Vane Pump With Full-Diameter Vanes for Wear Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing rotary pumps face issues with abrasion, noise, and efficiency due to the design of vanes that extend minimally beyond the radius of the pump housing, leading to uneven flow and potential rotor stalling, especially when pressure rises at the discharge side.

Innovation Solution

A rotary pump design featuring vanes that extend fully across the diameter of the pump housing, with a non-circular cross-section and eccentric rotor placement, allowing for a larger contact area and reduced local compressive forces, which minimizes wear and eliminates the need for forced motioning of vanes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If vanes extend minimally beyond the radius of the pump housing, then the pump structure is simpler, but wear and abrasion increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevane structureVSAvoidwear resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The vanes are extended in the radial dimension to span the entire diameter of the pump housing, transforming from short radial extensions to full-diameter elements. This dimensional change increases the contact area between vanes and housing, distributing wear more evenly and reducing localized abrasion while maintaining structural simplicity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The vane design implements local quality by extending the contact region between vanes and housing wall. Instead of minimal contact at the vane tip, the entire vane length now contacts the housing, creating a distributed wear pattern that reduces abrasion rates and improves reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Device complexity

If vanes extend minimally beyond the radius of the pump housing, then the pump design is simpler, but noise increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevane configurationVSAvoidnoise
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

Extending the vanes to full diameter changes the dimensional characteristics of the pumping action, creating a more balanced and uniform flow pattern. This reduces turbulence and vortex formation that generate noise, while the simpler full-span vane design actually reduces complexity compared to complex guidance mechanisms

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The eccentric positioning of the rotor creates an asymmetric configuration where the vanes sweep through varying radial distances. This asymmetric motion pattern, combined with full-diameter vanes, creates smoother flow transitions and reduces noise-generating turbulence compared to symmetric designs

Inventive Principle:
Principle #4Asymmetry

3Device complexity

If vanes extend minimally beyond the radius of the pump housing, then the pump structure is simpler, but pump efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevane arrangementVSAvoidpump efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The full-diameter vane extension creates effective sealing surfaces that span the entire radial dimension. This dimensional change enables proper formation of pumping chambers and discharge zones, ensuring efficient medium transport while the simple vane structure maintains low complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The extended vanes create localized sealing zones along their entire length where they contact the housing wall. This distributed sealing quality prevents backflow and leakage, maintaining pump efficiency without requiring complex sealing mechanisms

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

4Reliability

If forced motioning of vanes is used, then continuous contact with housing is achieved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontact continuityVSAvoidvane motion control
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The vanes automatically maintain continuous contact with the housing wall through their own centrifugal force and pressure differential during rotation. The full-diameter design ensures that the vanes self-generate the necessary contact pressure without external forcing mechanisms, eliminating guides, springs, or pistons while maintaining reliable contact

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

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

This design reduces wear and noise, maintains pump efficiency by ensuring continuous sealing and preventing backflow, and allows for the use of the pump as a compressor, extractor, or vacuum pump without the risk of rotor stalling.

Implementation Method 1

the rotor (10) is arranged on an axle (9) mainly eccentrically placed related to the inner wall surface (2) of the rotor housing (1)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectEccentric rotation: Eccentric

Data Source

PatentEP2441915B1Vane pump
Publication Date: 2019.06.12 DOVREKRAFT AS
  • EP2441915B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2441915B1 patent drawingFigure 2a~2b
  • EP2441915B1 patent drawingFigure 2c

AI summary

Pump with a rotor (10) comprising one or more vanes (12a, 12b, ...), wherein each vane (12a, 12b, ...) is arranged to run each in a corresponding diametrical slot (141, 142 ...) in the rotor (10), each vane (12a, 12b, ...) extends from an end edge (17a1, 17b1, ...) to the opposite end edge (17a2, 17b2 ...) substantially across the entire inner diameter (Ø) of the rotor housing, between two opposite sides of the inner wall surface (2) for all rotation angles of the rotor (10), and wherein the cross-section of the cylindrical rotor housing (1) is non circular with a radius (R) from the center of the rotor (10) to the inner wall surface (2), increasing from a base radius (R0) with a given rate (DeltaR) per arclength counted from a top point (T) to 180 degrees-from the top point (T), and decreases with an equivalent rate continuously for the increasing arclength further to the top point (T).