Centrifugal pump assemblies having an axial flux electric motor and methods of assembly thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10865794-B2
Application number	US-201715418146-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 27, 2017
Priority date	Jan 27, 2017
Publication date	Dec 15, 2020
Grant date	Dec 15, 2020

Abstract

An electric motor assembly for pumping a fluid through a fluid cavity includes a stator assembly including a plurality of conduction coils configured to transmit heat energy to the fluid within the fluid cavity and a rotor assembly positioned adjacent the stator assembly to define an axial gap therebetween. The stator assembly is configured to impart a first axial force on the rotor assembly. The electric motor assembly also includes an impeller directly coupled to the rotor assembly opposite the stator assembly such that the rotor assembly and the impeller are configured to rotate about an axis. A fluid channeled by the impeller imparts a second axial force on the impeller. The rotor assembly and the impeller are configured to be submerged in the fluid within the fluid cavity.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electric motor assembly comprising:
a stator assembly;
a rotor assembly positioned adjacent said stator assembly to define an axial gap therebetween, wherein said stator assembly imparts a first axial force on said rotor assembly;
a bearing assembly comprising:
a rotating member having a stepped radial portion directly coupled to a rotor disk of said rotor assembly opposite said stator assembly, wherein said stepped radial portion is aligned with two inner surfaces of the rotor disk of said rotor assembly along an axis of rotation; and
a stationary member positioned radially outward of said rotating member, wherein said rotating member comprises an axial portion positioned within an opening of said stationary member, wherein said axial portion is a radially innermost component of said electric motor assembly; and

an impeller directly coupled to said rotor assembly opposite said stator assembly such that said rotor assembly and said impeller are configured to rotate about the axis of rotation, wherein a fluid channeled by said impeller imparts a second axial force on said impeller.

2. The electric motor assembly in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the first axial force acts on said rotor assembly in a first direction, and wherein the second axial force acts on said impeller in a second direction opposite the first direction.

3. The electric motor assembly in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said rotor assembly further comprises a plurality of permanent magnets, wherein said rotor disk is directly coupled to said impeller such that rotor disk contacts said impeller.

4. The electric motor assembly in accordance with claim 3 , wherein said impeller comprises a front plate defining an inlet and an opposing rear plate, said rear plate directly coupled to said rotor disk.

5. The electric motor assembly in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said impeller comprises a front plate defining an inlet, an opposing rear plate, and a plurality of blades coupled therebetween, wherein said rear plate is directly coupled in a face-to-face relationship with said rotor assembly.

6. The electric motor assembly in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of fasteners configured to couple said rotor assembly to said impeller.

7. The electric motor assembly in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said impeller is integrally formed with said rotor assembly.

8. The electric motor assembly in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said electric motor assembly does not include a shaft coupled between said rotor assembly and said impeller.

9. The electric motor assembly in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the axial portion of said rotating member and said impeller do not axially overlap.

10. The electric motor assembly in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said stationary member comprises a radially-oriented flange that is axially aligned with at least one permanent magnet of said rotor assembly.

11. The electric motor assembly in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said rotor assembly comprises a cavity configured to receive a rear plate of said impeller.

12. The electric motor assembly in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said rotor disk is coupled to said impeller, and wherein said stepped radial portion of said rotating member is aligned along said axis of rotation with said rotor disk.

13. A pump assembly comprising:
a pump housing;
a motor housing coupled to said pump housing;
an electric motor assembly comprising:
a stator assembly;
a rotor assembly positioned adjacent said stator assembly to define an axial gap therebetween, wherein said stator assembly imparts a first axial force on said rotor assembly;
a bearing assembly comprising a rotating member having a stepped radial portion coupled directly to a rotor disk of said rotor assembly opposite said stator assembly, wherein said stepped radial portion is aligned with two inner surfaces of the rotor disk of said rotor assembly along an axis of rotation; and
a stationary member positioned radially outward of said rotating member, wherein said rotating member comprises an axial portion positioned within an opening of said stationary member, wherein said axial portion is a radially innermost component of said electric motor assembly; and
an impeller directly coupled to said rotor assembly opposite said stator assembly such that said rotor assembly and said impeller are configured to rotate about the axis of rotation, wherein a fluid channeled by said impeller imparts a second axial force on said impeller.

14. The pump assembly in accordance with claim 13 , wherein said rotor assembly further comprises a plurality of permanent magnets, wherein said rotor disk is directly coupled to said impeller such that said rotor disk contacts said impeller.

15. The pump assembly in accordance with claim 13 , wherein said impeller comprises a front plate defining an inlet, an opposing rear plate, and a plurality of blades coupled therebetween, wherein said rear plate is directly coupled in a face-to-face relationship with said rotor assembly.

16. The pump assembly in accordance with claim 13 , wherein said impeller is integrally formed with said rotor assembly.

17. A method of assembling a pump assembly, said method comprising:
providing a stator assembly;
magnetically coupling a rotor assembly to the stator assembly such that an axial gap is defined therebetween, wherein the stator assembly imparts a first axial force on the rotor assembly;
coupling a stepped radial portion of a rotating component of a bearing assembly directly to the rotor assembly such that the stepped radial portion of the rotating component is aligned with two inner surfaces of the rotor assembly along an axis of rotation;
coupling a stationary component radially outward of the rotating component, wherein the rotating component includes an axial portion positioned within an opening of the stationary component, wherein the axial portion is the radially innermost component of the pump assembly; and
coupling an impeller directly to the rotor assembly opposite the stator assembly such that the rotor assembly and the impeller are configured to rotate about the axis of rotation, wherein a fluid channeled by the impeller is configured to impart a second axial force on the impeller.

18. The method in accordance with claim 17 , further comprising: coupling a pump housing to a motor housing of the pump assembly; coupling the stator assembly within the motor housing; and positioning the rotor assembly and the impeller within the pump housing.

19. The method in accordance with claim 17 , further comprising modifying a length of the axial gap to change the magnitude of the first axial force.

20. The method in accordance with claim 17 , further comprising modifying a speed of the impeller to change the magnitude of the second axial force.

21. The method in accordance with claim 17 , wherein coupling the impeller directly to the rotor assembly comprises coupling a rotor disk of the rotor assembly directly to the impeller such that the rotor disk contacts the impeller.

22. The method in accordance with claim 17 , wherein coupling the impeller directly to the rotor assembly comprises coupling a rear plate of the impeller in a face-to-face relationship with the rotor assembly.

23. The method in accordance with claim 17 , wherein coupling the impeller directly to the rotor assembly comprises integrally forming the impeller with the rotor assemb

Assignees

• Regal Beloit America Inc
• Regal Beloit Australia Pty Ltd

Inventors

• Turner Matthew J
• Heins Greg
• Thiele Mark
• Kreidler Jason Jon

Classifications

• H02K21/24

  with magnets axially facing the armatures, e.g. hub-type cycle dynamos · CPC title

• F04D13/0633

  Details of the bearings · CPC title

• F04D29/051

  Axial thrust balancing · CPC title

• H02K5/12

  specially adapted for operating in liquid or gas (combined with cooling arrangements H02K9/00) · CPC title

• F04D13/0666 Primary

  the motor being of the plane gap type · CPC title