U.S. patent application number 12/987727 was filed with the patent office on 2012-07-12 for modular pump rotor assemblies.
This patent application is currently assigned to PEOPLEFLO MANUFACTURING, INC.. Invention is credited to William R. Blankemeier, Jason M. Sexton, Radosav Trninich.
Application Number | 20120177511 12/987727 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 46455388 |
Filed Date | 2012-07-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120177511 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Sexton; Jason M. ; et
al. |
July 12, 2012 |
Modular Pump Rotor Assemblies
Abstract
Modular pump rotor assemblies having a rotatable driving element
and a rotor that is removably connected to the driving element by
at least one removable fastener are disclosed. The assemblies also
have a rotor support bearing that is disposed between the rotatable
driving element and the rotor. The assemblies may have a rotatable
driving element that is of a type that is dynamically sealed to a
pump housing, or a rotatable driving element that is of a type that
is statically sealed to a pump housing, such as for use in a
magnetically coupled pump or a canned-motor device.
Inventors: |
Sexton; Jason M.; (Aurora,
IL) ; Blankemeier; William R.; (Oak Park, IL)
; Trninich; Radosav; (Bridgeview, IL) |
Assignee: |
PEOPLEFLO MANUFACTURING,
INC.
Franklin Park
IL
|
Family ID: |
46455388 |
Appl. No.: |
12/987727 |
Filed: |
January 10, 2011 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
417/366 ;
417/374 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F04C 2240/70 20130101;
F04C 15/0038 20130101; F04C 15/0076 20130101; F04C 15/0069
20130101; F04D 29/20 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
417/366 ;
417/374 |
International
Class: |
F04B 39/00 20060101
F04B039/00; F04B 9/00 20060101 F04B009/00 |
Claims
1. A modular pump rotor assembly comprising a rotatable driving
element and a rotor, wherein the rotor is removably connected to
the rotatable driving element by at least one removable
fastener.
2. The modular pump rotor assembly of claim 1, further comprising a
rotor support bearing, wherein the rotor support bearing is
disposed between the rotatable driving element and the rotor.
3. The modular pump rotor assembly of claim 1, wherein the
rotatable driving element further comprises a rotatable shaft.
4. The modular pump rotor assembly of claim 3, further comprising a
clamp plate disposed between and removably connected to the
rotatable shaft and the rotor.
5. The modular pump rotor assembly of claim 4, wherein modular pump
rotor assembly further comprises a rotor support bearing, and
wherein the rotor support bearing is disposed between the rotatable
shaft and the clamp plate.
6. The modular pump rotor assembly of claim 1, wherein the
rotatable driving element further comprises a rotatable inner
magnet assembly.
7. The modular pump rotor assembly of claim 6, wherein the modular
pump rotor assembly further comprises a rotor support bearing, and
wherein the rotor support bearing is disposed between the rotatable
inner magnet assembly and the rotor.
8. The modular pump rotor assembly of claim 1, wherein the
rotatable driving element is configured to be separately removably
connected to at least two rotors having different
configurations.
9. The modular pump rotor assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least
one removable fastener that removably connects the rotor to the
rotatable driving element further comprises a plurality of
fasteners that are located in a symmetrical configuration with
respect to a rotational axis of the rotor.
10. A modular pump rotor assembly for use in a pump having a
housing and a seal that engages the housing, the modular pump rotor
assembly comprising a rotatable driving element and a rotor,
wherein the rotor is removably connected to the rotatable driving
element by at least one removable fastener.
11. The modular pump rotor assembly for use in a pump of claim 10,
further comprising a rotor support bearing, wherein the rotor
support bearing is removably disposed between the rotatable driving
element and the rotor.
12. The modular pump rotor assembly for use in a pump of claim 10,
wherein the modular pump rotor assembly is for use in a pump
housing having a dynamic shaft seal and the rotatable driving
element includes a rotatable shaft that engages the dynamic shaft
seal.
13. The modular pump rotor assembly for use in a pump of claim 12,
wherein the modular pump rotor assembly further comprises a clamp
plate removably connected to the rotatable shaft by at least one
removable fastener and wherein the rotor is removably connected to
the clamp plate by at least one removable fastener.
14. The modular pump rotor assembly for use in a pump of claim 13,
further comprising a rotor support bearing, wherein the rotor
support bearing is disposed between the rotatable shaft and the
clamp plate.
15. The modular pump rotor assembly for use in a pump of claim 14,
wherein the rotor support bearing is clamped between the rotatable
shaft and the clamp plate when the at least one removable fastener
that connects the clamp plate to the rotatable shaft is
installed.
16. The modular pump rotor assembly for use in a pump of claim 15,
wherein the at least one removable fastener that removably connects
the rotor to the clamp plate further comprises a plurality of
removable fasteners that are located in a symmetrical configuration
with respect to a rotational axis of the rotor.
17. The modular pump rotor assembly for use in a pump of claim 10,
wherein the rotatable driving element is configured to be
separately removably connected to at least two rotors having
different configurations.
18. The modular pump rotor assembly for use in a pump of claim 10,
wherein the modular pump rotor assembly is for use in a pump
housing having a static seal between the pump housing and the
rotatable driving element of the modular pump rotor assembly and
wherein the rotatable driving element includes a rotatable magnetic
driving element and the rotatable magnetic driving element does not
engage the static seal.
19. The modular pump rotor assembly for use in a pump of claim 18,
wherein the rotor is removably connected to the rotatable magnetic
driving element by at least one removable fastener, and the modular
pump rotor assembly further comprises a rotor support bearing
wherein the rotor support bearing is disposed between the rotatable
magnetic driving element and the rotor.
20. The modular pump rotor assembly for use in a pump of claim 18
wherein the rotatable magnetic driving element further comprises a
rotatable inner magnet assembly that includes magnets.
21. The modular pump rotor assembly for use in a pump of claim 20
wherein the rotatable inner magnet assembly further comprises a
sleeve that covers the magnets.
22. The modular pump rotor assembly for use in a pump of claim 21,
wherein the rotatable inner magnet assembly further comprises a
magnet mounting portion and the sleeve that covers the magnets is
sealed to the magnet mounting portion.
23. The modular pump rotor assembly for use in a pump of claim 22,
wherein the sleeve further comprises an annular outer wall having
indentations that correspond to and bias the magnets inward against
the magnet mounting portion.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention generally relates to pump rotor and
rotatable driving element assemblies, and more particularly to pump
rotor assemblies that include a rotor and rotatable driving element
that are connected together. The assemblies have two main versions,
based on the type of driving element and seal between the housing
and the driving element, with the first being dynamically-sealed
and the second being statically-sealed, such as with a magnetically
coupled or canned-motor version.
[0003] 2. Discussion of the Prior Art
[0004] There are a variety of pump assembly designs that include a
rotor, otherwise known as a drive pump element, such as for example
an impeller, drive gear, drive screw or lobe. It is common for such
a rotor or drive pump element to be integrally formed with a
rotatable driving element, such as for example a drive shaft, inner
magnet or armature of a centrifugal or rotary pump. Such structures
may be used in a variety of pumps, such as for example pumps that
are in the form of an internal gear, external gear, vane, lobe,
circumferential piston, screw pump, or other pump structures.
[0005] The existing pump designs can be classified as being in one
of two categories, namely dynamically-sealed or statically-sealed,
with the statically-sealed having a driving element that is
magnetically driven and being of the magnetically coupled or
canned-motor type. In the first category of dynamically-sealed
pumps, the pump includes a dynamic shaft seal. These pumps
typically have a rotor integrally formed with a rotatable driving
element in the form of a drive shaft.
[0006] In the second category, which includes statically-sealed
pumps in the form of magnetically-coupled or canned-motor pumps,
the pump includes a rotatable driving element that includes an
inner magnet assembly or an armature assembly. In some instances,
it is desirable to avoid potential seal leakage by not using seals
in conjunction with rotating parts. Accordingly, it has become
fairly common in the pump arts to employ a magnetic drive system to
eliminate the need for seals along rotating surfaces. While such
pumps may still employ static seals, because of their lack of
dynamic or rotational seals, they have become known as "sealless"
pumps.
[0007] The existing designs have inherent disadvantages because the
pump rotor, which is a primary wear component, is expensive and
difficult to repair, replace or upgrade. With existing designs, the
rotor is not accessible while the pump is installed and connected
to a piping system, foundational base plate, motor driver, an
intermediate driving structure and to other necessary support
systems, such as heating, cooling, quench, or flush fluid systems
and/or insulation. The existing designs require users to remove the
pump from service and bring it to a service facility for cleaning,
disassembly and repair. Because this process is time consuming,
some users keep spare pumps on hand in an effort to maintain
production uptime. This increases inventory costs and requires a
complete interim pump installation, with the accompanying
connections of all structural and system elements.
[0008] The prior art rotor support bearings, which could be in the
form of ball or roller bearings or bushings, which will be
collectively referred to herein as rotor support bearings, are
another primary wear component. The rotor support bearings also are
expensive to repair, replace or upgrade. As with the rotor, the
rotor support bearings are not accessible while the pump is in
place and connected to the foundational base plate and other system
components. Thus, the pump must be removed from service, incurring
the same setbacks as when servicing a rotor.
[0009] Another disadvantage of existing designs is that the rotor
and rotor support bearings are unique to a given pump type and
installation. Thus, if it is desired to change the pumping
principle or performance of such a prior art pump, one must remove
the entire integral rotatable drive element and rotor to exchange
it for a different integral rotatable drive element and rotor. The
disassembly also typically involves a complex repair that can
include interference press fits, heat shrink fits, special tools or
fixtures and welded assemblies. In addition, when repairing,
replacing or upgrading the rotor or rotor support bearings on a
magnetically-coupled pump, the driving portion that is configured
as an inner magnet assembly of a magnetically coupled pump must be
separated from the outer magnet assembly. This raises a significant
safety issue because separating the magnets of the driving portion
from the outer magnet assembly requires overcoming large magnetic
forces, which requires very significant decoupling forces applied
to separate the magnetic coupling and then difficulty in
controlling the driving portion once it is decoupled.
[0010] The present disclosure addresses shortcomings found in prior
art integral rotor and drive portion assemblies.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] The present disclosure generally provides modular pump rotor
assemblies having improvements in construction wherein a rotor and
a rotatable driving element are removably connected together with
removable fasteners. The improvements further include a rotor
support bearing that is disposed between the rotor and the
rotatable driving element, and that may be held in place by a
clamping force between the rotor and the rotatable driving
element.
[0012] In a first aspect, a modular pump rotor assembly includes a
rotatable driving element and a rotor, with the rotor being
removably connected to the rotatable driving element by at least
one removable fastener.
[0013] In another aspect, the modular pump rotor assembly may
include a rotor support bearing that is disposed between the
rotatable driving element and the rotor.
[0014] In a further aspect, the rotatable driving element of the
modular pump rotor assembly may include a rotatable shaft.
[0015] In another aspect, the modular pump rotor assembly may
include a clamp plate disposed between and connected to the
rotatable shaft and the rotor.
[0016] In yet another aspect, the modular pump rotor assembly may
include a rotor support bearing disposed between the rotatable
shaft and the clamp plate.
[0017] In a further aspect, the rotatable driving element of the
modular pump rotor assembly may be constructed to include an inner
magnet assembly.
[0018] In a further aspect, the modular pump rotor assembly may
include a rotor support bearing disposed between the inner magnet
assembly and the rotor.
[0019] In another aspect, the modular pump rotor assembly may be
configured to be separately removably connected to at least two
rotors having different configurations.
[0020] In a further aspect, the modular pump rotor assembly may
include at least one removable fastener that removably connects the
rotor to the rotatable driving element and the at least one
removable fastener may include a plurality of fasteners that are
located in a symmetrical configuration with respect to a rotational
axis of the rotor.
[0021] In another aspect, a modular pump rotor assembly for use in
a pump having a housing and a seal that engages the housing, may
include a rotatable driving element and a rotor, with the rotor
being removably connected to the rotatable driving element by at
least one removable fastener.
[0022] In another aspect, the modular pump rotor assembly may
further include a rotor support bearing disposed between the
rotatable driving element and the rotor.
[0023] In a further aspect, the modular pump rotor assembly may be
for use in a pump housing having a dynamic shaft seal and the
rotatable driving element may include a rotatable shaft that
engages the dynamic shaft seal.
[0024] In another aspect, the modular pump rotor assembly for use
in a pump may include a clamp plate removably connected to a
rotatable shaft by at least one removable fastener, and the rotor
may be removably connected to the clamp plate by at least one
removable fastener.
[0025] In a further aspect, the modular pump rotor assembly for use
in a pump may further include a rotor support bearing that is
disposed between the rotatable shaft and the clamp plate.
[0026] In a further aspect, the modular pump rotor assembly for use
in a pump may be configured to have the rotor support bearing
clamped between the rotatable shaft and the clamp plate when at
least one removable fastener that connects the clamp plate to the
rotatable shaft is installed.
[0027] In another aspect, the modular pump rotor assembly for use
in a pump may be configured to include that the at least one
removable fastener that removably connects the rotor to the clamp
plate also includes a plurality of removable fasteners that are
located in a symmetrical configuration with respect to a rotational
axis of the rotor.
[0028] In a further aspect, the modular pump rotor assembly for use
in a pump may include a rotatable driving element that is
configured to be separately removable connected to at least two
rotors that have different configurations.
[0029] In a further aspect, the modular pump rotor assembly is for
use in a pump housing that may have a static seal between the pump
housing and the rotatable driving element and the rotatable driving
element may include a rotatable magnetic driving element that does
not engage the static seal.
[0030] In another aspect, the modular rotor assembly is for use in
a pump housing that may have the rotor removably connected to the
rotatable driving element by at least one removable fastener, and
the modular pump rotor assembly may include a rotor support bearing
that may be disposed between a rotatable magnetic driving element
and the rotor.
[0031] In a further aspect, the rotatable driving element of the
modular rotor assembly for use in a pump housing may include an
inner magnet assembly that includes magnets.
[0032] In a further aspect, the rotatable driving element of the
modular rotor assembly for use in a pump housing may include an
inner magnet assembly that includes a sleeve that covers
magnets.
[0033] In another aspect, the rotatable inner magnet assembly of
the modular driving element of the modular rotor assembly for use
in a pump housing may include a magnet mounting portion and a
sleeve that covers magnets and is sealed to the magnet mounting
portion.
[0034] In further aspect, the sleeve that may cover a rotatable
inner magnet assembly of the modular driving element of the modular
rotor assembly for use in a pump housing may include indentations
that correspond to and bias magnets inward against a magnet
mounting portion.
[0035] Thus, the present disclosure presents alternatives to
integrally formed rotor and rotatable drive portions that
previously were not modular in design and that exhibited the
aforementioned disadvantages. The present disclosure provides
structures that permit removal of a rotor and/or rotor support
bearing from a rotatable drive element without requiring the time
and labor-intensive full removal of a pump from a piping system,
and in some instances the potentially dangerous conditions such as
the need to decouple a magnetic drive element from an outer driven
element in a magnetically coupled arrangement.
[0036] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general
description and the following detailed description are exemplary
and provided for purposes of explanation only, and are not
restrictive of the subject matter claimed. Further features and
objects of the present disclosure will become more fully apparent
in the following description of example embodiments and from the
appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0037] In describing the preferred examples, reference is made to
the accompanying drawing figures wherein like parts have like
reference numerals, and wherein:
[0038] FIG. 1 is a perspective exploded view of a first example
modular pump rotor assembly for use in a pump having a dynamic
seal, where the assembly includes a rotatable driving element and a
rotor, and with a rotor support bushing and clamp plate disposed
between the rotatable driving element and the rotor.
[0039] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the first example
modular pump rotor assembly of FIG. 1 within a pump housing having
a dynamic seal.
[0040] FIG. 3 is a perspective exploded view of a second example
modular pump rotor assembly for use in a pump having a static seal,
where the assembly includes a driving element and a rotor, with a
bearing being disposed between the rotatable driving element and
the rotor.
[0041] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the second example
modular pump rotor assembly of FIG. 3 within a pump housing having
a static seal.
[0042] FIG. 5 is a perspective exploded view of a third example
modular pump rotor assembly for use in a pump housing having a
static seal, where the assembly includes a rotatable driving
element and a rotor, where the rotatable driving element includes
an inner magnetic assembly and a sleeve covering the inner magnetic
assembly.
[0043] FIG. 6 is a perspective partially exploded view showing an
example of the interchangeability of modular pump rotor assemblies
for use in a pump housing having a dynamic seal, a pump having a
static seal and a canned-motor pump having a static seal, in
conjunction with two different rotors having different
configurations.
[0044] It should be understood that the drawings are not to scale.
While some mechanical details of dynamically sealed and
magnetically driven pumps or canned-motor pumps, including details
of fastening means and other plan and section views of the
particular components, have been omitted, such details are
considered within the comprehension of those skilled in the art in
light of the present disclosure. It also should be understood that
the present disclosure is not limited to the examples
illustrated.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0045] Referring generally to FIGS. 1 and 2, it will be appreciated
that a modular rotor assembly 10 is illustrated and it includes a
rotatable driving element 12 and a rotor 14 removably connected to
the rotatable driving element 12 by at least one removable
fastener. In this example, a rotor support bearing 16 is disposed
between the rotatable driving element 12 and the rotor 14. In this
example, the rotatable driving element 12 is in the configuration
of and may also be referred to as a rotatable shaft. The rotor 14
of this example also may be referred to as an outer gear, such as
may be used in an internal gear pump.
[0046] This example further includes a clamp plate 18 that is
disposed between the rotatable driving element 12 and the rotor 14.
While it will be understood that one or more other connecting
elements or fasteners may be used, the clamp plate 18 is shown as
being connected to the rotor 14 by removable fasteners 20. The
removable fasteners 20 are shown as threaded bolts that are
configured to pass through respective bores 22 in the rotor 14 and
to engage threaded bores 24 in the clamp plate 18. It will be
appreciated that if a plurality of removable fasteners will be
used, then using a configuration wherein a corresponding plurality
of the threaded bores 24 are located in a symmetrical configuration
with respect to a rotational axis R of the rotor 14 will, in turn,
allow the removable fasteners 20 to be located in a symmetrical
configuration with respect to the rotational axis R of the rotor
14, so as not to cause any rotational imbalance. As shown with
respect to the clamp plate 18, there may be additional bores
provided to accommodate more connection variations with respect to
a given clamp plate. This will be discussed later herein in regard
to FIG. 6.
[0047] As seen in the example shown in FIG. 1-2, the rotor support
bushing 16 has a central longitudinal bore 26 and is received on
the rotatable shaft 12 at a reduced diameter stem 28 that has a
shoulder 30 at a transition to a larger diameter of the rotatable
shaft 12. The clamp plate 18 is removably connected to the
rotatable driving element 12 by at least one removable fastener 32.
The removable fastener 32 is shown as a threaded bolt that is
configured to be used with a washer 34 and to pass through a
stepped central bore 36, 38 in the clamp plate 18 (best seen in
FIG. 2) and to engage a threaded bore 40 in the end 42 of the
rotatable driving element 12. Therefore, when the removable
fastener 32 is installed to removably connect the clamp plate 18 to
the rotatable driving element 12, the rotor support bushing 16 is
clamped between the rotatable driving element 12 and the rotor 14
by being disposed between the clamp plate 18 and the shoulder 30 of
the rotatable shaft 12.
[0048] As best seen in FIG. 2, the modular rotor assembly 10 of
FIG. 1 is configured for use in a pump 50 having a housing 52 and
having a dynamic seal 54 that is mounted to the pump housing 52 and
engages an outer surface 56 of a central portion 58 of the
rotatable shaft 12. The pump housing 52 of the present example
includes a first head 59 including bearings 60 that rotatably
support the rotatable shaft 12 at a drive end of the shaft, where
the rotatable shaft 12 of the pump 50 may be coupled to an external
power source (not shown), such as a motor or the like. The bearings
60 may be of any suitable type to provide rotational support, such
as ball or roller bearings, fixed sleeve bushings or the like.
[0049] The pump housing 52 also includes a first housing portion 62
that has a first end 64 and a second end 66. The first housing
portion 62 is connected at its first end 64 to the first head 59 by
conventional means. A centrally located second housing portion 68
has a first end 70 and a second end 72. The second housing portion
68 is connected at its first end 70 to the second end 66 of the
first housing portion 62. A third housing portion 74 has a first
end 76 and a second end 78. The third housing portion 74 is
connected at its first end 76 to the second end 72 of the second
housing portion 68 by conventional means. The second end 78 of the
third housing portion 74 is connected to a second head 80 by
conventional means. The second head 80 includes a bore 82 for a
fixed shaft 84 for rotatable support of an inner gear 86. The
conventional means by which the various housing components are
connected together are not shown and may include, for instance,
threaded fasteners, press fits, welding or other suitable means as
would be consistent with the need to connect and seal some of the
respective connections, and to be able to disassemble the pump
housing 52 at particular connections.
[0050] The structure of the pump 50 and modular rotor assembly 10
permit a user to open the pump housing 52 by removing the second
head 80 from the second end 78 of the third housing portion 74.
This permits one to gain access to the modular rotor assembly 10
while the pump 50 continues to have the housing 52 mounted to a
foundational base plate (not shown) and connected to a piping
system (not shown), for example, at a port 88. This then allows one
to remove the removable fasteners 20 from the threaded bores 24 in
the clamp plate 18 to permit withdrawal of the rotor 14 from the
pump 50. The rotor 14 then may be serviced or individually
replaced, without having removed the pump 50 from service, without
affecting the dynamic seal 52, and virtually without any further
disruption to the remaining components of the pump 50.
[0051] One will appreciate that the rotor 14 may otherwise be
withdrawn with the clamp plate 18 and removed from the pump 50 by
removing the removable fastener 32 from the stepped bores 36, 38 in
the clamp plate 18 and from the threaded bore 40 in the end 42 of
the rotatable shaft 12. This then also would allow one to remove
the rotor support bearing 16 from the stem 28 of the rotatable
shaft 12 to be repaired or replaced. To affect such a removal of
the rotor support bearing 16, the rotor support bearing 16 may be
constructed with threaded bores at its outer end or other means for
attaching a pulling instrument (not shown) to the rotor support
bearing 16 to grasp and pull the rotor support bearing 16 from the
rotatable shaft 12. While servicing the rotor support bearing 16,
the rotor 14 also may be separated from the clamp plate 18 and
replaced or otherwise serviced, as needed. Reassembly of the
removed components merely would require reversal of the particular
disassembly steps and tightening or engagement of any respective
removable fasteners 20 or 32, such as are shown in this example as
threaded bolts.
[0052] One of skill in the art also will appreciate that the pump
50 may be modified by reassembling the pump with a different rotor
outer gear and a different inner gear and second head and fixed
shaft, as desired. One also may modify the pump upon reassembly to
utilize a different pumping principle by replacing the rotor 14
that is in a configuration of an outer gear of an internal gear
pump with a different rotor having a different configuration, such
as may be used with a sliding vane design, or other pump. This may
be done while installing a corresponding, new second head in place
of the second head 80 that was used with a fixed shaft 84 and an
inner gear 86, or as otherwise desired. Thus, beyond the
improvements in serviceability and uptime that would be provided
for a pump, one may alternatively utilize the disclosed structures
to implement a pump that is easily modifiable to accommodate
changes in the pumping means or pumping principle by including a
rotatable driving element that is configured to be separately
removably connected to at least two rotors having different
configurations. This will be better appreciated when viewing FIG.
6, where it will be appreciated that interchangeability may be
designed into the respective rotatable driving element and rotor
components by virtue of having at least partially common removable
fastener connection patterns for the modular pump rotor
assembly.
[0053] Turning to FIGS. 3 and 4, another example of a modular pump
rotor assembly 110 is illustrated. In this example, the modular
pump rotor assembly 110 includes a rotatable driving element 112
and a rotor 114 removably connected to the rotatable driving
element 112 by at least one removable fastener. A rotor support
bearing 116 is disposed between the rotatable driving element 112
and the rotor 114. Here, the rotatable driving element 112 is in
the configuration of and also may be referred to as a rotatable
magnetic driving element or a rotatable inner magnet assembly. The
rotor 114 of this example also may be referred to as an outer gear,
such as may be used in a gear pump.
[0054] The rotatable driving element 112 of this example includes a
magnet mounting portion 118 preferably having an end 119, and an
outer surface 120 having a plurality of magnet landings 122 for
receiving and locating a plurality of magnets 124. When constructed
for use in pumping corrosive materials, it is preferable to make
the rotatable driving element 112 and rotor 114 of stainless steel,
but it is advantageous to include an annular carbon steel portion
between the magnet mounting portion 118 and the magnets 124.
[0055] The rotor 114 is shown as being removably connected to the
rotatable inner magnet assembly 112 by removable fasteners 126.
While it will be understood that one or more other connecting
elements or fasteners may be used, the removable fasteners 126 are
shown as threaded bolts that are configured to pass through
respective bores 128 in the rotor 114 and to engage threaded bores
130 in the end 119 of the rotatable driving element 112. The
removable fasteners 126 are located in a symmetrical configuration
with respect to a rotational axis R' of the rotor 114. Similarly to
the example shown in FIG. 1, it will be appreciated that if a
plurality of removable fasteners 126 will be used to removably
connect a rotor 114 to a rotatable driving element 112, then using
a configuration wherein a corresponding plurality of the threaded
bores 130 are located in a symmetrical configuration with respect
to a rotational axis R' of the rotor 114 will allow the removable
fasteners 126 to be located in a symmetrical configuration with
respect to the rotational axis R' of the rotor 114, so as not to
cause any rotational imbalance. Also, there may be additional bores
provided to accommodate more connection variations with respect to
a given rotatable driving element 112. This will be discussed later
herein and is illustrated with respect to a rotatable driving
element 112'' shown in FIG. 6.
[0056] Returning to the example shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the rotor
support bearing 116 of this example includes an annular rim 116' of
a larger diameter than the main body 116'' of the rotor support
bearing 116. The annular rim 116' is disposed between the rotatable
driving element 112 and the rotor 114, in that the annular rim 116'
is received by a recess in the rear 117 of the rotor 114, and
oppositely rests against the end 119 of the rotatable driving
element 112. Thus, when the removable fasteners 126 are installed
to removably connect the rotor 114 to the rotatable driving element
112, the rotor support bearing 116 is clamped into place between
the rotor 114 and the rotatable driving element 112. Use of the
removable fasteners 126 applies a clamping force to positively hold
the rotor support bearing 116 in place, such as when, in this
example, the removable threaded fasteners 126 are tightened. In
turn, one will appreciate that the rotor 114 may be removed from
the rotatable driving element 112 by removal of the removable
fasteners 126 for service or replacement and that this, in turn,
permits removal of the rotor support bearing 116 from the rotatable
driving element 112 for service or replacement.
[0057] As best seen in FIG. 4, the modular pump rotor assembly 110
of FIG. 3 is configured for use in a pump 150 having a housing 152
with a static seal 154 used to seal an annular canister 155 at an
outer rim 156 to the pump housing 152. The pump housing 152 of this
example has a first housing portion 158 that includes bearings 160
that are mounted within the first housing portion 158 near a first
end 159 to rotatably support a rotatable shaft 162 of an outer
magnet assembly 164. The bearings 160 may be of any suitable type
to provide rotational support, such as ball or roller bearings,
fixed sleeve bushings or the like. The shaft 162 of the outer
magnet assembly 164 may be coupled at a first end 163 to an
external power source (not shown), such as a motor or the like.
Mounted at a second end 165 of the rotatable shaft 162 of the outer
magnetic assembly 164 is a cup-shaped drive member 166. The drive
member 166 is connected at a first end 168 to the second end 165 of
the rotatable shaft 162 and has a recess 170 at a second end
172.
[0058] Alternatively, the bearings 160 and shaft 162 may be
eliminated in favor of mounting the cup-shaped drive member 166
directly on the shaft of an external power source. Similarly, the
drive member 166 and rotatable shaft 162 may be integrally formed
as one piece. The drive member 166 may be constructed of a rigid
material, such as that which is used in the housing, for instance,
steel, stainless steel, cast iron or other metallic materials, or
structural plastics or the like. The outer magnet assembly 164 has
magnets 174 within the recess 170 where they are connected to the
inner walls of the cup-shaped drive member 166. The magnets 174 may
be of any configuration, but are preferably rectangular and may be
connected to the drive member 166 by any suitable means, such as by
chemical means, including by epoxy, adhesives or the like, or
mechanically by fasteners, such as by rivets or the like, or by an
outer retaining member, such as will be described with respect to
the structures shown in FIG. 5.
[0059] Disposed at least partially within the recess 170 of the
outer magnet assembly 164 is the canister 155, which generally is
in the shape of a bell or a cup having an outer rim 156. The
canister 155 may be constructed of any of a variety of rigid
materials, and the material is typically chosen based on the medium
to be pumped, but is preferably constructed of stainless steel,
such as alloy C-276, but also may be constructed of other metals,
alloys, plastic, composite materials or the like. The canister 155
is open at one end forming a recess 176 surrounded by the outer rim
156. A second housing portion 180 is connected at a first end 182
to the second end 179 of the first housing portion 158, by
conventional means, such as discussed above with respect to the
example embodiment in FIG. 2. The outer rim 156 of the canister 155
is mounted with the static seal 154 in sealing engagement to the
first end 182 of the second housing portion 180 of the pump housing
152.
[0060] In this example of a magnetically coupled pump 150, when
fully assembled, the magnet mounting portion 118, and magnets 124
are disposed within the recess 176 of the canister 155, so as to be
separated from the magnets 174 of the outer magnet assembly 164 by
the annular canister 155. The rotatable driving element 112 and its
magnet mounting portion 118 are arranged to place the respective
magnets 174, 124 in substantial magnetic alignment to form a
magnetic coupling. This magnetic coupling allows the magnet
mounting portion 118 and the rotatable driving element 112 to have
no physical contact with but be rotated and thereby driven by
rotation of the outer magnet assembly 164.
[0061] A second end 184 of the second housing portion 180 of the
pump housing 152 is connected (and understood to be sealed) to a
head assembly 186, by conventional means, such as by fasteners 188.
In this example pump 150, an offset stationary shaft 190 has a
first shaft portion 192 having a first longitudinal axis and a
second shaft portion 196 having a second longitudinal axis that is
parallel to but spaced from the longitudinal axis of the first
shaft portion 192. The first shaft portion 192 is held within a
bore 194 in the head assembly 186. The first shaft portion 192 of
the offset stationary shaft 190 rotatably supports an inner gear
195 that acts with an outer gear, in the form of the rotor 114, to
pump a medium. In this example, the second shaft portion 196 of the
offset stationary shaft 190 is held within a bore 198 in a shaft
support 200 that is configured as a canister insert that is
supported by the canister 155. However, it will be appreciated that
other shaft and supporting arrangements are possible.
[0062] The rotatable driving element 112 includes a bore 202 that
receives the rotor support bearing 116 for rotatable coupling to
the stationary shaft 190. The rotor 114 is connected to the
rotatable driving element 112, as discussed above. With this
structure of the example pump 150 and the modular pump rotor
assembly 110, it will be appreciated that a user may open the pump
housing 152 by removing the head 186 from the second end 184 of the
second housing portion 180, thereby gaining access to the inner
gear 195, the offset shaft 190 and the modular rotor assembly 110.
This access is available while the pump 150 continues to have the
housing 152 mounted to a foundational base plate (not shown) and
connected to a piping system (not shown), for example, at a port
204. The inner gear 195 and/or offset stationary shaft 190 may be
serviced or replaced. This further allows one to remove the
removable fasteners 126 from the threaded bores 130 in the
rotatable driving element 112 to permit withdrawal of the rotor 114
from the pump 150. The rotor 114 then may be serviced or
individually replaced, without having removed the pump 150 from
service, without affecting the static seal 154 of the canister 155,
and virtually without any further disruption of the remaining
components of the pump 150.
[0063] One will appreciate that after removing the head 186, the
inner gear 195, offset stationary shaft 190, and rotor 114, the
rotor support bearing 116 is accessible for removal from the
rotatable driving element 112 to be repaired or replaced. To affect
such a removal of the rotor support bearing 116, the rotor support
bearing 116 may be constructed with threaded bores at its outer end
or other means for attaching a pulling instrument (not shown) to
the rotor support bearing 116 to grasp and pull the rotor support
bearing 116 from the rotatable driving element 112. Reassembly of
the removed components merely would require reversal of the
particular disassembly steps and tightening or engagement of any
respective removable fasteners 126, such as are shown in this
example in the form of threaded bolts.
[0064] One of skill in the art also will appreciate that the pump
150 may be modified by reassembling the pump with a different rotor
outer gear and a different inner gear and second head and
corresponding fixed shaft, respectively, as desired. One also may
modify the pump upon reassembly to utilize a different pumping
principle by replacing the rotor that is in a configuration of an
outer gear of an internal gear pump with a different rotor having a
different configuration, such as may be used with a sliding vane
design, or other pump. This may be done while installing a
corresponding stationary shaft and/or a new head in place of the
head 186, as needed to cooperate with a different stationary shaft
and/or inner gear, or as otherwise desired. Thus, beyond the
improvements in serviceability and uptime that would be provided
for a pump, one may alternatively utilize the disclosed structures
to implement a pump that is easily modifiable to accommodate
changes in the pumping means or pumping principle by including a
rotatable driving element that is configured to be separately
removably connected to at least two rotors having different
configurations. As noted above, this will be better appreciated
when viewing FIG. 6 which illustrates the interchangeability that
may be designed into the respective rotatable driving element and
rotor components by virtue of having at least partially common
removable fastener connection patterns.
[0065] The rotor 114 may be of various constructions, such as in
the form of an outer gear of an internal gear pump. The gear
portion of rotor 114 also may be constructed of various rigid
materials, depending on the medium to be pumped. For instance, it
may be preferable to make the rotor 114, as well as the magnet
mounting portion 118 of steel when such a pump is intended for use
in pumping non-corrosive materials.
[0066] As noted above, the magnet mounting portion 118 preferably
has magnets 124, connected to its outer surface 120 at magnet
landings 122. When a pump 150 is made for use in pumping corrosive
materials, it is preferable to make the magnet mounting portion 118
of stainless steel, but it is advantageous to include an annular
carbon steel portion (not shown) between the magnet mounting
portion 118 and the magnets 124. As best seen in the alternative
modular pump rotor assembly 110' shown in FIG. 5, a stainless steel
sleeve 206 may be mounted over the magnets 124 and annular carbon
steel portion for further protection, otherwise having similar
components to those of the above-discussed rotatable driving
element 112 but yielding a different rotatable driving element 112'
in the form of an inner magnet assembly having a respective sleeve
206.
[0067] In the alternative example of a rotatable driving element
112' shown in FIG. 5, the sleeve 206 includes an outer annular wall
208 between a first end 210 and a second end 212. The sleeve 206
may be sealed to the magnet mounting portion 118 at first end 210
and second end 212. The outer annular wall 208 of the sleeve 206
also may include indentations 214 that correspond to positions of
respective magnets 124 and bias the magnets against the magnet
mounting portion 118 of the rotatable driving element 112'. In use,
such as within a magnetically coupled pump structured like pump 150
shown in FIG. 4, the rotatable driving element 112' with the sleeve
206 is disposed within the canister 155 of the pump 150, although
it will be appreciated that the dimensions of the components may
need to be adjusted to accommodate the presence of the sleeve 206
while still permitting the magnetic coupling with the outer magnet
assembly 164.
[0068] Turning to FIG. 6, the aforementioned potential
interchangeability of rotor and rotatable driving element
configurations is illustrated via use of a few examples. Thus, one
can appreciate the potential combinations between the example rotor
types, such as the previously mentioned rotor 114 that includes an
outer gear for an internal gear pump design, as well as a rotor 314
generally configured for use in a sliding vane pump design, either
of which may be removably connected to any one of several suitable
example rotatable driving elements. For instance, FIG. 6 shows a
rotatable driving element 12 relating to pumps having a dynamic
seal, such as is discussed above with respect to FIGS. 1-2, a
rotatable driving element 112'' for a magnetically coupled pump
assembly, which is similar to the above-described sleeved,
rotatable driving element 112', and a rotatable driving element 412
which is configured for use in a canned motor assembly.
[0069] To enhance the interchangeability of the respective
components, each of the rotatable driving elements 12, 112'' and
412 is shown with a respective symmetrical pattern of six threaded
bores 24, 130'' and 430, which may be utilized interchangeably with
the pattern having three bores 22 in the rotor 114 or with the
pattern that will be understood to include six similarly
symmetrically spaced bores 322 of the alternative rotor 314 for
pumps having a sliding vane design. These are but a few of what
will be understood to be many different rotor and rotatable driving
element combinations that may be provided for based on the
teachings of the present disclosure.
[0070] It will be appreciated that a modular rotor assembly in
accordance with the present disclosure may be provided in various
configurations. Any variety of suitable materials of construction,
configurations, shapes and sizes for the components and methods of
connecting the components may be utilized to meet the particular
needs and requirements of an end user. It will be apparent to those
skilled in the art that various modifications can be made in the
design and construction of such a modular rotor assembly without
departing from the scope of the attached claims, and that the
claims are not limited to the preferred embodiments
illustrated.
* * * * *