Fluid Pump Volute Chamber Solid-Body Rotation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional centrifugal fluid pumps suffer from inefficiencies due to wake collisions causing noise, fluid momentum loss, and high manufacturing costs associated with diffusing passageways, which reduce their efficiency and increase operational costs.
Innovation Solution
A fluid pump design that employs a housing with a fluid rotation chamber and an impeller that imparts solid-body rotation to the fluid, eliminating the need for diffusing passageways by using a tightly-radiused or right-angled geometry and anti-cavitation means to enhance efficiency and reduce noise and manufacturing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stress or pressure
If diffusing passageways are used to reduce fluid velocity and increase static pressure, then pressure increase is achieved, but noise increases due to wake collisions and manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the diffusing passageways from the pump system entirely. Instead of using traditional diffusers to convert kinetic energy to pressure, the invention relies on the volute chamber geometry and the impeller design to achieve pressure increase, thereby eliminating the source of noise generated by wake collisions in diffusers
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a volute chamber with a specifically curved geometry that guides the fluid from the impeller to the outlet. The curved walls of the volute chamber help maintain fluid flow smoothness and reduce turbulence, achieving pressure increase without the noise-generating sharp transitions found in traditional diffusers
2Stress or pressure
If diffusing passageways are used to increase static pressure, then pressure increase is achieved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the diffusing passageways component entirely, reducing the number of parts that need to be manufactured and assembled. The pressure increase function is integrated into the volute chamber design, simplifying the overall pump structure and reducing manufacturing complexity and cost
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the pressure increase function with the volute chamber structure. The volute chamber serves both as a fluid collection chamber and as the pressure increase mechanism through its geometric design, eliminating the need for separate diffuser components
3Speed
If multiple cross-sectional area changes are made through passageways to control fluid flow, then fluid velocity control is achieved, but fluid momentum is repeatedly changed causing efficiency loss
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a volute chamber with smoothly curved walls that provide continuous, gradual changes in cross-sectional area. This curved geometry allows fluid velocity to change smoothly without abrupt transitions, maintaining fluid momentum and reducing energy loss compared to sharp angular changes in traditional diffusers
4Productivity
If the impeller flings fluid off the tips into diffusing passageways, then fluid is moved forward, but wake collisions generate significant noise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the diffusing passageways that cause wake collisions and noise. The impeller continues to fling fluid forward, but the fluid enters the volute chamber directly, where the curved geometry guides it smoothly to the outlet without the turbulent wake collisions that occur in traditional diffuser inlets
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 achieves improved efficiency and reduced noise by maintaining fluid momentum and eliminating the need for costly diffusing passageways, resulting in lower operational and manufacturing costs.
Implementation Method 1
rotation of the impeller causes fluid entering the apparatus through the at least one inlet to rotate within the fluid rotation chamber prior to exiting the apparatus through the at least one outlet
Implementation Method 2
a rotating impeller that draws in fluid (for instance, water or air) before ejecting the fluid at high speed from the tips of the impeller blades into one or more diffusing passageways
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for pumping or compressing a fluid, the apparatus comprising:a housing having a front wall, a rear wall and one or more side walls interconnecting the front and rear walls to define a fluid rotation chamber;at least one inlet located substantially centrally in the front wall;an impeller located at least partially within the at least one inlet such that at least a portion of the impeller extends outwardly beyond at least a portion of the front wall; andat least one outlet,wherein rotation of the impeller causes fluid entering the apparatus through the at least one inlet to rotate within the fluid rotation chamber prior to exiting the apparatus through the at least one outlet.