High-Pressure Fuel Pump Segmented Steel Frame and Plastic Casing
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-pressure fuel pumps require stronger housings to withstand increased pressures, leading to increased weight and size, which negatively impacts fuel efficiency and vehicle ecology, particularly in eco-efficient vehicles.
Innovation Solution
A fuel pump design featuring a high-strength aluminum frame to support the pump head and driving element, with a lightweight plastic casing, allowing for a reduced overall weight and size while maintaining structural integrity and fluid containment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the thickness of the cast steel pump housing is increased to withstand higher pressures, then the strength of the pump housing is improved, but the weight of the pump increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pump housing is divided into two distinct parts: a cast steel frame (part 20) providing structural strength and support, and a separate plastic casing (part 30) providing fluid containment. This segmentation allows each material to be optimized for its specific function, eliminating the need for a thick, heavy all-steel housing while maintaining the required strength-to-weight ratio.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs a composite housing structure combining two different materials: cast steel for the frame and plastic for the casing. The cast steel frame provides the necessary mechanical strength to withstand high pressures, while the plastic casing provides fluid containment with reduced weight. This composite approach resolves the contradiction between strength and weight by leveraging the complementary properties of different materials.
2Strength
If the thickness of the cast steel pump housing is increased to withstand higher pressures, then the strength of the pump housing is improved, but the size of the pump increases
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the housing into a thin-walled plastic casing and a reinforced steel frame, the design achieves high strength without increasing the overall volume. The frame is positioned only where structurally necessary, allowing the plastic casing to be thin-walled and compact, thus reducing the total pump volume while maintaining strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The composite construction allows the plastic casing to be made thinner than a pure steel housing would need to be, since the steel frame bears the structural loads. This results in a more compact pump design with reduced volume while maintaining the required pressure-withstanding capability.
3Weight of moving object
If the weight of the pump is reduced to improve fuel efficiency, then the fuel efficiency is improved, but the strength of the pump housing may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The segmentation of the housing into steel frame and plastic casing allows the heavy steel material to be used only where structurally necessary for strength, while the majority of the housing volume uses lightweight plastic. This achieves weight reduction while preserving strength at critical locations.
Solution Approach 2:
The composite material approach enables the pump to achieve high strength-to-weight ratio by combining dense, strong cast steel with lightweight plastic. The steel frame provides the necessary strength while occupying minimal volume, and the plastic casing provides lightweight containment, together achieving both weight reduction and strength maintenance.
Data Source
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AI summary
A fuel pump (1) is provided for pressurising fuel in a high-pressure fuel injection system. The fuel pump (1) comprises a pump head (7), a pumping element (8), a frame (12) and a casing (3). The pump head (7) has a pumping chamber (7a) that is arranged to receive fuel to be pressurised. The pumping element (8) is arranged to reciprocate responsive to movement of a driving element (10), the pumping element (8) defining, in part, the pumping chamber (7a) so that, in use, as the pumping element (8) reciprocates, a force, transferred from the driving element (10), is applied to the fuel within the pumping chamber (7a) to pressurise the fuel. The frame (12) is arranged to support the driving element (10) and the pump head (7). The casing (3) defines an internal volume (5) for containing fluid, wherein at least a part of the frame (12), at least a part of the drive element (10), and at least a part of the pumping element are received in the casing.