Method and apparatus for determining the instantaneous operation conditions of a centrifugal pump
First Claim
1. A method for determining a current operating condition of an operating centrifugal pump having a rotatable impeller, an impeller shaft carrying the impeller, a bearing supporting the shaft, and a characteristic curve defining a first relationship between lifting height of the pump and volumetric liquid flow through the pump, comprising the steps of:
- (a) measuring radial forces impressed on the impeller shaft by the rotating impeller at a plurality of volumetric liquid flow rates during a testing operation of the pump to define a second relationship for the pump between the impressed radial forces and the volumetric flow rate;
(b) measuring the radial forces impressed on the impeller shaft by the rotating impeller at a particular current instant during normal operation of the pump; and
(c) comparing the measured radial forces measured at the particular instant to the second relationship measurements to determine the instantaneous operating conditions of the pump.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In the disclosed method of determining the current or instantaneous operating conditions of a centrifugal pump, the radial forces impressed on the impeller shaft by the operatively rotating pump impeller are measured at a shaft-supporting bearing disposed proximate the pump housing and impeller. In a preliminary or test operation of the pump, this radial force measurement is taken at a plurality of volumetric liquid flow rates through the pump so as to develop a relationship between the radial force and liquid flow. Then, during normal operation of the pump, the current or instantaneous radial force is measured at the bearing and this measurement is compared to the previously-developed relationship to accurately determine the instantaneous operating conditions of the pump by identifying the point along the pump'"'"'s characteristic curve--which defines for the pump a relationship between lifing height and volumetric liquid flow--at which the pump is currently operating.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. A method for determining a current operating condition of an operating centrifugal pump having a rotatable impeller, an impeller shaft carrying the impeller, a bearing supporting the shaft, and a characteristic curve defining a first relationship between lifting height of the pump and volumetric liquid flow through the pump, comprising the steps of:
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(a) measuring radial forces impressed on the impeller shaft by the rotating impeller at a plurality of volumetric liquid flow rates during a testing operation of the pump to define a second relationship for the pump between the impressed radial forces and the volumetric flow rate; (b) measuring the radial forces impressed on the impeller shaft by the rotating impeller at a particular current instant during normal operation of the pump; and (c) comparing the measured radial forces measured at the particular instant to the second relationship measurements to determine the instantaneous operating conditions of the pump. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. In a centrifugal pump operable for pumping a liquid through a pump housing having an inlet and an outlet,
an elongated shaft; -
means for operatively rotating the shaft; an impeller mounted on the shaft in the pump housing for rotation with the shaft to operatively pump liquid through the housing between the inlet and the outlet; a bearing supporting the shaft for operative rotation; and means for measuring at the bearing a radial force imparted to the shaft by the rotating impeller. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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Specification