Reciprocating Pump Multi-Head Segmentation for Constant Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Reciprocating pumps used in agriculture suffer from inconsistent fluid flow due to high pressure during the outlet step and no fluid supply during the suction step, leading to discontinuity in irrigation, and existing solutions with storage tanks face issues like membrane stress, increased pump size, and non-constant flow rates.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a secondary chamber with a flexible membrane and a compensation chamber filled with pressurized gas, connected to the outlet duct through openings, allowing fluid to be stored and re-introduced during suction, ensuring a constant flow rate and reducing membrane stress by distributing pressure evenly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a storage tank with a second membrane is added to collect fluid during the outlet step, then the discontinuity of fluid supply is reduced, but the membrane is subjected to frequent stresses leading to breakage and the pump dimensions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The pump is divided into multiple independent heads (at least two heads), each with its own pumping chamber and membrane. This segmentation allows different heads to operate in different phases of the pumping cycle simultaneously, so that while one head is in the outlet step, another head is in the suction step, thereby maintaining continuous fluid supply without requiring a storage tank and second membrane.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple pumping chambers and membranes are merged into a single integrated pump body with common inlet and outlet conduits. The outlets of all heads are connected to a common collector that conveys fluid to the outlet conduit, combining the output of multiple chambers to achieve continuous flow while avoiding the need for separate storage tanks.
2Reliability
If a storage tank is mounted on the pump body to collect fluid during the outlet step, then fluid supply discontinuity is reduced, but the pump dimensions and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The pump utilizes multiple pumping chambers operating in parallel with phase-differentiated cycles. By having at least two heads where one chamber is discharging fluid while another is suctioning fluid, the system achieves continuous flow output without requiring additional volume for storage tanks, thus maintaining compact pump dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
The suction chambers prepare fluid for discharge by drawing it into the pumping chambers during the outlet phase of other chambers. This preliminary action ensures that fluid is ready for immediate discharge, maintaining continuous flow without requiring storage volume.
3Device complexity
If a single pumping chamber is used, then the pump structure is simple, but the fluid supply is discontinuous with high pressure during outlet step and no supply during suction step
Solution Approach 1:
The single pumping chamber is segmented into multiple independent chambers (at least two heads), each capable of independent operation. This segmentation transforms the discontinuous output of a single chamber into a continuous composite output, as different chambers are at different stages of the pumping cycle simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The multiple pumping chambers are arranged to operate in a continuous cycle where the output of one chamber compensates for the intake phase of another. The common collector combines the discharge from all chambers, ensuring that fluid supply to the outlet conduit is continuous without interruption, thereby maintaining constant flow rate.
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 provides a substantially constant fluid flow rate and reduces membrane stress, making the pump more reliable and easier to install with smaller dimensions, ensuring consistent irrigation without significant variations during suction and outlet steps.
Implementation Method 1
a compensation chamber (14) filled with a pressurised gas... the pressure of gas inside the secondary chamber presses the membrane towards the collector pushing the fluid present in the storage tank once again into the collector
Implementation Method 2
Each head (3) comprises a flexible membrane (15) separating the secondary chamber (11) from the pump body (2)... the membrane (15) is movable between a first position approaching the closing cover (10) and a second position moving away from the bottom of the closing cover (10)
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3
AI summary
Reciprocating pump (1), comprising: several heads (3) mounted on a pump body (2) and each comprising a shaped body (4) which defines one main chamber (5), a suction duct (6) and an outlet duct (7); a pumping member (8) movable inside the main chamber (5) for suctioning a fluid to be pumped into the main chamber (5) and discharge it from the latter. Furthermore, each head (3) comprises: a closing cover (10) fixed to the shaped body (4) and defining with the latter a secondary chamber (11) connected to the outlet duct (7) by means of at least one first opening (12) obtained on the shaped body (4); a sealing body (13), which is arranged inside the secondary chamber (11) and defines with the closing cover (10) a compensation chamber (14) insulated from the outlet duct (7). The sealing body (13) is movable between a first position approaching the closing cover (10), wherein it is pushed towards the closing cover (10) by the fluid which enters into the secondary chamber (11) through the outlet duct (7) by means of the first opening (12), when the pumping member (8) discharges the fluid from the main chamber (5), and a second position moving away from the closing cover (10), wherein the sealing body (13) discharges the fluid from the secondary chamber (11) through the first opening (12), when the pumping member (8) suctions another fluid into the main chamber (5) through the suction duct (6).