Centrifugal pump with hydrodynamic bearing and double involute

Abstract

A centrifugal pump with a hydrodynamic bearing and a double involute is disclosed. Some embodiments may include an impeller housing comprising a fluid entrance to allow fluid to enter and an impeller located within the impeller housing, the impeller comprising a plurality of impeller blades, a plurality of fluid channels between the impeller blades, and a motor magnet. The impeller may rotate within the impeller housing about a pump centerline in response to an electromagnetic field and the fluid channels may each allow fluid to pass through when the impeller rotates. Embodiments may also include one or more hydrodynamic bearings positioned between the impeller and the impeller housing to support generated loads and a double involute coupled with the impeller housing and positioned to receive fluid exiting the plurality of fluid channels. Further embodiments may include a motor stator to generate the electromagnetic field. Other embodiments are disclosed and claimed.

1 . A centrifugal pump comprising: 
 an impeller housing, the impeller housing comprising a fluid entrance to allow fluid to enter the impeller housing;    an impeller located within the impeller housing comprising a plurality of impeller blades, a plurality of fluid channels between the impeller blades, and a motor magnet, wherein the impeller rotates within the impeller housing about a pump centerline in response to an electromagnetic field, and wherein further the fluid channels allow fluid to pass through when the impeller rotates;    one or more hydrodynamic bearings positioned between the impeller and the impeller housing to support generated loads; and    a double involute coupled with the impeller housing and positioned to receive fluid exiting the plurality of impeller blades.    
   
   
       2 . The centrifugal pump of  claim 1 , further comprising a motor stator positioned at least partially outside the impeller housing to generate an electromagnetic field in response to an electrical charge.  
   
   
       3 . The centrifugal pump of  claim 1 , further comprising a motor stator positioned at least partially within the impeller housing to generate an electromagnetic field in response to an electrical charge.  
   
   
       4 . The centrifugal pump of  claim 1 , wherein the impeller housing is comprised of an injection molded plastic material.  
   
   
       5 . The centrifugal pump of  claim 1 , wherein the impeller further comprises an impeller body coupled to the motor magnet.  
   
   
       6 . The centrifugal pump of  claim 5 , wherein the impeller body is positioned between the pump centerline and the motor stator.  
   
   
       7 . The centrifugal pump of  claim 5 , wherein the motor stator is positioned between the pump centerline and the impeller body.  
   
   
       8 . The centrifugal pump of  claim 1 , wherein the impeller is at least partially comprised of an injection molded plastic material.  
   
   
       9 . The centrifugal pump of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of impeller blades are an even number of impeller blades.  
   
   
       10 . The centrifugal pump of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of impeller blades are substantially evenly distributed around the impeller.  
   
   
       11 . The centrifugal pump of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more hydrodynamic bearings comprise a journal bearing positioned between the impeller housing and the impeller.  
   
   
       12 . The centrifugal pump of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more hydrodynamic bearings comprise a thrust bearing positioned between the impeller housing and the impeller blades.  
   
   
       13 . The centrifugal pump of  claim 1 , wherein the double involute further comprises: 
 two involute tongues to receive fluid from the fluid channels;    an involute throat to allow exit of fluid from the double involute; and    two involute channels to pass fluid from the involute tongues to the involute throat.    
   
   
       14 . The centrifugal pump of  claim 13 , wherein the two involute tongues are positioned opposite each other.  
   
   
       15 . A method for pumping cooling fluid, the method comprising: 
 receiving cooling fluid into an impeller;    driving the impeller to rotate about an axis to force the cooling fluid to exit the impeller;    receiving exiting cooling fluid at two or more involutes;    increasing a static pressure of the cooling fluid in the two or more involutes; and    reacting any loads generated by the two or more involutes and rotating impeller with one or more hydrodynamic bearings.    
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising after increasing the static pressure of the cooling fluid, passing the cooling fluid to a cooling system.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein driving the impeller to rotate about an axis comprises generating an electromagnetic field to drive the impeller to rotate.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein increasing the static pressure of the cooling fluid in the two or more involutes comprises passing the cooling fluid through involute channels with increasing area.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein reacting any loads generated by the two or more involutes and rotating impeller with one or more hydrodynamic bearings comprises reacting any loads generated by the two or more involutes and rotating impeller with a journal bearing.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein reacting any loads generated by the double involute and rotating impeller with one or more hydrodynamic bearings comprises reacting any loads generated by the two or more involutes and rotating impeller with a thrust bearing.  
   
   
       21 . A centrifugal pump comprising: 
 an impeller housing, the impeller housing comprising a fluid entrance to allow fluid to enter the impeller housing;    an impeller means to rotate in response to an electromagnetic field and to allow fluid to pass through during rotation;    a hydrodynamic bearing means positioned between the impeller and the impeller housing to support generated loads; and    a double involute coupled with the impeller housing and positioned to receive fluid exiting the plurality of impeller blades.    
   
   
       22 . The centrifugal pump of  claim 21 , further comprising an electromagnetic field generating means to generate an electric field.  
   
   
       23 . The centrifugal pump of  claim 21 , wherein the double involute further comprises: 
 two involute tongues to receive fluid from the fluid channels;    an involute throat to allow exit of fluid from the double involute; and    two involute channels to pass fluid from the involute tongues to the involute throat.    
   
   
       24 . A centrifugal pump comprising: 
 an impeller housing, the impeller housing comprising a fluid entrance to allow fluid to enter the impeller housing;    an impeller located within the impeller housing comprising a plurality of impeller blades, a plurality of fluid channels between the impeller blades, and a motor magnet, wherein the impeller rotates within the impeller housing about a pump centerline in response to an electromagnetic field, and wherein further the fluid channels allow fluid to pass through when the impeller rotates;    one or more journal bearings positioned between the impeller and the impeller housing to support generated loads;    one or more thrust bearings positioned between the impeller and the impeller housing to support generated loads; and    two or more involutes coupled with the impeller housing and positioned to receive fluid exiting the plurality of impeller blades.    
   
   
       25 . The centrifugal pump of  claim 24 , further comprising a motor stator positioned at least partially outside the impeller housing to generate an electromagnetic field in response to an electrical charge.  
   
   
       26 . The centrifugal pump of  claim 24 , further comprising a motor stator positioned at least partially within the impeller housing to generate an electromagnetic field in response to an electrical charge.  
   
   
       27 . The centrifugal pump of  claim 24 , wherein the impeller is at least partially comprised of an injection molded plastic material.  
   
   
       28 . The centrifugal pump of  claim 24 , wherein the two or more involutes comprise a double involute, comprising: 
 two involute tongues to receive fluid from the fluid channels;    an involute throat to allow exit of fluid from the double involute; and    two involute channels to pass fluid from the involute tongues to the involute throat.    
   
   
       29 . The centrifugal pump of  claim 28 , wherein the two involute tongues are positioned opposite each other.