Water jet propulsor powered by an integral canned electric motor

A water jet propulsor for a marine vessel comprising:

• a generally hollow housing having an inlet end and an outlet end;
• attachment means on said housing for securing said housing to a hull of a marine vessel:
• an annular stator hermetically sealed and mounted inside said housing:
• energizing means for supplying electrical power to said stator:
• a hub centrally positioned inside and secured to said housing to allow water to flow therepast:
• an impeller assembly rotatably mounted in said housing and to said hub, said impeller assembly including a tubular suction shroud extending through and rotatable relative to said annular stator, an impeller secured to said tubular suction shroud, and an annular, hermetically sealed rotor mounted around said tubular suction shroud and inside said annular stator, such that rotation of said impeller assembly produces a pressurized water flow through said housing from said intake end to said outlet end;
• said tubular suction shroud has a forward end forming a forward gap relative to said housing positioned upstream of the impeller with respect to the water flow, and an aft end forming an aft gap relative to said housing positioned downstream of the impeller with respect to the water flow, said forward gap and said aft gap being in communication with one another to form a water circulation channel between said rotor and said housing;
• said hub is positioned downstream of said impeller with respect to the water flow:
• said impeller assembly further includes a generally hollow shaft rotatably mounted within said hub, said shaft having an opening into said hollow portion positioned upstream from said impeller with respect to the water flow;
• and
• said tubular suction shroud has a second aft end forming a hub gap relative to said hub positioned downstream from said impeller with respect to the water flow, adjacent said outlet end of said housing, said hub gap and said opening in said shaft are in communication with one another forming a second water circulation channel between said hub and said tubular suction shroud.

A water jet propulsor for a marine vessel comprising:

• a generally hollow housing having an inlet end and an outlet end;
• attachment means on said housing for securing said housing to a hull of a marine vessel;
• an annular stator hermetically sealed and mounted inside said housing;
• energizing means for supplying electrical power to said stator:
• a hub centrally positioned inside and secured to said housing to allow water to flow therepast:
• an impeller assembly rotatably mounted in said housing and to said hub, said impeller assembly including a tubular suction shroud extending through and rotatable relative to said annular stator, an impeller secured to said tubular suction shroud, and an annular, hermetically sealed rotor mounted ground said tubular suction shroud and inside said annular stator, such, that rotation of said impeller assembly produces a pressurized water flow through said housing from said intake end to said outlet end;
• said tubular suction shroud has a forward end forming a forward gap relative to said housing positioned upstream of the impeller with respect to the water flow, and an aft end forming an aft gap relative to said housing positioned downstream of the impeller with respect to the water flow, said forward gap and said aft gap being in communication with one another to form a water circulation channel between said rotor and said housing,
• said hub is positioned upstream from said impeller with respect to the water flow;
• said impeller assembly includes a hollow shaft rotatably mounted in said hub and said housing to rotatably support said impeller assembly;
• an annular excitor/generator stator is mounted in said housing, an annular excitor/generator rotor is mounted around said shaft and positioned inside said excitor/generator stator, said stator being electrically connected to said energy means and said excitor/generator rotor being electrically connected to said annular rotor, such that rotation of said excitor/generator rotor produces electrical current that is supplied to said annular rotor whereby it operates as a synchronous motor.

A pump powered by an integral canned motor comprising:

• a generally hollow housing having an inlet end and an outlet end;
• an annular stator hermetically sealed and mounted inside said housing;
• energizing means for supplying electrical power to said stator;
• a hub centrally positioned inside and secured to said housing to allow water to flow therepast;
• an impeller assembly rotatably mounted in said housing and to said hub, said impeller assembly including a tubular suction shroud extending through and rotatable relative to said annular stator, a shaft extending into and rotatably connected to said hub, an impeller secured to said tubular suction shroud, and an annular, hermetically sealed rotor mounted around said tubular suction shroud and inside said annular stator, such that rotation of said impeller assembly produces a pressurized water flow through said housing from said intake end to said outlet end.

A pump powered by an integral canned motor comprising:

• a generally hollow housing having an inlet end and an outlet end;
• an annular stator hermetically sealed and mounted inside said housing;
• energizing means for supplying electrical power to said stator:
• a hub centrally positioned inside and secured to said housing to allow water to flow therepast;
• an impeller assembly rotatably mounted in said housing and to said hub, said impeller assembly including a tubular suction shroud extending through and rotatable relative to said annular stator, an impeller secured to said tubular suction shroud, and an annular, hermetically sealed rotor mounted around said tubular suction shroud and inside said annular stator, such that rotation of said impeller assembly produces a pressurized water flow through said housing from said intake end to said outlet end:
• said tubular suction shroud has a forward end forming a forward gap relative to said housing positioned upstream of the impeller with respect to the water flow, and an aft end forming an aft gap relative to said housing positioned downstream of the impeller with respect to the water flow, said forward gap and said aft gap being in communication with one another to form a water circulation channel between said rotor and said housing;
• said hub is positioned downstream of said impeller with respect to the water flow:
• said impeller assembly further includes a generally hollow shaft rotatably mounted within said hub, said shaft having an opening into said hollow portion positioned upstream from said impeller with respect to the water flow;
• and
• said tubular suction shroud has a second aft end forming a hub gap relative to said hub positioned downstream from said impeller with respect to the water flow, adjacent said outlet end of said housing, said hub gap and said opening in said shaft are in communication with one another forming a second water circulation channel between said hub and said tubular suction shroud.