Segmented Pump Gear Crankshaft for Modular Flow Expansion

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing pump gear crankshafts are expensive and complex to expand to increase flow rate, requiring disassembly and replacement of large parts to achieve uniform fluid delivery under high pressure and temperature conditions, especially when adding additional positive displacement pumps.

Innovation Solution

A pump gear crankshaft design with a drive shaft and multiple offsets that can be connected at different angles, allowing for a simple expansion by adjusting the phase shift between displacement pumps, using one-piece connecting rods and a form-fitting connection between the drive shaft and cranks, enabling the addition of more pumps without full system dismantling.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If pump gear crankshafts are expanded to increase flow rate by adding more positive displacement pumps, then the flow rate increases, but the system complexity and cost increase due to requiring full disassembly and replacement of large parts

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveflow rateVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The crankshaft is divided into a drive shaft and multiple independently replaceable cranks. Each crank can be individually exchanged without replacing the entire crankshaft assembly, enabling system expansion while reducing complexity. The cranks are segmented as separate modules that can be configured in different arrangements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The crank arrangement is made dynamically configurable through releasable connections between cranks and the drive shaft. This allows the phase shift between pumps to be adjusted by reconfiguring crank positions or replacing cranks with different angular orientations, enabling flow rate optimization without complete system disassembly.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Productivity

If pump gear crankshafts are expanded by adding more positive displacement pumps, then the flow rate increases, but the conversion cost increases due to replacing large and complicated parts

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveflow rateVSAvoidconversion cost
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

By segmenting the crankshaft into replaceable crank modules, the conversion cost is reduced from replacing entire large crankshaft assemblies to exchanging only the necessary crank components. This modular approach lowers material costs and manufacturing complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different cranks can be designed with varying parameters such as angular orientation, offset distances, and connection configurations. This allows optimization of pump arrangements for different flow rate requirements without redesigning the entire crankshaft, reducing conversion costs through parameter adjustment rather than complete replacement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Stability of the object's composition

If cranks are firmly connected to the drive shaft, then the structural stability increases, but the adaptability decreases when phase shift adjustments are needed

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural stabilityVSAvoidphase shift adaptability
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The connection between cranks and the drive shaft is designed to be dynamically adjustable rather than permanently fixed. Releasable connections allow the system to maintain structural stability during operation while enabling phase shift adjustments when needed, balancing stability and adaptability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The crankshaft is segmented into independently replaceable cranks with releasable connections to the drive shaft. This segmentation allows individual cranks to be exchanged or repositioned to change phase shifts while maintaining the overall structural integrity of the drive shaft and remaining crank assembly.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP2458210B1Crankshaft for a pump gear mechanism
Publication Date: 2016.01.27 SPX FLOW TECH NORDERSTEDT
  • EP2458210B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2458210B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2458210B1 patent drawingFigure 3~5

AI summary

The pump gear crankshaft has a drive shaft (10) and a crank, where the crank is arranged in a connecting rod (30) for driving a displacer of a pump. The pump gear crankshaft is designed such that the crank is positively connected with the drive shaft at different angles to drive shaft. The drive shaft is connected with a crank in a form fit rotating manner.