Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
  • F04F—PUMPING OF FLUID BY DIRECT CONTACT OF ANOTHER FLUID OR BY USING INERTIA OF FLUID TO BE PUMPED; SIPHONS
  • F04F7/00—Pumps displacing fluids by using inertia thereof, e.g. by generating vibrations therein
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
  • F04B—POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS
  • F04B43/00—Machines, pumps, or pumping installations having flexible working members
  • F04B43/0009—Special features
  • F04B43/0018—Special features the periphery of the flexible member being not fixed to the pump-casing, but acting as a valve
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
  • F04B—POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS
  • F04B43/00—Machines, pumps, or pumping installations having flexible working members
  • F04B43/02—Machines, pumps, or pumping installations having flexible working members having plate-like flexible members, e.g. diaphragms
  • F04B43/04—Pumps having electric drive
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
  • F04B—POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS
  • F04B43/00—Machines, pumps, or pumping installations having flexible working members
  • F04B43/02—Machines, pumps, or pumping installations having flexible working members having plate-like flexible members, e.g. diaphragms
  • F04B43/028—Machines, pumps, or pumping installations having flexible working members having plate-like flexible members, e.g. diaphragms with in- or outlet valve arranged in the plate-like flexible member

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a new fluid circulator using a rigid membrane, a method of operating such a circulator and a pump including such a circulator.
• the invention also relates to the use of such a circulator in many sectors, in particular for biomedical applications, automobiles, food industry, buildings and public works, petrochemicals, fine chemicals.
• the fluid circulator according to the invention can also find applications for the manufacture of aquariums.
• Many types of fluid circulators, and in particular diaphragm pumps are known in the prior art.
• O02 / 09772 describes a fluid compression pump provided with a pump head having a flexible metal membrane connected to a rigid compression chamber. The flexible membrane oscillates back and forth under the impulse of a piston driven by a linear motor.
• the motor drive frequency is set to a value equal to or close to the mechanical resonance of the moving parts of the pump, the mechanical springs and the compressed fluid.
• This device also includes low pressure fluid inlet ports provided with suction valves, and high pressure fluid outlet ports.
• EP1369584 describes a diaphragm pump, the flexible diaphragm of which is deformed under the action of compression rollers, so that the space between the diaphragm and the peripheral zone is successively occluded and open, thus performing a pumping action when said space is filled with fluid.
• EP880650 describes a fluid circulator comprising a pump body with rigid walls between which is placed a deformable membrane capable of comprising peripheral perforations and a central orifice.
• the pump body is such that the spacing of the rigid walls decreases from the inlet orifice to the discharge orifice, and the diaphragm is excited on one of its ends, linked to the largest wall, so as to create a train of waves then a forced damping of the waves during their displacement along the membrane.
• the Applicant is particularly interested in the teaching of this patent EP880650, and has produced a pump corresponding to the teaching of the patent. Under the experimental conditions implemented by the Applicant, the operation of the pump did not correspond to the hydraulic performance sought by the Applicant.
• the aim of the present invention is to propose a fluid circulator whose efficiency is at least as efficient as that of the circulators of the prior art, which implements a means of creating a pressure difference in a fluid, said means preferably being at least one rigid perforated membrane excitable by any means, in particular by means of an actuator.
• the fluid circulator comprises at least one flange, located near the membrane and remaining out of contact with the membrane, even when it is excited.
• the circulator of the invention comprises two flanges on either side of the membrane. Each flange can be attached to the walls of the pump circulator. The dimension of the flanges is preferably substantially identical to or greater than that of the membrane.
• the fluid circulator During the operation of the circulator, the fluid undergoes alternately a depression and an overpressure according to the movement of the membrane.
• the term “flange” is understood to mean any rigid, fixed, preferably displaceable support, which makes it possible to confine the fluid in a space determined by said flange and by the membrane.
• the rigidity of the flange is preferably greater than or equal to the rigidity of the membrane.
• the fluid circulator comprises several membranes, possibly connected together by spacers.
• spacer is meant any connecting member which is placed between two parts, in particular two membranes, either to increase its resistance and rigidity, or to maintain a constant distance between them.
• Each membrane is made of one or more materials.
• the fluid circulator according to the invention can be provided with at least one hydraulic circuit for the inlet and / or the outlet of fluids.
• the fluid circulator comprises at least one manifold, located near the orifice (s) of the membrane.
• collector within the meaning of the present invention means any device for recovering the fluid set in motion by the membrane.
• the dimensions of the orifice are less than or equal to the dimensions of the collector, and preferably slightly less than the dimensions of the collector.
• the fluid is an incompressible fluid.
• the fluid circulator according to the invention is submersible.
• the fluid circulator according to the invention has the advantage of being able to be adapted in size, according to the application which is provided for. It can be extremely small, or industrial in size.
• the fluid circulator according to the invention can be used in numerous applications, in particular as a pump or as a mixer or even as a propulsion device.
• fluid within the meaning of the present invention is meant any substance which is continuously deformed under the action of a shear force, however slight, in particular liquids, gases, powders and pastes or else suspensions.
• the fluid used in the circulator of the invention may be incompressible or compressible; it is preferably incompressible. next a particular embodiment of the invention, the fluid is viscous, charged, and / or corrosive.
• the invention also relates to a rigid membrane, capable of operating a fluid circulator, having at least one orifice, this membrane being excitable in particular by means of an actuator.
• the rigid membrane according to the invention has the additional advantage compared to the flexible membranes of the prior art, of having a slower aging, which makes it possible to extend the duration of use of a membrane and to limit the number of replacements.
• the rigid membrane according to the invention also has the advantage of being simpler and less expensive to manufacture, and the choice of material is wide depending on the applications envisaged.
• rigid membrane within the meaning of the present invention is meant a structure comprising two faces, one called upper and the other called lower, said structure having physical rigidity, independently of its chemical structure.
• the rigid membrane is composed of one or more approximately planar structures, at least one of which cannot be flexed manually.
• the membrane has a Young's modulus greater than 60,000 MPa, preferably greater than 120,000 MPa, very preferentially greater than 800,000 MPa.
• the membrane is almost non-deformable when it is subjected to the force generated by the actuator.
• the membrane is made of metal, or of polymer resin, in particular polyethylene, polypropylene or of copolymers, or also carbon fibers or comprises several materials, mixed or juxtaposed or composite. All the materials whose physical properties make it possible to obtain a rigid membrane which deforms little or not at the time of the excitation which is applied to it, and which preferably is not alterable, are suitable for the manufacture of all or part of the membrane according to the invention.
• the membrane can be manufactured by molding, by extrusion, or by any suitable manufacturing method depending on the material or materials constituting it.
• the membrane is developed and then subjected to a surface treatment, concomitant or after manufacture.
• the membrane can comprise a membrane body made of a first material, and a surface layer of another material.
• the membrane can be made from several materials, in particular a first material located around the orifice and at least a second material located at the periphery of the membrane.
• the membrane is made or covered with one or more materials implantable in the animal body, including human; advantageously, the membrane is, in whole or in part, made of titanium or of a titanium alloy.
• the membrane is manufactured or covered with one or more materials suitable for treating corrosive fluids.
• the Applicant has found that the shape of the membrane could have a significant influence on its ability to not not be deformed (or little) under the excitement it experiences.
• the membrane according to the invention may have any shape useful for the application which must be made of it, in particular round, oval, rectangular, square, flat, tubular, conical, anti-conical or elliptical.
• the mass or density of the membrane could also have a great importance on its capacity not to be deformed as a result of the excitation which it undergoes. Mass, density, shape and thickness of the membrane must therefore be adapted according to the applications sought for the fluid circulators including said membrane.
• the rigid perforated membrane according to the invention has at least one orifice. According to a particular embodiment, the rigid membrane of the invention has a central orifice.
• the membrane has at least one non-centered orifice, or a central orifice and at least one orifice located at any location on the membrane, for example at the periphery.
• the membrane can also be such that the orifice is provided with a projection, on the upper face and / or on the lower face of the membrane, bordering the orifice on any or part of its periphery.
• the rigid membrane according to the invention is coupled to any means suitable for its excitation.
• the excitation exerted on the membrane is such that the whole of the membrane reacts in a unitary manner.
• the membrane is excited uniformly over its entire surface.
• the membrane is moved by an actuator producing a rectilinear movement, sinusoidal or not, of variable amplitude and of variable frequency.
• the amplitude range is from 0.1 to 30 mm, preferably 0.5 to 15 mm, very preferably from 1 to 5 mm; the frequency range is from 5 to 5000 Hz, preferably 10 to 100 Hz, very preferably from 20 to 50 Hz.
• the excitation force is preferably a periodic excitation force. The excitation of the membrane has the effect of making it vibrate at the chosen frequency.
• the membrane is set in motion by an actuator
• the actuator is itself driven under the impulse of an energy source, for example an electric motor or an electromagnetic motor.
• the actuator is a mechanical means connected to a motor, and this means is capable of transforming the rotary movement of the motor into translational movement transmitted to the membrane by any suitable means.
• the actuator is magnetic or electromagnetic.
• the coupling between the actuator and the membrane is done only using electromagnetic means.
• the membrane can be placed in a magnetic field created by two magnets or electromagnets located on either side of said membrane, creating an adequate magnetic field to maintain the membrane in the desired position and to move it and / or make it vibrate.
• the coupling means between the actuator and the membrane are mechanical and magnetic or electromagnetic.
• the rigid membrane is not subjected either to a train of concentric oscillations directed towards the center of the membrane, nor to a train of oscillation going from one end of the membrane to another end.
• Another object of the present invention is to provide a pump including such a fluid circulator.
• the pump according to the invention has the additional advantage of not requiring the presence of a container of the pump body type to accommodate the fluid circulator: the pump can be retained by any means at the place where a circulation of fluid is desired. A fortiori, the pump according to the invention does not require the presence of a pump body of specific shape.
• the pump according to the invention comprises a hydraulic circuit, comprising (1) a fluid intake device, (2) the fluid circulator according to the invention possibly placed in a pump body delimiting the space where the flow fluid is induced or increased, and (3) a fluid outlet device.
• the fluid outlet device includes at least one fluid collector, possibly integral with a flange, and located opposite or near at least one orifice of the membrane.
• Another advantage of the pump of the invention is that it can operate without a valve. However, if for certain applications a valve is desired, the pump according to the invention can also operate with a valve.
• the invention also relates to a fluid propulsion device. According to a preferred embodiment, the device of the invention is used for propelling a nautical or aquatic vehicle, preferably a jet ski.
• the rigid membrane of the invention has additional advantages over the devices of the prior art: in fact, it makes it possible to circumvent the drawback that few flexible materials are authorized for biomedical applications, it allows '' offer a greater choice of possible materials, and it avoids the disadvantages due to the lack of reliability and durability observed in hospitals on flexible parts regularly set in motion or kept in motion for a long time. Finally, surface treatments on equipment made necessary for medical applications are facilitated by the fact that the membrane is rigid, and not flexible.
• the invention also relates to a method of implementing the fluid circulator, in which a rigid membrane provided with at least one orifice is immersed in a fluid and actuated so as to create a difference in pressure of the fluid on the part and on the other side of the membrane, as well as the use of such a membrane to create a variation or a pressure differential inside a fluid.
• the membrane located in a horizontal plane is moved along a plane vertical, preferably perpendicular to the horizontal plane of the membrane.
• the movement of the membrane under the action of excitation is a movement making it possible to pass from a low position to a high position, and vice versa, whatever the nature of the movement.
• this movement can describe a circular trajectory.
• FIG. 1a shows a perforated membrane according to the invention, seen from the front.
• FIG. 1b represents an elliptical membrane according to the invention, seen in section.
• Figures 2a, 2b and 2c are sectional views of a fluid circulator according to the invention composed of a circular membrane, an upper flange secured to a manifold and a lower flange.
• FIG. 3 represents a perspective view of the membrane of the invention, with an upper flange and a lower flange. The particular embodiment shown in FIG.
• the membrane 1 relates to a circular membrane 1 made of aluminum 134 mm in diameter and 3 mm thick, perforated in its center with an orifice 2 of 20 mm in diameter.
• the orifices 2 formed in the membrane are not necessarily round. Their size is a function of the size of the membrane.
• the membrane is placed in a reservoir or a pump body 3 in a horizontal plane between two flanges 4, 5.
• the puddle 4 comprises a manifold 6.
• the fluid circulator according to the invention further comprises an actuator 7, it being understood that the movement of the membrane 1 can be induced by any suitable means, in particular electrical, electromechanical or magnetic.
• the actuator 7 is driven by an electric motor and converts the rotary movement into a reciprocating movement along a vertical plane which is applied to a stirrup 8 linked to the membrane 1 or bearing the membrane 1.
• the reservoir is filled with fluid by a fluid inlet device 9.
• the fluid circulator is immersed in fluid.
• the edges of the reservoir 3 containing the fluid are not contiguous with the periphery of the membrane and are preferably at a great distance from the membrane 1.
• the flanges 4,5 may or may not be fixed to the edges of the reservoir. According to the embodiment of Figure 2a, when the membrane 1 is excited, it vibrates in a vertical plane.
• vibration within the meaning of the present invention means the variation over time of the position of the membrane, in which said position is alternately greater and less than an average position.
• a first movement of the membrane 1 towards the upper flange 4 compresses the fluid on one side of the membrane, that located between the membrane 1 and the upper flange 4, and creates a vacuum on the other side of the membrane 1.
• This displacement therefore has the effect of creating a variation in the pressure of the fluid on either side of the membrane 1.
• This variation in pressure generates a displacement of fluid from the high pressure zone towards the low pressure zone, through the orifices 2 of the membrane and also, to a lesser extent, near the periphery of the membrane.
• the flow of fluid obtained is recovered in whole or in part by at least one manifold 6, optionally secured to a flange, which is located opposite or near the orifice 2 or orifices 2 of the membrane.
• the circulator does not have a reservoir, the flanges 4 and 5 are made integral with one another by any appropriate means and surround the membrane 1 of a device 4 '.
• the fluid inlet 9 is provided in the device 4 '.
• the fluid outlet is done by the collector (s) 6 formed in the device 4 'opposite or near the orifice (s) 2.
• the membrane 1 is always carried by stirrups 8 actuated by the actuator 7.
• the circulator is actuated by electromagnetic means, comprising coils 10 and magnets 11 integral with or inserted into the membrane 1, preferably at the periphery of the membrane 1.
• the coils are on the membrane 1 and the magnet or magnets are close to and out of contact with the coils.
• FIG. 3 represents a perspective view of a circular membrane (1) according to the invention, located between an upper flange (4) and a lower flange (5), the membrane being actuated by any means and vibrating between the two flanges.
• the upper flange (5) is integral with a fluid manifold (6).

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Reciprocating Pumps (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=34981572

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (2)

Families Citing this family (5)

Family Cites Families (3)

• 2005
  • 2005-05-26 WO PCT/FR2005/001303 patent/WO2005119062A1/fr active Application Filing
  • 2005-05-26 EP EP05773012A patent/EP1753957A1/de not_active Withdrawn

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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