EP0333391B1

EP0333391B1 - Vane pump

Info

Publication number: EP0333391B1
Application number: EP19890302398
Authority: EP
Inventors: Freddy Sorensen
Original assignee: J S Maskinfabrik AS
Current assignee: J S Maskinfabrik AS
Priority date: 1988-03-16
Filing date: 1989-03-10
Publication date: 1993-05-26
Anticipated expiration: 2009-03-10
Also published as: EP0333391A2; DE68906693D1; EP0333391A3

Description

The present invention relates to a vane pump for working with relatively low rotary speed, which pump consists of a pump housing (with an inlet port and an outlet port), where in said pump housing is fitted a rotatable seated pump wheel with its rotation axis placed eccentric in relation to the interior of the pump housing. The pump wheel is equipped with two radially slidable vanes, which vanes may be movable in relation to the pump wheel between two extreme positions dependent on the shape and siting internally in the pump housing of the parts designed to support the edges of the vanes. The vanes each stretch diametrically through the pump wheel and are essentially at right-angles to one another. The parts guiding the vane edges are shaped as to define circular arc-sections of travel for the vane edges with centre in the rotation axis of the wheel in at least one section between the inlet port and the outlet port. The said section covers an angle of at least 90° as seen parallel to the rotation axis.
By low rotary speed is meant that the pump wheel during normal operation makes less than 100 revolutions per minute. With such a pump highly viscous mediums can be pumped and the possibility of high pump pressure is created at the same time as the gentle treatment of the pump medium in such a slowly rotating positive-displacement pump with great internal volume is retained.
This type of pump though not explicitly intended for working with low rotary speed is disclosed in DE laid-open publication (Auslegeschrift) no. 1,043,230.
The aim of this present invention is to produce a rotating positive-displacement type pump of the above-mentioned kind, which compared to the known pumps is more suitable for pumping mediums with low viscosity.
According to the present invention this is achieved with a pump of the type described in the introduction to claim 1, but being distinctive in that the circular arc-shaped section and, at least the adjoining and toward the rotation axis extended surfaces inside the pump housing, are mainly coated with a relatively flexible material, for example plastic or rubber material. Thus an adequate water tightness is achieved in the area of the pump where the pump pressure is created, so that for example water can be pumped with a pump outlet pressure of up to 2.5 MPa.
US patent 1,943,561 discloses a blade for use as a vane i rotary pumps. The radially facing edge of the blade sweeping the inner parts of the pump housing is shaped as a separate part to be fixed removably on the blade, thus avoiding change of the whole vane because of wear.
As dealt with in claim 2, the removable vane edges can be made shock-absorbent by means of a shock-absorbing liner, the purpose being to counteract hard particles in the pumping medium. Also, the liner can thus act as a compression spring so the vane edges are always held pressed against the bars or surfaces along which the vane edges slide.
Embodiments for the invention will hereafter be described in more detail with reference to the drawings, of which:

Fig. 1 shows a vertical section through a pump according to this invention,
Fig. 2 shows a section on the line II-II on fig. 1,
Fig. 3 shows a pump vane seen at right angles to the plane of extension of the vane,
Fig. 4 shows the vane according to fig. 3 seen from the right and,
Fig 5 shows an enlarged section of one of the vane's radially facing edges.

A preferred embodiment of the pump according to this invention has a mounting flange or foot 1, whereon a cast pump housing 3 is fixed. The pump housing 3 has a rectangularly shaped, radially directed inlet 5, a tangential directed outlet 7 and an internal form like a cylinder. On each side of the pump housing 3 covers 9 are mounted by screws, on which covers 9 bearing housings 11 are eccentrically mounted, the housings 11 being closed with end covers 13 and 14.
The pump has a pump wheel 15 which in this embodiment consists of two end pieces 17 and 19 and a middle piece 21. As shown on fig. 1 this middle piece 21 is divided into four quarter parts. All three pieces 17, 19, 21 are made of a solid material and are mutually connected with screws, the fitting screw holes 23 being shown on fig. 1. The end pieces 17 and 19 are made in one piece with an axle journal 25 and a drive axle 27, respectively, both of which rest in bearings 29 in the bearing housings 11. A hole in the cover 14 allows passage of the drive axle 27 which is driven by a not shown hydraulic motor.
In the bearing housings 11, packings 31 are fitted to prevent the pump medium leaving the pump housing 3, and packings 33 and 35 are fitted to protect the bearings 29.
In the middle piece 21 and the two end pieces 17 and 19 two identical vanes 37 are seated, the shape of the vanes being shown on figs. 3 - 5.
Each vane 37 is thus cut oute of a solid sheet in a U-shape with a cut-out 41 which stretches from the one side edge 43 of the vane to a depth a little over half the width of the vane. The radially facing edges 45 of the vanes are fitted with detachable pieces 47 fixed with counter-sunk screws 48 to the web of the vane 37. Between pieces 47 and the web of the vane 37 there is a flexible liner 49, which for example may be of solid rubber and shaped as shown on fig. 5.
Replaceable wear irons 39 control the vanes in the wheel 15, the rotation axis 51 of which is in a first plane of symmetry 53 to the pump housing's interior and at a distance from a second plane of symmetry 55. In the pump housing's interior, the vane's 37 position in relation to the wheel 15 is controlled by rails 57, the surfaces of which have three different radiuses of curvature. The smallest radius is determined by the radiuses of end pieces 17 and 19, as these lie close up against bars 57 in area 59. The remaining radiuses and sitings of the rail surfaces in areas 61 and 63 are determined by area 59, as the height and rotation axis siting of the vanes determines these. Thus in area 63, a semi-cylindrical curve is formed, with its centre in rotation axis 51 and in area 61 the curve is fixed as a transition between areas 59 and 61.
In order to be able to build up adequate pump pressure in a pump medium as water and with slow rotational speed, there must be some kind of packing between the housing 3 on the one hand and the vanes 37 and rotor 15 on the other hand in the area between inlet 5 and outlet 7. Therefore between rails 57 semi-cylindrical packing elements 65 have been provided in areas 59 and 63. The packing elements 65 consist of neoprene rubber or polyethylene fixed in seatings built up of welded steel pieces 67. Furthermore, the internal sides 69 of the covers are covered with flat packings 68 of the same type of packing material as elements 65 for packing the vane's axially directed edges, at least in an area equal to the circular section limited by the circular arc-sections defined by the surfaces of elements 65.
In addition there is a deflector 66 at the transition between outlet 7 and surface 59, this deflector 66 keeps impurities from wedging themselves between the rotor 15 and the surface 59 and supports packing 65, all at the same time.
In area 63, elements 65 stretch over a circular arc a little larger than 90°, at the same time the middle section 21 of the rotor, which has a little larger diameter than the end pieces 17 and 19, always lies up against the corresponding element 65 in area 59. In this embodiment of the pump with packings 65 the pump can pump water with greater difference pressure over the pump, even at rotary speeds less than 70 rpm. The low rotary speed of the pump and resulting gentle treatment of the pump medium particularly prove their worth when one wants to transport floculated waste water without spoiling the floculated lumps of solid material in the water.
In an alternative embodiment of the pump according to this invention designed for pumping slaughter-house waste or other mediums containing solid parts, the pump may as shown by the stippled line on fig. 1 be equipped with a knife 71 which stretches across inlet 5. The knife 71 is provided with an edge 73 of hardened steel; this edge is placed between bars 57 close to the track created by vane edges 45 during the movement of the wheel 15. If, for example, a piece of rib gets stuck between vane edge 45 and the knife edge 73 this will simply be cut over. In this type of embodiment when pumping highly viscous liquids containing hard objects, packings 65 and 68 can be dispensed with, as a gap of a few hundredths of a millimeter between surfaces 59, 63, 69 and vane edges 45 is adequate to maintain the pump outlet pressure.
The robust and simple construction obtained with the pump according to this invention is also useful in other areas, for example, for transporting highly viscous liquids and liquids which are difficult to handle. The pump construction can thus withstand heating, a property which can be utilized when pumping raw oil in refineries.

Claims

Vane pump for working with a relatively low rotary speed comprising a pump housing (3) provided with an inlet port (5) and an outlet port (7), where in said pump housing (3) is fitted a rotatable pump wheel (15) with its rotation axis (51) eccentrically placed in relation to the inner contour of the pump housing (3), the pump wheel (15) being fitted with two vanes (37) seated radially slidable in relation to the pump wheel (15), the vanes (37) being movable between two extreme positions dependent on the shape and siting internally in the pump housing (3) of parts (57) intended for guiding radially facing edges (45) of the vanes (37), and where the vanes (37) each stretch diametrically through the pump wheel (15) and are essentially at right-angles to one another, that the parts (57) guiding the vane edges (45) are shaped as to define circular arc-sections of travel for the vane edges (45) with centre in the rotation axis (51) of the wheel (15) in at least one section between the inlet port (5) and the outlet port (7), the section covering an angle of at least 90° as seen parallel to the rotation axis (51), characterized in that the circular arc-shaped section or sections and at least the adjoining surfaces extending herefrom towards the rotation axis (51) inside the pump housing (3), are mainly covered with a layer (65,68) of relatively flexible material.
Vane pump according to claim 1, wherein the body (17,19,21) of the pump wheel (15) has cylindrical shape and that the circular arc-sections are two in number and shaped as cylindrical surfaces (59,63) whereof the smallest cylindrical surface (59) has the same or almost the same radius as the pump wheel's cylindrically shaped outer surface, and where each radially facing edge (45) of the vane (37) consists of one or more removable fixed pieces (47), and where between the removable fixed pieces (47) and the web of the vanes (37) there is a shock-absorbing liner (49) of a relatively flexible material.