Centrifugal pump assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11073161-B2
Application number	US-201816493125-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 13, 2018
Priority date	Mar 14, 2017
Publication date	Jul 27, 2021
Grant date	Jul 27, 2021

Abstract

A hydraulic construction unit includes a centrifugal pump assembly which includes an electrical drive motor and at least one impeller which is driven by the electric drive motor. At least one valve element is arranged such that the valve element is movable by way of a fluid flow which is created by the impeller. At least one section of a wall delimits a flow path in the hydraulic construction unit and is configured to be movable as a moveable section. The movable section of the wall is part of the valve element or is connected to the valve element for movement. The movable section is movable so as to be at least partly effected by friction forces of a fluid flow which runs along the wall.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A hydraulic construction unit with a centrifugal pump assembly comprising:
an electrical drive motor;
at least one impeller which is driven by the electrical drive motor;
at least one valve element arranged to be movable by a fluid flow which is created by the at least one impeller; and
a wall delimiting a flow path in the hydraulic construction unit, the wall comprising at least one moveable wall section that is part of the at least one valve element or is connected to the at least one valve element for movement, wherein a movement of the at least one movable wall section is at least partly effected by friction forces of fluid flow running along the wall, wherein a movable separating element separates a suction chamber in an inside of a pump casing of the centrifugal pump assembly from a delivery chamber which surrounds the at least one impeller, wherein a surface of the separating element which faces the delivery chamber and/or a surface of the separating element which faces the suction chamber forms the at least one movable wall section of the wall.

2. A hydraulic construction unit according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one movable wall section of the wall is arranged to be movable parallel to the fluid flow which runs along the wall.

3. A hydraulic construction unit according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one movable wall section of the wall delimits a flow path which extends from the centrifugal pump assembly at a delivery side.

4. A hydraulic construction unit according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one movable wall section of the wall delimits a flow path which extends from the centrifugal pump assembly at a suction side.

5. A hydraulic construction unit according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one movable wall section of the wall is configured and arranged such that the at least one movable wall section of the wall is movable together with the at least one valve element by way of energy loss which is caused by the frictional forces on the wall of the flow path.

6. A hydraulic construction unit according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one moveable wall section of the wall is rotatably mounted in a pump casing.

7. A hydraulic construction unit according to claim 6 , wherein the at least one movable wall section is configured such that the friction forces which act upon the at least one moveable wall, by way of the fluid flow, are larger than friction forces which occur in a mounting of the at least one movable section and of the at least one valve element.

8. A hydraulic construction unit according to claim 1 , wherein the separating element annularly surrounds a suction port of the at least one impeller.

9. A hydraulic construction unit according to claim 1 , wherein the separating element is formed by the at least one valve element.

10. A hydraulic construction unit according to claim 9 , wherein the at least one valve element is rotatably mounted on a central bearing, wherein the rotation axis of the at least one valve element extends so as to be aligned to the rotation axis of the drive motor.

11. A hydraulic construction unit according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one valve element is movable between at least two switching positions.

12. A hydraulic construction unit according to claim 11 , wherein the at least one valve element interacts with at least two valve openings of two flow channels such that the valve openings of the flow channels are opened to a different extent depending on the switching position of the at least one valve element.

13. A hydraulic construction unit according to claim 12 , wherein the at least two valve openings each span a surface which extends parallel to a movement direction of the at least one valve element between at least two switching positions.

14. A hydraulic construction unit according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one valve element is configured and arranged such that the at least one valve element is movable along a first movement path between at least two switching positions by way of the fluid flow and additionally can be subjected to force or is movable, along a second movement path, by way of a pressure which is produced by the impeller, wherein the second movement path runs angled relative to the first movement path.

15. A hydraulic construction unit according claim 14 , wherein the at least one valve element is movable along the second movement path between a first released position, in which the at least one valve element is movable between the at least two switching positions, and a bearing position, at which the at least one valve element bears upon at least one contact surface.

16. A hydraulic construction unit according to claim 15 , wherein the at least one valve element and the contact surface are configured such that the at least one valve element and the contact surface non-positively or positively engage with one another in the bearing position, wherein a greater force is transmitted via this engagement than between the fluid flow and the at least one movable wall section of the wall.

17. A hydraulic construction unit according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one moveable wall section of the wall is rotatably mounted in a pump casing and together with the at least one valve element is rotatably mounted in the pump casing.

Assignees

• Grundfos Holding As

Inventors

• Blad Thomas
• Blad Christian

Classifications

• F04D29/4293

  Details of fluid inlet or outlet · CPC title

• F04D13/06

  the pump being electrically driven · CPC title

• F04D15/0066

  by changing the speed, e.g. of the driving engine · CPC title

• F04D29/486

  especially adapted for liquid pumps · CPC title

• F04D29/426 Primary

  especially adapted for liquid pumps · CPC title