Patent Application
20170009777
The present invention relates to centrifugal pumps used in industrial applications to process fluids and slurries, and specifically relates to improvements to centrifugal pumps having an optimized volute housing, impeller, and adaptor each configured to more efficiently process fluids and/or slurries.
Centrifugal pumps are used to transport fluids by the conversion of rotational kinetic energy to the hydrodynamic energy of the fluid flow. The rotational energy typically comes from an engine or electric motor. The fluid enters the pump impeller along or near to the rotating axis and is accelerated by the impeller, flowing radially outward into a diffuser and collection zone, from where it exits. Common uses of these pumps include water, sewage, petroleum and petrochemical pumping. These pumps can be installed in systems applied to a variety of different industries including (but not limited to) agriculture, industrial, marine, and OEM. The present invention optimizes these pumps by substantially improving performance while reducing shaft power all of which is accomplished through improvements to various pump components, discussed herein.
The present invention relates to a fluid pump having an improved performance. The pump comprises an impeller, volute housing, inner housing geometry, and an adapter. The impeller is configured to generate fluid flow velocity. The volute housing is configured to improve fluid pump performance while reducing the pump's overall power consumption, the volute housing has a fluid intake, fluid discharge, and inner housing geometry. The inner housing geometry is configured to convert the fluid flow velocity that has been generated into pressure. The adapter is designed to protect the unconnected end of the drive shaft and reduce the negative effects of shaft deflection. The adapter also has a structural rib geometry which is configured to provide superior structural integrity at a minimal mass.
The impeller comprises a hub profile, outer diameter, impeller eye, and plurality of impeller blades. The impeller eye is centrally located on the body of the impeller and is configured to connect to one end of a drive shaft. Each of the plurality of impeller blades is connected to the hub profile and forms a plurality of flow channel areas that are interposed between two of the impeller blades. Each flow channel area also gradually diverges from the impeller eye to the outer diameter.
The inner housing geometry comprises a volute area, secondary passage, and diffuser. The volute area has a secondary passage and circulation zone. The secondary passage is interposed between the volute area and a collection zone. The secondary passage is configured to allow fluid reentry into the volute area during priming and non-reentry after full prime has been established. The diffuser is located at the periphery of the volute area and is configured to alleviate wasted energy conversion, the diffuser also has a discharge point within the volute area. This discharge point is configured to suppress vortex fluid separation as fluid flow passes through it. The fluid flow also passes the discharge point at an optimum fluid flow velocity for both pressure conversion and reduction of fluid separation. The collection zone is positioned to receive fluid flow that has passed beyond the diffuser and it is positioned to maintain pressure conversion. The secondary passage and diffuser operate in conjunction during priming to effectively separate gases from the fluid.
In certain embodiments, the fluid pump comprises a plurality of flanges attached to the fluid intake and the fluid discharge. These flanges enable the fluid pump to connect with external fluid conduits. In other embodiments, the fluid pump further comprises a wear plate joined to the impeller. Each flow channel area is interposed between the wear plate and hub profile.
In any embodiment of the pump, the flow channel areas may be shaped to generate a gentle fluid flow velocity. The adapter may also comprise an ergonomic handle. Moreover, this ergonomic handle may be constructed from sheet metal and connected to a molded pocket within the adapter. The volute housing may also comprise an indentation that corresponds to the secondary passage. This indentation is to facilitate volute area fluid reentry into the volute area during priming and non-reentry after full prime is established. The structural rib geometry of the adapter may also further comprise a plurality of horizontal ribs connected to a vertical rib.
The diffuser may also be sized and located in a precisely calculated way that maintains pressure after the fluid flow has escaped the volute area. Each impeller blade may also have a blade angle that facilitates performance of the fluid flow velocity that is generated. Each impeller blade may also further have a blade thickness that is designed to facilitate this generated fluid flow velocity. The hub profile of the impeller may also have a tapered shape that is designed to also facilitate this generated fluid flow velocity. The volute housing may also be made from a non-corrosive metal. The impeller may also be made from a non-corrosive metal. The volute area may comprise a third passage which is configured to allow for the escape of gasses during priming.
Numerous applications, some of which are exemplarily described below, may be implemented using the present invention.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplifications set out herein illustrate currently preferred embodiments of the present invention, and such exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner.
Referring to the drawings in detail, and specifically to
A discharge flange 24 is joined to the fluid discharge 20 via joining mechanisms 26 such as screws. An intake flange 28 is joined to the fluid intake 22 also via joining mechanisms 26. These flanges 24, 28 enable the pump 10 to connect with external fluid conduits (not shown) and are typically either embodied as a 1.5″ NPT port flange or a 2″ NPT port flange but may be embodied in some other form.
Referring now to
The configuration of the geometry of the volute area 32 gradually and continuously changes as it extends about the circumference of the volute housing 12, optimizing the hydraulic interaction between the impeller and fluid flow, to provide stable fluid flow performance and pressure throughout. The secondary passage 34 and third passage 80 are interposed between the wall 40 of the volute area 32 and a collection zone 38 (otherwise known as a collection chamber). Across the secondary passage 34 from the tip of the wall 40 is a diffuser 42, which is at the periphery and partially flanks the volute area 32. The length of the diffuser 42 and its location with respect to the inner housing geometry 30 are calculated precisely to maintain pressure within the volute housing 12 during pump 10 operation. The collection zone 38 is directly connected to the fluid discharge 20. A collection wall 44 physically separates the collection zone 38 from fluids entering the pump 10 through the fluid intake 22 via inlet passage 71. It should be understood that many sealing materials and joining mechanisms are excluded from the discussion herein, but may still be incorporated into the invention.
The surfaces of the inner housing geometry 30 may be readily finished with a high degree of precision so as to reduce fluid flow drag resistance. The same holds true for the external surfaces on the volute housing 12. In certain instances, these surfaces will be treated by grinding or by an analogous material removal technique.
While priming the pump, as fluid is being introduced into the volute housing 12, it can easily flow pervasively throughout. Fluid is able to escape and reenter the volute area 32 and collection zone 38 via the secondary passage 34 and third passage 80. The volute housing 12 has an indentation 41 in it that creates a bulge in the inner housing geometry 30, corresponding to the secondary passage 34, so as to help form the functional shape of the secondary passage 34. During priming, the indentation 41 facilitates the fluid to escape and reenter the volute area 32 and collection zone 38. Moreover, fluid is also able to flow directly around the diffuser 42 while escaping and reentering the volute area 32 and collection zone 38. This freedom of fluid flow ensures that trapped gases are sufficiently expelled from the fluids prior to the beginning of pump operation. The third passage 80 also facilitates the escape of any trapped gasses into collection zone 38, during the priming of the pump 10.
After pump operations have begun, suction force, generated by the rotation of the impeller, creates a fluid flow that enters the pump 10 through the fluid intake 22. The pervasive fluid flow then travels to the center of the volute area 32 where it will interact with the impeller and be projected axially with a certain velocity, discussed below, before being discharged from this area via a discharge point 46 at the end of the diffuser 42 that flanks the volute area 32. The discharge point 46 is configured to suppress vortex created separations of fluids as they flow past the discharge point 46 which, in turn, alleviates wasted energy conversion of the fluids within the volute housing 12. During typical operations of the pump 10, the fluid flow passes through the discharge point at an optimum velocity for both pressure conversion and the reduction of fluid separation. The pressure is maintained as the fluid flow passes through the diffuser 42 and keeps any fluid flow from being able to back wash back into the volute area 32. Fluid flow not immediately discharged via the diffuser 42 is axially projected into the circulation zone 36, where it will circulate around the outer perimeter of the impeller until escaping the volute area via the discharge point 46. This circulation also reduces fluid separation in the pump 10.
After being expelled beyond the diffuser 42, the collection zone 38 receives the fluid flow. The tapered shape of the collection zone 38 maintains the pressure conversion within the volute housing 12 and stabilizes the fluid flow. The formed shape of the secondary passage 34 blocks the fluid flow during full pump operation such that the flow will remain in the collection zone 38 and is not able to reenter the volute area 32.
In many instances, prior art pumps have diffusers that comprise angled spoilers at their discharge point. It has been found that such spoilers substantially hinder the performance of the fluid flow while escaping the respective volute area. These spoilers create a vortexing fluid separation as the fluid flow passes the discharge point, which effectively wastes energy within the volute housing. Prior art pumps also typically comprised diffusers that are sized and positioned in such a way that they reduce the pressure of the fluid flow after it escapes the volute area. These diffusers are often too large to maintain pressure. These prior art diffusers can also create an escaping fluid flow velocity that in effect is so fast it causes fluid separation.
Referring now to
Flow channel areas 56 are formed by the horizontal space interposed between each set of impeller blades 54. As such, when there are three impeller blades 54, there will correspondingly be three flow channel areas 56. In the instances a wear plate 60 is incorporated, the flow channels are interposed vertically between the wear plate 60 and hub profile 48. The flow channel areas 56 each have an inlet region that is near the impeller eye 52 and a discharge region located at the impeller's 14 outer diameter 50. The impeller blades are angled 58 in such a way that each flow channel area 56 diverges in a gradual manner from formation at the impeller eye 52 until ending at the outer diameter 50. As such, the discharge region is substantially wider than the inlet region so that the flow channel area is generally V-shaped. Each impeller blade 54 may also have a designed thickness that facilitates the generated fluid flow velocity. Other embodiments of the impeller blades 54 may be longer or shorter than is shown in the figures.
As the impeller 14 rotates, fluids reaching the impeller 14 at the impeller eye 52 are centripetally forced in an axial direction towards the outer diameter 50, through each of the flow channel areas 56. The diverging V-shape of the flow channel areas 56 causes the generated fluid flow at a gentle velocity throughout the flow channel areas, which helps reduce any fluid separation. The radially tapered shape of the hub profile 48 also facilitates this gently generated fluid flow velocity. The impeller 14 is adapted to rotate at different speeds to generate various required pressures within the volute housing 12.
Referring now to
The optimized efficiency and performance characteristics of the pump 10 (
It is also understood that when an element is referred to as being “on”, “connected to/with”, or “coupled to/with” another element, the element can be directly on, connected to/with or coupled to/with the other element or intervening elements may also be present. Furthermore, although the invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it is understood that various modifications may be made thereto without departing from the full spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims which follow.
