Pool Pump Strainer With Rotating Trim Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current strainers on the suction side of pool pumps cannot be efficiently backwashed without disrupting the pump's suction, leading to potential clogging and damage from debris accumulation.
Innovation Solution
A two-way, two-position rotating trim assembly within a strainer housing allows for the reversal of water flow across a strainer without losing suction, enabling debris to be dislodged and removed without turning off the pump, using a shunt to maintain water flow and separate debris from the suction side.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of repair
If the strainer is removed from the housing for cleaning, then debris can be manually removed from the strainer, but the pump loses suction and water flow is interrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The strainer housing is divided into separate functional sections: a strainer basket for debris filtration, a shunt passage for alternative water flow, and a valve assembly for flow control. This segmentation allows the strainer to be cleaned independently while the shunt maintains continuous water flow to the pump, resolving the contradiction between ease of cleaning and suction continuity.
Solution Approach 2:
The shunt passage acts as an intermediary flow path that provides alternative water flow when the strainer needs cleaning. By introducing this intermediate passage, the system can divert water flow away from the strainer during cleaning operations, allowing strainer maintenance without interrupting the pump's suction flow.
2Reliability
If the strainer is cleaned frequently to prevent clogging, then pump protection is improved, but system complexity increases due to additional cleaning mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The strainer system is designed to be self-cleaning through the shunt passage mechanism. By simply operating the valve to redirect flow through the shunt, the system automatically flushes debris from the strainer basket without requiring manual disassembly or complex cleaning procedures, maintaining reliability while minimizing added complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The shunt passage serves multiple functions: it provides alternative water flow during normal operation, enables strainer cleaning during maintenance, and prevents debris accumulation that could clog the pump. This multi-functionality achieves pump protection without requiring separate dedicated cleaning systems.
3Reliability
If a strainer is installed on the suction side of the pump, then debris is separated from water, but the strainer can become plugged by excessive particulate entrapment
Solution Approach 1:
The shunt passage converts the harmful effect of debris accumulation into a beneficial self-cleaning mechanism. By redirecting flow through the shunt, water flows backward through the strainer basket, dislodging trapped debris and flushing it out. This transforms the potential harm of debris entrapment into an effective cleaning action that prevents plugging.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning process works in reverse of normal operation. Instead of water flowing forward through the strainer as during normal pump operation, the shunt redirects flow backward through the strainer basket in the opposite direction, effectively dislodging and removing accumulated debris.
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
Enables easy cleaning of the strainer without removing it from the housing, preventing pump clogging and maintaining continuous water flow, thus protecting the pump from debris entrapment.
Implementation Method 1
A shunt fluidly connected between the pool and the main cavity of the housing keeps the housing flooded with water
Implementation Method 2
The strainer is in the form of a mesh or a bucket with a plurality of holes to separate debris from water traveling through the conduit to the suction side of the pump
Implementation Method 3
When the trim assembly is rotated from one position to another, the water flow though the conduit and across the strainer is reversed without loss of pump suction
Data Source
AI summary
A pool pump strainer having a rotatable trim assembly within a flooded housing cavity. A suction inlet and filtered suction outlet pair and a backwash inlet and backwash outlet pair are formed in and pass through opposite regions of a housing with at least 30 degrees between each part of a pair. A strainer disposed inside a conduit fixed between a pair of shutter plates makes up the trim assembly which is rotated between strainer and backwater positions by a stem extending through the housing. In the strainer position, water is drawn through the strainer to catch debris and then passes to the pump's suction side. In the backwash position, water is drawn through the flooded housing cavity to the suction side of the pump by a shunt. Thereafter, water discharged from the pump flows under pressure across the strainer to dislodge debris to be deposited into a catch box.