An axial thrust balancing mechanism for a rotating shaft apparatus such as a rotary pump provides self-regulating thrust compensation while avoiding contact and wear between rotating and static elements. A rotor fixed to the shaft includes a cylindrical male section proximal to but not extending within a cylindrical female section of a non-rotating stator, such that a gap formed therebetween is varied in width by shaft displacements caused by axial thrusts. Pressurized fluid within the female section applies a thrust-compensating force to the rotor that is controlled by the gap size. The female section is larger in diameter than the male section, thereby preventing any contact therebetween. The disclosed mechanism can be combined with a thrust-compensating drum so as to reduce the thrust to a residual level that can be regulated. The rotor and stator can be stepwise varied to provide a plurality of gaps and intermediate chambers therebetween.

A rotary pump includes a balance drum connected to a pump shaft between a hydraulic unit and the pump shaft, an axial relief passage between a balance drum and a stationary part stationary relative to a pump housing, and a balancing device arranged between the balance drum and the hydraulic unit, the balancing device including a ring-shaped rotary part connected to the pump shaft, and a ring-shaped non-rotary part movable only in the axial direction, the rotary part having an axial face facing the hydraulic unit, the rotary part and the non-rotary part overlap in a radial direction, which is perpendicular to the axial direction, and the non-rotary part movable in the axial direction such that a radial relief passage is open during operation of the pump, with the radial relief passage extending in the radial direction between the rotary part and the non-rotary part.

A multi-stage centrifugal pump includes pump stages (6), with impellers (13) arranged on a rotatable shaft (12) arranged within a pump casing. The shaft passes through a chamber (8), provided within the pump casing, and is sealingly led out of the pump casing for connection to a drive motor (11). A shaft ring (22) is fixedly and sealingly connected to the shaft (12) and has one side, at least in sections, that is subjected to the pressure of the pump and is arranged in or on the shaft. An axial seal (19) is provided with a rotating part formed by the shaft ring (22) or a seal part (23) arranged thereon and with a non-rotating part formed by a counter-ring (24) or a seal part which is arranged thereon. The counter-ring (24) is radially sealed with respect to the chamber (18) and is axially movably guided within the chamber.

A multistage centrifugal pump (1) has impellers (9) arranged on a common shaft (8), which is rotatably arranged within a pump casing (2-4). One end of the shaft (8) is led out of the casing (2-4) for connection to a drive motor and another shaft end (15) is rotatably mounted in the pump casing (2-4). The shaft end (15) which is mounted within the pump casing (2-4) is subjected to a counter-force which is produced by way of pressure subjection via a conduit connection to a delivery side of the pump. An axial seal (11) is provided on the shaft end (15) arranged within the pump casing (2-4). The rotating part of the axial seal is led on the shaft end and the non-rotating part is led, axially movably, within the pump casing (2-4). A sealing arrangement is provided between the pump casing and the axially movably mounted part.

A turbopump system includes a pump portion including a housing having a pressure release passageway disposed therein. The pump portion is disposed between a high pressure side and a low pressure side of a working fluid circuit. A drive turbine is coupled to the pump portion and configured to drive the pump portion to enable the pump portion to circulate a working fluid through the working fluid circuit. A pressure release valve is fluidly coupled to the pressure release passageway and configured to be positioned in an opened position to enable pressure to be released through the pressure release passageway and in a closed position to disable pressure from being released through the pressure release passageway.

A submersible multi-stage labyrinth-screw pump, having a rotor shaft; an end seal for the rotor shaft; an axial unloading unit integrated into the end seal of the rotor shaft; a lower radial bearing; a longitudinal channel, which connects a high-pressure zone at an exit for the rotor and the chamber of the axial unloading unit of the shaft, the axial unloading unit comprising a thrust block with a wear-resistant insert, a thrust collar, mated with a segment of the end seal, the end seal housing, a spring, a thrust ring, and a seat sleeve of the end seal, wherein the end seal of the rotor shaft's axial unloading unit operates as follows, when high pressure appears in the chamber of the rotor shaft's axial unloading unit, the fluid is kept from unproductive flows by hermetic contact of the ground insert of a segment and a seat of the end seal.

In accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure, a thrust washer and a diffuser for use in a downhole electrical submersible pump are disclosed. The pump may include a shaft and a motor communicatively coupled to the shaft. The motor may be operable to rotate the shaft. The pump may further include an impeller coupled to the shaft. The impeller may contain a balance ring, a balance hole, and a hub. The pump may further include a diffuser disposed adjacent to the impeller. The pump may further include a thrust washer coupled to the impeller. The thrust washer may be located between the balance ring and the hub without blocking the balance hole to allow fluid flow through the impeller and the diffuser. The pump may further include a discharge operable to direct fluid flow out of the multi-stage electrical submersible pump.

An electric submersible pump (ESP) can include a shaft; an electric motor configured to rotatably drive the shaft; a housing; a stack of diffusers disposed in the housing; and impellers operatively coupled to the shaft. Various other apparatuses, systems, methods, etc., are also disclosed.

Extracorporeal circuit devices can be used for on-pump open-heart surgery to support surgical procedures such as coronary artery bypass grafting. In some cases, a centrifugal pump is used as part of an extracorporeal circuit. Centrifugal pump heads are described herein that induce flow on two sides of an impeller plate, and that can be conveniently mechanically assembled.

A vertical pump includes: a rotary shaft; multi-stage impellers; a casing accommodating the multi-stage impellers; a mechanical seal provided in a penetration part of the casing for the rotary shaft; a balance sleeve, the balance sleeve being positioned between a final stage impeller of the multi-stage impellers and the mechanical seal in the penetration part for the rotary shaft; an intermediate chamber provided between the rotary shaft and the casing and provided on an opposite side of the multi-stage impellers across the balance sleeve in an axial direction of the rotary shaft, the intermediate chamber communicating with an intermediate stage impeller among the multi-stage impellers; a low pressure chamber provided between the rotary shaft and the casing, the low pressure chamber communicating with a low pressure side compared to the intermediate chamber; and a partition wall part dividing the intermediate chamber and the low pressure chamber.