Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F15—FLUID-PRESSURE ACTUATORS; HYDRAULICS OR PNEUMATICS IN GENERAL
  • F15B—SYSTEMS ACTING BY MEANS OF FLUIDS IN GENERAL; FLUID-PRESSURE ACTUATORS, e.g. SERVOMOTORS; DETAILS OF FLUID-PRESSURE SYSTEMS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • F15B15/00—Fluid-actuated devices for displacing a member from one position to another; Gearing associated therewith
  • F15B15/20—Other details, e.g. assembly with regulating devices
  • F15B15/28—Means for indicating the position, e.g. end of stroke
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
  • F02B—INTERNAL-COMBUSTION PISTON ENGINES; COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL
  • F02B37/00—Engines characterised by provision of pumps driven at least for part of the time by exhaust
  • F02B37/12—Control of the pumps
  • F02B37/18—Control of the pumps by bypassing exhaust from the inlet to the outlet of turbine or to the atmosphere
  • F02B37/183—Arrangements of bypass valves or actuators therefor
  • F02B37/186—Arrangements of actuators or linkage for bypass valves
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F15—FLUID-PRESSURE ACTUATORS; HYDRAULICS OR PNEUMATICS IN GENERAL
  • F15B—SYSTEMS ACTING BY MEANS OF FLUIDS IN GENERAL; FLUID-PRESSURE ACTUATORS, e.g. SERVOMOTORS; DETAILS OF FLUID-PRESSURE SYSTEMS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • F15B15/00—Fluid-actuated devices for displacing a member from one position to another; Gearing associated therewith
  • F15B15/08—Characterised by the construction of the motor unit
  • F15B15/14—Characterised by the construction of the motor unit of the straight-cylinder type
  • F15B15/1423—Component parts; Constructional details
  • F15B15/1466—Hollow piston sliding over a stationary rod inside the cylinder
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F15—FLUID-PRESSURE ACTUATORS; HYDRAULICS OR PNEUMATICS IN GENERAL
  • F15B—SYSTEMS ACTING BY MEANS OF FLUIDS IN GENERAL; FLUID-PRESSURE ACTUATORS, e.g. SERVOMOTORS; DETAILS OF FLUID-PRESSURE SYSTEMS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • F15B15/00—Fluid-actuated devices for displacing a member from one position to another; Gearing associated therewith
  • F15B15/20—Other details, e.g. assembly with regulating devices
  • F15B15/28—Means for indicating the position, e.g. end of stroke
  • F15B15/2807—Position switches, i.e. means for sensing of discrete positions only, e.g. limit switches
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16J—PISTONS; CYLINDERS; SEALINGS
  • F16J1/00—Pistons; Trunk pistons; Plungers
  • F16J1/10—Connection to driving members
  • F16J1/14—Connection to driving members with connecting-rods, i.e. pivotal connections
  • F16J1/22—Connection to driving members with connecting-rods, i.e. pivotal connections with universal joint, e.g. ball-joint
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02T—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION
  • Y02T10/00—Road transport of goods or passengers
  • Y02T10/10—Internal combustion engine [ICE] based vehicles
  • Y02T10/12—Improving ICE efficiencies

Definitions

• This application relates to pressure piston actuators, more particularly to pressure piston actuators for operation of a turbine wastegate such as those in turbochargers or internal combustion engine turbo systems.
• Diaphragms are similar to springs because the further you travel with a diaphragm, the more force it takes to move it. Diaphragm actuators usually also include a return spring which compounds the effort required to move the actuator. There is always going to be a limit to travel with a diaphragm actuator because the stretch allowed by the rubber diaphragm is limited.
• pressure piston actuators are disclosed herein for connection to a wastegate to control the operation (opening, closing, partial opening) thereof.
• the pressure piston actuators have increase degrees of angular freedom and up to 360 degrees of rotation of the shaft and perform well without reduced life under side loading and/or torsional forces.
• the pressure piston actuators include a housing defining a chamber and a pathway leading to the chamber, a piston disposed within the chamber, a rod connected to the piston by a ball-and-socket joint, and a spring disposed in the chamber to bias the piston, and hence the rod, into a retracted position
• the piston is movable between the retracted position and an extended position and is moved to the extended position when fluid introduced into the chamber applies pressure to the piston in an amount that overcomes the bias of the spring.
• the rod includes a connector on the end opposite the ball-and-socket joint for connection to the wastegate.
• the pressure piston actuator also includes a position sensor to sense the position of the piston.
• the position sensor may be any suitable sensor, but in one embodiment is a Hall effect sensor comprising a position magnet moveable with the piston and a sensor chip to sense the magnet's position.
• an electrical connector may be included as part of the housing and electrically connected to the position sensor. The electrical connector is one configured for electrically connecting to an external electrical device such as a computer processing unit.
• a wastegate in a turbocharger using one of the pressure piston actuators.
• the system includes a pressure piston actuator such as the one described above and a turbocharger that includes a wastegate having a valve that is connected to the connector on the end of the rod opposite the ball-and-socket joint.
• FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of one embodiment of a pressure piston actuator diagram.
• FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the pressure piston actuator of FIG. 1 in a retracted piston position.
• FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the pressure piston actuator of FIG. 1 in an extended piston position.
• FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a pressure piston actuator that includes a mounting plate.
• FIG. 5 is a partial view, in cross-section, of an embodiment showing an alternate position for a portion of a position sensor.
• FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a pressure piston actuator in a retracted position.
• FIG. 7 is a side perspective view of the piston from the pressure piston actuator of FIG. 6.
• fluid means any liquid, suspension, colloid, gas, plasma, or combinations thereof.
• An internal combustion engine turbo system typically includes the following components in controlling the operating parameters of a turbocharger: an exhaust-driven turbocharger with a turbine section and compressor section, a turbine bypass valve commonly referred to as a wastegate, and optionally a compressor recirculation valve.
• the exhaust-driven turbocharger typically includes an exhaust housing containing a turbine wheel that harnesses and converts exhaust energy into mechanical work through a common shaft to turn a compressor wheel that ingests air, compresses it and feeds it at higher operating pressures into an inlet of an internal combustion engine.
• the wastegate is a control valve used to meter the exhaust volume coming from the exhaust manifold of the internal combustion engine and the energy available to power the exhaust-driven turbocharger turbine wheel. The wastegate works by opening a valve to a bypass so that exhaust flows away from the turbine wheel, thereby having direct control over the speed of the exhaust-driven turbocharger and the resultant operating pressure of the internal combustion engine intake manifold.
• FIGS. 1-3 illustrate one embodiment of a pressure piston actuator 100 for use in an internal combustion engine turbo system, in particular to actuate and/or control the operation of a wastegate.
• the pressure piston actuator 100 includes a housing 102 enclosing a piston 110 that has a rod 114 connected thereto by a ball-and-socket joint 120 (FIGS. 2 and 3).
• the rod 1 14 extends through the housing (through opening 1 15 (FIG. 2)) and is connectable to the wastegate (not shown) at the end 124 opposite the ball-and-socket joint 120. Accordingly, the pressure piston actuator 100 controls the opening and closing of the wastegate by the movement of the piston 1 10. As seen in FIGS.
• the piston 110 is movable between and in-between a retracted position (FIG. 2) and an extended position (FIG. 3).
• the piston 110 is not a diaphragm.
• the piston 1 10 is a generally rigid body that translates along the central longitudinal axis 128 (FIG. 2) in response to a pressure change within the housing 102.
• a spring 122 is seated underneath the piston 110 to bias the piston 1 10 generally into the retracted position.
• the introduction of fluid into the pressure piston actuator 100 must be greater than the biasing force applied by spring 122.
• the inventive pressure piston actuator 100 improves the control of the wastegate by providing faster response times for moving the valve of the wastegate through the application of the fluid simultaneously to a plurality of surfaces of the piston. Also, the actuator 100 enables variable control of the valve at partial open positions, which can be maintained for a period of time and/or adjusted. Variable control may be achieved not only by the introduction of fluid into the pressure piston actuator 100 through port 108, but may also be achieved by the removal of fluid therefrom. Moreover, the inclusion of the ball-and-socket joint 120 allows 360° rotation and more extreme angular variation in connection and operation of the wastegate, which lengthens the life and performance of the pressure piston actuator 100.
• the housing 102 is a multi-piece construction, as labeled in FIG. 1, that includes a container portion 170 that defines the chamber 104 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) and a cap 172 that closes one end of the chamber 104.
• the cap 172 is sealingly connectable to the container portion 170 and may be held in place by a retaining ring 174.
• the cap 172 may also include a secondary cover 176 to protect any electronics included or connected to the cap 172. When electronics are included in the pressure piston actuator 100 the secondary cover 176 may include an opening 177 providing access to an electrical connector 140.
• the chamber 104 within the housing 102 includes a pathway 106 leading to the chamber 104 and a port 108, which can operate as an inlet and/or an outlet, in fluid communication with the pathway 106.
• Port 108 as seen in the figures is a side loading port, i.e., the port enters the chamber 104 from the left or the right based on the orientation of the drawings in FIGS. 2 and 3 rather than down through the top. However, the position of the port is not limited thereto and may enter the chamber 104 through the top as shown in FIG. 5.
• the port 108 is generally perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis 128 (FIG. 2) of the rod 114.
• the pathway 106 may include one or more branches 142, 144 (labeled in FIG. 2) that connect the port 108 in fluid
• port 108 is the only port having fluid
• subchambers 152, 154, and 156 are present and are defined in part by the container portion 170, the cap 172, and the piston 1 10, and in particular by the male and female members of the piston 110 and cap 172, respectively.
• the cap 172 includes a central female member 160 and an annular female member 162 concentric about the central female member 160.
• the annular female member 162 may be the result of an annular shoulder 163 of the cap 172 creating a gap between the cap 172 and the container portion 170.
• the piston 110 includes a central male member 164 and an annular male member 166 concentric about and spaced a distance from the central male member 164 such that the male members 164, 166 are receivable in the central female member 160 and the annular female member 162, respectively.
• the central female member 160 and the central male member 164 define the first subchamber 152
• the annular female member 162 and the annular male member 166 define the second subchamber 154
• the contours of the cap 172 and the piston 110 define a third subchamber 156.
• the pressure piston actuator 100 includes sealing members 182, 184.
• the first sealing member 182 is disposed where the shoulder 163 of the cap is seated against the container portion 170.
• the second sealing member 184 is seated in a thickened rim 167 (label on FIG. 2) on the outer surface 168 (the surface facing the inner surface of the container portion 170) of the annular male member 166 of the piston 110.
• the sealing members 182, 184 may be O-rings, V-rings, X-rings, or other annular seals made of sealing material for sealing engagement against another member of the actuator 100. It is important to note that there are no seals present between the subchambers 152, 154, and 156.
• the pressure piston actuator 100 includes a ball-and-socket joint 120 connecting the rod 114 to the piston 1 10.
• the rod 1 14 includes a first end 123 having a ball head 1 16 and a second end having a connector 1 18 that is connectable to a wastegate
• the piston 110 includes a ball socket 1 12 connected, fixed or removeably, to the piston 110.
• the ball-and-socket joint 120 is formed when the ball head 116 of the rod 114 is seated in the ball socket 1 12.
• the ball socket 1 12 is threadedly connected to the piston 110 and as such the position of the second end 124 of the rod 114 can be changed.
• the threaded connection is advantageous in connecting the pressure piston actuator 100 to a given turbo system and, in particular, to the wastegate because the rod 1 14 can be rotated to adjust the threadedly connected ball socket 1 12 to change the position of the connector, bringing it into alignment with the wastegate for connection to connector 1 18.
• the pressure piston actuator 100 further includes a guide bushing 126 positioned within the central female member 160.
• the guide bushing 126 may be seated on a ledge within the central female member 160 such that the guide bushing 126 defines a portion of the inner surface of the central female member 160. This guide bushing 126 is
• the pressure piston actuator 100 may also include a position sensor 130 to determine the position of the piston 110, which can be correlated to the position of the wastegate, i.e., closed, fully open, or any position between closed and fully open.
• the position sensor 130 may be any device that permits position measurement.
• the position sensor 130 may be a capacitive transducer, an eddy-current sensor, a grating senor, a Hall- effect sensor, an inductive non-contact position sensor, a laser Doppler Vibrometer (optical), a linear variable differential transformer (LVDT), a multi-axis displacement transducer, a photodiode array, a piezo-electric transducer (piezo-electric), a potentiometer, a proximity sensor (optical), a seismic displacement pick-up, a string potentiometer (also known as string pot., string encoder, cable position transducer), or a combination thereof.
• LVDT linear variable differential transformer
• the position sensor 130 is a relative position sensor (e.g., a displacement sensor) based on movement of the piston 1 10.
• the relative position sensor may be a Hall-effect sensor comprising a chip/Hall-effect position sensor 132 that senses the displacement of magnet 134, which is seated in the piston 1 10 for translation therewith.
• the magnet 134 is seated in a recess in the central male member 164.
• the magnet 134 may be mounted on or inside the piston 1 10.
• the chip 132 may be electrically connected to an electrical connector 140.
• the electrical connector 140 may be a plug or receptacle capable of receiving a cable (not shown) to connect the electrical connector 140 to an external device.
• the position sensor 132 is positioned generally horizontally within the construction, i.e., relative to the orientation of the pressure piston actuator 100 relative to the page as illustrated in the figures, and above the magnet 134. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the position sensor 132 may be positioned generally vertically within the construction at a position where the magnet 134 can pass by the position sensor 132 in at least one direction of travel of the piston 1 10.
• the port 108 of the pressure piston actuator 100 is connectable to a fluid source (not shown) to create pressure changes within the chamber 104.
• the fluid source may include a controller to control the flow of fluid from the fluid source into or out of the port 108.
• the fluid source's controller may be electrically connected to a computer processing unit (not shown) that is also electrically connected to the electrical connector 140 and hence to the chip 132 of the position sensor 130.
• the computer processing unit can receive signals from chip 132 corresponding to the position of the piston 110 and hence the position of the wastegate to determine when to turn the fluid source on or off, or to reverse the fluid source to remove fluid from the chamber 104 to change the position of the wastegate.
• the wastegate may be selectively opened to a desired displacement including a plurality of partial open positions such that operating pressures within the turbo system can be controlled to produce a desired effect.
• the pressure piston actuator 100 may include a mounting member 190 for mounting the actuator to the turbo system for connection to the wastegate.
• the mounting member may vary in shape and configuration as needed to connect the pressure piston actuator 100 to a given turbo system.
• the mounting member may be removeably connected or fixedly connected to the container portion 170 of the housing 102.
• the mounting member 190 is removeably connected to the bottom of the container portion 170 by fasteners 192.
• the fasteners may be screws, bolts, rivets, welds, or other known fasteners.
• a second embodiment of a pressure piston actuator generally designated by reference numeral 200, is provided that has a simplified piston configuration, i.e., piston 1 10'.
• the piston 1 10' provides a reduction in material and fabrication costs, but otherwise the pressure piston actuator 200 includes generally the same components (as exemplified by use of the same reference numerals as found in FIGS. 1-4) and operates generally the same as the pressure piston actuator 100. The description above is fully applicable to pressure piston actuator 200.
• the pressure piston actuator 200 has a housing 102 that includes a container portion 170 that defines the chamber 104 (FIG. 6) and a cap 172 that closes one end of the chamber 104.
• the cap 172 is sealingly connectable to the container portion 170 and may be held in place by a retaining ring 174.
• One difference between the embodiment in FIG. 6 and the embodiment in FIGS. 1-4 is that the cap 172 is oriented to close the bottom end of the container 170, based on the orientation of the drawings relative to the page, rather than the top end of the container as shown in FIGS. 1-4.
• the piston 110' is a generally hollow cylindrical member 210 having a closed first end 212 that defines a bore 214 for connection to the ball-and-socket joint and an open second end 216 opposite the first end 212.
• the exterior surface of the hollow cylindrical member 210 may define one or more flutes 218 that provide fluid flow channels for the fluid to move around and/or over the piston 1 10' as it moves between its various positions within the housing 102.
• the simplified piston 1 10' rather than having the magnet 134 mounted therein as shown in FIGS.
• the magnet holder 220 includes one portion of a connector 222, a threaded socket in FIG. 6, and the ball-and-socket joint includes a second portion of a connector 224, a threaded member for threading into the threaded socket in FIG. 6, but is not limited thereto.
• the connectors may alternately form a snap fit connection, a riveted connection, or any other type of well-known connection.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Supercharger (AREA)
• Actuator (AREA)
• Buildings Adapted To Withstand Abnormal External Influences (AREA)
• Endoscopes (AREA)
• Control Of Position Or Direction (AREA)

Priority Applications (6)

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Publications (1)

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Citations (4)

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• 2013
  • 2013-10-03 KR KR1020157007874A patent/KR101968379B1/ko active Active
  • 2013-10-03 MX MX2015003989A patent/MX2015003989A/es unknown
  • 2013-10-03 WO PCT/US2013/063230 patent/WO2014055741A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2013-10-03 US US14/045,291 patent/US9441647B2/en active Active
  • 2013-10-03 DE DE112013004884.1T patent/DE112013004884T5/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2013-10-03 JP JP2015535779A patent/JP6074048B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2013-10-03 BR BR112015007621-1A patent/BR112015007621B1/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2013-10-03 RU RU2015116604A patent/RU2015116604A/ru not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2013-10-04 AR ARP130103614A patent/AR092915A1/es unknown

Patent Citations (4)

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