Submersible Pump Protective Contact Arrangement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing submersible pumps do not reliably interrupt the supply voltage when water penetrates into the housing region accommodating the electric motor, posing a risk of electrical contact for the user.
Innovation Solution
A control chamber is formed above the electric motor with a protective contact arrangement connected to the protective conductor, ensuring that water first contacts this arrangement when the pump is inverted or lying, creating a short circuit and disconnecting the supply voltage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the motor housing is designed to be watertight with sealing elements, then water protection is improved, but the reliability of voltage interruption when water penetrates deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The protective contact arrangement is pre-positioned in the control chamber at locations that will be the lowest points when the pump is inverted or lying down. This preliminary positioning ensures that if water penetrates the sealing elements, it will immediately contact the protective contact arrangement and trigger voltage interruption, rather than waiting for water to reach the motor housing.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective contact arrangement acts as an intermediary element between the water penetration risk and the voltage supply. It serves as a mediator that detects water presence first and triggers the protective conductor to interrupt the supply voltage, providing an intermediate safety mechanism before water can directly contact live parts.
2Reliability
If the protective contact arrangement is positioned to extend into lowest areas, then safety is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The protective contact arrangement is designed to serve multiple functions: it provides electrical contact for the protective conductor, it acts as a water detection trigger, and it ensures voltage interruption regardless of pump orientation. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components for each function, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective contact arrangement is positioned specifically in the lowest areas of the control chamber where water would first accumulate. This localized placement ensures that the protective function is activated exactly where needed, rather than requiring comprehensive coverage throughout the entire control chamber, thus limiting complexity.
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 effectively prevents user contact with electrical supply voltage by ensuring a rapid disconnection of power through a short circuit when water enters the motor housing area, enhancing safety and reliability.
Implementation Method 1
creating a short circuit between the live parts and the protective conductor via the motor housing will
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a submersible pump having a housing which has an intake opening for induction of liquid and an outlet opening for emission of liquid, and which holds an electric motor which has an electrically conductive motor housing which can be connected to a protective earth conductor. In order to develop the submersible pump such that the supply voltage is reliably interrupted if water enters the housing area holding the electric motor, the invention proposes that the housing for holding electrical components form a control chamber which is arranged above the electric motor when the submersible pump is in the in-use position, in which control chamber an electrical protective contact arrangement which can be connected to the protective earth conductor is arranged, with the protective contact arrangement extending into the areas of the control chamber which form the lowest point in the control chamber when the submersible pump is upside down or assumes a stable lying position.