Dense Phase Pump Modular Housing for Fast Wear-Part Replacement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Dense phase powder coating systems face challenges in serviceability and assembly due to complex designs and the need for frequent replacement of wear parts, which increases maintenance time and costs.
Innovation Solution
A modular dense phase pump design with a single releasable fastener allowing easy access to replaceable components, such as pinch valves and barrier elements, and a purge system with off-axis purge air entry to simplify maintenance and reduce clutter.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of repair
If a traditional dense phase pump design is used, then the pump can deliver powder coating material, but the serviceability and maintenance are difficult due to complex design and frequent replacement of wear parts
Solution Approach 1:
The pump is divided into modular components including a pump housing, a replaceable component assembly, and a manifold assembly. The replaceable component assembly contains wear parts such as pinch valves and barrier elements that can be easily removed and replaced without disassembling the entire pump, thereby improving serviceability while maintaining functional integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
Wear parts and replaceable components are extracted as separate removable assemblies from the main pump housing. This allows these components to be independently accessed, removed, and replaced without affecting the permanent structural elements of the pump, simplifying maintenance operations.
2Reliability
If wear parts are frequently replaced in traditional designs, then the pump can maintain performance, but maintenance time and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The replaceable component assembly is pre-configured with all necessary wear parts including pinch valves and barrier elements in their correct positions. When maintenance is needed, the entire pre-assembled unit can be quickly swapped out, eliminating the time-consuming process of individually sourcing and installing multiple separate components.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple components are nested within the replaceable component assembly structure, with pinch valves and barrier elements positioned within the assembly that fits into the pump housing. This nested arrangement allows compact storage of multiple replaceable parts in an organized manner, enabling rapid replacement while maintaining system reliability.
3Ease of operation
If purge air enters through the top of the gas permeable member, then the purge system can function, but hoses and connections create clutter and reduce manageability
Solution Approach 1:
The purge air inlet is repositioned from the traditional top-entry configuration to a side-entry configuration on the pump housing. This dimensional change in the inlet location allows purge air to enter through a port on the side of the housing, eliminating the need for vertical hose connections from above and reducing overall system clutter while maintaining effective purge functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
A purge distribution manifold is introduced as an intermediary component that receives purge air from a single side-entry port and distributes it to multiple gas permeable members. This intermediary structure consolidates multiple potential connection points into a single access point, simplifying the external hose connections while maintaining the ability to purge multiple components effectively.
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 modular design simplifies maintenance, reduces downtime, and enhances serviceability by allowing quick replacement of worn parts, while the off-axis purge air entry eliminates the need for top-mounted hoses, improving system manageability and aesthetics.
Implementation Method 1
a pump chamber that uses pressure to fill and empty a pump chamber
Implementation Method 2
purge air enters the pump housing along an axis that is transverse the gas permeable member longitudinal axis
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 1A
Figure 2
AI summary
A dense phase pump has two housings that are attached together using a single releasable fastener. The fastener can be released to allow the two housings to be separated thereby providing access to replaceable components. The replaceable components may include one or more pinch valves or one or more barrier elements. A pinch valve for a dense phase pump has a shape or profile for aligning the pinch valve when the pinch valve is installed in a pinch valve body. The pinch valve optionally has two end flanges, with each end flange having a shaped periphery. The two end flanges may have the same size and shape so that the pinch valve can be installed in either of two orientations that are inverse. A dense phase pump has a pump chamber that can be purged by purge gas that enters the pump off-axis from a purge path axis.