Patent Application
20170321839
The present disclosure pertains to the prevention or delay of corrosion of a fluid connector using a sacrificial anode.
Fluids may be used for a variety of purposes in a system, including motion control, cooling, and lubrication. For instance, hydraulic fluid may be drawn from a fluid reservoir by a pump and circulated within the system within a loop of fluid conduit. The fluid, which may be circulated under pressure, can be used to actuate components of the system, e.g., to move a reciprocating piston or other linear or rotary actuator. Other fluids such as compressed air may be used for similar purposes.
Lengths of fluid conduit in the form of pipes, hoses, or tubing are used to interconnect the pump, fluid reservoir, valves, actuators, and any other required components, with the fluid conduit mated to the individual components using fluid connectors of various types. Such fluid connectors may be used in a wide range of possible applications and operating environments. Because of this, corrosion of the fluid connectors and the resultant compromise in sealing integrity may be an important system design concern, particularly in applications in which the fluid connector is exposed to salt water or another potentially corrosive electrolyte solution.
An improved fluid connector is disclosed herein for connecting a length of fluid conduit to a component in a fluid system. The fluid connector includes a connector body and a sacrificial anode, i.e., a positively charged active element, with the sacrificial anode being circumscribed by the connector body. The sacrificial anode is “sacrificial” in the sense that it is configured to transfer electrons over time to thereby help prevent or delay corrosion of the connector body at the expense of the sacrificial anode, a process which occurs when the connector body is in the presence of an electrolyte solution.
The connector body disclosed herein may be optionally embodied as a hydraulic fluid tube nut of the type known in the art, or as any other connector body or fastener defining an internal recess. The sacrificial anode has an external shape matching that of the internal recess, e.g., a cylindrical shape, and is constructed of active metal or other suitable material such as aluminum, magnesium, or zinc. The sacrificial anode is press-fitted into the internal recess of the connector body to form an integral unit prior to installation into a component.
When the fluid connector is installed into the component and in use, an orientation of an upper surface of the connector body causes the sacrificial anode at times to be wetted by the electrolyte solution. That is, due to the vertical or near-vertical orientation of the fluid conduit in typical installed position of the fluid connector, the electrolyte solution may accumulate at or along a conduit-to-connector body interface. In such applications, corrosion of the sacrificial anode may continue until the electrolyte fluid has fully evaporated. Thus, in the present disclosure the sacrificial anode is slowly consumed during the life of the component in lieu of the connector body so as to ensure cathodic protection of the connector body in a corrosive operating environment.
The component to which the connector body is ultimately attached may be embodied as a steering gear assembly in a non-limiting example configuration. A typically encountered electrolyte solution is salt water, particularly for vehicle operations. By way of illustration, a work vehicle such as a snow plow/salt truck may be exposed to salt water along an underbody or engine compartment of the vehicle, which over time may corrode the connector body. Other applications may similarly benefit, including marine vehicle applications in which the fluid connector remains submerged in salt water for extended periods of time, or vehicles, appliances, and other machines operated in proximity to a body of salt water in which salt water-induced corrosion is prevalent.
A fluid system is also disclosed herein for use in the presence of an electrolyte solution. The fluid system includes the component, the fluid conduit, a pump in fluid communication with the component via the fluid conduit, and the fluid connector having the sacrificial anode as noted above.
A vehicle is also disclosed for use in the presence of an electrolyte material, e.g., salt water. The vehicle includes a vehicle body and a fluid system, with the fluid system being connected to the vehicle body and configured as set forth above.
The above summary is not intended to represent every embodiment or every aspect of the present disclosure. Rather, the foregoing summary merely provides an exemplification of some of the novel aspects and features set forth herein. The above features and advantages, and other features and advantages of the present disclosure, will be readily apparent from the following detailed description of representative embodiments and modes for carrying out the present disclosure when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.
The present disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, and some representative embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail herein. It should be understood, however, that the inventive aspects of this disclosure are not limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the disclosure is to cover all modifications, equivalents, combinations, sub-combinations, and alternatives falling within the scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims.
Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference numbers refer to the same or like components in the several Figures, and beginning with
The vehicle body 12 may partially shield or enclose a fluid system 20 as indicated by double-headed arrow 1A, an example of which is shown in
As shown in
The fluid conduit 45 is connected to the component 30 via the fluid connector 50, with an example of such a connection depicted in
With reference to
Referring briefly to
In different embodiments, the sacrificial anode 42 of
Similarly, because the desired amount of time in which useful cathodic protection is ultimately provided to the connector body 52 will vary with the composition of the electrolyte solution 18, temperature, and the materials selected for construction of the sacrificial anode 42, the width (W) of the walls 46 of the sacrificial anode 42 may be determined as a function of such qualities so as to properly tune the performance of the sacrificial anode to the expected conditions of the application.
Referring again to
To prevent such corrosion from occurring, or at least delay its onset, the sacrificial anode 42 may be inserted or press-fitted into the connector body 52 and exposed to the electrolyte solution 18. The sacrificial anode 42 remains wetted by the electrolyte solution 18 while the fluid system 20 remains in operation, which allows the sacrificial anode 42 and not the connector body 52 to be slowly consumed over the life of the component 30. In this manner, the sacrificial anode 42 provides cathodic protection from corrosive elements present in the surrounding operating environment. This in turn improves the robustness of the fluid system 20 and the vehicle 10 or other top-level system using such a fluid system 20 by reducing the risk of fluid leaks and permitting extended service access to the component 30 at an interface between the component and the fluid connector 50.
Functionally, the use of the sacrificial anode 42 described herein when operating in the presence of the electrolyte solution 18 effectively forms a battery having a very low voltage and current. Thus, as long as sufficient amounts of the sacrificial anode 42 remain intact, a degree of cathodic protection is afforded along the interface (I) of
While aspects of the present disclosure have been described in detail with reference to the illustrated embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. That is, the present disclosure is not limited to the precise construction and compositions disclosed herein. Additionally, as used herein with respect to any disclosed values or ranges, the term “about” indicates that the stated numerical value allows for slight imprecision, e.g., reasonably close to the value or nearly, such as ±10 percent of the stated values or ranges. If the imprecision provided by the term “about” is not otherwise understood in the art with this ordinary meaning, then “about” as used herein indicates at least variations that may arise from ordinary methods of measuring and using such parameters. Disclosure of ranges includes disclosure of all values and further divided ranges within the entire range. The term “substantially” is intended to mean all or almost all, i.e., at least 50 percent of, and ideally 75 percent or more of.
While the best modes for carrying out the disclosure have been described in detail, those familiar with the art to which this disclosure relates will recognize various alternative designs and embodiments within the scope of the appended claims.
