Claims
- 1. In a pitot pump having a casing, bearing means for mounting the casing for rotation, a fixed pitot tube in the casing for withdrawing pressurized fluid from within the casing and discharging the fluid through an axial outlet passage extending through one end wall of the casing, an annular inlet passage coaxial with the outlet passage for introducing fluid to the casing; balance means for minimizing axial thrust on the bearing means during operation of the pitot pump with pressurized inlet fluid, said balance means comprising:
- a balancing chamber one portion of which is defined by an end wall of the casing opposite the end wall through which the inlet and outlet passages extend, the other portion of which is defined by an end of the pitot tube opposite the outlet passage;
- rotary seal means for sealing the balancing chamber from within the casing;
- a jet pump having a jet inlet, a suction inlet and an outlet;
- feed means for applying pressurized fluid to the jet inlet of the jet pump;
- a fluid conduit connecting the balancing chamber with the suction inlet of the jet pump; and
- means for discharging fluid from the jet pump outlet into the pitot pump inlet.
- 2. In a pitot pump as recited in claim 1, the improvement wherein the feed means comprises means for applying pressurized fluid from the fixed pitot tube to the jet inlet of the jet pump.
- 3. In a pitot pump as recited in claim 1, the further improvement wherein the feed means comprises a second fixed pitot tube in the casing having an opening at a radial distance from the axis of rotation of the casing less than the radial distance of the opening of the first pitot tube; and means for conveying pressurized fluid from the second pitot tube to the jet inlet of the jet pump.
- 4. In a pitot pump as recited in claim 3, the further improvement wherein the means for applying comprises a tube extending from the second pitot tube through the axial outlet passage of the first pitot tube and to the jet inlet of the jet pump.
- 5. In a pitot pump as recited in claim 1, further comprising a rotating seal between the rotatable casing and a stationary portion of the annular inlet passage for minimizing fluid leakage from the inlet passage, the improvement wherein the balancing chamber is coaxial with the casing and has a diameter approximately the same as the diameter of the rotating seal.
- 6. A pitot pump comprising:
- a casing;
- bearing means for mounting the casing for rotation;
- an axial outlet passage extending through one end wall of the casing;
- a fixed pitot tube in the casing for withdrawing pressurized fluid from within the casing and discharging the fluid through the outlet passage;
- an annular inlet passage coaxial with the outlet passage for introducing fluid to the casing; and
- thrust balancing means for minimizing axial thrust on the bearing means during operation of the pitot pump with pressurized inlet fluid; said thrust balancing means comprising:
- an axial chamber between an end wall of the casing opposite the end wall through which the passages extend and the pitot tube;
- rotary seal means for sealing the chamber from fluid within the casing; and
- an auxiliary pump having an inlet connected to the axial chamber and an outlet connected to the pitot pump inlet for maintaining pressure in the axial chamber at approximately ambient pressure.
- 7. A pitot pump as recited in claim 6 wherein the auxiliary pump comprises a jet pump having a jet inlet, a suction inlet connected to the axial chamber and an outlet connected to the annular inlet passage; and further comprising feed means for applying pressurized fluid to the jet inlet of the jet pump.
- 8. In a pitot pump as recited in claim 7, the improvement wherein the feed means comprises means for applying pressurized fluid from the fixed pitot tube to the jet inlet of the jet pump.
- 9. In a pitot pump as recited in claim 8, the further improvement wherein the feed means comprises a second fixed pitot tube in the casing having an opening in the casing at a radial distance the axis of rotation of the casing less than the radial distance of the opening of the first pitot tube; and means for conveying pressurized fluid from the second pitot tube to the jet inlet of the jet pump.
- 10. In a jet pitot pump as recited in claim 9, the further improvement wherein the means for applying comprises a tube extending from the second pitot tube through the axial outlet passage of the first pitot tube and to the jet inlet of the jet pump.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This is a division of application Ser. No. 632,403, filed Nov. 17, 1975, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (5)
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
632403 |
Nov 1975 |
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