Vickers, Inc.

Lowell D Hansen

Jean J Schweitzer

J Richard Hurley

Walter J Zoya

A rotary hydraulic machine having particular utility as a fuel pump for aircraft turbine engines that combines the desirable features of vane-type and centrifugal-type machines of similar character--i.e., high pressure positive displacement at low speed combined with improved reliability, package size and weight. This is accomplished, in accordances with a presently preferred embodiment of the invention, by providing a combined vane- and centrifugal-type pump that is configured to function as a pressure-compensated single-lobe vane pump for engine starting, and as a centrifugal pump at normal operating speed.

Combined centrifugal and undervane-type rotary hydraulic machine

A hydraulic fluid pump for aircraft turbine engine fuel delivery systems comprises a housing having a pump drive shaft mounted for rotation therewithin. A centrifugal pump stage includes an impeller coupled to the drive shaft and having a circumferential array of radially extending passages with inlet ends adjacent to the shaft and outlet ends at the periphery of the impeller. An inducer stage includes a spiral inducer coupled to the shaft to rotate coaxially with the impeller and having an outlet end adjacent to the inlet end of the impeller passages. An injector stage includes a passage in the housing for feeding fluid to the inlet end of the inducer, and a circumferential array of nozzle orifices in the housing aligned with the injector passage and receiving fluid from a collection cavity that surrounds the periphery of the impeller. The pump inlet is fed to the injector passage, with the injector nozzles cooperating with the passage to boost fluid pressure and flow through the passage to the inducer inlet, which in turn boosts fluid pressure and flow to the impeller.

Power transmission

A vane-type rotary hydraulic machine that comprises a housing, a rotor mounted within the housing and having a plurality of radially extending peripheral slots, and a plurality of vanes individually slidably mounted in the rotor slots. A cam ring within the housing surrounds the rotor and has a radially inwardly directed surface forming a track for sliding engagement with the vanes. Symmetrical diametrically opposed fluid pressure cavities are formed between the cam ring surface and the rotor, and fluid inlet and outlet passages in the housing are coupled to the fluid pressure cavities. Both of the fluid inlet and outlet passages comprise housing fluid passages that open to side faces of the rotor radially inwardly of the fluid pressure cavities, and fluid passages extending radially through the rotor between outer ends opening at the periphery of the rotor between adjacent slots and an inner end opening axially at the side faces of the rotor for communication with the housing fluid passage as a function of rotation of the rotor.

Balanced dual-lobe vane pump with radial inlet and outlet parting

A rotary hydraulic vane pump includes a rotor mounted within a housing, with a plurality of vanes individually slidably disposed in corresponding slots in the rotor periphery. A cam ring surrounds the rotor within the housing and has a radially inwardly facing vane track defining as least one arcuate fuel pressure cavity between the rotor and the cam ring. A fuel inlet in the housing includes a primary inlet port opening into the cavity at the leading circumferential edge of the cavity with respect to the direction of rotation of the rotor within the housing. A pump outlet includes an outlet port that opens into the cavity adjacent to the trailing circumferential edge of the cavity. A secondary inlet port opens into the cavity circumferentially between the primary inlet port and the outlet port, and is directly connected to the pump outlet port such that fluid, at outlet pressure is available at the secondary inlet port. A pressurization valve, having a predetermined threshold pressure for permitting flow of fluid therethrough, is connected between the pump outlet and the primary pump inlet port.

A hydraulic periphery pump that includes a housing having a pump drive shaft mounted for rotation about its axis. An impeller is coupled to the drive shaft for rotation within the housing and has a disc-shaped body with axially orientated substantially flat side faces. A circumferential array of vanes are formed around the periphery of the impeller body. Backup plates in the housing have flat faces opposed to the impeller side faces. An arcuate fluid chamber surrounds the impeller periphery and has angularly spaced fluid inlet and outlet ports. Axially orientated slots or channels in the impeller side faces cooperate with fluid passages in the backup plates to centrifugally boost fluid pressure and, in effect, form a liquid-piston boost first stage for the periphery pump chamber, or to form a two-stage impeller system.

Hydraulic periphery pumps

A split-discharge balanced dual-lobe vane-type rotary hydraulic machine that comprises a housing, a rotor mounted within the housing and having a plurality of radially extending peripheral slots, and a plurality of vanes individually slidably mounted in the rotor slots. A cam ring within the housing surrounds the rotor and has a radially inwardly directed surface forming a track for sliding engagement with the vane. Opposed symmetrical pressure cavities are formed between the cam ring surface and the rotor, and fluid inlet and outlet passages in the housing are coupled to the fluid pressure cavities. The fluid inlet and outlet passages include a fluid inlet port opening into each cavity adjacent to one circumferential edge thereof, a first fluid outlet port opening into each cavity adjacent to the opposing circumferential edge thereof, and a second fluid outlet port opening into each cavity at a position circumferentially between the inlet and first outlet ports.

A rotary vane-type hydraulic fluid flow divider in which a rotor is mounted on a stub shaft for free rotation within a housing. A plurality of vanes are individually slidably mounted in radial slots on the rotor and engages a surrounding cam ring to form fluid cavities. A pair of cam plates are mounted in fixed position with respect to the cam ring and have radially orientated surfaces that engage the vanes and position the vanes adjacent to the cam ring. The fluid cavities communicate with a common inlet and a pair of outlets for dividing inlet fluid flow between the outlets.

Rotary hydraulic vane machine with cam-urged fluid-biased vanes

A rotary hydraulic vane pump includes a rotor mounted within a housing, with a plurality of vanes individually slidably disposed in corresponding slots in the rotor periphery. A cam ring surrounds the rotor within the housing and has a radially inwardly facing vane track defining as least one arcuate fuel pressure cavity between the rotor and the cam ring. A fuel inlet in the housing includes a primary inlet port opening into the cavity at the leading circumferential edge of the cavity with respect to the direction of rotation of the rotor within the housing. A pump outlet includes an outlet port that opens into the cavity adjacent to the trailing circumferential edge of the cavity. A secondary inlet port opens into the cavity circumferentially between the primary inlet port and the outlet port, and is directly connected to the pump outlet port such that fluid at outlet pressure is available at the secondary inlet port. A pressurization valve, having a predetermined threshold pressure for permitting flow of fluid therethrough, is connected between the pump outlet and the primary pump inlet port.

Growing community of inventors

Jackson, MS, United States of America

Lowell D Hansen