Conical stacked-disk impeller for viscous liquids

• US 6,227,796 B1
• Filed: 08/06/1999
• Issued: 05/08/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: DALMATIAN HUNTER HOLDINGS LTD.
• Original Assignee: P.T.M. Energy Inc.
• Inventors: Markovitch, Peter T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lopez, F. Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, NINH H
• Application Number:
  US09/369,376
• Time in Patent Office: 641 Days
• Field of Search: 415/72, 415/73, 415/90, 415/199.1, 415/199.2, 415/199.3, 416/4, 416/198 A, 416/201 R, 416/223 B
• US Class Current: 415/90
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 5/001 Shear force pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2250/232 conical

Abstract

One or more improved pump impellers are provided and are rotationally supported in a pump having one or more stages. The improved impeller comprises a fluid induction core of flow passages spiraling axially about the impellers rotational axis and a stack of circular disks extending radially and concentrically from the induction core. The stack of disks is preferably a frusto-conical stack with the disks at the downstream end of the impeller having a lesser radial extent than do the upstream disks so that incrementally less fluid issues from each successive radial flow passage between adjacent disks thereby reducing head loss in the issuing viscous fluid flow and increasing pumping efficiency. Increased pump efficiency permits one to provide a conical pump housing profile about each impeller which corresponds with the conical stack, thereby diminishing the fluid flow area and increasing the discharge pressure and flow capacity of each pumping stage.

Claims

1. A pump impeller having a rotational axis, an upstream end, and a downstream end comprising:

a plurality of parallel flow passages spiraling axially about the rotational axis, the axial flow passages being open at the upstream end and blocked at the downstream end; and

a stack of circular disks, each disk extending radially and concentrically from the axial flow passages and being spaced axially from each other disk for forming a plurality of radial flow passages which communicate with the axial flow passages so that fluid flows from the impeller'"'"'s open upstream end, through the axial flow passages and into the radial flow passages, wherein

the disks at the downstream end have a lesser radial extent than do the upstream disks so that incrementally less fluid issues from the radial flow passages between disks at the impeller'"'"'s downstream end than that which issues from the radial flow passages at the upstream end.

2. The improved impeller as recited in claim 1 wherein the radial extent of successively downstream disks is linearly diminishing for forming a frusto-conical profile of disks between the upstream and downstream ends.

3. An improved pump for pumping viscous fluids implementing comprising:

an impeller having a rotational axis, an upstream end, a downstream end and a plurality of parallel flow passages spiraling axially about the rotational axis, the axial flow passages being open at the upstream end and blocked at the downstream end;

a stack of circular disks, each disk extending radially and concentrically from the axial flow passages and being spaced axially from each other disk for forming a plurality of radial flow passages which communicate with the axial flow passages so that fluid flows from the impeller'"'"'s open upstream end, through the axial flow passages and into the radial flow passages, wherein the disks at the downstream end have a lesser radial extent than do the upstream disks so that incrementally less fluid issues from the radial flow passages between disks at the impeller'"'"'s downstream end is less than that which issues from the radial flow passages at the upstream end; and

a housing in which the impeller is concentrically and rotationally supported, an annular flow passage being formed between the radial extent of the impeller and the housing for receiving and conducting the flow of fluid incrementally issuing from the radial flow passages.

4. The improved pump as recited in claim 3 wherein

the radial extent of the successively downstream disks is linearly diminishing for forming a frusto-conical stack of disks between the upstream and downstream ends; and

the housing has a radial extent which has a diminishing radial extent corresponding to the impellers stack of conical disks.

5. The improved pump as recited in claim 3 further comprising

a plurality of improved impellers, provided in a co-axial arrangement of successive pumping stages;

and

a plurality of stationary vane diffusers, one positioned between each stage.

6. The improved pump as recited in claim 5 wherein each diffuser has peripheral inlet located adjacent the outer circumference of the furthermost downstream disk of an impeller of an upstream stage and an outlet located adjacent the axial flow passages of the impeller of the next successive downstream stage.