Pump having liquid blades and an associated method of pumping
AssigneeEdwards Limited
InventorsIan David Stones, Nigel Paul Schofield, Ian Andrew Norton
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A pump and method for pumping a gas are disclosed. The pump comprises a rotor and a stator. At least one of the rotor or stator comprises at least one liquid opening configured for fluid communication with a liquid source. The liquid opening is configured such that in response to a driving force exerted on liquid from the liquid source a stream of liquid is output from the opening, the stream of liquid forming a liquid blade between the rotor and the stator, gas confined by said stator, said rotor and said liquid blade being driven through said pump from a gas inlet towards a gas outlet.
Claims23
A positive displacement vacuum pump for pumping a gas, the positive displacement vacuum pump comprising:
- a gas inlet and a gas outlet;
- a rotor and a stator, the stator defining a stator bore, wherein the rotor is located within the stator bore;
- a shaft connected with the rotor and configured to rotate the rotor within the stator bore, wherein the stator bore surrounds the rotor and the shaft;
- at least the rotor comprising at least one liquid opening configured for fluid communication with a liquid source a bottom portion of the rotor and the shaft each being at least partially immersed in the liquid source located in a liquid reservoir at the bottom of the stator bore;
- and
- the at least one liquid opening being configured such that, in response to a driving force exerted on liquid from the liquid source, a stream of liquid is output from the at least one liquid opening, the stream of liquid forming a liquid blade between the rotor and the stator, within the stator bore,
- wherein the gas is confined by the stator, the rotor, and the liquid blade and the liquid blade drives the gas through the positive displacement vacuum pump from the gas inlet towards the gas outlet,
- wherein the shaft extends away from and above the liquid reservoir within the stator bore in a vertical direction, and
- wherein a longitudinal axis of the shaft of the rotor and a longitudinal axis of the stator are orientated in the vertical direction.
A method of positive displacement pumping of a gas comprising:
- outputting liquid from at least one liquid opening on a rotor to form a liquid blade between an external surface of the rotor and an internal surface of a stator,
- wherein a shaft is connected to the rotor and configured to rotate the rotor within a bore of the stator,
- wherein remaining liquid from the liquid blade flows back down the surface of the stator in a vertical direction into a liquid reservoir;
- wherein the rotor extends away from and above the liquid reservoir within the stator bore in the vertical direction;
- and
- wherein a longitudinal axis of the shaft of the rotor and a longitudinal axis of the stator are orientated in the same vertical direction;
- and
- rotating the rotor and thereby causing gas confined by the stator, the rotor, and the liquid blade to travel along a pumping path from a gas inlet to a gas outlet.
A positive displacement vacuum pump for pumping a gas, said pump comprising:
- a rotor and a stator defining a stator bore, the rotor received within the stator bore;
- and
- a shaft connected to the rotor and configured to eccentrically rotate the rotor within the stator bore,
- the rotor comprising at least one liquid opening configured for fluid communication with a liquid source;
- wherein the at least one liquid opening, in response to a driving force exerted on the liquid from the liquid source, outputs a stream of liquid from the at least one liquid opening, the stream of liquid forming a liquid blade between the rotor and the stator, wherein the gas confined by the stator, the rotor, and the liquid blade within the stator bore is driven through the pump from a gas inlet towards a gas outlet via the eccentric rotation of the rotor, and
- wherein during operation of the pump a gas pocket is defined by the stator, the rotor, and the liquid blade and the rotation of the rotor causes a change in volume of the gas pocket.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.