High-Pressure Pump Bearing Element Axial Alignment

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Solution Overview

Problem

High-pressure pumps used in accumulator injection systems for internal combustion engines face significant mechanical loads, requiring robust materials and designs to withstand pressures up to 2000 bar while ensuring reliable and precise operation at a low production cost.

Innovation Solution

A high-pressure pump design featuring a pump housing with a rigidly coupled bearing element and axially aligned drive shaft, incorporating plain bearings to minimize friction and wear, allowing for precise alignment and efficient force transmission with reduced wear and low frictional resistance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If the drive element is positioned close to the housing recess for compact design, then the device complexity is reduced, but the alignment precision of the axle element deteriorates under heavy mechanical loads

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural complexityVSAvoidalignment precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The bearing element serves as an intermediary component between the drive element and the housing recess. It provides a dedicated mounting structure with precise bearing surfaces that ensure accurate alignment of the axle element, while allowing the overall pump design to remain compact. The bearing element translates the compact positioning requirement into precise alignment through its specially designed geometry and bearing surfaces.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Strength

If robust materials and designs are used to withstand high pressures, then the strength is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepressure resistanceVSAvoidproduction cost
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The pump is divided into functional modules including the bearing element, drive element, and housing recess, each optimized for its specific function. This segmentation allows selective application of high-strength materials only where absolutely necessary (e.g., bearing surfaces, pressure-containing areas) while using standard materials for other components, thereby reducing overall manufacturing cost while maintaining sufficient strength for withstanding pressures up to 2000 bar.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Reliability

If the axle element is precisely aligned to minimize wear, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoperational reliabilityVSAvoidalignment mechanism complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The bearing element is designed to automatically ensure precise alignment of the axle element through its inherent geometry and bearing surfaces. The self-aligning bearing surfaces and the rigid connection between the bearing element and housing recess create a self-service alignment mechanism that maintains reliable operation without requiring complex external alignment systems or adjustment mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

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 precise alignment and minimizes wear on the axle element and drive shaft, reducing the drive power required to overcome frictional forces, thus ensuring reliable operation under heavy mechanical loads while maintaining a cost-effective manufacturing process.

Implementation Method 1

incorporating plain bearings to minimize friction and wear

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLubrication: Lubrication

Data Source

PatentEP2872778B1High-pressure pump
Publication Date: 2016.09.14 CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
  • EP2872778B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2872778B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

The invention relates to a high-pressure pump (10) for delivering a fluid, having a pump housing (12), a shaft element (15) which extends in the direction of a longitudinal axis (Z) and is mounted in a housing recess (13) of the pump housing (12), a drive shaft (16) which is mounted rotatably on the shaft element (15), and a drive element (40) which is coupled fixedly to the drive shaft (16) and is configured for driving the drive shaft (16). The high-pressure pump (10) has a bearing element (46) which is coupled fixedly to the pump housing (12) or is configured integrally with the pump housing (12), and which has a recess (48), in which the shaft element (15) is mounted. The recess (48) of the bearing element (46) is arranged relative to the housing recess (13) in such a way that the drive element (40) is arranged axially between the recess (48) of the bearing element (46) and the housing recess (13).