Multistage centrifugal pump

Abstract

A multi-stage centrifugal pump includes a pump casing, in which a shaft (8) carrying an impeller is rotatably arranged. The pump casing has a pump casing foot part (2) that includes a reversibly closable maintenance opening (60), via which a bearing and/or seal (20, 25), which is arranged at a shaft end within the pump casing, is accessible and exchangeable.

Claims

1. A multistage centrifugal pump comprising: a pump housing; pump stage impellers, each of the stage impellers having a stage impeller outer diameter; a shaft which carries the impellers and is rotatably arranged with one end within the pump housing and another end located at a position outside of the pump housing, wherein the one end is pressurized to compensate for axial forces acting on the shaft; and a shaft end cooperating part comprising a bearing or a seal or a bearing and a seal arranged within the pump housing on the one end of the shaft, wherein the pump housing comprises a reversibly closable maintenance opening, via which the shaft end cooperating part is accessible and is exchangeable, wherein the seal is an axial seal comprising a stationary part and a ring, which is arranged in an axially movable manner within the pump housing or within a component which is integrated therein, wherein the axial seal is accessible and removable via the reversibly closable maintenance opening, the reversibly closable maintenance opening comprising an opening outer diameter, the opening outer diameter being less than the stage impeller outer diameter, the stationary part comprising a holding ring, at least a portion of the holding ring being arranged in the maintenance opening, the holding ring comprising one more channels fluidly connecting a pressure side of the pump to an interior of the holding ring.

2. The centrifugal pump according to claim 1, wherein the holding ring comprises a screw-fastened cover, wherein the maintenance opening is closable by the screw-fastened cover, wherein the centrifugal pump is an inline pump with suction and delivery connections arranged in a base part comprising the maintenance opening, wherein the one end is pressurized to compensate for axial forces acting on the shaft via fluid delivered to a pressure side of the centrifugal pump.

3. The centrifugal pump according to claim 2, wherein the cover comprises a part which passes through the opening and receives or forms a rotationally fixed part of a seal of the bearing, the cover being externally accessible from a position outside of the centrifugal pump.

4. The centrifugal pump according to claim 2, wherein a seal of the bearing includes a part which co-rotates with the shaft that is releasably fastened on the one end of the shaft which is arranged within the pump housing.

5. The centrifugal pump according to claim 4, wherein the part of the seal of the bearing which co-rotates with the shaft is screw-fastened on the one end of the shaft.

6. The centrifugal pump according to claim 1, further comprising a motor with a motor shaft, wherein the maintenance opening is provided aligned to the motor shaft in a housing wall of the pump housing which is remote to the motor, the maintenance opening being located opposite the motor.

7. The centrifugal pump according to claim 1, wherein the shaft is arranged vertically and the maintenance opening is arranged in the base of the pump housing, the maintenance opening being arranged in an extension of the one end of the shaft.

8. The centrifugal pump according to claim 1, wherein a blocking device for blocking the shaft is provided on the another end of the shaft which extends out of the pump casing.

9. The centrifugal pump according to claim 1, wherein the holding ring comprises a cover with an overlapping portion that overlaps the maintenance opening wherein the cover is screw-fastened on the pump housing in the overlapping portion, the cover defining an outer surface of the pump housing.

10. The centrifugal pump according to claim 1, wherein the holding ring comprises a cover detachably connected to the pump housing, the cover closing the maintenance opening, wherein the cover comprises a part which passes through the opening and receives or forms a rotationally fixed part of a seal of the bearing, the part being located adjacent to the cover, the cover defining an outermost surface of the pump housing.

11. The centrifugal pump according to claim 10, further comprising a plurality of fasteners, the cover being detachably connected to the pump casing via the plurality of fasteners, the cover comprising an outer cover surface, the outer cover surface being aligned with an outer surface of the pump casing.

12. A multistage centrifugal pump comprising: a pump housing; pump stage impellers, each of the pump stage impellers having an impeller outer diameter; a shaft which carries the impellers and is rotatably arranged with one end within the pump housing and another end located outside of the pump housing; and a shaft end cooperating part comprising a bearing or a seal or a bearing and a seal arranged within the pump housing on the one end of the shaft, wherein the pump housing comprises a reversibly closable maintenance opening, via which the shaft end cooperating part is accessible and is exchangeable, the reversible closable maintenance opening comprising an opening outer diameter, the opening outer diameter being less than the impeller outer diameter, the seal comprising an axial seal, the axial seal comprising a stationary part and a non-rotating seal part, the non-rotating seal part being movable in an axial direction relative to the stationary part via pressure generated from fluid delivered to the pump housing, wherein the one end of the shaft is pressurized to compensate for axial forces acting on the shaft via the fluid delivered to the centrifugal pump, the stationary part comprising a holding ring, at least a portion of the holding ring being arranged in the maintenance opening, the holding ring comprising one more channels fluidly connecting a pressure side of the centrifugal pump to an interior of the holding ring.

13. The centrifugal pump according to claim 12, wherein the centrifugal pump is an inline pump with suction and delivery connections arranged in a base part comprising the maintenance opening, wherein the fluid is delivered to the pressure side of the centrifugal pump.

14. The centrifugal pump according to claim 12, wherein the stationary part comprises a projecting portion, the non-rotating seal part comprising an opening, at least a portion of the projecting portion being arranged in the opening, the maintenance opening being located on a same side of the pump housing as the non-rotating seal part and the stationary part, the stationary part comprising an opening, the stationary part receiving fluid from a pressure side of the pump housing, the non-rotating seal part being configured to move based on the pressure in the interior of the stationary part, the pressure being generated via the fluid delivered from the pressure side of the pump housing.

15. The centrifugal pump according to claim 14, wherein the non-rotating part is movable relative to the projecting portion via the pressure generated from the fluid delivered to the pump housing, the maintenance opening being located adjacent to the non-rotating part.

16. The centrifugal pump according to claim 12, wherein the holding ring comprises a cover detachably connected to the pump housing, the cover closing the maintenance opening, wherein the cover comprises a part which passes through the opening and receives or forms a rotationally fixed part of a seal of the bearing, the part being located adjacent to the cover, the cover defining an outer surface of the pump housing.

17. The centrifugal pump according to claim 16, further comprising a plurality of fasteners and a motor, the cover being detachably connected to the pump casing via the plurality of fasteners, the cover comprising an outer cover surface, the outer cover surface being aligned with an outer surface of the pump casing, the motor being located in an interior of the pump housing at one end portion of the pump housing, the maintenance opening being located opposite the motor, the cover closing the maintenance opening in the one end portion of the pump housing.

18. A multistage centrifugal pump comprising: a pump housing; pump stage impellers, each of the pump stage impellers comprising an outer impeller diameter; a shaft which carries the impellers and is rotatably arranged with a first end arranged within the pump housing and a second end arranged at a location outside of the pump housing; and a shaft end cooperating part comprising a bearing or a seal or a bearing and a seal arranged within the pump housing on the first end, wherein the pump housing comprises a reversibly closable maintenance opening, via which the shaft end cooperating part is accessible and is exchangeable, the seal comprising an axial seal, the axial seal comprising a rotating ring, a holding ring and a movable ring, the movable ring being movable relative to the holding ring in a direction of the rotating ring based on pressure generated from fluid delivered to the pump housing, the reversibly closable maintenance opening comprising an opening outer diameter, the opening outer diameter being less than the outer impeller diameter, wherein the first end is pressurized to compensate for axial forces acting on the shaft via the fluid delivered to the centrifugal pump, at least a portion of the holding ring being arranged in the maintenance opening, the holding ring comprising one more channels fluidly connecting a pressure side of the pump to an interior of the holding ring.

19. The centrifugal pump according to claim 18, wherein the centrifugal pump is an inline pump with suction and delivery connections arranged in a base part comprising the maintenance opening, the inline pump comprising the pressure side, wherein the fluid is delivered to the pressure side of the inline pump.

20. The centrifugal pump according to claim 18, wherein the holding comprises a projecting portion, the non-rotating seal part comprising an opening, at least a portion of the projecting portion being arranged in the opening, the maintenance opening being located at a same end portion of the pump housing as the non-rotating seal part and the holding ring, the interior of the holding ring being configured to receive fluid delivered to the pressure side of the pump housing, the movable ring being configured to move based on the pressure generated via the fluid in the interior of the holding ring.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In the drawings:

(2) FIG. 1 is a greatly simplified schematic, longitudinal, sectional view through a multi-stage centrifugal pump of the inline construction type with a drive motor;

(3) FIG. 2 is an enlarged, longitudinal, sectional view of the pump which is rotated by 90° with respect to FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 is an enlarged representation showing the detail III in FIG. 1;

(5) FIG. 4 is an enlarged representation showing the detail IV in FIG. 2;

(6) FIG. 5 is a longitudinal, sectional view showing the rotating part of the axial seal;

(7) FIG. 6 is an exploded representation showing the components of the rotating part of the axial seal;

(8) FIG. 7 is a longitudinal, sectional view showing the non-rotating part of the axial seal with a holding ring for integration into the pump casing;

(9) FIG. 8 is an exploded representation showing the components of the non-rotating part of the axial seal;

(10) FIG. 9 is an exploded representation showing the axial seal and the foot part of the centrifugal pump; and

(11) FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the centrifugal pump from below.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(12) With the centrifugal pump which is represented by way of FIGS. 1-10 it is the case of a multi-stage centrifugal pump 1 of the inline construction type which is operated in a standing manner. The pump casing (housing) 65 comprises a foot part 2, a head part 3 and a cylindrical jacket 4 which is arranged therebetween and which surrounds the pump stages and is clamped between the head part 3 and the foot part 2. The foot part 2 comprises a suction connection 5 as well as, aligned to this, a delivery connection 6. The head part 3 is designed as a motor stool and surrounds a coupling 7 which connects a shaft 51 of an electric motor 50 schematically represented in FIG. 1 and attached on the head part 3, to a shaft 8 of the pump 1 in a rotationally fixed manner. The shaft 8 of the pump 1 carries the impellers 9 of the pump stages and is rotatably arranged within the pump casing such that the shaft rotates about an axis R. A radial seal 10 is provided in the head part 3, and an axial seal 11 is provided in the foot part 2. The construction of this axial seal 11 is evident in detail from the FIGS. 3 to 8 and is described in a detailed manner further below. Fluid is brought into the pump casing on operation via the suction connection 5, when the shaft 8 rotates, and this fluid enters into the suction port 12 of the first pump stage and is delivered through the pump stages which are formed in each case by an impeller 9 and a surrounding diffuser 13, until it exits from the last pump stage in the head part 3 and is led back via an annular channel 14 to the delivery connection 6, through which the fluid leaves the pump again.

(13) The casing-side shaft end 15 of the pump in the region of the suction port 12 lies below the first pump stage. It comprises a pocket-hole bore 16 which is provided with a thread and in which a cap screw 17 is seated, with which cap screw a holding ring 18 is sealingly and fixedly fastened on the shaft end 15. The holding ring 18 comprises a wall 19 which is directed to the suction port 12 and is closed with the exception of a central recess for leading through the screw 17, thus is designed in a pot-like manner and is fixedly connected to the shaft end 15 in a sealed manner.

(14) The holding ring 18 is designed as a turned part, is stepped to the side which is away from the shaft end 15 and is formed with a peripheral groove which is open to the bottom and which is provided for receiving a rotating ring 20. The rotating ring 20 consist of silicon carbide and is rotationally secured in the holding ring 18 by way of pins 21 and is otherwise fastened together with the holding ring 18 on the shaft end 15, by way of a sleeve 22 which radially encompasses the rotating ring 20 on the inner side and by way of the screw 7. The rotating ring 20 comprises a downwardly directed axial surface 23 thus which is directed away from the shaft end 15 and this surface forms the rotating axial surface of the axial seal 11. This axial surface 23 is not completely planar, but comprises three macroscopic prominences which are uniformly distributed over the periphery and which on the one hand form a defined contact on the counter-surface 24, which is to say on the axial surface 24 of the non-rotating axial seal part 25, and on the other hand serve for the rapid build-up of the lubricative film. The axial surface 24 is designed in a planar manner and is part of the non-rotating part, here of the ring 25 which is arranged in an axially movable manner within a holding ring 26 integrated in a corresponding receiver in the lower side of the foot part 2 of the pump casing.

(15) The holding ring 26 comprises a peripheral groove 27 on its inner side, in which groove an O-ring 28 is integrated, said O-ring radially sealing the ring 25 with respect to the holding ring 26 and thus with respect to the pump casing. The holding ring 26 is moreover yet sealed with respect to the receiver in the pump casing by way of an outer-peripheral seal 58, as is evident from the sectioned representations 4 and 7.

(16) The non-rotating ring 25 at the rear side which is away from the axial sealing surface 24 is covered by a sheet metal section 29 which almost completely covers this rear side of the sealing ring 25. The sheet-metal section 29 comprises bent-over tongues 30, with which the sheet metal section is integrated within corresponding recesses 52 on the rear side of the ring 25 with a positive fit. These tongues 30 project radially beyond the ring 25 and engage into these recesses 52 in the ring 25 and form part of a rotation lock of the non-rotating ring 25. Moreover, the sheet-metal section 29 comprises two diametrically opposite tongues 31 which are offset by 90° to the tongues 30 and which are bent away upwards out of the plane of the main material by 90° and connect the sheet-metal section 29 in an axially distanced manner to the ring 25, in which the ends 53 engage into a shoulder 54 on the inner side of the ring 25 in a locking manner.

(17) The sheet-metal section 29 forms a closed surface of the lower side of the ring 25 and comprises a central rectangular recess 32, into which a pin 55 which is rectangular in cross section engages, said pin forming part of the holding ring 26, on which the ring 25 comprising the axial sealing surface 24 is guided in a rotationally fixed, but axially movable manner. The pin 55 and the recess 32 with regard to cross section are dimensioned such that this recess 32 with the pin 55 located therein, together with any gap tolerances of the sheet-metal section 29 form a through-gap with a cross-sectional area which is significantly smaller than the cross-sectional area of channels 33 which are provided in the foot part 2 of the pump casing or in the holding ring 26 and which ensure that the interior 34 of the ring 25 with the sheet-metal section 29 and the holding ring 26 is subjected to the pressure of the delivery side of the pump, thus to the pressure at the delivery connection 6. These channels 33, on starting up the pump after an effected pressure build-up ensure that the sheet-metal section 29 with the ring 25 bearing thereon is firstly subjected to force and is pushed, in the direction of the free shaft end, thus towards the motor, since firstly fluid must flow via the smaller cross section of the gap between the recess 32 and the pin 55, into the space enclosed by the ring, before a corresponding counter-pressure is built up. The ring 25 is moved axial upwards in FIG. 1, which is to say is moved axially within the holding ring 26 by way of this, until the axial surface 24 bears on the counter-surface 23, by which means a separation between the suction-side space in the region of the shaft end 15 and the installation space 34 of the stationary part of the axial seal 11 is then also formed. The pressure of the delivery side also prevails within the ring 25 and this at the face side of the shaft 8, as soon as the space which is enclosed by the ring 25 and the sheet-metal section 29 has filled via the gap of the recess 32, by which means the certain force compensation with regard to the hydraulically caused axial force of the shaft 8 and which is desired on operation is effected.

(18) As can particularly be deduced from FIG. 9, the holding ring 26 is part of a circular disc 56 which is provided for integration in a base-side maintenance opening 60 of the pump casing, here of the foot part 2. The disc 56, in a manner closing this base-side opening 60, lies in a shoulder 64 on the lower side of the foot part 2 and is releasably connected to the foot part 2 via four screws 57 which are led through recesses 61 in the edge 62 of the disc 56. An O-ring 58 which is integrated in a peripheral radial groove of the ring 26 and serves for sealing this component with respect to a recess 63 in the foot part 2, is arranged in the upper region of the ring 26, thus at a small distance to the disc 25, for sealing with respect to the foot part 2. A second O-ring 59 is integrated at an axial distance to this, in a peripheral, radial groove in the lower part of the ring 26 and serves for sealing with respect to the maintenance opening 60 in the foot part 2. A connection to the delivery side of the centrifugal pump 1 which is connected in a fluid-leading manner to the interior of the ring 26 via channels 33 in the ring 26, connects within the foot part 2, between the O-rings 58 and 59, so that the pressure of the delivery side via this connection is present at the surface of the non-rotating part 25 of the axial seal, said surface being formed by the sheet-metal section 29 and at the beginning being pressure-effective. The ring 26 via the O-ring 28 lying in a groove on the inner side of the holding ring 26 is sealed with respect to the ring 25 which forms the non-rotating part of the axial seal with the axial surface 24 of the seal. This O-ring 28 thus forms a radial seal which however only has to accommodate the comparatively small movements in the axial direction and therefore is only subjected to a low wear.

(19) The axial seal can be overhauled and exchanged as the case may be, by way of removing the disc 56 with the holding ring 26 which is located thereon, after the screws 57 have been released, due to the fact that the pump casing at the lower side, thus in the base of the foot part 2, comprises a maintenance opening 60 which is closed by the disc 56. The shaft 38 of the pump does not have to be removed for this. All components of the axial seal which are represented in the exploded representation according to FIG. 9 can be exchanged through the opening 61 in the base of the foot part 2. An exchange of the components comprising the axial surfaces 23 and 24 as well as of the O-ring 28 is effected in the simplest case. The shaft 8 in the region of the motor stool has a cross-sectional profile which permits a locking of the shaft by way of laterally engaging a tool, in order to be able to release the threaded connections which are connected to the shaft 8. Thus the cap screw 17 can be released after the shaft 8 is held in a rotationally fixed manner by way of a spanner introduced in the region of the motor stool, and this screw can then be tightly screwed again after exchange of the rotating ring 20 and, as the case may be, further seals of the holding ring 18.

(20) The axially stationary part of the seal, thus the non-rotating ring 25 with its seals and the holding ring 26 which with the disc 56 forms the cover for closure of the casing opening of the maintenance opening 60, together with the cover 56 are pulled out downwards and thereby the upper part of the holding ring 26 with the peripheral O-ring 58 is pulled out of the recess 63, and the lower part of the holding ring 26 with the O-ring 59 is pulled out of the maintenance opening 60. These seals as well as the O-ring 28 and the non-rotating part of the axial seal 25 can then be exchanged and together are inserted from below into the maintenance opening 60 or the recess 63 of the foot part 2, until the upper part of the holding ring 26 with the O-ring 58 sealingly bears in the recess 63 and the lower part with the O-ring 59 sealingly bears in the maintenance opening 60.

(21) The exchange of the axial seal at the lower shaft end is described above, however it is to be understood that according to the invention, a bearing which is provided between the shaft and the casing can also be exchanged in an analogous manner, without the shaft having to change its position within the pump casing and thus extensive disassembly and assembly activities becoming necessary.

(22) While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

APPENDIX

List of Reference Numerals

(23) 1—centrifugal pump 2—foot part 3—head part 4—jacket 5—suction connection 6—delivery connection 7—coupling 8—shaft 9—impellers 10—radial seal 11—axial seal 12—suction port 13—diffuser 14—annular channel 15—shaft end 16—pocket-hole bore 17—cap screw 18—holding ring 19—wall 20—rotating ring 21—pins 22—sleeve 23—axial surface 24—axial surface 25—non-rotating part of the axial seal, ring 26—holding ring 27—groove 28—O-ring 29—sheet-metal section 30—tongues 31—tongues 32—recesses in 29 33—channels in ring 26 34—interior of 25 35—outer thread 36—nut 37—sleeve 38—shaft 50—motor 51—motor shaft 52—recesses in ring 25 53—ends of the tongues 31 54—shoulder in ring 25 55—pin 56—disc/cover 57—screws 58—O-ring 59—O-ring 60—maintenance opening 61—bores for the screws 57 62—edge of cover 63—recess 64—shoulder in foot