US2083167A - Turbo-pump unit for extinguishing fires - Google Patents

Description

June 8, 1937. l A. LAMERE 2,083,167

TURBO-PUMP UNIT FOR EXTINGUISHING FIRES I Filed Deo. 24, 1935 Egal. L i

Patented June 8, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Andr Lamre, Paris, France, assigner to vSocit de Moteurs Gaz et dlndustrie Mecanique, Paris, France, a company of France .Application December 24, 193s, semi No. sans In France December 27, 1934 (Cl. 10d-87 The present invention relates to improvements the form of an inverted Y in the leg of which in motor-pump units intended for extinguishing fires by projecting upon the seat of the fire a chemical foam formed at the moment of use by the union in a common delivery conduit of two Asolutions which cause the formation of the said foam 'when mixed together, the said solutions being supplied. by two separate conduits fed respectively by two pumps driven by 'a motor common to both.

In the motor-pump unit according to the invention, the two pumps each forcing one of the two solutions respectively 'are centrifugal pumps driven by the same hydraulic turbine mounted on the shaft common to the two pumps and between the latter, the two wheels of the pumps and the wheel of the turbine being moreover disposed in a common casing frame carrying the suction and delivery connecting pieces necessary for the pumps, as well as the admission and outlet connecting pieces for the turbine. The device furthermore comprises means for preventing, without the use of a stuffing box, any mixing of the solutions in the interior of the casing. Thereis thus provided a compact and perfectly balanced construction, which is easy to keep in repair and ensures an irreproachable operation of the turbopump unit. 4

' In the accompanying drawing showing by way of example a-form of construction of the invention, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation on the axis of the shaft common to the pumps and turbine.y

Figure 2 is a cross-section of the turbine on the line II-II of Figure 1 and Figure 3 is acrosssection of one of the pumps on the line III-IlI of the same Figure 1.-

'Ihe turbine comprises a blade wheel or impeller I mounted on a shaft 2 and rotating in a central chamber a of a. casing frame 3 common to the turbine and to the pumps. The water under pressure enters through the distributor or guide ring 4, passes through the blade wheel I in the directions shown by the arrows, and leaves by the connecting piece 5.

Two centrifugal pump discs 6 and 1 are mounted on the ends of the shaft 2 suitably extended for that purpose, and rotate in the same casing frame 3', in which are provided the two end chambers b, b. The disc 5 draws one of the solutions through the conduit 8 and the disc I draws the other solution. through the conduit 9. The solutions are delivered into diiusers Il and Il, provided in the end chambers -of the said casing frame 3. The outlets l2 and I3 of these diifusers are connected by a header I5 having the mixing of the two liquids takes place. The resulting emulsion leaves by I6 to be directed towards the nozzle of the nre hose.

In order to prevent the elementary solutions from passing through the bearings I1 and i8 provided in the frame for the shaft 2 and mixing in the turbine, a partial vacuum is created in the f said bearings by utilizing for this purpose the known means for reducing leakage between the discs of the pump and the casing. The discs the vicinity of the bearings I1 and I8, it is greater than the suction pressure of the discs 5 and 1, for example by creating a sumcient loss of head at the outlet 5 of the turbine. Under these conditions, leakage occurs from 25 towards y 23 and from 25 towards 24 but not in the opposite direction.

I claim:

1. A turbo-pump unitzof the type adapted to separately deliver two different water-miscible liquids to a common mixing chamber and delivery conduit, comprising a common casing for housing all of the elements of said unit, a pair of pump chambers disposed within said casing at the opposite ends thereof, -a turbine chamber disposed within said casing between said pump chambers, l

a hydraulically operatedturbine in said turbine chamber, a shaft forsaid turbine, packless bearings for said shaft in the walls of said casing between said turbine chamber and said lpump chambers'. the ends of said shaft extending through said walls and into said pump chambers, centrifugal pump impellers mounted in said pump chambers on the ends of said shaft, separate inlets to said pump chambers vcoaxial withsaid shaft for supplying the water-miscible liquids thereto, separate outlets from said pump chambers joining inra common mixing chamberP-a separate inlet and outlet fo'rsaid turbine chamber,

`saidturbine outlet being in direct communication with the inner ends of said packless bearings and so constructed and arranged that the pressure of the water discharged therefrom exceeds the suction pressure of each of said pumps, and means for establishing communication between the outer ends of said bearings and the suction sides of said pump impellers, whereby a' pressure differential is created that i'orces'any leakage through said bearings to iiow from said turbine chamber to said pump chambers and prevents any passage of the water-miscible liquids into the turbine chamber.

2.*A reghting, turbo-pump unit of the type adapted to separatelydeliver two dierent watermiscible` liquids to a common mixing chamber and delivery conduit wherein their mixture producesa ire extinguishing foam, comprising a common 'casing for housing all of the elements of said unit, a pair of pump chambers disposed within said casing at the opposite ends thereof, a-turbine chamber disposed within said casing Vbetweensaidpump chambers, a' hydraulically operated turbine in said turbinechamber. a shaft for said turbine, packless bearings for said shaft in the walls of said casing between said turbine chamber and said pump chambers, the ends of said shaft extending through said walls and into said pump chambers, centrifugal pump impellers said shaft, separate inlets to said pump'chambers coaxial with said shaft for supplying the watermiscible, foam-producing liquids thereto, separate outlets from said pump chambers joining in a common mixing chamber, a separate inlet and outlet for said turbine chamber, said turbine outlet being indirect communication with the inner ends of said packless bearings and so constructed and arranged that the pressure of the water discharged therefrom exceeds the` suction pressure of each of said pumps, leakage receiving pockets formed between said pump impellers and the adjacent walls of said casingand in direct communication with the outer ends of said bearings, and vopenings in said impellers providing communication between said pockets and the suction sides of said impellers, whereby la pressure difierential is created that forces any leakage through said bearings to flow from said turbine chamber to said pump chambers and prevents any pasf sage of the foam-producing liquids into the turbine chamber.

ANDR LAMRE.

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