KR20140074789A - Pump magnet housing with integrated sensor element - Google Patents

Abstract

Exemplary magnetically-driven fluid pumps allow one or more sensors to be in indirect ("non-wet") contact with a fluid to be pumped, while mounted to a fluid conduit or chamber and into fluid paths ("Cup") which is capable of avoiding the static sealing normally required in extending sensors. The sensors may be used for fluid monitoring or feedback control of the pump. By directly coupling the sensors to the electronic circuitry controlling the pump, the number of wires located outside the motor housing can be minimized, which further improves the durability of the assembly. This is particularly advantageous in hazardous environments or in sinking applications. In contrast to conventional pumps and systems, the pumps and hydraulic systems disclosed herein exhibit less leakage under more aggressive pumping conditions while providing improved pumping performance.

Description

[0001] PUMP MAGNET HOUSING WITH INTEGRATED SENSOR ELEMENT [0002]

Related application

This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 396,715, filed June 1, 2010, and U.S. Patent Application No. 13 / 151,188, filed June 1, 2011, Quot; is hereby incorporated by reference.

The present invention particularly relates to various pump types that are magnetically driven. More specifically, the present invention relates to a pump connected to a driven magnet in which a rotating or rotating-reciprocating element such as a pump gear is housed in a magnet housing ("magnet cup"), The magnet is wetted by the fluid.

Conventional hydraulic systems often include one or more pumps to force fluid flow. Many such systems also include sensors or indicators for any of a variety of parameters such as pressure, temperature, conductivity, etc. of fluid flow flowing within the system. Conventional displays include Bourdon gauges, ball-flow meters, analog thermometers, and the like, which directly represent each parameter. A "sensor" generally includes a transducer, etc., that converts the sensed parameters (e.g., pressure or temperature) into corresponding signals (e.g., electrical or optical signals). In general, sensors may also receive data directly from transducers, for example, for use in control circuits or to provide a measurement of parameters, and may be used for other electronic devices Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > and / or < / RTI > The measurement can be used, for example, for the display of parameters (e.g. LED display). An exemplary control circuit includes a controller coupled and configured to perform feedback control or other control of a motor or actuator that powers the pump.

In hydraulic systems including pumps, the pump is typically a discrete stand-alone element, which is manufactured independently of the other elements and is the original system of the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) Together with other components, such as fluid conduits, for integration purposes. Similarly, sensors and display devices are also generally separate components that are configured and sold for use by custom manufacturer producers in any of a variety of applications. These configurations work well in most hydraulic circuits, especially when space is not the limiting factor. However, connecting a conventional removable element to a hydraulic circuit generally requires some sort of static seal. In the case of permanent applications, the elements are welded in place. Generally, it provides an effective static seal, but it is very difficult or impossible to remove welded elements in place. In many, if not most, applications, the static seal (s) are configured to allow elements to be removed from the system from time to time. Exemplary static seals for this purpose include elastomeric O-rings, ring seals, gaskets, and the like. Unfortunately, these types of static seals or similar types exhibit high leakage potential. Leakage hazards can be a serious problem in submerged systems, systems handling hazardous fluids, and systems that must be operated under harsh conditions or that must operate without problems for an extremely long period of time.

In certain applications of hydraulic circuits, it is desired that elements such as pumps, displays, sensors, circuits, etc. be miniaturized as much as possible. In other applications, it is desired to increase the durability of the elements to a high degree. Often, both miniaturization and enhanced ruggedness must be achieved at the same time. Unfortunately, severe miniaturization is often a hindrance to achieving better durability enhancement at the same time. This applies not only to hydraulic systems in general, but also to pumps and other elements used in such systems.

Efforts to reduce the size of the hydraulic system and / or enhance durability can substantially increase the difficulty in using certain discrete elements such as pumps and sensors. One challenge is the difficulty associated with forming and maintaining suitable seals, such as static seals that seal around the sensor, isolating the interior of the pump housing from the external environment or extending from the outside into the hydraulic flow path . Another difficulty arises from placing and connecting elements in close proximity to each other within the system. For example, disposing a conventional stand-alone pressure sensor at the inlet or outlet of a miniaturized pump can result in a contorted configuration that takes up too much space, and in such a distorted configuration, the element is essentially forced into position Loses. Such arrangements can exert excessive stress on the elements and / or their respective housings, can damage the seals, and reduce the overall reliability and / or operable life of the elements. In fact, the requirements for small size and critical sealing may not allow the use of conventional fluid sensors in hydraulic systems.

The pump systems described herein have been developed while exploring possible improvements in gear pumps used in specific applications requiring miniaturization and durability enhancement. Specifically, including one or more sensors as part of the pump's physical pressure barrier ("housing") eliminates additional hydraulic connections, thereby providing significantly smaller pump-sensor combinations, .

In order to magnetically actuate a rotary pumping member (such as a combination of a drive gear and a driven gear in a gear pump), the rotary pumping member is coupled to a driven magnet configured to rotate on a longitudinal axis when driven by a magnet drive . The driven magnet is enclosed in a magnet housing ("magnet cup"), which allows the magnet to be bathed by the fluid being pumped and can be isolated from the external environment when the magnet is driven Let's do it. This avoids the need to maintain the position of the driven parts of the pump in the fluid path and to use a dynamic seal that is easy to leak. The ability to isolate the rotor environment from the stator environment is a major advantage of magnetically-driven pumps.

In general, adding a sensor to a magnetically-driven pump can either control the operation of the pump (in the case of a feedback control-type sensor) or communicate and / or store data (in the case of a fluid monitoring-type sensor) And presents a solution to the problem of how to handle the electrical connection between the electronic devices and the sensor. Some fluid sensors utilizing streamlined electrical connections are designed so that the wires must pass through holes ("through-holes") in the fluid containment wall, and thus the ability of the fluid to contact and damage electronic devices It is necessary to provide a sealing portion for preventing the leakage. The addition of through-holes and seals tends to make the pump less robust because each wire entering the motor housing adds a potential leakage point and at such a point of leakage, You will be able to access electronic devices. The inclusion of one or more sensor transducers in the magnetic cup eliminates the need to use separate element (s) to provide the sensor function (s), thereby accommodating one or more sensor transducers in the magnetic cup (S) that may be required if not allowed. Certain embodiments of the magnetic cups disclosed herein may be used to provide one or more sensors that are capable of indirect contact with a pumped fluid while being mounted on a fluid conduit or chamber and having a static Thereby making it possible to avoid the seals.

Also, the volume of the space to be occupied by the housing (s) of the single element (s) when the one or more sensor transducers are not included in the magnetic cup is reduced, resulting in a significantly more compact assembly . By allowing the sensor electronics to be mounted on a printed circuit board mounted outside the end-end wall of the magnetic cup, it is possible, for example, for the sensor transducer to be mounted on the circuit board and to sense each parameter through the wall of the magnetic cup , The assemblies are manufactured to be more compact and more reliable. In this way, the sensor electronics can be connected directly to the motor-control electronics located on a printed circuit board located inside the housing, including, for example, a magnet-driven stator, with minimal external wiring or without external wiring Lt; / RTI > By integrating the sensor (s) within the wall of the magnet cup, the entire pump assembly has greater durability than conventional pump systems, since fewer wires are located outside the motor housing. This is particularly advantageous in harmful environments or in submerged applications.

The exemplary embodiments shown herein are not limited to gear pumps or pumping systems that are compatible with the disclosed sensing devices are control pumps. Rather, they include any of the various types of pumps housed within the housing and having at least one movable pump element coupled to the permanent magnet, the moveable pump element originating from the exterior of the housing, And is driven by a magnetic force directed to the magnet through the walls of the magnet. Generally, a magnet is housed within a portion of a housing, referred to as a magnet housing or a magnet cup. In pumps where the movable element is a rotary element, a magnet and a magnet cup are configured such that when the magnet is placed in the rotating magnetic field, the magnet is rotated in the magnet cup about the longitudinal magnet axis. For this purpose, the driven magnet generally has a substantially cylindrical shape and the magnetic cup has a cylindrical (can-like) configuration that is substantially hollow to accommodate the driven magnet. The driven magnet can be driven by a drive magnet coupled to the armature of the motor, or driven by a drive stator located outside the magnetic cup. Lines of magnetic force generated by the drive magnet or by the stator are inductively coupled through the wall of the magnet cup and to the driven magnet. During operation of the pump, these lines of magnetic force are directed to force rotation of the driven magnet about its own axis, which causes rotation of the rotary pump element. In a gear pump, a rotary pump element is referred to as a "drive gear ", which meshes with a corresponding driven gear. When the drive gear is rotated, such rotation causes a corresponding counter-rotation of the driven gear. The combined gear rotations produce a pumping force. The gear pump may, for example, be generally known as a "cavity style ", or may include, for example, a" suction shoe " hybrid.

Another type of pump comprising a movable pump element coupled to a driven magnet is a piston pump. In some configurations of piston pumps, the piston experiences both rotational and linear reciprocating motion as it is magnetically driven. Other exemplary types of pumps include centrifugal pumps, lobe pumps, or pumps having a pressure-compliant member in the housing.

As described above, the pump housing constitutes a physical barrier that separates the pump's physical pressure barrier, i.e., the interior of the pump from its external environment (or vice versa). The escape of fluid across the physical barrier from the interior of the pump housing constitutes leakage. In contrast to conventional pumps and systems, the pumps and hydraulic systems described herein exhibit less leakage under more aggressive pumping conditions while providing improved pumping performance over a longer period of time.

In many embodiments of the present invention, at least one sensor is incorporated into the wall of the magnet cup so that it is not wetted by the fluid being pumped, because the magnetic cup constitutes part of the pumping housing. Such an "integral sensor" is associated with the magnetic cup so that the integral sensor is in a manner that essentially acts as part of the cup instead of an independent, discrete element. The integrated sensor can be used to detect a variety of sensors that can react quantitatively across each wall or wall of a magnetic cup or across a wall or other fluid barrier coupled to a wall of a magnetic cup, / RTI > The sensor (s) may include pressure sensors, temperature sensors, or other sensors, such as conductivity sensors, resistivity sensors, turbidity sensors, flow (viscosity) Gas sensors, or other fluid variables such as turbidity, dissolved ions and optical absorption, or sensors for detecting the rotation of elements of the pump motor. The conductivity sensor can be used, for example, to stop the pump in an event of a "running dry" state. For example, in the case where the motor controller does not have a sensor, a rotation sensor may be used to sense the direction of rotation, or to detect whether rotation of the pumping element occurs at all. An exemplary rotation sensor is based on Hall-effect. Dissolved gas sensors may be used to control the degassing system. Exemplary sensor types include electrodes such as strain gauge sensors, capacitive sensors, resistance sensors, piezoelectric sensors, and ion-specific electrodes. The sensors may be connected to other electronic devices by wireless connections, by conventional conductors (such as wires and pins) or, if allowed by the type and general configuration of the sensor. Other Hall-effect sensors detect the mechanical motion of one or more internal magnetic elements. Inductive sensors include, for example, a voice coil for measuring fine-positioned displacements and / or acoustic signals. Other exemplary inductive sensors receive and / or transmit RF signals.

Although the sensors are described as being mounted on the end-to-end walls of a magnetic cup in the embodiments presented herein, the position of the sensors is not limited to a particular wall of the magnetic cup, nor is it limited to a magnetic cup. For example, the sensor (s) may be located in the pump-inlet region of the magnet cup (e.g., to sense inlet pressure) or the pump-outlet region of the magnet cup (e.g., to sense outlet pressure) . An exemplary configuration for mounting sensors on a wall of a magnet cup or other area of the pump housing thereby creating an integral sensor is an overmolding process in which a separate membrane is welded, clamped, mechanically coupled, and directly integrated into the wall by molding or casting. The term " over-molded " Many types of sensors do not actually make contact with the fluid in the pump. For example, a strain-gauge based on a pressure sensor can sense pressure through the wall of a thin-walled magnetic cup or through a locally thinner region of the magnetic cup. Such a sensor transducer may be coupled directly to the "perforated" wall of the magnet cup. A preferred method for mounting a capacitive sensor is resistance welding to an injection-molded polymeric magnet cup or a wall of non-magnetic metal (e.g., end-end wall).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a coronal cross section of an embodiment of a magnetically-driven pump including a pump head and a housing, showing that the sensor transducer is integrated into the wall of the magnet cup and directly connected to the circuit board, Sectional view.
Figure 2 shows a tubular cross-section of an embodiment of a compact magnetically-driven pump, including a pump head and a housing, in which the sensor converter is placed in a dry cavity in the walls of the magnet cup And that the integrated sensor transducer can be directly wired to an adjacent circuit board or communicate wirelessly with adjacent electrical elements.
Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of a corrugated cross section of an embodiment of a magnetically-driven pump including a pump head and a housing in which the sensor transducer is integrated into the wall of the magnet cup and the dry side wall portion of the sensor transducer Which are connected directly to each other.
Figure 4 shows a first perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a magnetic cup, for example when used in the embodiment shown in Figure 3, in which an integral sensor transducer is directly connected to the annular circuit board FIG.
Figure 5 is a second perspective view of the magnetic cup shown in Figure 4;
Figure 6 is a first cross-sectional view of the elements at the distal end of the magnetic cup shown in Figure 4;
Figure 7 is a third perspective view of the magnetic cup shown in Figure 4 also showing an in-situ driven magnet.
Figure 8 is a second cross-sectional view of the magnetic cup shown in Figure 4 also showing the in-situ driven magnet.
Figure 9 is an exploded perspective view showing the coaxial elements of the magnetic cup of Figure 4;
Figure 10 is a first perspective view of another embodiment of the magnetic cup shown in Figure 2;
11 is a second perspective view of the magnetic cup shown in Fig.
Fig. 12 is a first cross-sectional view of the distal end of the magnetic cup shown in Fig. 10, in which the sensor transducer can be disposed within the dry cavity within the end-end wall of the magnetic cup and conveniently wired to an adjacent printed circuit board; Sectional view.
Figure 13 is a third perspective view of the magnetic cup shown in Figure 10 showing the in-situ driven magnet.
14 is a second sectional view of the magnetic cup shown in Fig. 10, including a sectional view of the driven magnet.
Figure 15 is an exploded view showing the coaxial elements of the magnetic cup of Figure 13;
Figure 16 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a magnetic cup, showing the sensor (s) integrated into the sidewall;
Figure 17 is a side view of an embodiment of a magnetic cup, illustrating the incorporation of the sensor into the end-end of the magnet cup using a static seal.
18 is an exploded view of the magnetic cup and seal-sensor embodiment shown in Fig.
19 is a block diagram illustrating the hardware components and software components of an exemplary feedback-control system that may be utilized to monitor and control a fluid pump.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The foregoing and additional objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 shows an embodiment of a pump assembly 10 including a driver portion 12 and a pump head 14. The pump head 14 includes an inlet port 16, an outlet port 18, a drive gear 20, a shaft 22, a driven magnet 24, and a magnetic cup 26. The magnet cup 26 is located inside the driver section 12. [ The magnet cup 26 has a side wall 26a and a distal end wall 26b which surround the driven magnet 24 and are coaxial with the driven magnet 24. The sidewall 26a and the end-end wall 26b are configured to maintain the driven magnet 24 (which is submerged in the fluid being pumped with the pump head 14) Lt; / RTI > from the electrical parts of the assembly that are not wetted by the < RTI ID = 0.0 > The fluid-wetted inner portions of the magnet cup 26 and the pump head 14 include a "pump housing ". A stator 32 located on the outside of the pump housing coaxially surrounds the magnetic cup 26 and the stator 32 magnetically couple to the driven magnet 24 across the side wall 26a of the magnet cup. . The stator 32 is housed in an enclosure 34. The exterior 34 outside the pump housing is in a "dry" state. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, sheath 34 and pump head 14 are mounted end-to-end with a large portion of pump head 14 extending from driver portion 12.

A sensor transducer 28 is mounted on the end-end wall 26b and the sensor transducer includes a parameter-sensitive surface (i.e., the surface on which the sensor responds in a measurable manner to the parameters it is sensitive to). In this embodiment, the sensor transducer 28 is sealingly mounted using a parameter-sensitive surface facing the driven magnet 24. The phrase "sealably mounted" means that at a position to maintain the fluid in contact with at least a portion of the mounting surface at one or more contact points where the barrier prevents passage of the fluid through or across the surface Sensor converter 28 is maintained. The barrier may take the form of, for example, a surface itself, an o-ring, an absorbent material, or an adhesive material. As a purchased element, the sensor transducer 28 may be of a type that can be operated while in contact with the fluid (wet). However, in various embodiments described herein, the sensor transducer can also be operated (or specifically configured for operation) even under dry conditions, i.e., not wetted by the pumped fluid. At least the parameter-sensitive surface can be integrated into the wall of the magnet cup. The sensor transducer 28 of this embodiment is directly electrically connected to the printed circuit board 30 located outside the magnet cup 26. The printed circuit board 30 includes electronic circuitry that receives the transducer signals from, for example, the sensor transducer 28 and provides electrical signals to other electronic devices such as driver electronics for the stator 32 (Not shown). For example, the transducer signals may be used for feedback control of the driver electronics to the stator 32.

FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of a pump assembly 50 configured to occupy less space than the embodiment shown in FIG. The pump assembly 50 includes a driver 52 and a pump head 54. The pump head 54 includes an inlet port 56, an outlet port 58, a drive gear 60, a driven gear 61, a shaft 62 to which the drive gear is axially attached, a driven magnet 64, , And a magnetic cup (66). The magnet cup 66 has a sidewall 66a and a distal end wall 66b and the sidewall and end-end wall 66b surround the driven magnet coaxially with the driven magnet 64. A sensor transducer 68 is mounted on the end-end wall 66b. A sensor transducer 68 is mounted such that the parameter-sensitive surface faces the interior of the magnet cup to sense each parameter through the end-end wall 66b. Other portions of the sensor transducer 68 extend from the magnet cup 66. The sensor transducer 68 is electrically connected to the printed circuit board 70. A stator 72 magnetically coupled to the driven magnet 64 across the side wall 66a of the magnet cup coaxially surrounds the magnet cup 66. [ The stator 72 is received within the enclosure 74, and such enclosure also receives the printed circuit board 70. The sensor transducer 68 can be connected to the printed circuit board 70 by wiring (not shown). Alternatively, the sensor transducer 68 may be coupled to the printed circuit board 70 using radio frequency (RF) or infrared (IR) signals, for example, to transmit data to the printed circuit board 70 Lt; / RTI > Preferably, the printed circuit board 70 also includes driver electronics for the stator 72 as well as electronic devices for receiving and conditioning transducer signals from the sensor transducer 68. In this embodiment, the portion of the pump housing is located inside the thick wall of the sheath 74, which reduces the relative volume occupied by the pump assembly 50.

Figure 3 illustrates another embodiment of a pump assembly 100 configured to also occupy a reduced volume. The pump assembly 100 includes a driver 102 and a pump head 104. The pump head 104 includes an inlet port 106, an outlet port 108, a driven gear 110, a drive gear 111, a shaft 112 to which the drive gear 111 is attached in the axial direction, (114), and a magnetic cup (116). The magnet cup 116 has a sidewall 116a and a terminal-end wall 116b, and the sidewall and the end-end wall enclose the driven magnet coaxially with the driven magnet 114. [ A sensor transducer 118 is mounted on the end-end wall 116b. The sensor transducer 118 is mounted so that the parameter-sensitive surface of the sensor transducer faces the driven magnet 114 in a state where the surface is not wetted by the fluid normally pumped in the magnet cup. Other portions of the sensor transducer 118 extend from the magnet cup to the first printed circuit board 120. A stator 122 which magnetically couples to the driven magnet 114 across the side wall 116a of the magnetic cup coaxially surrounds the magnetic cup 116. [ The stator 122 is located within the enclosure 124 and the enclosure also houses a first printed circuit board 120 on which the sensor transducer 118 is mounted. The first printed circuit board 120 is connected to the second printed circuit board 126 by conductive pins 121. The first printed circuit board 120 includes electronic devices for receiving and conditioning transducer signals from the sensor transducer 118 and the second printed circuit board 126 includes driver electronics for the stator 122 . In this embodiment, the pump head 104 extends at least partially into the wall of the enclosure 124, which reduces the relative volume occupied by the pump assembly 100.

The magnetic cup 116 may be made of any of a variety of rigid materials that are not magnetic. For example, the magnetic cup 116 may be made of a non-magnetic metal or a metal alloy, in which case the magnetic cup may be formed by machining, deep-drawing, casting, or the like. As another example, the magnetic cup may be made of a polymeric or copolymeric material formed, for example, by machining or molding. The polymeric or copolymeric material may be reinforced using fibers, particles, or other suitable non-magnetic material. In order for the non-wetting type sensor to be able to detect the optical properties of the fluid being pumped or a change in such properties across the wall of the magnet cup, the polymeric magnet cup is transparent to the selected wavelength of the electromagnet radiation, It will be translucent.

An exemplary embodiment of a magnetic cup 150 made of metal is shown in FIG. 4, and the cup shown in FIG. 4 includes a cylindrical body 152. The body 152 includes a proximal mounting flange 154 for mounting the cup to the pump head (see FIG. 3). In addition, the body 152 includes a distal-end plate 156, to which the sensor-transducer 158 is attached such that the parameter-responsive surface of the transducer is coupled to the interior Confront each other. The facing (facing) surface of the sensor converter 158 connected to the annular circuit board 162 by the fins 160 can be seen in the figure. Circuit board 162 includes male connector pins 164 that are electrically connected to other electronic devices located on a separate circuit board (not shown) by male connector pins 164 do. The magnet cup 150 of FIG. 4 also shown in another perspective view in FIG. 5 is similar to the magnet cup 26 shown in FIG. 1 and the magnet cup 116 shown in FIG. The cross-sectional view along the incision lines shown in FIG. 5 provides some additional details, for example, objectives, as shown in FIG. The cylindrical body 152, the end-end plate 156 of the magnetic cup 150, the sensor transducer 158, the printed circuit board 162, and the connection pins 164 are shown in FIG. A cover 166 configured to fit over the circuit board 162 and the sensor transducer 158 with the pins 164 extending through the cover 166 is shown in FIG. The cup 150 shown in FIG. 4 is similar to the cup of FIG. 6, but does not include the cover 166 shown in FIG. Similarly, the cup 26 shown in FIG. 1 includes a cover while the cup 116 shown in FIG. 3 does not include a cover.

6, the sensor transducer 158 is sealingly integrated with the end-to-end plate 156 so that the sensor transducer 158 is held in contact with the annular printed circuit board 162, And is surrounded by the circuit board 162. This allows electrical signals from the sensor transducer 158 to be transmitted to the hardware components on the circuit board 162 via the pins 160 (see FIG. 4), without the need for separate connecting wires and associated through-holes. Allows direct connection. The sensor transducer 158 is integrated with the dry side of the thin plate 156 and the plate forms a barrier between the wet environment and the dry environment while the sensor transducer 158 has one or two Thereby enabling to detect the above-mentioned fluid parameters. Placing the sensor transducer 158 proximate to the wetting surface prevents direct contact with the fluid being pumped, thereby causing the sensor transducer 158 to operate as a "non-wetting" sensor. Integrating the sensor transducer 158 with the plate 156 and direct connection of the sensor transducer to the circuit board 162 form a mechanically rigid unit that is electrically coupled to the sensor 156, It is easier to ensure the integrity of continuity.

FIG. 7 is another perspective view of a magnet cup 150 including a cover 166. FIG. The cross section of the magnet cup 150 and the driven magnet 114 is shown in Fig. 9 is an exploded view of a magnetic cup 150 showing the features used to make the interior of the magnetic cup 150 pressure-compliant. It is noted that in US Patent Application No. US 2009-0060728, filed on August 29, 2008, and incorporated herein by reference, in particular in Figures 1e, 2, 3, 4a, 4b and 5, 48 and 53-60. These features include a plug 168 (made of a fluorosilicone foam) and a retainer 170. The driven magnet 172 and the holding shoe 174 are also shown.

An exemplary embodiment of a magnetic cup 200 made of a molded rigid polymer material is shown in FIG. 10, wherein the cup shown includes a cylindrical body 202. The body 202 includes a base mounting flange 204 for mounting the cup to a pump head (not shown). The body 202 also includes stiffening ribs 206 and an end-end wall 208 to allow the parameter-responsive surface of the transducer to communicate with the sensor transducer 210 are joined to the end-end wall. End-end wall 208 also includes hardened ribs 212. The sensor transducer 210 includes pins 214, by which the sensor transducer is electrically connected to a circuit board (not shown). In addition to this, the magnetic cup 200 of FIG. 10 is similar to the magnetic cup 66 shown in FIG.

Specific details of the magnetic cup 200 are shown in Figs. 11 and 12, wherein a portion of the body 202 is shown with the end-end wall 208. Fig. The end-end wall 208 forms a cavity 216 within which the sensor transducer 210 is sealingly mounted (e.g., by the use of an adhesive) Is operated as a non-wet type sensor. Fig. 13 shows another perspective view of the magnetic cup 200, and a cross section of the magnetic cup 200 is shown in Fig. Additional details, including the specific features used to make the interior of the magnetic cup 200 pressure-adaptive, are shown in FIG. Such features include a plug 218 (e.g., made of a fluorosilicone foam) and a retaining portion 220. The driven magnet 222 and the holding portion shoes 224 are also shown.

16 illustrates another embodiment of a magnetic cup 230 that includes a side wall 232, a distal-end wall 234, a base-mounting flange 236, and one or more non- Includes an assembly (238) of wet type sensors (240). In this embodiment, the sensor assembly 238 is integrated into the side wall 232 instead of being integrated into the end-end wall 234. Individual sensors 240 may be placed in a ring around the circumferential direction of the magnetic cup 230 so that the sensors may protrude above the surface of the cup 230. Instead, sensors 240 may be configured as mini-or micro-mechanical sensors disposed on or in the surface of body 232. The sensor assembly 238 may be configured as a narrow ring, a wide ring as shown, or an outer cylinder that is coaxial with the side wall 232.

17 and 18 illustrate another embodiment of a magnetic cup 250 that includes a sidewall 252, a distal-end wall 254 that may be thicker than the sidewall 252, A flange 256, and a non-wet type sensor 258. In this embodiment, the sensor 258 can be inserted into the end-end wall 254 and held in place by the cover 260 and the seal 262. Seal 262 may be an adhesive, gasket, o-ring, or the like.

FIG. 19 illustrates an exemplary feedback control system 300 for a self-modulating pump assembly including one or more sensing elements as described above. For example, the feedback control system 300 may be utilized to maintain a prescribed temperature or pressure with respect to the pump assembly. As described above, without the need for additional housings, wires, or seals, all elements of the control system can be located within the pump assembly. Software portion 302 and hardware portion 304 are shown, respectively. The exemplary software portion 302 includes an integral controller 306 and a proportional controller 308 that are typically used in feedback-control systems. Exemplary hardware portion 304 includes a motor controller (not shown) for driving digital-to-analog converter (DAC) 310, analog to digital converter (BLDC) 314, thus a pump 318 and at least one sensing element 320.

The measured feedback signal 322 from the sensing element 320 is provided by the ADC 312 to the first digital signal 322 to provide feedback control for the pump 318 based on the measurements obtained by the sensing element 320. [ Feedback signal 324 and such a first digital feedback signal may be processed by the software portion 302. [ Additional data may be combined with the first digital feedback signal 324 from an external source by the second digital feedback signal 326. [ For processing by the controllers 306 and 308, a first multiplexer 328 combines the digital feedback signals 324 and 326. The proportional control signal 330 and the integration control signal 332 may then be combined by the second multiplexer 334 to form the composite control signal 336. [ The composite control signal 336 may then be transmitted to the DAC 310 for conversion to an analog control signal 338. [ The analog control signal 338 may be processed by the BLDC controller 314 and subsequently delivered to the motor 316 at an appropriate time to control the performance of the pump 318. [

It is to be understood that the illustrated embodiments are merely preferred embodiments of the invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in light of the many possible embodiments to which the principles of the invention disclosed may be applied. Instead, the scope of the present invention is defined by the following claims. Accordingly, all that comes within the scope and spirit of these claims is claimed as the invention.

50: Pump assembly 52: Driver
54: Pump head 56: Inlet port
58: Exhaust port 60: Drive gear
61: driven gear 62: shaft
64: driven magnet 66: magnetic cup
66a: side wall 66b: end-end wall
68: sensor converter 70: printed circuit board
72: stator 74: sheath

Claims (27)

Pump assembly,
A pump head including a sealed pump housing,
A movable pumping member positioned within the pump housing,
A driven magnet connected to the pumping member such that an induced movement of the driven magnet causes a corresponding induced movement of the pumping member;
A magnet housing that receives the driven magnet and is an individual part of the pump housing such that an induced movement of the driven magnet is generated in the magnet housing, the interior of the driven magnet and the magnet housing being driven by an induced movement of the pumping member The magnet housing being wetted by a fluid pumped by the magnet housing;
At least one sensor element, said sensor element being sealingly mounted against a wall of the magnet housing such that the sensor element is not wetted by the fluid,
Wherein a change in the magnetic field produced by the magnet-driver is located outside the magnet housing and is magnetically coupled to the driven magnet to induce movement of the driven magnet to induce movement of the pumping member within the housing. Including a magnet-driver,
Pump assembly. The pump assembly of claim 1, wherein the sensor element is integral with a wall of the magnet housing. The pump assembly of claim 1, wherein the sensor element is sealingly mounted within the wall. 2. The pump assembly of claim 1, wherein the sensor element is sealingly mounted to the wall. The pump assembly of claim 1, wherein the sensor element is sealingly mounted within the wall. The pump assembly of claim 1, wherein the sensor element comprises a transducer. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the wall of the magnet housing comprises a wetting surface and a dry surface,
Wherein the wetted surface is in fluid contact with the interior of the magnet housing,
Wherein the sensor element is not in fluid contact with the interior of the magnet housing. The pump assembly of claim 1, wherein the sensor element is located within a cavity within a wall of the magnet housing. The pump assembly of claim 1, further comprising an electrical connection to the sensor element. The pump assembly of claim 1, further comprising a wireless electrical connection for the integral sensor element. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pumping member includes a driven gear engaged with the driving gear and the driving gear,
And the drive gear is coupled to the driven magnet. 2. The magnet housing of claim 1, wherein the magnet housing comprises a body and an end-
The sensor element is integrated within the end-end wall,
Wherein the sensor element comprises a rigid electrical connection to the sensor element. The pump assembly of claim 1, further comprising a printed circuit board electrically connected to the sensor element. The pump assembly of claim 1, wherein the magnet driver comprises a stator. 13. The stator of claim 12, further comprising: a motor housing for housing the stator;
And a stator-driver electronics device located within the motor housing and electrically connected to the stator. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor element is selected from the group consisting of a pressure transducer, a temperature transducer, a flow transducer, a conductivity transducer, a rotation-sensing transducer, a dissolved gas transducer, a pH transducer, a turbidity- A converter, and a combination thereof. ≪ Desc / Clms Page number 20 > The sensor element of claim 1, wherein the sensor element is selected from the group consisting of a strain-gauge, a capacitive transducer, a resistive transducer, an inductive transducer, a piezoelectric transducer, a magnetically-coupled transducer, a Hall- , Pump assembly. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor element is selected from the group consisting of direct welding, laser welding, individual membrane welding, brazing, overmolding, adhesive bonding, static sealing in place, clamping, mechanical bonding, molding, Wherein said housing is sealingly mounted into a wall of said magnet housing by a method selected from the group consisting of: The pump assembly of claim 1, wherein the pumping member is selected from the group consisting of a pump gear, a centrifugal member, a lobed member, and a piston. The pump assembly of claim 1, further comprising a pressure-compliant member located within the pump housing. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor element is a pressure transducer,
Wherein the sensor element is located in a pump-inlet region of the magnet housing to sense inlet pressure or in a pump-outlet region of the magnet housing to sense outlet pressure. 2. The sensor assembly of claim 1, further comprising: sensor electronics located outside the pump housing and electrically connected to the sensor element;
A driver circuit located outside the pump housing and electrically connected to the magnet driver,
And a controller electrically connected to the sensor electronics and the driver circuit,
Wherein the controller is configured to control operation of the pumping member by controlling operation of the magnet driver based on data provided by the sensor electronics to the controller. Pump head,
A sealed pump housing,
A pumping member positioned within the housing,
A driven magnet connected to the pumping member and positioned within the housing such that an induced movement of the driven magnet induces a corresponding induced movement of the pumping member;
A magnet housing that receives the driven magnet and is an individual part of the pump housing such that an induced movement of the driven magnet is generated in the magnet housing, the interior of the driven magnet and the magnet housing being driven by an induced movement of the pumping member The magnet housing being wetted by a fluid pumped by the magnet housing;
At least one sensor element, wherein at least one sensor element is integrally mounted on a wall of the magnet housing such that the sensor element is sensitive to at least one parameter of fluid pumped by the pumping member.
Pump head. 24. The system of claim 23, wherein the sensor element comprises a parameter-responsive surface capable of measuring the nature of the fluid being pumped,
Wherein the sensor element is mounted integrally with a wall of the magnet housing such that the parameter-sensitive surface faces the interior of the magnet cup. 24. The pump head of claim 23, wherein the sensor element is integrally mounted within a wall of the magnet housing adjacent a wetting surface in contact with fluid within the magnet cup. A method for controlling a magnetically-driven hydraulic pump in which pumped fluid is separated from a pump-driven electronic component by a pump housing comprising a magnet housing,
Providing a sensor mounted against a wall of the magnet housing such that the sensor is not wetted by the fluid,
Using the sensor to measure at least one parameter of the fluid to generate a measurement signal,
Supplying said measurement signal as a control signal to said electronic component, wherein said control signal has at least one characteristic based on a measurement of said parameter and wherein said electronic component is a signal operatively responding, A signal supply step,
And deriving the electronic component to correspondingly change the drive of the pump based on the control signal.
A method for controlling a magnetically-driven hydraulic pump. A fluid pump,
Pump-element means magnetically coupled to the driven magnet means,
Pump housing means for housing the pump-element means in isolation from the external environment and in contact with a fluid to be pumped, the pump housing means including housing means for the driven magnet means;
Magnet-drive means located outside of the housing means for said driven magnet means for inducing movement of said driven magnet means to induce movement of said pump-element means in said housing means;
A parameter sensing means associated with the housing means for measuring at least one property of the fluid without contact with the fluid,
Pump control means coupled to said parameter sensing means for receiving data associated with said measured at least one property and for generating a corresponding pump-control signal,
And means for adjusting the operation of the pump in response to the corresponding pump-control signal.
Fluid pump.

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