Rotary Piston Pump Pigging Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pumps lack a robust and simple design that allows for effective pigging, which is essential for cleaning the internal lines, and often have complex structures that hinder efficient operation and maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A fully piggable pump design featuring a pump housing with a rotatable pump body and separate line sections, where pistons are guided axially and can be moved into a pigging position to close the pumping opening, allowing for a pig to clean the lines, and includes a piggable shut-off mechanism, phase relationship between pistons, and an overpressure safety device to prevent pressure buildup.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the pump is designed to allow pigging for cleaning line sections, then line cleanliness is improved, but the pump structure becomes more complex due to additional closure mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The piston itself serves dual functions: as a pumping element during operation and as a closure element for pigging. The piston's free end with recess automatically forms a closed inner contour with the pump opening, eliminating the need for separate closure devices and enabling self-service pigging capability
Solution Approach 2:
The piston is designed to perform multiple functions: fluid pumping during operation and line closure during pigging. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components needed, allowing the pump to switch between pumping and pigging modes using the same basic structure
2Productivity
If separate line sections are provided in the pump head for suction and pressure lines, then fluid handling efficiency is improved, but the pump head complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pump head is segmented into separate line sections for suction and pressure lines, each with its own connection openings and pump openings. This segmentation allows independent routing and cleaning of each line while maintaining efficient fluid handling through dedicated pathways
3Ease of operation
If the piston closes the pump opening in a piggable manner forming a closed inner contour, then complete line accessibility for pigging is improved, but the piston design becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The piston's free end with recess automatically forms a closed inner contour with the pump opening when in the pigging position, creating a self-sealing mechanism that ensures complete line accessibility without requiring additional sealing components or complex adjustment mechanisms
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 enables robust, efficient operation and maintenance by ensuring all areas of the pump can be accessed for cleaning and protects against overpressure, ensuring reliable fluid handling and line cleanliness.
Implementation Method 1
The pump body (94) is rotatably mounted in the pump housing (36) and has at least one piston (66, 68) which is guided in a piston guide (70, 72) and which is moved back and forth in the axial direction via a piston drive when the pump body rotates
Implementation Method 2
Furthermore, the pump body (94) is pushed into the pump housing (36) by a spring assembly (98)
Implementation Method 3
A drive pin of the piston is guided in the circumferential groove, thereby setting the position of the piston. With a corresponding, for example sinusoidal, shape of the groove, the piston can be periodically moved back and forth
Data Source
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AI summary
A pump comprising: - a pump housing with a pump head (48) and a pump body (94), - wherein the pump head (48) has two pipe sections (76, 78), each of which has connection openings at its end and a pump opening (80, 82) along the pipe section (76, 78), - and the pump body (94) is rotatably mounted in the pump housing and has at least one piston (66, 68) guided in a piston guide (70, 72) in the pump body (94), which is moved forward and backward in the axial direction by means of a piston drive during a rotational movement of the pump body (94), - wherein the piston guide (70, 72) is in contact with the pump opening (80) of the first pipe section (76) in a first position of the pump body (94) and in contact with the pump opening (82) of the second pipe section (78) in a second rotational position, and - which has at least a piston (66,68) in an axially advanced position has at least one pigging position in which the at least one piston closes the pumping opening of one of the pipe sections in a piggable manner.