Pump Control Seal for Leakage Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pumps with sealing areas between the processing and gearbox areas are prone to leakage, which can lead to contamination of the gearbox and damage due to inadequate detection of secondary seal failures.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a control seal with a dedicated control area between the processing and gearbox areas, allowing for early detection of leaks by passing the medium through the control area before reaching the control seal, and utilizing multiple control seals and areas for enhanced leak detection and prevention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a sealing area with primary and secondary seals is provided between processing area and transmission area, then fluid-tight separation is achieved, but leakage can still occur and go undetected
Solution Approach 1:
A control medium is introduced as an intermediary substance that migrates through the sealing area along with any leakage. This control medium serves as a tracer that makes invisible leaks visible, allowing detection of seal failures without direct observation of the sealing area itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The system establishes a feedback mechanism where the control medium carried by leakage is detected and reported back to the operator. This enables real-time monitoring of seal performance and immediate response to potential damage, transforming hidden leakage into detectable information.
2Duration of action of stationary object
If control medium is supplied to lubricate seals, then service life of seals is increased, but leakage of control medium into processing area can occur
Solution Approach 1:
The control medium, which could cause contamination if it leaks into the processing area, is instead used as a beneficial tracer to detect leaks. The potential harm of contamination is transformed into a useful detection mechanism, allowing early identification of seal failures before actual contamination occurs.
3Device complexity
If only primary seal is provided, then device complexity is reduced, but secondary seal failures go unnoticed
Solution Approach 1:
The control medium performs a self-service function by automatically tracing leakage paths without requiring additional active detection components. The medium itself serves as the detection agent, eliminating the need for complex sensor systems while maintaining reliable leak detection.
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 solution effectively minimizes the risk of leakage and subsequent gearbox damage by enabling early detection and alerting operators, thus preventing contamination and ensuring the longevity of the pump components.
Implementation Method 1
a supply channel for providing a control medium for lubricating the first and secondary seals
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Pump (3) with a processing area (19) with a conveying chamber (23) and a rotor (25), a gear section (21) with gear bearing (27), a drive shaft (29) for driving the rotor (25) which extends from the processing area (19) into a gear section (21), and a sealing area (35) arranged in the longitudinal direction (L) between the processing area (19) and the gear section (21) with two seals (37, 39) spaced apart in the longitudinal direction (L) and a supply channel (41) for providing control medium with lubricating properties.The sealing area (35) further comprises a control seal (43, 55) arranged adjacent to the transmission area (21) and a control area (45, 57) associated with the control seal (43, 55), which is arranged upstream of the control seal (43, 55) in such a way, preferably in the longitudinal direction (L), that medium exiting from the processing area (19) and/or the sealing area (35) first passes through the control area (45, 57) and then through the control seal (43, 55).