Viscometer Maintenance Check via Rigid Rod and Cavity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing viscometers, such as cone spindle and rotating consistency meters, face accuracy issues due to bending under overload conditions, making it difficult to determine if the cone spindle has bent without stopping the process operation for visual inspection, which is undesirable.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus with an elongated cavity and a rigid rod that fits within the measuring arm, allowing for non-invasive checks by inserting and removing the rod to detect mismatches indicating potential maintenance needs, without requiring process stoppage, using sensors for force and displacement measurements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the cone spindle is designed to bend under overload conditions to protect bearings and internal parts, then the reliability of the viscometer is improved, but the measurement precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the monitoring function into two independent parts: the protective bending mechanism of the cone spindle remains intact, while a separate rigid rod with cavity system is introduced to monitor the bending state. This segmentation allows the protective function to continue operating while measurement precision is maintained through independent monitoring.
Solution Approach 2:
The rigid rod acts as an intermediary element that transfers the bending deformation of the cone spindle to a measurable displacement at the rod's end. This intermediary mechanism enables indirect measurement of the spindle's state without interfering with its protective bending function, thus maintaining both reliability and measurement precision.
2Measurement precision
If visual inspection of the cone spindle is performed to detect bending, then the measurement precision is maintained, but the productivity deteriorates due to process stoppage
Solution Approach 1:
The rigid rod is pre-installed within the cone spindle during manufacturing, with the cavity and rod positioned to enable continuous monitoring. This preliminary setup eliminates the need for subsequent installation or process stoppage, allowing continuous productivity while maintaining detection capability throughout operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The monitoring system enables continuous detection of spindle bending during process operation through the rigid rod's displacement measurement. The useful action of detecting spindle state continues uninterrupted, eliminating the need for periodic process stoppages required by traditional visual inspection methods.
3Ease of operation
If a rigid rod with cavity is inserted into the measuring arm for monitoring, then the ease of operation is improved by enabling continuous monitoring, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The rigid rod is nested within the cone spindle's internal cavity, with the rod fitting precisely into the available space. This nesting arrangement incorporates the monitoring function within the existing structural envelope of the measuring arm, minimizing additional complexity while enabling continuous monitoring operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The rigid rod serves multiple functions: it acts as a structural support element, a displacement sensor, and a reference datum for measurement. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated monitoring components, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while achieving continuous monitoring capability.
Data Source
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AI summary
An apparatus for checking a need for maintenance of a viscometer (10) measuring consistency of suspension (108) comprises a rigid rod (200) and an elongated cavity (100) in a measuring arm (102) of the viscometer. The rigid rod (200) is matched with the cavity (100) for the rod (200) to be movable in the cavity (100). The cavity (100) is configured to become mismatched with respect to the rod (200) in response to a bending of the measuring arm (102), the mismatch indicating a need for maintenance of the viscometer (10).