Patent Application
20170284484
This application relates to an electromagnetic clutch for a high-pressure pump.
Typically, high-pressure pumps are powered by an engine that is coupled to the high-pressure pump by a drive shaft, either directly or indirectly by way of a power take-off unit. During operation of the engine, the pump pressurizes a flow of water, which is directed toward a surface to be cleaned either by a user or a robot, as examples. A user is capable of selectively interrupting the flow of high-pressure water by activating a trigger on a hand lance, for example. In known systems, although the flow is interrupted, the high-pressure pump continues to run. Thus, these known systems include one or more dump valves configured to dump excess high-pressure water to relieve pressure from the system.
An example cleaning system includes an engine, a high-pressure pump, and an electromagnetic clutch assembly. The electromagnetic clutch assembly selectively couples the engine to the high-pressure pump such that actuation of the electromagnetic clutch assembly controls a supply of power from the engine to the high-pressure pump.
An example electromagnetic clutch assembly for coupling and engine to a high-pressure pump includes a flywheel housed in a flywheel housing driven by an engine, and an electromagnetic clutch assembly mounted to the flywheel housing and connected to a drive shaft that drives a high-pressure pump.
These and other features of the present invention can be best understood from the following specification and drawings, the following of which is a brief description.
The drawings can be briefly described as follows:
This application relates to an electromagnetic clutch for an engine-driven, high-pressure water pump.
This disclosure extends to all types of engines configured for use with high-pressure pumps 12. In one example, the engine 10 is a diesel engine. In a further example, the engine 10 is a diesel engine with a power output of up to 450 horsepower (HP). This disclosure also extends to all types of high-pressure pumps, including high-pressure pumps for industrial cleaning applications. Further, while water is specifically referenced herein, the high-pressure pump 12 could be used to pressurize other fluids. In one example, the system 8 is mounted on a trailer, although the system 8 could be implemented in other contexts.
With continued reference to
The electromagnetic clutch assembly 18 is mounted to the flywheel housing adapter plate 26. The flywheel adapter plate 30 drives the engine shaft 22 into the electromagnetic clutch assembly 18 via a splined interface (not shown), for example. In one example, the splined interface has a plurality of teeth. More specifically, the splined interface has between 10 and 15 teeth, and in one example has 13 teeth.
The electromagnetic clutch assembly 18 is electrically coupled to a controller 32. The controller 32 receives input signals from a remote control 34. The controller 32 is responsive to the input signals from the remote control 34, and the controller 32 is configured to cause the electromagnetic clutch assembly 18 to engage or disengage the drive shaft 14. In particular, the controller 32 is operable to control the level of current directed to the electromagnetic clutch, which engages or disengages the electromagnetic clutch assembly 18, thereby engaging and disengaging the motor 10 from the high-pressure pump 12.
In this disclosure, the controller 32 is electrically coupled to various components of the system 8. The controller 32 includes electronics, software, or both, to perform the necessary control functions for operating the electromagnetic clutch assembly 18. Although it is shown as a single device, the controller 32 may include multiple controllers in the form of multiple hardware devices, or multiple software controllers within one or more hardware devices.
When the electromagnetic clutch assembly 18 is disengaged from the drive shaft 14, no power is being transmitted from the engine 10 to the high-pressure pump 12, and the high-pressure pump 12 stops while the engine 10 may remain running. That is, when the electromagnetic clutch assembly 18 is disengaged, the engine 10 is not rotating the drive shaft 14, which is not driving the high-pressure pump 12. When the electromagnetic clutch assembly 18 is engaged with the drive shaft 14, the engine 10 rotates the drive shaft 14, which drives the high-pressure pump 12.
The remote control 34 allows the high-pressure pump 12 to be stopped and started while the engine 10 is running. This is safer to use than a manual Power Take-Off (PTO) and provides an ergonomic benefit as the operator will not need to physically access the electromagnetic clutch assembly 18. Also, the electromagnetic clutch assembly 18 is smaller and lighter that the PTO, so trailer size and cost can be reduced.
The remote control 34 can be connected to the controller 32 either by wired or wireless connection. In the wireless example, the controller 32 includes a wireless transceiver 36 for receiving signals from the remote control 34, which also includes a transceiver. This disclosure extends to various types of remote controls, and is not limited to any particular type of remote control.
In one example, shown in
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In all of these applications, the electromagnetic clutch assembly 18 eliminates maintenance because physical interaction, grease, and adjustment are not required. Additionally, it allows the engine 10 to idle at a lower rotational speed (or, RPM), which results in fuel savings along with reduced wear and noise. Furthermore, when the high-pressure pump 12 is disengaged the engine 10 may be idling. Thus, torque requirements are reduced and a lower horsepower engine 10 can be used. There will also be less wear on the high-pressure pump 12 with the reduced uptime and because the high-pressure pump 12 is not constantly running.
As discussed, the electromagnetic clutch assembly 18 allows for an auto-shutoff feature for the high-pressure pump 12. This allows for a shutoff of system water flow, which facilitates a dry shut-off for accessories (such as the lance 38) connected to the high-pressure pump 12. The electromagnetic clutch assembly 18 thus eliminates the need for downstream valves, such as dump valves, since the water shut-off can be done by disengaging the engine 10 from the high-pressure pump 12. Dump valves are typically used a means of pressure release. With a dry shut-off, however, pressure release is not necessary because fluid flow is stopped upstream of accessories, and pressure does not build up in downstream piping or accessories after the shut-off.
With the dump valves being eliminated, an air compressor may also not be required, further reducing cost. Water usage is also reduced with the auto-shutoff feature. The electromagnetic clutch assembly 18 also allows the elimination of a throttle switch to further reduce cost. This in turn reduces the necessary accessory manifold size for the high-pressure pump 12.
Although the different examples have the specific components shown in the illustrations, embodiments of this disclosure are not limited to those particular combinations. It is possible to use some of the components or features from one of the examples in combination with features or components from another one of the examples.
One of ordinary skill in this art would understand that the above-described embodiments are exemplary and non-limiting. That is, modifications of this disclosure would come within the scope of the claims. Accordingly, the following claims should be studied to determine their true scope and content.
