Electric Motor Pump Driving Arrangement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing driving arrangements for pumps and compressors are space-demanding, maintenance-intensive, and limited by stroke length, particularly in subsea applications where reliability and reduced maintenance are crucial, and they often require hydraulic umbilicals.
Innovation Solution
A driving arrangement using an electric rotary motor with a liquid-filled fluid chamber, where a rod element connected to pistons provides alternating pressure in chambers, allowing for a compact, low-maintenance design with a roller screw assembly for linear movement conversion and potential energy regeneration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a crankshaft or flywheel is used to provide piston movement, then the piston can be driven reciprocally, but the assembly becomes space-demanding and the stroke length is limited by radial dimensions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional crankshaft or flywheel mechanical system with an electric motor that directly drives the piston rod through electromagnetic forces. This substitution eliminates the need for complex mechanical linkages, reducing the radial space requirements while maintaining the ability to provide reciprocating piston movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a radial expansion mechanism (crankshaft/flywheel requiring radial space) to an axial linear motion mechanism (electric motor with piston rod moving in the axial direction). This dimensional change allows the stroke length to be determined by axial space rather than radial constraints, significantly reducing the overall assembly footprint.
2Power
If hydraulic driving arrangements are used in subsea applications, then power can be supplied, but hydraulic umbilicals must be guided from sea surface to subsea well increasing complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the hydraulic power transmission system with an electric motor that can be directly powered by subsea power sources. This eliminates the need for hydraulic umbilicals that extend from the sea surface to the subsea well, significantly reducing system complexity while maintaining power supply capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts and removes the hydraulic umbilical component from the subsea power transmission system, replacing it with a self-contained electric motor that receives power through simpler subsea cables. This extraction eliminates the complexity of guiding and maintaining long hydraulic umbilicals in harsh subsea environments.
3Productivity
If the piston stroke length is increased in traditional arrangements, then pumping capacity improves, but the assembly becomes more space-demanding
Solution Approach 1:
The patent reorients the stroke length from a radial dimension (in traditional crankshaft systems) to an axial dimension (in the electric motor-driven system). This allows the piston to achieve longer stroke lengths without increasing the radial footprint of the assembly, thereby improving pumping capacity while maintaining a compact overall volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs a dynamically adjustable electric motor system that can vary its rotational speed and stroke characteristics to optimize pumping capacity. This dynamic control allows the system to achieve high productivity without requiring excessively long fixed stroke lengths that would increase assembly space requirements.
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 provides a compact, low-weight, low-complexity design with reduced pressure fluctuations and leakage, enabling efficient operation in high-pressure environments like subsea applications with improved reliability and energy efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
an electric motor which is adapted to provide the reciprocating movement of the rod element
Implementation Method 2
The electric motor is arranged in a fluid chamber which is confined by at least said housing and said pistons. The fluid chamber is liquid-filled.
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3
AI summary
Driving arrangement (11) for a pump, compressor or similar, adapted to provide alternating pressure in at least two chambers (27a, 27b, 27', 27"), such as chambers of a pump or compressor, as result of a reciprocating movement of a bar element (23). The bar element is connected to two movable pressure chamber faces being pistons (21a, 21b) or plungers having fluid connection to said chambers, which bar element (23) is reciprocally supported in a housing (19). The driving arrangement further comprises an electric motor (31) which is adapted to provide the reciprocating movement of the bar element (23).The bar element extends through the rotor (31b) of the electric motor (31). The electric motor is an electric rotary motor. The invention also relates to a pump assembly with a plurality of such driving arrangements.