Fluid Disc Pump Isolator Reduces Dampening

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Solution Overview

Problem

Disc-shaped cavity pumps face inefficiencies due to dampening of displacement oscillations, leading to reduced fluid pressure oscillations and pump efficiency, as existing technologies do not effectively mitigate energy dissipation and maintain mode-matching between the driven end wall and side wall interfaces.

Innovation Solution

A ring or disc-shaped isolator is operatively associated with the peripheral portion of the driven end wall to reduce dampening of displacement oscillations, ensuring efficient fluid pressure oscillations and maintaining mode-matching by minimizing energy transfer to the side wall, thereby enhancing pump efficiency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If the driven end wall is directly connected to the side wall in a disc-shaped cavity pump, then the structural simplicity is maintained, but the displacement oscillations are dampened leading to reduced pump efficiency

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural simplicityVSAvoidpump efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

A peripheral portion is introduced as an intermediary element between the driven end wall and the side wall. This peripheral portion acts as a mediator that reduces the dampening effect of the side wall on the displacement oscillations of the driven end wall, thereby maintaining pump efficiency while preserving structural simplicity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The driven end wall is segmented into a central portion and a peripheral portion. The central portion is driven by the actuator to generate displacement oscillations, while the peripheral portion is specifically designed to interface with the side wall in a manner that minimizes dampening. This segmentation allows different regions to perform different functions, resolving the contradiction between structural simplicity and pump efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Power

If high amplitude pressure oscillations are generated in the cavity, then the pumping effect is significantly increased, but energy dissipation through dampening becomes more pronounced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepumping effectVSAvoidenergy dissipation
Core Design Contradiction:
PowerVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The peripheral portion is designed to convert the potentially harmful dampening effect into a beneficial function. By carefully designing the interface between the peripheral portion and the side wall, the structure that would normally dissipate energy is transformed into an element that maintains oscillation amplitude while minimizing energy loss, thus enabling high pumping effect with reduced energy dissipation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

3Ease of manufacture

If the interface between the driven end wall and side wall is not optimized, then the manufacturing is simpler, but the mode-matching is reduced leading to lower pump efficiency

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinterface simplicityVSAvoidpump efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The interface between the driven end wall and side wall is optimized locally through the peripheral portion. Rather than requiring complex optimization across the entire end wall surface, the peripheral portion is specifically designed with appropriate mechanical properties and geometry to achieve mode-matching and minimize dampening, while the rest of the structure remains simple to manufacture.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

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 solution effectively reduces dampening effects, maintaining high amplitude pressure oscillations and improving pump efficiency by ensuring mode-matching between the end wall and side wall interfaces, resulting in enhanced fluid flow and pressure generation within the disc-shaped cavity.

Implementation Method 1

It is known to use acoustic resonance to achieve fluid pumping from defined inlets and outlets. This can be achieved using a cylindrical cavity with an acoustic driver at one end, which drives an acoustic standing wave.

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAcoustic resonance: Resonance

Implementation Method 2

the acoustic pressure wave has limited amplitude. Varying cross-section cavities, such as cone, horn-cone, bulb have been used to achieve high amplitude pressure oscillations thereby significantly increasing the pumping effect.

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAcoustic standing wave: Resonance

Implementation Method 3

A ring or disc-shaped isolator is operatively associated with the peripheral portion of the driven end wall to reduce dampening of displacement oscillations

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectDampening reduction: Damping

Data Source

PatentEP2438301B1Fluid disc pump
Publication Date: 2015.10.28 THE TECHNOLOGY PARTNERSHIP PLC
  • EP2438301B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1A(2)
  • EP2438301B1 patent drawingFigure 1B
  • EP2438301B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2A(2)

AI summary

A pump having a substantially cylindrical shape and defining a cavity formed by a side wall closed at both ends by end walls wherein the cavity contains a fluid is disclosed. The pump further comprises an actuator operatively associated with at least one of the end walls to cause an oscillatory motion of the driven end wall to generate displacement oscillations of the driven end wall within the cavity. The pump further comprises an isolator operatively associated with a peripheral portion of the driven end wall to reduce dampening of the displacement oscillations.