Pump employing the suction effect of a rotating liquid ring
AssigneeGenevac Limited
InventorMichael Cole
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fluid pump having an outer cylindrical housing (10) rotating relative to an inner hub (44) from which radially projects a probe (52) apertured in its external surface to be exposed to the flow therepast of an annulus of operational liquid (14) constrained in a circular path of motion by the rotating housing, the probe having an internal passage for communicating the aperture with a first external space and the inner liquid-free space in the housing having an outlet for communicating with a second external space. In use, fluid to be pumped is sucked out of the apertured probe to emerge as fluid bubbles which migrate through the rotating liquid annulus to the liquid-free center, then to pass to the outlet.
Claims22
A pump comprising:
- (1) a pump housing having a generally cylindrical interior and enclosing a quantity of working liquid,
- (2) at least one probe having at least one aperture on its external surface and positioned in the housing,
- (3) internal passage means in the probe for communicating said at least one aperture with a first external space,
- (4) means for causing the liquid to move in a circular path inside the housing and relative to the probe, the liquid passing over the external surface of the probe and past the aperture in the probe, and
- (5) outlet means for communicating between a second external space and a central region of the housing which in use is free of liquid,
- whereby fluid to be pumped is drawn through the probe to pass out of said aperture into the liquid, by virture of the suction effect of the liquid passing over the aperture, to move as fluid bubbles toward the central region of the housing as a result of centrifugal forces acting on the more dense liquid, the bubbles migrating through the circulating liquid into the central region to pass out of the housing through the outlet means.
A pump comprising:
- (1) a pump housing having a generally cylindrical interior and enclosing a quantity of liquid,
- (2) at least one probe having at least one aperture on its external surface and internal passage means for communicating said at least one aperture with a first external space,
- (3) means for driving the housing and thereby causing the liquid to move in a circular path inside the housing and relative to the probe, the liquid passing over the external surface of the probe and past the aperture in the probe,
- (4) outlet means for communicating between a second external space and a central region of the housing which in use is free of liquid, whereby fluid to be pumped is drawn through the probe to pass out of the aperture into the liquid, by virtue of the suction effect of liquid passing over the aperture, to move as fluid bubbles towards the central region of the housing as a result of centrifugal forces acting on the more dense liquid, the bubbles migrating through the circulating liquid into the central region to pass out of the housing through the outlet means,
- and wherein:
- (5) said housing has internal protrusions which pass sufficiently close to the aperture probe to enhance the suction of fluid therefrom.
A method of pumping a fluid from one region to another by employing a suction effect produced when a liquid flows over a surface containing an orifice which communicates with the said one region, comprising the steps of:
- (1) causing a liquid having a density greater than that of the fluid, to flow over an external surface of a member having at least one orifice in said external surface, to create a suction effect at the orifice by virtue of the movement of liquid over the orifice, to draw fluid from the said one region out of the orifice into the liquid moving past the orifice;
- (2) constraining the liquid to follow a curved path so as to introduce centrifugal forces therein and thereby produce radial separation of the liquid and the less dense fluid entrained therein, and
- (3) conveying the displaced fluid to the said other region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.