Piston Pump Diagnostic Port for Leak Source Identification
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Solution Overview
Problem
In high-pressure liquid chromatography systems, diagnosing the source of fluid leaks in pumps is challenging due to the difficulty in distinguishing between leaks from high-pressure seals and check valves, often requiring disassembly for identification.
Innovation Solution
A diagnostic port system is integrated into the pump design, allowing for visual or sensor-based detection of leaks around the circumference of high-pressure seals, eliminating the need for disassembly by providing separate detection for leaks at the inside and outside diameters of the seals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If diagnostic testing is performed on high-pressure pumps, then leak detection capability is improved, but the ability to identify specific failure modes (source and cause of leak) deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the diagnostic capability into multiple separate ports: a first diagnostic port for detecting leaks at the inside diameter of the seal and a second diagnostic port for detecting leaks at the outside diameter of the seal. This segmentation allows each port to provide specific diagnostic information about different leak locations, thereby maintaining leak detection capability while improving failure mode identification.
2Measurement precision
If pump components are disassembled for leak source identification, then diagnostic precision is improved, but maintenance time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The diagnostic ports are pre-configured during pump assembly to provide direct access to different seal locations. By establishing these diagnostic access points in advance, the system enables leak source identification without requiring disassembly of the pump components during maintenance, thus improving diagnostic precision while reducing maintenance time.
3Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If multiple diagnostic ports are added to distinguish leak locations, then diagnostic capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the diagnostic function from the main pump body by incorporating separate, dedicated diagnostic ports that can be accessed independently. This allows the diagnostic capability to be added without fundamentally altering the pump's core structure, thereby improving leak location differentiation while minimizing increases in overall device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Described are embodiments of a pump having a diagnostic port that enables users and support personnel to diagnose the source of a pump leak. The diagnostic port is monitored visually or with a pressure or liquid detection sensor. In some embodiments, fluid detected at the diagnostic port corresponds to a leak around a circumference defined at an outer sealing surface of a high pressure seal. In other embodiments, fluid detected at the diagnostic port corresponds to a leak around a plunger at the inside diameter of the high pressure seal. Multiple diagnostic ports can be provided to allow separate determinations of leaks about the different portions of the high pressure seal. The embodiments may eliminate the need to disassemble the pump to determine the source of leaks. Thus the effort required to diagnose and repair the pump can be substantially reduced, and fewer misdiagnosed components are ordered or replaced.