Drive apparatus for a separator arrangement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10155231-B2
Application number	US-201314402397-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 15, 2013
Priority date	May 22, 2012
Publication date	Dec 18, 2018
Grant date	Dec 18, 2018

Abstract

A separator drum having a vertical rotation axis and an inflow line for a material which is to be processed by centrifuging is driven by a drive apparatus via a drive spindle. The drive spindle is rotated by a motor designed as a direct drive and having a stator and a rotor. The drive apparatus is arranged in a drive housing having a motor housing section designed as an explosion-protected structure that is encapsulated in a pressure-resistant manner and in which the motor is accommodated.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A drive apparatus for a separator drum with a vertical rotational axis and a feed line for a centrifuged material which is to be processed, the drive apparatus comprising:
a direct drive motor having a stator and rotor;
a drive spindle coupling the direct drive motor to the separator drum; and
a drive housing in which the drive apparatus is arranged, wherein the drive apparatus has a motor housing section that is configured in an explosion-proof, pressure-tightly encapsulated type of construction and in which is accommodated the motor together with the stator and the rotor;
wherein the drive housing consists of a plurality of sub-sections of which one is the motor housing section and another is a bearing housing section accommodating a bearing device for the drive spindle;
wherein the motor housing section is configured as a section that is stationary during operation and is adjacent to a part that rotates during operation, wherein at least one gap is formed between the part that rotates during operation and the motor housing section;
wherein the sub-sections comprise:
the bearing housing section, which is non-rotatable,
motor housing section, which is non-rotatable, and
a lubricant collecting reservoir connected to the drive spindle in a rotation-resistant manner;

wherein the motor housing section has a cover part towards a top that is adjacent to the rotating part so that the at least one gap is formed between the cover part and the rotating part;
wherein the at least one gap is formed between the cover part of the motor housing section and the lubricant collecting reservoir.

2. The drive apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one gap is dimensioned in such a way that flame/spark flashover through the at least one gap is not possible in the event of an explosion in an interior of the motor housing.

3. A drive apparatus for a separator drum with a vertical rotational axis and a feed line for a centrifuged material which is to be processed, the drive apparatus comprising:
a direct drive motor having a stator and rotor;
a drive spindle coupling the direct drive motor to the separator drum; and
a drive housing in which the drive apparatus is arranged, wherein the drive apparatus has a motor housing section that is configured in an explosion-proof, pressure-tightly encapsulated type of construction and in which is accommodated the motor together with the stator and the rotor;
wherein the drive housing consists of a plurality of sub-sections of which one is the motor housing section and another is a bearing housing section accommodating a bearing device for the drive spindle;
wherein the motor housing section is configured as a section that is stationary during operation and is adjacent to a part that rotates during operation, wherein at least one gap is formed between the part that rotates during operation and the motor housing section;
wherein the sub-sections comprise:
the bearing housing section, which is non-rotatable,
motor housing section, which is non-rotatable, and
a lubricant collecting reservoir connected to the drive spindle in a rotation-resistant manner;

wherein the lubricant collecting reservoir lies outside the pressure-tightly encapsulated motor housing section.

4. The drive apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a rotary transmission lead-through for one or more parts that rotate during operation is provided only on an upper side of the motor housing section.

5. The drive apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a diametrical position of the at least one gap lies on a larger diameter than the outside diameter of the rotor.

6. The drive apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the entire bearing device of the drive spindle is arranged above the motor housing section in such a way that the entire bearing device of the drive spindle is arranged axially above a lower base of the lubricant collecting reservoir.

7. The drive apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the entire bearing device of the drive spindle is arranged outside and above, the motor housing section.

8. The drive apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the lubricant collecting reservoir encompasses the drive spindle in an annular/toroidal manner and also forms a part of the pressure-tight encapsulation of the motor towards a bottom of the lubricant collecting reservoir.

9. The drive apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the bearing device includes an upper neck bearing and a lower foot bearing.

10. The drive apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the upper neck bearing includes two individual rolling bearings formed as angular-contact rolling bearings and arranged on the drive spindle in an X-, O-, or tandem design.

11. The drive apparatus of claim 10 , wherein one or both of the bearings are fastened axially at a top and bottom on the drive spindle in each case by a ring or a spindle step.

12. The drive apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the bearing housing section is supported on a machine frame by at least one or more spherical bearings.

13. The drive apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the motor housing section is flanged onto the bearing housing section.

14. The drive apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a natural frequency of the part that rotates is matched to a range of <1100 revolutions per minute.

15. The drive apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a cover closes-off a bottom of the motor housing section.

16. The drive apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the entire bearing device lies completely outside the pressure-tightly encapsulated motor housing section.

17. The drive apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the entire bearing device lies completely inside the pressure-tightly encapsulated motor housing section.

18. The drive apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the motor housing section has a cover part towards a top that is adjacent to the rotating part so that the at least one gap is formed between the cover part and the rotating part and wherein the at least one gap is formed between the cover part and the drive spindle.

19. The drive apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a second gap is formed above the bearing device, between an annular cover above the bearing device and the drive spindle or a ring on the drive spindle.

Assignees

• Gea Mechanical Equipment Gmbh

Inventors

• Strauch Dieter
• Bathelt Thomas
• Bolte Andreas

Classifications

• B04B9/12 Primary

  Suspending rotary bowls {; Bearings; Packings for bearings} · CPC title

• B04B9/04

  Direct drive · CPC title

• B04B7/06

  Safety devices {; Regulating} · CPC title

• B04B9/00

  Drives specially designed for centrifuges; Arrangement or disposition of transmission gearing; Suspending or balancing rotary bowls · CPC title

• B04B15/00

  Other accessories for centrifuges · CPC title