Horizontal Agitator Polygonal Shaft Propeller Connection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing horizontal agitators for wastewater treatment tanks face issues with durability and complex propeller exchange due to high forces at the feather key connection, making them prone to damage and difficult to maintain.
Innovation Solution
A horizontal agitator with a polygonal shaft and a propeller made from polymer-reinforced fibers, featuring a sleeve with a different material for the hub, which provides a durable and easy-to-exchange connection system using surface contact transmission and integrally bonded connections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a feather key connection is used to transmit torque from the shaft to the propeller, then the connection can be simple in structure, but the high forces at the feather key connection cause damage and reduce reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The connection system is segmented into multiple components: a polygonal shaft with multiple transmission surfaces, a hub with a polygonal bore, and a propeller. The torque transmission is distributed across multiple feather keys positioned at different angles, rather than relying on a single feather key. This segmentation reduces the force on each individual feather key while maintaining reliable torque transmission.
2Device complexity
If a feather key connection is used for propeller attachment, then the structure can be simple, but the dismounting of the propeller becomes complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The propeller attachment system uses multiple feather keys positioned at different angles around the polygonal shaft. Each feather key can be independently removed, allowing the propeller to be disassembled in a systematic and efficient manner. This segmented approach simplifies the dismounting process compared to traditional single-key connections that require complex extraction procedures.
3Reliability
If a polygonal shaft with multiple transmission surfaces is used, then the forces are transmitted more evenly and reliability increases, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The shaft features an asymmetric polygonal cross-section with multiple flat transmission surfaces positioned at specific angles. This asymmetric geometry is matched by the hub's polygonal bore and the propeller's corresponding engagement surfaces. The asymmetric design distributes torque transmission across multiple surfaces rather than a single circular interface, improving reliability while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a horizontal agitator for producing a substantially horizontal flow in a wastewater treatment tank, a propeller being installed on a polygonal shaft driven by means of a submersible motor, wherein the propeller is produced form a first material, which is formed from a polymer reinforced with first fibers, and as hub has a sleeve which corresponds to the outer shape of the polygonal shaft and which is produced from a second material which is different from the first material.