Impeller bearings for pumps are disclosed. An example fluid pump includes a motor, a shaft coupled to a rotor of the motor, an impeller coupled to the shaft, a first radial bearing positioned around the shaft of the motor aft of the motor, and a second radial bearing positioned around the impeller.

A process fluid lubricated pump includes a pump having a pump shaft extending from a drive end to a non-drive end, first and last stage impellers, a drive unit exerting torque on the drive end to rotate the pump shaft, a balance drum connected to the pump shaft between the pump and the drive end, the balance drum defining a drum front side facing the pump and a drum back side, a relief passage between the balance drum and a first stationary part configured to be stationary with respect to a housing, the relief passage extending from the drum front side to the drum back side, the pump shaft radially supported in a non-contacting manner during operation of the pump, and a hydrodynamic radial pump bearing supporting the pump shaft, the radial pump bearing arranged at the non-drive end or at the drive end of the pump shaft.

A process fluid lubricated pump includes a pump having a pump shaft extending from a drive end to a non-drive end, first and last stage impellers, a drive unit exerting torque on the drive end to rotate the pump shaft, a balance drum connected to the pump shaft between the pump and the drive end, the balance drum defining a drum front side facing the pump and a drum back side, a relief passage between the balance drum and a first stationary part configured to be stationary with respect to a housing, the relief passage extending from the drum front side to the drum back side, the pump shaft radially supported in a non-contacting manner during operation of the pump, and a hydrodynamic radial pump bearing supporting the pump shaft, the radial pump bearing arranged at the non-drive end or at the drive end of the pump shaft.

Disclosed is a centrifugal molten metal pump assembly and associated system for controlled delivery of molten metal to molds. The pump assembly comprises a shaft, an impeller coupled to the shaft, a controller to control a rotational speed of the impeller according to a programmable fill profile while delivering the molten metal to the mold. In some embodiments, the pump assembly further comprises a throttle to manipulate a flow rate or pressure of the molten metal relative to a rotational speed of the impeller. The associated system comprises a melting furnace and one or more holding furnaces, each holding furnace including at least one pump assembly therein. Each holding furnace may be of an open configuration to allow for uninterrupted flow of the molten metal from the melting furnace. The system may provide controlled delivery of the molten metal to the mold at a desired flow rate or pressure.

A blood pump system includes a pump housing and an impeller for rotating in a pump chamber within the housing. The impeller has a first side and a second side opposite the first side. The system includes a stator having drive coils for applying a torque to the impeller and at least one bearing mechanism for suspending the impeller within the pump chamber. The system includes a position control mechanism for moving the impeller in an axial direction within the pump chamber to adjust a size of a first gap and a size of a second gap, thereby controlling a washout rate at each of the first gap and the second gap. The first gap is defined by a distance between the first side and the housing and the second gap is defined by a distance between the second side and the pump housing.

A blood pump system includes a pump housing and an impeller for rotating in a pump chamber within the housing. The impeller has a first side and a second side opposite the first side. The system includes a stator having drive coils for applying a torque to the impeller and at least one bearing mechanism for suspending the impeller within the pump chamber. The system includes a position control mechanism for moving the impeller in an axial direction within the pump chamber to adjust a size of a first gap and a size of a second gap, thereby controlling a washout rate at each of the first gap and the second gap. The first gap is defined by a distance between the first side and the housing and the second gap is defined by a distance between the second side and the pump housing.

A motor includes a rotor having an output shaft and a rotor main body, a bearing member for supporting the output shaft movable in an axial line direction and rotatable around the axial line, and a bearing holding member holding the bearing member. The bearing member has a tube part supporting the output shaft and a slidably contacting part capable of slidably contacting with the rotor main body. The bearing holding member has an opposed face facing the rotor main body and a recessed part provided in the opposed face. The tube part of the bearing member is inserted into the recessed part and is separated from a bottom face of the recessed part. A space between the bottom face of the recessed part and the tube part is structured as a lubricant storage part and a communication path is provided between the bearing holding member and the bearing member.

A motor includes a rotor having an output shaft and a rotor main body, a bearing member for supporting the output shaft movable in an axial line direction and rotatable around the axial line, and a bearing holding member holding the bearing member. The bearing member has a tube part supporting the output shaft and a slidably contacting part capable of slidably contacting with the rotor main body. The bearing holding member has an opposed face facing the rotor main body and a recessed part provided in the opposed face. The tube part of the bearing member is inserted into the recessed part and is separated from a bottom face of the recessed part. A space between the bottom face of the recessed part and the tube part is structured as a lubricant storage part and a communication path is provided between the bearing holding member and the bearing member.

In an exemplary embodiment, a seal device 10 that seals between a housing 11 and a rotation shaft 20 passing through the housing 11 includes a floating ring 15 arranged with a gap h with respect to the rotation shaft 20, wherein the floating ring 15 includes at least one supporting means 18 that supports in the circumferential direction. In the seal device, the floating ring follows movement of the rotation shaft even upon running for a long time, a clearance between the rotation shaft and the seal ring can be properly held, and the sealing operation by the floating ring and the vibration damping function can be exerted, and the seal device is easily assembled.

A fluid machine and method of operating the same comprises a pump portion, turbine portion and a center bearing therebetween. The method includes communicating lubricant to a thrust bearing cavity disposed between a turbine impeller and a thrust wear ring, communicating lubricant from the thrust bearing cavity to a center axial shaft passage of a shaft through an impeller passage of the turbine impeller, communicating lubricant through the axial shaft passage to a bearing clearance between a shaft and a center bearing through a first radial shaft passage and a second radial shaft passage and communicating lubricant through the bearing clearance to a pump impeller chamber and a turbine impeller chamber.