Motor vehicles – Motor as source of power for other machine – Hydraulic drive to other machine
Patent
1990-02-12
1992-02-11
Look, Edward K.
Motor vehicles
Motor as source of power for other machine
Hydraulic drive to other machine
180 5361, B60K 1728, B60K 2500
Patent
active
050868578
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to a roller drive unit which is capable of providing regulated output power to suit a load demand up to a pre-determined maximum.
The invention has been developed primarily, though not exclusively, in connection with a roller drive unit which can provide output power at a regulated speed suitable for driving a generator at a constant speed, even although a source of input power to the drive unit may be supplying power at a fluctuating speed, and also with a fluctuating power output. However, it should be understood that the roller drive unit according to the invention is not limited in its use for driving electrical generators, and other devices can derive input power from the drive unit.
A roller drive unit according to the invention will be particularly suitable for use in providing an emergency or stand-by drive system for operating electrical generators, or may be used to operate a mobile electric generator in remote locations where mains or other electrical power is not available.
In large hospital complexes in the developed world, it is usual to have permanent drive/generator sets available for stand-by operation in the event of a failure of the normal mains supply to the complex, so that lighting and hospital equipment can remain in operation. These stand-by units are known as "generating sets" and include diesel engines or gas turbine drive units coupled-up with an alternator and operating at a regulated speed to provide synchronous operation of the alternator. Evidently, these permanent installations represent a substantial and largely unutilised capital cost, as they are only very occasionally put into service. However, for large hospital complexes, this is regarded as an acceptable cost in the overall cost of installing and running the complex.
In the case of smaller hospitals, the costs of a permanent stand-by system of this nature become unacceptable, and especially for hospitals in third world countries.
Also, in another area of electrical power supply altogether, namely the supply of electrical power by mobile units where mains electricity is not available, it is usual for a generating set to be arranged on a trailer, and to incorporate its own engine, which operates independently of the engine of the towing vehicle. Here again, there is an under-utilised capital cost involved in connection with the independently operating engine.
There is therefore a clear need for a new design of drive unit which does not have its own engine to provide input power, and which is able to provide output power at a substantially constant speed suitable for driving a generator at synchronous speed, and yet which can derive its input power from any motor vehicle which happens to be available. Such a drive unit could be used as a stand-by unit permanently available at a small hospital complex, or may be transportable for use at locations where mains electricity is not available.
According to the invention there is provided a roller drive unit for providing regulated output power, in which the unit comprises:
an input drive roller assembly;
a guide path to the drive roller assembly for an engine-powered wheeled vehicle, the roller assembly being arranged relative to the guide path so as to be engageable drivingly by one or more driven wheels of the vehicle;
a hydraulic pump arranged to be driven by said roller assembly and to deliver a pressurised output to a load;
a reservoir communicating with the pump;
a flow regulator for controlling the pressurised output of the pump, the regulator being connectible to the load and to the reservoir and being arranged to allow a predetermined rate of flow to the load and to dump any excess via the reservoir.
Preferably, the load comprises a hydraulic motor which has a power output for delivering power at a substantially constant speed under the control of the flow regulator.
Thus, a roller drive unit according to the invention may be used as an emergency power stand-by unit, and any suitable available vehicle may be used to provide a source of input powe
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patent: 1347961 (1920-07-01), Moore
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patent: 2712109 (1955-06-01), Graziose
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patent: 3148549 (1964-09-01), Mohamed
patent: 3859589 (1975-01-01), Rush
patent: 3861204 (1975-01-01), Fillingim
patent: 4128800 (1978-12-01), Scott et al.
patent: 4274010 (1981-06-01), Lawson-Tancred
patent: 4280061 (1981-07-01), Lawson-Tancred
Look Edward K.
Nguyen Hoang
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