Suction Nozzle Flow Path for Gravity Separation of Solid Contaminants
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fluid recovery apparatuses using mechanical pumps to suck fluids with solid contaminants, such as metallic powder, risk pump damage and inefficiency due to the inability to effectively separate fine contaminants, often resorting to energy-inefficient ejector pumps to avoid issues.
Innovation Solution
A suction nozzle design with a vertical flow path and contaminant precipitation recess allows solid contaminants to settle by gravity, enabling efficient separation without increasing fluid resistance, allowing the use of low-energy mechanical pumps like diaphragm pumps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a fine-mesh filter is installed in the suction nozzle to remove smaller-sized contaminants, then the separation performance of solid contaminants is improved, but the fluid resistance increases substantially
Solution Approach 1:
The suction nozzle is divided into multiple functional sections: a coarse filter section with large-mesh filter for initial contaminant removal, and a precipitation section with vertical flow path and recess for gravity-based separation of fine contaminants. This segmentation allows different separation mechanisms to work at different stages, achieving high separation performance without requiring a single fine-mesh filter that would cause high fluid resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The precipitation recess acts as an intermediary chamber between the coarse filter and the pump inlet. Contaminants are first removed by the coarse filter, then the remaining fine contaminants are separated by gravity in the precipitation recess before the fluid enters the pump. This intermediary precipitation step eliminates the need for a fine-mesh filter, thereby avoiding high fluid resistance.
2Reliability
If an ejector pump is used to avoid pump damage from solid contaminants, then the reliability of the pump is improved, but the energy consumption increases due to compressed air usage
Solution Approach 1:
The suction nozzle performs preliminary separation of solid contaminants through the coarse filter and precipitation recess before the fluid reaches the pump. By removing contaminants in advance, the pump is protected from damage without requiring an ejector mechanism. This preliminary action allows the use of energy-efficient mechanical pumps while maintaining pump reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the need for an ejector pump (which uses compressed air) with a simple mechanical pump. The protection against solid contaminants is achieved not by replacing the pump type but by adding a precipitation mechanism in the suction nozzle, thereby substituting a high-energy mechanical system with a low-energy mechanical system.
3Ease of manufacture
If a net-shaped metal member is used as a simple filter, then the ease of manufacture is improved, but the separation performance for fine contaminants deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The filtration function is segmented into two stages: a coarse filter with large mesh for easy manufacturing and initial contaminant removal, and a precipitation recess for gravity-based separation of fine contaminants. This segmentation maintains the simplicity of the coarse filter while adding an effective mechanism for fine contaminant removal without complex fine-mesh filtration.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the separation mechanism from purely filtration-based (mesh size) to a combination of filtration and gravity-based precipitation. By changing the separation parameter from mesh fineness to gravitational settling in a vertical flow path, the system achieves fine contaminant removal without the manufacturing complexity of fine-mesh filters.
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 design effectively reduces solid contaminant content in the fluid, enabling the use of low-output mechanical pumps, reducing energy consumption and extending maintenance intervals while preventing pump damage.
Implementation Method 1
when a fluid containing solid contaminants flows upward through the vertical flow path, the solid contaminants are allowed to settle downward by gravity and precipitated in the contaminant precipitation recess
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure is directed toward a suction nozzle operable to remove solid contaminants from a fluid without causing a substantial increase in fluid resistance. The suction nozzle has a vertical flow path, a contaminant precipitation recess opened upward under the vertical flow path, and a lateral flow path extending laterally from the vertical flow path at a position above the contaminant precipitation recess. The fluid sucked from a suction opening in the lower surface is led to the vertical flow path through the lateral flow path and flows upward through the vertical flow path to reach a connection port. With fluid flowing through the vertical flow path, solid contaminants contained in the fluid settle down by gravity and precipitate in the contaminant precipitation recess and are separated and removed from the fluid.