Artemis Intelligent Power Limited

Danfoss Power Solutions Aps

Danfoss Power Solutions Gmbh & Co Ohg

Stephen Michael Laird

Niall James Caldwell

Michael Richard Fielding

Uwe Bernhard Pascal Stein

William Hugh Salvin Rampen

Daniil Sergeevich Dumnov

Pierre Joly

Uwe Stein

Jack Samuel Lavender

Stephen Hugh Salter

Onno Kuttler

Luke Wadsley

Alexis Dole

Gordon Paul Voller

Jens Eilers

Fergus Robert McIntyre

William Rampen

Peter McCurry

Mark Brett

Henry Dodson

John Tearlach Campbell

Luke Wadesly

Pierre Robert Joly

Fergus Robert Mcintyre

A valve unit for a fluid working machine comprise a valve having a valve member (and optionally a valve seat), a valve actuator coupled to the valve member, and an electronic actuator controller which is integral to the valve unit and configured to actively control the valve actuator to thereby control the valve member.

Valve for fluid working machine, fluid working machine and method of operation

The invention provides a fluid working machine comprising: a crankshaft () which is rotatable about an axis of rotation (); adjacent first and second groups () of valve cylinder devices () spaced from each other about the axis of rotation (), one or each of the first and second groups () of valve cylinder devices having first, second and third valve cylinder devices () arranged about and extending outwards with respect to the crankshaft (), the first and third valve cylinder devices being axially offset from each other, the second valve cylinder device being axially offset from the first and third valve cylinder devices and the second valve cylinder device being offset from the first and third valve cylinder devices about the axis of rotation, wherein the second valve cylinder device has an axial extent which overlaps with the axial extent of one, or the axial extents of both, of the first and third valve cylinder devices.

Fluid working machine having offset valve cylinders

A fluid working machine of the type comprising working chambers of cyclically varying volume and low and high pressure valves to regulate the flow of working fluid into and out of the working chamber, from low and high pressure manifolds, in which the valves are electronically controlled on each cycle of working chamber volume, by way of valve actuation signals, to determine the net displacement of working chambers. Additional valve actuator signals are generated in response to determination that a valve or working chamber has been inactive to adapt the valve to operate more reliably when subsequently actuated, but without significantly altering the net displacement of working chambers.

Fluid working machine and method of operating a fluid working machine

A method of measuring a property of entrained gas in a hydraulic liquid received by a working chamber of a fluid working motor, wherein the said property is determined from the period of time elapsing between the closure of a first valve to isolate the working chamber and the passive opening of a second valve to bring the working chamber into fluid communication with a manifold. The property may, for example, be related to the concentration of entrained gas in the received hydraulic liquid or the compressibility or bulk modulus of the received hydraulic fluid.

Method of measuring a property of entrained gas in a hydraulic fluid and fluid-working machine

A fluid-working machine has a working chamber of cyclically varying volume, high and low pressure manifolds, and high and low pressure valves for regulating the flow of fluid between the working chamber and the high and low pressure manifolds respectively. A controller actively controls at least one said valve to determine the net displacement of working fluid of the working chamber on a cycle by cycle basis. At least one said valve is a variable timing valve and the controller causes the valve to open or close at a time determined taking into account one or more properties of the performance of the fluid working machine measured during an earlier cycle of working chamber volume.

Fluid-working machine valve timing

The invention relates to a fluid distribution valve (), comprising at least a first fluid port (), a second fluid port () and a third fluid port (). These ports are connecting to a fluid distribution chamber (). The second fluid port () can be selectively connected to the first fluid port () and/or the third fluid port () through said distribution chamber (). The second fluid port () is arranged between the first fluid port () and the third fluid port ().

Fluid distribution valve

The present invention relates to a method of operating a fluid-working machine wherein the volume of working fluid displaced each cycle is selectable and wherein the volume of working fluid displaced by a first working chamber takes into account the suitability of the working chamber to displace fluid. The invention extends in further aspects to power absorbing structures such as renewable energy devices comprising such fluid working machines. The invention allows the operation of fluid working machines and power absorbing structures which are more long lived.

Fluid-working machine and method of operating a fluid-working machine

A valve unit for regulating the flow of working fluid between a working chamber of a fluid working machine and both a first working fluid line and second working fluid line, the valve unit comprising: a first valve comprising a first valve member and one or more cooperating first valve seats, a second valve comprising a second valve member and one or more cooperating second valve seats, an actuator coupled to both the first and second valve members through which a force may be applied to urge the first valve member open or closed and to urge the second valve member open or closed, a coupling between the actuator and the first valve member, wherein the coupling between the actuator and the first valve member comprises a connector which extends at least partially through the second valve member.

Valve unit and a fluid working machine comprising a valve unit

In a method of detecting a fault in a fluid-working machine including a plurality of working chambers of cyclically varying volume, each working chamber is operable to displace a volume of working fluid which is selectable for each cycle of working chamber volume to carry out a working function responsive to a received demand signal. An output parameter of the fluid working machine, which is responsive to the displacement of working fluid by one or more of the working chambers to carry out the working function, is measured. It is determined whether the measured output parameter fulfils at least one acceptable function criterion, taking into account the previously selected net displacement of working fluid by a working chamber during a cycle of working chamber volume to carry out the working function.

Fluid-working machine and method of detecting a fault

In a method of operating a fluid-working machine, the volume of working fluid displaced during each cycle of working chamber volume is selected taking into account the availability of other working chambers. The status of each working chamber is monitored and a working chamber treated as unavailable if it is found to be malfunctioning. A working chamber may be treated as unavailable if it is allocated to an alternative working function. A fault may be detected in a working chamber by determining whether a measured output parameter of the fluid working machine fulfills at least one acceptable function criterion taking into account the previously selected net displacement of working fluid by a working chamber during a cycle of working chamber volume to carry out the working function.

A fluid working machine comprises a working chamber of cyclically varying volume, a high pressure manifold, and an actuated high pressure valve for regulating the flow of fluid between the working chamber and the high pressure manifold. The actuated high pressure valve comprises a moveable valve member, operable between a closed position and at least one open position. A controllable opening mechanism provides an active urging force to urge the moveable valve member from the said closed position towards at least one said open position, the volume of the working chamber varying between a maximum volume and a minimum volume. The controllable opening mechanism provides the active urging force more than once while the volume of the working chamber is intermediate the maximum of chamber volume and the minimum of chamber volume.

Fluid working machine

A fluid working machine comprising a controller and a working chamber, an electronically controllable low pressure valve associated therewith and a fast high pressure valve associated therewith, characterized in that the working chamber has associated therewith a slow high pressure valve for controlling the connection of the working chamber to a secondary high pressure manifold. A fluid working machine according to the invention may be operated to rotate its shaft to a certain position, for example to allow easy maintenance of a wind turbine generator.

An electronically actuatable valve assembly having a primary face seating valve, including a primary valve member, and a secondary valve, including a secondary valve member. The secondary valve opens before the primary valve to equilibrate pressure across the primary valve member and thereby facilitate opening of the primary valve member. The secondary valve is coupled to an armature which moves from a first position to a second position, in use, attracted by an electromagnet. The coupling between the armature and the secondary valve is configured to enable the armature to begin to move from the first position without movement of the secondary valve. The armature has therefore moved from the first position, closer to the electromagnet, when the secondary valve is opened by way of the forces exerted through the coupling between the armature and the secondary valve member, and so a greater force can be exerted to open the secondary valve than would be the case if the secondary valve member was fixedly coupled to the armature.

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Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Stephen Michael Laird