Three-Gear Pump Floating Drive Gear Bearing Load
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional low viscosity fluid pump systems face challenges in being compact while handling high pressures and flows, with difficulties in maintaining a hydrodynamic journal film and supporting loads on driven gears, especially when dealing with low viscosity fluids that tend to leak or flow into undesirable areas.
Innovation Solution
A three-gear pump system with an enhanced bearing structure for driven gears, allowing the center drive gear to float without a robust bearing support, enabling larger bearing sizes to carry higher loads and reducing the need for separate bearing structures, thus improving load distribution and reducing leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional two-gear pump configuration is used, then device complexity is reduced, but bearing load capacity is insufficient for high pressure applications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the bearing support function into the housing structure itself, merging the housing and bearing support functions into a single integrated component. This eliminates the need for separate bearing support structures while maintaining high load capacity through the enhanced bearing integration design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the bearing support function into discrete enhanced bearing structures that are strategically positioned within the housing, allowing each bearing to independently handle specific load zones. This segmentation enables optimized load distribution without requiring a completely complex support structure.
2Strength
If pump size is reduced for compactness, then volume is decreased, but bearing load capacity is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality enhancement by concentrating bearing support capacity specifically at the critical load zones within the compact housing. Rather than uniformly increasing size throughout the pump, the enhanced bearing structures provide localized strength where high pressures occur, maintaining overall compactness while achieving high load capacity where needed.
3Productivity
If low viscosity fluid is pumped, then fluid flow rate increases, but leakage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful effect of low viscosity (which causes leakage) into a benefit by using the fluid's own pressure to enhance the hydrodynamic film effect. The high-pressure zones created by pumping low viscosity fluid are utilized to strengthen the lubricating film between gear surfaces, transforming the leakage-prone condition into a self-lubricating system that reduces leakage.
4Reliability
If hydrodynamic journal film is maintained, then friction and wear are reduced, but running speed must be increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the pressure distribution parameters within the bearing structures to create favorable hydrodynamic conditions at lower speeds. By modifying the bearing geometry and pressure zones, the system generates sufficient hydrodynamic lift and film formation without requiring proportionally higher running speeds, thus maintaining reliability while operating at optimized speed levels.
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 three-gear pump system effectively handles high pressures and flows of low viscosity fluids with reduced leakage and increased bearing load capacity, enhancing the efficiency and compactness of the pump system.
Implementation Method 1
for efficient operation it is required to build up a hydrodynamic journal film over the journals or shafts of the pump gears at the running conditions of the pump. The film results in minimal direct surface-to-surface contact of the pump components, and particularly the gear journals against the corresponding bearings, which reduces friction and wear.
Data Source
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Figure 5~6
AI summary
A three-gear pump system (30) includes a housing and a three-gear configuration (30) within the housing that pumps fluid from a fluid inlet to a fluid outlet. The three-gear configuration (30) includes a center drive gear (32), a first driven gear (34) and a second driven gear (36) positioned on opposite sides of the drive gear (32). The driven gears (34,36) are radially supported within the housing by a bearing structure (48,50) for rotation of the driven gears about respective axes. The drive gear (32) is free to float radially relative to the driven gears (34,36). The bearing structure may include a plurality of sleeve bearings or ball bearings that radially support the gear shafts (40,42) of the driven gears (34,36). The drive gear (32) may have a larger diameter and a greater number of gear teeth as compared to the driven gears (34,36).