Centrifugal Pump Annular Protector Corrosion Sealing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional centrifugal pumps face challenges in achieving complete corrosion protection, especially in the shaft passage area, leading to potential leaks and maintenance issues due to the interruption of corrosion-resistant coatings at the mechanical seal seat, which is difficult to manufacture with high accuracy.

Innovation Solution

A pump design featuring an annular protector made of corrosion-resistant material, fixedly arranged in the shaft passage, ensures a precise fit and accurate sealing, eliminating the need for coatings at the seal seat while providing comprehensive corrosion protection through a coating that covers all contact areas with the pump medium.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a corrosion-resistant coating is applied to the pump housing, then corrosion protection is improved, but the coating is interrupted at the mechanical seal seat, compromising sealing reliability

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecorrosion protectionVSAvoidsealing seat precision
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The pump housing is divided into two distinct parts: the main housing body and a separate protector component. The protector is specifically designed to fit into the shaft passage and provide the sealing seat, while the housing provides the corrosion-resistant coating. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently for its specific function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The protector acts as an intermediary element between the pump housing and the mechanical seal assembly. It is inserted into the shaft passage and provides a precise sealing seat for the mechanical seal, while the housing provides the corrosion-resistant coating. This intermediary component resolves the conflict between coating continuity and sealing precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Manufacturing precision

If the sealing seat is manufactured with high precision, then sealing performance is improved, but the cost and complexity of manufacturing increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesealing seat precisionVSAvoidmanufacturing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

By separating the sealing seat function into a dedicated protector component, the manufacturing process becomes less complex. The protector can be manufactured as a separate precision part and then assembled into the housing, rather than requiring the entire housing to be manufactured with high precision at the sealing seat location.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The protector serves as an intermediary that concentrates the precision requirements at a specific, isolated location rather than throughout the entire housing. This allows high precision to be achieved at the sealing seat without compromising the overall manufacturing simplicity of the housing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If corrosion-resistant materials like bronze are used for the pump housing, then corrosion resistance is improved, but material cost and manufacturing complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecorrosion resistanceVSAvoidmanufacturing ease
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of making the entire pump housing from a corrosion-resistant material like bronze, the invention applies corrosion resistance locally. The housing can be made from cheaper, easier-to-manufacture materials like gray cast iron, while the protector component provides the necessary corrosion resistance at the critical shaft passage area where corrosive media contact occurs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The pump system uses a composite approach combining different materials for different components. The housing uses cost-effective gray cast iron with a corrosion-resistant coating, while the protector uses corrosion-resistant material (such as bronze or stainless steel) to provide localized protection. This composite material strategy optimizes both cost and performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Data Source

PatentEP2706239B1Pump and protector for a pump
Publication Date: 2019.06.19 HERBORNER PUMPENFAB J H HOFFMANN
  • EP2706239B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2706239B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2706239B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The pump i.e. centrifugal pump (1), has a pump housing (2), and a motor shaft (5) connected with a pump impeller (6) that is arranged in the housing. The motor shaft extends through a shaft passage (4) in a rear wall (3) of the housing. The motor shaft is provided with a sliding ring sealing arrangement (8) in the rear wall. A sealing seat (9) of the sealing arrangement is arranged in a ring-shaped protector that is made from corrosion-resistant material i.e. bronze material, where the protector is fixedly arranged in the shaft passage. The housing is designed as a grey cast iron part.