Pump assembly and improved fan shroud therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021277915-A1
Application number	US-202117195225-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 8, 2021
Priority date	Mar 6, 2020
Publication date	Sep 9, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A fan shroud for a pump assembly having a pump, a motor and a drive. The fan shroud includes a fan shroud end cap coupled to a rear bell end of the motor, the fan shroud end cap having a vented surface for receiving cool air drawn by a motor fan during operation of the motor. The fan shroud further includes an extended shell sidewall extending from the fan shroud end cap across a length of the motor, and the fan shroud end cap and the extended shell sidewall are configured to surround the motor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A fan shroud for a pump assembly having a pump, a motor and a drive, the fan shroud comprising:
a fan shroud end cap coupled to a rear bell end of the motor, the fan shroud end cap having a vented surface for receiving cool air drawn by a motor fan during operation of the motor; and an extended shell sidewall extending from the fan shroud end cap across a length of the motor and having a vent adjacent the drive, wherein the fan shroud end cap and the extended shell sidewall are configured to surround the motor.

2 . The fan shroud of claim 1 , wherein the fan shroud is configured to direct the cool air drawn through the fan shroud end cap across a drive heat sink connected to the drive after directing the cool air across the motor.

3 . The fan shroud of claim 1 , wherein the extended shell sidewall extends up to and abuts a seal plate of the pump.

4 . The fan shroud of claim 3 , wherein the extended shell sidewall is spaced apart from the motor along the length of the motor to allow air flow from the fan shroud end cap to the seal plate.

5 . The fan shroud of claim 1 , wherein the length is substantially an entire length of the motor.

6 . The fan shroud of claim 1 , further comprising an end enclosure configured to enclose the extended shell sidewall around an end of the motor opposite the fan shroud end cap.

7 . The fan shroud of claim 1 , further comprising a heat sink enclosure extending from the extended shell sidewall and surrounding a heat sink of the drive, wherein the vent is positioned on the heat sink enclosure.

8 . The fan shroud of claim 7 , wherein the vent is positioned adjacent fins that extend from the heat sink and downward from the drive.

9 . The fan shroud of claim 7 , wherein the vent includes a plurality of vent openings and a portion of the plurality of vent openings are blocked.

10 . The fan shroud of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of vent openings comprise rear vents near the fan shroud end cap that are blocked and front vents near a seal plate of the pump that are fully open.

11 . The fan shroud of claim 9 , wherein the portion of the plurality of vent openings that are blocked are blocked along one of a horizontal direction from the fan shroud end cap toward a seal plate of the pump, a vertical direction from the motor toward the drive, or a diagonal direction.

12 . The fan shroud of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of vent openings are formed as a lattice of honeycombs.

13 . A pump assembly configured for moving water through an aquatic system, the pump assembly comprising:
a pump unit; a housing surrounding the pump unit; a motor coupled to the pump unit and extending away from the housing, the motor configured to power the pump unit; a drive for controlling the motor; a drive heat sink adjacent the motor; and a fan shroud cooling system at least partially enclosing the motor, the fan shroud cooling system including at least one vent adjacent the drive heat sink.

14 . The pump assembly of claim 13 , wherein the fan shroud cooling system is configured to direct cool air drawn through the fan shroud cooling system across a portion of the motor and then across a portion of the drive heat sink.

15 . The pump assembly of claim 13 , wherein the fan shroud cooling system comprises:
a fan shroud end cap connected to and secured around a rear end portion of the motor, the fan shroud end cap having a vented surface for receiving cool air drawn by a motor fan during operation of the pump assembly; and an extended shell sidewall extending from the fan shroud end cap across a length of the motor, wherein the fan shroud end cap and the extended shell sidewall substantially enclose the motor.

16 . The pump assembly of claim 15 , wherein the fan shroud cooling system further comprises an end enclosure configured to enclose the extended shell sidewall around a front end of the motor where the motor connects to the housing surrounding the pump unit.

17 . The pump assembly of claim 15 , wherein the extended shell sidewall abuts a seal plate of the housing to enclose an end of the motor opposite the fan shroud end cap.

18 . The pump assembly of claim 17 , wherein the fan shroud cooling system further comprises an opening defined through the extended shell sidewall along an upper portion of the extended shell sidewall below the drive heat sink.

19 . The pump assembly of claim 18 , wherein the fan shroud cooling system further comprises a heat sink enclosure extending from the extended shell sidewall and substantially enclosing the drive heat sink, wherein the at least one vent is positioned on the heat sink enclosure.

20 . The pump assembly of claim 18 , wherein the fan shroud cooling system is configured to direct cool air drawn in through the fan shroud end cap across a substantial length of the motor and then across the drive heat sink after exiting the fan shroud cooling system through the opening.

Assignees

• Pentair Water Pool & Spa Inc
• Danfoss Power Electronics As

Inventors

• Miller James
• Roland Montie
• Stewart Kevin
• Drabek Ryan
• Miller George
• Rink Shawn
• Garcia Marvin

Classifications

• F04D13/06 Primary

  the pump being electrically driven · CPC title

• F04D29/5806 Primary

  Cooling the drive system · CPC title

• F05D2260/221

  Improvement of heat transfer · CPC title

• F04D13/14

  the pumps being all of centrifugal type {(deviation valves F04D15/0016)} · CPC title

• F04D29/5813

  Cooling the control unit · CPC title