Hydraulic Bending Device for Compressor Plate Fixing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manual bending of plates in the intermediate space between blade rings in compressors and turbines is inefficient, unreliable, and poses risks of injury and damage due to high lever forces and undefined bending, leading to inconsistent results and prolonged fitting times.
Innovation Solution
A hydraulic bending device with a fixing element and a punch actuated by a hydraulic system, allowing for automated and controlled bending of plates, eliminating the need for manual lever application and ensuring reproducible and defined bending operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual bending operation is used, then flexibility and simplicity are maintained, but bending precision, reliability, and safety deteriorate due to high lever forces and undefined bending
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical bending system with a hydraulic bending device. The hydraulic system uses fluid pressure to generate bending force through a punch, eliminating the need for manual lever application. This substitution provides controlled, reproducible bending forces while maintaining operational simplicity through hydraulic actuation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a hydraulic system to generate and control the bending force. Hydraulic fluid pressure is transmitted through cylinders to actuate the punch, providing smooth, controlled, and reproducible bending forces. This hydraulic approach eliminates the high lever forces and undefined bending characteristics of manual operations while maintaining ease of operation through simple hydraulic activation.
2Device complexity
If manual bending operation is used, then device complexity is minimized, but productivity and time efficiency deteriorate due to individual processing of each plate
Solution Approach 1:
The hydraulic bending device is designed to be self-contained with an integrated hydraulic system that can be activated to automatically perform the bending operation. The device fixes itself in the intermediate space and the hydraulic system self-regulates the bending force and movement, eliminating the need for complex manual manipulation while significantly reducing processing time for each plate.
3Device complexity
If manual bending operation is used, then equipment requirements are minimal, but safety and reliability deteriorate due to risk of injury and damage from high lever forces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the dangerous manual mechanical lever system with a hydraulic actuation system. The hydraulic punch delivers controlled bending forces without requiring manual application of high lever forces, eliminating the risk of injury to operators and damage to blades or the impeller while maintaining relatively simple equipment requirements.
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 hydraulic bending device ensures consistent, safe, and time-efficient bending of plates, reducing the risk of injury and damage, and enabling quicker blade ring exchanges with reduced inspection and maintenance costs.
Implementation Method 1
a punch (35) which can be actuated by a hydraulic system (25)
Data Source
AI summary
In order to configure the bending of a plate in an intermediate space between two blade rings, arranged along an axis of a compressor and having blades extending along a radius in a simpler and more effective manner, the novel concept provides a bending device which can be positioned in the intermediate space and has, according to the invention, a fixing element for the bending device, a hydraulic system and a punch which can be actuated by the hydraulic system. Accordingly, a method for bending a plate in the intermediate space provides for a bending device to be positioned in the intermediate space, for the bending device to be fixed in the intermediate space, and for a punch of the bending device to be hydraulically actuated for bending the plate, the punch being moved toward the plate to be bent, and the plate being bent under the effect of the punch.