Pump Intake Guide Vanes for Slurry Wear Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Centrifugal slurry pumps face issues with uneven solids concentration and velocity gradients at the inlet, leading to inefficient impeller design and accelerated wear, particularly in handling heterogeneous slurries with settling particles.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of a pump intake device with guide vanes of varying exit angles to redistribute abrasive wear from the impeller to the intake device, optimizing fluid entry and reducing wear patterns by aligning particulate matter for 'shockless' entry onto impeller vanes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the pump intake is arranged horizontally to handle heterogeneous slurries, then the pump can process settling particles, but a solids concentration gradient forms with higher concentration at the bottom, causing reduced particle velocity and skewed velocity gradients
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing different exit angles for guides at different locations within the intake passage. Specifically, guides in a lower portion (where higher solids concentration occurs) have different exit angles compared to guides in an upper portion, thereby locally adapting the flow distribution to compensate for the concentration gradient and achieve more uniform velocity gradients across the impeller inlet.
2Productivity
If impeller pumping vanes are designed for shockless entry, then pumping efficiency is improved, but the skewed velocity and concentration gradients from horizontal intake cause non-uniform flow conditions that prevent optimal shockless entry design
Solution Approach 1:
The patent provides different exit angles for guides located in different portions of the intake passage. Guides in the lower portion (exposed to higher solids concentration) have exit angles specifically designed to increase particle velocity, while guides in the upper portion have different exit angles. This local differentiation compensates for the concentration gradient and creates more uniform velocity gradients at the impeller inlet, enabling optimal shockless entry design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by using guides to pre-adjust the velocity and direction of particles before they reach the impeller. The guides are configured to counteract the adverse effects of the concentration gradient in advance, increasing velocity in the lower portion and directing particles to achieve uniform velocity gradients, thereby preventing the formation of non-uniform flow conditions that would compromise shockless entry.
3Device complexity
If the intake passage directs particles through guides with uniform exit angles, then the structure is simple, but uneven wear patterns develop on the impeller due to skewed velocity gradients
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality by configuring guides with different exit angles at different locations within the intake passage. Rather than using a uniform guide design, the lower portion guides have different exit angles compared to upper portion guides, creating a more complex but necessary differentiation to achieve uniform particle velocity distribution and even wear patterns on the impeller.
Solution Approach 2:
The guides perform preliminary action by pre-distributing particles with appropriate velocity and direction before they reach the impeller. This pre-adjustment prevents excessive localized wear on the impeller by ensuring uniform velocity gradients, thereby extending impeller lifespan and improving reliability.
4Duration of action of stationary object
If guides with varying exit angles are introduced to redistribute wear, then impeller lifespan is extended, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing different exit angles for guides in different portions of the intake passage. This localized differentiation allows the system to achieve uniform velocity gradients and even wear distribution on the impeller, thereby extending impeller lifespan while keeping the complexity increase manageable through a systematic rather than random variation in guide angles.
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 configuration reduces wear on the impeller, extends its lifespan, and improves pumping efficiency by evenly distributing wear between the impeller and intake device, addressing the issue of skewed velocity and concentration gradients.
Implementation Method 1
a first portion of the inner surface having one or more first guides thereon for directing fluid passing through the intake passage so that in use said fluid leaves the exit end at the first portion with an exit angle which is inclined relative to the central axis
Implementation Method 2
aligning particulate matter for 'shockless' entry onto impeller vanes
Data Source
AI summary
A pump intake device comprising a main body which includes a side wall section having an inner side and an outer side, an intake section extending from the outer side of the side wall section and an intake passage extending through the intake section, the intake passage having an inner surface and an entry end and an exit end with a central axis extending between the entry and exit ends, a first portion of the inner surface having one or more first guides thereon for directing fluid passing through the intake passage so that in use said fluid leaves the exit end at the first portion with an exit angle which is inclined relative to the central axis.