Rotary Pump Venting via Concave Partition Wall
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Solution Overview
Problem
Centrifugal pumps face challenges in effectively separating gases, particularly air, from the liquid being pumped, leading to noise issues due to gas reaching the impeller.
Innovation Solution
The design features a concave first area on the side surface of the partition wall in the flow channel, combined with a larger cross-section at the intake manifold opening, which reduces flow speed and pressure, enhancing bubble formation and coalescence, allowing more bubbles to rise to the venting chamber for removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the flow channel has a uniform cross-section, then the structure is simple, but the bubble formation and separation efficiency is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The partition wall is designed with a concave curvature in its first region, creating a non-uniform flow channel cross-section. This curved geometry modifies the flow dynamics to enhance bubble formation and separation efficiency, directly improving venting performance while adding structural complexity only where necessary.
Solution Approach 2:
The partition wall structure varies along its length, with a concave first region followed by a substantially straight second region. This local variation in geometry optimizes bubble formation in the concave region while maintaining structural simplicity in the straight region, balancing venting performance with manufacturing complexity.
2Productivity
If the flow velocity is high, then the pump handles more liquid volume, but gas bubbles are not adequately formed and separated
Solution Approach 1:
The concave curvature of the partition wall in the first region creates flow conditions that enhance bubble formation even at higher flow rates. The curved geometry promotes liquid circulation and gas-liquid interaction, ensuring adequate gas separation efficiency is maintained despite increased liquid flow velocity.
Solution Approach 2:
The concave partition wall introduces a dimensional variation in the flow channel, creating a three-dimensional flow pattern rather than simple linear flow. This dimensional change enhances gas-liquid interaction and bubble formation, improving separation efficiency without reducing the overall liquid flow rate.
3Ease of operation
If gas reaches the impeller, then the pump continues to operate, but noise increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The vent chamber and partition wall structure perform preliminary gas separation before the liquid reaches the impeller. Gas bubbles are captured and removed in the vent chamber upstream, preventing them from reaching the impeller and causing noise, while allowing the pump to continue operating without interruption.
Solution Approach 2:
The partition wall and vent chamber extract gas bubbles from the liquid flow before it enters the pump chamber. This extraction of the harmful gas phase separates it from the liquid phase, preventing noise generation at the impeller while maintaining continuous pump operation.
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 design significantly reduces gas reaching the impeller, thereby minimizing noise and improving venting capacity by facilitating the separation and removal of air bubbles through the venting valve.
Implementation Method 1
the concave side surface of the partition, leads to a reduction in flow velocity and pressure
Implementation Method 2
leads to a reduction in flow velocity and pressure
Implementation Method 3
increased bubble formation
Implementation Method 4
allowing the bubbles to coalesce into larger bubbles
Implementation Method 5
bubbles to rise in the venting chamber
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3
AI summary
The pump has a rotor arranged in a pump chamber, and a venting area (7) upstream to the pump chamber. The venting area is connected with the pump chamber via a suction hole (6). A separating wall (14) separates a flow channel (13) from the venting area, and the flow channel arcuately surrounds the suction hole at a distance, where fluid delivers gas bubbles i.e. air bubbles, in the venting area and the flow channel. The flow channel has a concave region (14a) defined at an inlet opening (12) of an intake port (11) and comprising cross-section larger than that in an adjacent channel region.