Rotary Vane Wear Sensing with Radial Markings In Pump Housings
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing rotary vane pumps face challenges in accurately monitoring vane wear during operation, leading to potential failure and damage, especially in harsh environments, due to the lack of precise real-time measurement methods that require disassembly for assessment.
Innovation Solution
A wear detection assembly is implemented, comprising a vane with a radially varying marking and a detector fixed to the pump housing, allowing real-time monitoring of vane wear by reading the marking to determine the vane's length and degree of wear without disassembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If vanes are monitored by periodic disassembly and physical measurement, then wear assessment can be performed, but the pump requires downtime and the process is time and labor intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical measurement methods (physical contact with measuring stylus) with optical detection (reading markings on the vane surface). This allows wear measurement to be performed without disassembling the pump or taking it offline, eliminating downtime while maintaining measurement capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses markings on the vane surface that represent wear information, which can be read optically without physically measuring the vane dimensions. The marking serves as a copy or indicator of the actual wear state, enabling indirect measurement that avoids mechanical contact and disassembly
2Reliability
If conservative replacement criteria are used due to measurement inaccuracy, then pump failure is avoided, but vanes are replaced prematurely even when not worn to problematic degree
Solution Approach 1:
The optical marking reading system provides more accurate wear measurements compared to mechanical stylus methods, reducing measurement uncertainty. This accuracy enables less conservative replacement criteria, allowing vanes to be used longer without risking premature failure, thereby reducing material waste
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the detected marking position provides real-time information about vane wear status. This accurate feedback allows for precise determination of when replacement is actually needed, avoiding both premature replacement and delayed replacement beyond safe limits
3Ease of operation
If measuring stylus is inserted into access port to monitor vane length, then individual vane wear can be determined without disassembly, but measurement can only be performed during downtime and when pump is disassembled from aircraft
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical insertion of a measuring stylus with optical detection of markings on the vane. This allows the measurement system to read wear information through the housing without physical contact or disassembly, enabling monitoring during operational hours
Solution Approach 2:
The marking on the vane surface serves as an intermediary that carries wear information accessible from outside the pump housing. This intermediary allows the detection system to obtain wear data without needing to physically access or contact the vane directly, eliminating the need for disassembly
4Duration of action of stationary object
If vanes are made of carbon or carbon-composite material with self-lubricating coating, then wear is reduced, but vanes still wear and lose length during operation especially in harsh environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies wear markings to the vane surface during manufacturing, before the vane is installed in the pump. These markings serve as a pre-established reference system that allows continuous monitoring of wear progression, enabling timely replacement before reliability is compromised in harsh operating conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The detection system provides continuous feedback on vane wear status by reading the markings. This feedback mechanism allows operators to monitor vane condition in real-time and replace vanes before wear reaches critical levels, maintaining pump reliability even in harsh environments where wear rates may be accelerated
Data Source
AI summary
An assembly for detecting wear of a vane of a rotary vane pump, the assembly comprising: a vane configured to be mounted in a radial slot of a rotor of a rotary vane pump, the vane having a vane body of non-electrically conductive material, the vane body configured to, in use, extend from the slot to contact an electrically earthed housing of the rotor; the vane being provided with a marking having at least one characteristic that varies in the radial direction; the assembly further comprising a sensing device fixed relative to the housing and arranged to read the marking at a predetermined radial distance from the housing, whereby the characteristic of the marking that is read by the sensing device is indicative of wear of the vane.