Centrifugal Pump Bearing Mounts for Thermal Decoupling and Vibration Damping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing centrifugal pumps face challenges in achieving high balancing of rotor shafts with minimal vibration, requiring complex and expensive solutions that are unreliable and require frequent maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A centrifugal pump design featuring a rotor shaft mounted with drive and non-drive bearings, thermally decoupled from the housing, and equipped with damping elements and spring rings to absorb radial and axial vibrations, while using rolling bearings to minimize friction and prevent bearing currents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high balancing of rotor shaft is achieved through precise manufacturing, then vibration is minimized, but manufacturing cost and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary damping system between the rotor shaft and housing that absorbs vibrations without requiring high precision manufacturing of the rotor shaft itself. The damping elements act as a mediator that compensates for imbalance, allowing standard manufacturing tolerances while achieving vibration minimization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the approach from controlling rotor shaft balance parameters through manufacturing precision to controlling vibration through the properties of damping elements. By adjusting damping element characteristics (material, geometry, placement), the system achieves vibration control without requiring high manufacturing precision of the rotor shaft.
2Reliability
If soft mounting is used to compensate for rotor shaft imbalance, then vibration is absorbed, but installation space increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs thin flexible damping elements (such as rubber or polymer films) that provide vibration absorption with minimal thickness. These flexible elements conform to the available space between the rotor shaft and housing, achieving soft mounting effects without significantly increasing the pump's overall dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
The damping elements are designed to be dynamically responsive, changing their stiffness characteristics based on operating conditions. This allows the system to provide effective vibration absorption while maintaining a compact structure that adapts to the available installation space rather than requiring fixed large clearance.
3Reliability
If damping elements are added to counteract radial movement, then vibration is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The damping elements are designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: they provide radial damping, axial positioning, and thermal decoupling. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components for each function, thereby minimizing the increase in device complexity while achieving comprehensive vibration reduction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the damping function with the existing bearing mounting structure. The damping elements are integrated into the bearing receptacles or mounting surfaces, combining vibration reduction with structural support functions. This integration approach adds minimal complexity compared to separate damping mechanisms.
4Reliability
If bearing receptacles are used for thermal decoupling, then bearing currents are prevented, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing receptacles incorporate flexible insulating liners or coatings that provide thermal and electrical decoupling. These flexible elements compensate for manufacturing tolerances through their compliance, maintaining effective decoupling without requiring extremely precise fit between the rigid housing and bearing components.
Solution Approach 2:
The receptacle structure uses composite material construction combining conductive and insulating materials in a way that provides both mechanical support and electrical/thermal decoupling. The composite design tolerates manufacturing variations while ensuring bearing current prevention through the insulating layer.
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 provides a cost-effective, simple, and reliable solution that reduces vibrations, improves shaft centering, and minimizes maintenance, ensuring smooth operation and extended durability.
Implementation Method 1
the drive side bearing receptacle and the non-drive side bearing receptacle have a component extending at least axially, made of a flexible, non-conductive material
Implementation Method 2
a plurality of damping elements are provided on the inside of the axially extending component, bearing against the drive bearing and the non-drive bearing, and counteracting radial movement of the rotor shaft
Implementation Method 3
a spring ring arranged between the non-drive bearing and the housing, the spring force of which acts on the rotor shaft in the direction of the drive side
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
The invention relates to a centrifugal pump (2) with a motor (1) comprising a housing (3) and a rotor shaft (4) arranged therein, the rotor shaft having a drive side (5) and an opposite non-drive side (6), a drive bearing (7) associated with the drive side (5) for rotatably supporting the rotor shaft (4), a drive side bearing receptacle (9) arranged radially between the drive bearing (7) and the housing (3) for thermally decoupling the rotor shaft (4) and the housing (3), a retaining ring (10) arranged between the drive bearing (7) and the housing (3), and/or a non-drive bearing (8) associated with the non-drive side (6) for rotatably supporting the rotor shaft (4), a non-drive side bearing receptacle (13) arranged radially between the non-drive bearing (8) and the housing (3) for thermally decoupling the rotor shaft (4) and the housing (3), and a spring ring (14).which is arranged between the non-drive bearing (8) and the housing (3) and whose spring force acts on the rotor shaft (4) in the direction of the drive side (5), wherein the drive side bearing receptacle (9) and/or the non-drive side bearing receptacle (13) has a component (11, 15) extending at least axially made of a flexible, non-conductive material, and a plurality of damping elements (17) are provided on the inside of the axially extending component (11, 15) in contact with the drive bearing (7) and/or the non-drive bearing (8), which counteract a radial movement of the rotor shaft (4).