GB2531426A

GB2531426A - Vane pumps

Info

Publication number: GB2531426A
Application number: GB1517102.8A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael F Cass; Weishun W Ni
Original assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corp
Current assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corp
Priority date: 2014-09-26
Filing date: 2015-09-28
Publication date: 2016-04-20
Also published as: US20160090984A1; GB201517102D0

Abstract

A rotor 100 for a pump 500 includes a rotor body 101, an undervane cavity 103 defined in the rotor body configured to accept an underside of a vane 109, an outer surface 105 on a periphery of the rotor body for defining overvane cavities 215 within a liner 211 as a function of an inner cammed surface 213 of the liner, and a pressure balance aperture 107 defined in the rotor body fluidly connecting the undervane cavity to at least one of the outer surface. The pump may further comprise a rotor disposed within the liner 211, which includes the inner cammed surface 213 a rotor disposed within the liner and configured to rotate therein and a plurality of vanes 109 in the rotor and in contact with the cammed surface, a follower portion 109a of the vanes extending from the rotor radially outwardly and an underside of the vanes extending from the rotor radially outwardly and an underside of the vanes 109b extending at least partially into the undervane cavity, the vanes circumferentially defining cavities of different sizes.

Description

VANE PUMPS

BACKGROUND

1. FIeld

The present disclosure relates to fluid pumps, more specifically to vane pumps.

2 Descrqthon of Rcluted %i I Certain pumps include a rotor disposed within an outer liner that includes an intetior cammed surface for defining cavities between the rotor and the liner 01 differing sizes. Rotating the rotor within the liner causes a trogressi ye and cyclical shrinking and enlargement of the cavltKs thue'bin, Lausin cmniesion rnd cpans on a di nmately, an axial fluid pumping action, [he rotor of such a pump can be registered within the liner using a plurality of vanes that can nne rad al y irwarely am' outaicIy tlt lot c rior and define "ovenane ca'ifles with the rotor and the liner, Such vanes can include a spring, and/or other force applied to an underside thereof to continually apply a radiafly outward force thereto in order to maintain contact with the cammed surFace of the liner.

The vanes can retract and extend from a plurality of axial "undentane" cavities. In some casts pr&ssur iris an eon ftc vrc can pR,sJ a h"ntaion on ftc usea,le lilt ot the pump and (an caist pressure instah fly with the o'vCl\ ane p1 api g at ion, causing th atio i and potentially efficiency loss, Such onvtnflora] metod, and vtem na C ct erahv been consdei cd sansfactoiv tot their intended purpose. However, there is still a riced in the art tbr improved vane pumps. The present disclosure provides a solution for this need.

SUMMARY

in at least one aspect 0f this disclosure, a pump inciudes a liner having an inner eanimed surface, and a rotor disposed within the liner and configured to rotate therein, the rotor including an undervane cavity and an outer surface fir defining overvanc cavities within the liner as a S function of the inner cammed surface. The rotor includes a pressure balance aperture defined therein fluidly connecting the undervane cavity to the outer surface The pump also includes a plurality of vanes disposed in the rotor and in contact with the camnmed surface within the liner, a follower portion of the vanes extending from the rotor adiM ly cut\wudk and an undrsde of N arc cxtt. nJ rg at least parti_ ty nto the uneIvane cdv t\. he vanes circumfennuallv dc.flnc cas cs o hfieiing sues thercbetx%&cn withm the liner in cofflunction with the inner cammed surface of the Hoer and the outer surface of the rotor.

The pump can inc hide a piuralky of pressure balance apertures defined in the rotor in communication with the undervane cavity. The nump can include a plurality of vanes and rndevanc ervit e as dccnbe abow it r abc contemplatLd t-uu the pump car include a IS lulid ly ci piosurc b4lancc apertues dfincd tie k)to for eac'i rcspcctive undervane caut The outer surface can include an axially asymmetric shape. The outer surface can include a smootn shape.

in at least one aspect of this disclosure, a rotor ibm a pump includes a rotor body, an undervane cavity defined in the rotor body configured to accept art underside of a vane, an outer 2.0 surface on a periphery of the rotor body for dci ning overvane cavities within a liner as a function of an inner camnied surface of the liner, and a pressure balance aperture defined in the rotor body fluidly connecting the undervane cavity to at least one of the outer surface, These and other features of the systems and methods of the subject disclosure will become more readily apparent to those skilled in the ml. from the thilowing detailed desertption taken in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF IThSUUI' HON O [HE DRAWENGS So that those skilled in the art to which the subject disclosure appertains will readily understand how to make and use the devices and methods of the subject disclosure without undue experimentation, embodiments thereof wil be described in detail herein below, by way of' example only mid with reference to certain figures, wherein: 0 Fig. lt is a perspective view of an embodiment oVa rotor in accordance with this

disclosure, showing vanes disposed uhere n;

Fig. I B is a cross-sectional, axial end elevation view of the rotorof Fig. IA; Fig. IC is a perspecflve, cross-sectional vew oLhe rotor of Fig. 1A; Fig. 2 is a perspective. cross-sectiona' view of the rotor of Fig. IA showing the rotor and vanes disposed in a liner; Fig. 3A is side elevation view ofan embnthrnent oVa vane in aceoiance with this disclosure, showing an ahgned peak vane configuration; Fig. 3D is side devation view of another embodiment oVa vane in accordance with this disdosure, showing an offset peak vane configuration; Fig. 4 is a plan view olan embodimeni of a por piMe in accordance with this disclosure, showing a plurality of inlets and outlets; and Jig 5 s a etoss-sectional axa1 end devator view I a iur i ir aco dance \ith tIns disclosure, schematically showing flow due to rotation of the rotor in the iiner,

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will HOW he made to the drawings wherein ike reference numerals identify similar structural Features or aspects of the subject disclosure. For purposes of explanation and tdustration, anci no limtatwn n i*wratn. SOt.W o an eir)owment old motol or i pump in S accordance with the disclosure is shown in Figs. lA-iC and is designated generally by reference character 100. Figs, 2-5 show other embodiments or aspects of this disclosure, The systems and methods described herein can be used to pump fluids efficiently using a vane pump.

Referring to Figs. IA-IC, in at least one aspect of this disclosure, a. rotor 100 for a pump c g pump 500 shown r Pig 5) includes a rotot body 101 1ed orc or mo u du vanu caviti s 103 defined in the rotor body 101. The rotor body 101 can be of any suitable shape (e.g., a hollow cylindrical shape. as shown) and can include any suitable material (e.g., netal, plastic).

As best seen in Fig. lB. each of the undervane cavities 103 is con figured to accept an underside ofa respective vane (e.g., vanes 109 shown disposed in rotor 00. described in further derail nelow tr'ough a slot 108 The und rvm iviliL s 1(1 tan hc defined axially in the rotot boa.v and'ot in any otcr suuabe rrannr and cdfl lx ol +n sui aNe iie, d anetei, and oi lengTh The rotor 100 includes an outer surLhee 105 on and/or dcflncd by a periphery of the rotor body 101. Referring add itionafly Fig. 2, the outer surface 105 partially defines overvane cavities 2.15 when the rotor 100 is disposed within a liner liner 211. The shape of the overvane cavities 2.15 are a function of the shape of an inner cammed surface 213 of the liner 211 and the shape of the outer surface 105.

in ecttain embodiments, the outer surface 105 can include an axially asymmetric cross-sectional shape and/or any other irregular shape (e.g., polygon as shown). Ft is also contemplated that the outer surface 105 can include a smooth cross-sectional shape (eg., circular). Any suithale shape and number of undervane cavities 103 is contemplated herein.

ReVering to Fig. I C, the rotor 100 further includes one or more pressure balance apertures 107 cefined in the rotor body 101 vhich provith. fluid comnurcatton horn the unc'e"ane cautv 103 to one or more of the outer surfaces 105/cavities 2 5. The pressure balance apertures 107 Ldfl he ot an> uitahle sue or hpe Ako, ans uilahlc nurber of pressute balance apertures I can be included in the rotor body 10 For example, as shown, the rotor 100 can include a pluraLity of pressure balance apertures 107 defined in the rotor 100 in communication with each widervane cavity 103 or in any other suitable combination. The plurality of pressure balance apertures 107 can be spaced in any

suitable manner.

Referring additionally to Figs. 3A5, in at least one aspect of this disclosure, a pump 500 includes a liner 211 and a rotor 100 as described above disposed within the liner 211 and configured to rotate therein, As described above, the liner 211 can include an inner cammed surface 213 of any suitable carnrned shape.

The pump 500 also includes a plurallty of vanes 109 disposed in the rotor IOU and in contact with the inner can med surthce 213 of the liner 211 The rotor 100 can be disposed concentrically within the liner 211 in any suitabLe manner (e.g., via bearings).

The vanes 109 can include a follower pci-Lion I 09a exiending from the rotor 100 radially outwardly and an underside 109b of the vanes eKtending at least partially into the undervane cavity 103. The follower portion 109a can include any suitable earn follower shape for following the inner cammed surface 213 of the liner 2 LI. For example, as shown in Fig. 3A, vane 109 includes a follower portion 109a having a peak I 09c that is aligned with an edge ofthe underside

H

I 09h. In another embodiment shown in Fig. 313. a vane 309 includes a follower portion 309a with a peak 309e that is offset from an edge of' the underside 309L'. The peak location can affect how the resulting forces due to interaction with We liner 21] act on the vanes 109 (e.g., moment acting on the underside I 09h).

The vanes 109 can be disposed within slut 08 in any suitable manner that biases the vanes 109 to extend away from the rotor 1(X) (eg,. using springs attached to underside 109b or any other suitable portion of vane 109). Vanes 109 circuTnlbrentia]iy define and delimit overvane cavities 215 ofdilTening sizes within the liner 211 in conjunction with the inner crnimed su"faee 23 of th liner 21. md the ou er sut Lce 05 ot the wtor 00 H. R.efemng to I ig 4, an enr'oJ nent of a urt plate I K) br us th a p.. mp 500 as disclosed herein is shown, The port pate 400 includes two inlet ports 401 and two outlet ports 403, however, any other suitable number of pons can he uscd, The port plate 400 is configured to operate adjacent to one or more axial ends of the pump 500 to facilitate pumping action. The port plate 400 can ne connected tote net 211 and s tat onary tlauve o the rotor 00 the un..ten'aiie ca ifies 03 can he,eced by por pLic 403 It i, contemplated t tat th other xia1 end of the pump 500 can he sealed with a solid plate or another port plate can be utilized.

Referring to Fig.5, when assembled and operated, the rotor 100 can rotate within the liner 211. The vanes 109 extend outwardly until the lollower porhon 109a abuts the inner cammed surface 213 of the liner 211. As the rotor 100 rotates, the vanes 109 follow the inner eammed surface 213 to change radial position As the radia! position changes, the volume of the ovenane cavities 215 change between each pair of vanes 109. This changing volume changes the pressure within, each overvane cavity 21.5. By placing an mid port 401 at a position where the cavity 215 is expanding in volume, the pressure drops and draw fluid in. Likewise, by placing art oiniet port 403 at a position where the cavity 215 is decreasing in vohjrre, the increasing pressure will push fluid out of the eavily 215 through the outlet port 403.

Since pressure balance holes 107 are deiThed in the rotor 100, the pressure in the undeivanc caittes 1) and oven are eavWes is is cquah'Ld 1 his pievents differing presswes on the follower portion lO9a and the underside 09b of the vanes 109 which reduces vane mo esrent, vib"ation, and pressure i ppie I urther se Lc ting the vanes 109 to includc a ccired peak location can urthei reduce ill cEects A, a R\ult the umping efficiency and hfspan o[ the system is improved compared to traditional systems.

iThe methods, apparatuses, and systems of the present disclosure, as described above and shown in the drawings, provide for pumps with superior properties including improved pumning efficiency and longer lifespan. While the apparatus and methods of the suhject disclosure have been shown and described with reference to embodiments, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that changes and/or modifications may be made hereto without departing from the scope oftx suftect disel s.. re ss deined hs th aV'1S