Side-Channel Pump Leakage Area Modification for Dosing and Vacuum
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional side channel pumps are primarily designed for small and medium-sized flow rates and conveying purposes, limiting their application to other uses.
Innovation Solution
Modifying the side channel pump to utilize leakage currents and additional connections to create controlled pressure conditions, enabling its use as a metering pump, vacuum pump, or for sampling by managing pressure dynamics through valves and auxiliary lines.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a conventional side channel pump is used for small and medium flow rates, then the pump structure is simple and reliable, but the application scope is limited to conveying purposes only
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies multi-functionality by enabling the side channel pump to perform multiple functions: conventional fluid conveying, precise metering/dosing, vacuum generation, and sampling operations. This is achieved by utilizing the existing leakage currents and adding minimal components (auxiliary connection, valves) to create entirely new application modes from the same basic pump structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies self-service by utilizing the pump's own internal leakage currents - a naturally occurring phenomenon in conventional side channel pumps - as a resource for new functions. Instead of discarding or treating the leakage as waste, the patent harnesses it to create vacuum conditions and enable metering operations, making the system self-sufficient and eliminating the need for separate vacuum pumps or complex metering mechanisms.
2Measurement precision
If the side channel pump operates in conventional mode, then the structure remains simple, but precise dosing and sampling capabilities are not available
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an auxiliary connection as an intermediary element that taps into the leakage current zone. This intermediary component serves as the interface between the pump's internal fluid dynamics and external applications, enabling precise metering and sampling functions without fundamentally altering the pump's core structure or requiring complex additional systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes parameter changes by exploiting variations in pressure and flow conditions within the leakage current zone. By adjusting valve positions and controlling the auxiliary connection, the system can precisely regulate dosing quantities and sampling rates based on the dynamic pressure parameters that naturally occur during pump operation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the pump utilizes leakage currents for additional functions, then application versatility improves, but the operating principles become more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by enabling the pump to operate in multiple dynamic modes: conventional pumping mode, metering/dosing mode with controlled leakage utilization, vacuum generation mode, and sampling mode. Each mode dynamically adjusts the utilization of leakage currents through valve control, allowing the system to adapt its operating characteristics to different application requirements while maintaining a unified mechanical structure.
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 dosing and sampling capabilities as a metering pump and efficient vacuum creation as a vacuum pump, expanding the pump's application beyond conventional flow rates and purposes.
Implementation Method 1
During operation of the side-channel pump, centrifugal forces create a rotating liquid ring in the side channel, which is essential for the pump's suction effect.
Implementation Method 2
Depending on the set operating point, a negative pressure or a positive pressure is created in the described leakage area. This is made available via an additional connection, which is located in this leakage area.
Implementation Method 3
According to Bernoulli's equation, the total pressure Pt is the sum of dynamic and static pressure: In the unthrottled state of the system, i.e., when the total pressure at the suction line equals the total pressure at the discharge line, the static pressure drops below ambient pressure, and a suction effect occurs at the auxiliary port.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
Due to the operating principle of the side-channel pump, a leakage flow occurs during operation between an impeller and the housing wall surrounding the pump. In this leakage flow, the pumped medium is not guided along the side channel around the impeller hub from a suction side to a pressure side as intended, but instead flows either as a short circuit against the impeller's direction of rotation or laterally past the hub. The invention utilizes this leakage area and provides an additional connection on an otherwise conventional side-channel pump, extending axially between the housing and into this leakage area. Depending on the operating point and mode, this additional connection can then be used to operate the modified side-channel pump as a metering pump or as a vacuum pump.