Reciprocating Pump Power End Frame With Offset Weld Flange
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
High pressure reciprocating pumps experience structural integrity issues due to stress concentration at weld interfaces, leading to reduced durability and increased downtime during maintenance operations.
Innovation Solution
A power end frame design featuring a ring with a flange extending from its base surface, offsetting the interface surface from the base, allowing for a weld to be applied away from stress concentration points, enabling a single-pass automated welding process to secure the ring and plate coupling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the ring is directly welded to the plate at the base surface, then the manufacturing process is simple, but stress concentration occurs at the weld interface reducing structural integrity
Solution Approach 1:
The flange extends the interface surface away from the base surface in a different spatial dimension, moving the weld interface from the stress-concentrated base surface to a location offset by the flange extension. This dimensional shift allows welding to occur at a location less susceptible to stress concentration while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The flange acts as an intermediary element between the ring and the plate, providing an offset interface surface for welding. This intermediary structure transfers the welding connection away from the critical base surface region, reducing stress concentration at the weld interface while maintaining structural integrity.
2Strength
If multiple welding passes are used to ensure weld quality, then weld strength is improved, but manufacturing time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The offset interface surface created by the flange changes the geometric parameters of the weld joint, allowing for optimized weld access and positioning. This parameter change enables high-quality welds to be achieved in a single pass by improving weld bead placement and reducing the need for multiple overlapping passes.
3Reliability
If the interface surface is offset from the base surface, then stress is distributed away from welds improving durability, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ring structure is segmented into distinct components: the base surface, the flange extension, and the offset interface surface. This segmentation allows each component to serve its specific function - the base surface for structural support, the flange for stress distribution, and the interface surface for welding - without significantly increasing overall complexity.
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 enhances the structural integrity and durability of the power end frame, reducing downtime and maintenance frequency by distributing stress away from welds and facilitating efficient automated assembly.
Implementation Method 1
applying a weld along the flange to secure the ring and the plate to one another
Data Source
AI summary
A power end frame of a reciprocating pump includes a plate and a ring configured to couple to the plate in an assembled configuration of the power end frame. The ring and the plate cooperatively define a compartment of an interior of the power end frame configured to enclose a crankshaft of the reciprocating pump, the ring includes a base surface and a flange extending from the base surface such that an interface surface of the flange is offset from the base surface, the base surface faces the compartment of the power end frame, and the interface surface is configured to abut the plate in the assembled configuration.