EP3336361B1 - Circulation pump for a fluid - Google Patents

Description

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to a fluid circulation pump intended for a hydraulic installation, as well as a hydraulic installation comprising such a pump. It finds particular application in the fields of heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning of a building. The hydraulic installation equips in particular industrial buildings or individual dwellings.

State of the art

In the field of hydraulic installations, it is known to use a circulation pump for a heat transfer fluid, also called a circulator, to allow the circulation of a fluid in the hydraulic installation. Such pumps are thus present in domestic hot water installations or in domestic heating installations, whether it is heating with fuel oil, gas, wood, pellets or solar energy. Such installations are carried out at the user's home, directly in the private part of the home or in the common areas of a condominium of the user's home.

In the prior art, there is known a fluid circulation pump intended for a hydraulic installation comprising: a pump body comprising a circulation zone arranged to circulate the fluid from a suction opening to a repression; an electric motor comprising a rotor and a stator, and integral with the pump body; an electronic control configured to control the electric motor. In addition, the pump comprises a chamber arranged to at least partially house the electrical part of the stator, said zone of circulation and said chamber being separated by a wall so as to prevent the circulation of the fluid in the chamber.

In addition, in order to measure a physical quantity characteristic of the fluid circulating in the hydraulic installation, such as the pressure, one or more sensors are generally installed in the internal environment of the boiler, and in particular some of said sensors can be arranged at the outside the pump body but installed on it, the sensors being electrically connected to the main boiler controller.

Such an arrangement of the sensor negatively impacts the compactness of the circulation pump and requires external electrical connectors connecting the sensor (s) to the main boiler controller, which makes it more complex to mount such a sensor for the outlet. for measuring the characteristic physical quantity of the fluid circulating in the hydraulic installation.

Furthermore, the sensor is liable to be damaged by assembly or maintenance operations of the pump or of the peripheral members.

Finally, due to the simple wired cabling technology, the information provided by the sensor (s) can be used by the main controller of the application and simply by him.

DE 10 2013 017975 A1 discloses a pump according to the preamble of claim 1.

Subject of the invention

In this context, the problem posed here is to overcome in particular the above-mentioned drawbacks. In particular, the object of the invention is to propose a pump for circulating a fluid intended for a hydraulic installation of greater compactness, which makes it possible to protect the sensor during assembly or maintenance operations of the pump and to minimize the external electrical connectors connecting the sensor and more particularly to reduce the volume occupied by the connector to connect the sensor to its control member.

To this end, the invention provides a circulation pump as defined in claim 1. According to the invention, the pump comprises at least one sensor connected to the electronic control of the pump and disposed inside the chamber, of so as to make it possible to measure at least one physical quantity characteristic of the fluid circulating in the circulation zone and to transmit the physical quantity measured to the electronic control of the pump.

• la paroi séparant la chambre agencée pour loger la partie électrique du stator et la zone de circulation du fluide comprend une ouverture,
• le capteur est disposé en regard de l'ouverture, de sorte à être en contact avec un fluide circulant à travers l'ouverture depuis la zone de circulation,
• un élément d'étanchéité est disposé de sorte à empêcher le fluide circulant à travers l'ouverture depuis la zone de circulation, d'entrer en contact avec la partie électrique du stator.

In one embodiment:

• the wall separating the chamber arranged to house the electrical part of the stator and the fluid circulation zone comprises an opening,
• the sensor is placed opposite the opening, so as to be in contact with a fluid flowing through the opening from the circulation area,
• a sealing element is arranged so as to prevent the fluid flowing through the opening from the circulation area from coming into contact with the electrical part of the stator.

• la paroi séparant la chambre agencée pour loger la partie électrique du stator et la zone de circulation du fluide comprend une ouverture,
• le capteur est disposé en regard de l'ouverture, de sorte à être en contact avec un fluide circulant à travers l'ouverture depuis la zone de circulation,
• la paroi et le capteur étant liés solidairement de sorte à empêcher le fluide circulant à travers l'ouverture depuis la zone de circulation, d'entrer en contact avec la partie électrique du stator.

In one embodiment:

• the wall separating the chamber arranged to house the electrical part of the stator and the fluid circulation zone comprises an opening,
• the sensor is placed opposite the opening, so as to be in contact with a fluid flowing through the opening from the circulation area,
• the wall and the sensor being integrally linked so as to prevent the fluid flowing through the opening from the circulation area from coming into contact with the electrical part of the stator.

• le capteur comprend une tête,
• la paroi présente une surface emboutie à travers laquelle s'étend l'ouverture,

la tête du capteur et/ou l'élément d'étanchéité étant disposés de sorte à coopérer avec la surface emboutie.In one embodiment:

• the sensor comprises a head,
• the wall has a stamped surface through which the opening extends,

the sensor head and / or the sealing element being arranged so as to cooperate with the stamped surface.

In one embodiment, the sensor is disposed against the opening.

According to the invention, the sensor comprises connection means housed at least partially in the chamber, the sensor being connected to the electronic control of the pump via said connection means.

According to the invention, the chamber is delimited radially by a carcass capable of allowing the connection of the stator to the electronic control, said carcass being provided with an opening, the connection means passing through said opening to come to connect to the electronic control of the pump.

In one embodiment, the electronic control is configured to allow the exchange of information between the sensor, the electric motor, and external control members such as a boiler regulator, by means of a communication bus connecting electronic control of the pump with one or more of said external control members.

In one embodiment, the sensor is configured to sense the temperature and / or the pressure and / or the flow rate of a fluid circulating in the circulation zone.

A hydraulic installation comprising one or more channels for circulation of a fluid and comprising a circulation pump according to any one of the embodiments presented in the description, is also disclosed.

In one embodiment, the hydraulic installation comprises external control members, such as a boiler regulator, and a communication bus connecting the electronic control of the pump with one or more of said external control members, so as to allow the exchange of information between the sensor, the electric motor, and the external control element (s).

Description of the drawings

• la figure 1 illustre en vue éclatée un exemple de réalisation d'une pompe de circulation d'un fluide destinée à une installation hydraulique,
• la figure 2 illustre en vue en perspective l'exemple de réalisation de la pompe illustré sur la figure 1, dans lequel la paroi séparant la zone de circulation et la chambre agencée pour loger le stator est représentée partiellement,
• la figure 3 montre un schéma de principe illustrant la coopération du capteur avec la paroi séparant la chambre de la zone de circulation,
• la figure 4 montre un schéma illustrant un exemple de réalisation du capteur et un connecteur.

The invention will be better understood on reading the description which follows and on examining the figures which accompany it. These figures are given only by way of illustration but in no way limit the invention:

• the figure 1 illustrates in exploded view an exemplary embodiment of a fluid circulation pump intended for a hydraulic installation,
• the figure 2 illustrates in perspective view the embodiment of the pump illustrated on the figure 1 , in which the wall separating the circulation area and the chamber arranged to house the stator is partially represented,
• the figure 3 shows a block diagram illustrating the cooperation of the sensor with the wall separating the chamber from the circulation area,
• the figure 4 shows a diagram illustrating an exemplary embodiment of the sensor and a connector.

detailed description

A fluid circulation pump is therefore proposed. In particular, it is a fluid circulation pump intended for a hydraulic installation, also designated by the expression “hydraulic circulator”.

The hydraulic installation conventionally corresponds to a domestic installation of sanitary hot water or heating, that is to say in particular a hydraulic installation installed in a building, such as the home of a user, offices or a factory. It can also be a hydraulic installation aimed ultimately at ventilating or air-conditioning a building.

On the Figures 1 and 2 , a pump 20 for circulating a fluid intended for a hydraulic installation is illustrated. The circulation pump 20 is provided with an electronic control 22 in the form of a control box controlling the operation of the electric motor 24 of the pump 20. The control box can be integrated with the electric motor 24 or take any other form of electronic control 22. The electric motor 24 is fixed to the pump body, also designated by the expression "hydraulic body".

The Figures 1 and 2 show an exemplary embodiment in which the motor 24, comprising a rotor 24a and a stator 24b, 31, actuates an impeller 28 of the pump 20 arranged in a circulation zone arranged to circulate a fluid from a suction opening towards a discharge opening. The stator 24b, 31 comprises an electrical part, itself comprising in particular a coil 24b and a carcass 31 receiving the coil 24b.

The pump comprises a chamber 30 arranged to at least partially house the electrical part 24b of the stator 24b, 31. Radially, this chamber 30 is delimited by the carcass 31 of the stator 24b, 31 which protects the electrical part 24b of this stator 24b, 31 Axially, this chamber 30 is delimited by the box comprising the electronic control 22, and by a wall 32. This wall 32, otherwise designated by the term "flange", makes it possible to separate the circulation zone from the chamber 30 so as to prevent the circulation of the fluid in the chamber 30 which contains the electric coil 24b.

According to Figures 1 and 2 , a sensor 40, having the function of measuring a physical quantity characteristic of the fluid circulating in the circulation zone, is arranged inside the chamber 30 and connected to the electronic control 22 in order to transmit the physical quantity measured to the control electronic.

The pump can also include several sensors 40 each having the function of measuring a physical quantity characteristic of the fluid circulating in the circulation zone, each of these sensors being arranged inside the chamber 30.

The pump can also comprise a single sensor device 40, comprising several sensitive elements (for example arranged in the head 42 as shown in the figure 3 and described later with reference to this figure 3 ) each having the function of measuring a physical quantity characteristic of the fluid circulating in the circulation zone.

Finally, the pump can also comprise a combination of one or more sensors 40 each having the function of measuring a distinct physical quantity, and one or more sensor devices 40 each having the function of measuring several distinct physical quantities.

In the remainder of this description, indifferently a sensor 40 is called a device capable of measuring a single physical quantity characteristic of the fluid circulating in the circulation zone, and a device capable of measuring several physical quantities characteristic of the fluid circulating in the circulation zone by means of several sensitive elements mounted in this sensor device 40.

In order to allow the measurement of the characteristic physical quantity of the fluid circulating in the circulation zone, the wall 32 comprises an opening 34 making the circulation zone communicate with the chamber 30. The arrangement of the sensor 40 opposite the opening 34 thus allows the measurement of the physical quantity characteristic of the fluid circulating in the circulation zone, by bringing the sensor into contact with this fluid circulating through the opening 34.

According to the embodiment in which several sensors 40 are arranged inside the chamber 30, a number of openings 34 corresponding to the number of sensors 40 arranged in the chamber 30 is provided in the wall 34. According to the embodiment in which the sensor 40 makes it possible to measure several distinct physical quantities, several distinct openings 34 in the wall 32 can be used opposite the sensor 40. However, only one is sufficient, provided that it allows measurement to be taken by the different sensory elements of sensor 40, of each physical quantity corresponding to each of said sensor elements.

In figure 3 shows a block diagram of the arrangement of the sensor 40 near the opening 34 of the wall 32. In order to prevent the flow of the fluid flowing in the circulation zone inside the chamber 30 which contains the electrical part of the stator 24b, 31, a sealing element 36 is arranged. In this embodiment, the sensor 40 is arranged opposite the opening 34 and at a distance therefrom so that the sealing element is interposed between the wall 32 and the sensor 40. In another embodiment, embodiment, the sensor 40 is disposed against the opening 34; in this embodiment, the sealing element 36 such as a sealing ring can be disposed against the wall 32 so as to extend along the periphery of the sensor 40 which is in contact with the wall 32.

Alternatively, in order to prevent the flow of the fluid circulating in the circulation zone inside the chamber 30 which contains the electrical part of the stator 24b, 31, the wall 32 and the sensor 40 are integrally linked. In this case, the sealing function is ensured by the connection between the wall 32 and the sensor 40. This connection can for example consist of a weld line continuously joining the sensor 40 to the wall 32. To define this sealed connection, provision may also be made to mold the sensor 40 and the wall 32 in a single piece.

As shown on the figure 2 , the wall 32 has a surface 38 through which the opening 34 extends. This surface 38 is adapted to cooperate with the assembly defined by the sealing element 36 and the sensor 40. More particularly, when the sensor 40 is disposed against the opening 34 and is therefore in contact with the wall 32, the head 42 of the sensor 40 is arranged so as to cooperate with this surface 38. Alternatively, when the sealing element 36 is interposed between the wall 32 and the head 42 of the sensor 40, the sealing element is arranged so as to cooperate with the surface 38. As shown in the figure 2 , the surface 38 is preferably projecting and projects towards the assembly defined by the sealing element 36 and the sensor 40 and its head 42. This surface 38 must make it possible to ensure sealing by plating the parts. This surface 38 is preferably a stamped surface. Alternatively, the projected shape and defining a projection of the surface 38 can be machined or molded.

On the figure 4 shows an embodiment of the sensor 40. The sensor 40 comprises connection means 44 making it possible to connect the sensor 40 to the electronic control 22 via a connector 45 in order to supply the latter electrically and to transmit the information measured by means of the sensor head 42. These connection means 44 are housed in the chamber 30 and pass through the carcass 31.

The carcass 31 is adapted in particular to allow the connection of the stator 24b, 31 to the electronic control 22. The carcass 31 includes an opening (not visible in the figures) allowing the passage of the connection means 44 through the carcass 31 in order to allow the connection of the sensor 40 to the electronic control 22.

The electronic control 22 comprises a number of connectors, including for example a connector for the electrical supply of the pump 20, connectors for electronic communication of the components external to the pump. Among these electronic communication connectors of the organs external to the pump 20, is included in particular a communication connector for controlling the pump. This pump control communication connector makes it possible for example to connect the electronic control 22 with a boiler regulator of the hydraulic installation having the capacity to transmit control data, for example as a function of a thermostat of the installation hydraulic. The control data, received by the control communication connector, are converted by the electronic control 22 which can in particular integrate a control module in hydraulic reference from which the motor 24 of the pump is controlled, the power being transmitted via a power connector to the motor.

Preferably, the electronic control 22 is configured to allow the exchange of information between the sensor 40, the electric motor 24 and the external control members such as the boiler regulator (otherwise called main boiler controller), by means of a communication bus connecting the electronic control 22 with one or more of said external control members.

With regard to the physical quantity characteristic of the fluid circulating in the circulation zone and measured by means of the sensor 40, this information can be transmitted to the boiler regulator via the electronic control 22. This information can also be transmitted to any other member of the external control which has a communication link with the electronic control 22.

The use of the above-mentioned communication bus for exchanges between the various external organs of the system is particularly advantageous in that it makes it possible to facilitate the connection between the various organs of the system and to exchange information between the sensor 40 , the motor 24 and various external control members such as the boiler regulator or other actuators. Thus, the information picked up by the sensor 40 can be easily transmitted, via the electronic control 20 of the pump and the communication bus, not only to the boiler regulator but also to any other actuator which may need the information. in question, without the need to specifically wire the boiler regulator or any other actuator with the sensor 40.

This sensor 40 is preferably configured to capture the temperature and / or the pressure and / or the flow rate of a fluid circulating in the circulation zone. Thus, the sensor 40 makes it possible to measure a physical quantity characteristic of the fluid circulating in the circulation zone via a sensitive element situated at the level of the sensor head 42; the sensitive element can be a sensitive element in particular to pressure, temperature or flow. In other words, the sensor 40 makes it possible to measure at least one physical quantity characteristic of the fluid circulating in the circulation zone.

In the embodiment mentioned above, in which the sensor 40 makes it possible to measure several physical quantities different, such as temperature and pressure, the head 42 of the sensor 40 will then have a corresponding number of sensitive elements having the capacity to carry out the measurement for each of these different physical quantities.

A hydraulic installation comprising one or more channels for circulation of a fluid is also disclosed. This hydraulic installation comprises a circulation pump 20 according to any one of the above-mentioned embodiments. Conventionally, this hydraulic installation comprises the external control members, such as the boiler regulator, the communication bus connecting the electronic control 22 with one or more of the said external control members, so as to allow the exchange of information between the sensor 40, the electric motor 24 and the external control member (s).

Claims (9)

1. Pump (20) for circulating a fluid intended for a hydraulic installation comprising:

   - a pump body comprising a circulation zone arranged to circulate a fluid from a suction opening to a delivery opening,

   - an electric motor (24) comprising a rotor (24a) and a stator (24b, 31) comprising an electrical part (24b), and integral with the pump body,

   - an electronic control (22) configured to control the electric motor,

   - a chamber (30) arranged to at least partially house the electrical part (24b) of the stator (24b, 31), said circulation zone and said chamber (30) being separated by a wall (32) so as to prevent circulation of the fluid in the chamber (30),

   - at least one sensor (40) connected to the electronic control (22) and arranged inside the chamber (30), so as to make it possible to measure at least a physical quantity characteristic of the fluid circulating in the circulation zone and to transmit the physical quantity measured to the electronic control (22),

   said chamber (30) being delimited radially by a carcass (31) adapted to allow the connection of the stator (24b, 31) to the electronic control (22) and said carcass (31) being provided with an opening,
   characterized in that the sensor (40) comprises connection means (44) housed at least partially in the chamber (30) and passing through said opening to connect to the electronic control (22).
2. Circulation pump (20) according to claim 1, in which:

   - the wall (32) separating the chamber (30) arranged to accommodate the electrical part (24b) of the stator (24b, 31) and the fluid circulation zone comprises an opening (34),

   - the sensor (40) is arranged opposite the opening (34), so as to be in contact with a fluid flowing through the opening (34) from the circulation zone,

   - a sealing element (36) is arranged so as to prevent a fluid circulating through the opening (34) from the circulation zone, from coming into contact with the electrical part (24b) of the stator (24b, 31).
3. Circulation pump (20) according to claim 1, in which:

   - the wall (32) separating the chamber (30) arranged to accommodate the electrical part of the stator (24b, 31) and the fluid circulation zone comprises an opening (34),

   - the sensor (40) is arranged opposite the opening (34), so as to be in contact with a fluid flowing through the opening (34) from the circulation area,

   - the wall (32) and the sensor (40) being integrally connected so as to prevent a fluid flowing through the opening (34) from the circulation area, from coming into contact with the electrical part of the stator (24b, 31).
4. Circulation pump (20) according to claim 2 or 3, in which:

   - the sensor (40) comprises a head (42),

   - the wall (32) has a surface through which the opening (34) extends, the head (42) of the sensor (40) and/or the sealing element (36) being arranged so as to cooperate with said surface.
5. Circulation pump (20) according to any one of claims 2 to 4, in which the sensor (40) is arranged against the opening (34).
6. Circulation pump (20) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the electronic control (22) is configured to allow the exchange of information between the sensor (40), the electric motor (24), and organs external control devices such as a boiler regulator, by means of a communication bus connecting the electronic control (22) with one or more of said external control members.
7. Circulation pump (20) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the sensor (40) is configured to sense the temperature and / or the pressure and/or the flow of a fluid circulating in the circulation zone.
8. Hydraulic installation comprising one or more fluid circulation channels, characterized in that it comprises a circulation pump (20) according to any one of the preceding claims.
9. Hydraulic installation according to claim 8, characterized in that it comprises external control members, such as a boiler regulator, and a communication bus connecting the electronic control (22) of the pump (20) with one or more said external control members, so as to allow the exchange of information between the sensor (40), the electric motor (24), and the one or more external control members.

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