Pump Seal Pressure Using Second Fluid
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pumps lack an efficient mechanism to introduce a second fluid while preventing backflow, requiring additional components like springs to urge seals against the rotor, which complicates the design and increases costs.
Innovation Solution
A pump design with a flexible seal and a second inlet that supplies the second fluid to a seal chamber, using its pressure to urge the seal against the rotor, eliminating the need for external urging mechanisms and simplifying the pump's structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a spring or resilient tube is used to urge the seal against the rotor, then the seal engagement is maintained, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The second fluid supply automatically maintains seal engagement through its own pressure, eliminating the need for external springs or resilient tubes. The fluid pressure itself serves the dual purpose of sealing and urging the seal against the rotor.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the pressure of the second fluid (a pneumatic or hydraulic principle) to urge the flexible seal against the rotor surface, replacing mechanical spring-based urging mechanisms with fluid pressure-based urging.
2Stress or pressure
If a separate urging mechanism is provided, then seal pressure is maintained, but the pump structure becomes more complex and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The second fluid supply serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides the second fluid to the outlet, maintains pressure in the seal chamber, and urges the seal against the rotor. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate urging mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates the separate spring or resilient tube urging mechanism from the pump design, using only the essential second fluid supply to perform all necessary functions including seal urging.
3Device complexity
If the seal chamber is not pressurized by the second fluid, then the structure is simpler, but the seal cannot be reliably maintained against the rotor
Solution Approach 1:
The second fluid acts as an intermediary that transmits pressure to the seal chamber, which in turn applies force to the flexible seal to maintain its engagement with the rotor surface, ensuring reliable sealing.
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 design simplifies the pump, reduces manufacturing costs, and ensures reliable operation by using the pressure of the second fluid to maintain the seal, allowing for effective mixing of fluids without backflow.
Implementation Method 1
a second inlet (16) is provided for the supply of a second fluid to the seal chamber to apply said second fluid to the surface of the seal opposite a rotor-engaging surface of the seal to urge the seal against the rotor
Data Source
Figure 1~2
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Figure 5
AI summary
A pump is formed by a housing (10) having an inlet (11) and an outlet (12) for a fluid. The housing (10) contains a rotor (13) provided with at least one surface recess (17a, 17b, 17c, 17d) that forms with an interior surface of the rotor a chamber (18a, 18b, 18c, 18d) that, on rotation of the rotor (13), conveys fluid from the inlet (11) to the outlet (12). A flexible seal (23) is provided on or as part of the housing (10) and is located between the inlet (11) and the outlet (12) to engage the rotor (13) to prevent fluid passing from the outlet (12) to the inlet (11). A second inlet (16) is provided leading to the outlet (12) for the supply to the outlet (12) of a second fluid and the second inlet (16) also supplies the second fluid to the back of the seal (23) to urge the seal (23) against the rotor (13).