High efficiency double suction impeller

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11536273-B2
Application number	US-202117193292-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 5, 2021
Priority date	Nov 7, 2016
Publication date	Dec 27, 2022
Grant date	Dec 27, 2022

Abstract

A double suction impeller is disclosed. In at least one embodiment, the impeller is configured for centrifugal pumps and hydraulic power recovery turbines. The impeller's flow-path arrangement comprises inter-blade channels, intersecting each other at the impeller's outer diameter and defining a variable cross section shape, so that the equivalent number of blades is at least doubled with respect to a conventional configuration obtained by the coupling of two single suction impellers and an improved control over the velocity of the flow within the inter-blade channels is achieved.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A double suction impeller, comprising:
a plurality of blades attached to a hub and to a left side shroud and to a right side shroud, the left side shroud and the right side shroud each having a center aperture, and an outer edge of the left side shroud and the outer edge of the right side shroud define an impeller exit;
each pair of adjacent blades of the plurality of blades defines a plurality of inter-blade channels configured to connect a plurality of input apertures located within the center apertures of the left side shroud and the right side shroud to a plurality of output apertures located on the impeller exit,
wherein each of the plurality of inter-blade channels has a variable cross section shape, the variable cross section shape being quadrilateral at an inlet of each inter-blade channel of the plurality of inter-blade channels, then becoming at least a five sided polygon, and then becoming quadrilateral again before the impeller exit.

2. The double suction impeller of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of inter-blade channels comprises left side inter-blade channels having their respective input apertures located within the center aperture of the left side shroud, and right side inter-blade channels having their respective input apertures located within the center aperture of the right side shroud.

3. The double suction impeller of claim 2 , wherein the left side inter-blade channels and the right side inter-blade channels intersect a median plane of the impeller exit in a configuration where the plurality of output apertures of the left side inter-blade channels are in alternating alignment with the plurality of output apertures of the right side inter-blade channels on the impeller exit.

4. The double suction impeller of claim 1 , wherein the double suction impeller is made of a single piece.

5. The double suction impeller of claim 1 , wherein the double suction impeller is made of two pieces.

6. The double suction impeller of claim 1 , wherein the hub defines a tubular center bore configured to receive an impeller drive shaft.

7. The double suction impeller of claim 6 , wherein the center apertures of the left side shroud and the right side shroud are adjacent to the tubular center bore.

8. The double suction impeller of claim 7 , wherein the center apertures of the left side shroud and the right side shroud comprise an aperture edge and an aperture rim.

9. The double suction impeller of claim 1 , further comprising a housing having axial inlets and a circumferential volute or diffuser outlet passage.

10. The double suction impeller of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of blades are integrally attached to the hub.

11. A centrifugal pump comprising the double suction impeller of claim 1 .

12. A hydraulic power recovery turbine comprising the double suction impeller of claim 1 .

Assignees

• Nuovo Pignone Tecnologie—S R L
• Nuovo Pignone Tecnologie Srl

Inventors

• Bergamini Lorenzo
• Torresi Marco
• Capurso Tommaso

Classifications

• F04D29/2205

  Conventional flow pattern · CPC title

• Y02E10/20

  Hydro energy · CPC title

• F04D29/628

  especially adapted for liquid pumps · CPC title

• F04D1/006 Primary

  double suction pumps · CPC title

• F04D29/2255

  flow-channels with a special cross-section contour, e.g. ejecting, throttling or diffusing effect · CPC title