Rotating diffuser pump

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016305447-A1
Application number	US-201415101460-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 3, 2014
Priority date	Dec 3, 2013
Publication date	Oct 20, 2016
Grant date	—

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

1 . A centrifugal pump comprising:
a housing; an 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 fluid communication with said impeller such that upon passage through said diffuser, said discharged fluid experiences a second increase in energy; and a concentric shaft rotatably cooperative with each of said impeller and said diffuser and configured that upon receipt of rotational torque thereto, said shaft imparts rotational movements to said impeller and said diffuser that are independent of one another.

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 diffuser is fluidly downstream of said impeller.

4 . The pump of claim 1 , wherein the specific speed of said pump is between about 200 and 6,000.

5 . A pump assembly comprising:
a centrifugal pump comprising:
a housing;
an 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 fluid communication with said impeller such that upon passage through said diffuser, said discharged fluid experiences a second increase in energy; and
a concentric shaft rotatably cooperative with each of said impeller and said diffuser;
at least one motor rotationally coupled to each of said impeller and said diffuser through said shaft such that rotational movement imparted to each is independent of one another; and a controller cooperative with said pump and said motor to regulate operation thereof.

6 . The assembly of claim 5 , wherein said impeller and said diffuser are in counter-rotating relationship with one another.

7 . The assembly of claim 6 , wherein said shaft comprises an outer shaft portion that is rotatably coupled to said diffuser and an inner shaft portion that is rotatably coupled to said impeller.

8 . The assembly of claim 7 , 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.

9 . The assembly of claim 7 , 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.

10 . The assembly of claim 9 , further comprising a transmission rotatably cooperative with a said pair at least one motor.

11 . The assembly of claim 5 , wherein said regulated operation of said at least one motor and said pump is based on a plurality of operational criteria.

12 . The assembly of claim 11 , wherein said operational criteria is selected from the group consisting of best efficiency point and net positive suction head.

13 . A method of pressurizing a fluid, the method comprising:
introducing a fluid into a centrifugal pump, said pump comprising:
a housing;
an 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 fluid communication with said impeller such that upon passage through said diffuser, said discharged fluid experiences a second increase in energy; and
a concentric shaft rotatably cooperative with each of said impeller and said diffuser;
rotationally coupling each of said impeller and said diffuser through said shaft such that rotational movement imparted to each is independent of one another; and discharging said fluid from said pump with a higher energy content than prior to said introducing.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein said impeller and said diffuser are in counter-rotating relationship with one another.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein said fluid is in a substantially liquid state upon said introduction to said impeller.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein said rotationally coupling comprises using at least one motor to impart rotational torque to said shaft.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein said at least one motor defines a pair of motors each cooperative with a respective one of an inner and outer shaft portion that defines said shaft.

18 . The method of claim 13 , wherein operation of said pump is through a controller that is cooperative with said pump and said motor to regulate operation thereof.

Assignees

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

Inventors

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

Classifications

• 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

• F04D29/426

  especially adapted for liquid pumps · CPC title

• H02K16/005

  Machines with only rotors, e.g. counter-rotating rotors (DC commutator machines or universal AC/DC commutator motors having a rotating armature and a rotating excitation field H02K23/60) · CPC title

• F04D29/2277

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

• F04D29/447 Primary

  rotating diffusers · CPC title