Dual Displacement External Gear Pump Modular Reconfiguration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional external gear pumps require changes in drive gear speed to alter flow rate or volumetric capacity, and existing solutions do not allow for changing these parameters without modifying parts or speed.
Innovation Solution
A dual displacement external gear pump design that uses interchangeable gears with different numbers of teeth and a modular pump case, allowing the same set of parts to be rearranged to create two pumps with different flow rates or volumetric capacities at the same speed, without changing the speed or adding new parts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the drive gear speed is changed to alter flow rate or volumetric capacity, then the flow rate changes, but the pump structure and parts remain fixed and cannot be reconfigured
Solution Approach 1:
The pump is divided into separable components including the drive gear, idler gear, and pump case. The gears can be removed and reinstalled in different configurations, allowing the pump to be segmented into interchangeable parts that enable multiple flow rate settings without requiring complete pump replacement.
Solution Approach 2:
The pump configuration is made dynamic by allowing the gears to be switched between different positions and orientations. The drive gear can be removed and reinstalled as the idler gear, and vice versa, creating a dynamically reconfigurable system that adapts to different flow rate requirements while maintaining the same physical pump structure.
2Adaptability or versatility
If different sized gears are used to create pumps with different volumetric displacements, then two different pumps can be made, but this requires having two separate sets of parts
Solution Approach 1:
Each gear is designed to serve multiple functions - the drive gear can function as either the drive gear or the idler gear depending on its installation orientation. The same physical gear components can create different volumetric displacements when switched between configurations, making the pump system universal and eliminating the need for separate parts sets for different pump versions.
Solution Approach 2:
The functionality of multiple pump configurations is merged into a single pump assembly. By combining the ability to switch gear positions, rotate the pump case, and interchange gear functions, the system consolidates what would traditionally require separate pumps into one multi-functional unit that achieves different displacements using the same physical parts.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the pump case is designed to accommodate gears of different axial dimensions, then multiple pump configurations are achieved, but this increases the pump case complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The pump case is designed with rotational symmetry and dimensional flexibility that allows it to accommodate gears in different orientations and positions. By utilizing the third dimension (rotation and axial positioning), the same pump case structure can house different gear configurations without requiring multiple specialized case designs, resolving the complexity issue through spatial versatility.
Data Source
AI summary
An external gear pump which has a certain flow rate or volumetric capacity at a given speed can be taken apart and the parts rearranged and assembled into a second pump operating at the same speed with a flow rate or volumetric capacity that is different from the original pump. No new parts are required for the second pump configuration and all original parts are used. With this structure, pumps with different flow rates can be built using fewer parts than conventional designs.