Background of the Invention

This invention relates to liquid ring pumps for pumping gases or vapors (hereinafter generically ••gas") to compress the gas or to produce a reduced gas pressure region ("vacuum") . More particularly, the invention relates to liquid ring pumps having a liner inside the stationary pump housing, said liner being free to rotate with the liquid ring to thereby reduce fluid friction between the liquid ring and the housing.

Liquid ring pumps with rotating liners are known as shown, for example, by Haavik U.S. patent 5,100,300 and Russian patent 939,826. In Haavik U.S. patent 5,100,300 the liner is supported for rotation by a pressurized bearing liquid in the clearance between the liner and the stationary housing. In Russian patent 939,826 gas is mixed with the liquid which supports the liner for rotation to reduce frictional resistance to rotation of the liner. Liquid, or even liquid mixed with gas, still exerts considerable drag force on the liner.

It is therefore an object of this invention to reduce the drag on the rotating liners in liquid ring pumps having such liners.

Summary of the Invention

This and other objects of the invention are accomplished in accordance with the principles of the invention by providing liquid ring pumps having rotating liners which are supported for rotation relative to a surrounding housing principally by compressed gas which substantially fills a clearance between the liner and the housing.

Further features of the invention, its nature and various advantages will be more apparent from the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments.

Brief Description of the Drawings

FIG. 1 is a simplified sectional view of an illustrative liquid ring pump constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a simplified sectional view taken along the line 2-2 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is another view similar to FIG. 2 showing an illustrative modification in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 4 is a simplified sectional view of another illustrative liquid ring pump constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention. FIG. 5 is an enlargement of a portion of

FIG. 4 showing a possible modification in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to a portion of FIG. 5 showing another possible modification in accordance with this invention.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments

As shown in FIG. 1 (which drawing is similar in some respects to the right-hand portion of FIG. 1 in

U.S. patent 5,217,352), an illustrative pump 10 constructed in accordance with this invention includes a stationary housing 20 having a hollow, substantially cylindrical main body 30. Rotor 28 is mounted on shaft 12 for rotation with the shaft about a shaft axis which is laterally offset from the central longitudinal axis of main body 30. The rotation of shaft 12 is powered by motor 13. A hollow, substantially cylindrical liner 34 is disposed inside main body 30. The outer cylindrical surface of liner 34 is radially spaced from the inner cylindrical surface of main body 30 by an annular clearance 35. A quantity of pumping liquid (e.g., water; not shown) is maintained in main body 30 so that when shaft 12 rotates rotor 28, the axially and radially extending blades of rotor 28 engage the pumping liquid and form it into a recirculating hollow ring inside main body 30. Because main body 30 is eccentric to rotor 28, this liquid ring is also eccentric to the rotor. The outer surface of the liquid ring engages the inner surface of liner 34 and causes the liner to rotate at a substantial fraction of the velocity of rotation of the liquid ring. Compressed gas (such as compressed air) is forced into clearance 35 (e.g., from gas pump 33) via substantially annular chamber 36 and circumferentially and axially spaced apertures 38 in order to substantially fill clearance 35 with compressed gas and thereby provide a gas bearing for supporting liner 34 for rotation relative to main body 30.

The above-described rotation of liner 34 with the liquid ring reduces fluid friction losses in the pump by reducing the relative velocity between the liquid ring and the inner surface of the liner. With lower viscosity compressed gas rather than higher

viscosity liquid as the liner bearing fluid, liner 34 tends to rotate at a velocity which is much closer to the velocity of the liquid ring which impels that rotation. For example, with gas as the bearing fluid, liner 34 may rotate at approximately 80% of the rotor blade tip speed. This substantially improves the efficiency of the pump as compared to when liquid is used as the liner bearing fluid.

Gas to be pumped ("compressed") by the pump is supplied to the spaces ("chambers") between circumferentially adjacent rotor blades on one circumferential side of the pump via intake conduits 24 and inlet apertures 26, the latter being disposed in port members 22 which are part of the stationary structure of the pump. Inlet apertures 26 communicate with rotor chambers which are effectively increasing in size in the direction of rotor rotation because the inner surface of the liquid ring which forms one boundary of these chambers is receding from the shaft axis on this side of the pump due to the eccentricity of the liquid ring relative to the shaft axis. Accordingly, these chambers of increasing size pull in the gas to be pumped. After thus receiving gas to be pumped in the intake or suction zone of the pump, each rotor chamber moves around to the compression zone of the pump where the chamber decreases in size due to motion of the inner surface of the liquid ring toward the rotor axis. The gas in the chamber is thereby compressed, and the compressed gas is discharged from the rotor via outlet apertures 32 and discharge conduit 40.

One problem that may be encountered in designing, building, and operating pumps of the type shown in FIG. 1 (as well as the other pumps with rotating liners shown and described herein) is that the

gas pressure differential from one circumferential side of the pump to the other tends to push liner 34 toward housing main body 30 in one radial direction. This could cause liner 34 to contact main body 30 at one location, thereby slowing down and possibly even stopping the rotation of the liner. This problem may arise with either liquid or compressed gas as the liner bearing fluid in clearance 35, but it is potentially more severe with gas as the bearing fluid because the use of gas typically dictates the use of a smaller clearance 35 (see the discussion of clearance size below, which discussion is equally applicable to clearance 35) .

In addition to possibly allowing liner 34 to contact housing main body 30 on one circumferential side of the pump, the above-described radial shift of liner 34 tends to open up clearance 35 on the other circumferential side of the pump. This may permit a wasteful increase in liner bearing fluid flow on the latter side of the pump, especially when the bearing fluid is gas.

The above-described problem is depicted in FIG. 2 which shows a conventional pattern of rotating liner bearing fluid supply orifices 1-8 (identified by generic reference number 38 in FIG. 1) in relation to stationary outer housing 30 and inner rotating liner 34. The clearance 35 between the liner 34 and housing 30 is exaggerated to more clearly illustrate the displacement of the liner due to the load 9 resulting from the pumped gas pressure differential from one circumferential side of the pump to the other. In particular, the load 9 on liner 34 is approximately equal to the gas pressure differential times the projected area of the liner (the "projected area of the liner" being the diameter of the liner times its axial

length) . The direction of load 9 shown in FIG. 2 is typical of pump designs which place the "land" (i.e., the point at which the outer tips of the rotor blades are closest to the housing) at an angle 45 degrees from the bottom of the housing. The flow rate and delivery pressure of the bearing fluid for rotating liner 34 affect the proper operation of the rotating liner and the overall efficiency of the pump. Both of these parameters are dependent on the magnitude of load 9. In accordance with this invention, the ability of the bearing gas to support liner 34 in rotation can be improved by orienting the pump design as shown in FIG. 3 so that the pressure differential (described above in connection with load vector 9) offsets the weight of the liner. The compression and discharge strokes of the pump are oriented in the top two quadrants. This directs the load due to the pumped gas pressure differential upward as shown by vector OA. Offsetting this load is the downward weight of the liner (vector OB) and the weight of the liquid ring (not shown) in the liner.

When compressed gas is used as the bearing fluid which supports liner 34 for rotation, it may be important to reduce or substantially eliminate escape of this gas into the working space of the pump. End plates of the type shown in Haavik U.S. patent 5,100,300 on the ends of the liner can be very helpful, either alone or in combination with other structures described below, in reducing or eliminating the escape of liner bearing gas into the working space of the pump. FIG. 4 herein (which drawing is similar in some respects to FIG. 9 in U.S. patent 5,100,300) illustrates end plates 176 on the ends of rotating liner 170 for helping to prevent the escape of liner bearing gas from annular clearance 173 into the working

space of pump 100. Although the parts of pump 100 are described in detail in U.S. patent 5,100,300, they are briefly reviewed here for completeness. Rotor 140 is mounted on shaft 130 for rotation about a shaft axis which is eccentric to the central longitudinal axis of hollow, substantially cylindrical, stationary housing 122. Rotor 140 includes a toroidal end shroud 148 at each of its axial ends, and an annular center shroud 146 at its axial midpoint. Rotatable liner 170 includes a hollow, substantially cylindrical main body 172 and a toroidal cover plate 176 partly closing each end of that main body. A quantity of pumping liquid (not shown) is maintained in liner 170 and housing 122 to form the liquid ring in the manner described above in connection with FIG. 1. Gas to be pumped

("compressed") is admitted to the pump via passageways 152 in head members 150 and via connecting passageways in hollow, frustoconical "cone" members 157. After compression, the gas is discharged from the pump via other passageways (e.g., 154) in cone and head members 157 and 150. Elements 151, 153, and 155 support shaft 130 for rotation.

In accordance with the present invention, compressed gas (e.g. , compressed air) for use as a bearing fluid for supporting liner 180 for rotation is introduced into the pump via aperture 122d. This compressed gas is distributed annularly around the pump via passageway 122c. From passageway 122c the compressed gas enters annular clearance 173 via orifices 122e which are distributed axially along and circumferentially about the pump. The compressed gas thus introduced into clearance 173 substantially fills that clearance (and preferably also the toroidal clearances 175 between end plates 176 and head members 150) and supports liner 170 for rotation relative to

housing 122 at a velocity which, as described above in connection with FIG. 1, may be a large fraction of the velocity of the liquid ring. End plates 176 help reduce the rate at which the compressed gas escapes from the axial ends of clearance 173 into the working space of the pump. End plates 176 also help to strengthen liner 170 and ensure that main body 172 remains cylindrical and therefore free to rotate in housing 122. This benefit of end plates 176 may be especially important when compressed gas is used as the liner bearing fluid because clearance 173 is then typically smaller than when the liquid is used for the liner bearing. In particular, when compressed gas is used as the liner bearing fluid, the thickness of clearance 173 in the radial direction may be only about .01 to about .10 percent of the outer diameter of the liner. By way of comparison, when water is used as the liner bearing fluid, a typical clearance thickness may be in the range from about .06 to about .15 percent of the outer diameter of the liner.

To further reduce the escape of compressed gas liner bearing fluid into the working space of the pump, means may be provided as shown, for example, in FIG. 5 to capture the compressed gas before it escapes into the working space and to remove it from the pump. In the illustrative embodiment shown in FIG. 5, an annular channel 220 is provided in head member 150 adjacent an axial end of clearance 173. (If desired, the other axial end of the pump can be constructed identically.) Annular channel 220 is in annular communication with the adjacent axial end of clearance 173. Accordingly, compressed gas escaping from the axial end of clearance 173 flows into annular channel 220 and is conveyed out of the pump via conduit 221. Conduit 221 may discharge into main discharge conduit

154 of the pump (preferably via check valve 222 as shown in FIG. 5) , or conduit 221 may be extended and/or relocated to provide a completely separate exit from the pump. Compressed air collected by channel 220 and discharged from the pump via conduit 221 is thereby prevented from escaping from clearance 173 into the working space of the pump where it might interfere with the efficiency and/or capacity of the pump.

As an alternative or addition to channel 220 for collecting compressed gas leaving clearance 173, one or more seals may be provided for preventing or at least substantially reducing the escape of the compressed gas into the working space of the pump. In the illustrative embodiment shown in FIG. 5, for example, annular seal 177 is disposed between the innermost surface of end plate 176 and a radially outwardly facing surface of cone 157. (Again, the other end of the pump may be constructed similarly if desired.) Seal 177 seals the clearance between the stationary end structure of the pump and the inside diameter of liner end plate 176. In this location, seal 177 could operate with a running clearance between the stationary and rotating surfaces. As such, seal 177 might consist of simply a close running fit between the two metallic surfaces.

When compressed gas is used as the liner bearing fluid, it can be important not only to prevent the compressed gas from escaping into the working space of the pump, but also to prevent a solid liquid film from forming in the toroidal clearance 175 between each liner end plate 176 and the adjacent stationary end structure of the pump. The formation of such a solid liquid film increases the drag on the outer end walls of the liner, especially with the liner rotating at close to rotor speed. Annular channel 220 in FIG. 5

may provide drainage of liquid from clearance 175. Any liquid which escapes from the inside of the rotor/liner structure is spun off by the end surfaces of the liner. This liquid collects in annular channel 220 where it mixes with the compressed gas discharging from the adjacent axial end of annular clearance 173. The resulting gas/liquid mixture discharges from the pump via conduit 221.

Venting of the end surfaces of liner 170 as shown in FIG. 5 also prevents any significant buildup of axial thrust on the liner. Each end of the liner is at discharge or atmospheric pressure. Any axial thrust in this design would have to be generated from an internal axial pressure differential, which is generally minimal, assuming that both liner end plates 176 are of the same size. Because axial thrust is generally relatively low, it may not be necessary to provide any additional structure for holding the axial position of the liner. Alternatively, hydrostatic bearings like those shown at 29 in FIG. 5 of U.S. patent 5,100,300 or in FIG. 6 herein may be used to hold the axial position of liner 170 in some cases. As shown in FIG. 6, a typical hydrostatic bearing pad 180 is disposed on head member 150 for operation on the axial end of liner 170 to help keep the liner axially spaced from the head member. Several similar bearing pads may be distributed to act on each end of the liner. Each such bearing pad is supplied with a bearing fluid via conduit 182. This bearing fluid may be either liquid or compressed gas. If liquid is used, the design and placement of pads 180 is preferably such as to prevent any overall buildup of liquid in clearance 175. Use of compressed gas for bearing pads 180 is most preferred from the standpoint of minimizing drag on the liner.

For some applications, the relatively simple construction shown in FIG. 1 may be suitable. This construction has a simple rotating liner with no end plates and no seals at the axial ends of clearance 35. The gas which supports the liner for rotation flows around the ends of the liner and enters the liquid ring. This gas travels radially inwardly due to its light weight relative to liquid in the centrifugal field of acceleration. At least part of the gas flows toward the inlet side of the pump where it expands to the inlet pressure and displaces useful pumping volume. All of the gas is ultimately discharged from the pump through the normal discharge ports 32.

The pump construction of FIG. 1 may be practical with compressed air as the liner bearing fluid for vacuum pumps operating at low vacuum in which the expansion of the liner supporting gas would be small. This pump construction may also be practical for compressors having low compression ratio. For these applications, the expanded flow rate of compressed gas into the liquid ring would be small relative to the overall pump capacity. This construction does not require complicated end seals because it is desired to have the gas flow around the ends of the liner.

It will be understood that the foregoing is merely illustrative of the principles of the invention, and that various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. For example, the pumps shown in the accompanying drawings are double-ended pumps with "conical" (actually frustoconical) port members. However, the principles of the invention are equally applicable to liquid ring pumps having many other well

known configurations such as single-ended pumps, and pumps with flat or cylindrical port members.