Submersible pump and bearing arrangement

Abstract

A submersible pump includes a bearing arrangement and a rotor shaft. The bearing arrangement includes a bearing cover, a bearing flange, and one or more bearing elements, each bearing element having an inner bearing ring, an outer bearing ring and a roller element. The rotor shaft is rotatably supported in the one or more bearing element about an axis of rotation extending in a longitudinal axial direction so that the inner bearing ring is configured to rotate along with the rotor shaft in an operating state. The bearing element is arranged at the bearing flange such that the bearing cover tensions each outer bearing ring in a longitudinal axial direction and such that a peripheral gap having a predefined axial width is formed in a radial direction between the outer bearing ring and the bearing cover and between the outer bearing ring and the bearing flange.

Claims

1. A submersible pump comprising: a bearing arrangement including a bearing cover, a bearing flange, and a bearing element having an inner bearing ring, an outer bearing ring and a roller element; and a rotor shaft rotatably supported in the bearing element about an axis of rotation extending in a longitudinal axial direction so that the inner bearing ring is configured to rotate along with the rotor shaft in an operating state, the bearing element being arranged at the bearing flange such that the bearing cover compresses the outer bearing ring in a longitudinal axial direction and such that a peripheral gap having a predefined axial width is formed in a radial direction between the outer bearing ring and the bearing cover and between the outer bearing ring and the bearing flange, the peripheral gap being a spark gap capable of explosion protection.

2. A submersible pump in accordance with claim 1, wherein the bearing element is a roller element bearing.

3. A submersible pump in accordance with claim 1, wherein the peripheral gap is a first peripheral gap, and a second peripheral gap having a predefinable axial width between the bearing cover and the rotor shaft is formed in the radial direction.

4. A submersible pump in accordance with claim 3, wherein the predefined axial width of the second peripheral gap is larger than or equal to 5 mm.

5. A submersible pump in accordance with claim 3, wherein a radial width of the second peripheral gap is less than or equal to 0.2 mm.

6. A submersible pump in accordance with claim 1, wherein the predefined axial width of the peripheral gap is larger than or equal to 5 mm.

7. A submersible pump in accordance with claim 1, wherein a radial width of the peripheral gap is less than or equal to 0.2 mm.

8. A submersible pump in accordance with claim 1, wherein the bearing element is one of a ball bearing and a cylinder roller bearing.

9. A bearing arrangement for a submersible pump, comprising: a bearing cover; a bearing flange; and a bearing element having an inner bearing ring, an outer bearing ring and a roller element, the bearing element being configured to rotatably support a rotor shaft about an axis of rotation extending in a longitudinal direction so that the inner bearing ring is capable of rotating along with the rotor shaft in an operating state, the bearing element being arranged at the bearing flange such that the bearing cover compresses the outer bearing ring in a longitudinal axial direction and such that a peripheral gap having a predefined axial width is formed in a radial direction between the outer bearing ring and the bearing cover and between the outer bearing ring and the bearing flange, the peripheral gap being a spark gap capable of explosion protection.

10. A bearing arrangement in accordance with claim 9, wherein the bearing element is a roller element bearing.

11. A bearing arrangement in accordance with claim 9, wherein the predefined axial width of the peripheral gap is larger than or equal to 5 mm.

12. A bearing arrangement in accordance with claim 9, wherein a radial width of the peripheral gap is less than or equal to 0.2 mm.

13. A bearing arrangement in accordance with claim 9, wherein the peripheral gap is a first peripheral gap, and a second peripheral gap having a predefined axial width is formed in the radial direction between the bearing cover and a rotor shaft in an operating state.

14. A bearing arrangement in accordance with claim 13, wherein the predefined axial width of the second peripheral gap is larger than or equal to 5 mm.

15. A bearing arrangement in accordance with claim 13, wherein a radial width of the second peripheral gap is less than or equal to 0.2 mm.

16. A submersible pump in accordance with claim 9, wherein the bearing element is one of a ball bearing and a cylinder roller bearing.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention will be explained in more detail hereinafter with reference to the drawings.

(2) FIG. 1 is a first embodiment of a submersible pump in accordance with the invention; and

(3) FIG. 2 is a first embodiment of a bearing arrangement in accordance with the invention

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

(4) FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a first embodiment of a submersible pump 9 in accordance with the invention. The submersible pump 9 comprises a pump housing 91 having an impeller (not shown) arranged therein and comprises a motor housing 7 placed onto the pump housing 91 and having an electric motor (not shown) which is arranged therein and which drives the impeller via a rotor shaft (not shown). A shaft leadthrough 8 is arranged between the motor housing 7 and the pump housing 91 of the submersible pump 9. The shaft leadthrough 8 is passed through by the rotor shaft, with the shaft leadthrough 8 being formed by the bearing cover (see FIG. 2).

(5) FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of a first embodiment of a bearing arrangement 1 in accordance with the invention which is arranged in a submersible pump 9 in accordance with the invention. The rotor shaft 4 is rotatably supported in a bearing element 2 about the axis of rotation A extending in a longitudinal axial direction, with an inner bearing ring 21 rotating along with the rotor shaft 4 in the operating state. The bearing arrangement 1 for a submersible pump comprises a bearing housing 3 having a bearing cover 32 and a bearing flange 31 and comprises one or more bearing elements 2 each having an inner bearing ring 21, an outer bearing ring 23 and a roller element 22. The bearing element 2 is arranged at the bearing flange 31 such that the bearing cover 32 tensions each outer bearing ring 23 in a longitudinal axial direction and such that a peripheral gap 5 having a predefinable axial width is formed in a radial direction between the outer bearing ring 23 and the bearing cover 32 and between the outer bearing ring 23 and the bearing flange 31.

(6) The gap 5 is in particular formed as a spark gap for explosion protection, that is as a path in which a gap can extinguish a spark which could, for example, ignite an explosive mixture without escaping from the motor. The bearing element 2 is a roller element bearing, in particular a ball bearing or a cylinder roller bearing. FIG. 1 shows two ball bearings and one cylinder bearing in a longitudinal axial direction.

(7) A further peripheral gap 6 having a predefinable axial width between the bearing cover 32 and the rotor shaft 4 is additionally formed in the radial direction. The bearing arrangement 1 can be filled with a lubrication and cooling liquid for lubrication and/or cooling.