Monolithic Screw Hub Sections for Rigidity and Pond Depth

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing screw hubs in solid bowl centrifuges face limitations in achieving both increased rigidity and flow properties while maintaining a large pond depth, with current designs often compromising structural integrity for improved media permeability.

Innovation Solution

A screw hub design featuring monolithically formed hub sections with interconnected transverse disks and a high number of openings, allowing for modular construction and enhanced rigidity through material bonding or force-fitting connections, enabling a stable and efficient separation process.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Volume of moving object

If the screw hub is made more permeable to increase pond depth, then the flow properties and pond depth are improved, but the structural rigidity and strength of the screw hub are weakened

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepond depthVSAvoidstructural rigidity
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The screw hub is divided into multiple hub sections (first hub section, second hub section, etc.) that are connected to each other. Each hub section can have openings formed in its peripheral wall, allowing the hub to achieve both permeability for increased pond depth and structural integrity through the segmented design with connecting elements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different regions of the screw hub have different properties: the peripheral wall contains openings for media permeability and pond depth, while the hub sections and connecting elements provide structural rigidity. The transverse disks in certain hub sections provide localized structural support while maintaining overall permeability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Strength

If the screw hub is made monolithic to increase rigidity, then the structural strength is improved, but the manufacturing complexity and inability to replace worn parts increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural rigidityVSAvoidmanufacturing flexibility
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The screw hub is constructed from multiple separable hub sections that can be manufactured independently and then assembled together using connecting elements. This segmentation allows each section to be manufactured separately (improving ease of manufacture and replacement) while the assembled structure provides the necessary structural rigidity through the connections between sections.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The modular hub section design allows worn or damaged sections to be individually replaced without replacing the entire screw hub. The connecting elements enable easy assembly and disassembly of hub sections, facilitating maintenance and recovery of the centrifuge system with minimal downtime and cost.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #34Discarding and recovering

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 design achieves a balance between increased rigidity and flow properties, allowing for a larger pond depth and efficient separation of multiphase mixtures, with the ability to easily replace or repair worn components, reducing operational complexity and costs.

Implementation Method 1

The pond depth can be increased by making the screw hub particularly permeable to media

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPermeability: Permeation

Implementation Method 2

The bowl rotates at high speed, allowing a multiphase mixture contained within the bowl to be separated into at least one heavy phase and one light phase

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCentrifugal separation: Centrifugal Separation

Implementation Method 3

the resulting buoyancy and sedimentation effects of the mixture to be clarified or the light phase

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSedimentation: Sedimentation

Data Source

PatentEP4341001B1Screw hub, centrifugal screw, and solid bowl screw centrifuge
Publication Date: 2025.10.08 FLOTTWEG GMBH & CO KGAA
  • EP4341001B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4341001B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP4341001B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

The invention relates to a screw hub (20) for a centrifugal screw (10), comprising at least one monolithically formed hub section (30), in particular at least two interconnected monolithically formed hub sections (30), wherein the at least one hub section (30) has a circumferential wall (31) and two end faces (33, 34), and a plurality of openings (32) are formed in the circumferential wall (31), said hub section (30) having at least one transverse disc (40).