Low noise fuel pump design

• US 20040062634A1
• Filed: 09/27/2002
• Published: 04/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Inventors: Dokas, David M., Fisher, Paul Edward, Kempfer, Stephen Thomas, Yu, DeQuan, Krieger, Norman Nelson
• Granted Patent: US 6,890,144 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 415/55.4
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 37/048 Arrangements for driving regenerative pumps, i.e. side-channel pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/167 of a centrifugal flow wheel
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 5/002 Regenerative pumps for elastic fluids F04D23/008
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 5/007 Details of the inlet or outlet
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2250/503 of regenerative pumps

Abstract

A regenerative fuel pump comprising a housing, a pump cover having a first flow channel formed therein, a pump body having a second flow channel formed therein whereby the first flow channel and the second flow channel define a pumping chamber, and an impeller mounted between the pump cover and pump body and including a plurality of vanes spaced circumferentially about the impeller and defining a plurality of vane grooves. The vanes are spaced un-evenly in a non-repeating pattern about the impeller. The first and second flow channels each include an inlet end, an outlet end, and a stripper area defined as the area between the inlet end and the outlet end extending from the inlet end away from the flow channel. Each of the stripper areas including a plurality of grooves formed therein adapted to dampen pressure pulsations within the pumping chamber.

Claims

1. A regenerative fuel pump comprising:

a housing;

a pump cover mounted within said housing, said pump cover having a first side having a fuel inlet orifice and a second side defining a sealing surface and having a first flow channel formed therein, said fuel inlet orifice extending through said cover in fluid communication with said first flow channel;

a pump body mounted within said housing adjacent said pump cover, said pump body having a first side having an outlet orifice and a second side having a second flow channel formed therein whereby said first flow channel and said second flow channel define a pumping chamber, said outlet orifice extending through said pump body in fluid communication with said second flow channel;

an impeller mounted between said pump cover and said pump body within said pumping chamber, said impeller including a plurality of radially outwardly extending vanes spaced circumferentially about said impeller and defining a plurality of vane grooves, said vanes being spaced un-evenly in a non-repeating pattern about said impeller;

said first flow channel having an inlet end and an outlet end and extending radially around said pump cover between said inlet end and said outlet end, said pump cover having a first stripper area defined as the area between said inlet end and said outlet end extending from said inlet end away from said first flow channel, said fuel inlet orifice being in fluid communication with said inlet end of said first flow channel;

said second flow channel having an inlet end and an outlet end and extending radially around said pump body between said inlet end and said outlet end, said pump body having a second stripper area defined as the area between said inlet end and said outlet end extending from said inlet end away from said second flow channel, said outlet orifice being in fluid communication with said outlet end of said second flow channel;

at least one of said first and second stripper areas having a plurality of grooves formed therein and adapted to dampen pressure pulsations within said pumping chamber.

2. The regenerative fuel pump of claim 1 wherein said plurality of grooves comprises at least one radially extending groove formed therein, said radially extending groove not connecting to said first and second flow channels.

3. The regenerative fuel pump of claim 2 wherein said radially extending grooves are straight.

4. The regenerative fuel pump of claim 2 wherein said radially extending grooves are curved.

5. The regenerative fuel pump of claim 2 wherein said radially extending grooves have a cross sectional profile that is one of flat bottomed, elliptical bottomed, and circular.

6. The regenerative fuel pump of claim 2 wherein said stripper area of said pump cover includes at least two radial grooves.

7. The regenerative fuel pump of claim 6 wherein said radial grooves of said pump cover are spaced apart from one another a distance not less than the distance between any two adjacent vanes such that none of said vane grooves can simultaneously be in fluid communication with more than one of said radial grooves.

8. The regenerative fuel pump of claim 2 wherein said stripper area of said pump body includes at least two radial grooves.

9. The regenerative fuel pump of claim 8 wherein said radial grooves of said pump body are spaced apart from one another a distance not less than the distance between any two adjacent vanes such that none of said vane grooves can simultaneously be in fluid communication with more than one of said radial grooves.

10. The regenerative fuel pump of claim 1 wherein said plurality of grooves comprises a groove tail extending from one of said inlet end and said outlet end of said first flow channel and a groove tail extending from one of said inlet end and said outlet end of said second flow channel.

11. The regenerative fuel pump of claim 10 wherein said first flow channel within said pump cover includes a pocket formed adjacent said outlet end.

12. The regenerative fuel pump of claim 11 wherein said pocket has a depth that is greater than said first flow channel.

13. The regenerative fuel pump of claim 1 wherein said plurality of grooves comprises a groove tail extending from each of said inlet end and said outlet end of said first flow channel and a groove tail extending from each of said inlet end and said outlet end of said second flow channel.

14. The regenerative fuel pump of claim 13 wherein said first flow channel within said pump cover includes a pocket formed adjacent said outlet end.

15. The regenerative fuel pump of claim 14 wherein said pocket has a depth that is greater than said first flow channel.

16. The regenerative fuel pump of claim 1 wherein said plurality of grooves comprises at least one radially extending groove formed therein, said radially extending groove not connecting to said first and second flow channels, and a groove tail extending from one of said inlet end and said outlet end of said first flow channel and a groove tail extending from one of said inlet end and said outlet end of said second flow channel.

17. The regenerative fuel pump of claim 16 wherein said first flow channel within said pump cover includes a pocket formed adjacent said outlet end.

18. The regenerative fuel pump of claim 17 wherein said pocket has a depth that is greater than said first flow channel.

19. The regenerative fuel pump of claim 1 wherein said plurality of grooves comprises at least one radially extending groove formed therein, said radially extending groove not connecting to said first and second flow channels, and a groove tail extending from each of said inlet end and said outlet end of said first flow channel and a groove tail extending from each of said inlet end and said outlet end of said second flow channel.

20. The regenerative fuel pump of claim 19 wherein said first flow channel within said pump cover includes a pocket formed adjacent said outlet end.

21. The regenerative fuel pump of claim 20 wherein said pocket has a depth that is greater than said first flow channel.