Multiple Segment Lobe Pump Flow Pulsation Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current lobe pumps experience flow pulsations, limiting their widespread use, especially in applications requiring continuous flow, and geometric constraints prevent the manufacturing of three helical lobe pumps due to unworkable inlet and outlet dimensions.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates multiple coaxial pump segments with identical lobes on each shaft, positioned with a predetermined angular offset to eliminate cyclic flow variations, allowing for smooth, continuous discharge, and includes timing gears to precisely align rotors, reducing pulsations to less than 1% in some configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single segment lobe pump is used, then the pump structure is simple, but flow pulsations are significant
Solution Approach 1:
The pump is divided into multiple identical segments arranged coaxially around a central drive shaft. Each segment contains its own rotor assembly with lobes that pump fluid independently. By segmenting the pump into multiple identical units operating in parallel, the flow pulsations from each segment are phase-shifted and cancel each other out, resulting in smooth continuous flow while maintaining reasonable structural complexity.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If multiple segments are added to reduce pulsations, then flow continuity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple rotor assemblies are merged around a single central drive shaft, sharing common drive mechanism and housing structure. The segments are arranged radially and connected through a common drive system, which reduces overall complexity compared to having separate drive mechanisms for each segment. This merging approach allows flow pulsation reduction while controlling structural complexity.
3Productivity
If a three helical lobe design is used, then pumping efficiency is improved, but inlet and outlet dimensions become unworkably small
Solution Approach 1:
The pump transitions from a planar two-dimensional rotor design to a three-dimensional coaxial multi-segment configuration. By arranging multiple segments radially around the drive shaft in three-dimensional space, the pump achieves the benefits of helical lobe pumping action while providing adequate inlet and outlet port dimensions through the radial arrangement, eliminating the geometric constraints of single-plane designs.
Data Source
AI summary
Designs for multiple segment lobe pumps are shown. The designs include pumps using rotors having two lobes to a plurality of lobes and segments that include two segments to a plurality of segments. Designs for both vertical or straight walled conventional lobed rotors as well as helical lobe rotors are shown. The designs are applicable to a variety of rotors and number of segments. In one particular case the designs enable a three lobe helical pump.