Cryogenic Piston Pump Cooling for Cavitation Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cryogenic pumps experience inefficiency and accelerated wear due to heat generation and lack of optimal cooling, particularly when handling hydrogen, leading to cavitation and reduced performance.
Innovation Solution
A piston pump design with a second cooling chamber surrounding the compression and delivery assembly, coupled with a second degassing duct to evacuate heat, and multi-layer insulation to prevent heat propagation and gas formation, ensuring effective cooling of the compression chamber.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If cooling is provided only on the suction side, then the structure is simple, but the compression and delivery assembly is not optimally cooled causing fluid heating and gas formation
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is segmented into two independent circuits: a first cooling circuit with a first cooling chamber for the suction side, and a second cooling circuit with a second cooling chamber for the compression and delivery assembly. This segmentation allows each chamber to be optimized for its specific cooling needs without compromising the other, resolving the contradiction between cooling effectiveness and structural simplicity.
2Loss of energy
If heat is evacuated only via the suction side degassing duct, then the structure is simple, but heat accumulates in the compression chamber causing cavitation and reduced efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The degassing system is divided into two separate ducts: a first degassing duct connected to the first cooling chamber for evacuating heat from the suction side, and a second degassing duct connected to the second cooling chamber for evacuating heat from the compression and delivery assembly. This segmentation enables effective heat evacuation from both regions, preventing heat accumulation and cavitation while maintaining reasonable structural complexity.
3Productivity
If the compression chamber is not adequately cooled, then the structure is simple, but the fluid heats up transforming from liquid to gas state reducing pump efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling assembly is segmented with a dedicated second cooling chamber surrounding the compression and delivery assembly, separated from the first cooling chamber for the suction side. This allows the compression chamber to be adequately cooled independently, preventing fluid heating and phase transformation, thereby maintaining high pump efficiency without excessive structural complexity.
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 design effectively limits heating of the fluid, reducing the risk of cavitation and enhancing pump efficiency by maintaining the fluid in a super-cooled state, thereby improving operational reliability and performance.
Implementation Method 1
the fluid circulates in order to cool the compression and delivery assembly
Implementation Method 2
multi-layer insulation to prevent heat propagation and gas formation
Data Source
AI summary
A piston pump suitable for pumping a fluid at very low temperature, for example hydrogen, is disclosed. The pump has a suction side and a compression side, the suction side comprising an inlet provided for the liquid and intended to connected a liquid supply reservoir external to the pump, a suction chamber for receiving the fluid and a first fluid degassing duct communicating with the suction chamber, the compression side comprising a pump cylinder carrying an assembly for compression and delivery of the liquid, said cylinder comprising a second chamber which communicates with the suction chamber and wherein the fluid at very low temperature circulates in order to cool the compression and delivery assembly.