JPH06317285A - Turbine blade fuel pump - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a fuel pump operatable excellently under an especially high temperature fuel processing condition. CONSTITUTION: An electric-motor turbine-vane fuel pump 10 is constructed of a housing 12 having a fuel inlet 45 and a fuel outlet 48 and an electric motor 20 having a rotor 22 responsive to application of electrical power for rotation inside the housing 12. A turbine impeller 38 is constructed continuously to the rotor 22 for cooperatively rotating with the rotor 22. For feeding fuel to an outlet part under a pressure operation, an arch type passage 42 connected effectively to the inlet 45 and the outlet 48 of the housing 12 surrounds the circumference of the impeller 38. A meandering rib 54 continued to the circumference part of the impeller 38 without any interruption is formed. The rib 54 extends longitudinally in the opposed axial side end parts in the circumference part, surrounds the circumference of the impeller 38, and forms identical recess parts 60 alternately in both side edge parts of the impeller 38.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to electric motor fuel pumps, and more particularly to turbine vane fuel pumps for automotive engines and similar applications.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Electric turbine blade pumps
-motor turbine-vane pumps), plus turbine pumps
(turbine pumps), peripheral pumps (periphery pumps),
Tangential pumps, regen pumps (regen
Various pumps called erative pumps, turbulence pumps, and friction pumps have been proposed so far, as well as a fuel delivery system for automobiles.
It has been used for (automotive fuel delivery systems). This type of pump has an inlet for sucking fuel from the surrounding tank, an outlet for delivering fuel to the engine under the action of pressure, and a fuel supply tank (fuel
It is characterized by having a housing that can be dipped in a supply tank.

An electric motor comprises a rotor mounted for rotation within a housing, and the rotor is connected to a power supply which provides electrical energy for driving the rotor about its axis of rotation. The turbine impeller is coupled to the rotor for co-rotation with the rotor and has an outer circumferential portion having a circumferential row of pockets extending around each axial end of the periphery. An arched pumping passageway with an inlet and an outlet at opposite ends surrounds the impeller periphery to increase fuel pressure by a spiraling effect between the rotating impeller recess (pocket) and the surrounding passageway. There is. One example of this type of fuel pump is US Patent No. 3,259,072.
3,259,072).

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A general object of the present invention is to provide improved pressure and flow characteristics for impellers, especially under high temperature fuel processing conditions where the pump is otherwise vapor locked. It is an object of the invention to provide a motorized turbine vane fuel pump of the character described which is characterized by improved pressure and flow characteristics. Another and related object of the present invention is to provide a fuel pump of the character described which is characterized in that the improved impeller construction is economical to manufacture and assemble into a pumping system. That is. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a pump of the character described which has improved impeller blade efficiency and strength.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A motorized turbine vane fuel pump in accordance with a presently selected embodiment of the present invention comprises:
A housing having a fuel inlet and a fuel outlet, and an electric motor having a rotor that responds to supply of electric power for rotation in the housing are provided. The pump mechanism includes a turbine impeller connected to the rotor for co-rotating with the rotor and having circumferentially arranged pockets on its outer periphery. An arcuate passage surrounds the impeller and is effectively connected to the fuel inlet and fuel outlet of the housing for delivering fuel under pressure to the outlet. Continuous and uninterrupted meandering ribs are formed on the outer periphery of the impeller. The ribs extend back and forth between the opposite axial side edges of the impeller perimeter that circulates around the impeller, and at the opposite side edges of the impeller, appear alternately around the perimeter of the impeller. Form a recess.

The serpentine rib in selected embodiments of the present invention is formed by a straight line, which is parallel to the impeller side edge and extends along the side edge and alternating impeller sides. A straight section extending axially through the peripheral portion between the ends. Most preferably, the straight section extending axially through the impeller circumference is such that the impeller pocket forms a truncated pyramid when the impeller is viewed radially, relative to the impeller axis. Alternating with sharp angles. The peripheral edge of the serpentine rib has the same radial thickness over the entire circumference of the impeller. The circumferential dimension of the impeller peripheral edge of each pocket is preferably larger than the circumferential dimension of the axially opposed lands, and at least the same is formed. In selected embodiments of the invention, the acute angle is approximately equal to 26 °. The impeller including the ribs is preferably a plastic structure integrally and homogeneously formed, and the thickness of the ribs preferably increases in the radial direction from the periphery of the impeller toward the inside.

[0007]

The invention, together with the added objects, features and advantages of the invention, will be fully understood by the following description, the appended claims and the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 illustrates a fuel pump 10 according to a presently selected embodiment of the invention. The fuel pump 10 is configured as a housing 12 formed by a cylindrical case 14 axially mated with spaced inlet and outlet end caps 16, 18. The electric motor 20 includes a rotor 22 that is radially supported by a shaft 24 (journal 24) for rotating in the housing 12, and a permanent magnet stator 2 that surrounds the rotor 22.
It consists of 6.

The brush 28 is placed inside the outlet end cap 18 and is electrically connected to a terminal 30 located outside the end cap 18. The brush 28 supplies electrical energy to the rotor 22 by means of a spring 32, and thereby the rotor 22 and the shaft 2
4 is rotated in electrical contact with a commutator plate 34 mounted on the rotor 22. To the extent described so far, pump 10 is generally described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,352,641, 4,500,270 and 4,
596,517 (US Patent Nos. 4,352,641; 4,50
0,270; 4,596,519).

The pump mechanism 36 of the pump 10 includes an impeller 38 connected to the shaft 24 by a wire 40 for co-rotating with the shaft 24. An arcuate pump passage 42 circumferentially surrounds the impeller 38 and is formed by the inlet end cap 16 and a port plate 44 opposite the impeller 38. The passage 42 has an inlet 45 connected to an inlet 46 projecting from the end cap 16 and further an outlet 48 extending through the plate 44 to the interior of the housing 12. Fuel is thereby pumped at the impeller 38 from the inlet 46 through the housing 12 to an outlet that extends to the outlet end cap 18.

Impeller 38 is illustrated in detail in FIGS. 2-5. The impeller 38 is a solid monolithic structure (formed integrally from the same),
It is preferred to have a flat disc of approximately uniform thickness which is of plastic or ceramic construction and which has parallel axially opposite sides 50,52. A continuous and uninterrupted (ie, endless) straight and serpentine rib 54 is formed around the entire impeller 38. The radial outer peripheral edge portion of the rib 54 has a uniform thickness over the entire circumference of the impeller. As best seen in FIG. 3, the ribs 54 increase in thickness radially inward of the impeller. The straight and meandering ribs 54 extend at an acute angle between the ends of the impeller periphery with respect to the impeller axis, and are oriented axially on the side faces or on the impeller periphery parallel and close to the impeller surfaces 50, 52. It is formed by straight line sections 56 which alternate with straight line sections 58 at opposite axial ends.

Thus, as best seen in FIG. 4, the recesses (pockets) 60 formed by the ribs 54 are geometrically identical and formed around the impeller 38. It is a triangle with the tip cut off, and it will appear alternately on both sides around the impeller. The circumferential dimension 62 of the impeller periphery of each pocket 60 is preferably larger than the circumferential dimension 64 of the axially opposing area, that is, the land, and is formed at least the same. All dimensions 62 are equal and all dimensions 64 are equal. In selected embodiments of the present invention, the rib straight sections 56 are alternately oriented at an angle with respect to the impeller axis that is approximately equal to 26 °. In this example, the impeller diameter is
1.150 inches (29.21 mm), thickness 0.100 inches (2.54 mm)
Is. Dimension 62 is 0.056 inches (1.422 mm), dimension 6
4 is 0.045 inch (1.143mm), the ratio is about 1.24.

The impeller structure as described above has the advantages of increasing the capacity of the pocket 60 and also maintaining the rib strength and integrity. On the side surface of the impeller,
There are no edges or ends that could be chipped or broken during assembly or operation. The pumping efficiency is significantly increased. In fact, the pumps shown in the drawings have been found to perform well in so-called high temperature fuel tests, where high fuel temperatures cause vapor locks and pump malfunctions. The impeller of the present invention also greatly improves fuel flow under high pressure over prior art ones. The uniform structure of the impeller ribs and pockets makes the impeller essentially upside down, i.e. orientation during assembly is not critical.
As a result, the cost of assembly can be reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side elevation cross-sectional view illustrating a motorized turbine vane fuel pump according to a currently selected embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of an impeller of the fuel pump of FIG.

3 is a cross-sectional view generally taken along line 3-3 of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the impeller in FIGS. 2 and 3 as viewed from the radial direction.

5 is a perspective view of the impeller shown in FIGS. 2-4. FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Electric Motor Type Turbine Blade Fuel Pump 12 Housing 14 Cylindrical Case 20 Electric Motor 22 Rotor 38 Turbine Impeller 42 Arched Passage 45 Fuel Inlet 48 Fuel Outlet 54 Rib 60 Recess 62 Dimension of Impeller Outer Perimeter 64 Recess and Axial Direction Dimension of the area facing the

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A housing having a fuel inlet and a fuel outlet, a rotor, an electric motor having a power supply means for rotating the rotor in the housing, and a rotor for co-rotating with the rotor. A turbine impeller connected to a rotor and having circumferentially arranged recesses, and pump means having means for surrounding an outer peripheral portion of the impeller and forming an arch-shaped passage communicating with the fuel inlet and the fuel outlet. In the turbine vane fuel pump configured by, the outer peripheral portion of the impeller is formed by a continuous serpentine rib formed by a straight line, and the rib is provided between both end portions in the axial direction of the outer peripheral portion. And surrounds the circumference of the impeller, and the same recesses are alternately formed at opposite side edges of the outer circumference, and the meandering ribs have a substantially uniform thickness over the entire circumference of the impeller. A straight line section that has an outer peripheral edge and that crosses the outer peripheral portion in the axial direction between both side end portions of the impeller, and a straight line section that appears alternately to the straight line section and that is parallel to the side end portion. , When the impeller is viewed in the radial direction, linear sections extending in the axial direction across the outer peripheral portion are alternately acutely angled with respect to the axis of the impeller so that the recess has a truncated pyramid shape. A turbine vane fuel pump, characterized in that each of the recesses has an impeller having an outer peripheral dimension at least equal to an outer peripheral dimension of an area axially opposed to the recess. 2. The turbine vane fuel pump according to claim 1, wherein the dimension of each of the recesses in the outer peripheral direction of the impeller is larger than the dimension of the area axially opposed to the recess in the outer peripheral direction. 3. The turbine vane fuel pump according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of the outer peripheral dimension of the recess to the outer peripheral dimension of the area facing the recess is approximately 1.24. 4. The acute angle is approximately 26 °.
The turbine vane fuel pump according to claim 1, wherein 5. The turbine blade fuel pump according to claim 1, wherein the impeller has an integral structure. 6. The turbine vane fuel pump according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the rib increases inward in the radial direction.