Turbo pump vent assembly and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11149736-B2
Application number	US-201716325623-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 3, 2017
Priority date	Aug 15, 2016
Publication date	Oct 19, 2021
Grant date	Oct 19, 2021

Abstract

A turbo pump vent assembly and method are disclosed. The turbo pump vent assembly comprises: a primary manual actuator operable to deliver an initial volume of air to a turbo pump; and a secondary manual actuator operable to deliver a secondary volume of air to the turbo pump, wherein the secondary volume of air is greater than the initial volume of air. In this way, an uncomplex and reliable vent is provided which can deliver initial volumes of air to slow the turbo pump initially. Thereafter, the secondary volume of air may be delivered to slow the turbo pump more rapidly than is possible just using further initial volumes of air. Having an apparatus which can deliver differing volumes of air enables the turbo pump to be slowed safely and more quickly than is possible by delivering just the same sized volumes of air.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A turbo pump vent assembly, comprising:
a primary manual actuator operable to deliver an initial volume of air to a turbo pump, wherein said primary manual actuator has a vent position where said initial volume of air is delivered to said turbo pump and a decoupled position where said initial volume of air is prevented from being delivered to said turbo pump and wherein a source of said initial volume of air comprises a reservoir operable to receive air when in said decoupled position, to become sealed during a transition from said decoupled position to said vent position to form a stored volume of air and to deliver an amount of air limited to said stored volume of air as said initial volume of air to said turbo pump when in said vent position; and
a secondary manual actuator operable to deliver a secondary volume of air to said turbo pump, wherein said secondary volume of air is greater than said initial volume of air.

2. The turbo pump vent assembly of claim 1 , wherein said primary manual actuator is manually configurable between said vent position and said decoupled position.

3. The turbo pump vent assembly of claim 1 , wherein said primary manual actuator is biased towards said decoupled position.

4. The turbo pump vent assembly of claim 1 , wherein said primary manual actuator is releaseably configurable to said vent position.

5. The turbo pump vent assembly of claim 1 , wherein said valve arrangement is manually operable to fluidly couple said source of said initial volume of air with said turbo pump when in said vent position and biased to fluidly decouple said source of said initial volume of air with said turbo pump when in said decoupled position.

6. The turbo pump vent assembly of claim 1 , wherein said primary manual actuator has a conduit fluidly coupling said source of said initial volume of air with said turbo pump, said conduit having a restrictor configured to restrict flow through said conduit when in said vent position.

7. The turbo pump vent assembly of claim 1 , wherein said primary manual actuator comprises a valve arrangement operable to fluidly couple said reservoir with an external source of said air to fill said reservoir when in said decoupled position.

8. The turbo pump vent assembly of claim 7 , wherein said valve arrangement is operable to fluidly decouple said reservoir from said turbo pump when in said decoupled position.

9. The turbo pump vent assembly of claim 7 , wherein said valve arrangement is operable to fluidly decouple said reservoir from said external source of said air when in said vent position.

10. The turbo pump vent assembly of claim 7 , wherein said reservoir is displaceable between said decoupled position and said vent position.

11. The turbo pump vent assembly of claim 7 , wherein said reservoir is displaceable one of linearly and rotationally.

12. The turbo pump vent assembly of claim 1 , wherein said secondary manual actuator has a vent position where said second volume of air is delivered to said turbo pump and a decoupled position where said second volume of air is prevented from being delivered to said turbo pump.

13. The turbo pump vent assembly of claim 12 , wherein said secondary manual actuator is manually configurable between said vent position and said decoupled position.

14. The turbo pump vent assembly of claim 1 , wherein said turbo pump vent assembly comprises a coupling operable to be received by a complementary coupling of said turbo pump and said secondary manual actuator is operable to disengage said coupling from said complementary coupling to deliver said second volume of air to said turbo pump.

15. A turbo pump vent method, comprising:
delivering an initial volume of air to a turbo pump using a primary manual actuator wherein said primary manual actuator has a vent position where said initial volume of air is delivered to said turbo pump and a decoupled position where said initial volume of air is prevented from being delivered to said turbo pump and wherein a source of said initial volume of air comprises a reservoir operable to receive air when in said decoupled position, to become sealed during a transition from said decoupled position to said vent position to form a stored volume of air and to deliver an amount of air limited to said stored volume of air as said initial volume of air to said turbo pump when in said vent position; and
delivering a secondary flow of volume to said turbo pump using a secondary manual actuator, wherein said secondary volume of air is greater than said initial volume of air.

Assignees

• Edwards Ltd

Inventors

• Miles Christopher

Classifications

• F04D27/0261

  by varying driving speed · CPC title

• F04D19/042 Primary

  Turbomolecular vacuum pumps · CPC title

• F04D27/0292

  Stop safety or alarm devices, e.g. stop-and-go control; Disposition of check-valves · CPC title

• F04D15/02

  Stopping of pumps, or operating valves, on occurrence of unwanted conditions · CPC title

• F16K24/06

  for aerating only (F16K24/02 takes precedence) · CPC title