Volute Design For Lower Manufacturing Cost and Radial Load Reduction

Abstract

A volute for a pump featuring a volute or casing having a pump inlet for receiving a fluid being pumped, a pump discharge for providing the fluid, and a volute or casing vane forming double volutes therein. The volute has an upper cutwater farthest from the pump discharge defining an upper cutwater throat area and an end of passage for the upper cutwater, and also has a lower cutwater closest to the pump discharge defining a lower cutwater throat and a corresponding end of passage for the lower cutwater. The upper cutwater throat area is dimensioned to be greater than and not equal to the lower cutwater throat area so the upper cutwater throat area and the lower cutwater throat area provide substantially equal flow velocity at both the upper cutwater and the lower cutwater in response to an angular sweep of the fluid being pumped. The end of passage for the upper cutwater is dimensioned with an upper cutwater passage area that is greater than and not equal to a corresponding lower cutwater passage area of the corresponding end of passage for the lower cutwater so that upper and lower cutwater passage areas at the pump discharge are balanced as a function of differing rates of flow of the fluid being pumped therein and so that the fluid being pumped from associated ends of the upper and lower cutwater passage areas meets at the pump discharge with a substantially equal velocity.

Claims

1-5. (canceled)

6. A volute for a pump comprising: a volute wall; a pump inlet for receiving a fluid being pumped; a pump discharge for providing the fluid being pumped; and a casing vane configured on the volute wall forming double volutes in the volute and being configured with an upper cutwater farthest from the pump discharge defining an upper cutwater throat area and an end of passage for the upper cutwater, and also configured with a lower cutwater closest to the pump discharge defining a lower cutwater throat area and a corresponding end of passage for the lower cutwater, the fluid flowing in the volute in a direction from the upper cutwater to lower cutwater and out the pump discharge, the upper cutwater being configured on an upper cutwater axis with respect to the pump inlet, the lower cutwater being configured on a lower cutwater axis with respect to the pump inlet, the upper cutwater axis and the lower cutwater axis being radially displaced at an angle α that is substantially less than 180° in radial separation with respect to the pump inlet and in the direction of the fluid flowing in the volute from the upper cutwater to lower cutwater and out the pump discharge; the upper cutwater throat area being dimensioned to be greater than and not equal to the lower cutwater throat area so that the upper cutwater throat area and the lower cutwater throat area provide substantially equal flow velocity at both the upper cutwater and the lower cutwater in response to an angular sweep of the fluid being pumped; and the end of passage for the upper cutwater being dimensioned with an upper cutwater passage area that is greater than and not equal to a corresponding lower cutwater passage area of the corresponding end of passage for the lower cutwater so that upper and lower cutwater passage areas at the pump discharge are balanced as a function of differing rates of flow of the fluid being pumped therein and so that the fluid being pumped from associated ends of the upper and lower cutwater passage areas meets at the pump discharge with a substantially equal velocity.

7. The volute according to claim 5, wherein the angle α is in a range of between 100° and 120°.

8. A volute for a pump comprising: a volute wall; a pump inlet for receiving a fluid being pumped; a pump discharge for providing the fluid being pumped; and a casing vane configured on the volute wall forming double volutes in the volute and being configured with an upper cutwater farthest from the pump discharge defining an upper cutwater throat area and an end of passage for the upper cutwater, and also configured with a lower cutwater closest to the pump discharge defining a lower cutwater throat and a corresponding end of passage for the lower cutwater; the upper cutwater throat area being dimensioned to be greater than and not equal to the lower cutwater throat area so that the upper cutwater throat area and the lower cutwater throat area provide substantially equal flow velocity at both the upper cutwater and the lower cutwater in response to an angular sweep of the fluid being pumped; and the end of passage for the upper cutwater being dimensioned with an upper cutwater passage area that is greater than and not equal to a corresponding lower cutwater passage area of the corresponding end of passage for the lower cutwater so that upper and lower cutwater passage areas at the pump discharge are balanced as a function of differing rates of flow of the fluid being pumped therein and so that the fluid being pumped from associated ends of the upper and lower cutwater passage areas meets at the pump discharge with a substantially equal velocity, wherein the upper cutwater and the lower cutwater are radially displaced at an angle α that is in a range of between about 108° and about 110°.

9. The volute according to claim 6, wherein the volute forms part of a double volute pump having an impeller with impeller vanes and being arranged in one of the double volutes in the volute or casing.

10. The volute according to claim 6, wherein the angle α is in a range of between about 108° and about 110°.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0028] The drawing, which is not necessarily drawn to scale, includes the following Figures:

[0029] FIG. 1 shows a volute for a pump that is known in the art.

[0030] FIG. 2 shows a new and improved volute for a pump, according to some embodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 2: The Basic Invention

[0031] FIG. 2 shows the present invention, e.g. in the form of a volute Vi for configuring in relation to a pump (not shown), such as a double volute pump. The volute V.sub.l may include one or more of the following features: [0032] a volute wall V.sub.wall; [0033] a pump inlet i (in) for receiving a fluid being pumped; [0034] a pump discharge o (out) for providing the fluid being pumped; and [0035] a casing vane CV.sub.l.

[0036] The casing vane CV.sub.l may be configured on the volute wall V.sub.wall forming double volutes in the volute V.sub.l and being configured with an upper cutwater C.sub.2 farthest from the pump discharge o defining an upper cutwater throat area labeled 2′ (in a circle) and an end of passage 4′ (in a circle) for the upper cutwater C.sub.2, and also configured with a lower cutwater C.sub.1 closest to the pump discharge o defining a lower cutwater throat labeled 1′ (in a circle) and a corresponding end of passage 3′ (in a circle) for the lower cutwater C.sub.1.

[0037] The upper cutwater throat area label 2′ (in a circle) may be dimensioned to be greater than and not equal to the lower cutwater throat area labeled 1′ (in a circle) so that the upper cutwater throat area labeled 2′ (in a circle) and the lower cutwater throat area labeled 1′ (in a circle) provide substantially equal flow velocity at both the upper cutwater C.sub.2 and the lower cutwater C.sub.1 in response to an angular sweep of the fluid being pumped.

[0038] The end 4′ of passage for the upper cutwater C.sub.2 may be dimensioned with an upper cutwater passage area that is greater than and not equal to a corresponding lower cutwater passage area of the corresponding end of passage labeled 3′ (in a circle) for the lower cutwater C.sub.1 so that upper and lower cutwater passage areas at the pump discharge are balanced as a function of differing rates of flow of the fluid being pumped therein and so that the fluid being pumped from associated ends of the upper and lower cutwater passage areas labeled 3′, 4′ (in respective circle) meets at the pump discharge o with a substantially equal velocity.

[0039] In FIG. 2, the upper cutwater C.sub.2 and the lower cutwater C.sub.1 are shown to be radially displaced at an angle α that is in a range of between about 108° and about 110°.

The Angle Α

[0040] Moreover, embodiments are envisioned, and the scope of the invention is intended to include, using the upper cutwater C.sub.2 and the lower cutwater C.sub.1 radially displaced at an angle α that is at least substantially less than 180°, so that the fluid being pumped from associated ends of the upper and lower cutwater passage areas labeled 3′, 4′ (in respective circle) meets at the pump discharge o with a substantially equal velocity. Moreover, embodiments are envisioned, and the scope of the invention is intended to include, using the upper cutwater C.sub.2 and the lower cutwater C.sub.1 radially displaced at an angle α that is in a range of between 100° and 120°, so that the fluid being pumped from associated ends of the upper and lower cutwater passage areas labeled 3′, 4′ (in respective circle) meets at the pump discharge o with a substantially equal velocity. In other words, the scope of the invention is intended to include, embodiments having non-diametrically opposed radially displaced upper cutwater C.sub.2 and the lower cutwater C.sub.1, for example, that are not radially displaced at any specific angle α that is in the range of between about 108° and about 110°, but where the fluid being pumped from associated ends of the upper and lower cutwater passage areas labeled 3′, 4′ (in respective circle) meets at the pump discharge o with a substantially equal velocity.

Applications

[0041] By way of example, possible applications of the present invention may include the following: [0042] Pumps, [0043] Fans, [0044] Blowers, and [0045] Compressors.

The Scope of the Invention

[0046] Further still, the embodiments shown and described in detail herein are provided by way of example only; and the scope of the invention is not intended to be limited to the particular configurations, dimensionalities, and/or design details of these parts or elements included herein. In other words, one skilled in the art would appreciate that design changes to these embodiments may be made and such that the resulting embodiments would be different than the embodiments disclosed herein, but would still be within the overall spirit of the present invention.

[0047] It should be understood that, unless stated otherwise herein, any of the features, characteristics, alternatives or modifications described regarding a particular embodiment herein may also be applied, used, or incorporated with any other embodiment described herein. Also, the drawings herein are not drawn to scale.

[0048] Although the invention has been described and illustrated with respect to exemplary embodiments thereof, the foregoing and various other additions and omissions may be made therein and thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.