The invention relates to a pumping apparatus, in particular to a vertical pump, as well as to a diffusor for a pumping apparatus, in particular for a vertical pump, in accordance with the preamble of the independent claims 1 and 10.
Vertical pumps, in particular large vertical pumps have been used successfully in a plurality of applications for a very long time in the prior art. Large pumps for specific applications are not infrequently manufactured in accordance with the specifications of the users and/or are matched in detail to specific requirements.
Important fields of application for the use of vertical pumps in practice are, amongst other things, cooling towers, applications in cooling water systems, for the drainage of waste water pools, or overflow basins for the prevention of flooding, or vertical pumps are also successfully used for the drainage of large areas of land. Vertical pumps are also widely used in the supply of water, in particular in the supply of drinking water, or as main pumps or as auxiliary pumps in open or closed systems. Other applications are fire-fighting in the off-shore area, for example on drilling rigs, to only mention a few fields of application by way of example. Moreover, a whole series of further applications for vertical pumps are well known to the person of ordinary skill in the art. In this respect the pumps can be fixedly installed in a certain plant in dependence on the application or, however, can also be exchangeably installed or installed in a height adjustable manner, whereby a high flexibility is achieved, for example, in that the vertical position of the pump can be matched to different water levels or to different changing circumstances.
Vertical pumps are thus indeed not only, but typically always used when a large amount of a fluid, not only, but generally water, should be pumped at comparatively low pressures over relatively small differences in height from a lower level to a higher level per unit of time or, also, for only overcoming the pressure-loss in the system. For example, from the ocean, a river, a lake or from a cooling basin, a tank or from a liquid sump or a water sump.
In this respect one stage or multi-stage vertical pumps are used, this means pumps having one or more pump rotors arranged in series, the use of which is determined by the respective specific application.
In this connection the vertical pump is typically immersed into the liquid reservoir to be pumped, so that at least the intake or suction bell with the adjoining pump rotor is immersed into the medium to be pumped, so that the pump is directly ready for operation.
Also when the application of vertical pumps is not generally limited to large feed amounts and the overcoming of comparatively small differences in height, large vertical pumps are, in particular used precisely then when very large amounts of a fluid must be conveyed over comparatively small differences in height per unit time. In this connection typical operating parameters, for example, lie at 1,000 m3 up to 80,000 m3 per hour performance or capacity, which achieve typical feed heights of 1 m-40 m. The conveyed medium is frequently water. In this connection the aforementioned value ranges, are to be understood only by way of example and can be exceeded or undercut in dependence on the application, like the person of ordinary skill in the art knows.
For a better understanding of the present invention the structure and the functional principle of a vertical pump known from the state of the art should now be described in the following with reference to
At this point it should be noted that reference numerals which relate to features of pumps or pump components known from the state of the art are provided with an inverted comma in the framework of this application, as is the case for the examples known from the state of the art in accordance with
The vertical pump 1′ known from the state of the art in accordance with
In this connection the pump rotor 7′ is driven by motor M′ via a drive shaft 8′. The drive shaft 8′ is journalled in bearings 10′ adjustable with respect to the diffusor axis A′ within the diffusor 5′, which does not rotate with the pump rotor 7′, but is statically connected to an inner wall of the diffusor section 4′ by means of attachment means 9′, for example, by means of diffusor vanes.
As can be seen, in particular from the detailed illustration in accordance with
An essential component of a vertical pump, for example, of the vertical pump in accordance with
As is well known to the person of ordinary skill in the art the diffusor is a component, which not only in the case of pumps but also in numerous other technical applications serves the purpose of slowing down a liquid flow, whereby flow energy, thus ultimately the kinetic energy of the liquid is converted into pressure energy and the pressure is therefore increased. Therefore, a diffusor is the counter-piece to a nozzle which increases the kinetic energy of the fluid with respect to its manner of operation. The additional pressure gain obtained by the diffusor, which in practice can generally lie in the range of up to 10% of the overall pressure or which can even lie higher in individual cases, can then be used to achieve a higher height difference, i.e. a larger pump head, than without a diffusor.
The transfer of kinetic energy into pressure energy is, amongst other things, achieved in this connection in that fluid flowing away from the pump rotor can be additionally suitably guided, for example, by means of corresponding guide vanes, whereby turbulence and eddies in the fluid can be suppressed to a certain degree which consume a certain part of the flow energy of the flowing fluid by means of internal friction i.e. would ultimately be transferred into heat, so that this energy loss would no longer be available as pressure energy and which finally has the effect that a smaller pump height is achieved and/or more drive energy has to be invested into the pump in order to achieve the desired pump head.
Also when the diffusors so far known from the state of the art satisfy the aforementioned object of energy transfer into pressure energy more or less successfully, it has been shown that a considerable need for improvement still exists with respect to the efficiency of the diffusors. This means that also when the so far known diffusors already make a significant contribution with regard to the energy efficiency of the vertical pump, this still does not seem to be sufficient, in particular with regard to the ever increasing costs of energy.
For this reason it is the object of the invention to provide an improved diffusor and/or pumping apparatus, in particular a vertical pump having an improved diffusor, by means of which a larger portion of pressure energy can be regained from the fluid conveyed by the rotor, so that finally the energy efficiency is increased as a whole and a larger feed height is achieved than for a known diffusor for the same drive energy introduced into the pump, or alternatively that the overall energy consumption of the pump can be reduced for the same feed height.
The subject matter of the invention satisfying this object is satisfied by the features of the independent claims 1 and 10.
The dependent claims relate to particularly advantageous embodiments of the invention.
The invention therefore relates to a pumping apparatus including a feed column having a rotor housing extending about a diffusor axis of the pumping apparatus, with the rotor housing being arranged between an intake and a diffusor provided in a diffusor section, as well as including a feed tube with an outlet stub adjoining at the diffusor section. In this connection, a pump rotor is arranged in the rotor housing such that, in the operating state, a fluid to be conveyed can be sucked from the pump rotor via the intake or suction bell and can be discharged again via the diffusor section, the feed tube and via the outlet stub from the feed column of the pumping apparatus. The diffusor includes an inlet section arranged between an outlet section of the diffusor and the pump rotor, wherein a first part section is formed at the outlet section adjacent to the inlet section, with the first part section being inclined with respect to the diffusor axis at a first predefinable outlet angle in a direction towards the feed tube. In accordance with the invention a second part section adjoining the first part section is formed at the outlet section, with the second part section being inclined with respect to the diffusor axis at a second outlet angle different from the first outlet angle.
It is essential for the invention that a second part section is formed adjoining the first part section at the outlet section of the diffusor, with the second part section being inclined with respect to the diffusor axis at a second outlet angle different from the first outlet angle. In contrast the outlet section in the state of the art was previously only of one part design. This had the effect that fluid entering into the feed tube from the diffusor section would be subjected to a very sudden, this means abrupt transition and/or abrupt change of direction of the flow direction, which led to unnecessary swirling and turbulence in the fluid and therefore finally to energy losses, as was already described in detail in the introduction with reference to the
This negative effect due to swirling and turbulence in the flow direction behind the outlet of the diffusor is substantially suppressed by means of the present invention, since the outlet section of the diffusor in accordance with the invention is divided into at least two part sections which have a different inclination so that the fluid is subjected to a significantly less abrupt transition on the exit from the diffusor into the feed tube, as the space between the diffusor surface and the inner wall of the diffusor section expands in at least two steps on a step by step basis. In other words a less abrupt change of direction of the fluid flow takes place for a diffusor in accordance with the invention, whereby less turbulence arises, therefore less hydraulic losses arise and thus the energy efficiency is significantly improved in contrast to the state of the art. This means that on use of a diffusor in accordance with the invention a higher pump head can be achieved for the same drive energy supplied into the pump and/or less drive energy is required with an electrically driven pump for the same pump head on use of a diffusor in accordance with the invention, this means that less electrical energy is required for the drive of the pump.
A further significant advantage of a diffusor in accordance with the invention is its slender design. As can, for example, already be easily recognized by comparison of a known diffusor in accordance with
All this saves material as the person of ordinary skill in the art understands without further ado, reduces the weight of the diffusor, and also reduces the friction losses and flow losses within the diffusor for a reduced construction length of the diffusor and therefore finally saves cost not only on operation of the diffusor, but also on manufacture of the diffusor, whereby the price of a diffusor in accordance with the invention and/or the price of a pump having a diffusor in accordance with the invention can be reduced and therefore the competitiveness of this product is increased by means of the invention.
For a preferred embodiment of a pumping apparatus in accordance with the invention at least one further third part section is additionally arranged at the outlet section, with the third part section being inclined with respect to the diffusor axis at a third outlet angle, wherein the third outlet angle is preferably, but not necessarily different from the first outlet angle and/or different from the second outlet angle.
In this connection the second outlet angle measured with respect to the diffusor axis is very advantageously larger than the first outlet angle measured with respect to the first diffusor axis in practice, whereby a particularly gentle transition of the fluid from the diffusor into the feed tube is ensured, since the distance between the outlet section of the diffusor and the inner wall of the diffusor section increases step by step in the direction towards the feed tube. As investigations by the inventors have shown the first outlet angle advantageously amounts to at most 15 degrees, preferably lies in the range of between 6 degrees to 12 degrees and in particular lies at 12 degrees, while the second outlet angle preferably amounts to at most 30 degrees, advantageously lies in the range of between 12 degrees and 24 degrees and in particular lies at 18 degrees. In this connection, a difference angle between the first outlet angle and the second outlet angle is selected in the range of between 6 degrees to 12 degrees in practice, and is preferably selected at 8 degrees in practice.
The third part section can advantageously be formed between the first part section and the second part section at the outlet section, wherein preferably, but not necessarily, the third outlet angle is larger than the first outlet angle and smaller than the second outlet angle.
For an embodiment particularly important in practice the first part section and/or the second part section and/or the third part section are in the form of a straight cone and/or of a straight truncated cone, this means that the first outlet angle is constant in the region of the overall first part section and/or the second outlet angle is constant in the region of the overall second part section and/or the third outlet angle is constant in the region of the overall third part section.
It is naturally understood that a pumping apparatus in accordance with the invention can be a one-stage pumping apparatus, but also a multi-stage pumping apparatus having a plurality of pump rotors arranged in series with respect to the diffusor axis, wherein preferably two pump rotors arranged in series can be provided.
In this connection a pumping apparatus in accordance with the invention is frequently a vertical pump, in particular a vertical pump for the conveyance of water, waste water or for the conveyance of another liquid fluid in practice.
In this connection the invention moreover relates to a diffusor as such, as is described in the framework of this application together with a pump and can, in particular also be configured as a retrofitting part and/or a replacement part, so that existing older pumps can also be retrofit with a diffusor in accordance with the invention, so that also the efficiency of older pumps can be increased and/or improved retrospectively by the invention.
In the following the invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawing. There is shown in schematic illustration:
a a vertical pump having a diffusor known from the state of the art;
b the diffusor of
a a pumping apparatus in accordance with the invention having two part sections at the outlet of the diffusor partially in section;
b the diffusor of
The
With reference to
The vertical pump 1 in accordance with the invention in accordance with
In this connection the pump rotor 7 is driven by a, for reasons of clarity, non-illustrated motor arranged downstream via a drive shaft likewise not shown. Within the diffusor 5, which does not rotate with the pump rotor 7, but is statically connected to an inner wall of the diffusor section 4 by means of attachment means 9, for example, by means of diffusor vanes, the drive shaft is stored in bearings 10 settable with respect to the diffusor axis A.
Thus the vertical pump 1 in accordance with
Very particularly preferably the second outlet angle β measured with respect to the diffusor axis A is larger than the first outlet angle α measured with respect to the diffusor axis A in practice, as can clearly be seen in the
For a better understanding a thought line L′ is shown in
It can very clearly be seen that the outlet section 52 of the diffusor 5 is significantly more strongly inclined with respect to the diffusor axis A by means of the additional second part section 522 adjoining the first part section 521, with the second part section 522 extending at a larger angle of inclination β with respect to the diffusor axis A, which stronger inclination has the effect that fluid F flowing from the diffusor section 4 into the feed tube 6 is subjected to a very gentle transition and/or change of direction of the flow direction, this means a very less sudden or abrupt transition and/or abrupt change of direction of the flow direction, so that the unnecessary swirls and turbulence in the fluid F known from the state of the art can be very strongly suppressed which has the effect that unnecessary energy losses can be avoided and the overall efficiency of the pump is increased on use of a diffusor 5 in accordance with the invention.
This means that the negative effect known from the state of the art due to swirls and turbulence in the flow direction behind the outlet of the diffusor known from the state of the art is substantially suppressed by means of the present invention, since the outlet section 52 of the diffusor 5 in accordance with the invention is divided into at least two part sections 521, 522 which have a different and overall stronger inclination than for a diffusor known from the state of the art, so that the fluid F is subjected to a significantly less abrupt transition on the exit from the diffusor 5 in accordance with the invention into the feed tube, since the space between diffusor surface and the inner wall of the diffusor section 4 is expanded stronger step by step in at least two steps and generally over a shorter distance. In other words, for a diffusor 5 in accordance with the invention a less abrupt change of direction of the fluid flow takes place, in particular at the diffusor outlet, whereby less turbulence arises, and therefore less hydraulic losses arise and thus the energy efficiency is significantly improved in comparison to the state of the art.
It has to be understood that all embodiments of the invention described in the framework of this application are to be understood only by way of example and/or exemplary and that the invention encompasses, in particular, but not only, all suitable combinations of the described embodiments just like simple advances which the person of ordinary skill in the art identifies without further ado due to his practical experience.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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13156369.4 | Feb 2013 | EP | regional |