THE HELIX GROOVED ELASTOMERIC PUMP

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Kettleborough, C.F. | Masudi, H.

Affiliations: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas A University, College Station, TX, USA | Mechanical Engineering Program, Texas A University at Qatar, Doha, Qatar

Abstract: The helix grooved elastomeric pump (HGEP) is a cylindrical viscous screw pump which will pump high viscosity fluids at high pressures and low flow rates. It incorporates an elastomeric O-ring as part of the pumping mechanism. The theory is developed using the smoothed pressure method. Numerical methods are used to develop data for the HGEP performance. Results are presented for a given pump. The results include the effect of film thickness clearances, groove angles, groove depths, and ridge-to-groove width ratios. The aim of the investigation is to provide a theoretical background for the design of an HGEP. The theory is developed for the smoothed pressure formulation and an elastomeric O-ring model is established. The smoothed pressure formulation and the elastomeric O-ring model is set up for numerical solutions; the data obtained show the effects of various film thickness, clearances, groove angles, groove depths, and ridge-to-groove ratios for a given size pump and pumping fluid. The total volumetric flow rate increases with the reduction of the film thickness clearances. The maximum flow rate is obtained with -.0894 mm film thickness clearances. The computer solution is unstable for clearances less than -.0894 mm. The smaller the ridge-to-groove ratio, the performance is better.

Keywords: pump, helix grooved elastomeric, design

Journal: Journal of Integrated Design & Process Science, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 75-93, 2007