Centrifugal Pump Composite Housing Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional centrifugal pumps are heavy and bulky due to their cast metal housings, leading to high transportation costs and inefficiencies, as the basic components are often designed similarly without consideration for optimized hydraulic shapes.
Innovation Solution
A composite pump housing design where a thin-walled elastomeric first layer defines the internal shape and is manufactured at the factory, with a second layer applied on-site for mechanical stability, allowing for adjustable pump configurations and reduced transportation costs by using local materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a cast metal housing is used for the centrifugal pump, then the housing provides mechanical strength and durability, but the pump becomes heavy and bulky, leading to high transportation costs
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is divided into two functional layers: an inner thin-walled layer (5) that defines the hydraulic shape and can be collapsed for compact transport, and an outer layer (11) made of strong but lightweight material that provides mechanical strength when applied at the destination. This segmentation allows the pump to be lightweight during transport while maintaining structural integrity during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing uses a composite structure combining an elastomeric inner layer with an outer reinforcement layer made of strong but lightweight material. This composite approach provides the necessary mechanical strength without the weight penalty of traditional cast metal housings, enabling the pump to be both durable and transport-efficient.
2Manufacturing precision
If the complete pump housing is manufactured at the factory, then the hydraulic shape is optimized, but transportation costs increase due to the need to transport the entire housing
Solution Approach 1:
The housing manufacturing process is segmented into two stages: the inner layer (5) is precisely manufactured at the factory with optimized hydraulic geometry, while the outer layer (11) is applied locally at the destination. This allows the critical hydraulic shape to be precisely manufactured without transporting the entire housing structure, reducing transportation material by over 50%.
Solution Approach 2:
The outer structural layer (11) is extracted from the factory manufacturing process and applied separately at the destination. This extraction allows the inner hydraulic layer (5) to be transported in a collapsed, space-efficient manner while the outer layer is sourced locally, significantly reducing the quantity of material that needs to be transported long distances.
3Ease of manufacture
If the pump housing is made from a single material, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the pump cannot be optimized for both hydraulic efficiency and mechanical strength simultaneously
Solution Approach 1:
The housing uses a composite structure with an inner elastomeric layer (5) optimized for hydraulic efficiency and an outer layer (11) optimized for mechanical strength. This composite approach maintains manufacturing simplicity through a standardized two-layer process while enabling optimization of both hydraulic performance and structural requirements simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the housing have different material properties: the inner layer (5) is made from elastomeric material with specific properties for hydraulic flow optimization, while the outer layer (11) uses materials selected for mechanical strength and environmental resistance. This local quality differentiation allows simultaneous optimization of hydraulic efficiency and mechanical strength without complicating the overall manufacturing process.
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
This approach reduces transportation costs and allows for precise hydraulic optimization and adjustment of the pump housing, enabling lighter and more efficient centrifugal pumps with improved mechanical stability and operational monitoring capabilities.
Implementation Method 1
The first layer (5) is formed from an elastomer... the first layer can be filled with a medium, giving it its intended shape
Implementation Method 2
a propellant charge that is supplied with the necessary medium under the appropriate pressure
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a centrifugal pump, comprising a rotor and a housing surrounding said rotor, said housing having a connection on the pressure side and on the intake side, respectively. According to the invention, the housing surrounding the rotor is designed as a composite part, wherein a first thin-walled layer (5) defines the inner shape of the housing. At least one second layer (11) establishes the stability of the housing.