Pump including secondary containment with alarm system
First Claim
1. In a pump assembly having a fluid barrier assembly and including an impeller enclosed within a casing and mounted on a shaft for rotation to move liquid through the casing from an inlet to an outlet thereof, the shaft being supported by bearings located in a bearing housing containing bearing lubricating fluid, first seal means providing a fluid seal between the shaft and the impeller casing to prevent liquid flow therebetween, second seal means providing a fluid seal between the shaft and the bearing housing, the fluid barrier assembly comprising:
- containment means interposed between the impeller casing and the bearing housing with a portion of the shaft passing through said containment means, said containment means connecting the impeller casing to the bearing housing and said containment means maintaining a predetermined spacing therebetween and maintaining alignment between the shaft and the impeller, said containment means enclosing said shaft portion and said first and second seal means and defining an inner compartment for retaining liquid which passes the first seal means into said compartment, said compartment having flow control means for communicating said compartment with a liquid storage container, said flow control means being constructed and arranged to pass liquid emissions from said first seal means to the storage container during normal pumping operations, but to restrict the amount of pumped liquid that is passed to the storage container when said first seal means fails.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A pump assembly including an impeller mounted on a shaft for rotation in an impeller casing to move liquid through the casing, the shaft being supported by bearings located in a bearing housing which contains bearing lubricating fluid, a primary seal providing a seal between the shaft and the impeller casing to prevent leakage of liquid from the casing, a secondary seal providing a seal between the shaft and the bearing housing to prevent leakage of lubricating fluid from the bearing housing and a containment vessel interposed between the impeller casing and the bearing housing connecting the impeller casing to the bearing housing and enclosing the primary seal and the secondary seal, the containment vessel having an orifice through a wall thereof for communicating the interior of the containment vessel with a storage container, the orifice being sized to pass liquid emissions from the primary seal during normal pumping operations to the storage container, but to restrict the amount of pumped liquid that is passed to the storage container, allowing the level of liquid to rise in the containment vessel when the primary seal fails, and a sensor located in the containment vessel for causing an alarm to be generated when the liquid reaches a given level.
24 Citations
18 Claims
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1. In a pump assembly having a fluid barrier assembly and including an impeller enclosed within a casing and mounted on a shaft for rotation to move liquid through the casing from an inlet to an outlet thereof, the shaft being supported by bearings located in a bearing housing containing bearing lubricating fluid, first seal means providing a fluid seal between the shaft and the impeller casing to prevent liquid flow therebetween, second seal means providing a fluid seal between the shaft and the bearing housing, the fluid barrier assembly comprising:
- containment means interposed between the impeller casing and the bearing housing with a portion of the shaft passing through said containment means, said containment means connecting the impeller casing to the bearing housing and said containment means maintaining a predetermined spacing therebetween and maintaining alignment between the shaft and the impeller, said containment means enclosing said shaft portion and said first and second seal means and defining an inner compartment for retaining liquid which passes the first seal means into said compartment, said compartment having flow control means for communicating said compartment with a liquid storage container, said flow control means being constructed and arranged to pass liquid emissions from said first seal means to the storage container during normal pumping operations, but to restrict the amount of pumped liquid that is passed to the storage container when said first seal means fails.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. In a pump assembly including an impeller enclosed within a casing and mounted on a shaft for rotation to move liquid through the casing from an inlet to an outlet thereof, the shaft being supported by bearings located in a bearing housing containing bearing lubricating fluid, first seal means providing a fluid seal between the shaft and the impeller casing, second seal means providing a fluid seal between the shaft and the bearing housing, the combination comprising:
- containment means interposed between the impeller casing and the bearing housing with a portion of the shaft passing through said containment means, said containment means connecting the impeller casing to the bearing housing, and said containment means maintaining a predetermined spacing therebetween and maintaining alignment between the shaft and the impeller, said containment means enclosing said shaft portion and said first and second seal means and defining an inner compartment for holding liquid, said compartment having flow control means for communicating said compartment with a liquid storage container, said flow control means being constructed and arranged to pass liquid emissions from said first seal means to the storage container during normal pumping operations, but to restrict the amount of pumped liquid that is passed to the storage container, causing a change in a condition in the compartment, when said first seal means fails, and sensing means responsive to a change in said condition in said containment vessel for causing an alarm to be generated.
- View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. In a pump assembly including an impeller enclosed within a casing and mounted on a shaft for rotation to move liquid through the casing from an inlet to an outlet thereof, the shaft being supported by bearings located in a bearing housing containing bearing lubricating fluid, first seal means providing a fluid seal between the shaft and the impeller casing, second seal means providing a fluid seal between the shaft and the bearing housing, the combination comprising:
- containment means interposed between the impeller casing and the bearing housing with a portion of the shaft passing through said containment means, said containment means connecting the impeller casing to the bearing housing, and said containment means maintaining a predetermined spacing therebetween and maintaining alignment between the shaft and the impeller, said containment means enclosing said shaft portion and said first and second seal means and defining an inner compartment for holding liquid, said compartment having a wall portion with an orifice therethrough for communicating said compartment with a liquid storage container, said orifice being constructed and arranged to pass liquid emissions from said first seal means to the storage container during normal pumping operations, but to restrict the amount of pumped liquid that is passed to the storage container, causing the level of liquid to rise in said compartment, when said first seal means fails, and sensing means in said containment vessel for causing an alarm to be generated when the level of liquid in said compartment reaches a given level.
- View Dependent Claims (18)
Specification