Bellows Pump Pressure Control for Impact Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional bellows pumps face challenges in reducing impact pressure when switching from suction to discharge, leading to vibration and potential damage, especially in already-installed systems, due to the need for a dedicated elastically deformable partition wall.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating an electropneumatic regulator and control unit to adjust air pressures in the bellows pump, ensuring the first air pressure is lower than the second at the end of expansion, thereby reducing pressure variation and impact pressure during switching.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If air pressure is increased to increase discharge flow rate, then productivity is improved, but impact pressure and vibration occur during switching
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit performs preliminary action by controlling the first air pressure to be lower than the second air pressure at least at the time point of end of expansion. This preliminary pressure adjustment prevents the sudden pressure equalization that causes water hammer effect during switching from suction to discharge operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies dynamics by dynamically adjusting the air pressure in the first air chamber during the expansion operation. The first air pressure is controlled to vary during expansion, being lower than the second air pressure at the end of expansion, which dynamically manages the pressure transition and reduces impact pressure during switching.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a dedicated bellows with elastically deformable partition wall is produced to reduce impact pressure, then impact pressure is reduced, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the mechanical solution (elastically deformable partition wall in dedicated bellows) with a control system solution. Instead of modifying the mechanical structure of the bellows, the patent uses a control unit to manage air pressure dynamics, substituting mechanical complexity with electronic control.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit acts as an intermediary between the air supply system and the bellows operation. It mediates the pressure transition by controlling the first air pressure to be lower than the second air pressure at the end of expansion, thereby reducing impact pressure without requiring structural modifications to the bellows itself.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a dedicated bellows with elastically deformable partition wall is produced to reduce impact pressure, then impact pressure is reduced, but ease of installation in already-installed systems decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the mechanical modification approach with a control system approach that can be applied to already-installed bellows pumps. By using a control unit to manage air pressure, the solution avoids the need to produce and install dedicated bellows with complex elastically deformable partition walls.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies parameter changes by modifying the air pressure parameters rather than the physical structure of the bellows. The control unit changes the first air pressure parameter to be lower than the second air pressure at the end of expansion, achieving impact pressure reduction through parameter control instead of structural modification.
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 reduces impact pressure and vibration in already-installed bellows pumps by managing air pressure dynamics, preventing damage and maintaining fluid discharge efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
an electropneumatic regulator configured to adjust a first air pressure that is an air pressure of pressurized air to be supplied to a suction-side air chamber, and a second air pressure that is an air pressure of pressurized air to be supplied to a discharge-side air chamber
Implementation Method 2
cause a bellows to perform expansion operation to suck a transport fluid, and supply pressurized air to the other air chamber thereby to cause the bellows to perform contraction operation to discharge the transport fluid
Data Source
AI summary
The bellows pump device supplies pressurized air to one air chamber of two hermetic air chambers thereby to cause a bellows to perform expansion operation to suck a transport fluid, and supplies pressurized air to the other air chamber thereby to cause the bellows to perform contraction operation to discharge the transport fluid. The bellows pump device includes: an electropneumatic regulator configured to adjust a first air pressure of the pressurized air to be supplied to the one air chamber, and a second air pressure of the pressurized air to be supplied to the other air chamber; and a control unit configured to control the electropneumatic regulator such that, at least at a time point of end of expansion during expansion operation of the bellows, the first air pressure is lower than the second air pressure.