Pumps – Motor driven – Fluid motor
Patent
1992-05-15
1994-09-20
Bertsch, Richard A.
Pumps
Motor driven
Fluid motor
417403, 417383, F04B 908
Patent
active
053484517
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a pump apparatus for pumping fluids.
The invention is and particularly but not exclusively related to a pump apparatus for pumping fluids which tend to wear or otherwise damage the pump elements with which they come in contact.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A pump apparatus comprising a pump piston reciprocably driven within a cylinder to effect pumping of crude oil experiences considerable wear, particularly at the seal between the piston and the cylinder wall, and in the check valves which control the flow of the crude oil into and out of the pump chamber, because of sand and other particulate material carried along with the oil. Even where the pump apparatus is part of an undersea installation, it is not usually difficult to effect replacement of the check valves when needed, but replacement of the piston seal and/or the piston itself present more serious difficulty and may require disassembly of the apparatus.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is consequently concerned with the provision of pump apparatus of a configuration to facilitate replacement of parts subjected to wear or damage and to provide protection for the driving motor by means of a barrier fluid.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention accordingly provides a pump apparatus in which a pump assembly acting on the fluid to be pumped is indirectly coupled to a means for driving the assembly. The invention can thus provide a pump apparatus comprising an electric drive motor, a pump assembly in which a pump piston is guided for reciprocating movement within a cylinder providing a pump chamber receiving the fluid to be pumped, and coupling means operative between the drive motor and the piston by which the motor is coupled to the piston. The indirect coupling of the motor to the pump assembly can be arranged to facilitate servicing of the latter independently of the motor, which can normally be expected to have a much longer useful lifespan and which can be all the more readily protected against a hostile environment.
Preferably, the coupling means comprises hydraulic coupling means, the electric motor being arranged to reciprocate one or more primary or drive or motor pistons, which can be single or double acting, so as to move a hydraulic fluid which acts in turn on secondary or pump pistons which contact the fluid to be pumped. The pump piston cannot then form part of a double-acting piston pump because one side is exposed to the coupling fluid moved by the motor piston. Instead therefore the motor piston can be coupled to a coupling piston which is mechanically connected to an operating piston in an operating cylinder. Both sides of the coupling piston can then be acted upon by the coupling fluid and both sides of the operating piston can act upon the fluid to be pumped.
The invention thus also provides a pump apparatus for pumping a fluid, comprising first or drive piston means having a direct mechanical connection with a drive motor, the first piston mean being hydraulically coupled to second or pump piston means engaging the fluid to be pumped. The drive and pump pistons can move in respective cylinders of different diameter, so as to move through strokes of different lengths.
The pump apparatus of the invention preferably includes means for selectively shutting off the space between the primary and secondary piston means for example a connecting device and/or selectively operable valve sealing means, to allow the separation of the motor drive arrangements from the secondary pumping cylinders, when the latter are being serviced or replaced. The servicing of subsea pumping apparatus can thus be greatly facilitated by the present invention.
The drive motor is conveniently a linear electric motor, of which the driven element can be connected at its ends to respective pistons movable in aligned cylinders containing the hydraulic coupling fluid and communicating this fluid to secondary cylinders containing the pump pistons.
The electric motor is conveniently received within a
REFERENCES:
patent: 2162748 (1939-06-01), Richards
patent: 2277306 (1942-03-01), Coffey
patent: 2490118 (1949-12-01), Dickinson
patent: 3700360 (1972-12-01), Shaddock
patent: 3999896 (1976-12-01), Sebastiani
patent: 4223706 (1980-09-01), McGahey
patent: 4431384 (1984-02-01), Walser
patent: 4515516 (1985-05-01), Perrine
patent: 4880363 (1989-11-01), Holland
patent: 5106274 (1992-04-01), Holtzaddle
Bertsch Richard A.
Framo Developments (UK) Limited
Korynyk Peter
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