# US 12,601,360 B2 · Electric pump assembly, manufacturing method for installing such a pump assembly > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,601,360 B2 - Document ID: US12601360B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/688,501 - Filed: 2022-09-02 - Published: 2024-11-21 - Granted: 2026-04-14 - Earliest claimed: 2021-09-03 - Assignees: Optimex - Applicants: Optimex - Inventors: Pierre-Marc De Mourgues; Guillaume Pierre-Marie Michel Spruyte - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12601360B2 ## CPC - F04B 17/03: driven by electric motors - F04D 29/086: {especially adapted for liquid pumps} - B29D 23/00: Producing tubular articles (B29D24/00 takes precedence) - F04B 51/00: Testing machines, pumps, or pumping installations - F04D 1/06: Multi-stage pumps (F04D1/02, F04D13/10 take precedence) - F04D 13/0626: {Details of the can} - F04D 15/0088: {Testing machines} - F04D 29/026: {especially adapted for liquid pumps} - F04D 29/5806: {Cooling the drive system} - F04D 29/628: {especially adapted for liquid pumps} - F04D 7/02: of centrifugal type - F04B: POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS (machines for liquids, or pumps, of rotary-piston or oscillating-piston type F04C; non-positive-displacement pumps F04D; pumping of fluid by direct contact of another fluid or by using inertia of fluid to be pumped F04F) - F04D: NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS (engine fuel-injection pumps F02M; ion pumps H01J41/12; electrodynamic pumps H02K44/02) - B29D: PRODUCING PARTICULAR ARTICLES FROM PLASTICS OR FROM SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE (making granules B29B9/00; making preforms B29B11/00) ## Abstract A pump assembly (1) includes a pump (2) and an electric motor (30 comprising a stator (4) and a rotor (5) separated by a gap. The pump assembly has a casing (6) defining a housing accommodating the stator (4) and rotor (5) with a removable seal jacket (12) that is designed to move from a test configuration where the seal jacket (12) is removably mounted within the casing (6), in the gap, to a normal operating configuration, where the seal jacket (12) is removed from the casing (6) to form a wet stator arrangement. Methods of manufacturing and installing the pump assembly are also disclosed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A pump assembly (1) for pumping fluids, including a pump (2) and an electric motor (3) to drive the pump (2), said motor (3) comprising a stator (4) and a rotor (5) separated by a gap (E), said pump assembly also including a casing (6) delimiting a housing accommodating said stator (4) and rotor (5), said housing being in fluid communication with the pump (2) to circulate the pumped fluid in said housing in order to cool said motor (3), said pump assembly (1) being characterized in that it comprises a removable seal jacket (12) made of an electrically non-conductive material, and in that it is designed to switch from a test configuration, in which said seal jacket (12) is removably mounted within the casing (6), in the gap (E), to isolate said stator (4) from said pumped fluid, to a normal operating configuration, for pumping electrically non-conductive fluids, wherein the seal jacket (12) is removed from the casing (6), so as to form a wet-stator arrangement enabling the pumped fluid to come into contact with the stator (4). ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The pump assembly (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that said electrically non-conductive material is a composite material comprising a polymer matrix and reinforcing fibres embedded in said matrix. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The pump assembly (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that said polymer belongs to the polyaryletherketone family or the polyimide family, whereas said reinforcing fibres are chosen in the group of carbon fibres, glass fibres, aramid fibres. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The pump assembly (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that, in test configuration, said seal jacket (12) is applied against said stator (4) in order to create a clearance between said seal jacket and the rotor (5). ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The pump assembly (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that said seal jacket (12) includes a sleeve with a tubular wall, having a thickness between 0.3 and 1.2 mm. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The pump assembly (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that said casing (6) comprises a tubular lateral frame (8) extending axially between a first end and a second end, a first flange (9) that closes said lateral frame (8) at said first end, and a second flange (10) that closes said lateral frame (8) at said second end, said first flange (9) forming an interface between said pump (2) and said housing, said seal jacket (12) extending axially, in test configuration, from said first flange (9) to said second flange (10), said pump assembly (1) including removable gasket seals (13, 14) arranged between the seal jacket (12) and each of said first and second flanges (9, 10) to form in the housing a liquid-tight compartment within which is housed said stator (4). ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The pump assembly (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that the first flange (9) comprises a docking portion with a cross-section matching that of the seal jacket (12), said seal jacket (12) advantageously surrounding said docking portion from the outside in test configuration. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The pump assembly (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that the pump assembly (1) comprises a stiffening ring (15) that locally surrounds the seal jacket (12), which is therefore interposed between the docking portion of the first flange (9) and the stiffening ring (15). ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The pump assembly (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that the docking portion of the first flange (9) is provided with grooves that accommodate O-rings forming a second gasket seal (13) against which the seal jacket (12) rests. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The pump assembly (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that the second flange (10) is formed of several portions, with a plate (10A) attached to the lateral frame (8), said plate (10A) having a central hole closed by a plugging part (10B), the plugging part (10B) having a portion (11B) of reduced cross-section intended to be inserted into said central hole formed in the plate (10A), and wherein, in test configuration, the seal jacket (12) is wedged between the lateral edge (11A) of the central hole formed through the plate (10A), and said portion (11B) of reduced cross-section of the plugging part (10B), said portion (11B) carrying one or several grooves accommodating O-rings forming a first gasket seal (14). ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The pump assembly (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the pump assembly (1) comprises a removable test envelope (16) that, in test configuration, is removably attached to said casing (6) to delimit a pumping compartment within which said pump (2) is housed, said test envelope (16) being provided with at least two openings (17, 18) forming a fluid suction inlet and a fluid discharge outlet, respectively, between which the pumped fluid is intended to circulate within said compartment, said test envelope (16) being removed in normal operating configuration. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The pump assembly (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that said pump (2) is a multistage centrifugal pump. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The pump assembly (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the pump assembly (1) is designed to pump liquefied petroleum gas. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) A method for manufacturing a pump assembly (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that said method comprises a step of manufacturing said removable seal jacket (12), during which a mandrel is coated with a primary material, then said primary material is subjected to a hardening process to form a rigid tube surrounding the mandrel, then said rigid tube is separated from the mandrel to form said seal jacket (12). ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) A method for installing a pump assembly (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that said method comprises: a testing step, during which said pump assembly (1) in test configuration is used to pump water; after the testing step, a step of removing said seal jacket (12) from said casing (6) to switch said pump assembly (1) to the normal operating configuration; after the step of removing said seal jacket (12), a step of implanting said pump assembly (1) in normal operating configuration into a circuit for pumping an electrically non-conductive fluid.