREOF

• US 20140000250A1
• Filed: 12/26/2011
• Published: 01/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shuanglai Yang
• Original Assignee: Shuanglai Yang
• Inventors: Yang, Shuanglai
• Granted Patent: US 9,638,217 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 60/327
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 13/20 for non-electric drives transmitting control pulses B66C13/40
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2217 with energy recovery arrangements, e.g. using accumulators, flywheels
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/226 Safety arrangements, e.g. hydraulic driven fans, preventing cavitation, leakage, overheating
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2271 Actuators and supports therefor and protection therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 1/024 used as a supplementary power source, e.g. to store energy in idle periods to balance pump load
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 13/02 Fluid distribution or supply devices characterised by their adaptation to the control of servomotors
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 21/14 Energy-recuperation means
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/212 the pressure sources being accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/62 Cooling or heating means
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/7107 the output members being mechanically linked
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/88 Control measures for saving energy

Abstract

A lifting system for a jib of an operating machine that includes an energy storage device having an energy storage cylinder and an accumulator, the energy storage cylinder having an upper chamber, a lower chamber, and an energy storage piston rod connected to the jib. The upper part of the accumulator is filled with gas, and the lower part of the accumulator is filled with hydraulic oil and communicates with the lower chamber of the energy storage cylinder. The lifting system also includes a hydraulic pump and a control cylinder for controlling the lifting of the jib, which comprises an upper chamber, a lower chamber, and a control piston rod connected to the jib.

Claims

1. A lifting system for a jib of an operating machine, comprising:

an energy storage device used for storing the gravitational potential energy during the descending of the jib and lifting the jib by use of the stored energy during the ascending of the jib, the energy storage device includes an energy storage cylinder and an accumulator, the energy storage cylinder comprising an upper chamber and a lower chamber which are separated by an energy storage piston, wherein the energy storage piston comprises an energy storage piston rod operably connected to the jib, wherein an upper volume of the accumulator is filled with a pressurized gas, and a lower volume of the accumulator is filled with a pressurized hydraulic oil and is in fluid communication with the lower chamber of the energy storage cylinder;

a control cylinder for controlling the jib lifting, the control cylinder comprising an upper chamber and a lower chamber which are separated by a control piston, wherein the energy storage piston comprises a control piston rod operably connected to the jib; and

a hydraulic pump for selectively supplying the pressurized hydraulic oil to the upper chamber of the control cylinder or the lower chamber of the control cylinder through a distributor;

wherein when the hydraulic pump supplies the pressurized hydraulic oil to the upper chamber of the control cylinder through the distributor, the control piston rod drives the jib to descend, and the weight of the jib pushes against the energy storage piston rod of the energy storage cylinder so that the hydraulic oil in the lower chamber of the energy storage cylinder is pushed into the lower volume of the accumulator, hence the pressurized gas in the upper volume of the accumulator is compressed so as to recover the gravitational potential energy of the jib; and

wherein when the hydraulic pump supplies the pressurized hydraulic oil to the lower chamber of the control cylinder through the distributor, the control piston rod drives the jib to ascend so as to lift the energy storage piston rod, thereby the compressed gas in the upper volume of the accumulator pushes the hydraulic oil in the lower volume of the accumulator into the lower chamber of the energy storage cylinder, and thus the recovered energy is released to push the energy storage piston rod for elevating the jib.

2. The lifting system according to claim 1, wherein, the pressure of the gas and hydraulic oil filled into the accumulator is set in such a manner that the force applied to the energy storage piston rod by the hydraulic oil in the accumulator substantially balances with the force applied to the energy storage piston rod by the weight of the jib.

3. The lifting system according to claim 1, wherein, the pressure of the gas and hydraulic oil filled into the accumulator can be adjusted as required.

4. The lifting system according to claim 1, wherein, further comprising a controller and a sensor, the controller is connected to the distributor equipped to the hydraulic pump, the upper chamber of the energy storage cylinder, the upper chamber of the control cylinder and a hydraulic tank, respectively, and the controller is configured in such a manner that:

the pathway from the hydraulic pump to the upper chamber of the control cylinder via the distributor is opened, when the hydraulic pump is to supply the hydraulic oil to the upper chamber for control cylinder through the distributor, so as to allow the hydraulic pump to supply pressurized hydraulic oil to the upper chamber of the control cylinder through the distributor and the controller;

the pathway from the upper chamber of the energy storage cylinder to the hydraulic tank is opened when the jib ascends, so as to allow the hydraulic oil in the upper chamber of the energy storage cylinder to return to the hydraulic tank via the controller;

the pathway from the hydraulic tank to the upper chamber of the energy storage cylinder is opened when the jib descends, so as to allow the hydraulic oil in the hydraulic tank to be drawn into the upper chamber of the energy storage cylinder via the controller; and

when the sensor detects that the pressure of the hydraulic oil, which is delivered into the upper chamber of the control cylinder by the hydraulic pump through the distributor and controller, exceeds a predetermined value, in response to a signal from the sensor, the pathway from the hydraulic pump to the upper chamber of the energy storage cylinder via the distributor is opened and the pathway from the upper chamber of the energy storage cylinder to the hydraulic tank is closed, so that the hydraulic pump can supply pressurized hydraulic oil to the upper chamber of the control cylinder and the upper chamber of the energy storage cylinder through the distributor and the controller at the same time.

5. The lifting system according to claim 1, wherein, the distributor is controlled by manipulating an operating handle by the driver of the operating machine, so as to selectively supply pressurized hydraulic oil to the upper chamber of the control cylinder and/or the upper chamber of the energy storage cylinder or supply pressurized hydraulic oil to the lower chamber of the control cylinder.

6. The lifting system according to claim 1, wherein, further comprising a gas charging device and a hydraumatic pumpstation, which are connected between the accumulator and the lower chamber of the energy storage cylinder, wherein the gas charging device is used for supplying pressurized gas to the accumulator and the lower chamber of the energy storage cylinder, and the hydraumatic pumpstation is used for supplying pressurized hydraulic oil to the accumulator and the lower chamber of the energy storage cylinder.

7. The lifting system according to claim 1 wherein, further comprising a radiator, which is connected in the hydraulic oil pathway between the accumulator and the lower chamber of the energy storage cylinder so as to provide heat dissipation for the hydraulic oil.

8. The lifting system according to claim 1, wherein, the amount of the control cylinder is one or more, the amount of the energy storage cylinder is one or more, and the control cylinder and the energy storage cylinder can interchange their positions.

9. The lifting system according to claim 8, wherein, one control cylinder, and two energy storage cylinders located at either side of the control cylinder, are assembled in parallel below the jib.

10. An operating machine, comprising a jib and the lifting system according to claim 1.

11. A method for lifting a jib of an operating machine by means of the lifting system for the jib of the operating machine according to claim 1, comprising:

a) filling the upper volume of the accumulator with the pressurized gas, and filling the lower volume of the accumulator and the lower chamber of the energy storage cylinder, which is in fluid communication with the lower volume of the accumulator, with the pressurized hydraulic oil;

b) making the hydraulic pump supply pressurized hydraulic oil to the upper chamber of the control cylinder through the distributor such that the control piston rod drives the jib to descend, thereby the weight of the jib pushes against the energy storage piston rod of the energy storage cylinder so that the hydraulic oil in the lower chamber of the energy storage cylinder is pushed into the lower volume of the accumulator, hence the gas in the upper volume of the accumulator is compressed so as to recover the gravitational potential energy of the jib;

c) making the hydraulic pump supply pressurized hydraulic oil to the lower chamber of the control cylinder through the distributor such that the control piston rod drives the jib to ascend so as to lift the energy storage piston rod, thereby the compressed gas in the upper volume of the accumulator pushes the hydraulic oil in the lower volume of the accumulator into the lower chamber of the energy storage cylinder, thus the recovered energy is released so as to push the energy storage piston rod to uplift the jib.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein, in the step a), the pressure of the gas and hydraulic oil filled into the accumulator is set in such a manner that the force applied to the energy storage piston rod by the hydraulic oil in the accumulator substantially balances with the force applied to the energy storage piston rod by the weight of the jib.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein, the lifting system further comprises a controller and a sensor, wherein the controller is connected to the distributor equipped to the hydraulic pump, the upper chamber of the energy storage cylinder, the upper chamber of the control cylinder and a hydraulic tank, respectively, the method further comprising:

opening the pathway from the hydraulic pump to the upper chamber of the control cylinder via the distributor by means of the controller, when the hydraulic pump is to supply the hydraulic oil to the upper chamber of the control cylinder through the distributor, so as to allow the hydraulic pump to supply pressurized hydraulic oil to the upper chamber of the control cylinder through the distributor and the controller;

wherein when the jib ascends, making the hydraulic oil in the upper chamber of the energy storage cylinder return to the hydraulic tank via the controller;

when the jib descends, making the hydraulic oil in the hydraulic tank be drawn into the upper chamber of the energy storage cylinder via the controller; and

when by use of the sensor detecting that the pressure of the hydraulic oil, which is delivered into the upper chamber for control cylinder by the hydraulic pump through the distributor and controller, exceeds a predetermined value, making the sensor send a signal to the controller such that the controller opens the pathway from the hydraulic pump to the upper chamber of the energy storage cylinder via the distributor and closes the pathway from the upper chamber of the energy storage cylinder to the hydraulic tank, so as to allow the hydraulic pump to simultaneously supply pressurized hydraulic oil to the upper chamber of the control cylinder and the upper chamber of the energy storage cylinder through the distributor and the controller.

14. The lifting system according to claim 2 wherein, further comprising a controller and a sensor, the controller is connected to the distributor equipped to the hydraulic pump, the upper chamber of the energy storage cylinder, the upper chamber of the control cylinder and a hydraulic tank, respectively, and the controller is configured in such a manner that:

the pathway from the hydraulic pump to the upper chamber of the control cylinder via the distributor is opened, when the hydraulic pump is to supply the hydraulic oil to the upper chamber for control cylinder through the distributor, so as to allow the hydraulic pump to supply the pressurized hydraulic oil to the upper chamber of the control cylinder through the distributor and the controller;

the pathway from the upper chamber of the energy storage cylinder to the hydraulic tank is opened when the jib ascends, so as to allow the hydraulic oil in the upper chamber of the energy storage cylinder to return to the hydraulic tank via the controller;

the pathway from the hydraulic tank to the upper chamber of the energy storage cylinder is opened when the jib descends, so as to allow the hydraulic oil in the hydraulic tank to be drawn into the upper chamber of the energy storage cylinder via the controller; and

when the sensor detects that the pressure of the hydraulic oil, which is delivered into the upper chamber of the control cylinder by the hydraulic pump through the distributor and controller, exceeds a predetermined value, in response to a signal from the sensor, the pathway from the hydraulic pump to the upper chamber of the energy storage cylinder via the distributor is opened and the pathway from the upper chamber of the energy storage cylinder to the hydraulic tank is closed, so that the hydraulic pump can supply pressurized hydraulic oil to the upper chamber of the control cylinder and the upper chamber of the energy storage cylinder through the distributor and the controller at the same time.

15. The lifting system according to claim 3 wherein, further comprising a controller and a sensor, the controller is connected to the distributor equipped to the hydraulic pump, the upper chamber of the energy storage cylinder, the upper chamber of the control cylinder and a hydraulic tank, respectively, and the controller is configured in such a manner that:

the pathway from the hydraulic pump to the upper chamber of the control cylinder via the distributor is opened, when the hydraulic pump is to supply the hydraulic oil to the upper chamber for control cylinder through the distributor, so as to allow the hydraulic pump to supply the pressurized hydraulic oil to the upper chamber of the control cylinder through the distributor and the controller;

the pathway from the upper chamber of the energy storage cylinder to the hydraulic tank is opened when the jib ascends, so as to allow the hydraulic oil in the upper chamber of the energy storage cylinder to return to the hydraulic tank via the controller;

the pathway from the hydraulic tank to the upper chamber of the energy storage cylinder is opened when the jib descends, so as to allow the hydraulic oil in the hydraulic tank to be drawn into the upper chamber of the energy storage cylinder via the controller; and

when the sensor detects that the pressure of the hydraulic oil, which is delivered into the upper chamber of the control cylinder by the hydraulic pump through the distributor and controller, exceeds a predetermined value, in response to a signal from the sensor, the pathway from the hydraulic pump to the upper chamber of the energy storage cylinder via the distributor is opened and the pathway from the upper chamber of the energy storage cylinder to the hydraulic tank is closed, so that the hydraulic pump can supply pressurized hydraulic oil to the upper chamber of the control cylinder and the upper chamber of the energy storage cylinder through the distributor and the controller at the same time.

16. The lifting system according to claim 2, wherein, further comprising a gas charging device and a hydraumatic pumpstation, which are connected between the accumulator and the lower chamber of the energy storage cylinder, wherein the gas charging device is used for supplying pressurized gas to the accumulator and the lower chamber of the energy storage cylinder, and the hydraumatic pumpstation is used for supplying pressurized hydraulic oil to the accumulator and the lower chamber of the energy storage cylinder.

17. The lifting system according to claim 3, wherein, further comprising a gas charging device and a hydraumatic pumpstation, which are connected between the accumulator and the lower chamber of the energy storage cylinder, wherein the gas charging device is used for supplying pressurized gas to the accumulator and the lower chamber of the energy storage cylinder, and the hydraumatic pumpstation is used for supplying pressurized hydraulic oil to the accumulator and the lower chamber of the energy storage cylinder.

18. The lifting system according to claim 2, further comprising a radiator, which is connected in the hydraulic oil pathway between the accumulator and the lower chamber of the energy storage cylinder so as to provide heat dissipation for the hydraulic oil.

19. The lifting system according to claim 3, further comprising a radiator, which is connected in the hydraulic oil pathway between the accumulator and the lower chamber of the energy storage cylinder so as to provide heat dissipation for the hydraulic oil.

20. The method according to claim 12, wherein, the lifting system further comprises a controller and a sensor, wherein the controller is connected to the distributor equipped to the hydraulic pump, the upper chamber of the energy storage cylinder, the upper chamber of the control cylinder and a hydraulic tank, respectively, the method further comprising:

opening the pathway from the hydraulic pump to the upper chamber of the control cylinder via the distributor by means of the controller, when the hydraulic pump is to supply the hydraulic oil to the upper chamber of the control cylinder through the distributor, so as to allow the hydraulic pump to supply pressurized hydraulic oil to the upper chamber of the control cylinder through the distributor and the controller;

wherein when the jib ascends, making the hydraulic oil in the upper chamber of the energy storage cylinder return to the hydraulic tank via the controller;

when the jib descends, making the hydraulic oil in the hydraulic tank be drawn into the upper chamber of the energy storage cylinder via the controller; and

when by use of the sensor detecting that the pressure of the hydraulic oil, which is delivered into the upper chamber for control cylinder by the hydraulic pump through the distributor and controller, exceeds a predetermined value, making the sensor send a signal to the controller such that the controller opens the pathway from the hydraulic pump to the upper chamber of the energy storage cylinder via the distributor and closes the pathway from the upper chamber of the energy storage cylinder to the hydraulic tank, so as to allow the hydraulic pump to simultaneously supply pressurized hydraulic oil to the upper chamber of the control cylinder and the upper chamber of the energy storage cylinder through the distributor and the controller.