Mud Motor Stator Skeletal Lobes for Sealing and Vibration Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mud motor stators and pumps, typically constructed of hard materials, are difficult to machine and adjust, limiting efficiency improvements due to their helical structure and lack of recognition of critical characteristics like weight, material cost, resilience, and vibration resonant frequencies.
Innovation Solution
A mud motor stator design featuring asymmetric lobes with a skeletal structure, varying material thickness for enhanced rigidity and sealing, and optimized surface patterns, fabricated using additive manufacturing techniques to customize material properties and reduce weight and vibration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional hard materials like metal are used for stator construction, then durability and strength are improved, but manufacturing complexity and difficulty increase due to the helical structure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from traditional metal to composite materials, which have different mechanical properties that allow for easier manufacturing of complex helical structures while maintaining the required strength and durability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials for stator construction, combining different materials to achieve the desired balance between strength, manufacturability, and performance characteristics that cannot be obtained with single traditional materials
2Strength
If traditional metal construction is used, then structural integrity is improved, but adaptability and adjustment capability are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes material parameters to include adjustable and adaptable materials that can be modified after construction, enabling tuning of stator properties such as density, flexibility, and mechanical characteristics to optimize performance for different operating conditions
3Ease of manufacture
If uniform material thickness is used in stator lobes, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but vibration control and resonant frequency optimization are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by varying material thickness and distribution within different regions of the stator lobes, allowing optimization of vibrational characteristics and resonant frequencies in specific areas while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through systematic variation patterns
4Power
If asymmetric lobe design is implemented, then sealing capability and power output are improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the approach to asymmetric design by using variable material properties and thickness distributions that can be precisely controlled through manufacturing parameters rather than relying solely on geometric asymmetry, thereby achieving the desired power output and sealing while managing precision requirements
Data Source
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AI summary
A mud motor stator or a pump comprising of a tubular outer portion; a number of lobes extending radially inwardly from the tubular outer portion, at least one of which comprises a skeletal structure and method for producing a mud motor stator or a pump comprising of placing material and bonding the material together in a pattern dictated by the design shape of the stator or pump.