Progressive Cavity Pump Rotor Hybrid Build for Weight Balance

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Manufacturing progressive cavity pump rotors with reduced weight, even wall thickness, and specified radial weight distribution is challenging using traditional subtractive manufacturing processes, while additive manufacturing can be slow, less strong, and more expensive.

Innovation Solution

A hybrid manufacturing approach combining additive and subtractive methods, where the scroll portion is additively manufactured for even wall thickness and radial weight distribution, and the head portion is subtractively manufactured for strength, with a non-collinear joint connecting them.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If additive manufacturing is used to manufacture the rotor, then even wall thickness and radial weight distribution are achieved, but manufacturing speed is slow and strength is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewall thickness uniformityVSAvoidmanufacturing speed

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The rotor is divided into two separate portions: the scroll portion is additively manufactured to achieve even wall thickness and radial weight distribution, while the head portion is subtractively manufactured to ensure strength and faster production. This segmentation allows each portion to be manufactured using the most appropriate method for its specific requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different manufacturing methods are applied to different portions of the rotor based on their specific functional requirements. The scroll portion requires precise geometric control for fluid dynamics, while the head portion requires high strength for mechanical coupling, allowing optimized local manufacturing approaches.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Manufacturing precision

If additive manufacturing is used to manufacture the rotor, then even wall thickness and radial weight distribution are achieved, but manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveradial weight distributionVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The rotor is divided into two separate portions: the scroll portion is additively manufactured to achieve even radial weight distribution, while the head portion is subtractively manufactured to ensure strength and faster production. This segmentation allows each portion to be manufactured using the most appropriate method for its specific requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Strength

If traditional subtractive manufacturing is used, then strength is maintained, but weight reduction and wall thickness uniformity are compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverotor strengthVSAvoidwall thickness uniformity

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

4Stability of the object's composition

If the rotor is manufactured as a single piece, then structural integrity is maintained, but weight reduction and manufacturing efficiency are compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural integrityVSAvoidmanufacturing efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The rotor is divided into two separate portions that are manufactured independently and then assembled. The scroll portion and head portion are connected through a coupling rod with non-collinear joints, maintaining structural integrity while allowing optimized manufacturing of each component.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Two different manufacturing methods (additive and subtractive) are merged in the production of a single rotor assembly. The scroll portion and head portion are manufactured separately using their respective optimal methods, then combined through mechanical coupling to form the complete rotor.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS20250369439A1Progressive cavity pump rotor

Publication Date: 2025.12.04 NAT OILWELL VARCO LP

AI summary

A progressive cavity pump rotor can include a scroll portion, which can be configured to interface with a stator, and a head portion, which can be configured to be coupled to a coupling rod with a non-collinear joint, where the scroll portion can be releasably coupled to the head portion with a collinear joint.