Centrifugal Separator Holding Pin with Variable Contact Area
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Solution Overview
Problem
Centrifugal separators face challenges in maintaining stable bucket rotation and reducing sliding resistance, especially when dealing with uneven sample containers, which can lead to misalignment and increased maintenance due to friction issues.
Innovation Solution
The design of a swing rotor with holding pins that have a varying contact area width in the axial direction, changing from a narrower contact when stationary to a wider contact during rotation, ensures stable bucket support and reduced friction, allowing for smooth swinging and minimizing maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the holding pin maintains a constant contact area width, then the structural design is simple, but the friction increases during bucket swinging leading to unstable rotation and frequent maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The holding pin's contact area width is made variable rather than constant. The sliding surface is designed with a specific shape where the contact area width changes dynamically as the bucket swings from vertical to horizontal position, allowing the system to adapt friction characteristics to different operational phases.
Solution Approach 2:
The geometric parameter of the holding pin's sliding surface is changed to achieve variable contact area. By designing the sliding surface with a specific curvature or angle variation, the contact area width between the holding pin and bucket changes continuously during the swinging motion, optimizing friction characteristics.
2Reliability
If the contact area width is increased during rotation, then friction is reduced and bucket swinging is smoothed, but the holding pin structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The holding pin's sliding surface is designed with non-uniform properties - different sections of the sliding surface have different geometries to achieve optimal contact area at different swinging positions. This local differentiation allows the contact area to be larger during rotation and smaller when stationary.
3Device complexity
If the holding pin is aligned with the swing center axis, then the structural design is simplified, but misalignment occurs with uneven sample containers leading to increased friction
Solution Approach 1:
The holding pin design incorporates variable contact area parameters that compensate for misalignment caused by uneven sample containers. The changing contact area width adapts to different load distributions, maintaining smooth operation even when buckets are not perfectly aligned with the swing center axis.
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
This configuration stabilizes bucket rotation during centrifugal separation, reduces friction, and minimizes maintenance needs by maintaining a consistent contact area width during operation, ensuring efficient and reliable centrifugal separation.
Implementation Method 1
a sliding surface of the holding pin with an engagement portion of the bucket is formed such that a width of a contact area, which is an area that the holding pin contacts with the engagement portion of the bucket, in an axial direction when the bucket does not swing differs from a width of the contact area in the axial direction when the bucket reaches a horizontal position by swinging during a centrifugal separation operation
Implementation Method 2
If the swing rotor rotates in the centrifugal chamber, each bucket supported or hooked by each pair of holding pins provided to the arms swings in a horizontal direction around the corresponding pair of holding pins by a centrifugal force
Data Source
AI summary
A swing rotor for a centrifugal separator, the swing rotor including: a hub; and a rotor body disposed around the hub, wherein a plurality of pairs of arms are disposed at the rotor body, wherein a holding pin configured to hold a bucket is disposed to the arm, wherein an engagement portion which is configured to be supported by the holding pin is formed to the bucket, and wherein a sliding surface of the holding pin with an engagement portion of the bucket is formed such that a width of a contact area, which is an area that the holding pin contacts with the engagement portion of the bucket, in an axial direction when the bucket does not swing differs from a width of the contact area in the axial direction when the bucket reaches a horizontal position by swinging during a centrifugal separation operation.