Segmented Propeller Hub for Wastewater Clarifier Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing propellers for wastewater circulation in clarifiers have a large transport volume and are difficult to install on a shaft when an agitator body is already mounted, requiring significant effort and labor.
Innovation Solution
A propeller formed from multiple elements with interlocking hub portions and connection profiles that surround the shaft, allowing for secure and easy assembly, even when an agitator body is already present, utilizing a splined shaft with corresponding mating profiles and a frictional clamping connection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a propeller is produced in one piece with the hub, then the structural strength is improved, but the transport volume increases and installation becomes laborious
Solution Approach 1:
The propeller is divided into multiple elements (at least two) that can be separately manufactured and assembled. Each element has a hub portion with connection portions that interlock with adjacent elements, allowing the propeller to be transported in smaller segments and assembled on-site without requiring excessive transport volume or complex installation procedures.
2Strength
If a propeller is produced in one piece with the hub, then the structural strength is improved, but the installation effort increases when an agitator body is already mounted
Solution Approach 1:
The propeller is divided into multiple elements that can be assembled in sections around the shaft. The connection portions with bearing surfaces allow adjacent elements to be interlocked and secured together, enabling installation even when space is constrained by an existing agitator body, while maintaining structural integrity through the interlocking design.
3Volume of moving object
If the propeller is formed from multiple elements, then the transport volume is reduced and installation becomes easier, but the connection complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The connection portions of adjacent elements are designed to interlock directly with each other through bearing surfaces, creating a unified hub structure when assembled. This merging of multiple elements into a cohesive whole simplifies the overall connection system while allowing the propeller to be transported and stored in smaller, more manageable segments.
4Strength
If connection portions are designed to bear interlockingly, then the connection strength is improved, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The connection portions are designed with specific local features including bearing surfaces and interlocking geometries that concentrate the load-bearing functions in localized areas. This allows for standardized manufacturing of connection interfaces while maintaining high connection strength through optimized local contact areas rather than requiring precision throughout the entire component.
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 solution reduces the transport volume of the propeller, enables quick and easy installation on a shaft with an existing agitator body, and provides a strong, secure connection, while preventing contaminant entry through an elastic plate sealing the gap between connection portions.
Implementation Method 1
A thin plate made of an elastic material, for example rubber or the like, may be mounted on the first and/or second connection portion. The plate, when installed, closes a gap formed between the first connection portion and the adjacent, further, second connection portion.
Data Source
AI summary
A propeller fastened to a shaft in a clamping manner, the shaft having a driver profile extending in the axial direction, wherein: the propeller is formed from multiple elements, each element (having a hub portion with a counter profile corresponding to the driver profile; a first connection portion and a propeller blade extending from the first connection portion are formed on one side of the hub portion, and a second connection portion is formed on the opposite other side of the hub portion; the first connection portion is designed to bear interlockingly against a further second connection portion of an adjacent further element; and, when the elements are connected such that their connection portions bear against one another, the hub portions of all the elements complement one another to form a hub surrounding the shaft in an interlocking manner.