Balance drums and systems for managing axial forces for pumps and related systems and methods
OwnerDennis W. Chalmers, Mina M. Botrous +1inventors
InventorsDennis W. Chalmers, Mina M. Botrous, Christopher Finley
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A cryogenic pump may include a housing and a drive shaft positioned in the housing. The cryogenic pump may include at least one pump stage positioned in the housing, the at least one pump stage comprising an impeller coupled to the drive shaft. The cryogenic pump may include a balance drum coupled to the drive shaft and positioned in the housing. The cryogenic pump may additionally include a motor comprising a rotor slidably coupled to the drive shaft, the drive shaft configured to rotate with the rotor and move in an axial direction relative to the rotor and the housing during operation of the cryogenic pump.
Claims20
A balance drum for a cryogenic pump, the balance drum comprising:
- a central aperture sized to be coupled to a drive shaft of a cryogenic pump;
- an arcuate serrated side surface configured to define one or more fluid flow channels between the arcuate serrated side surface of the balance drum and a radially adjacent portion of the cryogenic pump;
- and
- a serrated axial end surface configured to define one or more additional fluid flow channels between the serrated axial end surface of the balance drum and an axially adjacent portion of the cryogenic pump, the serrated axial end surface comprising numerous alternating ridges and grooves positioned adjacent to each other and extending along a radial direction of the balance drum.
A cryogenic pump, comprising:
- a housing;
- a drive shaft positioned in the housing;
- at least one pump stage positioned in the housing, the at least one pump stage comprising an impeller coupled to the drive shaft;
- a balance drum coupled to the drive shaft and positioned in the housing;
- and
- a motor comprising a rotor slidably coupled to the drive shaft, the drive shaft configured to rotate with the rotor and move in an axial direction relative to the rotor and the housing during operation of the cryogenic pump.
A method of customizing a balance drum for a cryogenic pump, the method comprising:
- providing a balance drum having a serrated axial end including interspersed ridges and grooves that are each positioned adjacent to each other along a radial direction of the balance drum;
- determining a desired pressure difference across the balance drum during operation of the cryogenic pump;
- removing at least some of the interspersed ridges of the serrated axial end of the balance drum to modify the serrated axial end of the balance drum to a substantially planar surface;
- and
- designing providing the desired pressure difference across the balance drum during operation of the cryogenic pump at least partially with the modified serrated axial end of the balance drum.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.