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US 6,474,938 B2Granted
Fuel pump for gas turbines
AssigneeColtec Industries Inc.
InventorsWilliam H. Dalton, George L. Bennett
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fuel pump for use in conjunction with a gas turbine engine is disclosed which includes a pump housing, a shrouded rotor member, and an inlet post member, wherein fluid is axially supplied along the pump centerline and then radially discharged at a first pressure to the interior chamber of the pump housing, at the base portion of vane elements associated with the rotor, thereby contacting the vane elements at a minimum angular velocity and angle of incidence. Also disclosed is a single bearing arrangement for eccentrically supporting a shrouded rotor member.
Claims26
A fuel pump comprising:
- a) a pump housing having an interior chamber and a discharge port, the interior chamber defining a central axis for the pump and laterally opposed arcuate channels extending about the central axis;
- b) a rotor member mounted for rotational movement within the interior chamber of the pump housing about the central axis thereof, the rotor member having a main body portion that includes circumferentially spaced apart radial vane elements, each vane element having a radially inner base portion and a radially outer tip portion, and a mounting portion supporting the rotor member within the interior chamber;
- and
- c) an inlet post member supported within the pump housing, having opposed first and second end portions and defining an inlet passage extending between an inlet port associated with the first end portion and a radial discharge port associated with the second end portion, wherein fluid admitted into the inlet port is delivered at a first pressure radially to the interior chamber of the pump housing at the base portion of the vane elements, such that rotation of the rotor member within the interior chamber about the inlet post member increases the pressure of the fluid disposed within the interior chamber, and the fluid exits the discharge port of the pump housing at a second pressure.
1 more element
A fuel pump comprising:
- a) a pump housing having an interior chamber and a discharge port, the interior chamber defining a central axis for the pump and laterally opposed arcuate channels extending about the central axis;
- b) a rotor member mounted for rotational movement within the interior chamber of the pump housing about the central axis thereof, the rotor member having a main body portion that includes circumferentially spaced apart radial vane elements, each vane element having a radially inner base portion and a radially outer tip portion, and a mounting portion supporting the rotor member within the interior chamber, the mounting portion having an axial discharge passage extending therethrough;
- and
- c) an inlet post member supported within the pump housing, having opposed first and second end portions and defining an inlet passage and a outlet passage, the inlet passage extending between an inlet port associated with the first end portion and a radial discharge port associated with the second end portion, the outlet passage being associated with the second end portion and extending between a radial intake port and an axial discharge port, wherein fluid admitted into the inlet port is delivered at a first pressure radially to the interior chamber of the pump housing at the base portion of the vane elements, such that rotation of the rotor member within the interior chamber about the inlet post member increases the pressure of the fluid within the interior chamber, and fluid exists the discharge port of the pump housing through the outlet passage at a second pressure.
1 more element
A fuel pump comprising:
- a) a pump housing having a interior chamber and a discharge port, the interior chamber defining a central axis for the pump;
- b) a rotor member mounted for rotational movement within the interior chamber of the pump housing about the central axis thereof, the rotor member having a main body portion that includes circumferentially spaced apart radial vane elements, each vane element having a radially inner base portion and a radially outer tip portion, and a mounting portion for supporting the rotor member within the interior chamber;
- c) a journal bearing disposed within the pump housing and operatively associated with the mounting portion for supporting the rotor member in a cantilevered manner;
- d) opposed first and second axial thrust bearings disposed within the interior chamber of the pump housing for maintaining the axial position of the rotor member within the interior chamber of the pump housing;
- and
- e) biasing means disposed within the interior chamber of the pump housing for biasing the first axial thrust bearing towards the rotor member so as to promote static equilibrium within the pump housing by restoring a moment force imparted by the cantilevered mounting portion of the rotor member.
3 more elements
A fuel pump comprising:
- a) a pump housing having an interior chamber and a discharge port, the interior chamber defining a central axis for the pump and laterally opposed arcuate channels extending about the central axis;
- b) an impeller mounted for rotational movement within the interior chamber of the pump housing about the central axis thereof, the impeller having a main body portion that includes circumferentially spaced apart radial blades, each blade having a radially inner base portion and a radially outer tip portion, and a cantilevered cylindrical extension portion supporting the impeller within the interior chamber, the cantilevered cylindrical extension portion having an axial discharge passage extending therethrough;
- c) an inlet post member supported within the pump housing, having opposed first and second end portions and defining an inlet passage and a outlet passage, the inlet passage extending between an inlet port associated with the first end portion and a radial discharge port associated with the second end portion, the outlet passage being associated with the second end portion and extending between a radial intake port and an axial discharge port, wherein fluid admitted into the inlet port is delivered at a first pressure radially to the interior chamber of the pump housing at the base portion of the blades, such that rotation of the impeller about the inlet post within the interior chamber increases the pressure of the fluid within the interior chamber, and the fluid exists the pump housing from the discharge port through the outlet passage at a second pressure;
- d) a journal bearing disposed within the pump housing and operatively associated with the cantilevered extension portion for supporting the impeller within the pump housing;
- e) opposed first and second axial thrust bearings disposed within the interior chamber of the pump housing for maintaining the axial position of the impeller within the interior chamber of the pump housing;
- f) biasing means disposed within the interior chamber of the pump housing for biasing the first axial thrust bearing toward the impeller so as to promote static equilibrium within the pump housing by restoring a moment force imparted by the cantilevered extension portion of the rotor member;
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- g) means for adjusting a biasing force applied by the biasing means.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.