Rotary kinetic fluid motors or pumps – With means for re-entry of working fluid to blade set – Turbine regenerative pump
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-13
2001-10-09
Ryznic, John E. (Department: 3745)
Rotary kinetic fluid motors or pumps
With means for re-entry of working fluid to blade set
Turbine regenerative pump
Reexamination Certificate
active
06299406
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to vehicle fuel pump and more particularly to a regenerative fuel pump impeller for use in an automobile.
BACKGROUND
Conventional tank-mounted automotive fuel pumps typically have a rotary-pumping element, such as an impeller that is encased within a pump housing. Typical impellers have a plurality of vanes and ribs formed around their peripheries and rotation of the impellers draw fuel into a pumping chamber located within the pump housing. The rotary pumping action of the impeller vanes and ribs causes fuel to exit the housing at high-pressure. Regenerative fuel pumps are commonly used to pump fuel in automotive engines because they have a more constant discharge pressure than, for example, positive displacement pumps. In addition, regenerative pumps typically cost less and generate less audible noise during operation than other known pumps.
Pump efficiency and noise are two problems commonly associated with fuel pump technology, and specifically associated with impeller technology. Many solutions have been proposed to improve the pump technology. For example, regenerative open vane (line teeth) impeller fuel pumps have achieved greater pumping efficiency over the prior generation non-open vane fuel pumps. However, these improvements also generated relatively high vane teeth order pressure pulsation and relatively high noise.
In an effort to solve these problems, traditional methods introduced a two-stage pump to create two different phased pressure-pumping actions. These two-stage pumps provided decreased noise and decreased overall pulsation. However, use of these two-stage pumps is complicated and relatively expensive to implement.
In another effort to solve the pulsation and noise problem discussed above, a staggered vane impeller pump has also been utilized. While this staggered vane impeller pump provided lower pulsation and noise, it sacrificed pump efficiency, and therefore was not an ideal solution.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to introduce a new impeller design that achieves both increased pump efficiency and lower noise.
In accordance with this and other objects of the present invention, a “semi-open staggered vane” impeller for a fuel pump is provided. The fuel pump impeller includes a plurality of vanes that are spaced about and extend radially outward from a central hub of the impeller. Each of the plurality of vanes has a vane groove that is coplanar with the top and bottom surfaces of the impeller. Each of the vanes also has a pair of vane teeth extending at an angle from each respective end of the vane groove. The vane groove also functions to prevent back flow leakage in the impeller. In addition, each of the vanes is connected to the next adjacent vane by a central rib. The length of the vane groove (length running coplanar with the impeller) may vary from zero, corresponding to the point where the vane teeth are in phase with respect to each other, to a maximum length equal to the length of the central rib, where the phase difference between the vane teeth are substantially out of phase with respect to each other. The phase difference of the vane teeth affects teeth order pressure pulsation and noise, where the lowest teeth order pressure pulsation and noise is achieved when the length of the vane groove is maximized.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon considering the following detailed description and appended claims, and upon reference to the accompanying drawings.
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Verkleeren Ronald Luce
Yu Dequan
Ford Global Technologies Inc.
Mollon Mark L.
Ryznic John E.
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