Fuel Pump Axial Slide Gap Contaminant Discharge
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing fuel pump designs with a rotatable member and flow passage member suffer from contamination-induced wear and increased slide resistance due to small axial slide gaps, leading to reduced pump efficiency, as contaminants drawn into these gaps can cause deterioration and leakage.
Innovation Solution
The fuel pump incorporates an enlarged space on the inner wall surface of the receiving portion, which allows for effective discharge of contaminants through a larger axial gap, preventing re-entry into the axial slide gap and maintaining fluid tightness by equalizing fuel pressure with the radial gap, thus enhancing contaminant discharge and pump efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If the axial slide gap is made very small to improve pump efficiency, then fuel leakage is minimized, but contaminants cause increased wearing and slide resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The axial slide surface is segmented into a contamination discharge region and a normal slide region. The discharge region has a larger axial gap that allows contaminants to be expelled from the system, while the normal slide region maintains a small gap for efficient fuel sealing. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by providing both contaminant removal and leakage prevention through spatial division of the slide surface functionality.
2Reliability
If the axial slide gap is enlarged to reduce wear, then contaminant discharge is improved, but fuel leakage increases and pump efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the axial slide surface have different gap sizes tailored to their specific functions. The contamination discharge region has a locally enlarged gap for contaminant removal, while the normal slide region maintains a locally small gap for fuel sealing. This local quality differentiation resolves the contradiction by optimizing each region for its specific purpose rather than using a uniform gap size throughout.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If the discharge port radially extends across the axial end surface to discharge contaminants, then contaminant removal is improved, but pressurized fuel flows into the radial gap causing efficiency deterioration
Solution Approach 1:
The contamination discharge function is moved from the radial direction to the axial direction. Instead of using a radial discharge port that extends across the axial end surface, the invention creates an axial contamination discharge region where contaminants are expelled axially through the enlarged gap. This dimensional change resolves the contradiction by eliminating the path for pressurized fuel to enter the radial gap while maintaining effective contaminant removal through axial discharge.
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 enlarged space effectively discharges contaminants and maintains pump efficiency by preventing re-entry into the axial slide gap, improving contaminant discharge and reducing the risk of leakage, thereby maintaining high fluid tightness and efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
the axial end surface of the ring portion slides along the inner wall surface of the receiving portion
Implementation Method 2
The blades are arranged one after another in a circumferential direction... pressurizes the fuel in cooperation with the rotatable member upon rotation of the rotatable member
Data Source
AI summary
A fuel pump includes an impeller and a cover. The impeller includes a ring portion, which is annular and is placed radially outward of blades. The cover has an arcuate pump flow passage. An enlarged space is formed in a cover side slide surface of the cover. The enlarged space is communicated with the pump flow passage and has an axial gap size, which is axially measured between an axial bottom surface of the enlarged space and an axial end surface of the ring portion and is larger than that of an axial slide gap between the slide surface and the axial end surface of the ring portion.