VARIABLE DELIVERY EXTERNAL GEAR MACHINE

摘要

An external gear machine (EGM) includes a housing, an inlet, a drive gear positioned in the housing and configured to be (i) driven by a mechanism when the EGM is operated as a pump, or (ii) drive an external mechanism when the EGM is operated as a motor, the drive gear having a plurality of teeth, a slave gear positioned in the housing having a plurality of teeth and configured to be driven by the drive gear, an outlet formed in the housing and configured to receive at least some of the volume of fluid via an outlet fluid communication channel, a first slider defining an inlet fluid communication channel and the outlet fluid communication channel, selective positioning of the first slider configured to vary net operational volumes of fluid communication between the inlet and the outlet, for a given rotational speed of the drive gear.

主权项

1. An external gear machine (EGM), comprising:
a housing; an inlet formed in the housing and configured to receive fluid from a supply; a drive gear disposed in the housing and configured to be (i) driven by a mechanism when the EGM is operated as a pump, or (ii) drive an external mechanism when the EGM is operated as a motor, the drive gear having a plurality of teeth; a slave gear disposed in the housing having a plurality of teeth and configured to be driven by the drive gear, the drive gear configured to engage the slave gear in an angular mesh zone, tooth space volumes defined by tooth spaces between each two consecutive teeth of the drive gear and each two consecutive teeth of the slave gear configured to receive volumes of fluid from the inlet via an inlet fluid communication channel as the corresponding teeth rotate about the inlet; an outlet formed in the housing and configured to receive at least some of the volume of fluid via an outlet fluid communication channel when the corresponding tooth space volumes in the angular mesh zone decrease as the corresponding teeth of the drive gear and slave gear come into contact with each other; and a first slider defining the inlet fluid communication channel and the outlet fluid communication channel, selective positioning of the first slider configured to vary net operational volumes of fluid communication between the inlet and the outlet, for a given rotational speed of the drive gear.