The first question that this project addresses is how to fix the pump inside the enclosure. This can be done by screwing or gluing the pump to the enclosure walls. However, this is unnecessarily time consuming. Instead the enclosure can be formed such that the pump fits perfectly inside. However, if air circulation is limited within the enclosure, the pump may quickly overheat when in use. Therefore, the enclosure was designed with ribs that hold the pump in place, but still allow for air flow.
Vibration is an important concern in the design of motorized machinery; resonance of certain parts may lead to their catastrophic failure. Thus, an FEA simulation was conducted to determine the first five normal modes of the enclosure.
The first five normal modes of vibration were determined to be 230.58, 459.73, 460.49, 461.24, and 476.60 Hertz, accordingly.
It is unlikely that any small electric pump’s motor would operate at more than 2000 RPM (33.3 Hz). Since none of the first five normal modes of the enclosure are close to this value, this design can be considered acceptable, because it is extremely unlikely that it would see any resonant behavior when pump is used.
Superficial features, a rubber handle and damper, a hose, and a pressure valve were added to create a mockup rendering of how a final design might appear.
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Pump Enclosure Design
In this project, a plastic enclosure is designed for a small electric pump. The design process demonstrates how design for manufacturing and assembly (DFMA) and dynamic FEA simulations can be used to create cost-effective, yet structurally sound products.
