Axial direct drive sealless pump or turbine with deformation-resistant cover plate

An integral motor pump module (IMP) or integral motor turbine module (IMT) comprising:

• a module housing configured to enable a fluid to pass from an input thereof to an output thereof;
• an impeller rotatable with or about a shaft within the module housing;
• a plurality of permanent magnets or induction coils fixed to a distal face of the impeller;
• a plurality of stator coils fixed to the module housing and configured to be axially proximate the permanent magnets or induction coils when the impeller rotates, the permanent magnets or induction coils being axially separated from the stator coils by a rotor-stator gap;
• a first integral motor housing (first IM housing) having a first IM housing interior, the first IM housing being either an impeller housing fixed to the impeller and containing the plurality of permanent magnets or induction coils within the first IM housing interior, or a stator housing fixed to the module housing and containing the plurality of stator coils within the first IM housing interior;
• a first IM cover plate hermetically sealing a front face of the first IM housing, wherein the first IM cover plate is a flat cover plate that abuts and is parallel to the rotor-stator gap;
• a first barrier material port penetrating a rear face of the first IM housing;
• a first barrier material plug configured to hermetically seal the first barrier material port;
• and
• a barrier material substantially filling the first IM housing interior in physical contact with the first IM cover plate, such that there is substantially no gap between an inward face of the first IM cover plate and the barrier material.