Vacuum Pump Lubricant Collar and Porous Wick for Bearing Lubrication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional lubricant supply systems for vacuum pumps, such as wicking systems, face challenges in ensuring uniform and reliable lubricant distribution to rolling bearings, leading to inefficiencies and increased wear due to factors like taper angle, rotation speed, and orientation of the pump.
Innovation Solution
A lubricant supply system with a container body featuring a collar and porous material for efficient lubricant transfer and recirculation, where the collar collects excess lubricant and the porous material facilitates capillary action for wicking, ensuring consistent lubrication and reducing churning losses across different pump orientations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a wicking system with a conical feed nut is used to supply lubricant to the bearing, then the lubricant can be transferred from the reservoir to the bearing, but the lubricant distribution becomes non-uniform and unreliable due to variations in taper angle, rotation speed, and pump orientation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs porous material (such as felt) as a wicking structure that utilizes capillary action to transport lubricant from the reservoir to the bearing. This porous wicking system replaces the traditional conical feed nut mechanism, providing uniform and reliable lubricant distribution that is independent of pump orientation, rotation speed variations, and taper angle inconsistencies. The porous structure ensures consistent lubricant flow through capillary forces alone.
2Loss of energy
If the pump operates in an inverted position, then oil centrifuged from the transfer device drips into the bearing causing increased churning losses, but changing the orientation affects the lubricant return path
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a lubricant return path that functions effectively regardless of pump orientation by positioning the reservoir and return channels to maintain proper lubricant flow dynamics. The reservoir is configured to receive and return lubricant in a manner that compensates for gravitational effects in different orientations, ensuring that centrifuged oil is consistently collected and returned to the reservoir without causing excessive churning losses in the bearing.
3Reliability
If excess lubricant is not collected, then the lubricant can be recirculated efficiently, but uncollected excess lubricant causes increased wear and energy losses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a collar structure that extends into the reservoir to actively collect and extract excess lubricant that is centrifuged from the bearing. This collar prevents excess lubricant from causing harmful churning losses by removing it from the bearing area and returning it to the reservoir. The extraction mechanism ensures that only the necessary amount of lubricant remains in contact with the bearing, reducing energy losses while maintaining adequate lubrication and bearing protection.
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 system ensures reliable and uniform lubrication of vacuum pump bearings, reducing wear and energy losses by effectively recirculating lubricant, regardless of pump orientation, and maintaining efficient operation.
Implementation Method 1
the porous material facilitates capillary action for wicking
Implementation Method 2
excess oil or lubricant is collected which drops of or is centrifuged from the lubricant transfer device during operation
Data Source
AI summary
Lubricant supply system comprising a lubricant container body defining a lubricant reservoir wherein the lubricant container body comprising an indentation of through-hole to receive a lubricant transfer device of a vacuum pump. Therein, the indentation of through-hole is surrounded by a collar extending from the lubricant container body.