Pumps
AssigneeWeir Minerals Australia Ltd.
InventorsKevin Edward Burgess, Garth Norman Cantrill
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pump assembly and components therefor including an impeller which has flow inducer elements on an inner surface of a front shroud thereof, a flow directing device or strainer having passageways for delivering material to the impeller and at least one flow circulating passageway and a pump casing having an intake section with flow distribution vanes in the region of a feed opening adjacent the intake section.
Claims36
A pump impeller having a rotational axis and including:
- a hub;
- a back shroud extending from the hub;
- and
- a front shroud;
- wherein each of the shrouds has an inner surface and an outer surface, the impeller also having:
- a plurality of pumping vanes extending between the respective inner surfaces of the shrouds, and
- an impeller inlet opening in the front shroud coaxial with the rotation axis of the impeller;
- wherein the impeller includes one or more inducer elements which extend from the inner surface of the front shroud towards the rotation axis and which are positioned adjacent the impeller inlet opening.
A flow directing device in use for directing material in relation to an adjacent moving impeller, the device including a main body having an inner side and an outer side, a plurality of passageways extending between the inner side and the outer side of the main body, at least one passageway providing for the in use delivery of material to an opening of the impeller and at least one other passageway providing for the in use circulation of a flow of material past the impeller.
A slurry flow directing device which is arranged to direct two material flows of a material containing liquid and particulates in response to the relative movement of an adjacent impeller, the device being disposed upstream of the impeller, the flows being:
- a mixing flow in which material is mixed and agitated in response to the movement of the adjacent impeller in use;
- and
- a pumping flow in which material is passed through the adjacent impeller in use and pumped to another location.
A pump casing including:
- a main body section having a pumping chamber therein, and a discharge outlet extending from the pumping chamber;
- a strainer section having an intake region therein, with one or more inlets located at the intake region;
- and
- a feed opening between the intake region and the pumping chamber;
- wherein a plurality of flow distribution vanes are positioned in the region of the feed opening.
A pump impeller having a rotational axis and including:
- a hub;
- a back shroud extending from the hub;
- and
- a front shroud;
- wherein each of the shrouds has an inner surface and an outer surface, the impeller also having:
- a plurality of pumping vanes extending between the respective inner surfaces of the shrouds, and
- an impeller inlet opening in the front shroud coaxial with the rotation axis of the impeller;
- wherein the impeller includes one or more flow generating elements which extend from the outer surface of the front shroud in the region of the impeller opening.
(canceled)
A pump assembly including:
- a pump impeller comprising:
- a hub,
- a back shroud extending from the hub, and
- a front shroud,
- wherein each of the shrouds has an inner surface and an outer surface, the impeller also having:
- a plurality of pumping vanes extending between the respective inner surfaces of the shrouds, and
- an impeller inlet opening in the front shroud coaxial with the rotation axis of the impeller, and
- wherein the impeller includes one or more inducer elements which extend from the inner surface of the front shroud towards the rotation axis and which are positioned adjacent the impeller inlet opening;
- a flow directing device for directing material in relation to the adjacent moving impeller, the device including a main body having an inner side and an outer side, a plurality of passageways extending between the inner side and the outer side of the main body, at least one passageway providing for the in-use delivery of material to an opening of the impeller and at least one other passageway providing for the in-use circulation of a flow of material past the impeller;
- and
- a pump casing comprising:
- a main body section having a pumping chamber therein, and a discharge outlet extending from the pumping chamber;
- a strainer section having an intake region therein, with one or more inlets located at the intake region;
- and
- a feed opening between the intake region and the pumping chamber;
- wherein a plurality of flow distribution vanes are positioned in the region of the feed opening;
- and
- wherein said impeller is mounted for rotation within said pumping chamber of said main body section of said pump casing, said flow directing device being operatively secured to said pump casing.
A method of pumping a flow of a slurry material, the method comprising the steps of:
- operatively coupling (i) an impeller having one or more inducer elements that are positioned adjacent to the impeller inlet opening onto (ii) a flow directing device which has a passageway for providing the in use delivery of material to the opening;
- and
- actuating the rotation of the impeller relative to the flow directing device.
A method of causing mixing and agitation of a slurry material, as well as pumping of a flow of the slurry material, the method comprising the steps of:
- operatively coupling (i) an impeller having one or more inducer elements that are positioned adjacent to the impeller inlet opening and one or more flow generating elements that are positioned to extend from a shroud of the impeller onto (ii) a flow directing device which has at least one passageway for the in use circulation of a flow of slurry material past the impeller so as to cause mixing and agitation of the slurry material, and a passageway for providing the in use delivery of material to the inlet opening;
- and
- actuating the rotation of the impeller relative to the flow directing device.
A method of replacing an impeller in a pump assembly, comprising:
- providing a pump assembly having a pump casing with a pumping chamber, a drive shaft positioned within a portion of the pump casing, an impeller coupled to the drive shaft and a flow directing device positioned adjacent the impeller;
- removing the flow directing device from adjacent the impeller to thereby provide access to the pumping chamber;
- removing the impeller from the pumping chamber;
- replacing the removed impeller with another impeller;
- and
- resecuring a flow directing device adjacent the impeller.
(canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.