Modular Pump Design With Universal Gearbox
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manufacturing process of reciprocating pumps is restrictive and time-consuming due to custom configurations, requiring months for delivery and specific component manufacturing, limiting adaptability and maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A modular pump design featuring a universal gearbox and interchangeable crank units with splined hubs, allowing for adaptable configurations without specific left or right-hand constraints, enabling faster assembly and maintenance with fewer parts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If reciprocating pumps are manufactured to order with specific configurations, then the pump can be tailored to meet particular application requirements, but the manufacturing process becomes severely restricted and time-consuming, taking several months to deliver
Solution Approach 1:
The pump system is divided into modular components: a universal gearbox and interchangeable crank units. Each crank unit can be independently selected and attached to the universal gearbox to create different pump configurations. This segmentation allows rapid assembly of application-specific pumps from pre-manufactured modules, eliminating the need for custom manufacturing of entire pump systems.
Solution Approach 2:
A universal gearbox design is created that can accommodate multiple types of crank units with different numbers of crank throws. The universal gearbox serves multiple functions by working with various crank unit configurations, allowing a single gearbox design to support triplex, quadruplex, and quintuplex pump configurations through interchangeable crank units.
2Adaptability or versatility
If pumps are constructed with specific left-hand or right-hand drive mechanisms, then the pump can be optimized for particular drive orientations, but the construction process is restricted by configuration requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The universal gearbox is designed with symmetry and adaptability to accommodate both left-hand and right-hand drive mechanisms, as well as different drive orientations (90 degrees for worm drive, parallel for pinion drive). This universal design eliminates the need for separate gearbox designs for different drive configurations, reducing construction restrictions while maintaining optimization for various drive types.
3Adaptability or versatility
If custom crank units are manufactured for each pump configuration, then the pump can be precisely tailored to application requirements, but inventory management and maintenance become more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
A single universal gearbox design serves multiple pump configurations by accepting different crank unit types. This universality allows manufacturers to maintain a limited inventory of crank units (triplex, quadruplex, quintuplex) that can be interchanged on a common gearbox platform, simplifying inventory management and maintenance while still providing application-specific configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The crank unit is designed as a separate, interchangeable module that can be independently manufactured and replaced. This segmentation allows the crank unit to be the only custom-configured component needed, while the universal gearbox remains a standardized platform, reducing overall manufacturing complexity and improving inventory efficiency.
Data Source
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AI summary
Modular pumps comprising universal gearboxes and crank units and associated methods. In one embodiment, the present invention provides a modular pump comprising a universal gearbox and a crank unit, wherein the crank unit is attached to the universal gearbox. In another embodiment, the present invention provides a universal gearbox for use in a reciprocating pump.