Impeller Connection Adapter for Ceramic Shaft Alignment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Connecting impellers made of ceramic or tungsten carbide to shafts is challenging due to the difficulty in forming fixtures without damaging the components, especially when using screws or internal threads.
Innovation Solution
A one-piece connection adapter with axial and radial alignment means is used to detachably connect impellers to shafts, allowing for easy assembly and disassembly without damage, featuring threads, fits, and alignment marks for precise alignment and balancing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the impeller is fixed to the shaft with a screw, then the connection is secure, but the shaft made of ceramic or high ceramic content cannot be drilled and threaded without very high probability of destruction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a connection adapter as an intermediary component between the impeller and shaft. The adapter has a shaft section that connects to the shaft (via press fit, interference fit, or other fixation methods suitable for ceramic materials) and an impeller section that provides threading for the screw connection. This mediator allows the screw fixation to be applied to the adapter rather than directly to the fragile ceramic shaft, resolving the contradiction between secure connection and ease of manufacture.
2Ease of repair
If the impeller is detachably connected to the shaft, then maintenance and repair are facilitated, but the balancing of the rotor assembly may be compromised during assembly and disassembly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates alignment means (such as alignment marks, keyed features, or precision-machined surfaces) on the connection adapter and corresponding features on the impeller and shaft. These preliminary alignment features ensure that when the impeller is reattached to the shaft after maintenance, the components return to their original precise alignment and balancing position, thereby maintaining manufacturing precision while enabling ease of repair.
3Ease of manufacture
If a connection adapter is introduced between the impeller and shaft, then fixation is enabled on ceramic components, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The connection adapter combines multiple functions into a single component: it provides the connection interface for the shaft, the mounting surface for the impeller, alignment features for precision positioning, and balancing integration. By merging these functions into one integrated part rather than using separate components for each function, the patent reduces overall device complexity while still enabling ease of fixation on ceramic components.
Data Source
AI summary
A connection adapter for the detachable connection of an impeller with a shaft made of ceramic or tungsten carbide, to a rotor assembly for a turbo compressor. The connection adapter has an impeller section for fixing the impeller to the connection adapter and a shaft section for fixing the connection adapter to the shaft, and the impeller section has a first axial alignment means for axial alignment and a first radial alignment means for radial alignment of the impeller to the connection adapter. The shaft section has a second axial alignment means for axial alignment and a second radial alignment means for radial alignment of the shaft to the connection adapter, by way of which the impeller and the shaft are in a predetermined axial and radial alignment to one another on the connection adapter.