Unitary Rotary Coupling Structure for Misalignment Flexibility
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional couplings for rotating equipment face limitations in accommodating misalignment, leading to high stresses and potential failure due to fatigue fractures, and often require additional flexible elements that increase weight and cost.
Innovation Solution
A unitary body coupling member with first and second coupling elements and a hub, formed as a single piece, featuring parallel planes and reduced material distribution in circular patterns, along with optional voids and varying thicknesses, to enhance flexibility and reduce weight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional couplings are used to accommodate misalignment, then torque transmission is achieved, but high stresses and fatigue fractures occur
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling is divided into multiple flexible elements (blades) that can independently deflect to accommodate misalignment. Each blade acts as a separate flexible element that transmits torque while absorbing misalignment stresses, preventing fatigue fractures in a single rigid structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible elements are designed with varying thickness profiles (thicker at roots, thinner at tips) and optimized geometric parameters to achieve the desired balance between strength and flexibility. This allows the coupling to maintain strength where needed while providing flexibility to accommodate misalignment.
2Adaptability or versatility
If additional flexible elements are incorporated to increase misalignment tolerance, then misalignment accommodation improves, but weight and fabrication cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible elements have non-uniform thickness distribution with thicker sections at the roots for strength and thinner sections at the tips for flexibility. This local variation in quality allows the coupling to achieve high misalignment tolerance without adding excessive weight throughout the entire structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling employs composite construction with flexible elements made from materials optimized for both strength and flexibility. The combination of different material properties in specific regions allows high misalignment tolerance with minimal weight increase.
3Adaptability or versatility
If additional flexible elements are incorporated to increase misalignment tolerance, then misalignment accommodation improves, but fabrication cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple flexible elements are combined into a single integrally formed coupling body, eliminating the need for separate components and complex assembly processes. This merging reduces fabrication cost while maintaining high misalignment tolerance through the integrated flexible element design.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling geometry is optimized with specific thickness ratios and dimensional parameters that allow efficient manufacturing. The design parameters are chosen to facilitate cost-effective fabrication processes while achieving the required misalignment tolerance.
Data Source
AI summary
Coupling members to join two rotary members are described. The coupling members include a unitary body having a first coupling element, a second coupling element, and a hub, wherein the unitary body forms a single piece with the hub extending between and connecting the first coupling element to the second coupling element. The first coupling element defines a first plane, the second coupling element defines a second plane with the first and second planes being parallel, and the hub defines a hub axis normal to the first and second planes. Each of the first and second coupling elements comprise a plurality of connection elements arranged about a respective circumference having a respective radius extending from the hub axis, wherein a material of the respective coupling element in a respective circle and in a respective plane is less than the area of the circle.