Oil lubricated fluid pumps with oil separators

Abstract

Oil lubricated supercritical fluid pumps with oil separators are disclosed herein. An example pump system to pressurize a fluid within a closed loop thermal transport bus disclosed herein includes a pump housing, a duct fluidly coupled to the pump housing, a first portion of the duct to include a mixture of an oil and the supercritical fluid, a second portion of the duct to include the supercritical fluid, and a separator positioned in a third portion of the duct between the first portion of the duct and the second portion of the duct, the separator to separate the oil in the mixture from the supercritical fluid.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A pump system comprising:
 a pump housing;   a duct fluidly coupled to the pump housing, a first portion of the duct to include a mixture of an oil and a supercritical fluid, a second portion of the duct to include the supercritical fluid; and   a separator positioned in a third portion of the duct between the first portion of the duct and the second portion of the duct, the separator to separate the oil in the mixture from the supercritical fluid, wherein the separator changes a flow direction of at least one of the supercritical fluid or the oil.   
     
     
         2 . The pump system of  claim 1 , wherein the separator is a first separator, further including a second separator positioned in the third portion of the duct downstream of the first separator. 
     
     
         3 . The pump system of  claim 2 , wherein the first separator is a dynamic separator, and wherein the second separator is a stationary separator. 
     
     
         4 . The pump system of  claim 1 , wherein the separator is configured to rotate to change the flow direction. 
     
     
         5 . The pump system of  claim 1 , wherein the separator includes:
 a swirler;   a bearing to mount the swirler in the third portion of the duct; and   a motor operatively coupled to the swirler to cause the swirler to rotate.   
     
     
         6 . The pump system of  claim 1 , wherein the separator includes a rotatable cone, wherein axial ends of the rotatable cone are open to enable the supercritical fluid to pass through a middle of the duct. 
     
     
         7 . The pump system of  claim 6 , wherein the rotatable cone includes holes between the axial ends, wherein the holes face an inner surface of the duct. 
     
     
         8 . The pump system of  claim 7 , wherein the separator includes a rotatable shaft and vanes extending from the rotatable shaft, wherein the rotatable cone is positioned around the rotatable shaft in the third portion of the duct. 
     
     
         9 . The pump system of  claim 8 , wherein the rotatable cone is configured to rotate in a first direction, and wherein the rotatable shaft is configured to rotate in a second direction opposite the first direction. 
     
     
         10 . The pump system of  claim 1 , wherein the separator includes:
 a rotatable shaft including vanes; and   a conical casing positioned around the rotatable shaft, wherein the conical casing includes open axial ends and holes between the open axial ends.   
     
     
         11 . A pump system comprising:
 a pump housing;   a duct fluidly coupled to the pump housing, wherein a portion of the duct includes a mixture of an oil and a supercritical fluid; and   a separator positioned in the duct to separate the oil in the mixture from the supercritical fluid, wherein the separator is configured to rotate to cause the mixture to encounter a centrifugal force.   
     
     
         12 . The pump system of  claim 11 , wherein the separator is configured to rotate to cause the oil to encounter a first centrifugal force and the supercritical fluid to encounter a second centrifugal force, wherein the first centrifugal force is greater than the second centrifugal force. 
     
     
         13 . The pump system of  claim 11 , wherein the separator is a first separator, further including a second separator positioned downstream of the first separator. 
     
     
         14 . The pump system of  claim 13 , wherein the second separator is stationary in the duct. 
     
     
         15 . The pump system of  claim 11 , wherein the separator includes a cone including open axial ends and holes that face an interior surface of the duct. 
     
     
         16 . The pump system of  claim 11 , wherein the separator includes a rotatable shaft and vanes extending from the rotatable shaft. 
     
     
         17 . The pump system of  claim 16 , wherein the separator includes a cone including open axial ends and holes that face an interior surface of the duct, wherein the cone is positioned around the rotatable shaft. 
     
     
         18 . A pump system comprising:
 means for compressing a fluid, wherein the fluid includes a supercritical fluid and an oil;   means for housing the means for compressing;   means for transporting the fluid coupled to the means for housing; and   means for separating the supercritical fluid and the oil positioned in the means for transporting, wherein the means for separating is configured to rotate to cause the oil to encounter a first centrifugal force and the supercritical fluid to encounter a second centrifugal force, wherein the first centrifugal force is greater than the second centrifugal force.   
     
     
         19 . The pump system of  claim 18 , wherein the means for separating is a first means for separating, further including second means for separating downstream of the first means for separating. 
     
     
         20 . The pump system of  claim 19 , wherein the second means for separating is stationary.