Design and Experimental Study of a Tetragonal Rotor Pump Based on Wankel Geometry

Area of Science:

• Mechanical Engineering
• Fluid Dynamics
• Rotary Machinery

Background:

• Established Wankel pump designs are limited, primarily to bicornous and triangular rotor configurations.
• There is a need for innovative Wankel pump designs with improved performance characteristics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel tetragonal rotor pump design utilizing Wankel geometry.
• To analyze the performance and feasibility of this new pump design for fluid handling and mixing applications.

Main Methods:

• Design of a tetragonal rotor pump with a three-lobe epicycloid and conjugate envelope profile.
• Experimental investigation of flow and pressure characteristics for four prototype groups with varying shape factors.
• Numerical simulation to assess flow rate irregularity.
• Flow field observation experiment to verify mixing feasibility.

Main Results:

• The tetragonal rotor pump design was successfully developed and prototypes were manufactured.
• Experimental and numerical studies indicated lower flow rate irregularity compared to existing Wankel pumps.
• The pump demonstrated feasibility for mixing applications through flow field observation.

Conclusions:

• A new type of rotary displacement pump, the tetragonal rotor pump, has been successfully designed and validated.
• This design represents a reverse application of Wankel engine structure, offering potential advantages in flow characteristics.
• The study confirms the viability of this novel Wankel pump design for practical applications, including mixing.