Magnetic Shape Memory Pump for Vehicle Heater Fuel Metering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pumps for delivering liquid fuel in fuel-operated vehicle heaters lack precision and reliability in metering small volumes, requiring complex piston movements and sealing mechanisms to prevent leakage.
Innovation Solution
A pump utilizing a magnetic shape memory material with a field-generating arrangement to change the pump chamber volume by generating a magnetic field, eliminating the need for a piston and allowing precise metering through reproducible shape changes, with inlet and outlet valves and a resetting arrangement for controlled operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a piston and sealing mechanisms are used to deliver liquid fuel, then the pump can achieve metering function, but the device complexity increases and reliability decreases due to leakage risks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical piston-based metering system with a magnetic field-actuated deformable wall system. The pump chamber wall is constructed from magnetically responsive material that can be deformed by magnetic fields to change chamber volume, thereby metering fuel without mechanical pistons, seals, or valves. This substitution eliminates the complexity and leakage risks associated with mechanical sealing while maintaining precise volume control through magnetic actuation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state and properties of the pump chamber wall by using magnetically responsive material that can alter its shape and volume in response to magnetic field strength. By varying the magnetic field parameters, the chamber volume is precisely controlled to achieve accurate fuel metering. This parameter-based control replaces mechanical positioning systems and eliminates the need for complex piston-sealer mechanisms.
2Productivity
If a piston is moved to and fro to deliver liquid fuel, then the delivery function is achieved, but the reliability decreases due to sealing requirements and potential leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical piston system with a deformable pump chamber wall actuated by magnetic fields. The magnetically responsive wall material can be deformed to reduce chamber volume and eject fuel, then returns to its original shape to refill the chamber. This eliminates mechanical pistons, seals, and moving parts that require maintenance, thereby significantly improving operational reliability while maintaining continuous fuel delivery capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The pump chamber wall automatically returns to its initial shape after magnetic actuation, creating a self-resetting mechanism. The magnetically responsive material inherently seeks to return to its original configuration when the magnetic field is removed, providing automatic chamber refilling without requiring mechanical reset mechanisms or additional components. This self-service behavior enhances reliability by eliminating the need for complex reset systems.
3Measurement precision
If mechanical sealing components are used to prevent leakage, then the metering precision can be maintained, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates mechanical sealing components entirely by using a deformable pump chamber wall made of magnetically responsive material. The wall itself forms a fluid-tight boundary that can be deformed to control fuel delivery. Since the wall is continuously deformed in a controlled manner without mechanical seals or sliding interfaces, leakage is prevented through the inherent elasticity and magnetic control of the material, not through additional sealing mechanisms. This dramatically reduces device complexity while maintaining precise metering.
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
Enables high-precision delivery of small liquid volumes with a simple design, ensuring reliable operation and precise metering without leakage, using a magnetic shape memory material that changes volume in response to a magnetic field.
Implementation Method 1
The pump body is made, at least in some areas, with a magnetic shape memory material. The magnetic shape memory material of the pump body can be brought from an initial state into a deformed state by generating a magnetic field by the field-generating arrangement.
Data Source
AI summary
A pump, especially for delivering liquid fuel for a vehicle heater, includes a pump body (12) providing a pump chamber (14). The pump body (12) is made with magnetic shape memory material at least in some areas. The pump further includes a field-generating arrangement (44) for generating a magnetic field (M). The magnetic shape memory material of the pump body (12) can be brought from an initial state into a deformed state by generating a magnetic field (M) by the field-generating arrangement (44). A pump chamber volume in the deformed state differs from the pump chamber volume present in the initial state.