Other

Fluid Equipment Development Company, LLC

Pump Engineering, Inc.

Eli Oklejas, Jr

Robert A Oklejas

Andrew T Rensink

Andrew Thomas Rensink

A pump has a thrust bearing has a casing with an inlet port and a discharge port. A shaft is positioned within the pump. A thrust bearing is coupled to the shaft. A pressure alterable bearing cavity is located within the casing. The pressure alterable cavity allows the axial thrust on the shaft from the impellers to be counteracted. The thrust bearing has an annular seal coupled with respect to the casing disc is coupled to the shaft and positioned adjacent the seal. The seal and the disc have a gap therebetween. A feedback pipe couples the bearing cavity to the inlet port. As the axial thrust acting on the shaft changes, the gap between the seal and the disc also changes. The changing of the gap changes the pressure within the bearing cavity. The disc and thus the shaft are repositioned in response to the change in the bearing cavity pressure change.

Thrust bearing for multistage centrifugal pumps

A rotary machine such as a pump or turbine has a casing defining a space therein. A fluid channel is formed in the casing and has a plurality of first channel portions fluidically coupled a plurality of second channel portions. The first and second channel portions are separated by the space. A rotor is rotatably coupled within the casing and within the space. The rotor has a plurality of apertures therethrough positioned within the space. The apertures are adjacent to the channel to coupled the first channel portions to the second channel portions.

Channel-type pump

An improved thrust bearing has a shaft with a runner coupled to the end of the shaft. The runner has a first sealing face that extends radially from the shaft. A bearing has a fluid passage for supplying fluid to a fluid reservoir. The fluid reservoir may be in the runner or in the bearing. The bearing has a second sealing face opposite the first sealing face of the runner. The first sealing face has a recess that is in fluid communication with the fluid reservoir. Fluid from the fluid reservoir flows into the recess during rotation of the runner. As the shaft and the runner rotates, fluid from the recess deposits between the first sealing face and the second sealing face to lubricate the surface. The recess preferably has a pocket portion and a wedge portion. The wedge portion is in fluid communication with the pocket portion. As the shaft rotates in a predetermined direction, the pocket portion is on the leading edge of rotation of the recess. The pocket is in fluid communication with the fluid reservoir. The wedge reduces in thickness from the pocket to the trailing edge of the recess. The pocket and wedge each contribute to increased resistance of the shaft to axial thrust.

Thrust bearing

A thrust bearing for a rotating member that is subject to axial forces causing movement in an axial direction of a rotating member. A sealing surface is positioned on at least a portion of the rotating member. A bearing is positioned adjacent the rotating member. A sealing face is positioned on the bearing. The sealing face is disposed to be in opposed relationship with the sealing surface on the rotating member. A bearing space is located between the sealing face and the sealing surface. A fluid reservoir is positioned in the bearing and is in communication with the bearing space. A passageway extends through the bearing to a discharge region adjacent the rotating member to supply a fluid to the fluid reservoir. A plurality of pockets are positioned on the sealing surface of the rotating member.

An idler disk for reducing fluid drag forces in a machine having a rotating component is disclosed. An outer housing is provided for the machine and a cavity is defined in the outer housing. The cavity has opposed side walls. A rotatable component is positioned in the cavity and the rotatable component is spaced apart from the side walls of the cavity. At least one freely rotatable idler disk is positioned in the cavity and the idler disk is in spaced apart relationship with the rotatable component and the side walls of the cavity. The idler disk extends in the cavity along at least a portion of the length of the rotatable component. The idler disk is caused to rotate in the same direction as the rotatable component by the rotating fluid in the cavity. The fluid is caused to rotate by the rotation of the rotatable component. The rotating idler disk increases the speed of the fluid rotating adjacent the rotatable component and thereby reduces the fluid drag on the rotatable component. An outer seal means forms a seal between the idler disk and the rotatable component to control the flow of fluid between the idler disk and the rotatable component. The outer seal means is positioned adjacent the outer periphery of the rotatable component and the idler disk. The outer seal means acts to equalize the axial forces on the sides of the idler disk to maintain the idler disk in a desired equilibrium position where the idler disk is maintained in spaced apart relationship from the rotatable component and the side walls of the cavity.

Idler disk

The invention is a centrifugal pump having an outer housing defining a pumping chamber. An impeller is rotatably positioned in the chamber for pumping a fluid. The impeller is mounted on the first end of a rotatable shaft. A journal bearing is positioned in the outer housing and disposed coaxially around the shaft. A small clearance space is present between the shaft and the journal bearing. The clearance space is in communication with the chamber whereby the fluid being pumped by the impeller is directed to said clearance space and the fluid provides the lubrication for the journal bearing. The impeller of the pump is moveable in the pumping chamber and positioned adjacent a first wall of the pumping chamber. An inverted tub is secured to the second end of the shaft and extends over a portion of the outer housing where the shaft is located. A drive belt engages the outer periphery of the inverted hub to rotate the inverted hub and impeller. The drive belt engages the inverted hub at substantially the midpoint of the journal bearing. A space is provided between the impeller and the second wall of the pumping chamber. The fluid being pumped enters the space and acts upon the impeller to bias the impeller towards the first wall. A groove is positioned in the first wall adjacent the impeller. A conduit extends from the groove to the discharge region for the pumped fluid whereby high pressure fluid from the discharge enters the groove to counteract the pressure from the space and the impeller is maintained in the desired position in the pumping chamber.

Centrifugal pump

The invention is directed to an energy recovery pump turbine for use in industrial processes where a fluid is pumped at a high pressure to the process and at least a portion of the fluid is discharged from the process at a high pressure. A turbine is positioned to receive the high pressure discharge from the process. The turbine has an impeller positioned on a shaft and the discharged fluid engages the impeller and causes the impeller and shaft to rotate. A pump is position adjacent to the turbine to receive the fluid being pumped to the process. The pump has an impeller mounted on a shaft and the shaft of the pump is operatively connected to the shaft of the turbine. Rotation of the turbine shaft causes the impeller and the shaft of the pump to rotate whereby the pump assists in supplying the fluid under pressure to the process and to recover energy from the high pressure fluid discharged from the process. Also disclosed is a method for recovering energy from an industrial process where a fluid is pumped at a high pressure into the process and at least a portion of the fluid is discharged from the process at a high pressure. The high pressure discharged fluid is directed into the inlet of a turbine. The inlet of the turbine is caused to rotate by the high pressure discharged fluid. The turbine impeller is mounted on a rotatable shaft. An impeller of a pump that is mounted on the shaft is caused to rotate by the rotation of the shaft that is caused by the rotation of the turbine impeller. The fluid that is to be pumped to the process is directed to the inlet of the pump. The rotating impeller of the pump raises the pressure of the fluid supplied under high pressure to the process and recovers energy from the high pressure fluid discharged from the process.

Power recovery turbine pump

The invention is directed to an energy recovery pump turbine for use in industrial processes where a fluid is pumped at a high pressure to the process and at least a portion of the fluid is discharged from the process at a high pressure. A turbine is positioned to receive the high pressure discharge from the process. The turbine has an impeller positioned on a shaft and the discharged fluid engages the impeller and causes the impeller and shaft to rotate. A pump is position adjacent to the turbine to receive the fluid being pumped to the process. The pump has an impeller mounted on a shaft and the shaft of the pump is operatively connected to the shaft of the turbine. Rotation of the turbine shaft causes the impeller and the shaft of the pump to rotate whereby the pump assists in supplying the fluid under pressure to the process and to recover energy from the high pressure fluid discharged from the process. Also disclosed is a method for recovering energy from an industrial process where a fluid is pumped at a high pressure into the process and at least a portion of the fluid is discharged from the process at a high pressure. The high pressure discharged fluid is directed into the inlet of a turbine. The inlet of the turbine is caused to rotate by the high pressure discharged fluid. The turbine impeller is mounted on a rotatable shift. An impeller of a pump that is mounted on the shaft is caused to rotate by the rotation of the shaft that is caused by the rotation of the turbine impeller. The fluid that is to be pumped to the process is directed to the inlet of the pump. The rotating impeller of the pump raises the pressure of the fluid supplied under high pressure to the process and recovers energy from the high pressure fluid discharged from the process.

Power recovery pump turbine

A Tesla-type turbine including turbine blade cooling means is disclosed. The turbine blades define a plurality of alternate spaces, with an air-conducting cooling space positioned between each pair of turbine or working spaces. While hot working gas expands between blades in the turbine spaces, cooling air flows in the opposite direction in the adjacent cooling spaces to cool the turbine blades. The disclosed turbine construction provides for axial air inflow and radial air outflow, with axial exhaust of working gas. After being heated by contact with the turbine blades, the cooling air is utilized in the combustion chamber of the turbine.

Growing community of inventors

Monroe, MI, United States of America

Eli Oklejas, Jr