Rotating diffuser pump

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11396887-B2
Application number	US-201415101460-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 3, 2014
Priority date	Dec 3, 2013
Publication date	Jul 26, 2022
Grant date	Jul 26, 2022

Abstract

A centrifugal pump with a rotating impeller and a rotating diffuser. The diffuser may be rotated with a controlled speed to broaden the operational range of the pump. Such control may be done independently of the rotational speed of the impeller to tailor pump operation to a particular NPSH, efficiency, fluid flow or related requirement. In one preferred form, the impeller and diffuser are made to counter-rotate relative to one another, while the independent rotational speed of each may be provided by one or more motors, as well as a variable-speed transmission coupled to such motor or motors. Such a pump is optimized for specific speed operating ranges beneath those associated with axial flow pump configurations.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A single-stage centrifugal pump for a fluid, said pump comprising:
a housing;
a single impeller rotatably disposed in said housing such that fluid introduced thereto is centrifugally discharged therefrom to experience a first increase in energy;
a diffuser rotatably disposed in said housing and placed in radially outward fluid communication with and fluidly downstream of said impeller such that upon passage through said diffuser, said discharged fluid experiences a second increase in energy;
at least one motor;
at least one variable speed drive;
a controller configured to receive data corresponding to operation of said pump and to use such data to calculate a combination of speeds to be imparted to said impeller and said diffuser from said variable speed drive in order to achieve an inlet condition for said pump that can provide an optimized specific speed of said pump between 200 and 6000 based on a combination of a best efficiency point and a best net positive suction head required that is selected from a pump characteristic curve in order to adapt to independent rotational movements of said impeller and said diffuser; and
a shaft comprising two-concentrically-arranged drive shaft portions such that upon receipt of rotational torque thereto from said at least one motor through said variable speed drive and said controller, each of said drive shaft portions imparts said independent rotational movements to a respective one of said impeller and said diffuser, wherein said fluid is in a substantially liquid state upon introduction to said impeller.

2. The pump of claim 1 , wherein said impeller and said diffuser are in counter-rotating relationship with one another.

3. The pump of claim 1 , wherein said at least one motor comprises a dual motor.

4. The pump of claim 1 , wherein said at least one motor comprises a single concentric-shaft motor.

5. The pump of claim 1 , wherein said received data is stored in memory that makes up a portion of said controller, said memory selected from the group consisting of a lookup table and data structure.

6. The pump of claim 5 , wherein said received data is provided from the group consisting of a pump manufacturer and a diagnostic routine the latter of which varies the operation of said pump and detects at least one operational condition associated with the operation of said pump.

7. A pump assembly comprising:
a single-stage centrifugal pump for a fluid, said pump comprising:
a housing;
a single impeller rotatably disposed in said housing such that fluid introduced thereto is centrifugally discharged therefrom to experience a first increase in energy;
a diffuser rotatably disposed in said housing and placed in radially outward fluid communication with and fluidly downstream of said impeller such that upon passage through said diffuser, said discharged fluid experiences a second increase in energy; and
a shaft rotatably cooperative with each of said impeller and said diffuser and comprising two-concentrically-arranged drive shaft portions;

at least one motor rotationally coupled to each of said impeller and said diffuser through said drive shaft portions such that rotational movement imparted to a respective one of each of said impeller and said diffuser is independent of one another; and
a controller cooperative with said pump and said at least one motor to regulate operation thereof, said controller configured to receive data corresponding to operation of said pump and to use such data to calculate a combination of speeds to be imparted to said impeller and said diffuser from said shaft in order to achieve an inlet condition for said pump that can provide an optimized specific speed of said pump between 200 and 6000 based on a combination of a best efficiency point and a best net positive suction head required that is selected from a pump characteristic curve in order to adapt to independent rotational movements of said impeller and said diffuser, wherein said fluid is in a substantially liquid state upon introduction to said impeller.

8. The assembly of claim 7 , wherein said impeller and said diffuser are in counter-rotating relationship with one another.

9. The assembly of claim 7 , wherein said two-concentrically-arranged drive shaft portions comprises an outer shaft portion that is rotatably coupled to said diffuser and an inner shaft portion that is rotatably coupled to said impeller.

10. The assembly of claim 9 , wherein said at least one motor comprises a single alternating current induction motor that defines a pair of counter-rotating rotors each cooperative with a respective one of said inner and outer shaft portions.

11. The assembly of claim 9 , wherein said at least one motor defines a pair of alternating current induction motors each cooperative with a respective one of said inner and outer shaft portions.

12. The assembly of claim 11 , further comprising a transmission rotatably cooperative with a said pair of alternating current induction motors.

13. The assembly of claim 7 , wherein said regulated operation of said at least one motor and said pump is based on a plurality of operational criteria.

14. A method of pressurizing a fluid, the method comprising:
introducing a fluid in a substantially liquid state into a single-stage centrifugal pump, said pump comprising:
a housing;
a single impeller rotatably disposed in said housing such that fluid introduced thereto is centrifugally discharged therefrom to experience a first increase in energy;
a diffuser rotatably disposed in said housing and placed in radially outward fluid communication with and fluidly downstream of said impeller; and
a shaft rotatably cooperative with each of said impeller and said diffuser and comprising two-concentrically-arranged drive shaft portions;
a controller configured to receive data corresponding to operation of said pump and to use such data to calculate a combination of speeds to be imparted to said impeller and said diffuser from said variable speed drive in order to achieve an inlet condition for said pump that can provide an optimized specific speed of said pump between 200 and 6000 based on a combination of a best efficiency point and a best net positive suction head required that is selected from a pump characteristic curve in order to adapt to independent rotational movements of said impeller and said diffuser;

using at least one motor to impart rotational torque to said shaft such that rotational movement of a respective one of each of said impeller and said diffuser takes place independent of one another;
operating said pump through said controller; and
discharging said fluid from said pump with a higher energy content than prior to said introducing.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein said at least one motor defines a pair of motors each cooperative with a respective one of said inner and outer shaft portion.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein said two-concentrically-arranged drive shaft portions comprises an outer shaft portion that is rotatably coupled to said diffuser and an inner shaft portion that is rotatably coupled to said impeller that define said shaft.

Assignees

• Flowserve Man Co
• Dreiss Andreas
• Farooqi Rehan
• Tosin Stefano
• Friedrichs Jens

Inventors

• Dreiss Andreas
• Farooqi Rehan
• Tosin Stefano
• Friedrichs Jens

Classifications

• F04D13/06

  the pump being electrically driven · CPC title

• H02K7/14

  Structural association with mechanical loads, e.g. with hand-held machine tools or fans (with fan or impeller for cooling the machine H02K9/06) · CPC title

• F04D29/2277

  for increasing NPSH or dealing with liquids near boiling-point · CPC title

• F04D29/447 Primary

  rotating diffusers · CPC title

• F04D1/003 Primary

  Having contrarotating parts · CPC title