Pump with water management

• US 9,604,157 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2014
• Issued: 03/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aperia Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Aperia Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Richardson, Brandon
• Primary Examiner(s): Bertheaud, Peter J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Plakkoottam, Dominick L
• Application Number:
  US14/204,674
• Publication Number:
  US 20140260969A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,113 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 19/0031 by filtration
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/00 Devices for measuring, signalling, controlling, or distributing tyre pressure or temperature, specially adapted for mounting on vehicles; Arrangement of tyre inflating devices on vehicles, e.g. of pumps or of tanks; Tyre cooling arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/001 Devices for manually or automatically controlling or distributing tyre pressure whilst the vehicle is moving
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/127 the pumps being mounted on the hubs
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/137 comprising cam driven pistons
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 5/043 characterised by the inflation control means or the drive of the air pressure system
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/20 by degassing, i.e. liberation of dissolved gases degasification of liquids in general B01D19/00; arrangement of degassing apparatus in boiler feed supply F22D
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 17/00 Pumps characterised by combination with, or adaptation to, specific driving engines or motors
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/08 Regulating by delivery pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 9/04 the means being cams, eccentrics or pin-and-slot mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 9/042 the means being cams
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 25/00 Adaptations of pumps for special use of pumps for elastic fluids
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 15/1485 the rotation being unlimited with respect to driving means with a fluid connection between inertia member and rotating driving means F16F15/167
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 3/00 Arrangements for supervising or controlling working operations
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86002 Fluid pressure responsive
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/2107 Follower
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/2128 Damping using swinging masses, e.g., pendulum type, etc.

Abstract

A pumping system configured to pump fluid from the ambient environment to a target reservoir, the pumping system including: a fluid pump configured to statically mount to a rotating surface, the pump configured to rotate about an axis of rotation; a pump reservoir statically coupled to the fluid pump and configured to fluidly couple to the target reservoir, the pump reservoir including a collection area defined along a portion of the pump reservoir radially outward of the axis of rotation; and a liquid separation member arranged along a portion of the collection area, the liquid separation member including a membrane configured to preferentially permit liquid flow therethrough.

Claims

1. A pumping system configured to pump fluid from the ambient environment to a target reservoir, the pumping system comprising:

a fluid pump configured to statically mount to a rotating surface, the pump configured to rotate about an axis of rotation;

a pump reservoir statically coupled to the fluid pump and configured to fluidly couple to the target reservoir, comprising;

a collection area defined along a portion of the pump reservoir radially outward of the axis of rotation; and

a liquid separation member arranged along a portion of the collection area, the liquid separation member comprising a membrane configured to preferentially permit liquid flow therethrough.

2. The pumping system of claim 1, wherein the membrane is water permeable and substantially gas impermeable.

3. The pumping system of claim 2, wherein the membrane comprises a reverse osmosis membrane.

4. The pumping system of claim 2, wherein the membrane comprises a NAFION®

membrane.

5. The pumping system of claim 1, wherein the membrane fluidly connects a pump reservoir interior to an ambient environment.

6. The pumping system of claim 1, wherein the collection area extends radially outward from a main body of the reservoir.

7. The pumping system of claim 1, further comprising an expulsion force mechanism configured to apply an expulsion force to accumulated liquid within the collection area.

8. The pumping system of claim 7, wherein the expulsion mechanism comprises the fluid pump, wherein the expulsion force comprises a pressure force generated by pressurized fluid within the pump reservoir.

9. The pumping system of claim 1, further comprising a separation force mechanism configured to apply a separation force to liquid entrained within the pumped fluid.

10. The pumping system of claim 9, wherein the separation force comprises a centrifugal force, wherein the separation force mechanism comprises a static mounting system configured to statically mount the pumping system to the rotating surface.

11. The pumping system of claim 1, wherein the fluid pump comprises:

a drive mechanism having a rotational axis, the drive mechanism comprising;

a cam comprising an arcuate bearing surface having a non-uniform curvature, the cam rotatable about the rotational axis; and

an eccentric mass coupled to the cam that offsets a center of mass of the drive mechanism from the rotational axis; and

a pump cavity positioned a radial distance away from the axis of rotation and rotatably coupled to the cam, the pump cavity comprising a first actuating element and a first chamber; and

a force translator coupling the arcuate bearing surface to the actuating element, the force translator comprising a force translator axis having an arcuate position fixed to an arcuate position of the pump cavity.

12. The pumping system of claim 11, wherein the force translator comprises a roller, wherein the axis comprises a roller rotational axis, wherein the roller rotational axis is statically coupled to an actuating axis of the first actuating element.

13. The pumping system of claim 12, wherein the first actuating element comprises a piston.

14. The pumping system of claim 12, wherein the fluid pump further comprises a second pump cavity comprising a second actuating element and a second chamber, the second actuating element statically connected to the first actuating element.

15. The pumping system of claim 14, wherein the second actuating element has a surface area different from a surface area of the first actuating element, wherein the second chamber is fluidly connected to the first chamber.

16. A method for contaminant removal from a fluid stream, comprising:

pumping the fluid stream into a first reservoir;

separating the fluid stream into separated liquid and a gaseous stream within the first reservoir by applying a separation force to the fluid stream;

pumping the gaseous stream from the first reservoir to a second reservoir;

collecting the separated liquid in a collection area within the first reservoir;

applying, with the pumped fluid, a pressure force to bias the separated liquid against a membrane; and

preferentially permitting liquid flow to an ambient environment in response to the pressure force application by the membrane.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein preferentially permitting liquid flow through the membrane comprises using a water-selective membrane.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the water-selective membrane comprises a reverse osmosis membrane.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein applying a separation force comprises applying a centrifugal force to the fluid stream.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein applying the separation force comprises statically mounting the first reservoir to a rotating surface having an axis of rotation, wherein the collection area is arranged along a portion of the first reservoir radially outward of the axis of rotation and the membrane is arranged along a wall of the collection area.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein pumping the fluid stream into the first reservoir comprises pumping the fluid stream from the ambient environment by leveraging relative motion between a gravity element and a pump statically mounted to the rotating surface.