Hermetically sealed pressure balanced accumulator
A hermetically sealed pressure-balanced accumulator includes a housing and a moveable divider mechanism for separating the housing into at least an accumulator chamber at a pre-selected accumulator pressure. A first balancing chamber is responsive to changes in ambient pressure for adjusting said pre-selected accumulator pressure with respect to ambient pressure. A second balancing chamber is responsive to the first balancing chamber, and the first and second balancing chambers maintain a predetermined pressure differential between the pre-selected accumulator pressure and ambient pressure. The hermetically sealed pressure-balanced accumulator further includes a hermetic sealing device for sealing the first balancing chamber from at least one of the accumulator chamber and the second balancing chamber.
1 . A hermetically sealed pressure-balanced accumulator comprising:
a housing;
a moveable divider mechanism for separating said housing into at least an accumulator chamber at a pre-selected accumulator pressure, a first balancing chamber responsive to changes in ambient pressure for adjusting said pre-selected accumulator pressure with respect to ambient pressure, and a second balancing chamber responsive to said first balancing chamber, said first and second balancing chambers maintaining a predetermined pressure differential between said pre-selected accumulator pressure and ambient pressure; and
a hermetic sealing device for sealing said first balancing chamber from at least one of said accumulator chamber and said second balancing chamber.
2 . The hermetically sealed pressure-balanced accumulator of claim 1 in which said hermetic sealing device for sealing said first balancing chamber includes a first bellows device.
3 . The hermetically sealed pressure-balanced accumulator of claim 2 further including a hermetic sealing device for sealing said second balancing chamber from said accumulator chamber.
4 . The hermetically sealed pressure-balanced accumulator of claim 3 in which said hermetic sealing device for sealing said second balancing chamber includes a second bellows device.
5 . The hermetically sealed pressure-balanced accumulator of claim 4 in which said movable divider mechanism separates said housing into said first balancing chamber, said second balancing chamber, said accumulator chamber, and a third balancing chamber, said third balancing chamber is pressurized to provide said accumulator chamber with said pre-selected accumulator pressure.
6 . The hermetically sealed pressure-balanced accumulator of claim 5 further including a hermetic sealing device for sealing said third balancing chamber from said accumulator chamber.
7 . The hermetically sealed pressure-balanced accumulator of claim 6 in which said hermetic sealing device for sealing said third balancing chamber includes a third bellows device.
8 . The hermetically sealed pressure-balanced accumulator of claim 7 in which said first, second and third bellows devices include welded metal bellows.
9 . The hermetically sealed pressure-balanced accumulator of claim 1 in which said accumulator chamber is a hydraulic fluid chamber for storing hydraulic fluid.
10 . The hermetically sealed pressure-balanced accumulator of claim 1 in which said movable divider mechanism is a piston for responding to ambient pressure changes in said first balancing chamber.
11 . The hermetically sealed pressure-balanced accumulator of claim 5 in which said movable divider mechanism includes first and second pistons connected by a rod for responding to ambient pressure changes in said first balancing chamber.
12 . The hermetically sealed pressure-balanced accumulator of claim 5 in which said third balancing chamber includes pressurized fluid.
13 . The hermetically sealed pressure-balanced accumulator of claim 12 in which said pressurized fluid is a gas.
14 . The hermetically sealed pressure-balanced accumulator of claim 12 in which said pressurized fluid is a liquid.
15 . The hermetically sealed pressure-balanced accumulator of claim 5 in which said third balancing chamber includes a spring device.
16 . The hermetically sealed pressure-balanced accumulator of claim 1 in which said first balancing chamber includes a fluid.
17 . The hermetically sealed pressure-balanced accumulator of claim 16 in which said fluid is a liquid.
18 . The hermetically sealed pressure-balanced accumulator of claim 16 in which said fluid is a gas.
19 . The hermetically sealed pressure-balanced accumulator of claim 1 in which said second balancing chamber is sealed.
20 . The hermetically sealed pressure balanced accumulator of claim 1 in which said second balancing chamber includes a gas chamber at a pressure lower than ambient pressure.
21 . The hermetically sealed pressure balanced accumulator of claim 1 in which said second balancing chamber includes a liquid chamber at a pressure lower than ambient pressure.
22 . The hermetically sealed pressure balanced accumulator of claim 1 in which said second balancing chamber is a vacuum.
23 . The hermetically sealed pressure balanced accumulator of claim 1 in which said second balancing chamber includes a spring device.
24 . The hermetically sealed pressure-balanced accumulator of claim 5 in which said third balancing chamber is sealed.
25 . A hermetically sealed pressure-balanced accumulator comprising:
a housing;
a movable divider mechanism for separating said housing into a gas chamber, a liquid chamber, and an accumulator chamber;
a first bellows device for hermetically sealing said gas chamber from said accumulator chamber; and
a second bellows device for hermetically sealing said liquid chamber from said accumulator chamber.
26 . A hermetically sealed pressure-balanced accumulator comprising:
a housing;
a movable divider mechanism including first and second pistons connected by a rod for separating said housing into an accumulator chamber at an accumulator pressure, a first gas chamber pressurized to a pressure higher than ambient pressure for providing said accumulator chamber with accumulator pressure, a liquid chamber responsive to changes in ambient pressure for adjusting said accumulator pressure with respect to ambient pressure, and a second gas chamber at a pressure lower than ambient pressure responsive to said liquid chamber, said liquid chamber and said first and second gas chambers thereby maintaining a predetermined differential between said accumulator pressure and ambient pressure;
a first bellows device for hermetically sealing said higher pressure gas chamber from said accumulator chamber; and
a second bellows device for hermetically sealing said fluid chamber from said lower pressure gas chamber.
27 . A hermetically sealed pressure-balanced accumulator comprising:
a housing;
a divider mechanism for separating said housing into at least first and second balancing chambers and an accumulator chamber; and
a hermetic sealing device for sealing said first balancing chamber from said accumulator chamber.
28 . The hermetically sealed pressure-balanced accumulator of claim 27 in which said hermetic sealing device includes a bellows.
29 . The hermetically sealed pressure-balanced accumulator of claim 27 in which said first balancing chamber includes a fluid chamber for applying pressure to said divider mechanism.
30 . The hermetically sealed pressure-balanced accumulator of claim 29 in which said fluid chamber includes a gas.
31 . The hermetically sealed pressure-balanced accumulator of claim 29 in which said fluid chamber includes a liquid.
32 . The hermetically sealed pressure-balanced accumulator of claim 27 in which said second balancing chamber includes a fluid chamber.
33 . The hermetically sealed pressure-balanced accumulator of claim 32 in which said second balancing chamber includes a gas.
34 . The hermetically sealed pressure-balanced accumulator of claim 32 in which said second balancing chamber includes a liquid.
35 . The hermetically sealed pressure-balanced accumulator of claim 27 in which said accumulator chamber includes a hydraulic fluid chamber for holding hydraulic fluid.
36 . The hermetically sealed pressure-balanced accumulator of claim 27 in which said divider mechanism includes a piston for responding to pressure changes in said first balancing chamber.
37 . The hermetically sealed pressure-balanced accumulator of claim 28 further including a second hermetic sealing device for sealing said second balancing chamber from said accumulator chamber.
38 . A hermetically sealed pressure-balanced accumulator comprising:
a housing;
a divider mechanism for separating said housing into first, second and third balancing chambers and an accumulator chamber;
a first hermetic sealing device for sealing said first balancing chamber from said second balancing chamber; and
a second hermetic sealing device for sealing said third balancing chamber from said accumulator chamber.
39 . The hermetically sealed pressure-balanced accumulator of claim 38 in which said first hermetic sealing device includes a first bellows device.
40 . The hermetically sealed pressure-balanced accumulator of claim 38 in which said second hermetic sealing device includes a second bellows device.
41 . The hermetically sealed pressure-balanced accumulator of claim 38 in which said first balancing chamber includes a fluid chamber for applying pressure to said divider mechanism.
42 . The hermetically sealed pressure-balanced accumulator of claim 41 in which fluid chamber is a gas chamber.
43 . The hermetically sealed pressure-balanced accumulator of claim 41 in which fluid chamber is a liquid chamber.
44 . The hermetically sealed pressure-balanced accumulator of claim 38 in which said second balancing chamber includes a low pressure fluid chamber.
45 . The hermetically sealed pressure-balanced accumulator of claim 43 in which said low pressure fluid chamber includes a gas.
46 . The hermetically sealed pressure-balanced accumulator of claim 43 in which said low pressure fluid chamber includes a liquid.
47 . The hermetically sealed pressure-balanced accumulator of claim 43 in which said second balancing chamber is a vacuum.
48 . The hermetically sealed pressure-balanced accumulator of claim 38 in which said third balancing chamber includes a pressurized fluid chamber.
49 . The hermetically sealed pressure-balanced accumulator of claim 48 in which said pressurized fluid chamber includes a gas.
50 . The hermetically sealed pressure-balanced accumulator of claim 48 in which said pressurized fluid chamber includes a liquid.
51 . The hermetically sealed pressure-balanced accumulator of claim 38 in which said accumulator chamber includes a hydraulic fluid chamber for holding hydraulic fluid.
52 . The hermetically sealed pressure-balanced accumulator of claim 38 in which said divider mechanism includes first and second pistons connected by a rod for responding to pressure changes in said first balancing chamber.