Cryogenic Pump with Insulating Arrangement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016146199-A1
Application number	US-201414551891-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 24, 2014
Priority date	Nov 24, 2014
Publication date	May 26, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A cryogenic pump configured for pressurizing a cryogenic fluid is provided. The cryogenic pump includes a warm end portion adapted to not contact cryogenic fluid during operation of the pump and including one or more driving components. The cryogenic pump includes a cold end portion adapted to contact cryogenic fluid during operation of the pump and including a pump inlet and a pump outlet. An insulating arrangement including an insulator plate is arranged between the warm end portion and the cold end portion and defines a first air gap between the cold end portion and the insulator plate.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A cryogenic pump configured for pressurizing a cryogenic fluid, the cryogenic pump comprising:
a warm end portion adapted to not contact cryogenic fluid during operation of the pump and including one or more driving components; a cold end portion adapted to contact cryogenic fluid during operation of the pump and including a pump inlet and a pump outlet; and an insulating arrangement including an insulator plate arranged between the warm end portion and the cold end portion and defining a first air gap between the cold end portion and the insulator plate.

2 . The cryogenic pump of claim 1 wherein the insulator plate includes a first side having a raised outer portion and a recessed center portion, the recessed center portion defining the first air gap.

3 . The cryogenic pump of claim 1 wherein an outer portion of the insulator plate is sandwiched between a portion of the warm portion and a portion of the cold portion to support the insulator plate between warm portion and the cold portion and a center portion of the plate defines the first air gap.

4 . The cryogenic pump of claim 2 wherein the driving components include a plurality of pushrods and the insulator plate has a plurality of openings therethrough each of which receives a corresponding pushrod.

5 . The cryogenic pump of claim 4 wherein each of the plurality of openings is surrounded by a respective raised portion on the first side of the insulator plate and each of the raised portions surrounding the openings in the insulator plate provides a support surface for a seal extending between the insulator plate and a portion of the cold end portion.

6 . The cryogenic pump of claim 2 wherein the cold end portion includes a manifold defining the pump outlet and the first air gap extends between a surface of the manifold and the recessed center area of the first side of the insulator plate.

7 . The cryogenic pump of claim 2 wherein the driving components include a plurality of pushrods and the warm portion includes a pushrod housing with a transverse section that supports the pushrods and a second air gap extends between a second side of the insulator plate opposing the first side and the transverse section of the pushrod housing.

8 . The cryogenic pump of claim 1 wherein the insulator plate defines a second air gap between the insulator plate and the warm end portion.

9 . The cryogenic pump of claim 1 wherein the insulator plate is made of stainless steel.

10 . A cryogenic pump configured for pressurizing a cryogenic fluid, the cryogenic pump comprising:
a warm end portion adapted to not contact cryogenic fluid during operation of the pump, the warm end portion including a shaft and a load plate for driving movement of a plurality of pushrods, at least a portion of the plurality of pushrods being contained in a pushrod housing; a cold end portion adapted to contact cryogenic fluid during operation of the pump and including a pump inlet and a manifold defining a pump outlet; and an insulating arrangement including an insulator plate arranged between the pushrod housing and the manifold and defining a first air gap between the cold end portion and the insulator plate and a second air gap between the insulator plate and the warm end portion.

11 . The cryogenic pump of claim 10 wherein the insulator plate includes a first side having a raised outer portion and a recessed center portion, the recessed center portion defining the first air gap.

12 . The cryogenic pump of claim 10 wherein an outer portion of the insulator plate is sandwiched between the manifold and the pushrod housing to support the insulator plate between warm portion and the cold portion and a center portion of the plate defines the first and second air gaps.

13 . The cryogenic pump of claim 11 wherein the insulator plate has a plurality of openings therethrough each of which receives a corresponding pushrod and each of the plurality of openings is surrounded by a respective raised portion on the first side of the insulator plate that provides a support surface for a seal extending between the insulator plate and a portion of the cold end portion.

14 . The cryogenic pump of claim 11 wherein the first air gap extends between a surface of the manifold and the recessed center area of the first side of the insulator plate.

15 . The cryogenic pump of claim 11 wherein the pushrod housing includes a transverse section that supports the pushrods and the second air gap extends between a second side of the insulator plate opposing the first side and the transverse section of the pushrod housing.

16 . The cryogenic pump of claim 10 wherein the insulator plate is made of metal.

17 . An insulating arrangement for a cryogenic pump configured for pressurizing a cryogenic fluid, the cryogenic pump including a warm end portion adapted to not contact cryogenic fluid during operation of the pump and including one or more driving components and a cold end portion adapted to contact cryogenic fluid during operation of the pump and including a pump inlet and a pump outlet, the insulating arrangement comprising:
an insulator plate arrangeable between the warm end portion and the cold end portion so as to define a first air gap between the cold end portion and the insulator plate and a second air gap between the insulator plate and the warm end portion.

18 . The cryogenic pump of claim 17 wherein the insulator plate includes a first side having a raised outer portion and a recessed center portion, the recessed center portion defining the first air gap.

19 . The cryogenic pump of claim 18 wherein the insulator plate has a plurality of openings therethrough for receiving a corresponding pushrod and each of the plurality of openings is surrounded by a respective raised portion on the first side of the insulator plate that provides a support surface for a seal.

20 . The cryogenic pump of claim 17 wherein the insulator plate is made of metal.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Pollard Michael J
• Brown Cory A
• Stockner Alan R
• Brasche Adrienne M

Classifications

• F04B53/164

  Stoffing boxes · CPC title

• F04B53/16

  Casings; Cylinders; Cylinder liners or heads; Fluid connections · CPC title

• F04B39/14

  Provisions for readily assembling or disassembling · CPC title

• F04B39/127

  Mounting of a cylinder block in a casing · CPC title

• F04B39/125

  Cylinder heads · CPC title