Plunger Pump Pulsation Detection via Pressure Fluctuation Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Despite measures to prevent pulsation in liquid chromatography systems, bubbles generated due to gas components in solvents or temperature changes can still cause liquid sending failures, leading to disrupted flow rates and wasteful analysis data acquisition.
Innovation Solution
A liquid sending system equipped with a pressure sensor and a liquid sending failure detector that monitors pressure fluctuations to detect pulsation by calculating the fluctuation range over a driving period and counts consecutive periods exceeding a reference value, thereby identifying and addressing liquid sending failures caused by bubble entrapment in plunger pumps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If a plunger pump is used to send liquid, then liquid can be conveyed continuously, but pulsation occurs causing flow rate disruption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a double plunger pump system where two plungers operate in alternating periodic cycles. While one plunger is in the discharge stroke, the other is in the suction stroke, creating complementary periodic actions that cancel out pressure pulsations and maintain continuous, stable liquid flow.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines two plunger pumps into a single integrated liquid sending mechanism. By merging the operations of two plungers with complementary timing, the system achieves both continuous liquid conveyance and stable flow rate, resolving the contradiction between speed and stability.
2Stability of the object's composition
If bubbles are discharged by controlling plunger pump operation, then pulsation is suppressed, but bubbles remain entrapped in the plunger pump
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a pressure sensor that continuously monitors liquid sending pressure and feeds this information back to a control unit. The control unit analyzes pressure fluctuations to detect bubble entrapment in real-time, enabling timely intervention before analysis data becomes compromised.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical bubble discharge methods with an automated detection and control system. Instead of relying on mechanical operations to discharge bubbles, the system uses pressure sensing and electronic control to detect and respond to bubble entrapment, improving reliability.
3Reliability
If liquid is sent at high flow rate before analysis, then bubbles are removed, but analysis time is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary detection of bubble entrapment through pressure monitoring before analysis begins. By detecting bubbles in advance through pressure fluctuation analysis, the system can address the issue before it compromises analysis data, avoiding the need for time-consuming high flow rate pre-treatment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical approach of high flow rate bubble removal with an automated pressure-based detection system. This substitution allows for early bubble detection without requiring extended high flow rate operation, thereby reducing analysis time while maintaining reliability.
4Reliability
If continuous monitoring is performed to detect bubble entrapment, then liquid sending failure is detected, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a pressure sensor with a control unit that continuously monitors liquid sending pressure and provides feedback on system status. This feedback mechanism enables reliable detection of bubble entrapment and liquid sending failures through analysis of pressure fluctuations, achieving high reliability with minimal additional complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-diagnosis by analyzing its own operating parameters (pressure fluctuations) to detect abnormalities. The control unit automatically monitors pressure data and identifies bubble entrapment conditions, enabling the system to self-detect failures without requiring complex external monitoring equipment.
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 system effectively detects and mitigates liquid sending failures due to bubble entrapment, ensuring stable flow rates and reducing wasteful analysis by accurately identifying pulsation and triggering corrective actions.
Implementation Method 1
a pressure sensor for detecting a liquid sending pressure applied by the liquid sending mechanism
Implementation Method 2
at least one plunger pump that sends liquid by reciprocally driving a plunger
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid sending failure detector acquires periodically a liquid sending pressure of a liquid sending mechanism consecutively sends liquid using at least one plunger pump that sends liquid by reciprocally driving a plunger such that a fluctuation is read in one driving period of the liquid sending mechanism, and detect a liquid sending failure of the liquid sending mechanism using an acquired liquid sending pressure. The liquid sending failure detector executes a pulsation detection step of obtaining a fluctuation range of the liquid sending pressure in a certain driving period of the liquid sending mechanism and detecting pulsation on a condition that a count of consecutive periods in which the fluctuation range exceeds a predetermined reference value exceeds a predetermined reference count, and a liquid sending failure detection step of detecting a liquid sending failure of the liquid sending mechanism when the pulsation is detected in the pulsation detection step.