Self-Priming Pump Assembly for Silent Marine Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Marine vessels face insufficient cooling due to air presence in the cooling system, which existing technologies struggle to address effectively, especially in electric marine propulsion systems where noise is a concern and self-priming pumps are not suitable.
Innovation Solution
A compact, self-priming pump assembly with a check valve housed together, capable of initiating a cooling flow even with air present, and designed to prime a main centrifugal pump for efficient and silent operation, utilizing a T-shaped or L-shaped configuration to minimize flow resistance and noise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a self-priming pump is used to initiate cooling flow, then the cooling system can start operating even with air present, but the pump generates noise that masks the silence of electric marine propulsion systems
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into two separate pumps: a self-priming pump for initiating flow and a silent centrifugal pump for main cooling operation. The self-priming pump is activated only temporarily to prime the system, then deactivated once the centrifugal pump takes over, eliminating continuous noise generation.
Solution Approach 2:
The self-priming pump performs a preliminary action by establishing initial cooling flow and removing air from the system before the centrifugal pump begins operation. This preliminary priming ensures the main pump can operate silently without air pockets interfering with its performance.
2Ease of manufacture
If separate components for self-priming pump and check valve are used, then each component can be optimized independently, but the overall assembly becomes more complex and harder to install
Solution Approach 1:
The self-priming pump and check valve are merged into a single integrated assembly that functions as one unit. This combination simplifies installation by reducing the number of separate components to be mounted and connected in the cooling system, while maintaining the functional benefits of both elements.
3Device complexity
If a compact pump assembly is used, then installation space is reduced and assembly is simplified, but flow resistance may increase
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is designed with differentiated flow paths: the valve housing portion provides a dedicated passage for passive flow with minimal resistance, while the pump housing portion accommodates the self-priming pump mechanism. This local differentiation of flow characteristics within the compact assembly optimizes fluid dynamics while maintaining space efficiency.
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 ensures effective cooling by allowing the pump assembly to initiate a cooling flow even with air in the system, while being compact, cost-effective, and reducing noise, making it suitable for electric marine propulsion systems.
Implementation Method 1
the pump assembly may initiate a cooling flow of seawater through the cooling system even in case there is air present in the cooling system
Implementation Method 2
the check valve comprises a movable valve member that is movable between a nominal position, in which the valve member is positioned when the flow through the pump assembly is a passive flow
Implementation Method 3
this cooling fluid is in turn cooled by seawater that is pumped through a heat exchanger
Data Source
AI summary
A pump assembly for a marine cooling system, includes a self-priming pump, a check valve and a housing containing the self-priming pump and the check valve.