US3652186A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Pressure lubricated, cooled and thrust balanced pump and motor unit
Assignee: JC CARTER COMPANY Inc A CORP OF
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Filing: 1970-05-25
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Granted: 1972-03-28
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Expires: 1990-05-25
Abstract
Abstract Electric motor driven pump units, especially suited for pumping liquefied gases, including cryogenic fluids, which are lubricated, cooled and balanced with small amounts of fluid pumped by the unit (pumpage), such as 1 to 3 percent of the designed flow capacity of the pump. These small amounts of pumpage are divided into a major flow path through the most heated portions of the units discharging on the pressure side of the pump and a minor flow path through a thrust bearing for the unit and then through the lesser heated portions to discharge on the intake side of the pump. The major flow path, receiving about 75 percent of the lubricating pumpage, is downwardly through the motor shaft radial bearings and rotor compartment to an impeller and a pumping or collection chamber. The minor flow path, receiving about 25 percent of the lubricating pumpage, is through variable thrust bearing orifices tending to raise the motor shaft and carry the axial load of the unit on a thin film discharging through the hollow interior of the shaft to the pump inlet. The pumpage in the major flow path is maintained under pressure and will not boil even when appreciably heated. The minor flow path picks up very little heat and is primarily for balancing the axial thrust load on the shaft.
Inventors
- 👤 James C Carter
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 06:45
CPC Classifications
F; F04; F04D; F04D29/00; F04D29/60; F04D29/605; F04D29/606; F04D29/608; F04D13/00; F04D13/02; F04D13/06; F04D13/0606; F04D13/0613; F04D7/00; F04D7/02; F04D9/00; F05; F05D; F05D2240/00; F05D2240/60; F05D2240/61
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 27
Claim 1
Independent Claim
135 words
An electric motor driven pump unit which comprises housing means providing a pumping chamber, a motor compartment, and a pump outlet receiving pumpage from said pumping chamber, a motor shaft extending through said motor compartment, bearings in said motor compartment supporting said shaft, pump impeller means in said pumping chamber mounted on said shaft, means conveying pumpage from said pump outlet through said bearings and motor compartment for cooling the motor and lubricating the bearings, means discharging the pumpage from the bearings and motor compartment to the pumping chamber downstream from the pump impeller, a thrust balancing drum on the motor shaft, means for flowing some of the pumpage through said thrust balancing drum to relieve thrust loads from the bearings, and means discharging the thrust load relieving pumpage to the inlet of the pump.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
135 words
An electric motor driven pump unit which comprises housing means providing a pumping chamber, a motor compartment, and a pump outlet receiving pumpage from said pumping chamber, a motor shaft extending through said motor compartment, bearings in said motor compartment supporting said shaft, pump impeller means in said pumping chamber mounted on said shaft, means conveying pumpage from said pump outlet through said bearings and motor compartment for cooling the motor and lubricating the bearings, means discharging the pumpage from the bearings and motor compartment to the pumping chamber downstream from the pump impeller, a thrust balancing drum on the motor shaft, means for flowing some of the pumpage through said thrust balancing drum to relieve thrust loads from the bearings, and means discharging the thrust load relieving pumpage to the inlet of the pump.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
38 words
The unit of claim 1 wherein the thrust balancing drum is adjacent one of the bearings and provides an annular chamber receiving some of the pumpage and discharging through a peripheral gap to the inlet of the pump.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
30 words
The unit of claim 1 wherein the thrust balancing drum is anchored to the pump shaft, receives some of the pumpage thereunder and is effective to lift the pump shaft.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
The unit of claim 1 wherein the discharge path of the thrust load relieving pumpage is through the motor shaft.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
37 words
The unit of claim 1 wherein the motor shaft is hollow, the thrust drum is clamped on an end of the shaft, and the pumpage flows from the drum into the top end of the hollow shaft.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
127 words
A pump and motor unit which comprises a housing having A bottom inlet and an outlet adapted to be mounted in a tubular casing closed at the bottom by a foot valve, with said bottom inlet opening said foot valve and said outlet filling the casing with pumpage, said housing having a pump compartment and a motor compartment, a motor driven pump impeller in said pump compartment discharging pumpage to said outlet from said bottom inlet, means for bleeding some of the pumpage into the motor compartment for cooling the motor, and means remote from said means for bleeding for discharging the bled-off pumpage from the bottom of the motor compartment to the discharge side of the pump impeller for maintaining pump pressure on the bled-off pumpage.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
127 words
A pump and motor unit which comprises a housing having A bottom inlet and an outlet adapted to be mounted in a tubular casing closed at the bottom by a foot valve, with said bottom inlet opening said foot valve and said outlet filling the casing with pumpage, said housing having a pump compartment and a motor compartment, a motor driven pump impeller in said pump compartment discharging pumpage to said outlet from said bottom inlet, means for bleeding some of the pumpage into the motor compartment for cooling the motor, and means remote from said means for bleeding for discharging the bled-off pumpage from the bottom of the motor compartment to the discharge side of the pump impeller for maintaining pump pressure on the bled-off pumpage.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
17 words
The unit of claim 6 wherein the pump impeller has pumping vanes for circulating the bled-off pumpage.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
34 words
The unit of claim 6 wherein the bled-off pumpage flows into the top of the motor compartment and is drained out of the bottom of said compartment and centrifugal pumping means assist said drainage.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
133 words
A pump and motor unit comprising a housing having a pump compartment and a motor compartment, a motor shaft extending from the motor compartment into the pump compartment, bearings supporting said motor (compartment) shaft, an impeller on said shaft in said pump compartment, means for bleeding pumpage from said impeller, means dividing the bled off pumpage into a minor flow path to said bearings for lubricating and cooling the bearings and a major flow path to cool the motor compartment, (and) means acted on by said bled-off pumpage in the minor flow path for relieving thrust loads on the bearings, means flowing the pumpage from the minor flow path to the inlet side of the impeller, and means flowing the pumpage from the major flow path to the discharge side of the impeller.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
133 words
A pump and motor unit comprising a housing having a pump compartment and a motor compartment, a motor shaft extending from the motor compartment into the pump compartment, bearings supporting said motor (compartment) shaft, an impeller on said shaft in said pump compartment, means for bleeding pumpage from said impeller, means dividing the bled off pumpage into a minor flow path to said bearings for lubricating and cooling the bearings and a major flow path to cool the motor compartment, (and) means acted on by said bled-off pumpage in the minor flow path for relieving thrust loads on the bearings, means flowing the pumpage from the minor flow path to the inlet side of the impeller, and means flowing the pumpage from the major flow path to the discharge side of the impeller.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
20 words
The unit of claim 9 including a filter in the means for bleeding pumpage from the impeller to the bearings.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
57 words
The unit of claim 9 wherein the means acted on the bled-off pumpage for relieving thrust loads on the bearings includes a drum anchored to the motor shaft having an annular recess receiving pumpage and discharging through a peripheral gap for floating the drum to carry axial thrust loads of the shaft on a film of pumpage.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
41 words
The unit of claim 9 wherein the means for relieving thrust loads includes a drum secured to the shaft supported on a bearing and having a thrust surface acted on by the pumpage to lift the drum off of the bearing.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
137 words
A pump and motor unit which comprises a housing having a motor compartment and a pump compartment, a motor shaft in said motor compartment extending into said pump compartment, bearings in said motor compartment supporting said shaft, a pump impeller in said pump compartment on said shaft, said housing having an inlet for supplying fluid to said impeller and an outlet for receiving pumpage from said impeller, means for bleeding off some of said pumpage from said outlet (into two paths, one of which flows) to flow through the motor compartment (and the other of which flows) means for flowing some of the bled-off pumpage in a separate path through the bearings, and means combining said flow paths at the discharge side of the impeller remote from the outlet for maintaining pump pressure on the bled-off pumpage.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
137 words
A pump and motor unit which comprises a housing having a motor compartment and a pump compartment, a motor shaft in said motor compartment extending into said pump compartment, bearings in said motor compartment supporting said shaft, a pump impeller in said pump compartment on said shaft, said housing having an inlet for supplying fluid to said impeller and an outlet for receiving pumpage from said impeller, means for bleeding off some of said pumpage from said outlet (into two paths, one of which flows) to flow through the motor compartment (and the other of which flows) means for flowing some of the bled-off pumpage in a separate path through the bearings, and means combining said flow paths at the discharge side of the impeller remote from the outlet for maintaining pump pressure on the bled-off pumpage.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
30 words
A unit according to claim 13 having vanes on the pump impeller receiving the flow from the bearings for centrifugally discharging said flow to the discharge side of the impeller.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
31 words
The unit of claim 13 wherein the two paths are from the top to the bottom ends of the unit and flow is assisted by radial vanes on the pump impeller.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
135 words
A pump and motor unit which comprises a housing having a pump compartment and a motor compartment, a motor shaft in said motor compartment extending into said pump compartment, a motor in said motor compartment driving said shaft, radial bearings in said motor compartment supporting said shaft, a pump impeller on said shaft in said pump compartment, a thrust drum anchored on said motor shaft adjacent one of said radial bearings, means for bleeding off pumpage from the pump impeller into the motor compartment for lubricating said bearings, means for discharging the bled-off pumpage to the discharge side of the impeller for maintaining the bled-off pumpage under pump pressure, and means for diverting some of the bled-off pumpage to the thrust drum for floating the thrust drum to relieve thrust loads on the radial bearings.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
135 words
A pump and motor unit which comprises a housing having a pump compartment and a motor compartment, a motor shaft in said motor compartment extending into said pump compartment, a motor in said motor compartment driving said shaft, radial bearings in said motor compartment supporting said shaft, a pump impeller on said shaft in said pump compartment, a thrust drum anchored on said motor shaft adjacent one of said radial bearings, means for bleeding off pumpage from the pump impeller into the motor compartment for lubricating said bearings, means for discharging the bled-off pumpage to the discharge side of the impeller for maintaining the bled-off pumpage under pump pressure, and means for diverting some of the bled-off pumpage to the thrust drum for floating the thrust drum to relieve thrust loads on the radial bearings.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
23 words
The unit of claim 16 wherein the means for bleeding off pumpage from the pump impeller to the motor compartment includes a filter.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
50 words
The unit of claim 16 wherein the radial bearings have inner race rings clamped to the motor shaft, the thrust drum rests on one of the bearings, and the pumpage bled off from the pump impeller lifts the thrust drum and shaft to relieve thrust loads from the radial bearings.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
75 words
A method of cooling, lubricating and thrust balancing electric motor driven pumps which comprises bleeding off some of the pumpage from the discharge side of the pump, flowing the bled-off pumpage through the motor, dividing the flow of the bled-off pumpage into a main path discharging on the pressure side of the pump and a minor path discharging in the pump inlet and supporting thrust loads on the motor with pumpage in the minor path.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
75 words
A method of cooling, lubricating and thrust balancing electric motor driven pumps which comprises bleeding off some of the pumpage from the discharge side of the pump, flowing the bled-off pumpage through the motor, dividing the flow of the bled-off pumpage into a main path discharging on the pressure side of the pump and a minor path discharging in the pump inlet and supporting thrust loads on the motor with pumpage in the minor path.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
76 words
The method of cooling an electric motor driven centrifugal pump which comprises bleeding off pumpage from the discharge side of the pump at a first zone, circulating the bled-off pumpage through the motor, discharging the circulated bled-off pumpage back to the discharge side of the pump at a second zone remote from the first zone to prevent direct recirculation of the bled-off pumpage back to the motor, and centrifugally inducing the flow of the bled-off pumpage.
Claim 27
Independent Claim
76 words
The method of cooling an electric motor driven centrifugal pump which comprises bleeding off pumpage from the discharge side of the pump at a first zone, circulating the bled-off pumpage through the motor, discharging the circulated bled-off pumpage back to the discharge side of the pump at a second zone remote from the first zone to prevent direct recirculation of the bled-off pumpage back to the motor, and centrifugally inducing the flow of the bled-off pumpage.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-03-28 | 1975-09-27 | 1976-03-28 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-03-28 | 1979-09-27 | 1980-03-28 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-03-28 | 1983-09-27 | 1984-03-28 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |