Wastewater Grinder Pump with Internal Comminution

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional sewage pumping stations face issues with blockages during the pumping of liquids mixed with solid admixtures, poor sealing against waste water and odors, complex maintenance, and a short service life due to integrated housing parts.

Innovation Solution

A centrifugal pump device with a comminution arrangement featuring a stationary element mounted inside the housing part, allowing for easy assembly and maintenance from above, and a rotational sintering process for a positive connection between the housing part and container, ensuring reliable sealing and stability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If the stationary element of the comminution arrangement is mounted on the outside of the housing part, then the assembly is simpler, but the maintenance becomes complex and expensive when the housing is integrated into the container

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveassembly simplicityVSAvoidmaintenance accessibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSEase of repair

Solution Approach 1:

The stationary element is inverted from its conventional outside-mounted position to an inside-mounted position on the housing part. This allows the comminution arrangement to be assembled and maintained from above through the container opening, making maintenance accessible without dismantling the integrated housing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The stationary element is nested inside the housing part, which itself is integrated into the container. This nested arrangement allows the comminution device to be serviced from the container opening while maintaining the compact integrated structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Stability of the object's composition

If the housing part is integrated into the container using conventional sealing methods, then the structural stability is improved, but the sealing against waste water and odors becomes unreliable

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural stabilityVSAvoidsealing reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

A sealing element is introduced as an intermediary component between the housing part and the container. This sealing element creates a reliable seal that prevents waste water and odors from escaping, while maintaining the structural stability of the integrated construction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Quantity of substance

If a flexible pipe is used to extend the suction opening closer to the bottom of the container, then the switching volume is increased, but the pipe collapses due to negative pressure and blocks the suction opening

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveswitching volumeVSAvoidsuction opening reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a rigid or semi-rigid suction pipe extension instead of a flexible pipe, eliminating the collapse problem while maintaining the ability to reach closer to the container bottom for increased switching volume.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

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 solution prevents blockages, ensures reliable sealing against waste water and odors, simplifies assembly and maintenance, and extends the service life of the device by integrating the comminution device and centrifugal pump housing securely within the container.

Implementation Method 1

a rotational sintering process for a positive connection between the housing part and container, ensuring reliable sealing and stability

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectRotational sintering: Sintering

Implementation Method 2

at least one centrifugal pump for conveying the medium from the container

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCentrifugal force: Centrifugal Force

Data Source

PatentEP3559362B1Wastewater-lifting device with a grinder pump
Publication Date: 2022.04.06 KSB SE & CO KGAA
  • EP3559362B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3559362B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3559362B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to an apparatus comprising a container (1) for collecting a medium. The apparatus has a centrifugal pump for conveying the medium from the container (1), and has a comminuting assembly. The comminuting assembly is arranged upstream of an impeller (8). The comminuting assembly has a rotating element (13) which interacts with a fixed element (15) in order to comminute solid impurities in the medium. The fixed element (15) is mounted on the interior of a housing portion (6) of the centrifugal pump.