U.S. patent application number 12/529455 was filed with the patent office on 2010-05-06 for centrifugal pump comprising a spiral housing.
This patent application is currently assigned to Continental Automotive GmbH. Invention is credited to Rajko Colic.
Application Number | 20100111687 12/529455 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39332206 |
Filed Date | 2010-05-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100111687 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Colic; Rajko |
May 6, 2010 |
Centrifugal Pump Comprising a Spiral Housing
Abstract
A centrifugal pump includes a spiral housing with a first
housing part and a second housing part. The central region of the
second housing part is cup-shaped in order to receive the rotor
situated in a wet chamber and forms a bearing at the base of the
cup-shaped region rotatably mounting the rotor. A stator surrounds
the second housing part and is situated in a dry chamber in the
vicinity of the exterior of the rotor.
Inventors: |
Colic; Rajko; (Bad Homburg,
DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
COHEN, PONTANI, LIEBERMAN & PAVANE LLP
551 FIFTH AVENUE, SUITE 1210
NEW YORK
NY
10176
US
|
Assignee: |
Continental Automotive GmbH
Hannover
DE
|
Family ID: |
39332206 |
Appl. No.: |
12/529455 |
Filed: |
February 8, 2008 |
PCT Filed: |
February 8, 2008 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP2008/051570 |
371 Date: |
September 1, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
415/204 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F04D 29/586 20130101;
F04D 29/086 20130101; F04D 13/0606 20130101; F04D 29/426 20130101;
F04D 29/628 20130101; F04D 29/046 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
415/204 |
International
Class: |
F04D 29/44 20060101
F04D029/44 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 1, 2007 |
DE |
10 2007 010 050.9 |
Claims
1-3. (canceled)
4. A centrifugal pump having a spiral housing, the spiral pump
comprising: a first housing part; and a second housing part
configured to mate with the first housing part, the second housing
part comprising: a central continuous cup-shaped area accommodating
a rotor; and a cup-shaped base part of the cup-shaped area
accommodating a bearing for rotatable mounting of the rotor, and a
chamber externally surrounding the second housing part
accommodating a stator in an area corresponding to the rotor.
5. The centrifugal pump as claimed in claim 4, further comprising
an inlet, the inlet being substantially parallel to a longitudinal
axis of the central continuous cup-shaped area, wherein an outer
area of the second housing part has an outline of curved
longitudinal section perpendicular to the direction of flow of a
medium flowing in from the inlet.
6. The centrifugal pump as claimed in claim 4, wherein the
centrifugal pump is configured as a coolant centrifugal pump in a
motor vehicle.
7. The centrifugal pump as claimed in claim 5, wherein the
centrifugal pump is configured as a coolant centrifugal pump in a
motor vehicle.
8. The centrifugal pump as claimed in claim 4, wherein the chamber
externally surrounding the second housing part is configured as a
dry chamber.
9. The centrifugal pump as claimed in claim 4, wherein the central
continuous cup-shaped area configured to accommodate a rotor is
configured as a wet chamber.
10. The centrifugal pump as claimed in claim 4, further comprising
at least one seal arranged at an open end of the central continuous
cup-shaped area of the second housing part and at least one of the
first housing part and a stator housing part configured to surround
at least the stator.
Description
PRIORITY CLAIM
[0001] This is a U.S. national stage of application No.
PCT/EP2008/051570, filed on Feb. 8, 2008, which claims Priority to
the German Application No. 10 2007 010 050.9, filed: Mar. 1, 2007
the contents of both being incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The invention relates to a centrifugal pump having a spiral
housing. The invention further relates to the use of the
centrifugal pump.
[0004] 2. Prior Art
[0005] Centrifugal pumps having spiral housings are known. DE 103
47 302 A1 describes a two-part spiral housing for a centrifugal
pump, which is of optimized design from the point of view of fluid
mechanics. Such centrifugal pumps are generally driven by an
electric motor, the stator of the electric motor being arranged in
a dry chamber and the rotor in a wet chamber. The rotor therefore
turns in the wet chamber, which is the medium to be pumped. The dry
chamber and the wet chamber are divided by a separately arranged
can. A disadvantage being that it is necessary to arrange sealing
elements between the one part of the spiral housing and the can
avoid liquid or vapor from the wet chamber getting into the dry
chamber. Over prolonged operating times, as the seal gradually
becomes porous, or when subjected to vibrations acting on the
centrifugal pump, it is often not possible to avoid liquid or vapor
passing from the wet chamber into the dry chamber. This results, in
damage to electronic components, which in addition to the stator
are also arranged in the dry chamber.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] An object of the invention, is to create a centrifugal pump
having a spiral housing, in which liquid or vapor from the wet
chamber enclosing the rotor is prevented from entering the dry
chamber.
[0007] The object of the invention is achieved by a centrifugal
pump having a spiral housing, which comprises a first housing part
and a second housing part, in which the central area of the second
housing part is of a continuous cup-shaped design to accommodate
the rotor situated in the wet chamber N, and a bearing for the
rotatable mounting of the rotor is formed in the cup-shaped base
part, a stator being arranged in the dry chamber T externally
surrounding the second housing part in the area of the rotor. The
central area of the second housing part is of a continuous
cup-shaped design, which means that it forms a virtually
cylindrical part with terminating base. The cup-shaped design
defines the wet chamber N, which accommodates the rotor. In the
cup-shaped base part the second housing part forms a bearing for
the rotatable mounting of the rotor, the cup-shaped base part
either itself serving as bearing or accommodating a bearing for the
rotor.
[0008] Due to the continuous cup-shaped configuration of the second
housing part, it is possible to completely prevent liquid from the
wet chamber N getting into the dry chamber T. There is
advantageously no need to divide the wet chamber N from the dry
chamber T through sealing elements by way of a separate can. A
continuous separation of the dry chamber T from the wet chamber N
is ensured even over prolonged operating times. The arrangement of
a separate can is advantageously dispensed with altogether.
[0009] In a preferred embodiment of the invention the outer area of
the second housing part has an outline of curved longitudinal
section perpendicular to the direction of flow of the medium
flowing in from the inlet E. The precise curved profile is
engineered to optimize the fluid mechanics of the spiral housing.
This is an advantageous way of adjusting the flow conditions in the
spiral housing to an optimum setting, so that the overall space
required for the centrifugal pump is reduced. The invention further
relates to the use of the centrifugal pump as a coolant centrifugal
pump in a motor vehicle. Coolant centrifugal pumps in motor
vehicles have to function over a prolonged time, there being a need
to avoid damaging the electronic components in the dry chamber T.
The use of the centrifugal pump as a coolant centrifugal pump in a
motor vehicle is therefore particularly advantageous.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] The invention will be explained in more detail below by way
of example and with reference to the drawings.
[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view in longitudinal section through
the centrifugal pump;
[0012] FIG. 2 is a perspective view in longitudinal section through
the centrifugal pump in the form of an exploded diagram; and
[0013] FIG. 3 is a perspective view in longitudinal section through
a centrifugal pump according to the state of the art.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0014] FIG. 1 is a centrifugal pump in longitudinal section. It
comprises a spiral housing, which comprises a first housing part 1
and a second housing part 2. A central area of the second housing
part 2 is of a continuous cup-shaped design to accommodate the
rotor 3 situated in a wet chamber N. In the cup-shaped base part 2'
the second housing part 2 has a bearing 3' for the rotatable
mounting of the rotor 3. A stator 4 is arranged in a dry chamber T
externally surrounding the second housing part 2 in the area of the
rotor 3. The dry chamber T is sealed from the surroundings by a
housing 5. The outer area of the second housing part 2 has an
outline 2* of curved longitudinal section perpendicular to the
direction of flow of the medium flowing in from the inlet E. The
medium flowing in is represented by a bold arrow. The curved
outline 2* serves to optimize the flow conditions inside the spiral
housing. Any ingress of liquid or vapor from the wet chamber N into
the dry chamber T is prevented even without the arrangement of
sealing elements, so that electronic components (not shown) and the
stator 4 in the dry chamber are protected against damage by liquid
or vapor.
[0015] FIG. 2 is the centrifugal pump of FIG. 1 in longitudinal
section in the form of an exploded diagram. The central area of the
second housing part 2 is of a continuous cup-shaped design
configured to accommodate the rotor 3. The wet chamber N (not
shown) defined by this central area is therefore completely
screened off from the dry chamber T (not shown), in which the
stator 4 is situated.
[0016] FIG. 3 shows a longitudinal section through a centrifugal
pump according to the state of the art. The centrifugal pump
according to the state of the art has a spiral housing, which
comprises a first housing part 1b and a second housing part 2b.
Liquid medium to be pumped, represented by the bold arrow, passes
through the inlet Eb into the wet chamber Nb, in which the rotor 3b
is rotatably mounted. A stator 4b in the dry chamber Tb is
externally arranged in the area of the rotor 3b. The dry chamber Tb
is here closed off from the surroundings by a housing 5b. In the
state of the art the wet chamber Nb is separated from the dry
chamber Tb by the arrangement of a can 6b, it being possible under
certain circumstances for liquid to get into the dry chamber Tb
from the wet chamber Nb owing to a disadvantageous arrangement of a
sealing ring 7b, which has to be arranged between the can 6b and
the second housing part 2b. Should the centrifugal pump be
subjected to vibrations, for example, it is possible for liquid or
vapors to pass from the wet chamber Nb via the sealing ring 7b into
the dry chamber Tb, which is illustrated by the dashed lines. In
this way the stator 4b or other electronic components (not shown),
situated in the dry chamber Tb, may be damaged, something which is
prevented by the centrifugal pump according to the invention.
[0017] Thus, while there have shown and described and pointed out
fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a
preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that various
omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of
the devices illustrated, and in their operation, may be made by
those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the
invention. For example, it is expressly intended that all
combinations of those elements and/or method steps which perform
substantially the same function in substantially the same way to
achieve the same results are within the scope of the invention.
Moreover, it should be recognized that structures and/or elements
and/or method steps shown and/or described in connection with any
disclosed form or embodiment of the invention may be incorporated
in any other disclosed or described or suggested form or embodiment
as a general matter of design choice. It is the intention,
therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the
claims appended hereto.
* * * * *