Modular Liquid Ring Pump for Simplified Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Liquid ring pumps are part of complex and expensive pump units with labor-intensive maintenance, requiring numerous connections to be removed and reinstalled, making them difficult to adapt to different tasks and maintain.
Innovation Solution
A modular pump assembly with a detachable liquid ring pump and a connection unit, allowing easy detachment for maintenance without altering suction lines, and incorporating additional modules like liquid separators and heat exchangers for compact and adaptable design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If liquid ring pumps are integrated into complete pump units with all necessary components (suction lines, pressure lines, liquid separators, heat exchangers, etc.), then the pump unit can perform complex tasks, but the device complexity increases and maintenance becomes labor-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The pump unit is divided into modular components: a detachable liquid ring pump module and a connection unit with integrated suction lines, pressure lines, and auxiliary components. This segmentation allows the pump to be easily detached for maintenance while leaving the complex infrastructure in place, resolving the contradiction between task adaptability and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection unit is designed as a universal interface that can accommodate different pump types and configurations while providing all necessary connections (suction, pressure, compressed air, liquid separation). This multi-functional connection unit reduces overall system complexity by consolidating multiple functions into a single standardized component.
2Adaptability or versatility
If complete pump units with numerous connections are assembled for specific applications, then the system can handle complex pumping tasks, but maintenance requires removing and reinstalling numerous connections making it labor-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The pump is designed as a detachable module that can be quickly separated from the connection unit without disturbing the fixed infrastructure (suction lines, pressure lines, liquid separators). This segmentation transforms maintenance from a complex multi-connection task into a simple detachable operation, directly addressing the contradiction between application-specific configuration and maintenance effort.
3Adaptability or versatility
If individual pump components are connected via numerous lines and connections, then the system can be customized for different tasks, but the construction cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The connection unit merges multiple functions (suction line connection, pressure line connection, compressed air supply, liquid separation, heat exchange) into a single integrated component. This consolidation reduces construction complexity by eliminating the need to individually connect multiple separate components, while still providing full task customization capability through the modular pump attachment.
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 modular design simplifies maintenance, reduces complexity, and allows for easy adaptation to various applications, enhancing operational efficiency and cost-effectiveness by enabling quick reconfiguration for different tasks.
Implementation Method 1
Liquid ring vacuum pumps or compressors work according to the positive displacement principle, where - in the most common design - a motor-driven impeller provided with blades is arranged eccentrically in a pump housing
Implementation Method 2
The pump housing contains an operating liquid, for example water, which is set in rotation by the rotation of the impeller and forms a liquid ring
Implementation Method 3
Adjacent blades of the impeller define chambers with the liquid ring and the hub of the impeller, which, due to the eccentric mounting of the impeller, have a volume that depends on the angular position of the chamber
Implementation Method 4
The constant entrainment of part of the operating liquid also allows the heat of compression that occurs during operation to be dissipated
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~7
AI summary
The unit (10) has a liquid ring pump (11) comprising a cylindrical pump casing (14) that surrounds a working space (15). The working space communicates with an intake opening (19) over a control disk (18). An eccentrically arranged running wheel (16) is connected with a drive shaft (17). The liquid ring pump is releasably connected to a connection unit (12) i.e. connection housing (13), that comprises an inlet (20), where the inlet communicates with the intake opening. The liquid ring pump is mounted as an axial plug-in unit in the connection housing.