PERISTALTIC PUMP SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20150104329A1
• Filed: 10/14/2013
• Published: 04/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Chin, Hon Wah, Hyde, Roderick A., Kare, Jordin T., Wood, Lowell L. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 9,624,920 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 417/53
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 23/04 Combinations of two or more pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/12 having peristaltic action
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/123 using an excenter as the squeezing element
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/007 Installations or systems with two or more pumps or pump cylinders, wherein the flow-path through the stages can be changed, e.g. from series to parallel centrifugal pumps F04D15/0072
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/065 and making use of computers

Abstract

Staged peristaltic pump systems and related methods are disclosed. A system may be configured such that the working fluid pressure differential across any individual stage of the system is smaller than the pressure across the entire system. In some embodiments certain components of each stage may be sealed from fluid communication with an external environment, though working fluid may be configured to cross the boundary of the seal. In some embodiments, stages may be pressurized with respect to an external environment.

Claims

1. A staged peristaltic pump system configured to displace a working fluid, the system comprising:

a system inlet;

a system outlet; and

a plurality of peristaltic pumps disposed serially between the system inlet and the system outlet, the plurality of peristaltic pumps configured such that a working fluid pressure change across any single pump is substantially the same as the working fluid pressure change across any other pump in the plurality of peristaltic pumps.

2. The staged peristaltic pump system of claim 1, wherein the work done over a time interval by any single pump is substantially equal to the work done by any other pump of the plurality of peristaltic pumps over the same time interval.

3. The staged peristaltic pump system of claim 1, wherein the power consumption by any single pump is substantially equal to the power consumption by any other pump of the plurality of peristaltic pumps over the same time interval.

4. The staged peristaltic pump system of claim 1, further comprising at least one pressure chamber configured to contain at least one pump of the plurality of peristaltic pumps and to maintain a pressure different from the pressure of an external environment.

6. The staged peristaltic pump system of claim 1, wherein the system automatically adjusts such that the working fluid pressure change across any single pump is substantially the same as the working fluid pressure change across any other pump in the plurality of peristaltic pumps.

7. The staged peristaltic pump system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of pressure chambers, wherein each pressure chamber of the plurality of pressure chambers is configured to contain at least one pump of the plurality of peristaltic pumps and to maintain a pressure different from an external environment and from the other pressure chambers, and wherein at least one working fluid pump inlet and at least one working fluid pump outlet are configured to cross at least one wall of a pressure chamber.

8. The staged peristaltic pump system of claim 7, wherein each pump of the plurality of peristaltic pumps is enclosed by a pressure chamber.

9. The staged peristaltic pump system of claim 8, wherein each pressure chamber of the plurality of pressure chambers encloses a single pump of the plurality of peristaltic pumps.

13. The staged peristaltic pump system of claim 9, wherein the system is configured such that one or more pumps may be bypassed.

17. The staged peristaltic pump system of claim 13, wherein bypassing a pump does not change the total pressure differential between the system inlet and the system outlet.

18. The staged peristaltic pump system of claim 17, wherein the system automatically adjusts such that the working fluid pressure change across any single pump is substantially the same as the working fluid pressure change across any other pump in the plurality of peristaltic pumps after one or more pumps are bypassed.

20. The staged peristaltic pump system of claim 18, wherein each pump of the system is driven with a single electric motor, and wherein the power supplied to each electric motor of the system is equal.

24. The staged peristaltic pump system of claim 18, wherein the system is configured to allow sufficient working fluid leakage across each pump such that the system tends to automatically equalize the working fluid pressure differential across each pump with respect to the other pumps.

41. The staged peristaltic pump system of claim 8, wherein each pump comprises a pump inlet and a pump outlet, and each pump inlet and pump outlet are configured to allow working fluid to cross a boundary of the pressure chamber.

46. The staged peristaltic pump system of claim 8, wherein at least one pressure chamber is at a substantially different pressure than the pressure of the external environment.

47. The staged peristaltic pump system of claim 46, wherein at least one pressure chamber comprises a system for pressurizing or depressurizing the pressure chamber.

48. The staged peristaltic pump system of claim 46, wherein the pressure within each pressure chamber is substantially the same as a low-side working fluid pressure within the pump disposed within each respective pressure chamber.

55. The staged peristaltic pump system of claim 48, wherein the pressure within each pressure chamber is at least partially supplied by the working fluid.

59. The staged peristaltic pump system of claim 46, further comprising a pressurization system comprising a compressor and a system of sensors and computer-controlled valves in communication with the plurality of pressure chambers.

70. The staged peristaltic pump system of claim 8, further comprising a pressure barrier configured to enclose the components of the system and maintain a pressure different from an ambient environmental pressure, while allowing working fluid to cross the pressure barrier at the system inlet and the system outlet.

71. The staged peristaltic pump system of claim 70, wherein the pressure barrier comprises a plurality of pressure chambers, each pressure chamber configured to enclose at least one pump of the plurality of peristaltic pumps and maintain a pressure different from the ambient environment and from the other pressure chambers.

72. The staged peristaltic pump system of claim 71, wherein the pressure barrier comprises an outer structure configured to withstand the pressure difference between the ambient environmental pressure and working fluid pressures within the system.

78. The staged peristaltic pump system of claim 46, wherein each peristaltic pump comprises one or more components configured for use with pressure differentials which are smaller than the working fluid pressure differential between the system inlet and the system outlet.

112. The staged peristaltic pump system of claim 1, further comprising a drive mechanism and wherein the system is configured such that rotational displacement input to the system results in increased working fluid pressure between the system inlet and system outlet.

113. The staged peristaltic pump system of claim 112, wherein the drive mechanism comprises a plurality of independent motors, each motor coupled to a pump of the plurality of peristaltic pumps.

114. The staged peristaltic pump system of claim 112, wherein the drive mechanism comprises a single motor coupled to each pump of the plurality of peristaltic pumps.

121. The staged peristaltic pump system of claim 112, further comprising a pressure barrier configured to seal the system from fluid communication with an external environment and wherein the drive mechanism does not mechanically cross the pressure barrier.

122. The staged peristaltic pump system of claim 121, wherein the drive mechanism is disposed outside the pressure barrier.

5. (canceled)

10-12. -12. (canceled)

14-16. -16. (canceled)

19. (canceled)

21-23. -23. (canceled)

25-40. -40. (canceled)

42-45. -45. (canceled)

49-54. -54. (canceled)

56-58. -58. (canceled)

60-69. -69. (canceled)

73-77. -77. (canceled)

79-111. -111. (canceled)

115-120. -120. (canceled)

123-165. -165. (canceled)

166. A method of increasing the pressure of a working fluid in a staged peristaltic pump system, the method comprising:

displacing working fluid in stages along a flow path from a system inlet to a system outlet,

wherein the working fluid is displaced by a plurality of peristaltic pumps disposed serially between the system inlet and the system outlet, the plurality of peristaltic pumps configured such that a working fluid pressure change across any single pump is substantially the same as the working fluid pressure change across any other pump in the plurality of peristaltic pumps.

167. The method of claim 166, wherein the work done over a time interval by any single pump is substantially equal to the work done by any other pump of the plurality of peristaltic pumps over the same time interval.

168. The method of claim 166, wherein the power consumption by any single pump is substantially equal to the power consumption by any other pump of the plurality of peristaltic pumps over the same time interval.

169. The method of claim 166, wherein the system further comprises at least one pressure chamber configured to enclose at least one pump of the plurality of peristaltic pumps and maintain a pressure different from an external environment, the pressure chamber configured such that at least one working fluid pump inlet and at least one working fluid pump outlet are configured to cross a wall of the pressure chamber.

171. The method of claim 169, wherein the system is configured such that each pump of the plurality of peristaltic pumps is disposed in a pressure chamber and each pressure chamber contains a single pump.

172. The method of claim 171, further comprising bypassing one or more pumps in the system such that a working fluid flow path from the system inlet to the system outlet does not cross the bypassed pump.

173. The method of claim 172, wherein bypassing the pump comprises physically removing the bypassed pump from the system.

175. The method of claim 173, further comprising adjusting the system such that the total pressure differential between the system inlet and the system outlet is the same before and after the bypassed pump is removed.

183. The method of claim 166, further comprising inputting rotational displacement into the plurality of peristaltic pumps to displace the working fluid.

189. The method of claim 183, further comprising priming the system.

190. The method of claim 189, wherein priming the system comprises inputting rotational displacement into the system.

191. The method of claim 189, wherein priming the system further comprises inputting pressure into the system.

170. (canceled)

174. (canceled)

176-182. -182. (canceled)

184-188. -188. (canceled)

192-196. -196. (canceled)