3D Printed Handheld Pump

Overview

In the aerospace industry, the rotor blades in aircraft can experience tremendous amounts of vibration. Fluidastic dampers can be added inside of the blades to control the vibrations. Team Bendy Pump has been tasked with modeling a damper with 3D printing. The main object of the project is to 3D print a transparent pump to demonstrate fluid movement when actuated with a bending force.

Objectives

– Incorporate a fluid track between two fluid chambers with one-way check valves and a flow control valve

-3D print using a transparent filament

-develop a procedure to fill up the pump with little to no air bubbles.

Approach

-Design requirements were collected through discussion with the sponsor.

-The prototype designs were 3D printed to determine the most favorable beam shape to create effective bending moment.

-Different print materials were studied to help print the pump in one piece and remain flexible.

-TPU filament was determined to be the best suited 3D printing filament.

-Filling the pump from the bottom to the top was determined to be the best way to remove air bubbles.

-The size of fluid track tubing was decreased from 1/4” to 1/8” to visualize the flow better.

-Spring loaded check ball valves were replaced with check ball valves to reduce the required pressure to circulate the fluid.

-Followed sponsor suggestion and switch from super glue to epoxy.

-Blue dye was added to the water to help visualize the flow.

-PLA handles were printed separately to aid in bending the pump.

-The pump was confirmed to work by circulating air bubbles throughout the entire fluid track.

Outcomes

-The pump was 3D printed in one piece using transparent filament

-The pump can be filled successfully with minimal air bubbles

-Bending the pump allows the user to see fluid flow between the two chambers

-The pump was sealed watertight with the use of epoxy