Submersible Pump Cooling System with Sealed Chambers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling systems for submersible pumps face issues such as frequent maintenance, contamination risks, and inefficiencies due to the use of pumped liquid for cooling, and the need for external fresh water, which can be costly and unavailable in some locations, along with inadequate early warning systems for seal failures.
Innovation Solution
A closed-loop cooling system with separate hermetically sealed chambers for the electrical motor, cooling liquid, and mechanical seals, where the mechanical seals operate in oil and are protected from contamination, allowing for a leakage detector and reduced maintenance needs by keeping the cooling liquid and mechanical seal oil separate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the pumped liquid is used for cooling the motor, then external water is not required, but the cooling circuit requires frequent maintenance and cleaning due to contamination from solid parts
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the cooling system into separate chambers: a first chamber for the mechanical seal and a second chamber for the cooling circuit. This segmentation allows the cooling liquid to be isolated from the pumped liquid, preventing contamination while maintaining the ability to use the pumped liquid for cooling purposes.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical seal chamber acts as an intermediary barrier between the pumped liquid and the cooling circuit. The seal prevents direct contact between the dirty pumped liquid and the cooling liquid, allowing heat transfer while maintaining fluid separation.
2Reliability
If external fresh water is used for cooling, then the cooling circuit is protected from contamination, but fresh water availability and cost become issues
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is segmented into isolated chambers that can be filled with clean liquid once during installation. This eliminates the need for continuous external water supply while maintaining protection from contamination through the sealed design.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the pumped liquid itself to cool the motor through the sealed chambers, making the system self-sufficient without requiring external fresh water supply. The same liquid that is being pumped serves the dual purpose of being transported and providing cooling.
3Device complexity
If the oil chamber is filled with the same glycol as the cooling system, then the structure is simplified, but the mechanical seal oil cannot be inspected or replaced without draining the cooling system
Solution Approach 1:
The invention separates the mechanical seal chamber from the cooling circuit chamber, creating independent access points. This allows the mechanical seal oil to be inspected and replaced through separate filling and draining ports without affecting the cooling liquid in the other chamber.
Solution Approach 2:
The design adds vertical dimensionality with separate filling and draining ports at different heights, allowing selective access to each chamber. The mechanical seal chamber can be serviced through its own ports while the cooling circuit remains intact and pressurized.
4Reliability
If a leakage detector is installed in the motor chamber, then water intrusion is detected, but by the time of detection both mechanical seals have failed and sewage water has contaminated the cooling system
Solution Approach 1:
The leakage detector is repositioned to monitor the mechanical seal chamber before sewage water can reach the motor chamber. This preliminary detection allows early warning and intervention before contamination occurs, preventing the loss of time associated with delayed detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical seal chamber serves as an intermediary monitoring zone. By placing the leakage detector in this intermediate chamber rather than directly in the motor chamber, the system gains early warning capability while the mechanical seals still provide protection to the motor.
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
This design enhances the reliability and efficiency of submersible pumps by preventing contamination, reducing maintenance requirements, and enabling longer operation intervals, while allowing for easier inspection and replacement of mechanical seal oil without draining the cooling system.
Implementation Method 1
A cooling circuit chamber (30) for being filled with a cooling liquid... The cooling liquid absorbs the motor heat
Implementation Method 2
The electrical motor chamber (60), the cooling circuit chamber (30), and the mechanical seal chamber (40) are hermetically sealed from each other
Data Source
Figure 1~2
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AI summary
A pump (1) is disclosed, the pump (1) comprising a shaft (21) for driving an impeller (81) in a pump chamber (80); an electrical motor chamber (60) extending essentially circumferentially around a motor section of the shaft (21); a cooling circuit chamber (30) for being filled with a cooling liquid; and a mechanical seal chamber (40) extending essentially circumferentially around a seal section of the shaft (21), with the mechanical seal chamber (40) adapted for being filled with oil. The pump (1) may be a submersible pump.