US 11,668,072 B1
Potential energy storage and control system for a hydraulically actuated element
Alexander Skeie, Regina (CA)
Assigned to Bourgault Industries Ltd., St. Brieux (CA)
Filed by Brandt Industries Canada Ltd., Regina (CA)
Filed on Oct. 26, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/974,110.
Int. Cl. E02F 9/22 (2006.01); F15B 21/14 (2006.01); F15B 1/027 (2006.01); F15B 1/02 (2006.01)
CPC E02F 9/2217 (2013.01) [E02F 9/2228 (2013.01); F15B 1/024 (2013.01); F15B 1/027 (2013.01); F15B 21/14 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A potential energy storage system for a material handler comprising:
a machine element;
a position sensor measuring a position of the machine element;
at least one hydraulic cylinder to actuate the machine element;
a hydraulic circuit hydraulically coupled to the at least one hydraulic cylinder to control motion of the at least one hydraulic cylinder;
at least one compressible gas actuator to actuate the machine element;
an accumulator comprising a hydraulic chamber and a gas chamber coupled to the at least one compressible gas actuator;
a hydraulic adjustment valve providing a hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic chamber of the accumulator;
a pressure sensor measuring a gas pressure within the gas chamber;
an electronic control unit executing instructions from a tangible computer-readable medium to:
determine a maximum target pressure for the gas actuator;
receive the position;
calculate a target pressure at the position;
receive a gas pressure measurement from the pressure sensor;
compare the target pressure to the gas pressure measurement; and
adjusting the hydraulic adjustment valve to adjust the gas pressure measurement to correspond to the target pressure.
 
11. A computer-implemented method for storing potential energy for a material handler, the method comprises:
actuating a machine element using at least one hydraulic cylinder;
measuring a position of the machine element;
controlling the at least one hydraulic cylinder with a hydraulic circuit by an electronic control unit;
determining a maximum target pressure for at least one gas actuator coupled to the machine element;
calculating a target pressure for the at least one gas actuator at the position;
measuring a gas pressure measurement from the at least one gas actuator;
comparing the target pressure to the gas pressure measurement; and
adjusting a hydraulic adjustment valve to increase or decrease an amount of hydraulic fluid within a hydraulic chamber of an accumulator thereby changing a gas pressure within the at least one gas actuator to correspond to the target pressure.