Undulating Disc Impeller for Low-Shear Fluid Pumping

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Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional centrifugal pumps face issues with cavitation, clogging, binding, and high wear when pumping slurries, high viscosity liquids, and fluids with entrained air or gas, while disc pumps, despite improvements, remain inefficient due to dead zones and turbulence caused by rectangular ribs.

Innovation Solution

The impeller design features undulating surfaces on the discs with airfoil-shaped posts between them, eliminating sharp edges and incorporating airfoil designs to minimize shear and turbulence, enhancing friction drag and surface tension for efficient fluid propulsion.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If rectangular ribs are used on disc pumps to improve efficiency, then fluid propulsion is enhanced, but shear-sensitive fluids experience increased turbulence and damage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefluid propulsion efficiencyVSAvoidturbulence and shear damage

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces sharp-edged rectangular ribs with curved, organic-shaped fins that have rounded profiles. These curved fins generate fluid propulsion through smooth, laminar flow patterns rather than turbulent shear, eliminating the harmful effects on shear-sensitive fluids while maintaining pumping efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the geometric parameters of the fin structures from rectangular (sharp edges, straight lines) to organic forms (curved surfaces, rounded profiles). This parameter transformation fundamentally alters the flow characteristics, reducing turbulence and shear stress while preserving the ability to propel fluid efficiently.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Productivity

If traditional centrifugal pump vanes are used, then fluid is effectively pumped, but cavitation and high wear occur when pumping slurries and high viscosity liquids

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefluid pumping capabilityVSAvoidwear resistance and cavitation freedom

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and removes the traditional centrifugal pump vanes that cause cavitation and wear. Instead, it employs a disc pump configuration with organic-shaped fins that interact with the fluid through friction and viscosity, eliminating the harmful mechanical impingement while maintaining effective fluid transport.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention replaces the mechanical vanes that rely on centrifugal force and mechanical impingement with a system based on fluid friction, viscosity, and boundary layer effects. This substitution of mechanical action with fluid-dynamic interaction eliminates cavitation and reduces wear significantly.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Reliability

If disc pumps are used to avoid cavitation and wear, then reliability improves, but dead zones and turbulence reduce efficiency

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewear resistanceVSAvoidpumping efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality optimization by carefully designing the organic-shaped fins with specific curvature radii, aspect ratios, and spacing. Each fin is locally optimized to generate appropriate flow patterns, eliminating dead zones while maintaining the wear-resistant advantages of the disc pump configuration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

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 efficiently propels fluids with minimal turbulence and shear, providing gentle force-energy transfer and increased surface area for drag, allowing for gentle mixing and entrainment of fluids, reducing maintenance and operational costs.

Implementation Method 1

These fluid properties combine to create an interaction between the fluid and the rotating flat discs that allow the transfer of mechanical energy from the rotating discs to the fluid

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFriction drag: Friction

Implementation Method 2

Disc pumps utilize the fluid properties of adhesion and viscosity. These fluid properties combine to create an interaction between the fluid and the rotating flat discs that allow the transfer of mechanical energy from the rotating discs to the fluid

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSurface tension: Surface Tension

Implementation Method 3

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectViscosity: Viscometer

Implementation Method 4

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAdhesion: Adhesive

Data Source

PatentUS12571396B2Impeller pump apparatus for pumping shear sensitive fluids

Publication Date: 2026.03.10 MXQ LLC

AI summary

An impeller for a disc pump has a drive disc having a connector adapted to join with a shaft of the disc pump, and a driven disc affixed to the drive disc so as to define a space therebetween. The drive disc has a face facing a face of the driven disc. The drive disc extends in generally parallel relationship to the driven disc. At least one of the faces of the drive disc and the driven disc has an undulating surface thereon. A plurality of posts are affixed to the face of the drive disc and the driven disc. Each of these posts has an airfoil-shaped cross-section in a plane parallel to the face of the drive disc and the driven disc.