Pump Wear Ring Passages for Pressure-Induced Deformation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Centrifugal pump wear rings fail due to deformation caused by large pressure differentials, leading to reduced performance and potential system failure, as nonmetallic materials deform under high pressure conditions and temperature variations.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating multiple passages or holes in the wear ring, evenly spaced around its diameter, to relieve pressure gradients and prevent deformation, allowing fluid to pass through and reducing the pressure differential between the inner and outer diameters, while using materials with low thermal expansion coefficients like stainless steel.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If multiple passages are added to the wear ring to relieve pressure gradients, then deformation is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wear ring incorporates multiple passages or holes through its structure, creating a porous-like configuration that allows fluid to pass through. This relieves pressure gradients across the wear ring material, preventing deformation while maintaining structural integrity. The passages enable pressure equalization without requiring complete structural redesign.
Solution Approach 2:
The wear ring is divided into multiple sections by incorporating passages or holes through its body. This segmentation allows different regions of the wear ring to experience more uniform pressure distribution, reducing differential pressure-induced deformation while maintaining the overall cylindrical structure.
2Loss of energy
If nonmetallic materials are used in the wear ring, then leakage is reduced, but reliability deteriorates under high pressure and temperature variations
Solution Approach 1:
The wear ring utilizes composite construction by combining multiple passages with appropriate materials (metal or nonmetallic). This composite approach allows the structure to benefit from both the sealing properties of nonmetallic materials and the pressure resistance of the passages, which relieve stress concentrations that would otherwise cause deformation and leakage.
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 significantly reduces deformation and leakage, enhancing pump efficiency by up to 9.2% and maintaining performance under high pressures up to 2,320 psi, with reduced tangential whirl and axial flow disruption, and increased rotor-dynamic damping.
Implementation Method 1
The multiple passages between the inside diameter and the outside diameter may allow fluid under pressure to pass between the inside diameter and the outside diameter through the multiple passages
Implementation Method 2
The wear ring may be made out of a material with a low coefficient of thermal expansion. The low coefficient of thermal expansion of the wear ring material may be equal to or lower than a coefficient of thermal expansion of carbon steel
Data Source
AI summary
A device is disclosed including a wear ring formed as a hollow cylinder with an inside diameter and an outside diameter. The hollow cylinder may have multiple holes through at least a portion of the wear ring from the inside diameter towards the outside diameter. The multiple holes may be passages between the inside diameter and the outside diameter that allow fluid under pressure to pass between the inside diameter and the outside diameter through the multiple holes.