A ROTARY MACHINE FOR MIXING, PUMPING OR AGITATING A FLUID AND A METHOD OF MOUNTING

Abstract

A rotary machine for mixing, pumping or agitating a fluid includes an impeller for acting on the fluid, a drive unit for rotating the impeller around a rotation axis, a drive shaft connecting the impeller with the drive unit, a mounting flange for fastening the rotary machine to a wall of a vessel, and a support structure for supporting the rotary machine, the support structure comprising at least one leg, each leg extending in a vertical plane from a first end along a longitudinal axis to a second end, each leg including an outer member and an inner member coaxially arranged in the outer member, and the inner member slidingly movable relative to the outer member for adjusting the length of the respective leg. In addition, a method of mounting a rotary machine for mixing, pumping or agitating a fluid to a wall of a vessel is proposed.

Claims

1. A rotary machine for mixing, pumping or agitating a fluid comprising: an impeller configured to act on the fluid; a drive unit configured to rotate the impeller around a rotation axis; a drive shaft connecting the impeller with the drive unit; a mounting flange configured to fasten the rotary machine to a wall of a vessel; and a support structure configured to support the rotary machine, the support structure comprising at least one leg, each of the at least one leg extending in a vertical plane from a first end along a longitudinal axis to a second end, each of the at least one leg comprising an outer member and an inner member coaxially arranged in the outer member, the inner member is slidingly movable relative to the outer member for adjusting the length of the respective leg.

2. The rotary machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein each of the at least one leg comprises a mounting plate at the first end of a respective leg configured to mount the respective leg to a housing part of the rotary machine, and a base plate at the second end of the respective leg configured to connect the leg to a foundation or the ground.

3. The rotary machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the outer member comprises at least one pre-drilled hole configured to receive a securing element.

4. The rotary machine in accordance with claim 2, wherein a plane in which the mounting plate extends and the longitudinal axis of the leg include a mounting angle that is different from 90 degrees for each leg.

5. The rotary machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the outer member and the inner member have rectangular cross sections in a section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the at least one leg.

6. The rotary machine in accordance with claim 5, wherein the outer member has four side faces and two different and abutting side faces each include at least one pre-drilled hole.

7. The rotary machine in accordance with claim 4, wherein the at least one leg includes two legs, and the mounting angle for each leg is between 60° and 85°.

8. The rotary machine in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a connecting part fixed to the housing part of the rotary machine and configured to be connected to the at least one leg in a detachable manner.

9. The rotary machine in accordance with claim 8 wherein a mounting plate is mountable to the connecting part by screws.

10. The rotary machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the rotary machine is an agitator configured to mix or agitate a fluid.

11. The rotary machine in accordance with claim 10, wherein the agitator is configured to be horizontally mounted to a wall of a vessel.

12. A method of mounting a rotary machine for mixing, pumping or agitating a fluid to a wall of a vessel comprising: fastening a mounting flange of the rotary machine to the wall of the vessel; and mounting at least one leg of a support structure to a housing part of the rotary machine, including extending the at least one leg by moving an inner member of the at least one leg relative to a coaxially arranged outer member of the at least one leg along a longitudinal axis of the at least one leg until a base plate of the leg contacts a foundation, and fixing the inner member to the outer member of the at least one leg.

13. The method in accordance with claim 12, wherein fixing the inner member to the outer member of the at least one leg comprises selecting one of a plurality of pre-drilled holes in the outer member, using the selected hole for generating a perforation extending through an entirety of the at least one leg, inserting a securing element into the perforation for fixing the inner member to the outer member.

14. The method in accordance with claim 12 wherein the at least one leg includes exactly two legs for supporting the rotary machine.

15. The method in accordance with claim 12 wherein the rotary machine is an agitator that is horizontally mounted.

16. The rotary machine in accordance with claim 5, wherein the outer member and the inner member have square cross sections.

17. The rotary machine in accordance with claim 7, wherein the mounting angle for each leg is between 70° and 80°.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] The invention will be explained in more detail hereinafter with reference to the drawings.

[0031] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a rotary machine according to the invention and designed as an agitator,

[0032] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the legs of the support structure,

[0033] FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view from the underside on the connecting part of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1,

[0034] FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view from the upside on the connecting part of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1,

[0035] FIG. 5 is a schematic sketch showing a plan view from the backside, and

[0036] FIG. 6 is a plan view from the backside of a second embodiment of a rotary machine according to the invention, mounted to a wall of a vessel and designed as an agitator.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0037] In the following description of preferred embodiments reference is made to an agitator as an example for a rotary machine according to the invention. Although this is in practice an important embodiment of the invention it has to be understood that the invention is not restricted to such embodiments as an agitator. The rotary machine according to the invention may also be designed as any other type of a rotary machine for mixing, pumping or agitating fluids, wherein the rotary machine is intended for being mounted to a wall of a vessel. In particular, the rotary machine may also be a pump.

[0038] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of a rotary machine according to the invention. This first embodiment is designed as an agitator which is designated in its entity with reference numeral 1. For the sake of a better understanding, firstly the general setup of an agitator will be explained referring to FIG. 1. The agitator 1 comprises an impeller 2 having a hub and three blades 21 mounted to the hub for acting on a fluid.

[0039] The hub of the impeller 2 is connected to an end of a drive shaft 3. The other end of the drive shaft 3 is operatively connected to a drive unit 4 for rotating the drive shaft 3 and the impeller 2 connected therewith around a rotation axis A. The drive unit 4 comprises a motor 41, for example an electric motor 41, and a coupling 42 for operatively connecting the motor 41 with the drive shaft 3.

[0040] The coupling 42 shown in FIG. 1 has a belt drive for connecting the motor 41 to the drive shaft 3. It goes without saying that the invention is not restricted to such a belt drive. The drive unit 4 of the agitator 1 may also be designed with any other coupling 42 between the motor 41 and the drive shaft 3 known in the art, for example with a gear box or any other suited transmission device. In addition, the relative arrangement of the motor 41, the coupling 42 and the drive shaft 3 shown in FIG. 1 shall be understood exemplary. There are many other arrangements known in the art that are also suited for the agitator 1.

[0041] The agitator 1 shown in FIG. 1 is designed as a side-mounted agitator 1 and designed for being mounted in particular horizontally to a wall of a vessel, a tank, a tower, a container or any other receptacle, i.e. the drive shaft 3 is extending horizontally in the usual orientation of use of the agitator 1. Although this is a preferred embodiment for the agitator 1, the invention is not restricted to side-mounted or horizontal agitators. The agitator 1 may also be designed for example as a top-mounted or vertical agitator, i.e. with the drive shaft extending vertically in the usual orientation of use. Furthermore, it is also possible that the agitator 1 is designed for an oblique mounting to the wall of a vessel, i.e. the rotation axis A or the drive shaft 3, respectively, of the mounted agitator includes an angle with the horizontal direction that is different from zero degree and different from 90 degree.

[0042] For a better understanding FIG. 5 shows a schematic sketch corresponding to a plan view from the backside of the agitator 1, wherein the backside is the side facing away from the impeller 2. In the representation of FIG. 5 the agitator 1 is fastened to a wall 10 of a vessel 11, wherein the vessel 11 may be any type of a receptacle, e.g. a tower or a tank.

[0043] The side-mounted agitator 1 has a mounting flange 5 (see FIG. 1) for fastening the agitator 1 to the wall 10 of the vessel 11. The mounting flange 5 surrounds the drive shaft 3 concentrically and comprises several bores for receiving screws or bolts for fastening the agitator 1 to the wall 10 in a manner which is as such known in the art. When the agitator 1 is mounted to the wall 10, the mounting flange 5, the impeller 2 and the part of the shaft drive 3 between the mounting flange 5 and the impeller 2 are located within the vessel 11, containing the process fluid to be agitated or mixed or pumped by the impeller 2. Further details of the agitator 1 such as seals and bearings are well known to the skilled person and therefore will not be described in more detail.

[0044] In order to support the agitator 1 and to unload the mounting flange 5 from the weight especially of the drive unit 4 the agitator 1 comprises a support structure 7 extending between a housing part 8 of the agitator 1 and a foundation 12 or the floor 12. The foundation 12 may be the floor or the ground of the location where the agitator 1 is installed or a solid stand or baseplate which is able to bear the weight of the agitator 1 transferred to it by the support structure 7.

[0045] In the first embodiment the support structure 7 comprises a plurality of legs 71—in this embodiment exactly two legs 71—each leg extending in a vertical plane 13 (FIG. 5). A vertical plane 13 shall be understood as a plane that is perpendicular to the earth's surface, i.e. a plane extending in the direction of gravity. A horizontal plane shall be understood as a plane that is parallel to the earth's surface, i.e. a plane extending perpendicular to the direction of gravity. In the same manner, ‘vertical’ denotes a direction that is parallel or equal to the direction of gravity and ‘horizontal’ denotes a direction that is perpendicular to the direction of gravity.

[0046] For a better understanding, FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the two legs 71 of the support structure 7. Each leg 71 extends in the vertical plane 13 (FIG. 5) from a first end 711 along a longitudinal axis L to a second end 712 and comprises an outer member 72 as well as an inner member 73 coaxially arranged in the outer member 72, wherein the inner member 73 is slidingly movable relative to the outer member 72 in direction of the longitudinal axis L for adjusting the length H of the respective leg 71 to the distance between the housing part 8 of the agitator 1 and the foundation 12. The movability of the inner member 73 relative to the outer member 72 is symbolically indicated by the double arrows M in FIG. 2.

[0047] The inner member 73 and the outer member 72 are movable relative to each other telescopically to modify the total length H of the respective leg 71. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 each of the inner members 73 and each of the outer members 72 have a square cross section in a section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis L of the respective leg 71. Preferably the inner members 73 and the outer members 72 are all designed as hollow rod shaped members and manufactured from a metallic material, for example any kind of steel like a carbon steel or a stainless steel. The square cross sectional area of the respective inner member 73 is smaller than the square cross section of the corresponding outer member 72, in which the respective inner member 73 moves, to such an amount that the inner member 73 can easily slide with respect to the outer member 73.

[0048] Although the quadratic cross section of the inner members 73 and the outer members 72 is a preferred measure from the point of view of stability and procurement, it goes without saying that other cross sections perpendicular to the longitudinal axis L are also possible, for example a rectangular cross section, a circular cross section, a triangular cross section or the like.

[0049] As can be seen for example in FIG. 2, each leg 71 comprises a mounting plate 74 at the first end 711 and a base plate 75 at the second end 712 of the respective leg 71. Preferably, each mounting plate 74 and each base plate 75 is designed as a rectangular, particularly a quadratic, plate.

[0050] In the mounted state the base plate 75 extends in a horizontal plane, i.e. parallel to the foundation 12 and preferably comprises a plurality of holes—here four holes, one in each corner—for fixing the leg 71 to the foundation 12. After the length H of the respective leg 71 has been adjusted correctly the base plate 75 may be secured to the foundation 12 by means screws or bolts extending through the holes in the base plate 74.

[0051] In the mounted state each mounting plate 74 extends in a plane which is parallel to the rotation axis A of the agitator 1. If the agitator 1 is horizontally mounted, each mounting plate 74 extends in a horizontal plane 14 (FIG. 5).

[0052] The mounting plate 74 is intended to firmly connect the leg 71 to the housing part 8 of the agitator 1. Referring in particular to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, a preferred connection of the legs 71 with the housing part 8 is now described in more detail. FIG. 3 shows an enlarged perspective view from the underside on the connection between the legs 71 and the housing part 8 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 shows an enlarged perspective view from the upside on the connection.

[0053] The agitator 1 comprises a connecting part 9 that is fixed to the housing part 8 of the agitator 1. The surface of the connecting part 9 abutting the housing part 8 has a contour that matches the outer contour of the housing part 8, i.e. the shape of the surface of the connecting part 9 that contacts the housing part 8 is adapted to the outer surface of the housing part 8 to realize a large surface contact between the housing part 8 and the connecting part 9. This measure ensures a stable support and a uniform distribution of the load. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 the surface of the connecting part 9 being in contact with the housing part 8 is a curved surface wherein the curvature follows the curvature of the housing part 8.

[0054] The connecting part 9 may be formed integrally with the housing part 8 or it may be a separate part that is firmly connected to the housing part 8 by any appropriate means (device) or in any appropriate manner, for example by welding.

[0055] The surface of the connecting part 9 facing away from the housing part 8 is designed as a plane surface extending in the horizontal plane 14. The connecting part 9 is designed to be connected to the legs 71 in a detachable manner. In the described embodiment of the agitator 1 the plan surface of the connecting part 9 facing away from the housing part 8 includes a plurality of threaded holes 91 (FIG. 4) for receiving screws 79 which fix the legs 71 to the connecting part 9 in a detachable manner.

[0056] The mounting plate 74 of each leg 71 being designed as a quadratic plate includes a plurality of holes—here four holes, one in each corner of the mounting plate 74. According to this the connecting part has eight threaded holes 91 for receiving the screws 79 that fix the legs 71 with respect to the connecting member 9.

[0057] For mounting the legs 71 to the connecting member 9 the respective mounting plate 74 of the leg 71 is put to the connecting member 9, the screws 79 are inserted into the holes in the mounting plate 74 and screwed into the threaded holes 91 of the connecting member 9 thus firmly connecting the respective leg 71 with the connecting member 9.

[0058] As an alternative it is also possible to design the holes 91 that receive the screws 79 as plane bores or holes, i.e. without a thread. The screws 79 are then extending completely through said holes and secured respectively with a nut that is screwed to the end of the screw protruding from the upper surface of the connecting member 9.

[0059] After the leg 71 has been adjusted to the appropriate length H by telescopically moving the inner member 73 with respect to the outer member 72 the inner member 73 has to be fixed with respect to the outer member 72 to prevent any further relative movement between the inner member 73 and the outer member 72. To facilitate the fixation of the outer member 72 with respect to the inner member 73, it is advantageous when the outer member 72 comprises at least one pre-drilled hole 76 (FIG. 2), preferably extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis L of the leg 71. In FIG. 2 each pre-drilled hole 76 extends through both opposing side faces of the respective outer member 72. The pre-drilled hole 76 is intended for receiving a securing element (not shown), for example a screw and a nut. For fixing the inner member 73 with respect to the outer member 72 the pre-drilled hole 76 is used as a guide for drilling a perforation extending through the entire leg 71, i.e. through both the outer member 72 and the inner member 73. The perforation can extend in a horizontal direction or in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis L. After the perforation has been generated, the securing element, for example the screw, is inserted into the perforation and a nut is screwed to the end of the screw that extends through the perforation thereby firmly fixing the inner member 73 with respect to the outer member 72.

[0060] Preferably the outer member 72 has a plurality of pre-drilled holes 76. This provides the advantage that depending on the adjusted length H of the leg 71, i.e. how much the inner member 73 has been moved out of the outer member 72 an appropriate location may be chosen for providing the perforation for the securing element. In addition, a plurality of pre-drilled holes 76 enables the use of more than one, preferably two, securing elements, e.g. two screws and two nuts, for making the fixation of the outer member 72 relative to the inner member 73 even more stable, safe and reliable.

[0061] When the leg 71 has a rectangular or a square cross section perpendicular to its longitudinal axis L, as described hereinbefore, the outer member 72 has four side faces each extending in the direction of the longitudinal axis L. As can be seen in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, for this design it is preferred that at least two different and abutting side faces of the outer member 72 are provided with at least one pre-drilled hole 76. Thereby it is possible to use two securing means, e.g. screws and nuts that extend perpendicular with respect to each other. This provides a very stable and reliable fixation of the inner member 73 with respect to the outer member 72. In addition, depending on the location where the agitator 1 is mounted, it might be difficult to access all side faces of the outer member 72 easily. In such cases one can choose the pre-drilled hole or holes 76 on that side face that is accessible the easiest.

[0062] In view of an optimal and stable support for the first embodiment of the agitator 1 it is preferred when the horizontal plane 14 (FIG. 5) in which the mounting plate 74 extends and the longitudinal axis L of the leg 71 include a mounting angle α that is different from 90 degree. In the described embodiment with exactly two legs 71 the mounting angle α has the same value for each leg 71. The preferred range for the mounting angle α is from 60° to 85°. Even more preferred the mounting angle α is between 70° and 80°. Preferably and as it is show in FIG. 5 the two legs 71 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the vertical direction V, i.e. each leg 71 includes the same angle with the vertical direction V. For the preferred range of the mounting angle α the resulting angle between the two legs 71 is between 30° and 60°. For the more preferred range of the mounting angle α between 70° and 80° the resulting angle between the two legs 71 is between 20° and 40°.

[0063] A preferred method for mounting the agitator 1 to the wall 10 of the vessel 11 comprises the following steps: the mounting flange 5 of the agitator 1 is fastened to the wall 10 of the vessel 11. If not yet done the leg 71 or the legs 71 is/are connected and fixed to the connecting part 9. The inner member 73 is slidingly moved with respect to the outer member 72. This movement can be caused by gravity only, i.e. the inner member 73 is released with respect to the outer member 72 and drops down to the foundation 12. Thus, each leg 71 is adjusted or extended to the correct length H by moving the inner member 73 of the leg 71 relative to the coaxially arranged outer member 72 of the leg 71 along the longitudinal axis L of the leg 71 until the base plate 75 of the leg 71 contacts the foundation 12. After that the inner member 73 is fixed to the outer member 72 of the respective leg 71, for example in a manner as described hereinbefore.

[0064] FIG. 6 shows a plan view from the backside of a second embodiment of a rotary machine 1 according to the invention, mounted to the wall 10 of a vessel 11 and designed as an agitator 1. In the following description only the differences to the first embodiment will be explained. In particular, the reference numerals have the same meaning as already explained in connection with the first embodiment. It shall be understood that all the explanations given hereinbefore are also valid for the second embodiment in the same manner or in an analogous manner.

[0065] In the second embodiment the support structure 7 comprises only one leg 71. The leg 71 is extending in the vertical direction V, i.e. the longitudinal axis L of the leg 71 coincides with the vertical direction V. The mounting plate 74 is arranged centrally with respect to the connecting part 9 to provide the most effective support. If the agitator 1 is horizontally mounted the mounting plate 74 extends in the horizontal plane 14. Thus, the mounting angle α between the horizontal plane 14 in which the mounting plate 74 extends and the longitudinal axis L of the leg 71 equals 90 degree.

[0066] Also for the second embodiment it is possible that the agitator 1 is designed for an oblique mounting to the wall of a vessel, i.e. the rotation axis A or the drive shaft 3, respectively, of the mounted agitator 1 includes an angle with the horizontal direction that is different from zero degree and different from 90 degree. In this case the mounting plate 74 is extending in a plane that is parallel to the rotation axis A such that there is a plane contact surface between the mounting plate 74 and the connecting part 9. Of course, the leg 71 is again extending in the vertical direction V.