Multiple chamber pump and method
OwnerSteven M. Harringtoninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed is a pneumatically powered high-pressure and lightweight fluid pump. The pump is useful for pumping fuel for liquid rocket engines and for transferring liquids from one space vehicle to another. During operation of the pump, liquid is drained from a tank into a pump chamber and the chamber is then pressurized to deliver fluid. The chamber is then refilled from the main tank. An auxiliary chamber supplies fuel while the main chamber is being filled, thereby a steady stream is delivered from the pump. The auxiliary chamber is refilled from the tank while the main chamber is delivering fluid. In order to transfer fluid from the tank to the pump chamber, the pressure in the pump chamber is maintained at a pressure higher than the vapor pressure of the fluid being pumped but lower than the pressure in the tank.
Claims24
A pneumatically driven multiple chamber fluid pump for use in reduced absolute pressure environments, wherein environmental pressure is lower than a vapor pressure of a fluid being pumped, the pump comprising:
- a primary chamber with a primary chamber volume capacity;
- an auxiliary chamber with an auxiliary chamber volume capacity;
- an outlet coupled to the primary chamber and the auxiliary chamber;
- and
- a vent system coupled to the primary chamber and the auxiliary chamber, configured to operate in the reduced absolute pressure environment and configured to maintain a pressure greater than the vapor pressure of the pumped fluid within each of the primary chamber and the auxiliary chamber.
A pneumatically driven multiple chamber pump for use in reduced absolute pressure environments wherein environmental pressure is lower than a vapor pressure of fluid being pumped, the pump comprising:
- a primary chamber with a primary chamber volume capacity and having a primary chamber inlet configured to allow fluid to enter the primary chamber;
- an auxiliary chamber with an auxiliary chamber volume capacity and having an auxiliary chamber inlet configured to allow fluid to enter the auxiliary chamber;
- an outlet coupled to the primary chamber and the auxiliary chamber, the primary chamber configured to dispense fluid through the outlet during at least a portion of time that fluid enters the auxiliary chamber fills and the auxiliary chamber configured to dispense fluid through the outlet during at least a portion of time that fluid enters the primary chamber;
- a pressurization system coupled to the primary chamber and the auxiliary chamber and configured to pressurize the primary chamber prior to the time the primary chamber dispenses fluid through the outlet and configured to pressurize the auxiliary chamber prior to the time the auxiliary chamber dispenses fluid through the outlet;
- and
- a vent system coupled to the primary chamber and the auxiliary chamber, and configured to maintain at least a pressure greater than the vapor pressure of the pumped fluid within each of the primary chamber and the auxiliary chamber.
A pneumatically driven multiple chamber pump for use in reduced absolute pressure environments wherein environmental pressure is lower than a vapor pressure of fluid being pumped, the pump comprising:
- a fluid storage tank positioned internal of a rocket system;
- a rocket thrust chamber;
- a primary chamber comprising an inlet valve configured to accept fluid from the storage tank during a primary fill portion of a pump cycle, and an outlet valve configured to dispense fluid from the primary chamber to the rocket thrust chamber during a primary dispense portion of the pump cycle;
- an auxiliary chamber comprising an inlet valve configured to accept fluid from the storage tank during an auxiliary fill portion of the pump cycle that occurs at least partially during the primary dispense portion, and an outlet valve configured to dispense fluid from the auxiliary chamber to the rocket thrust chamber during an auxiliary dispense portion of the pump cycle that occurs at least partially during the primary fill portion;
- a pressurization system coupled to the primary chamber and the auxiliary chamber and configured to pressurize the primary chamber prior to the primary dispense portion of the pump cycle and configured to pressurize the auxiliary chamber prior to the auxiliary dispense portion of the pump cycle;
- a diffuser coupled to the pressurization system and a pressurization gas inlet of at least one of the primary chamber or the auxiliary chamber and configured to slow a velocity of a pressurization gas entering the at least one of the primary chamber or the auxiliary chamber;
- and
- a vent valve system coupled to the primary chamber and the auxiliary chamber, and configured to vent the primary chamber and auxiliary chamber following the respective dispense portions of the pump cycle while maintaining at least a pressure greater than the vapor pressure of the pumped fluid within each of the primary chamber and the auxiliary chamber.
A method of pneumatically driving a multiple chamber pump in a reduced absolute pressure environment where environmental pressure is lower than a vapor pressure of fluid being pumped, the method comprising:
- accepting fluid in a primary chamber from a fluid storage tank during a primary fill portion of a pump cycle;
- pressurizing the primary chamber with pressurization gas during a primary pressurization portion of the pump cycle;
- dispensing fluid from the primary chamber to a rocket thrust chamber during a primary dispense portion of the pump cycle;
- venting the primary chamber during a primary vent portion of the pump cycle while maintaining pressure in the primary chamber above the vapor pressure of the pumped fluid;
- accepting fluid in an auxiliary chamber from the fluid storage tank during an auxiliary fill portion of the pump cycle, wherein the auxiliary fill portion of the pump cycle occurs during a portion of the primary dispense portion;
- pressurizing the auxiliary chamber with pressurization gas during an auxiliary pressurization portion of the pump cycle, wherein the auxiliary pressurization portion of the pump cycle occurs during a portion of the primary dispense portion;
- dispensing fluid from the auxiliary chamber to the rocket thrust chamber during an auxiliary dispense portion of the pump cycle;
- and
- venting the auxiliary chamber during an auxiliary vent portion of the pump cycle while maintaining pressure in the auxiliary chamber above the vapor pressure of the pumped fluid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.