Hydraulic Pumps Piston Type

Carbon fiber/PEEK take hydraulic pump to new depths

Design Results:

Placing and maintaining machinery on the ocean floor is a challenge at any depth, but the deeper the placement, the more hostile the environment. In ultradeep water, equipment is not only immersed in corrosive saltwater, but it also must endure low temperatures and withstand enormous water pressure. One new deepwater solution, a large-capacity hydraulic intensifier pump from Houston, Texas-based Cameron International Corp., is facing these challenges with a proprietary new pump design that takes advantage of the water pressure and involves a switch from traditional metals to a carbon fiber composite for critical components.

“It’s a radical design response,” says Cameron’s principal research engineer, Don Coonrod. “As we go into deeper and deeper waters, new innovations are required.”

Cameron supplies flow equipment and systems to the worldwide oil, gas and process industries. Its large-capacity carbon composite intensifier pump is able to operate at depths to 15,000 ft/4,752m — the result of a three-year collaborative effort between Cameron and composites equipment and structures manufacturer Automated Dynamics (Schenectady, N.Y.).

“By using a high-performance carbon fiber and PEEK [polyetheretherketone] matrix composite in conjunction with precise fiber placement technologies, we minimize water absorption, marine bio-fouling and weight while optimizing the material construction to meet the demanding functional and form-fit requirements,” says James Harty, VP sales and marketing at Automated Dynamics.

“In the initial design phase, we had to ask ourselves, How do we design a part that faces tremendous pressures — both external and internal — and ensure that the cylinders don’t collapse or, when the pump actuates, it doesn’t deform beyond limits and break the seal or jam?” explains Dr. Ronald B. Bucinell, P.E., of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Union College (Schenectady, N.Y.), who conducted finite element analysis (FEA) on the component. The solution was complex and affected all aspects of pump design and manufacture. Unlike traditional rod-and-piston systems, this unit incorporates three major composite components — the outer housing, the inner housing and the piston — as three concentric cylinders.

Parker Hydraulic piston pumps now incorporate proportional ...

A new range of hydraulic piston pumps has been launched to help reduce the size of fan drive systems for both on- and off-highway vehicles. Developed by Parker Hannifin, and based on the company’s proven P1 piston pump, the new system features a dedicated proportional pressure control valve, built directly into the pump assembly.  This effectively minimises system size and weight, without affecting overall performance or functionality, and enables design engineers to make best use of the space available on each vehicle; additionally, as part of the hydraulic fan drive system, the new system contributes to improved fuel efficiency and emission reduction.

Parker says it “is the world’s leading manufacturer of motion and control technologies and has developed a comprehensive range of hydraulic and electro-hydraulic systems for the automotive sector, especially off-highway vehicles. In particular, the company has pioneered the use of hydraulic fan drive systems for cooling heavy equipment, as these offer considerable benefits over belt driven engine units.  For example, hydraulic systems provide the ability to control fan speed independent of engine speed, to deliver significantly improved cooling efficiency and fuel economy. Additionally, the hydraulic fan drive components can be located practically anywhere on the vehicle, where space is available.”

To date, however, fan drive systems have generally been comprised of independent components, with fan speed being varied by using a separate proportional pressure valve to control system pressure to the hydraulic motor; although effective, this solution takes up additional space and require extra hoses and connectors. 

To address this issue, Parker has developed versions of its P1 hydraulic piston pump that incorporate proportional pressure valve control as part of the combined pump assembly; this minimise the number both of individual parts and the connections required, thereby reducing the overall space envelope and installation and maintenance costs.

The P1 variable displacement axial piston pumps are designed specifically for use with the open circuits found in mobile equipment and are rated for continuous operation at pressures up to 280 bar.  They incorporate a number features to improve performance, reliability and efficiency, to ensure that they meet the higher temperatures and pressures generally associated with modern low emission diesel engines.

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