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US 2026/0160261 A1Published application
Fluid pump with inlet seal device
OwnerThomas Chapmaninventor
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Abstract
A centrifugal fluid pump includes a seal device that is located in the pump running clearance gap in the vicinity of the pump inlet. The seal device reduces the amount of the recirculation flow typically present in this clearance gap. The seal device has a static contact with the pump inlet lip and a dynamic contact with a feature on the impeller shroud. The seal device contact force can either be established using the local pressure differential across the seal device or by a mechanical spring.
Claims20
A fluid pump comprising:
- a pump housing that includes
- a fluid inlet that is concentric with a rotational axis of an impeller,
- a fluid outlet that is oriented at a non-zero angle relative to the rotational axis,
- an inner surface of the pump housing defining an annular channel that encircles the fluid inlet, and
- a volute that surrounds the annular channel;
- the impeller, which is disposed inside the pump housing and configured to rotate relative to the pump housing about the rotational axis, the impeller including
- a base plate,
- a curved shroud that is axially aligned with the base plate, and
- blades that extend between the base plate and the shroud;
- and
- a seal device disposed in the channel, a first portion of the seal device directly contacting a surface of the channel and a second portion of the seal device directly contacting a surface of the impeller.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.