Angled Gearbox for Liquid Manure Pump Orientation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Liquid manure pumps face difficulties in efficiently emptying lagoons with long sloped walls due to incorrect impeller orientation and the need for longer conduits, leading to increased complexity and cost.
Innovation Solution
A liquid manure pump with a gearbox that adjusts the impeller rotation axis to an acute angle of 55-75°, combined with a gearset and power output shafts, ensures proper orientation and increased pressure for efficient pumping, allowing for complete removal from lagoons with sloped sides.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the pump is mounted on a supporting structure near the center of the lagoon to maximize emptying, then the lagoon emptying efficiency is improved, but the accessibility for servicing deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the spatial orientation of the impeller by introducing an angled gearbox that positions the impeller rotation axis at 45-60 degrees from vertical. This dimensional change allows the pump to effectively reach the lagoon bottom while maintaining a more accessible mounting position on the supporting structure, resolving the contradiction between emptying efficiency and servicing accessibility
2Productivity
If a boom-mounted pump is used to reach the lagoon bottom, then the lagoon emptying efficiency is improved, but the complexity of the support apparatus increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the orientation function from the support apparatus by incorporating an angled gearbox directly into the pump assembly. This separates the positioning function (handled by simple mounting on supporting structure) from the orientation function (handled by the angled gearbox), thereby maintaining emptying efficiency while reducing support apparatus complexity
3Productivity
If the impeller is oriented at an angle to maximize lagoon clearance, then the lagoon emptying efficiency is improved, but the pump pressure capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the impeller orientation adjustable through the angled gearbox mechanism. The impeller can be positioned at optimal angles (45-60 degrees) for maximum emptying efficiency while the gearbox design maintains adequate pressure capability, allowing the system to dynamically adapt to different operational requirements
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables the pump to remove thousands of gallons more liquid manure efficiently and effectively, maintaining higher pressure at longer flow rates, reducing operational complexity and cost.
Implementation Method 1
a gearbox containing a gearset; a power input shaft having a power input shaft rotation axis about which the power input shaft rotates, the power input shaft operatively connected to the impeller through the gearset
Implementation Method 2
an impeller located proximate a bottom end of the pump body, the impeller having an impeller rotation axis about which the impeller rotates, the impeller having vanes shaped to direct liquid manure into the liquid conduit
Data Source
AI summary
A gearbox particularly useful for liquid manure pumps has a power input shaft that is coupled through a gearset to an impeller of the pump. The rotation axis of the impeller is angled in a range of 55-75° with respect to the rotation axis of the power input shaft. Such an arrangement provides both the necessary power and the correct pump orientation for a trailer-mounted pump to efficiently and effectively pump liquid manure from the bottom of a liquid manure lagoon having long sloped sides.