Cryogenic pump with insulating arrangement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9995290-B2
Application number	US-201414551891-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 24, 2014
Priority date	Nov 24, 2014
Publication date	Jun 12, 2018
Grant date	Jun 12, 2018

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 disposed within a housing, wherein the one or more driving components include a plurality of pushrods;
a cold end portion adapted to contact cryogenic fluid during operation of the pump and including one or more barrels, each of the one or more barrels including a pump inlet and a pump outlet, and each of the one or more barrels connected to a manifold so that the pump outlet of each of the one or more barrels is in fluid communication with a pressurized fluid outlet defined by the manifold, the manifold configured to fluidly isolate the cryogenic fluid from the warm end portion during operation; and
an insulating arrangement including an insulator plate arranged between the warm end portion and the cold end portion, a first air gap being defined between the cold end portion and the insulator plate;
wherein the warm end portion includes a transverse section operatively configured as a pushrod guide, the insulator plate and the transverse section of the warm end portion defining a second air gap therebetween.

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 end portion and a portion of the cold end portion to support the insulator plate between warm end portion and the cold end portion, wherein the manifold and a recessed center portion of the insulator plate facing the manifold defines the first air gap.

4. The cryogenic pump of claim 2 wherein 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 respective raised portion 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 driving components include a plurality of pushrods and the warm end 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.

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

8. 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 longitudinal movement of a plurality of pushrods, the plurality of pushrods being contained in a pushrod housing, the pushrod housing including a pushrod guide supporting the pushrods;
a cold end portion adapted to contact cryogenic fluid during operation of the pump and including one or more barrels, each of the one or more barrels including a pump inlet and a pump outlet, and each of the one or more barrels connected to a manifold so that the pump outlet of each of the one or more barrels is in fluid communication with a pressurized fluid outlet defined by the manifold, the manifold configured to fluidly isolate the cryogenic fluid from the warm end portion during operation; and
an insulator plate disposed between a portion of the pushrod housing and a portion of the manifold, the insulator plate including a plurality of openings therethrough, each of which receives a corresponding one of the plurality of pushrods, the insulator plate further including a first side having a raised outer portion and a recessed center portion, the recessed center portion and the manifold defining a first air gap therebetween.

9. The cryogenic pump of claim 8 , wherein the pushrod guide is configured as a transverse section within the pushrod housing, the transverse section, the pushrod housing, and a second side of the insulator plate opposite the first side of the insulator plate defining a second air gap.

10. The cryogenic pump of claim 8 wherein each of the plurality of openings through the insulator plate 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 surface for a seal extending between the insulator plate and a portion of the manifold.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• F04B39/123

  Fluid connections · CPC title

• F04B53/164

  Stoffing boxes · CPC title

• F04B39/14

  Provisions for readily assembling or disassembling · CPC title

• F04B19/06

  Pumps for delivery of both liquid and elastic fluids at the same time (wet gas pumps F04B37/20) · CPC title

• F04B15/08 Primary

  the liquids having low boiling points · CPC title