Grease Pump Unit Bubble Micronization and Recirculation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing grease supplying devices face issues with large-diameter bubbles causing intermittent grease supply and oil separation due to complex and large-sized structures, and stagnation leading to bubble agglomeration and oil separation in supply pipes.
Innovation Solution
A grease pump unit with a vertically moving pump device, a bubble dividing device for micronizing bubbles, and a return pipe that recirculates unused grease from the metering valve back into the can, preventing stagnation and oil separation by maintaining continuous circulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a suction unit is used to supply grease from the grease can, then grease can be supplied to the metering valve, but bubbles in the grease agglomerate into large-diameter bubbles causing intermittent supply
Solution Approach 1:
A bubble dividing device is introduced as an intermediary component between the suction unit and metering valve. This device includes a porous member with minute passages that forces grease to pass through, dividing large bubbles into smaller bubbles. The intermediary device resolves the contradiction by maintaining supply capability while eliminating the harmful bubble agglomeration effect.
Solution Approach 2:
The bubble dividing device utilizes a porous member with minute passages to physically divide bubbles in the grease stream. As grease passes through the porous structure, surface tension and capillary forces at the pore interfaces break up large bubbles into smaller, more uniform bubbles, ensuring continuous and stable grease supply to the metering valve.
2Productivity
If the grease can is opened for grease supply, then grease can be dispensed, but the grease undergoes oxidization and oil separation due to contact with ambient air
Solution Approach 1:
The system maintains an inert atmosphere inside the grease can by preventing ambient air contact. The suction unit draws grease through a sealed suction pipe that extends to the bottom of the can, and unused grease is returned through a dedicated return pipe that does not expose grease to air. This creates a protected environment that preserves grease composition stability while enabling continuous dispensing.
Solution Approach 2:
The circulation system maintains continuous movement of grease through the bubble dividing device and back into the can. This continuous circulation prevents grease stagnation and ensures that grease is constantly processed through the bubble division mechanism, maintaining both supply capability and compositional stability over extended operation periods.
3Reliability
If a bubble dividing device with porous member is used to micronize bubbles, then stable grease supply is achieved, but the device structure becomes large-sized and complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The bubble dividing device is merged with the existing grease supply system components. The porous member is integrated into the flow path between the suction unit and metering valve, combining the bubble division function with the existing grease circulation infrastructure. This merging approach achieves stable supply without requiring a completely separate, complex device system.
Solution Approach 2:
The circulation system serves multiple functions simultaneously: it supplies grease to the metering valve, divides bubbles through the porous member, and returns unused grease to the can. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated components for each function, simplifying the overall device structure while maintaining reliable bubble micronization and stable grease supply.
4Productivity
If grease is supplied through supply pipe to metering valve, then grease can be delivered, but unused grease stagnates in the supply pipe causing oil separation
Solution Approach 1:
The return pipe establishes continuous circulation of grease from the metering valve back to the grease can. This continuous flow prevents stagnation in the supply and return pipes by ensuring grease is constantly moving and being refreshed from the main reservoir, thereby preventing oil separation and maintaining compositional stability throughout the entire grease delivery system.
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 grease pump unit effectively micronizes bubbles, ensuring stable grease supply to the metering valve and preventing oil separation by circulating unused grease, thus maintaining the quality and consistency of the grease within the can and supply pipes.
Implementation Method 1
a suction unit configured to suction the grease in the grease can
Implementation Method 2
the grease from the pressure pump is passed through minute passages of a porous member to divide the bubbles
Implementation Method 3
oil separation through gravity
Data Source
AI summary
A grease pump unit has a metering valve 37 and a grease supplying device 50 in which a suction tube 16 on a pump device 11 extends through a follower plate 19 in a grease can 100, grease in the grease can 100 being sucked through the suction tube 16 and discharged through a discharge port 17 by activation of the pump device 11. Provided are a bubble dividing device 32 which supplies the grease discharged through the discharge port 17 through an supply pipe 24 to micronize bubbles in the grease and which supplies the grease through a supply pipe 36 to the metering valve 37, and a return pipe 47 which returns a portion of the grease not discharged through the metering valve 37 into the grease can 100 via the follower plate 19.