PUMP FOR MOLTEN SALTS AND METALS

• US 3,776,660 A
• Filed: 02/22/1972
• Issued: 12/04/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AMAX Magnesium Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gordon D. Weese, Loren E. Anderson, Roy E. Adams
• Inventors: Adams, Roy E., Anderson, Loren E., Weese, Gordon D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Raduazo, Henry F.
• Application Number:
  US05/227,767
• Time in Patent Office: 651 Days
• Field of Search: 415/219C,197,196,200,214,212 204/245,68
• US Class Current: 415/196
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 7/06 the fluids being hot or corrosive, e.g. liquid metals
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 7/065 for liquid metal

Abstract

A pump comprising a refractory body portion of oblate spheroidal configuration having apertures in the top and bottom thereof is provided with refractory covers for said apertures which covers are held securely in said apertures by upper and lower metal plates, respectively, the upper plate forming the base of a vertical housing for the pump impeller shaft and the lower plate being resiliently mounted for vertical movement relative to said upper plate to compensate for thermo-expansion and contraction of the pump elements.

Claims

1. A centrifugal pump adapted for pumping molten salts and metals comprising:

a spirally vaned impeller rotatively mounted within a substantially oblate housing having a volute outlet connected to a conduit for discharge of said molten media, said housing being axially apertured on its opposite oblate surfaces for reception of a drive shaft keyed to said impeller and to provide an entry port for said molten media, respectively, said impeller and housing being composed of a refractory material highly resistant to corrosion and scoring by said molten media, said housing being mounted between a rigid structure engaging one oblate surface thereof and a supporting structure engaging the opposite oblate surface thereof, said rigid structure comprising a tubular member housing said shaft and having one flanged end bearing against one oblate surface of said housing and an opposite flanged end mounting coupling means and a drive member for said shaft, and also mounting a plate extending radially from said shaft beyond the confines of said housing, said plate being apertured for reception of rods slidably disposed therein, said rods being resiliently suspended on said plate by compression springs, and extending to and being secured to said supporting structure for resiliently compressing said housing between said rigid and said supporting structures.

2. A pump according to claim 1 wherein said rigid and supporting structures, said rods and said conduit are composed of nickel base alloy metal.

3. A pump according to claim 2 wherein said impeller and housing are composed of refractory material selected from the group consisting of aluminum oxide, silicon oxide, silicon-oxy-nitride, tri-silicon nitride, silicon carbide and bonded combinations thereof.

4. A pump according to claim 3 wherein said impeller and housing of composed of silicon carbide bonded with silicon nitride.

5. A pump according to claim 3 wherein said refractory housing is incased within a thermally insulating and shock resistant casing composed of fiber glass and refractory material bonded thereto.

6. A pump according to claim 1 wherein said refractory oblate housing includes in combination therewith, a refractory cover plate fitted into one axial aperture thereof, said cover plate forming the bearing for said one flanged end of said tubular member and being apertured for reception of said drive shaft, and the opposite axial aperture of said oblate housing includes an annular refractory member fitting therein to provide a refractory inlet for said molten mEdia.

7. A pump according to claim 6 wherein said rigid and support structures and rods are made of nickel base alloy metal having a different coefficient of thermal expansion from that of the refractory of said housing, whereby said compression springs function to compensate for differences in amounts of thermal expansion and contraction of said housing and metal members produced by temperature variations, thereby to maintain said housing under compression.