Rim Driven Thruster Impeller Detachment for Magnetic Element Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing rim driven thrusters require hazardous, time-consuming, and costly replacement of impellers, leading to significant waste due to the need to discard magnetic elements when replacing or repairing damaged impellers, as the magnetic elements are typically integrated with the impeller and difficult to safely transfer.
Innovation Solution
The design allows for the detachment of the impeller from the drive body, enabling easy and efficient replacement or repair without interfering with the magnetic elements, which are relocated to a rotor tube, allowing for reuse and reducing waste by keeping the magnetic elements intact and avoiding hazardous handling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the magnetic elements are integrated with the impeller, then the structural integrity is improved, but the ease of repair deteriorates because the entire assembly must be replaced when the impeller is damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The rotor assembly is segmented into two separable parts: the impeller and the drive body. The impeller can be detached from the drive body, allowing the impeller to be replaced without affecting the magnetic elements on the drive body. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by enabling independent replacement of the impeller while preserving the integrated magnetic elements.
2Ease of manufacture
If the magnetic elements are integrated with the impeller, then the manufacturing simplicity is improved, but the loss of substance worsens because the magnetic elements must be discarded with the damaged impeller
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the rotor assembly into the impeller and drive body, the magnetic elements remain on the drive body which is not discarded. Only the impeller is replaced, preserving the valuable magnetic elements and reducing material loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The design enables recovery of the magnetic elements by keeping them on the drive body when the impeller is replaced. The magnetic elements are recovered and reused, avoiding the waste that would occur if they were integrated with and discarded with the impeller.
3Device complexity
If the magnetic elements are integrated with the impeller, then the device complexity is reduced, but the ease of operation deteriorates because hazardous handling is required during replacement
Solution Approach 1:
Segmenting the rotor assembly allows the impeller to be separated from the magnetic elements on the drive body. This enables safe replacement of the impeller without handling hazardous magnetic elements, improving ease of operation while maintaining relatively simple device structure.
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 solution facilitates safe, efficient, and cost-effective swapping of impellers, reducing waste and maintaining the integrity of magnetic elements, while ensuring the magnetic elements are not damaged during replacement or repair operations, thus improving operational efficiency and reducing costs.
Implementation Method 1
the stator includes one or more electromagnets to provide magnetic flux for interaction with the one or more magnetic elements to cause rotation of the rotor assembly
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
An electrical machine including a stator; and a rotor assembly (50) rotatably mounted within the stator. The rotor assembly has an impeller (52), and a drive body (54) including one or more magnetic elements (64). The stator includes one or more electromagnets for electromagnetic interaction with the one or more magnetic elements (64). The drive body (54) is detachably coupled to the impeller (52).