Patent Application
20230313809
This disclosure is generally directed to pumps. More specifically, it relates to a multi-switch pump assembly that facilitates switched flow and/or mixed flow through the pump assembly.
Pumps are known and commonly used to move fluids, such as coolant in a vehicle. Vehicles include cooling circuits for cooling heat-generating components of a vehicle, such as for example a vehicle's battery bank (in electric and hybrid vehicles) and a vehicle's powertrain (e.g., antifreeze for combustion engine cooling). The waist heat drawn from the heat-generating components may be also circulated to heat the cabin of the vehicle when required. Currently known pumps are used to circulate coolant fluids between the heat-generating components and heat dissipating devices of a vehicle such as a radiator, heat exchanger or cabin heater. In currently known pump assemblies, this has been done using separate components such as fluid pumps and valves that switch or shift the coolant fluid circulating in a fluid circuit through various cooling circuits.
Individual valves could be potentially used to control flow from one or more pumps into one or more circuits. However, such systems require multiple valves and/or a complex valve assembly as well as control systems for selective actuation of the valves. A simplified system is desired that can integrate pumps and valves into a compact assembly that can switch or mix fluid flow between two or more cooling circuits.
This disclosure relates to a multi-switch pump assembly that facilitates switched flow and/or mixed flow through the pump assembly.
In a first embodiment a pump assembly is disclosed comprising; a pump body and a first pump stage housed in the pump body having a first fluid inlet and a first and a second fluid outlet; a second pump stage housed in the pump body having a second fluid inlet and a third and a fourth fluid outlet; a mixing chamber housed in the pump body between the first and second pump stages in fluid communication with the second fluid inlet and the second fluid outlet; and a valve assembly. The valve assembly is operable into a first switched position to fluidically connect the first fluid inlet through the first pump stage to the first fluid outlet and to fluidically connect the mixing chamber through the second pump stage to the third fluid outlet. The valve assembly is further operable into a second switched position to fluidically connect the first fluid inlet through the first pump stage to the first fluid outlet and to fluidically connect the mixing chamber through the second pump stage to the fourth fluid outlet. Operating the valve assembly into a third switched position fluidically connects the first fluid inlet through the first pump stage to the second fluid outlet and to the mixing chamber, wherein the fluid from the second fluid inlet and the fluid from the second fluid outlet are mixed in the mixing chamber and fluidically connected through the second pump stage to the third fluid outlet. Operating the valve assembly into a fourth switched position fluidically connects the first fluid inlet through the first pump stage to the second fluid outlet to fluidically connect the mixed fluid through the second pump stage to the fourth fluid outlet.
In a second embodiment a method is disclosed for switching fluid flow through a pump assembly, the method comprising moving a valve assembly into a first switched position to fluidically connect a first fluid inlet and a first fluid source to a first pump stage having a first and a second fluid outlet. The first switched position fluidically connecting the first fluid outlet to the first pump stage, wherein the first pump stage pumps fluid from the first fluid source to the first fluid outlet. The method further includes fluidically connecting a mixing chamber to a second pump stage. The mixing chamber fluidically connected to a second fluid inlet and to a second fluid source. The second pump stage having third and fourth fluid outlets. The first switched position fluidically connects the third fluid outlet to the second pump stage, wherein the second pump stage pumps fluid from the second fluid source to the third fluid outlet. The method also includes moving the valve assembly into a second switched position fluidically disconnecting the second pump stage from the third fluid outlet and fluidically connecting the second pump stage to the fourth fluid outlet, wherein the fluid from the second fluid source is pumped to the fourth fluid outlet. The method additionally includes, moving the valve assembly into a third switched position to fluidically connect the first fluid inlet and the first fluid source to the second fluid outlet and to fluidically disconnect the first pump stage from the first fluid outlet. The first pump stage pumping fluid from the first fluid source to the mixing chamber where it is mixed with the fluid from the second fluid inlet and the second fluid source. The valve assembly in the third switched position fluidically connects the mixing chamber to the second pump stage and the third fluid outlet disconnecting the second pump stage from the fourth fluid outlet, wherein the second pump stage accelerates and boosts the mixed fluid to the third fluid outlet. The method further includes moving the valve assembly into a fourth switched position fluidically disconnecting the second pump stage from the third fluid outlet and fluidically connecting the second pump stage to the fourth fluid outlet, wherein the second pump stage accelerates and boosts the mixed fluid to the fourth fluid outlet.
Other technical features may be readily apparent to one skilled in the art from the following figures, descriptions, and claims.
For a more complete understanding of this disclosure, reference is now made to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
The figures, discussed below, and the various embodiments used to describe the principles of the present invention in this patent document are by way of illustration only and should not be construed in any way to limit the scope of the invention. Those skilled in the art will understand that the principles of the invention may be implemented in any type of suitably arranged device or system.
An example assembly provides a multi-switch pump assembly that facilitates switched flow and/or mixed flow through the pump assembly. The multi-switch pump assembly comprises a pump body, an electric motor, a rotating motor shaft, a first pump stage and impeller, and a second pump stage and impeller. The first pump stage includes a first inlet and first and second outlets disposed about the pump body. The second pump stage includes a second fluid inlet, a fluid connection to the second fluid outlet of the first pump stage. The second stage further includes a second and a third outlet disposed about the pump body.
The first pump stage impeller and the second pump stage impeller are located on either side of a mixing chamber that is fluidically connected to the second fluid inlet of the second pump stage and the second fluid outlet of the first pump stage. The first pump stage impeller and the second stage pump impeller are connected to the motor shaft and rotated by the motor The first pump stage impeller in fluid communication with the first pump stage and the first and second fluid outlets and the second pump stage impeller is in fluid communication with the mixing chamber and the third and fourth fluid outlet.
An actuator connected to a valve assembly is arranged to operate and place the valve assembly into at least a first, a second, a third and a fourth switched position. The valve assembly switches and/or mixes fluid flowing in two fluid circuits through the pump assembly. In the first switched position a first valve member of the valve assembly opens the first fluid outlet and closes the second fluid outlet. Fluid in the first fluid circuit enters the first fluid inlet and is pumped by first pump stage impeller out of the first fluid outlet. In the first switched position a second valve member in the second pump stage opens the third fluid outlet and closes the fourth fluid outlet. Fluid in a second fluid circuit enters the second pump stage via the second fluid inlet to the mixing chamber and is pumped by the second pump stage impeller to the third fluid outlet. In the first switched position of the valve assembly the first and second fluid circuits are separately maintained to provide isolated looping through the fluid circuits to provide for example chilling of the fluid being circulated using a cooling device such as a radiator or a chiller.
Operating the actuator to place the valve assembly in the second switched position maintains the first pump stage second outlet closed, directing fluid out of the first fluid outlet. However, in the second switched position the second stage valve member closes the third fluid outlet and opens the fourth fluid outlet. In the second switched position the first and second fluid circuits are separately maintained to provide isolated looping through the fluid circuits. The first fluid circuit maintaining cooling of for example the vehicle battery in an electric vehicle while the second fluid circuit looped through a cabin heat exchanger to use waste heat from the battery to provide warming to the cabin.
Operating the actuator into the third switched position places the valve member of the first pump stage to close the first fluid outlet diverting the fluid to the second fluid outlet. Fluid from the first fluid circuit enters the first fluid inlet and is pumped into the mixing chamber by the first stage impeller. In the mixing chamber fluid from the first fluid circuit is mixed with fluid from the second fluid circuit entering the mixing chamber from the second fluid inlet. In the third switched position the second stage valve member closes the fourth fluid outlet and opens the third fluid outlet. The mixed fluid in the mixing chamber is pumped from the second pump stage by the second impeller to the third fluid outlet. In the third switched position the first and second fluid circuits are linked to provide for example cabin cooling and battery chilling from a chilling device.
In the fourth switched position fluid from the first fluid circuit is pumped from the first pump stage impeller to the second fluid outlet to the mixing chamber and mixed with the fluid from the second fluid circuit, however, in the fourth switched position the fourth fluid outlet is opened, and the third fluid outlet closed. The second pump stage impeller pumping the mixed fluid from the mixing chamber to the fourth fluid outlet. In the fourth switched position the first and second fluid circuits are linked to provide for example cabin heating using and waste heat from the battery or electric heater.
The second pump stage 7 is also formed cylindrically and comprises a peripheral exterior wall 33 extending coaxially from exterior wall 32 of the first pump stage 6. Wall 33 surrounds a cylindrical second stage impeller cavity 51 and a cylindrical mixing chamber 35. A second fluid inlet 146, for example a suction inlet provides a fluid, to the mixing chamber 35. As is best seen in
The first impeller cavity 50 of the first pump stage 6 is arranged to house therein a first stage impeller 16 having a plurality of vanes mounted between a front vane plate 161 and a rear vane plate 162. The rear vane plate 162 is arranged to be mounted within a recess 58 of thimble 55. The recess 58 acting as a bearing surface for the impeller 16. A motor shaft 12 of a pump motor 10 extends through the mixing chamber 35 into an opening 59 through thimble 55 and attached to impeller 16 in any known convenient manner.
The second impeller cavity 51 of the second pump stage 7 is arranged to house therein a second stage impeller 17 having a plurality of vanes mounted between a first vane plate 171 and a rear vane plate 172. The rear vane plate 172 is arranged to be mounted within a recess 61 of a pump motor mounting plate 13. The recess 61 acting as a bearing surface for the second stage impeller 17. The motor shaft 12 extends through a pump motor mounting plate 13 and into the mixing chamber 35 to the first stage impeller 16 of the first pump stage 6. The motor shaft 12 is attached to the second stage impeller 17 in any convenient known manner. The second stage impeller 17 is configured to be rotatable within the second impeller cavity 51 of the second pump stage 7 driven by the pump motor 10. Since both impellers 16 and 17 are attached to the same motor shaft 12 they are both driven at the same rotational speed by the pump motor 10.
The pump motor section 2 includes a cylindrical motor housing 3 that forms a cylindrical motor cavity 9 therein. The pump motor housing 3 supports the pump motor 10 and a motor shaft 12 that is installed through an opening 11 of a pump motor mounting plate 13. The motor mounting plate 13 includes a wall 21 extending circumferentially from a top surface of the mounting plate 13. The wall 21 includes a shoulder 23 extending along and outer periphery of wall section 21. An elastomeric sealing element, such as for example an O-ring 24 is arranged to be installed on shoulder 23. A seal member 14 is installed within a seal seat 19 molded on mounting plate 13. The mounting plate 13 is secured to the pump motor 10, in this example, using threaded fasteners 15 that extend through holes in the mounting plate 13 to engage threaded holes 18 on the face of pump motor 10. The mounting plate seals the motor cavity 9 and pump motor 10 from the pump section 4.
The first pump stage 6 is assembled to the second pump stage 7 to form pump section 4 by attaching a rear portion of the exterior housing 32 of the first pump stage 6 to a front portion of the exterior housing 33 of the second pump stage 7 by using any method that provides a leak tight bond, such as for example, welding or using sealing elements such as gaskets or O-rings.
With the mounting plate 13 mounted on the pump motor 10 mounting tabs 20 located about the motor housing 3, the mounting plate 13 and the pump section 4 are brought together and the wall 21 is installed within an interior surface of a rear portion of the second pump stage 7. The O-ring 24 seals against the interior surface of the pump section 4 and wall 21. The mounting tabs 20 are aligned with each other to assemble and secure the motor section 2 to the pump section 4 using suitable fasteners 26. As can be appreciated, other types of fastening devices or techniques may be used to secure the pump section 4 and the motor section 2 together.
The pump motor 10 includes electrical connections (not shown) that extend from a rear portion of the motor 10 through a rear portion of motor housing 3. The electrical connections are adapted to receive electrical power from a remotely located power source to energize and operate the pump motor 10.
The valve assembly 40 of the present disclosure is illustrated in
The valve assembly further includes an adjustable second pump stage valve member 82 that is radially mounted outside the second stage impeller 17 and inside the second impeller cavity 51 of the second pump stage 7. The second pump stage valve member 82 is arranged to adjustably open or close fluid flow through the third fluid outlet 39 and the fourth fluid outlet 149. The valve member 82 includes an annular wall 85 with an exterior wall surface 89 and an interior wall surface 86 and a first rectangular opening 84 and a second rectangular opening 184 each extending through wall 85. Each opening 84 and 184 are located on opposite sides of wall 89 facing each other, as is best seen in
Walls 85 of the valve member 82 are attached to and extend from the second thimble 56. A barrel member 90 having a plurality of equidistantly spaced ribs 91 is attached to the second thimble 56 with aperture 57 located centrally in the barrel 90 equidistant between the ribs 91. The ribs 91 of barrel member 90 extend vertically from the second thimble 56 and are attached to a lower surface of the first thimble 55. Barrel 90 is located within the flow feed chamber 35 and functions to transfer rotational displacement of the first valve member 42 to the second valve member 82. Ribs 91 of the barrel member 90 may be attached to thimble 55 and 56 using any common method such as for example snap-fit assembly or welding to permanently fix the ribs 91 to thimbles 55 and 56. Alternatively, the ribs 91 and the thimbles 55 and 56 can be molded as a unitary structure.
A bearing 60, preferably a ball bearing, aligns and stabilizes the first impeller 16, as well as the valve member 42 of the first pump stage 6. The bearing 60 mounts within an opening 154 extending from a skirt 155 in the center of thimble 55. The bearing 60 is pressed into opening 154 of the skirt 155 as shown in
The exemplary first pump stage valve member 42 of the present disclosure further includes a cylindrical inlet member 77 located at an upper section 73 of valve member 42. The upper section 73 is arranged to be mounted within a mounting cavity 150 of a valve housing 31 that extends between the first pump stage 6 and the fluid inlet 36. The upper section 73 of the valve member 42 further includes an annular outer surface 76 and an internal passage 79 defined by an annular interior surface 78. The outer surface 76 of upper section 73 may include an exterior sealing assembly 25, shown at
As is shown in
The upper section 73 of the valve member 42 further includes an actuation ring 66 having a spline tooth gear band 101 attached about the periphery of the outer surface 76. As is shown in
With reference to
Rotation of the valve assembly 40 selectively positions the first pump stage valve member 42 to switch fluid flow from the first impeller cavity 50 to either the first or the second fluid outlets 34, 38. Simultaneously, rotation of the valve assembly 40 selectively positions the second pump stage valve member 82 to switch fluid flow from the second impeller cavity 51 to either the third or the fourth fluid outlet 39, 139.
With reference to
In
A 90 degree clockwise rotation of the valve assembly 40 by actuator 100 positions the valve assembly 40 into a second switched position. As is shown in
The 90 degree clockwise rotation of the valve assembly 40 moves second opening 184 of valve member 82 to align with fourth fluid outlet 149 and wall 85 between first end 187 and second end 188 to close third fluid outlet 39, as is seen in
A further 90 degree clockwise rotation of the valve assembly 40 by actuator 100 positions the valve assembly 40 into a third switched position. As is shown in
In
A further 90 degree clockwise rotation of the valve assembly 40 by actuator 100 positions the valve assembly 40 into a fourth switched position. As is shown in
In
The rotation of actuator 100 to place the valve assembly 40 in the four switched positions disclosed above does not necessarily require a clockwise direction. The example clockwise direction was used to explain the operation of the valve assembly 40. The valve assembly 40 may also operate just as well using a counterclockwise direction. For example, the actuator 100 may turn the valve assembly 40 clockwise to the second switched position from the first switched position and counterclockwise back to the first switched position or counterclockwise from the first switched position to the fourth switched position. Rotation of the actuator 100 to the various switched positions is controlled by signaling from a controller circuit operated by a user or a vehicle computer.
Even though the present disclosure has been explained using first and second pump stages, and first and second fluid outlets it will be understood by those skilled in the art, that more than two pump stages can be used to perform the functions of the present disclosure. Similarly, each pump stage may have more than first and second fluid inputs as well as more than first and second fluid outlets. Additionally, each valve member may have openings of varied sizes and configurations to provide different switched outcomes.
It may be advantageous to set forth definitions of certain words and phrases used throughout this patent document. The term “communicate,” as well as derivatives thereof, encompasses both direct and indirect communication. The terms “include” and “comprise,” as well as derivatives thereof, mean inclusion without limitation. The term “or” is inclusive, meaning and/or. The phrase “associated with,” as well as derivatives thereof, may mean to include, be included within, interconnect with, contain, be contained within, connect to or with, couple to or with, be communicable with, cooperate with, interleave, juxtapose, be proximate to, be bound to or with, have, have a property of, have a relationship to or with, or the like. The phrase “at least one of,” when used with a list of items, means that different combinations of one or more of the listed items may be used, and only one item in the list may be needed. For example, “at least one of: A, B, and C” includes any of the following combinations: A, B, C, A and B, A and C, B and C, and A and B and C.
The description in the present application should not be read as implying that any particular element, step, or function is an essential or critical element that must be included in the claim scope. The scope of patented subject matter is defined only by the allowed claims. Moreover, none of the claims is intended to invoke 35 U.S.C. § 112(f) with respect to any of the appended claims or claim elements unless the exact words “means for” or “step for” are explicitly used in the particular claim, followed by a participle phrase identifying a function. Use of terms such as (but not limited to) “mechanism,” “module,” “device,” “unit,” “component,” “element,” “member,” “apparatus,” “machine,” “system,” or “controller” within a claim is understood and intended to refer to structures known to those skilled in the relevant art, as further modified or enhanced by the features of the claims themselves and is not intended to invoke 35 U.S.C. § 112(f).
While this disclosure has described certain embodiments and generally associated methods, alterations and permutations of these embodiments and methods will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the above description of example embodiments does not define or constrain this disclosure. Other changes, substitutions, and alterations are also possible without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure, as defined by the following claims.
