Additive Manufacturing Fluid Circuit Balancing With a Single Pump
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional additive manufacturing systems face challenges with space utilization, cost, and flow uniformity due to the use of multiple pumps for fluid circulation and discharge, which are affected by material build-up and fluid viscosity changes, leading to reduced work product quality and build process efficacy.
Innovation Solution
A fluid management system utilizing a single pump for multiple fluid pathways, with flow-regulating valves to adjust cross-sections and maintain constant pressure, ensuring uniform flow across pathways.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple pumps are used for fluid circulation and discharge, then fluid flow requirements are met, but system complexity and space utilization deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple pump functions into a single pump system. A single pump circulates fluid through multiple pathways (build chamber pathway, recirculation pathway, cleaning pathway) by controlling flow distribution rather than using separate pumps for each function. This reduces the number of pump components while maintaining all necessary fluid flow capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The single pump is designed to perform multiple functions: circulating fluid to the build chamber, recirculating fluid through filters, and supplying fluid to cleaning pathways. The pump system universally handles all fluid circulation requirements across different operational modes of the additive manufacturing system.
2Productivity
If multiple pumps are used for fluid circulation, then fluid flow requirements are met, but space utilization deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple pump components are merged into a single pump unit, eliminating the need for separate pump housings, mounting spaces, and associated piping infrastructure. This consolidation directly reduces the physical space required for pump installation within the additive manufacturing system.
3Manufacturing precision
If flow-regulating valves are used to maintain constant pressure, then flow uniformity improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Flow-regulating valves are placed at specific locations in each fluid pathway (build chamber pathway, recirculation pathway, cleaning pathway) to locally control and balance flow distribution. Each valve adjusts resistance in its specific pathway to achieve uniform flow across all pathways despite variations in fluid viscosity or filter build-up.
Solution Approach 2:
The flow-regulating valves modify the resistance parameter in each pathway to compensate for changes in fluid properties. By adjusting valve openings, the system changes the flow resistance parameter to maintain constant flow rates even when fluid viscosity increases due to material build-up or temperature changes.
4Device complexity
If a single pump is used for multiple pathways, then system complexity reduces, but flow uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by placing flow-regulating valves in each specific pathway to independently control flow distribution. This allows the single pump system to achieve uniform flow across multiple pathways by locally adjusting resistance in each pathway rather than relying on the pump alone to distribute flow evenly.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates flow sensors and pressure sensors that provide feedback on actual flow conditions in each pathway. The controller uses this feedback information to adjust the flow-regulating valves in real-time, maintaining flow uniformity despite variations in fluid properties or pathway resistance caused by filter build-up or viscosity changes.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A
Figure 2B~3
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to fluid management systems and methods of calibrating fluid circuits in the same. A fluid management system (900) includes a pump (808, 820) and at least one fluid circuit, the at least one fluid circuit including a plurality of fluid pathways, at least one flow-regulating valve (835, 845, 855, 865, 875, 905, 915, 925, 935, 945, 955), and at least one actuating valve. The pump (808, 820) is operable to provide a fluid to each of the plurality of fluid pathways, where the fluid has a flowrate within each of the plurality of fluid pathways. Each flow-regulating valve (835, 845, 855, 865, 875, 905, 915, 925, 935, 945, 955) may increase or decrease the resistance within each of the plurality of fluid pathways such that each flowrate of the plurality of fluid circuits is the same.