GB2542247A

GB2542247A - Axial-flux induction motor pump

Info

Publication number: GB2542247A
Application number: GB1612222.8A
Authority: GB
Inventors: F Gieras Jacek; A Ribarov Lubomir
Original assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corp
Current assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corp
Priority date: 2015-07-14
Filing date: 2016-07-14
Publication date: 2017-03-15
Also published as: US20170016449A1; GB201612222D0

Abstract

A pump 300, 400 comprises a housing 104 partially defining a cavity 120, an impeller 106 arranged in cavity, the impeller 106 including a first disk 110a, carrying a conductive layer 114 and vanes 108 arranged on the first disk, the impeller 106 operative to rotate about a rotational axis 101, a first stator core 116 arranged on the housing 104, windings 118 arranged on the first stator core, and a first inlet 102 defined by the housing, wherein the first inlet 102, the impeller 106, and the housing 104 partially define a fluid flow path. A further disk 112 is provided on the opposite impeller surface. Stators 116a 116b may be provided on opposite side of the impeller facing conductive material 114a, 114b. The conductive material reduces the impedance for eddy currents in the associated disk and may be of copper or silver. The disk may include radial or skewed slots reducing impedance for eddy current. The stator may mount either on the outer surface of the housing or project there through to form part of the cavity wall. Fig 6 (not shown) may have a fluid inlet 102,602 at either side of the housing.

Description

AXIAL-FLUX INDUCTION MOTOR. PUMP TECHNICAL FIELD )0001) The present disclosure relates to pumps, and particularly to an axial-flux induction motor driven centrifugal pump.

BACKGROUND

[0002J Centrifugal pumps include a lousing with m impeller that is driven by a prime mover to rotate in the housing. Fluid typically enters the pump impeller axially through a suction side intake and is accelerated to flow radially. The housing chamber acts as a diffuser that decelerates the flow of the fluid and increases the pressure of the fl uid, which is discharged from an outlet on the pressure side of the pump.

SUMMARY )0003) According: Vo an embodiment, a pump comprises a housing partially defining a cavity, an impeller arranged in cavity, die impeller including a first disk* and a vane arranged on the first disk, the impeller operative to rotate about a rotational axis, a first stator core arranged on the housing, windings arranged on the first stator core, and a first inlet defined by the housing, wherein the first inlet, the impeller, and the housing partially define a fluid flow path. )0004] According to another embodiment, a pump comprises a housing partially defining a cavity, m impeller arranged in cavity, the impeller including a first disk, a second disk, and a vane arranged between the first disk and the second disk, the impeller operative to rotate about a rotational axis, a first, stator core arranged on the housing such that a portion of the first stator core partially defines the cavity, windings arranged on the first stator core, and a first inlet defined by the housing, wherein the first inlet, the impeller, and the housing partially define a fluid flow path.

[9005] According ίο yet another embodiment, a pump comprises a housing partially defining a cavity, an impeller arranged in cavity, the impeller including a first disk, and a vane arranged on the first disk, the impeller operative to rotate about a rotational axis, a first stator core arranged on the housing such that a portion of the first stator core partially defines the cavity, windings arranged on the first stator core, and a first inlet defined by the housing, wherein the first inlet, the impellor. and the housing partial ly define a fluid flow path.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[tOiii Exemplary embodiments and features of the present disclosure will now he described by way of example only, and with reference to Figures 1 to 6, of which: [0007] FIG, 1 iilustrates a cut-away view along the line A-A of FIG. 2 of an exemplary embodiment of an axial-flux induction motor pump.

[0008] FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of the pump of FIG. I.

[0009] FIG. 3 illustrates an alternate exemplary embodiment of a pump. ]0010] FIG. 4 illustrates another alternate exemplary embodiment of a pump.

[0011] FIG. 5 illustrates an example of a fluid flow path.

[0012] FIG, 6 illustrates an alternate embodlment of a pump that includes two fluid inlets.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[9013] Previous centrifugal pumps often included a prime movhr Sftil is aft ifedtric motor or engine that was coupled to the impeller via a drive shaft. Such pumps were large and heavy, and used bushings and seals that often needed maintenance, [0014] Some previous centrifugal pumps integrated the pump and motor where the impeller contained permanent magnets such that the impeller acted as the rotor for a brushless direct current (DC) motor. Such pumps produced high axial attractive forces (at zeroJurrenfsiaiel between the stator and impeller that caused difficulties in practical assembly of the pumps, lire magnetic impeller attracted unwanted ferromagnetic debris, The pumps also used more complicated electronics to control the pump motor.

[0015] FIG, 1 illustrates a cut-away view along the line A-A (of FIG. 2} of an exemplary embodiment of an axial-flux induction motor pump 100. The pump 100 is a centrifugal type pump having a fluid islet: 162 that: communicates through a housing 104. An impeller 106 is arranged in the housing 104 and is arranged to rotate around an axis of rotation 161. The impeller includes vanes 108 arranged between a first disk 110 and a second disk 112 that secure the vanes 108. An electrically conductive material 114 is arranged on the first disk 110. A stator core 116 is arranged proximate to the conductive material 114. Windings 118 are arranged on. the stator -core 116. The stator core 116 and the conductive material 114 define a gap having a gap width (g). In tie illustrated embodiment, the stator core 116 Is arranged in the housing 104 such that an inner surface (active surface) 119 of the stator core 116 is proximate to the conducti ve material 114. The stator core 116 passes through the housing 104 and partially defines the chamber 120 with the housing 104. In the illustrated embodiment, the stator core 116 contacts and partially defines the flow path of the fluid. 10016) In the illustrated embodiment, the housing 104 may be formed from any suitable material such as, for example, a plastic or polymer material, a nonmagnetic material such as bronze, aluminium, titanium or ceramic, or a ferromaunetie material such as, for example steel or nickel. The first disk 110 is formed from a suitable ferromagnetic material such as, for example, steel, nickel, or another ferromagnetic alloy. The second disk 112 in the illustrated embodiment, may be formed from any suitable material such as, for example, a plastic or polymer material, or a metallic or ceramic material In the illustrated embodiment, the second disk 112 .May be formed from similar or dissimilar materials: as the first disk 110. P0i 7] The conductive material 114 arranged in contact with the first disk 110, and may include a conductive material such as, for example, copper or silver. The stator core 1 16 may be a single phase or a poly-phase, and may be formed from, for example, a laminated or sintered powder ferromagnetic material. The windings 1 I S arc formed from, for example, copper or aluminium wire that may be wound about the stator core 116. (0018] In operation, the first disk 110 conducts both electric current and magnetic flux. Eddy currents induced in the first disk 110 interact with the stator magnetic field to produce electromagnetic torque. The torque is applied to the first disk 110, which rotates the impeller 106 about foe rotational axis 101. The rotation of the impeller 1.06 draws fluid through the fluid inlet 102, and increases the velocity and pressure of the fluid as foe fluid flow's radially outward. The fluid is discharged from the pump 100 via an outlet 202 (described below in FIG. 2). 11019] Higher torque is achieved by increasing the current in the first disk 110 and the magnetic flux density in the gap 102 between the first disk 110 and the stator core 116. The current in the first disk 110 may he increased by reducing the impedance for eddy currents in the first disk 110. The impedance for eddy currents in the first disk 110 can be decreased by arranging a conductive material 114 having a relatively higher conductivity than the conductivity of the first disk 110 on an outer surface 105 of foe fi rst disk 110 such that the conductive material 114 is disposed between the first disk 110 and the stator core 116. The conductive material 114 may include, for example, copper dr silver, and may be, for example, arranged as a coating on the first disk 110 or may be fabricated by securing a disk of the conductive material 114 to the first disk 110. The afraiigement of the conductive material 114 on the disk 110 need not cover the entire outer surface 105 of the disk 110. In alternate embodiments, for example, the conductive material 114 may be arranged as bands proximate to edges of foe first disk 110. Radial or skewed slots may also be arranged in the first disk 110 to reduce the impedance for eddy currents of the first disk 110 in other alternate embodiments.

[0020] FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of the pump 100. The windings 118 are shown arranged about the stator core 116, In FIG. 2 some of the windings 118 are not shown for clarity, in this regard, in foe exemplary embodiment, the windings 118 are arranged axially about the axis of rotation 101 on the stator core 116. FIG, 2 illustrates the fluid outlet 202, which is communicative with fee chamber 120, [0021] FIG. 3 illustrates an alternate exemplary embodiment of a pump 300. The pump 300 is similar to the pump 100 (of FIG. 1) described above. The pump 300 includes an additional stator core 116b and additional windings 1 ISb arranged on a si de of the i mpeller 106 opposing the stator core 116a and windings 118a. A disk 110b that is similar to the disk 110a is arranged proximate to the stator core 116b, A conductive ma terial 114b is arranged on the second disk 110b. The operation of the pump 300 is similar to the operation of the pump 100 described above. :[632|] FIG. 4 illustrates another alternate exemplary embodiment of a pump 400. The pump 400 is similar to fee pump 100 (of FIG, 1) however; the stator core 116 is mounted on an outer surface 401 of fee housing 104. In other alternate embodiments, the pump 300 (of FIG. 3) may include stator cores 116a and/or 116b arranged on the outer surface of the housing 104 of pump 300 in a manner similar to the pump 400.

[0023] FIG. 5 Illustrates an example of the fluid flow path 501 of pump 500 similar to the pumps described above. In the illustrated embodiment the fluid flows through the inlet 102 and radially outward from the axis of rotation 101 of the impeller 106, The fluid flows through the gap 103 partially defined by the housing 104, the stator core 116 and the conductive material 114.

[0024] FIG. 6 illustrates an alternate embodiment of a pump 600 that includes two fluid inlets, a first fluid inlet 102 and a second fluid inlet 602 opposing fee first fluid inlet 102. The fluid flow path 601 is partially defined by the first fluid inlet 102 and the second fluid inlet 602. The arrangement of the inlets 102 and 602 of FIG. 6 may fee used in any of the embodiments described: above.

[0025] The embodiments of a centrifugal pump described above offer a low cost, compact, high speed pump that may be used in a number of fluid systems. The pump avoids using permanent ma|itet§; Which attract unwanted ferromagnetic debris. The pump has low susceptibility to electromagnetic interference, and may be assembled easily. i00261 Although the figures and the accompanying description describe particular embodiments, it is to be understood that the scope of this disclosure is not to be limited to such specific embodiments, and is, instead, to be determined by the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A pump (100, 300, 400) comprising: a housing (104) partially defining a cavity; an impeller (106) atmnged in cavity, the impeller including a first disk, and a vane arranged on the first disk (110a), the impeller (106) operative to rotate about a rotational axis; a first stator core (116) arranged on the housing (104); windings (118) arranged on the first stator core (116); and a first inlet (102) defined by the housing (104), wherein the first inlet (102), the impeller (106), and the housing (104) partially define a fluid flow path.

2. The pump of claim 1, farther comprising a conductive material arranged on a surface of the first disk (110a) such that the conductive material is disposed between the first disk (110a) and the first stator core (116) such that the conductive material and the first stator core (116) partially define a gap (103) therebetween.

3. The pump of claim 1 or 2, wherein further comprising a second stator core arranged on the housing, wherein the second stator core is arranged circumferentially about the rotational axis,

4. The prnnp of any preceding claim, wherein the first disk (110a) includes a ferromagnetic materia! that is conductive to electric current and magnetic flux.

5. The pump of claim 3, wherein the impeller (106) further includes a second disk (110b) arranged such that the vane is disposed between the second disk and the first disk (110a), the second disk (11 Oh) including a ferromagnetic material that is conductive to electric current and magnetic flux.

6. The pump of claim 5, further comprising a conductive material arranged on a surface of the second disk (110b) such that the conducive material is disposed between the second disk and the second stator core such that the conductive material and tie first second core partially define a gap (1.03) therebetween.

7. The pump of claim 2, wherein the conductive material has a higher conductivity than the first disk (110a).

8. The pump of any preceding claim, further comprising a second inlet (602) defined by the housing, wherein the second inlet partially defines the fluid flow path.

9. The pump of any preceding claim, wherein the housing includes an outlet communicative with the cavity, the outlet partially defining the fluid flow path,

10. The pump of any preceding claim wherein: the first stator core Is arranged on the housing (104) such that a portion of the first stator core partially defines the cavity;

11. The pump of claim 1Θ, further comprising a conductive material arranged on a surface of the first disk (1 ICte); such that the conductive material is disposed: between the first disk (110a) and ire first stator core such that the conductive material and the first stator core partially define a gap (103) therebetween.

12. The pump of claim 10 or 11, wherein further comprising a second stator core arranged on the housing (104), wherein the second stator core is arranged circumferentially about the rotational axis.

13. The pump of claim 10, 11 or 12, wherein the first disk includes a ferromagnetic material that is conductive to electric current: and magnetic ink.

14. The pump of claim 12, wherein the impeller further includes a second disk (110b) arranged such that the vane is disposed between the second disk and the first disk (110a), the second disk (110b) including a ferromagnetic material that is conductive to electric current and magnetic flux.

15. The pump of any preceding claim, wherein the conductive material has a higher conductivity than the first disk.

16, A pump substantially as described and shown herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.