Fuel Pump Retainer Apertures for Debris Filtration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Debris from a failed fuel pump can contaminate lubricating oil, leading to damage of the gear train and other engine components downstream, resulting in increased costs and downtime.
Innovation Solution
A retainer with a housing and a rotatable pump shaft is designed to include a side wall with apertures that allow fluid flow while retaining particulate contaminants larger than the aperture size, preventing them from entering the gear case and protecting the engine components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If the fuel pump housing is opened to allow debris escape, then debris can be removed from the system, but contaminated oil will still flow into the gear train and cause damage
Solution Approach 1:
A retainer is introduced as an intermediary component between the fuel pump housing and gear train. The retainer includes a filtered opening that allows lubricating oil to pass through while blocking debris and contaminants, preventing them from reaching the gear train and other downstream components
Solution Approach 2:
The retainer incorporates a filtered opening with pore sizes specifically designed to allow fluid passage while retaining particulate matter. This porous filtering mechanism enables the system to maintain oil flow necessary for lubrication while blocking harmful debris from contaminating the gear train
2Reliability
If debris is retained within the fuel pump housing, then downstream components are protected, but the housing pressure increases and may cause other issues
Solution Approach 1:
The retainer extracts and removes debris from the oil flow path while allowing clean oil to continue circulating. By actively separating and retaining contaminants in a controlled manner, the system prevents pressure buildup that would occur if debris were simply trapped in the housing, while still protecting downstream components
3Object-generated harmful factors
If a filter is added to the fuel pump system, then debris retention is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The retainer is integrated with the fuel pump housing structure, merging the filtering function with the existing pump components. The retainer includes a filtered opening that is incorporated into the housing design, combining debris retention capability with the structural integrity of the pump assembly, thereby minimizing additional complexity
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 retainer effectively separates particulate contaminants from the lubricating oil, preventing damage to the gear train and reducing maintenance costs and downtime by ensuring clean oil flow into the engine components.
Implementation Method 1
The side wall of the retainer has a plurality of apertures configured to allow a fluid flow from the first volume to the second volume, while retaining particulate contaminants larger than a size of the apertures within the first volume
Data Source
AI summary
A fuel pump is disclosed. The fuel pump includes a housing. Further, the fuel pump includes a rotatable pump shaft disposed within the housing. One end of the rotatable pump shaft is attachable to a gear. The housing also includes a retainer disposed within the housing and located about the pump shaft. The retainer includes a first rim and a second rim that are spaced apart from each other. The retainer also includes a side wall extending between the first and the second rims. Further, the side wall of the retainer defines a first volume and a second volume within the housing. The side wall of the retainer has a plurality of apertures configured to allow a fluid flow from the first volume to the second volume while retaining particulate contaminants larger than a size of the apertures within the first volume.