Centrifugal pump assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12180968-B2
Application number	US-202117921696-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 26, 2021
Priority date	Apr 28, 2020
Publication date	Dec 31, 2024
Grant date	Dec 31, 2024

Abstract

The invention relates to a centrifugal pump assembly having an electric drive motor (2), at least one impeller (14) driven by said electric drive motor (2) and a valve element (24; 24′) rotatable between two 5 valve positions driven by a fluid flow produced by said impeller (14), wherein the valve element (24; 24′) has a cover plate (104; 104′) extending transverse to the rotational axis (X) of the impeller (14) and facing the impeller (14), wherein the valve element (24; 24′) having protrusions (102, 102′) arranged on an outer surface side facing away 10 from the impeller (14) such that a flow can act on them for driving the valve element (24; 24′).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A centrifugal pump assembly, the assembly comprising:
an electric drive motor;
at least one impeller driven by said electric drive motor; and
a valve element rotatable between two valve positions driven by a fluid flow produced by said impeller, wherein the valve element comprises a cover plate extending transverse to the rotational axis of the impeller and facing the impeller, wherein the valve element comprises protrusions extending radially from an outer circumference of the valve element and the protrusions being arranged on an outer surface side facing away from the impeller such that a flow can act on the protrusions for driving the valve element to rotate the valve element about a rotational axis of the valve element.

2. The centrifugal pump assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the protrusions are inclined in the circumferential direction.

3. The centrifugal pump assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the protrusions are extending in a radial direction related to the rotational axis of the valve element and in the radial direction the cover plate extends beyond the protrusions.

4. The centrifugal pump assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the rotational axis of the valve element extends parallel and along the rotational axis of the impeller.

5. The centrifugal pump assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the valve element is arranged inside a housing having a circular inner wall surrounding an outer circumference of the valve element with a ring-shaped gap between the outer circumference of the cover plate and the inner wall.

6. The centrifugal pump assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the protrusions are evenly distributed over an outer circumference of the vale element.

7. The centrifugal pump assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the protrusions are of toothlike shape and are extending normal to a cylindrical outer circumferential wall of the valve element.

8. The centrifugal pump assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the protrusions are integrally formed with an outer circumferential wall and/or the cover plate of the valve element.

9. The centrifugal pump assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the cover plate of the valve element comprises a central outlet opening being in engagement with a suction mouth of the impeller.

10. The centrifugal pump assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said valve element is supported on a central bearing post and fixed in axial direction on this bearing post by an O-ring, wherein the O-ring engages into a notch on the outer circumference of the bearing post.

11. The centrifugal pump assembly according to claim 10 , wherein the bearing post is attached to an internal surface of a pump housing and integrally formed with at least this internal surface of the pump housing.

12. The centrifugal pump assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the valve element comprises at least one sealing portion for selectively closing a first and a second inlet port such that in a first valve position the first inlet port is closed and in a second valve position the second inlet port is closed.

13. The centrifugal pump assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the valve element is movable in linear direction along its rotational axis and the valve element is movable in linear direction such that in a first axial position the at least one sealing portion is in sealing contact with an opposed valve seat and in a second axial position the sealing portion is distanced from an opposed valve seat.

14. The centrifugal pump assembly according to claim 13 , wherein the valve element comprises a sealing member surrounding the inlet opening and arranged such that in a first axial position of the valve element the sealing member is in contact with an opposing sealing surface and in a second axial position of the valve element the sealing member is distanced from this sealing surface, wherein said sealing member surrounding the inlet opening of the valve element is arranged on the outer circumference of the valve element.

15. The centrifugal pump assembly according to claim 14 , wherein said sealing member surrounding the inlet opening is arranged on an axial end of the valve element opposite to the axial end formed by the cover plate.

16. The centrifugal pump assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the valve element comprises at least one inlet opening being in flow connection with an outlet opening of the valve element and arranged such that in a first valve position the inlet opening is facing a second inlet port and in a second valve position is facing a first inlet port.

17. A centrifugal pump assembly, the assembly comprising:
an electric drive motor;
at least one impeller driven by said electric drive motor; and
a valve element rotatable between two valve positions driven by a fluid flow produced by said impeller, wherein the valve element comprises a cover plate extending transverse to the rotational axis of the impeller and facing the impeller, wherein the valve element comprises a valve element side facing in a direction away from the impeller, the valve element side comprising a circumferential outer surface, the valve element further comprising a plurality of protrusions extending radially outward from the circumferential outer surface, wherein the plurality of protrusions are configured to contact a flow of fluid such that the valve element rotates about a rotational axis of the valve element.

18. The centrifugal pump assembly according to claim 17 , further comprising an electronics housing, wherein the valve element side faces in a direction away from the electronics housing.

19. The centrifugal pump assembly according to claim 17 , further comprising a pump housing, wherein the valve element side faces in a direction of the pump housing.

20. The centrifugal pump assembly according to claim 17 , wherein the protrusions are extending in a radial direction related to the rotational axis of the valve element and in the radial direction the cover plate extends beyond the protrusions.

Assignees

• Grundfos Holding As

Inventors

• Jensen Olav
• Døssing Bent
• Blad Thomas
• Mønster Peter
• Hansen Ole

Classifications

• F24D3/105

  pumps combined with multiple way valves · CPC title

• F24D3/08

  in combination with systems for domestic hot-water supply · CPC title

• F04D29/486

  especially adapted for liquid pumps · CPC title

• F04D29/4293

  Details of fluid inlet or outlet · CPC title

• F04D13/06

  the pump being electrically driven · CPC title