Inflation system
The system can include: a wheel-mounted pump and a dehumidifying system arranged along the fluid path between the pump outlet and a tire inlet. In variants, the dehumidifying system includes a set of angled channels that aggregate water in radially-outward channel segments. The angled channels can be fluidly connected to a purge valve selectively fluidly connected to an ambient environment.
1 . A system for tire inflation, comprising:
a housing configured to statically mount to a wheel supporting a tire, the tire comprising a tire inlet;
a pump mounted to the housing and configured to pressurize air from a first pressure to a second pressure, wherein the pump comprises a pump outlet;
a condensate drain fluidly connected to an ambient environment; and
a manifold statically coupled to the housing, the manifold defining a set of fluid paths consisting of:
a fluid path between the pump outlet and the tire inlet; and
a condensate path fluidly connecting the fluid path and the condensate drain, wherein the condensate path is configured to preclude backflow of condensate into the fluid path,
wherein a path of the set of fluid paths comprises:
a first portion with a net radially outward component relative to a central axis of the wheel; and
a second portion with a net radially inward component relative to the central axis of the wheel, wherein the first portion and second portion form an acute angle at a radially extreme point along the path.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the condensate drain comprises a valve.
3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the valve is actively controlled.
4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the valve is powered by on-board power source mounted to the tire.
5 . The system of claim 2 , further comprising a humidity sensor, wherein the valve is configured to actuate responsive to measurements from the humidity sensor.
6 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising an offset mass rotatably mounted to the housing and configured to rotate relative to the wheel to drive actuation of the pump.
7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the fluid path between the pump outlet and the tire inlet is unobstructed.
8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the condensate path defines the acute angle.
9 . The inflation system of claim 1 , wherein the path of the set of fluid paths is the condensate path.
10 . The inflation system of claim 1 , wherein the fluid path directly fluidly couples the pump outlet to a tire connector at the tire inlet.
11 . An inflation system comprising:
a pump configured to statically mount to a wheel defining a rotational axis, the pump comprising a pump outlet; and
a fluid manifold configured to statically mount to the wheel, the fluid manifold defining a set of channels consisting of:
a first flow channel between the pump outlet and a tire inlet; and
a condensate channel fluidly connecting the first flow channel to a condensate drain arranged along a perimeter of the inflation system,
wherein a channel of the set of channels comprises:
a first portion which extends radially outward from the rotational axis; and
a second portion which extends radially inward towards the rotational axis, wherein the first portion and second portion define an acute bend at a radially extreme point of the channel, wherein the acute bend directly couples the first portion and second portion.
12 . The inflation system of claim 11 , wherein the fluid manifold comprises a set of at least one nucleation point.
13 . The inflation system of claim 11 , wherein the fluid manifold defines a boustrophedonic channel.
14 . The inflation system of claim 11 , wherein the pump is driven by relative motion between the pump and an offset hanging mass.
15 . The inflation system of claim 11 , wherein the pump defines two stages.
16 . The inflation system of claim 11 , wherein the fluid manifold comprises a valve fluidly connecting the condensate channel to an ambient environment.
17 . The inflation system of claim 16 , further comprising a wheel-mounted power source electrically connected to the valve.
18 . The inflation system of claim 17 , wherein the valve comprises a solenoid valve.
19 . The inflation system of claim 11 , further comprising a humidity monitoring system.
20 . The inflation system of claim 19 , wherein the humidity monitoring system comprises a humidity sensor.
21 . The inflation system of claim 11 , further comprising an inlet channel fluidly connected to a pump inlet of the pump, wherein the inlet channel comprises a membrane.
22 . The inflation system of claim 11 , wherein the channel of the set of channels is the condensate channel.