Regenerative turbine pump impeller

Details Regenerative turbine pump impeller Regenerative turbine pump impeller

1999-06-23

2001-10-02

Look, Edward K. (Department: 3745)

Rotary kinetic fluid motors or pumps

With means for re-entry of working fluid to blade set

Turbine regenerative pump

C416S203000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06296439

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an improved impeller for a regenerative turbine pump, and more particularly to such an impeller for use in an automotive fuel pump.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Regenerative turbine pumps have been used for years in automotive fuel supply applications, an example of which is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,259,072 to General Motors. This pump includes a plurality of vanes
38
separated by a partition wall (not numbered) extending from the tip of the vanes
38
to an annular portion of the impeller
36
to define a number of circumferentially spaced vane grooves (not numbered) between each adjacent pair of circumferentially spaced vanes on one side of the partition wall.
A design according to the '072 patent is commonly referred to as a closed vane impeller, because the partition wall extends to the end of the vanes. Because each vane extends across the width of the impeller, each opposing pair of vane grooves of the '072 patent is positioned on opposite sides of the partition wall in circumferential alignment, thus creating a mirror image of the vane grooves on either side of the partition wall, and therefore the vanes are not staggered. Attempts to provide this type of pump having quiet operation include U.S. Pat. No. 4,508,492, wherein the number of vanes is increased and the gap between the impeller and housing is controlled. UK Patent Application GB 2 218 748 A describes a closed vane impeller having channels
24
disposed on either side of a partition wall in a rotationally offset manner.
A low pressure pump alternative to such regenerative pumps (as shown in the '072 patent) includes a peripheral pump, illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,947,149. Such a peripheral pump lacks the partition wall of the '072 design. An improvement to this peripheral pump includes staggering the vanes, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,209,630 to General Motors Corporation to reduce noise by effectively increasing the number of vanes in such a peripheral pump. However, a pump according to the '603 patent, being a peripheral pump, is used as a lift pump in a low pressure fuel system, as it would deadhead in a high pressure fuel system.
A further alternative to the '072 design includes another regenerative turbine design, as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,409,357, assigned to the assignee of the present invention, which is incorporated herein by reference. A pump according to the '357 patent includes an impeller having a partition wall
56
between the vanes
50
, so as to not form a peripheral impeller as in the '149 and '630 patents; the partition wall does not extend to the end of the vanes so as to not form a closed vane impeller as in the '072 patent. A pump according to this configuration ('357) operates more efficiently and is capable of supplying fuel in a high pressure fuel system. However, as vehicles become more quiet, the noise generated by a pump according to the '357 patent may become objectionable. It would be desirable to provide an open vane impeller with improved levels of noise produced during operation of a pump having such an impeller.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The inventors propose an improved regenerative turbine impeller that is not a closed vane impeller and not a peripheral pump as described above, in one embodiment the impeller being similar to that described in the '357 patent, yet having reduced noise while in operation and pumping fluid.
Accordingly, a pump includes an impeller rotatable about an axis for pumping a fluid. The impeller includes an annular disk having an annular partition wall extending radially therefrom. A first set of circumferentially spaced turbine vanes are provided on one side of the partition wall radially projecting from the annular disk. A second set of circumferentially spaced turbine vanes are circumferentially spaced about the disk and extend radially therefrom. The second set is provided on a second side of the partition wall and are rotationally staggered with respect to the first plurality of turbine vanes. The vanes have a radial length greater than the partition wall.
A pump using an impeller according to the present invention is thus able to operate more quietly, while operating in a relatively high pressure fuel system at high efficiency.


REFERENCES:
patent: 1635786 (1927-07-01), Holmes
patent: 1814019 (1931-07-01), Yoss
patent: 2671404 (1954-03-01), Krueger
patent: 3259072 (1966-07-01), Carpenter
patent: 3545890 (1970-12-01), Hubbard et al.
patent: 3917431 (1975-11-01), Rose
patent: 3947149 (1976-03-01), MacManus
patent: 4204800 (1980-05-01), Bentele et al.
patent: 4306833 (1981-12-01), Sixsmith et al.
patent: 4403910 (1983-09-01), Watanabe et al.
patent: 4508492 (1985-04-01), Kusakawa et al.
patent: 4591311 (1986-05-01), Matsuda et al.
patent: 4715777 (1987-12-01), Tuckey
patent: 4915582 (1990-04-01), Nishikawa
patent: 5123809 (1992-06-01), Ito
patent: 5163810 (1992-11-01), Smith
patent: 5209630 (1993-05-01), Roth
patent: 5284417 (1994-02-01), Yu
patent: 5310308 (1994-05-01), Yu et al.
patent: 5328325 (1994-07-01), Strohl et al.
patent: 5336045 (1994-08-01), Koyama et al.
patent: 5372475 (1994-12-01), Kato et al.
patent: 5375971 (1994-12-01), Yu
patent: 5401147 (1995-03-01), Yu
patent: 5407318 (1995-04-01), Ito et al.
patent: 5409357 (1995-04-01), Yu et al.
patent: 5413457 (1995-05-01), Tuckey
patent: 5468119 (1995-11-01), Huebel et al.
patent: 5486087 (1996-01-01), Treiber et al.
patent: 5498124 (1996-03-01), Ito et al.
patent: 5507617 (1996-04-01), Sun
patent: 5513950 (1996-05-01), Yu
patent: 5516259 (1996-05-01), Niederkofler et al.
patent: 5551835 (1996-09-01), Yu et al.
patent: 5762469 (1998-06-01), Yu
patent: 5807068 (1998-09-01), Dobler et al.
patent: 876285 (1953-03-01), None
patent: 0 563 957 A1 (1993-10-01), None
patent: 0 87 903 A2 (1997-08-01), None
patent: 2 218 748 (1989-04-01), None
patent: WO 92/10680 (1992-06-01), None
patent: WO 97/40275 (1997-10-01), None

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Regenerative turbine pump impeller does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Regenerative turbine pump impeller, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Regenerative turbine pump impeller will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2605560