Rotary Vane Pump Wear Detection Using Radial Markings
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing rotary vane pumps face challenges in accurately monitoring vane wear during operation, leading to potential failure and damage, especially in harsh environments, with current methods being imprecise and requiring pump disassembly for measurement.
Innovation Solution
A wear detection assembly featuring a vane with a radially varying marking and a fixed detector to read the marking, allowing real-time monitoring of vane wear without disassembly, using a bar code or laser sensor to determine the vane's length and degree of wear.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If vanes are monitored using a measuring stylus inserted into an access port, then wear measurement can be performed without disassembling the pump, but the measurement precision is insufficient and conservative criteria must be applied
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical measuring stylus system with an optical detection system. A marking with radially varying characteristics is applied to the vane, and an optical detector reads this marking to determine vane length. This substitution of mechanical measurement with optical measurement achieves both ease of operation (no disassembly needed) and high measurement precision (accurate optical reading of the marking).
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates an optical copy or representation of the vane length information through the marking system. Instead of directly measuring the physical vane with a stylus, the marking encodes length information that can be optically read, creating a copy of the measurement information that is easier to access and more precise to read.
2Measurement precision
If vanes are examined at periodic maintenance intervals, then wear degree can be determined, but the pump must be disassembled during downtime which is time and labour intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables continuous monitoring of vane wear during pump operation through the optical detection system. The detector reads the marking on the vane while the pump is running, allowing wear assessment without stopping the pump. This continuous monitoring eliminates periodic maintenance downtime while maintaining accurate wear degree determination.
Solution Approach 2:
The pump system performs its own wear monitoring through the integrated optical detection system. The marking on the vane and the detector work together to automatically assess wear conditions during operation, eliminating the need for external manual examination and disassembly during maintenance intervals.
3Reliability
If vanes are replaced based on usage time, then pump failure can be avoided, but wear is not always linear and can accelerate causing premature replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback system where the optical detector continuously monitors the actual wear condition of the vane through the marking. This real-time feedback on actual wear state allows for condition-based replacement decisions rather than time-based replacement, ensuring replacement occurs only when actually needed and preventing both premature replacement and pump failure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from replacing vanes based on time parameter to replacing them based on actual wear condition parameter. The optical detection of the marking provides direct measurement of vane length/wear state, allowing replacement decisions to be based on the actual physical condition of the vane rather than estimated time-based wear, thus avoiding premature replacement while maintaining reliability.
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
Enables precise, real-time monitoring of vane wear, preventing premature replacement and maximizing vane life by detecting wear during operation, thus avoiding pump failure and reducing downtime.
Implementation Method 1
a detector fixed relative to the housing and arranged to read the marking at a predetermined radial distance from the housing
Data Source
Figure 1a~1c
Figure 2~4
Figure 5
AI summary
An assembly for detecting wear of a vane (4) of a rotary vane pump, the assembly comprising: a vane (4) configured to be mounted in a radial slot (3) of a rotor of a rotary vane pump, the vane having a vane body of non-electrically conductive material, the vane body configured to, in use, extend from the slot to contact an electrically earthed housing (6) of the rotor; the vane being provided with a marking (5) having at least one characteristic that varies in the radial direction; the assembly further comprising a sensing device (8, 12) fixed relative to the housing and arranged to read the marking at a predetermined radial distance from the housing, whereby the characteristic of the marking that is read by the sensing device is indicative of wear of the vane.