JP2008075625A - Pump - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a pump which is inexpensive, highly reliable, and safely detects a quantitative wear volume of a bearing. <P>SOLUTION: The pump includes: an impeller 10; a rotary shaft 6 for rotating the impeller 10; a pump casing 2 for storing the rotary shaft 6; bearings 12, 15 each having a slide contact surface for rotatably supporting the rotary shaft 6; a gas feed section 30 disposed outside the pump casing 2; and at least one communicating passage 28, 29 extending from the gas feed section 30 to the bearings 12, 15. Respective ends of the communicating passages 28, 29 are disposed inside the bearings 12, 15 or a dummy member 31 disposed adjacent to the bearings 12, 15, and are apart from the slide contact surfaces of the bearings 12, 15 by predetermined distances in radial directions of the bearings 12, 15. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a pump for pumping liquid such as river water or drainage.

  Generally, the vertical shaft pump is installed on the pump installation floor at the upper part of the water tank, and an impeller casing that houses the impeller is suspended in the water tank via a suspension pipe. In such a vertical shaft pump, since each member such as an impeller and a rotating shaft is operated in a state of being immersed in water, an underwater bearing that is a kind of a sliding bearing is used as a bearing that supports the rotating shaft. Yes. Since this underwater bearing wears with the passage of operating time, it is necessary to periodically disassemble the pump to check the amount of wear of the underwater bearing and to repair or replace it as necessary.

  However, dismantling the vertical shaft pump and reassembling it requires a lot of labor and a considerable number of days. Therefore, as disclosed in the following Patent Documents 1, 2, and 3, there has been proposed a method for measuring the wear amount of the submerged bearing without disassembling the pump.

JP 2006-161790 A JP 2004-218578 A Japanese Patent No. 3567140

  For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a vertical pump that detects that the amount of wear of a bearing has reached a predetermined value by detecting a decrease in the level of liquid stored in a head tank. However, since the bearing of the vertical shaft generally has a life of 10 years or more, there is a possibility that the liquid with no flow in the head tank will rot and give off a strange odor to the surroundings. Further, the devices of Patent Documents 2 and 3 estimate the wear amount of the bearing by measuring indirect physical quantities such as air flow rate, pressure, vibration value, and the like when detecting a quantitative wear amount. Low reliability.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described conventional problems, and an object thereof is to provide a pump that is inexpensive, highly reliable, and capable of safely detecting a quantitative wear amount of a bearing. To do.

  In order to achieve the above-described object, according to one aspect of the present invention, an impeller, a rotating shaft that rotates the impeller, a pump casing that houses the impeller and the rotating shaft, and the rotating shaft are rotatable. A bearing having a sliding contact surface to be supported on, a gas supply part arranged outside the pump casing, and at least one communication path extending from the gas supply part to the bearing, the tip of the communication path is The pump is located in the bearing or in a dummy member disposed adjacent to the bearing and spaced from the sliding contact surface by a predetermined distance in the radial direction of the rotating shaft. It is.

In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the gas supply unit supplies a colored gas to the communication path.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the tip of the communication path is located inside the dummy member, and a sleeve is provided on the rotating shaft so as to face the dummy member and the bearing, and the sleeve has a hardness of the bearing. It is less than hardness and higher than the hardness of the dummy member.

  Another aspect of the present invention includes an impeller, a rotating shaft that rotates the impeller, a pump casing that houses the impeller and the rotating shaft, and a sliding contact surface that rotatably supports the rotating shaft. A bearing, a continuity detector disposed outside the pump casing, and a pair of conductors extending from the continuity detector to the bearing, the tips of the pair of conductors being inside the bearing or the The pump is located inside a dummy member disposed adjacent to the bearing, and is spaced apart from the sliding contact surface by a predetermined distance in the radial direction of the rotary shaft.

In a preferred aspect of the present invention, in addition to the pair of conducting wires, at least one conducting wire is further arranged, and the tip of the at least one conducting wire is more in the radial direction of the rotating shaft than the tip of the pair of conducting wires It is characterized by being located outside.
In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the continuity detector operates only while the pump is operating.

  Another aspect of the present invention includes an impeller, a rotating shaft that rotates the impeller, a pump casing that houses the impeller and the rotating shaft, and a sliding contact surface that rotatably supports the rotating shaft. A bearing, a continuity detector disposed outside the pump casing, a pair of conductors disposed adjacent to the bearing, an insulating material sandwiched between the pair of conductors, and the continuity detection And a pair of conductors connected to the pair of conductors, and the ends of the pair of conductors are separated from the sliding contact surface by a predetermined distance in the radial direction of the rotating shaft. It is a pump characterized by this.

  Another aspect of the present invention includes an impeller, a rotating shaft that rotates the impeller, a pump casing that houses the impeller and the rotating shaft, and a sliding contact surface that rotatably supports the rotating shaft. A bearing, a liquid reservoir disposed outside the pump casing, and a communication path extending from the liquid reservoir to the bearing, the tip of the communication path being adjacent to or inside the bearing. The pump is characterized in that the pump is located inside a dummy member arranged in a manner spaced apart from the sliding contact surface by a predetermined distance in the radial direction of the rotary shaft.

  Another aspect of the present invention includes an impeller, a rotating shaft that rotates the impeller, a pump casing that houses the impeller and the rotating shaft, and a sliding contact surface that rotatably supports the rotating shaft. A bearing, a communication path extending from the outside of the pump casing to the bearing, an optical fiber cable extending in the communication path, and a light source connected to the optical fiber cable, and a tip of the communication path is located inside the bearing Or positioned inside a dummy member disposed adjacent to the bearing and spaced from the sliding contact surface by a predetermined distance in the radial direction of the rotary shaft, and the tip of the optical fiber cable is It is a pump characterized by being located in the vicinity of the tip of a passage.

  Another aspect of the present invention includes an impeller, a rotating shaft that rotates the impeller, a pump casing that houses the impeller and the rotating shaft, and a sliding contact surface that rotatably supports the rotating shaft. A bearing, a light source disposed outside the pump casing, a dummy member disposed adjacent to the bearing, and at least one extending from the light source to the inside of the dummy member and further to the outside of the pump casing. The portion of the optical fiber cable extending in the dummy member that is closest to the rotating shaft is separated from the sliding contact surface by a predetermined distance in the radial direction of the rotating shaft. It is a pump.

In a preferred aspect of the present invention, a light receiver connected to one end of the optical fiber cable is further provided.
In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the at least one optical fiber cable is a plurality of optical fiber cables, and a distance between a portion of the plurality of optical fiber cables closest to the rotation axis and the sliding contact surface is different from each other. And

Another aspect of the present invention includes an impeller, a rotating shaft that rotates the impeller, a pump casing that houses the impeller and the rotating shaft, and a sliding contact surface that rotatably supports the rotating shaft. A bearing; a detector disposed outside the pump casing; at least one communication path extending from the outside of the pump casing to the bearing; and a sheath cable connected to the detector and extending in the communication path. The sheath cable includes a sheath portion, an insulator covered by the sheath portion, and one or a plurality of conductive wires embedded in the insulator, The sheath is located inside the bearing or in a dummy member disposed adjacent to the bearing and spaced from the sliding contact surface by a predetermined distance in the radial direction of the rotary shaft. The tip of the bull is a pump which is characterized by being located at the distal end of the communication passage.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the pump which can detect the quantitative amount of wear of a bearing accurately can be provided.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the overall configuration of a vertical shaft pump according to an embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 1, the vertical shaft pump is connected to an impeller casing 1 having a suction bell mouth 1a and a pump bowl 1b, a suspension pipe 3 for hanging the impeller casing 1 in a water tank, and an upper end of the suspension pipe 3. A discharge bend pipe 4, an impeller 10 accommodated in the impeller casing 1, and a metal rotary shaft 6 to which the impeller 10 is fixed. The suspension pipe 3 extends downward through an insertion hole 24 formed in the pump installation floor 22 at the upper part of the water tank, and is fixed to the pump installation floor 22 via an installation base 23 provided at the upper end of the suspension pipe 3. . The rotating shaft (vertical shaft) 6 extends in the vertical direction through the discharge curved pipe 4, the suspension pipe 3, and the impeller casing 1. The impeller casing 1 and the suspension pipe 3 constitute a pump casing 2.

  The suction bell mouth 1a opens downward, and the upper end of the suction bell mouth 1a is fixed to the lower end of the pump bowl 1b. The impeller 10 is fixed to the lower end of the rotating shaft 6, and the impeller 10 and the rotating shaft 6 rotate integrally. A plurality of guide vanes 14 are arranged above the impeller 10 (discharge side). These guide vanes 14 are fixed to the inner peripheral surface of the pump bowl 1b. The rotating shaft 6 is rotatably supported by an outer bearing 11 and underwater bearings 12 and 15. The underwater bearing 12 is accommodated in the pump bowl 1 b and the underwater bearing 15 is accommodated in the suspension pipe 3. The support member 7 that supports the underwater bearing 12 is fixed to the inner surface of the bowl bush 13, and the bowl bush 13 is supported by the impeller casing 1 via a guide vane 14. The support member 17 that supports the underwater bearing 15 is fixed to the inner peripheral surface of the suspension pipe 3. The underwater bearings 12 and 15 are so-called sliding bearings that are in sliding contact with the rotating shaft 6.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the rotating shaft 6 protrudes upward from the discharge curved pipe 4. The upper end of the rotary shaft 6 is connected to a drive shaft 16, and the drive shaft 16 is connected to a drive source 18. When the impeller 10 is rotated by the drive source 18 via the rotary shaft 6, water (handling liquid) in the water tank is sucked from the suction bell mouth 1 a and passes through the pump bowl 1 b, the suspension pipe 3 and the discharge bent pipe 4. To the discharge pipe (not shown). During the vertical pump operation, the impeller casing 1 that houses the impeller 10 and the underwater bearing 12 is located below the water surface.

  A hollow pipe (communication path) 28 is provided on the side of the discharge curved pipe 4, the suspension pipe 3, and the impeller casing 1. The hollow tube 28 passes through the pump bowl 1 b, the guide vane 14, and the bowl bush 13, and its end is located inside the underwater bearing 12. The other end is located above the pump installation floor 22. Similarly, a hollow pipe (communication path) 29 is provided on the side of the discharge curved pipe 4 and the suspension pipe 3. The hollow tube 29 penetrates the suspension tube 3, and its end is located inside the underwater bearing 15. The other end is located above the pump installation floor 22. The upper ends of the hollow tubes 28 and 29 are both connected to a gas supply unit (for example, a compressor and a piston) 30.

  2 is an enlarged view showing the underwater bearing 15 and the hollow tube 29 shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a view showing a state in which the wear of the underwater bearing 15 has progressed. In the following description, only the underwater bearing 15 and the hollow tube 29 will be described. However, since the same applies to the underwater bearing 12 and the hollow tube 28, the overlapping description is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the tip of the hollow tube 29 is located inside the underwater bearing 15, and is predetermined in the radial direction of the rotating shaft 6 from the inner peripheral surface (contact surface with the rotating shaft 6) of the underwater bearing 15. Is separated by a distance t. This distance t is determined according to the amount of wear of the underwater bearing 15 to be detected.

  During the operation of the vertical shaft pump, the rotary shaft 6 is in sliding contact with the inner peripheral surface of the submersible bearing 15, so that the wear of the submersible bearing 15 proceeds with the passage of the pump operation time, and eventually the inner peripheral surface (sliding contact) of the submersible bearing 15 is reached. Surface) reaches the tip of the hollow tube 29. Then, the inside of the pump casing 2 and the hollow tube 29 communicate with each other, and as shown in FIG. 3, the gas (for example, air) sent from the gas supply unit 30 is introduced into the pump casing 2, And emerge. When the pump operation is stopped, the water level in the water tank is usually located above the underwater bearing 15, so that the generation of bubbles can be visually confirmed from the hand hole 19 (see FIG. 1). Therefore, it can be determined that the amount of wear of the underwater bearing 15 has reached a predetermined value. In this case, the generation of bubbles may be confirmed using a small camera such as a CCD. As the material of the hollow tube 29, a material that is more easily worn than the material of the underwater bearing 15 is used. Note that only the portion of the hollow tube 29 located inside the underwater bearing 15 may be constituted by a hole formed in the underwater bearing 15.

  A colored gas (for example, smoke) can be used as the gas introduced into the hollow tube 29. In this case, even if the water level in the water tank is below the underwater bearing 15 when the pump operation is stopped, as shown in FIG. 15 wear can be confirmed. In this way, by using a configuration that can be confirmed using gas, there is no risk of liquid decay as in a known configuration using a liquid, and it is possible to provide a facility that is excellent in environmental performance and maintenance. .

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating another configuration example of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, the hollow tube 29 is embedded in an annular dummy member 31 adjacent to the underwater bearing 15. The dummy member 31 is disposed concentrically with the underwater bearing 15 and has an inner diameter equal to or greater than the inner diameter of the underwater bearing 15. Furthermore, the dummy member 31 is formed of a material having a lower hardness than the underwater bearing 15 (that is, easy to wear), such as plastic. The tip of the hollow tube 29 is separated from the inner peripheral surface of the underwater bearing 15 by a predetermined distance t as in the above example.

  When the underwater bearing 15 is worn, the dummy member 31 is worn at the same time due to the swing of the rotary shaft 6. As the wear of the dummy member 31 proceeds, the hollow tube 29 eventually communicates with the inside of the pump casing 2, and gas is introduced from the gas supply unit 30 into the pump casing 2. Since the wear amount of the dummy member 31 is substantially equal to the wear amount of the underwater bearing 15, the wear amount of the underwater bearing 15 becomes a predetermined value by visually confirming the generation of bubbles or colored gas, as in the above example. Can be detected.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 6, you may provide several hollow tube 29a, 29b, 29c. Although three hollow tubes are illustrated, the number of hollow tubes may be more than three. In this case, distances t1, t2, and t3 between the tips of the hollow tubes 29a, 29b, and 29c and the inner peripheral surface of the underwater bearing 15 are set to be different from each other. According to such a configuration, since the progress of wear of the underwater bearing 15 can be known, it is possible to appropriately predict the replacement time of the underwater bearing 15 and to perform planned maintenance. For example, t3 is set to a bearing wear amount that requires bearing replacement, t1 and t2 are set to dimensions (amount of wear) smaller than t3, and the current bearing wear amount is reduced by supplying gas to the target hollow tube. By grasping and estimating the time to reach t3 from the operation time, etc., it becomes possible to record a planned budget and arrange replacement bearings in advance, and shorten the drainage function stop period by the bearing production period. Can improve reliability.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention. In addition, since the structure which is not demonstrated in particular is the same as that of embodiment mentioned above, the overlapping description is abbreviate | omitted.
As shown in FIG. 7, a pair of conducting wires 33 is disposed inside the dummy member 31. In the present embodiment, the dummy member 31 is formed of an insulating material, and these conducting wires 33 are kept in electrical non-contact with each other. One end of each conducting wire 33 is located at a distance t from the inner peripheral surface of the underwater bearing 15 in the radial direction of the rotary shaft 6, and the other end is connected to the conduction detector 35. In the present embodiment, a conducting wire 33 is provided instead of the hollow tubes 28 and 29 shown in FIG. 1, and a continuity detector 35 is provided instead of the air supply unit 30.

  In this configuration, when the dummy member 31 is worn and the leading end of the conducting wire 33 is exposed on the inner peripheral surface of the dummy member 31, the pair of conducting wires 33 are electrically connected by water in the metal rotating shaft 6 and the pump casing 2. Connected. Therefore, when the continuity detector 35 detects the electrical connection of the conducting wire 33, it can be detected that the wear amount of the underwater bearing 15 has reached a predetermined value. In the present embodiment, the conducting wire 33 may be disposed in the underwater bearing 15.

  Patent Document 1 described above discloses a configuration in which wear of an underwater bearing is detected by passing a current through the conductor and detecting that the conductor has been cut by a rotating shaft. However, in this configuration, depending on the material and arrangement of the conductive wire, even if the wear amount reaches a predetermined value, the wire may not be completely disconnected, resulting in poor reliability. According to this embodiment, if the end portion of the conducting wire 33 is exposed on the inner peripheral surface of the dummy member 31, the continuity detector 35 can detect the electrical connection of the conducting wire 33, and the detection reliability can be improved. Can be increased. Further, since the current flows only when the conducting wire 33 is connected, energy can be saved as compared with the configuration of Patent Document 1 in which it is necessary to constantly flow the current.

  As shown in FIG. 8, in addition to a pair of conducting wires 33, a plurality of conducting wires 34 may be embedded in the dummy member 31 (in the example of FIG. 8, there are three wires, but there may be more than three wires). ). In this example, the distances t2, t3, t4 between the tip of the added conducting wire 34 and the inner peripheral surface of the underwater bearing 15 are different from each other, and the leading end of the conducting wire 34 rotates more than the tip of the pair of conducting wires 33 described above. It is located outside in the radial direction of the shaft 6. According to such a configuration, since the progress of wear of the underwater bearing 15 can be known, it is possible to appropriately predict the replacement time of the underwater bearing 15 and to perform planned maintenance. For example, t3 is set to a bearing wear amount that requires replacement of the bearing, t1 and t2 are set to dimensions (wear amount) smaller than t3, and the current bearing wear amount is grasped by detecting conduction of the target conductor wire. By estimating the time to reach t3 from the operation time, etc., it becomes possible to schedule planned budgets and make preliminary arrangements for replacement bearings, and shorten the drainage function stop period by the bearing production period. , Improve reliability.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 9, a plurality of configurations (a plurality of conducting wires 33 and 34 and a conduction detector 35) shown in FIG. 8 may be provided in the circumferential direction of the rotating shaft 6. According to such a configuration, even when some of the conductors 33 and 34 or the continuity detector 35 break down, the wear of the underwater bearing 15 can be detected by the other conductors 33 and 34 or the continuity detector 35. It is also possible to determine whether the underwater bearing 15 is unevenly worn and whether the underwater bearing 15 is evenly worn in the circumferential direction. In addition, in the example of FIG. 9, four sets of conducting wires 33 and 34 and the continuity detector 35 are arranged, but more than two sets, three sets, or four sets of conducting wires and continuity detectors may be arranged. .

  In the present embodiment, it is preferable that the continuity detector 35 is operated only during a predetermined time during operation of the vertical shaft pump or during operation. The reason is as follows. When the underwater bearing 15 is worn and, for example, the inner peripheral surface is located between t2 and t3 in FIG. 8, some of the conducting wires 33 and 34 are electrically connected to each other. Current will flow. However, since this type of vertical pump is operated only for several tens of hours per year, if a current is kept flowing through the conductive members 33 and 34, the current is consumed even when the pump is stopped, and energy is wasted. Furthermore, the current flowing through the conductors 33 and 34 may act on the members such as the pump casing 2 as a corrosion current and corrode these members. For this reason, it is preferable to operate the continuity detector 35 only during a predetermined time during operation of the vertical shaft pump or during operation.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention. Since the basic configuration of the present embodiment is the same as the configuration shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 10, a pair of rod-like or plate-like conductors 37 are connected to the ends of the pair of conductive wires 36, and these conductors 37 are arranged adjacent to the underwater bearing 15. An insulating material 38 is disposed between the conductors 37, and the conductors 37 are not in electrical contact with each other. These conductors 37 are arranged so that their end portions are located outside the inner peripheral surface of the underwater bearing 15 by a predetermined distance t in the radial direction of the rotary shaft 6.

  Also in this embodiment, when the underwater bearing 15 is worn, the pair of conductors 37 are electrically connected via the rotating shaft 6. Therefore, the continuity detector 35 can detect that the wear amount of the underwater bearing 15 has reached a predetermined value by detecting the electrical connection of the conductor 37 or the electrical connection between the conductor 37 and the rotary shaft 6. it can. Since the configuration of the present embodiment does not require a conductive wire to be embedded in the dummy member as in the embodiment of FIG. 7, the structure is simple and can be manufactured at low cost. As in the above-described embodiment, it is preferable to operate the continuity detector 35 only during a predetermined time during operation of the vertical shaft pump or during operation.

FIG. 11 shows another embodiment of the present invention. The configuration of the present embodiment that is not specifically described is the same as the configuration shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and thus redundant description thereof is omitted.
As shown in FIG. 11, one end of the hollow tube 29 is located inside the underwater bearing 15 and is separated from the inner peripheral surface of the underwater bearing 15 by a predetermined distance t. The other end is connected to a reservoir (liquid reservoir) 39 disposed outside the pump casing 2. A water level detector 40 that detects that the water level has reached a predetermined value is disposed inside the storage unit 39. A hollow tube (communication path) 29 extending from the reservoir 39 to the underwater bearing 15 is located below the water surface of the water tank.

  In the above-described configuration, when wear of the underwater bearing 15 progresses and the inner peripheral surface of the underwater bearing 15 reaches the tip of the hollow tube 29, the liquid inside the pump casing 2 causes the hollow tube 29 to flow as shown in FIG. It is introduced into the storage part 39 through. When the water level rises as the liquid is introduced into the storage unit 39, the water level detector 40 detects this and can detect that the amount of wear of the underwater bearing 15 has reached a predetermined value. As the water level detector 40, a water level sensor that continuously measures the water level, or a float disposed in the storage unit 39 as shown in FIG. 13 may be used. In the present embodiment, the hollow tube 29 is disposed in the underwater bearing 15, but the dummy member 31 shown in FIG. 5 may be provided adjacent to the underwater bearing 15 and the hollow tube 29 may be disposed therein.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention. The configuration of the present embodiment that is not specifically described is the same as the configuration shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and thus redundant description thereof is omitted.
As shown in FIG. 14, an optical fiber cable 44 is inserted into the hollow tube 29, one end of which is located near the tip of the hollow tube 29, and the other end is a light source such as a projector. 45. In the present embodiment, no gas supply unit is used.

  When wear of the underwater bearing 15 progresses and the inner peripheral surface of the underwater bearing 15 reaches the tip of the hollow tube 29, light emitted from the optical fiber cable 44 disposed inside the hollow tube 29 as shown in FIG. Leaks into the pump casing 2. Therefore, by visually recognizing light from the hand hole 19 (see FIG. 1), it can be determined that the amount of wear of the underwater bearing 15 has reached a predetermined value. In this case as well, the presence or absence of light may be confirmed using a small camera such as a CCD. Also in this embodiment, the hollow tube 29 and the optical fiber cable 44 may be disposed on the dummy member 31 as shown in FIG.

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention. The configuration of the present embodiment that is not specifically described is the same as the configuration shown in FIGS.
In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 14, an optical fiber cable 44 is embedded in the dummy member 31 instead of the hollow tube 29. The optical fiber cable 44 extends from the outside of the pump casing 2 to the inside of the dummy member 31, and is further folded back inside the dummy member 31 to extend to the outside of the pump casing 2. Both ends of the optical fiber cable 44 are connected to a photodetector 46 disposed outside the pump casing 2. The photodetector 46 includes a light source 46a and a light receiver 46b. One end of the optical fiber cable 44 is connected to the light source 46a, and the other end is connected to the light receiver 46b. The light emitted from the light source 46a passes through the optical fiber cable 44 and is received by the light receiver 46b.

  The portion where the optical fiber cable 44 is folded back in the dummy member 31 (that is, the portion where the optical fiber cable 44 is closest to the rotating shaft 6) is separated from the inner peripheral surface of the underwater bearing 15 by a predetermined distance t in the radial direction of the rotating shaft 6. In position. In such a configuration, when the dummy member 31 is worn together with the underwater bearing 15, the rotating rotary shaft 6 comes into contact with the optical fiber cable 44 and the optical fiber cable 44 is disconnected. At this time, the light detector 46 detects light breakage or attenuation of optical transmission / reception or wavelength displacement, and detects that the optical fiber cable 44 is broken. In this way, it is possible to detect that the amount of wear of the underwater bearing 15 has reached a predetermined value. Alternatively, only the light source 46a may be connected to one end of the optical fiber cable 44, and the other end may be visually checked to determine whether or not the optical fiber cable 44 is disconnected.

  As shown in FIG. 17, a plurality of optical fiber cables 44 may be provided on the dummy member 31. In this case, the folded portion in the dummy member 31 of each optical fiber cable 44 is positioned at different distances (t1, t2, t3) from the inner peripheral surface of the underwater bearing 15 in the radial direction of the rotating shaft 6. According to such a configuration, since the progress of wear of the underwater bearing 15 can be known, it is possible to appropriately predict the replacement time of the underwater bearing 15 and to perform planned maintenance. For example, t3 is set to a bearing wear amount that requires bearing replacement, t1 and t2 are set to dimensions (wear amount) smaller than t3, and the current bearing wear amount is grasped by disconnection of the target optical fiber cable. By estimating the time to reach t3 from the operation time, etc., it becomes possible to schedule planned budgets and make preliminary arrangements for replacement bearings, and shorten the drainage function stop period by the bearing production period. , Improve reliability.

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention. The configuration of the present embodiment that is not specifically described is the same as the configuration shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 18, a sheath cable 47 is inserted into the hollow tube 29. As shown in FIG. 19, the sheath cable 47 includes a sheath part (sheath, thin tube) 47a, an insulator 47b covered with the sheath part 47a, and one or more embedded in the insulator 47b. The lead wire 47c is basically constituted. The sheath portion 47a is made of a metal such as stainless steel or copper, and the insulator 47b is made of MgO or the like. As the sheath cable 47, a general-purpose product such as a sheath thermocouple or MI cable (mineral insulated cable) can be used.

  As shown in FIG. 18, one end of the sheath cable 47 is located at the tip of the hollow tube 29, and the other end is connected to the detector 50. This detector 50 detects from the electrical signal (current, voltage, resistance value, etc.) of the conducting wire 47c that the sheath portion 47a of the sheath cable 47 has been broken and the liquid has entered the insulator 47b and the insulation has deteriorated. It is configured. Accordingly, when wear of the underwater bearing 15 proceeds and the inner peripheral surface of the underwater bearing 15 reaches the tip of the hollow tube 29 as shown in FIG. 20, the sheath portion 47a is broken as shown in FIG. The liquid in 2 penetrates into the insulator 47b, and the insulation is lowered. The detector 50 detects this and detects that the sheath portion 47a has been broken, that is, that the amount of wear of the underwater bearing 15 has reached a predetermined value.

  Note that the detector 50 may detect the electrical connection between the conductor 47c and the insulator 47b as shown in FIG. 22 instead of the electrical signal of the conductor 47c. When a sheath thermocouple is used as the sheath cable 47, the temperature of the underwater bearing 15 may be measured by this sheath thermocouple during a period until a predetermined amount of wear is reached. In this case, it is possible to estimate the deterioration and wear state of the underwater bearing 15 from the temperature change of the underwater bearing 15, and it is possible to increase the accuracy of trend management. Also in this embodiment, the hollow tube 29 and the sheath cable 47 may be disposed on the dummy member 31 as shown in FIG.

  FIG. 23 is a view showing another embodiment of the present invention, and is a view showing a cross section perpendicular to the rotating shaft 6. The configuration of the present embodiment that is not specifically described is the same as the configuration shown in FIG. In the present embodiment, the hollow tubes 28 and 29 and the air supply unit 30 shown in FIG. 1 are not provided.

  As shown in FIG. 23, a plurality of conducting wires 51 extending along the inner peripheral surface of the underwater bearing 15 are embedded in the underwater bearing 15. These conducting wires 51 are arranged at positions where the distances from the inner surface of the underwater bearing 15 are different from each other. Both ends of each conductor 51 are connected to a disconnection detector 52, and when the conductor 51 is disconnected, the disconnection detector 52 is configured to detect this. Therefore, it is possible to detect that the wear amount of the underwater bearing 15 has reached a predetermined value by the disconnection detector 52 detecting that the lead wire 51 is disconnected due to wear of the underwater bearing 15. In particular, according to the present embodiment, even when the underwater bearing 15 is unevenly worn, this can be detected promptly. In the example shown in FIG. 23, a plurality of conducting wires 51 are arranged, but only one conducting wire 51 may be arranged. Further, the dummy member 31 shown in FIG. 5 may be provided adjacent to the underwater bearing 15, and the conductive wire 51 may be embedded in the dummy member 31.

  FIG. 24 is a view showing another embodiment of the present invention, and is a view showing a cross section perpendicular to the rotating shaft 6. The configuration of the present embodiment that is not specifically described is the same as the configuration shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 24, a plurality of (four in the example of FIG. 24) recesses 15 a extending along the rotation shaft 6 are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the underwater bearing 15. In addition, a plurality of (four in the example of FIG. 24) conductive wires 51 are wound around the underwater bearing 15 at locations where these recesses 15 a are formed. A disconnection detector 52 is connected to both ends of each conductor 51, and when the conductor 51 is disconnected, the disconnection detector 52 detects this. The distance between the conducting wire 51 wound around the underwater bearing 15 and the inner peripheral surface of the underwater bearing 15 is set to t as in the above-described embodiment.

  In the above-described configuration, when the wear of the underwater bearing 15 proceeds, the rotating shaft 6 comes into contact with the conducting wire 51 and the conducting wire 51 is cut. The disconnection detector 52 detects that the conducting wire 51 has been disconnected, and thereby can determine that the amount of wear of the underwater bearing 15 has reached a predetermined value.

  The distance t between the conducting wire 51 wound around the underwater bearing 15 and the inner peripheral surface of the underwater bearing 15 corresponds to the depth of the recess 15a. In general, it is relatively easy to form the recess 15a on the inner peripheral surface of the underwater bearing 15 as compared with the case where a thin long hole (for example, a minute long hole having a diameter of several millimeters or less) is formed in the underwater bearing 15 It can be performed with high accuracy. Therefore, this embodiment has an advantage that the distance t can be set accurately.

FIG. 25 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention. The configuration of the present embodiment that is not specifically described is the same as the configuration shown in FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 25, a sleeve 53 is fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the rotating shaft 6 at a position facing the underwater bearing 15 and the dummy member 31. The hardness of the sleeve 53 is equal to or lower than the hardness of the underwater bearing 15 and higher than the hardness of the dummy member 31. As the material for the underwater bearing 15, a ceramic having high hardness is used.

  In such a configuration, not the underwater bearing 15 but the rotation-side sleeve 53 is worn. In this case, the sleeve 53 is worn only at the portion facing the underwater bearing 15. Further, as the sleeve 53 is worn, the dummy member 31 is worn by contact with the rotating sleeve 53. That is, as the sleeve 53 rotates, the sleeve 53 is worn, and the dummy member 31 is worn to the same extent. In other words, the wear amount of the dummy member 31 corresponds to the wear amount of the sleeve 53. Therefore, as in the above-described example, it is possible to detect that the amount of wear of the sleeve 53 has reached a predetermined value by visually confirming the generation of bubbles or colored gas. Note that this embodiment can also be applied to other embodiments using dummy members. For example, FIG. 26 is a diagram showing an example in which the present embodiment is applied to the embodiment shown in FIG. As described above, the above-described embodiments can be appropriately combined.

  Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described so far, it is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and may be implemented in various forms within the scope of the technical idea. For example, the present invention can be applied not only to a vertical shaft pump but also to a horizontal shaft pump and a slant shaft pump.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the overall configuration of a vertical shaft pump according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is an enlarged view which shows the underwater bearing and hollow tube which are shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the state which abrasion of the underwater bearing advanced. It is a figure which shows the case where smoke is used as supply gas. It is a figure which shows the other structural example of this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the other structural example of this embodiment. It is a figure which shows other embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the other structural example of this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the other structural example of this embodiment. It is a figure which shows other embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows other embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the state which abrasion of the underwater bearing advanced. It is a figure which shows the other structural example of this embodiment. It is a figure which shows other embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the state which abrasion of the underwater bearing advanced. It is a figure which shows other embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the other structural example of this embodiment. It is a figure which shows other embodiment of this invention. It is an expanded sectional view showing a sheath cable. It is a figure which shows the state which abrasion of the underwater bearing advanced. It is an expanded sectional view showing the state where the sheath part of the sheath cable was torn. It is a figure which shows the other structural example of this embodiment. It is a figure which shows other embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows other embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows other embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the other structural example of this embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Impeller casing 1a Suction bell mouth 1b Pump bowl 2 Pump casing 3 Suspension pipe 4 Discharge curved pipe 6 Rotating shaft 7, 17 Support member 10 Impeller 11 Outer bearing 12, 15 Underwater bearing 13 Bowl bush 14 Guide vane 16 Drive shaft 18 Drive source 19 Hand hole 22 Pump installation floor 23 Installation base 24 Pump insertion holes 28, 29 Hollow tube (communication path)
30 Gas supply part 31 Dummy members 33, 34, 36 Conductor 35 Conduction detector 37 Conductor 38 Insulating material 39 Storage part 40 Water level detector 44 Optical fiber cable 45 Light source 46 Photodetector 47 Sheath cable 47a Sheath part 47b Insulator 47c Conductor 50 Detector 51 Conductor 52 Disconnection detector 53 Sleeve

Claims (14)

Impeller,
A rotating shaft for rotating the impeller;
A pump casing that houses the impeller and the rotating shaft;
A bearing having a sliding contact surface that rotatably supports the rotating shaft;
A gas supply unit disposed outside the pump casing;
And at least one communication path extending from the gas supply unit to the bearing,
The front end of the communication path is located inside the bearing or a dummy member disposed adjacent to the bearing, and is separated from the sliding contact surface by a predetermined distance in the radial direction of the rotating shaft. A pump characterized by   The pump according to claim 1, wherein the gas supply unit supplies a colored gas to the communication path. The tip of the communication path is located inside the dummy member,
A sleeve is provided on the rotating shaft so as to face the dummy member and the bearing,
The pump according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a hardness of the sleeve is equal to or lower than a hardness of the bearing and higher than a hardness of the dummy member. Impeller,
A rotating shaft for rotating the impeller;
A pump casing that houses the impeller and the rotating shaft;
A bearing having a sliding contact surface that rotatably supports the rotating shaft;
A continuity detector disposed outside the pump casing;
A pair of conductors extending from the continuity detector to the bearing;
The ends of the pair of conducting wires are located inside the bearing or a dummy member disposed adjacent to the bearing, and are separated from the sliding contact surface by a predetermined distance in the radial direction of the rotating shaft. A pump characterized by that.   In addition to the pair of conducting wires, at least one conducting wire is further arranged, and the tip of the at least one conducting wire is located outside the tip of the pair of conducting wires in the radial direction of the rotating shaft. The pump according to claim 4. The ends of the pair of conducting wires are located inside the dummy member,
A sleeve is provided on the rotating shaft so as to face the dummy member and the bearing,
The pump according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the sleeve has a hardness equal to or lower than a hardness of the bearing and higher than a hardness of the dummy member.   The pump according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the continuity detector operates only while the pump is operating. Impeller,
A rotating shaft for rotating the impeller;
A pump casing that houses the impeller and the rotating shaft;
A bearing having a sliding contact surface that rotatably supports the rotating shaft;
A continuity detector disposed outside the pump casing;
A pair of conductors disposed adjacent to the bearing;
An insulating material sandwiched between the pair of conductors;
A pair of conductors connected to the continuity detector and the pair of conductors;
An end portion of the pair of conductors is separated from the sliding contact surface by a predetermined distance in a radial direction of the rotating shaft. Impeller,
A rotating shaft for rotating the impeller;
A pump casing that houses the impeller and the rotating shaft;
A bearing having a sliding contact surface that rotatably supports the rotating shaft;
A liquid reservoir disposed outside the pump casing;
A communication path extending from the liquid reservoir to the bearing,
The front end of the communication path is located inside the bearing or a dummy member disposed adjacent to the bearing, and is separated from the sliding contact surface by a predetermined distance in the radial direction of the rotating shaft. A pump characterized by Impeller,
A rotating shaft for rotating the impeller;
A pump casing that houses the impeller and the rotating shaft;
A bearing having a sliding contact surface that rotatably supports the rotating shaft;
A communication path extending from the outside of the pump casing to the bearing;
An optical fiber cable extending in the communication path;
A light source connected to the optical fiber cable,
The front end of the communication path is located inside the bearing or a dummy member disposed adjacent to the bearing, and is separated from the sliding contact surface by a predetermined distance in the radial direction of the rotating shaft. And
A pump characterized in that a tip of the optical fiber cable is located in the vicinity of a tip of the communication path. Impeller,
A rotating shaft for rotating the impeller;
A pump casing that houses the impeller and the rotating shaft;
A bearing having a sliding contact surface that rotatably supports the rotating shaft;
A light source disposed outside the pump casing;
A dummy member disposed adjacent to the bearing;
And at least one optical fiber cable extending from the light source to the inside of the dummy member and further to the outside of the pump casing,
The pump is characterized in that the portion of the optical fiber cable extending inside the dummy member that is closest to the rotating shaft is separated from the sliding contact surface by a predetermined distance in the radial direction of the rotating shaft.   The pump according to claim 11, further comprising a light receiver connected to one end of the optical fiber cable. The at least one optical fiber cable is a plurality of optical fiber cables;
The pump according to claim 11 or 12, wherein a distance between a portion of the plurality of optical fiber cables closest to the rotation axis and the sliding contact surface is different from each other. Impeller,
A rotating shaft for rotating the impeller;
A pump casing that houses the impeller and the rotating shaft;
A bearing having a sliding contact surface that rotatably supports the rotating shaft;
A detector disposed outside the pump casing;
At least one communication passage extending from the outside of the pump casing to the bearing;
A sheath cable connected to the detector and extending through the communication path;
The sheath cable has a sheath portion, an insulator covered with the sheath portion, and one or a plurality of conductive wires embedded in the insulator,
The front end of the communication path is located inside the bearing or a dummy member disposed adjacent to the bearing, and is separated from the sliding contact surface by a predetermined distance in the radial direction of the rotating shaft. And
A pump characterized in that a distal end of the sheath cable is located at a distal end of the communication path.

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