The balancing system has a balancing body to be mounted on a rotor of a turbomachine and a sealing ring to be mounted on a stator of the turbomachine; the sealing ring is arranged around the balancing body so that the balancing body can rotate about a rotation axis, thus there is a clearance between the body and the ring; furthermore, there is an arrangement for changing an axial position of the sealing ring during operation of the turbomachine so that the clearance can be adjusted. The possibility of adjusting clearance during operation of the turbomachine, such balancing system provides a good balancing action with a small leakage and a small risk of mechanical interference at any time during operation of the turbomachine.

A process fluid lubricated pump includes a housing with an inlet to receive the fluid, and an outlet to discharge the fluid, a shaft extending from a drive end to a non-drive end and rotatable about an axial direction, the drive end of the shaft arranged outside the housing, a hydraulic unit including impellers mounted on the shaft, a collection chamber to collect leaking process fluid, the collection chamber comprising an exit, through which the shaft passes, and an exit to discharge the process fluid, and a throttle device arranged between the hydraulic unit and the collection chamber, the throttle device comprising a stationary throttle part having first and second axial faces delimiting the stationary throttle part, the first axial face facing the collection chamber, and the throttle device including a throttle gap surrounding the shaft and extending from the first axial face to the second axial face.

Apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed to dynamically support axial thrust in pumps. An example apparatus disclosed herein includes a first thrust pad, a second thrust pad, and a thrust disc between the first thrust pad and the second thrust pad, the thrust disc including a first side adjacent to the first thrust pad. a second side adjacent to the second thrust pad, an outer surface, a first channel extending between the outer surface to the first side, and a second channel extending between the outer surface of the thrust disc to the second side.

A single-stage or multi-stage centrifugal pump has a balancing disc for balancing the axial forces of the pump. The balancing disc includes at least one annular groove in at least one of the non-axial counter surfaces and of the balancing disc and the counter member.

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 pump includes a housing having an inlet and an outlet configured to convey fluid, an impeller configured to convey the fluid from the inlet to the outlet, the impeller being arranged on a rotatable shaft, and a balance drum configured to relieve axial thrust. The balance drum includes a rotor rotationally fixedly connected to the shaft, the rotor having a high and low pressure sides, a stator stationary with respect to the housing, a relief passage extending between the rotor and the stator from the high pressure side up to the low pressure side of the rotor, a return passage connecting the low pressure side of the rotor to the inlet. An intermediate passage opens into the relief passage between the high pressure side and the low pressure side of the rotor. A blocking member is configured to influence the flow through the intermediate passage.

A porous media ventless thrust bearing seal is disclosed. The porous media thrust bearing may include a primary porous media thrust bearing also serving as a seal ring including porous media positioned over a plenum and a port connected to the plenum, and conductive passages for communicating pressurized fluid to the plenums through the ports of the primary ring. The porous media ventless thrust bearing may also include a treated process gas supplied to a port which is closest to the untreated process gas, at a pressure which is higher than the untreated process gas. An inert gas (or fluid in a liquid state) may be supplied to the remaining port, at a pressure which is the same as the untreated process gas. A certain amount of treated process gas may flow into the untreated process gas, and may prevent the untreated gas from entering the porous media seal.

A self-adjusting drum system for use with a pump or similar rotating machinery includes a balancing drum mounted on a central shaft for joint rotation therewith. The shaft extends along an axial direction and the balancing drum has an outer surface. A fixed, stationary structure surrounding the balancing drum is provided. The stationary structure has an inner surface arranged so as to face the outer surface of the balancing drum, and an annular gap is provided therebetween. A bush element is arranged in the annular gap so as to leave clearance with respect to the inner and/or outer surfaces. A fixing component is further provided for fixing the bush element to the stationary structure so as to lock the bush element against movement along the axial direction and allow it to freely move along a radial direction, inside the annular gap.

A fluid machine and method of operating the same includes a pump portion having a pump impeller chamber, a pump inlet and a pump outlet, a turbine portion having a turbine impeller chamber, a turbine inlet and a turbine outlet and a shaft extending between the pump impeller chamber and the turbine impeller chamber. The fluid machine also includes a first bearing and a second bearing spaced apart to form a balance disk chamber. A balance disk is coupled to the shaft and is disposed within the balance disk chamber and a turbine impeller coupled to the impeller end of the shaft disposed within the impeller chamber. A first thrust bearing is formed between the balance disk and the first bearing. The thrust bearing receives fluid from at least one of the pump inlet or the turbine outlet.

A subsea pump is used in applications such as deep-water boosting of fluid produced from a wellbore. The process pressure variation is mostly related to the pump suction side in such applications. The barrier fluid system for the pump regulates its pressure according to the pump discharge pressure. A balance piston is positioned in a location close to the pump inlet such that both mechanical seals are exposed to the pump discharge pressure on the process side.