Lubrication and flushing of a fluid seal used with reactive materials

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022412340-A1
Application number	US-202117565848-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 30, 2021
Priority date	Jun 29, 2021
Publication date	Dec 29, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A pump system includes a housing, a lubricant system, and control circuitry. The housing includes a pump chamber defined by the housing and a throat seal. The lubricant system includes a lubricant pump, a lubricant gallery defined within the housing of the main pump, and a lubricant circuit fluidly connecting the lubricant pump and the lubricant gallery. The throat seal is disposed adjacent to and between the pump chamber and the lubricant gallery. The control circuitry is configured to cause the lubricant pump to pump a purge volume of lubricant through the lubricant system, cause the lubricant pump to stop pumping for a first time period after the lubricant pump has pumped the purge volume, and cause the lubricant pump to pump the purge volume of lubricant through the lubricant system after the first time period.

First claim

1 . A pump system comprising:
a main pump configured to pump a fluid, the main pump comprising:
a housing;
a pump chamber defined by the housing; and
a throat seal;
a lubricant system comprising:
a lubricant pump;
a lubricant gallery defined within the housing of the main pump; and
a lubricant circuit fluidly connecting the lubricant pump and the lubricant gallery,
wherein the throat seal is disposed adjacent to and between the pump chamber and the lubricant gallery; and
control circuitry configured to:
cause the lubricant pump to pump a purge volume of lubricant through the lubricant system;
cause the lubricant pump to stop pumping for a first time period after the lubricant pump has pumped the purge volume; and
cause the lubricant pump to pump the purge volume of lubricant through the lubricant system after the first time period.

2 . The pump system of claim 1 , wherein the main pump is configured to pump a compound that is reactive with water.

3 . The pump system of claim 1 , wherein the lubricant system further comprises a lubricant reservoir fluidly connected to the lubricant pump and the lubricant gallery, such that operation of the lubricant pump causes lubricant to flow from the lubricant reservoir to the lubricant pump, from the lubricant pump to the lubricant gallery, and from the lubricant gallery to the lubricant reservoir.

4 . The pump system of claim 1 , wherein the purge volume is equal to a volume of the lubricant system.

5 . The pump system of claim 1 , wherein the first time period is selected to reduce lubricant pump wear.

6 . The lubricant system of claim 1 , wherein the first time period is 30 minutes.

7 . The pump system of claim 1 , wherein the lubricant pump is a peristaltic pump.

8 . The pump system of claim 1 , wherein the main pump is a reciprocating pump.

9 . The pump system of claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to cause the lubricant pump to pump the purge volume by operating the lubricant pump for a purge time, wherein the purge time is selected based on a flow rate of the lubricant pump.

10 . A pump control system comprising;
a main pump configured to pump a fluid, the main pump comprising:
a housing;
a pump chamber defined by the housing; and
a throat seal;
control circuitry configured to:
cause the main pump to pump a fluid through the pump chamber;
cause a lubricant pump to pump a purge volume of lubricant through a lubricant system, wherein the lubricant system comprises:
the lubricant pump;
a lubricant gallery defined by the housing; and
a lubricant circuit fluidly connecting the lubricant pump and the lubricant gallery,
wherein the throat seal is disposed adjacent to and between the pump chamber and the lubricant gallery;

cause the lubricant pump to stop pumping for a first time period after the lubricant pump has pumped the purge volume; and
cause the lubricant pump to pump the purge volume of lubricant through the lubricant system after the first time period.

11 . The pump control system of claim 10 , wherein the purge volume is equal to a volume of the lubricant system.

12 . The pump control system of claim 10 , wherein the first time period is selected to reduce lubricant pump wear.

13 . The pump control system of claim 10 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
cause the lubricant pump to pump lubricant at a first rate; and cause the main pump to pump fluid at a second rate, wherein the first rate and second rate are different.

14 . A method of controlling a pump system, the method comprising:
operating a lubricant pump to pump a purge volume of lubricant through a lubricant system, wherein the lubricant system comprises:
the lubricant pump;
a lubricant gallery defined by a housing of a main pump, the main pump comprising:
a pump chamber defined by the housing; and
a throat seal disposed adjacent to and between the pump chamber and the lubricant gallery; and

a lubricant circuit fluidly connecting the lubricant pump and the lubricant gallery;
stopping operation of the lubricant pump for a first time period after the lubricant pump has pumped the purge volume; and operating the lubricant pump to pump a second purge volume of lubricant through the lubricant system after the first time period.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein operating the lubricant pump to pump a purge volume of lubricant through the lubricant system comprises operating the lubricant pump for a purge time, wherein the purge time is selected based on a flow rate of the lubricant pump.

16 . The method system of claim 14 , wherein the purge volume is equal to a volume of the lubricant system.

17 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising switching the lubrication pump to an idle mode after pumping the second purge volume.

18 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the first time period is selected to reduce lubricant pump wear.

19 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the main pump is configured to pump a compound that is reactive with water.

Assignees

• Graco Minnesota Inc

Inventors

• Smith Matthew R
• Peterson Nicholas P
• Tix Joseph E
• Spiess Andrew M

Classifications

• F04B53/164

  Stoffing boxes · CPC title

• F04B53/008

  Spacing or clearance between cylinder and piston · CPC title

• F04B53/18 Primary

  Lubricating · CPC title

• F04B49/065

  and making use of computers · CPC title

• F04B53/02

  Packing the free space between cylinders and pistons · CPC title