Flow machine, and flow guiding element for a flow machine

Abstract

A flow machine includes a rotor rotatably arranged about an axis of rotation in a rotor space of a housing. For energy exchange between a flow energy of a flowing fluid and a mechanical rotational energy, the fluid can be supplied to the housing of the flow machine in so as to bring the fluid into flowing contact with the rotor for the energy exchange and can be led out of the housing of the flow machine. A flow guiding element running about the axis of rotation in a peripheral direction of the rotor is disposed in the rotor space between an inner wall of the rotor space and the rotor in such a way that the rotor is surrounded by the flow guiding element over a predeterminable axial width.

Claims

1. A flow guiding element for a pump, comprising: a body element extending about an axis of rotation in a peripheral direction of a rotor, and being disposed in a rotor space between an inner wall of the housing and the rotor such that the rotor is surrounded by the body element in a region of an inlet lip, and the body element has a predetermined axial width approximately corresponding to an axial width of the rotor, and, in operation, the flowing fluid impinges the flow guiding element in a radially oriented direction relative to the axis of rotation, and the flow guiding element enables the flowing fluid to flow over two axial ends thereof.

2. A pump, comprising: a housing defining a rotor space; a rotor arranged about an axis of rotation in the rotor space of the housing, the housing being configured so as to enable a flowing fluid to exchange energy with the rotor and, after the energy exchange, to lead the flowing fluid out of the housing; and a flow guiding element extending about the axis of rotation in a peripheral direction of the rotor, and being disposed in the rotor space between an inner wall of the housing and the rotor such that the flow guiding element surrounds the rotor, in a region of an inlet lip, and the flow guiding element has a predetermined axial width approximately corresponding to an axial width of the rotor, and, in operation, the flowing fluid impinges the flow guiding element in a radially oriented direction relative to the axis of rotation, and the flowing guiding element enables the flowing fluid to flow over two axial ends thereof.

3. The pump in accordance with claim 2, wherein the flow guiding element is a cylindrical flow ring having the predetermined width at a radial spacing from the axis of rotation in the peripheral direction around the rotor.

4. The pump in accordance with claim 2, wherein the flow guiding element has a cross-section that is rectangular, at least section-wise, or has a droplet shape at least section-wise.

5. The pump in accordance with claim 2, wherein the flow guiding element includes a throughflow opening.

6. The pump in accordance with claim 2, wherein the flow guiding element has a surface extending in an axial direction with a structured surface.

7. The pump in accordance with claim 6, wherein the structed surface is a periodically structured interface extending in the peripheral direction.

8. The pump in accordance with claim 2, wherein the flow guiding element has a marginal surface extending in a radial direction with a structured surface.

9. The pump in accordance with claim 8, wherein the structured interface is a periodically structured surface extending in the peripheral direction.

10. The pump in accordance with claim 2, wherein the flow guiding element is multipart flow guiding element including at least two radially interleaved part elements concentric to one another.

11. The pump in accordance with claim 2, wherein the flow guiding element is a multipart flow guiding element including at least two mutually axially offset axial part elements arranged alongside one another.

12. The pump in accordance with claim 2, wherein the flow guiding element is secured to an attachment mechanism at the housing, the attachment mechanism being arranged parallel to the axis of rotation.

13. The pump in accordance with claim 2 further comprising a guide vane disposed on the flow guiding element, and being configured to guide the fluid.

14. The pump in accordance with claim 13, wherein the guide vane extends at a one of a predetermined radial angle of inclination from the flow guiding element in a radial direction towards the inner wall of the housing and at a predetermined axial angle of inclination to the flow guiding element in the axial direction towards the inner wall of the rotor space.

15. The pump in accordance with claim 2, wherein the pump is a double pump.

16. The pump in accordance with claim 2, wherein the flow guiding element has a periodically structured surface extending in the peripheral direction.

17. The pump in accordance with claim 2, wherein the flow guiding element is secured to an attachment mechanism at the housing, the attachment mechanism being arranged perpendicular to the axis of rotation.

18. The pump in accordance with claim 2, wherein the flow guiding element is secured to an attachment mechanism at the housing, the attachment mechanism being arranged transverse to the axis of rotation.

19. The pump in accordance with claim 2 further comprising a wall guide vane disposed on the inner wall of the housing, and being configured to guide the fluid.

20. The pump in accordance with claim 2, wherein the pump is a multistage pump having a plurality of rotors.

21. A pump, comprising: a housing defining a rotor space; a rotor arranged about an axis of rotation in the rotor space of the housing, the housing being configured so as to enable a flowing fluid to exchange energy with the rotor and, after the energy exchange, to lead the flowing fluid out of the housing; and a flow guiding element extending about the axis of rotation in a peripheral direction of the rotor, and being disposed in the rotor space between an inner wall of the housing and the rotor such that the flow guiding element surrounds the rotor in a region of an inlet lip, and the flow guiding element has a predetermined axial width and, in operation, the flowing fluid impinges the flow guiding element in a radially oriented direction relative to the axis of rotation, and the flow guiding element enables the flowing fluid to flow over at least one axial end thereof, the flow guiding element being a cylindrical flow ring having the predetermined width, approximately corresponding to an axial width of the rotor, at a radial spacing from the axis of rotation in the peripheral direction around the rotor, and the predetermined width of the flow guiding element reducing in a radial direction towards the rotor.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In the following the invention will be explained in detail with reference to the drawing. There is shown in schematic illustration:

(2) FIG. 1 is a rotary pump known from the state of the art;

(3) FIG. 1a is a first specific embodiment of a flow machine in the form of a rotary pump in accordance with the invention;

(4) FIG. 1b is a section along the sectional line I-I in accordance with FIG. 1a;

(5) FIG. 1c is a second embodiment in accordance with FIG. 1a having a flow guiding element with two radially interleaved part elements;

(6) FIG. 1d is a third embodiment in accordance with FIG. 1a with a flow guiding element having radially extending through flow openings;

(7) FIG. 1e is a third embodiment in accordance with FIG. 1a having guide vanes at the flow guiding element and wall guide vanes;

(8) FIG. 1f is an embodiment in accordance with FIG. 1a having a fluid guiding element arranged inclined with respect to the axis of rotation;

(9) FIG. 2a is a different specific embodiment of a flow machine in accordance with the invention in the form of a simple turbine;

(10) FIG. 2b is a section along the sectional line II-II in accordance with FIG. 2a;

(11) FIG. 3a is a flow guiding element in accordance with the invention having an axially extending structured surface;

(12) FIG. 3b is a different flow guiding element in accordance with the invention having a radially extending structured surface.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

(13) For a better understanding of the delimitation of the invention with respect to the state of the art, FIG. 1 relates to a known rotary pump which was described in detail in the introduction and for this reason does not have to be discussed in this context anymore.

(14) By way of example a first specific embodiment of a flow machine in accordance with the invention in the form of a rotary pump will be explained in detail in the following with reference to FIG. 1a and FIG. 1b, with FIG. 1b showing a section along a sectional line I-I in accordance with FIG. 1a.

(15) The flow machine in accordance with the invention of FIG. 1a and of FIG. 1b, which in the following will be referred to totally using the reference numeral 1, in the present specific embodiment is a rotary pump including a rotor 2 which is rotatably arranged about an axis of rotation A in a rotor space 3 of a housing 4 of the flow machine 1. In this connection, for energy exchange between a flow energy of a fluid F flowing through the pump and a mechanical rotational energy, the fluid F can be supplied to the housing 4 of the flow machine 1, via the rotor 2 in the region of the rotor hub via an inlet passage not explicitly illustrated for reasons of clarity, in such a way that it can be brought into flowing contact with the rotor 2 for the energy exchange and can be led out of the housing 4 of the flow machine 1 again via the outlet passage 9 and the outlet 91 for further use. In accordance with the invention a flow guiding element 5, 51, 52 running about the axis of rotation A in a peripheral direction U of the rotor 2 is provided in the rotor space 3 between an inner wall 31 of the rotor space 3 and the rotor 2 in such a way that the rotor 2 is surrounded by the flow guiding element 5, 51, 52 over a predetermined axial width B.

(16) With regard to the specific embodiment of a flow machine 1 in accordance with the invention according to FIG. 1a and/or FIG. 1b the flow guiding element 5, 51, 52 is formed in the shape of a substantially cylindrical flow ring 51 of a width B at a radial spacing R from the axis of rotation A in the peripheral direction U around the rotor 2, wherein, in the present embodiment, the flow ring 51 has a width B which approximately corresponds to the axial width of the rotor 2. The cross-section of the flow guiding element 5, 51, 52 in this connection is substantially of rectangular design, wherein, however, the width B of the flow guiding element 5, 51, 52 can slightly reduce in the radial direction towards the rotor 2, as can in particular be seen from the FIG. 1b, whereby the round flowing of the flow guiding element 5, 51, 52 is optimized.

(17) The FIG. 1c and FIG. 1d each show a second and third embodiment in accordance with FIG. 1a, wherein with reference to the FIG. 1c a flow machine 1 having a flow guiding element 5, 51, 52 with two radially concentrically interleaved part elements 521 is illustrated in contrast to which a third embodiment in accordance with FIG. 1a is shown with reference to the FIG. 1d in which the flow guiding element 5, 51, 52 has a plurality of radially outwardly extending through flow openings 500 which, on the one hand, improve the flow characteristics of the fluid F in the region of the rotor 2 and, on the other hand, are configured in such a way that due to the through flow openings 500 the forces acting on the rotor 2 are also optimized in the operating state.

(18) The FIG. 1e schematically shows a third embodiment of a flow machine 1 in accordance with the invention according to FIG. 1a having guide vanes 7 at the flow guiding element 5, 51 for the guidance of the fluid F and additionally having wall guide vanes 8 for guiding the fluid F in a manner known per se at the inner wall 31 of the rotor space 3. The guide vanes 7 at the flow guiding element 5, 51 in accordance with the invention are attached at a predetermined radial angle of inclination which can be suitably set by the person of ordinary skill in the art depending on the type of application as a pump or a turbine and/or in agreement with the operating parameters required in the specific application.

(19) In this connection it is naturally understood that the arrangement and/or the design of the flow guiding element 5, 51, 52 can also take place in a different manner than that exemplary illustrated in the drawing. For example, in accordance with FIG. 1f, the flow guiding element 5, 51, 52 can also be arranged inclined with respect to the axis of rotation A or have a roof shape, wherein the tip of the roof of the flow guiding element can also be orientated in the direction towards the axis of rotation A or also away from the axis of rotation A depending on the hydraulic requirements.

(20) Likewise, in a different embodiment, it is also possible that the flow guiding element 5, 51, 52 is sealingly secured at a side over the entire periphery at the inner wall 31 of the rotor space 3 such that the flow guiding element 5, 51, 52 forms a half sidedly closed space with respect to the rotor space 3 or can be arranged or configured in any other suitable form.

(21) The FIG. 2a and FIG. 2b in a schematic way show a different specific embodiment of a flow machine 1 in accordance with the invention which in the present case is realized in the form of a simple turbine. In this connection the FIG. 2b shows a section along the sectional line II-II in accordance with FIG. 2a for reasons of emphasis.

(22) The principle underlying the assembly of the turbine in accordance with FIG. 2a and FIG. 2b in this connection is substantially identical to that of the pump in accordance with FIG. 1a and FIG. 1b. The pump of the FIG. 1a and/or of FIG. 1b is actually simply made to a turbine in that in accordance with FIG. 2a and/or FIG. 2b the fluid F is now guided to the flow machine 1 via the outlet passage 9 and/or the outlet 9 referred to as a connector of the pump and is guided away for the further use via an inlet passage of the pump referred to as a connector. Expressed in a more simple manner, the pump in accordance with FIG. 1a and/or FIG. 1b is made to a turbine in accordance with FIGS. 2a and/or 2b in that the direction of the flow of the fluid F through the flow machine 1 is reversed. Such flow machines 1 can e.g. be advantageously used in pump storage power plants, since then with one and the same flow machine 1, the water can initially be pumped for the storage of excess electrical energy into a higher lying reservoir during the pump operation and later the same flow machine 1 can simply be flowed through with water in a reverse manner and therefore work as a turbine such that the electrical energy is reconverted into electrical energy.

(23) The FIG. 3a and FIG. 3b in an exemplary manner in a schematic illustration finally show two further variants of embodiments of specific embodiments of flow guiding elements 5, 51 and in accordance with the invention.

(24) FIG. 3a shows a flow guiding element 5, 51 in accordance with the invention having two axially extending structured surfaces which form periodic longitudinal passages at an inner surface of the flow guiding element 5, 51 in the peripheral direction U. In contrast to this, FIG. 3b shows a different flow guiding element 5, 51 in accordance with the invention with a radially extending periodically structured surface at the two axial bounding surfaces of the flow guiding element 5, 51. It is understood that such structures which all optimize the fluid flow past the flow guiding element 5, 51, 52 can also be suitably provided at all other embodiments in accordance with the invention. In this connection it lies within the skill of the person of ordinary skill in the art to find a corresponding ideal formation of structure at the flow guiding element 5, 51, 52 in the specific case.

(25) It is understood that all embodiments of the invention described in the frame work of this application are to be understood only by way of example and/or exemplary and the invention in particular but not only encompasses all suitable combinations of described embodiments just like simple further developments which the person of ordinary skill in the art recognizes without further ado due to its practical experience.