This disclosure relates fluid moving devices such as pumps and associated components such as to pump casings, pump casing assemblies, and pumps, systems and methods of manufacture and use. In particular, this disclosure relates to combined-purpose devices, such as pump casings and pumps, that can operate as standard centrifugal pumps, booster pumps, and hybrid pumps. The combined-purpose device devices can produce different pressure and flow characteristics that are desirable in, for example, bathing environments.

A method and computer program product for defining a PWM drive signal having a defined voltage potential. The PWM drive signal has a plurality of on portions and a plurality of off portions that define a first duty cycle for regulating, at least in part, a flow rate of a pump assembly. At least a portion of the on portions of the PWM drive signal are pulse width modulated to define a second duty cycle for the at least a portion of the on portions of the PWM drive signal. The second duty cycle regulates, at least in part, the percentage of the defined voltage potential applied to the pump assembly.

A viscous coupling may include: a housing part and an input body rotatable relative to the housing part that at least partially delimit an interior space; a shaft rotatable relative to the housing part and on which an output body arranged in the interior space may be formed for conjoint rotation with the shaft; a coupling region formed between the output and input bodies and configured to hold a viscous fluid to assure a coupling between the input body and the output body; a holding chamber for collecting coolant leaking from the coolant pump; a housing wall conformed integrally with the housing part and partially delimiting the holding chamber; and an actuator housing and an electric actuator therein by which a degree of the coupling between the input body and the output body may be adjustable. The actuator housing may at least partially cover the holding chamber.

In an aspect, a clutched device is provided, and includes an input member, an output member, a one-way clutch that can operatively connect the input member to the output member, and a motor including a stator and a rotor. The rotor is connected for rotation with a portion of the one-way clutch. The stator is operable to apply a first magnetic driving force to cause movement of the portion of the one-way clutch in a first rotational direction to increase a force of engagement between the input and output members. The stator is operable to apply a second magnetic driving force to cause movement of the portion of the one-way clutch to disengage the input and output members from each other.

A mixing device includes a first inlet (84) and a second inlet (86) inlet and an outlet (80). The first inlet (84) is connected to the outlet (80) via a first flow connection and the second inlet (86) is connected to the outlet (80) via a second flow connection. A circulation pump assembly (24; 46) includes an electric drive motor (30), a control device (34), for controlling the speed of the drive motor (30), and at least one impeller (68; 100) driven by the drive motor. The at least one impeller (68; 100) is positioned in the first flow connection. The flow connections are configured such that at least one hydraulic pressure generated by the impeller (68; 100) in the first flow connection acts as hydraulic resistance in the second flow connection.

The invention provides method and system of controlling flow rate in a pipeline network for fluids. The system includes a demand management system to monitor fluid flow rate in the pipeline network (10) and a pump (34) to increase the fluid flow rate when the demand management system determines an increase in fluid flow rate is required.

A pump drive for an extracorporeal blood pumping system including an adjustable drive magnet. The pump drive may be coupled to a blood pump which includes a pump impeller. The pump drive may include a stepper motor for dynamically adjusting the position of the drive magnet. The position of the drive magnet may be varied to vary the distance between the drive magnet and an impeller magnet of the pump impeller. Adjusting the position of the drive magnet may include dynamically adjusting the drive magnet and may include axially moving the drive magnet to thereby vary a magnetic attraction force between the drive magnet and the impeller magnet which may thereby minimize forces acting on one or more bearings of a pump impeller.

Apparatus, including a pump system, features a controller having a signal processor or processing module configured to: receive signaling containing information about a relationship between frequencies of pump vibration resonances detected around critical pump speeds and a 3-dimensional pump vibration power spectrum in the frequency domain with respect to pump speed and pump temperature change differences; and determine corresponding signaling containing information to adjust the pump speed to avoid the pump vibration resonances around the critical pump speeds, based upon the signaling received.

The signal processor or processing module is also configured to provide the corresponding signaling as control signaling to adjust the pump speed.

A drain pump for an appliance includes a single, self-starting, single-phase synchronous motor and a pump chamber having an inlet and first and second outlets. The first outlet is a drain outlet and the second outlet is a recirculation outlet. An impeller is disposed within the pump chamber and is selectively and bi-directionally driven by the single-phase synchronous motor. Rotation of the impeller in a first direction directs fluid from the inlet toward the drain outlet and away from the recirculation outlet. Rotation of the impeller in the second direction directs the fluid from the inlet toward the recirculation outlet and away from the drain outlet.

A pump assembly (2) includes an electric drive motor (14) and with at least one impeller (18) which is driven by the motor. The impeller is movable in an axial direction (X) between at least one first and one second position. The impeller in the first axial position is situated in a first flow path through the pump assembly and delivers a fluid through this first flow path. The impeller in the second position is situated in a second flow path through the pump assembly and delivers a fluid through this second flow path. The pump assembly (2) is configured such that a movement of the impeller (18), between the first and the second position at least in one direction, is effected by a hydraulic force which acts on the impeller (18) and is produced by the delivered fluid. A heating installation is provided with such a pump assembly.