The
Shangri-la of ‘Super-Effects’:
A Bonanza of Benefits
Frequently,
when great innovations occur, it’s like removing a log-jamb.
A bonanza of unexpected benefits and brand new capabilities is released.
PRIMA Performance
uses thinking processes that aim to release this tsunami of ‘Super-Effects’.
AN
EXAMPLE OF A BONANZA OF UNEXPECTED BENEFITS:
A
company building a mature technology, generators, embarked on a performance
improvement initiative. It was determined that improved performance
was limited by the high temperature of the generator. Further investigation
determined heat dissipation was restricted by a high precision component
that held and positioned the generator’s coils. The problem
was solved by eliminating the high precision component altogether,
that is, by transferring it’s holding and positioning functions
to another component of the generator, the generator’s coil
cores.
A tsunami
of benefits:
- Cost reduction
due to elimination of component and its assembly (used 6X),
- Because
of the resultant temperature reduction, the generator could be
run faster, thus resulting in greater power output,
- Because
of the increased power, the generator’s size could be reduced,
hence more savings plus weight /size reduction,
- Because
of the performance improvement, the company was able to achieve
further cost reduction by changing from copper to aluminum wire,
- But aluminum
wire, as a byproduct of its extrusion, is already coated with
a ceramic-like insulation material, hence
- More savings,
due elimination of dielectric wire insulation
- More windings,
due less space taken up by dielectric insulation
- More power,
more size reduction, more savings…….
- But aluminum
wire ceramic-like insulation material could withstand much higher
temperatures than the dielectric insulation previously used on
copper, hence the generator could rotate at even higher speeds,
thus even more
size/weight/cost reduction, etc……………...
Journal of TRIZ 3, 2/92, pp. 7-45(in Russian)
- Garasomov, V.M., Litvin, S.S. 'Basic Statements of the Technique for
Performing VEA.'
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