Self-cleaning side channel machine having at least one impeller rotatably mounted in the housing of the machine

A self-cleaning side channel machine, comprising:

• a) a housing having an intake port and an outlet port;
• b) at least one impeller being rotatably mounted in the housing of the machine, and including:
• (i) a disk-shaped hub part having a hub bore;
• and
• (ii) a blade ring mounted on a periphery of the disk-shaped hub part, whereby the hub part is mountable on a shaft of a drive motor;
• c) a side channel being formed at least on one side of the blade ring in the housing and extending circumferentially between the intake and the outlet port of the housing;
• d) sealing gaps being disposed at least in an area of the hub part that is radially, inwardly contiguous to the blade ring between this hub part and the housing;
• e) a supply line being disposed in an area between the hub bore and the blade ring in the housing of the side channel machine;
• and
• f) a flushing fluid supplied into the housing via the supply port, and flowing to the side channel via the sealing gaps and flowing out of the side channel machine via the outlet port whereby said flushing fluid causes said self-cleaning.

A method for cleaning a side channel machine, which machine has an impeller arranged rotatably in a housing of the machine, which impeller includes a disk-shaped hub part and a blade ring mounted on a periphery of the disk shaped hub part, and which impeller is mountable on a shaft of a drive motor by means of a hub bore provided on the hub part, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) providing a side channel at least on one side of the blade ring in the housing which side channel extends circumferentially between an inlet port and an outlet port of the housing;
• b) providing a plurality of sealing gaps on both sides of the blade ring at least in a region of the hub part that is radially inwardly contiguous to the blade ring between said hub part and the housing;
• c) providing a supply line in a region between the hub bore and the blade ring on the housing of the side channel machine;
• d) feeding a flushing fluid into the side channel machine via the supply line;
• e) guiding the flushing fluid via the sealing gaps into the side channel;
• and
• f) guiding the flushing fluid from the side channel out of the side channel machine via an outlet port in the housing whereby said flushing fluid causes said self-cleaning.