Asymmetric Plunger Pump Flow Passage for Bubble Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Capillary electrophoresis devices face issues with bubble removal due to individual differences in pump structure, leading to variations in flow passage resistance and potential electrical discharges, which can damage the device.
Innovation Solution
The design of flow passages between the electrophoresis medium container and the plunger is optimized to ensure a larger cross-sectional area on one side where stagnation occurs, enhancing the flow of the medium and ensuring bubbles are removed regardless of pump variations, by matching the directions of buoyancy and viscous force acting on bubbles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a plunger pump is used to fill the electrophoresis medium into the capillary, then the filling capability is improved, but the bubble removal performance varies due to individual differences in pump structure
Solution Approach 1:
The flow passage cross-sectional area is made non-uniform, with a larger area at the stagnation side and a smaller area at the opposite side. This local variation in geometry creates a controlled pressure gradient that ensures consistent bubble removal performance across different pumps, overcoming the individual differences caused by dimensional variations in plunger and clearance dimensions.
2Quantity of substance
If the flow passage cross-sectional area is made larger where stagnation occurs, then the flow amount of electrophoresis medium is improved, but the pump structure complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flow passage is designed with an asymmetric cross-sectional area distribution, where the area is intentionally larger on the stagnation side and smaller on the opposite side. This asymmetric design creates a pressure gradient that drives the viscous electrophoresis medium through the passage more effectively, ensuring sufficient flow to carry bubbles out while maintaining a relatively simple overall pump structure.
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
This solution effectively eliminates bubble stagnation, allowing for efficient removal of bubbles from the pump, reducing the risk of electrical discharges and minimizing the consumption of expensive polymers used in the electrophoresis medium.
Implementation Method 1
matching the directions of buoyancy and viscous force acting on bubbles
Implementation Method 2
matching the directions of buoyancy and viscous force acting on bubbles
Data Source
AI summary
Bubbles can be removed regardless of an individual difference of a pump to fill an electrophoresis medium into a capillary. Of flow passages formed between an inner side surface of a container for accommodating the electrophoresis medium and a side surface of a plunger, one of the flow passages causing an electrophoresis medium to be easily stagnant is formed to have the cross-sectional area larger than the cross-sectional area of the other flow passage on the opposite side. In other words, the flow passage portion causing the electrophoresis medium to be easily stagnant is formed in such a manner as to increase a flow amount of the electrophoresis medium. This can eliminate a region having an extremely small amount of electrophoresis medium flow in the pump.