V-blade impeller design for a regenerative turbine

Abstract

A novel impeller for a regenerative turbine fuel pump improves the efficiency of the pump and yet still retains a geometry that allows it to be manufactured by conventional injection molding techniques at a relatively low cost. The impeller comprises a hub, an outer ring and a plurality of innovative V-shaped vanes. The hub defines an aperture into which the shaft of the pump is securable to allow the hub to rotate about a center axis. The outer ring is concentric to the hub. The vanes extend from an outer surface of the hub to an inner surface of the outer ring. Each vane comprises an entrance portion that extends from the outer surface of the hub and an exit portion that extends from the entrance portion to the inner surface of the outer ring. Each vane has a V-shape of a prespecified angle centered relative to a plane normal to the center axis. Each vane is also at least partially non-linear on at least one of an upstream face and downstream face of the vane from the entrance portion thereof through the exit portion thereof. Each outer sidewall of each entrance portion is also chamfered along its trailing corner. The chamfer is made at a predetermined angle relative to the aforementioned plane.

1. An impeller for a regenerative turbine pump, said impeller comprising:
 (a) a hub defining an aperture at a center thereof into which a shaft of said turbine pump is securable to allow said hub to rotate about a center axis therewith, said hub having an outer cylindrical surface;  
 (b) an outer ring concentric to said hub, said outer ring having an inner cylindrical surface; and  
 (c) a plurality of vanes extending between said outer cylindrical surface of said hub and said inner cylindrical surface of said outer ring with each said vane comprising an entrance portion that extends from said outer cylindrical surface of said hub and an exit portion that extends from a radially outward terminus of said entrance portion to said inner cylindrical surface of said outer ring, each of said vanes (i) having a V-shape of a prespecified angle centered relative to a plane normal to said center axis and (ii) having said entrance portion and said exit portion aligned in a non-linear disposition with respect to one another along a dimension of each of said vanes extending between said outer cylindrical surface of said hub and said inner cylindrical surface of said outer ring along at least one of an upstream face and downstream face of said vane from said entrance portion thereof through said exit portion thereof, said entrance and said exit portions of each said vane each having a pair of outer sidewalls, each of said outer sidewalls of each said entrance portion being chamfered along a trailing corner thereof at a predetermined angle relative to said plane.  
 
     
     
       2. The impeller claimed in  claim 1  wherein each of said outer sidewalls of each said exit portion are chamfered along a trailing corner thereof at said predetermined angle relative to said plane. 
     
     
       3. The impeller claimed in  claim 1  wherein said predetermined angle relative to said plane is substantially equal to an angle at which a fuel stream within said turbine pump approaches said outer sidewalls of said entrance portions. 
     
     
       4. The impeller claimed in  claim 1  wherein said predetermined angle lies within a range of 15° to 45° relative to said plane. 
     
     
       5. The impeller claimed in  claim 4  wherein said predetermined angle is 30° relative to said plane. 
     
     
       6. The impeller claimed in  claim 1  wherein said prespecified angle lies within a range of 50° and 130° for said upstream face of said vane. 
     
     
       7. The impeller claimed in  claim 6  wherein said prespecified angle is 90° for said upstream face of said vane. 
     
     
       8. The impeller claimed in  claim 1  wherein said prespecified angle lies within a range of 80° and 86° for said downstream face of said vane. 
     
     
       9. The impeller claimed in  claim 8  wherein said prespecified angle is 82.3° for said downstream face of said vane. 
     
     
       10. The impeller claimed in  claim 1  wherein said aperture defined in said hub is notched to permit said impeller to be securely fitted onto said shaft of like shape. 
     
     
       11. An impeller for a regenerative turbine pump, said impeller comprising:
 (a) a hub defining an aperture at a center thereof into which a shaft of said turbine pump is securable to allow said hub to rotate about a center axis therewith, said hub having an outer cylindrical surface;  
 (b) an outer ring concentric to said hub, said outer ring having an inner cylindrical surface; and  
 (c) a plurality of vanes extending between said outer cylindrical surface of said hub and said inner cylindrical surface of said outer ring with each said vane comprising an entrance portion that extends linearly outward from said outer cylindrical surface of said hub and an exit portion that extends linearly from a radially outward terminus of said entrance portion to said inner cylindrical surface of said outer ring, each of said vanes having a V-shape of a prespecified angle centered relative to a plane normal to said center axis with said exit portion of each of said vanes being inclined forward of said entrance portion of each of said vanes so as to advance toward said inner cylindrical surface of said outer ring at an exit angle with respect to a direction of rotation of said impeller, said entrance and said exit portions each having a pair of outer sidewalls, each of said outer sidewalls of each said entrance portion being chamfered along a trailing corner thereof at a predetermined angle relative to said plane.  
 
     
     
       12. The impeller claimed in  claim 11  wherein each of said outer sidewalls of each said exit portion are chamfered along a trailing corner thereof at said predetermined angle relative to said plane. 
     
     
       13. The impeller claimed in  claim 11  wherein said predetermined angle relative to said plane is substantially equal to an angle at which a fuel stream within said turbine pump approaches said outer sidewalls of said entrance portions. 
     
     
       14. The impeller claimed in  claim 11  wherein said predetermined angle lies within a range of 15° to 45° relative to said plane. 
     
     
       15. The impeller claimed in  claim 14  wherein said predetermined angle is 30° relative to said plane. 
     
     
       16. The impeller claimed in  claim 11  wherein said prespecified angle lies within a range of 50° and 130° for said upstream face of said vane. 
     
     
       17. The impeller claimed in  claim 16  wherein said prespecified angle is 90° for said upstream face of said vane. 
     
     
       18. The impeller claimed in  claim 11  wherein said prespecified angle lies within a range of 80° and 86° for said downstream face of said vane. 
     
     
       19. The impeller claimed in  claim 18  wherein said prespecified angle is 82.3° for said downstream face of said vane. 
     
     
       20. The impeller claimed in  claim 11  wherein said exit angle lies within a range of 15° to 50°. 
     
     
       21. An impeller for a regenerative turbine pump, said impeller comprising:
 (a) a hub defining an aperture at a center thereof into which a shaft of said turbine pump is securable to allow said hub to rotate about a center axis therewith, said hub having an outer cylindrical surface;  
 (b) an outer ring concentric to said hub, said outer ring having an inner cylindrical surface; and  
 (c) a plurality of vanes extending between said outer cylindrical surface of said hub and said inner cylindrical surface of said outer ring with each said vane comprising an entrance portion that extends from said outer cylindrical surface of said hub and an exit portion that extends from a radially outward terminus of said entrance portion to said inner cylindrical surface of said outer ring, each of said vanes having a V-shape of a prespecified angle centered relative to a plane normal to said center axis and being curved with said entrance portion drawing away from said outer cylindrical surface of said hub at an entrance angle with respect to a direction of rotation of said impeller and said exit portion advancing toward said inner cylindrical surface of said outer ring at an exit angle with respect to said direction of rotation, said entrance and said exit portions each having a pair of outer sidewalls, each of said outer sidewalls of each said entrance portion being chamfered along a trailing corner thereof at a predetermined angle relative to said plane.  
 
     
     
       22. The impeller claimed in  claim 21  wherein each of said outer sidewalls of each said exit portion are chamfered along a trailing corner thereof at said predetermined angle relative to said plane. 
     
     
       23. The impeller claimed in  claim 21  wherein said predetermined angle relative to said plane is substantially equal to an angle at which a fuel stream within said turbine pump approaches said outer sidewalls of said entrance portions. 
     
     
       24. The impeller claimed in  claim 21  wherein said predetermined angle lies within a range of 15° to 45° relative to said plane. 
     
     
       25. The impeller claimed in  claim 24  wherein said predetermined angle is 30° relative to said plane. 
     
     
       26. The impeller claimed in  claim 21  wherein said prespecified angle lies within a range of 50° and 130° for said upstream face of said vane. 
     
     
       27. The impeller claimed in  claim 26  wherein said prespecified angle is 90° for said upstream face of said vane. 
     
     
       28. The impeller claimed in  claim 21  wherein said prespecified angle lies within a range of 80° and 86° for said downstream face of said vane. 
     
     
       29. The impeller claimed in  claim 28  wherein said prespecified angle is 82.3° for said downstream face of said vane. 
     
     
       30. The impeller claimed in  claim 21  wherein said entrance angle lies within a range of 5° to 30° and said exit angle lies within a range of 15° to 50°. 
     
     
       31. The impeller claimed in  claim 21  wherein a tangent drawn at a center portion of said vane is normal to said direction of rotation. 
     
     
       32. An impeller for a regenerative turbine pump, said impeller comprising:
   a hub having an aperture at about the center thereof, said hub being rotatable about a center axis passing through said aperture, said hub having an outer cylindrical surface;        a ring having an inner cylindrical surface, said inner cylindrical surface facing said outer cylindrical surface of said hub; and        a plurality of vanes extending between said outer cylindrical surface of said hub and said inner cylindrical surface of said ring, each of said vanes having  ( i )  a V - shape of a first angle relative to a first plane normal to said center axis and  ( ii )  an entrance portion that extends from said outer cylindrical surface of said hub and an exit portion that extends from said entrance portion to said inner cylindrical surface of said ring, at least one of said entrance portion and said exit portion being disposed at a second angle relative to a second plane passing through said center axis and normal to a direction of rotation of said impeller.     
     
     
       33. The impeller of  claim 32  wherein said entrance portion is curved. 
     
     
       34. The impeller of  claim 32  wherein said exit portion is curved. 
     
     
       35. The impeller of  claim 33  wherein said exit portion is curved. 
     
     
       36. The impeller of  claim 32  wherein said hub further includes a notch at said aperture. 
     
     
       37. The impeller of  claim 32  wherein said at least one of said entrance portion and said exit portion being disposed at said second angle comprises said entrance portion and said second angle lies within a range of about  5 ° to about  30 °. 
     
     
       38. The impeller of  claim 32  wherein said at least one of said entrance portion and said exit portion being disposed at said second angle comprises said exit portion and said second angle lies within a range of about  15 ° to about  50 °. 
     
     
       39. The impeller of  claim 32  wherein said first angle lies within a range of about  50 ° to about  130 ° for an upstream face of said vane. 
     
     
       40. The impeller of  claim 39  wherein said first angle is about  90 ° for said upstream face of said vane. 
     
     
       41. The impeller of  claim 32  wherein said first angle lies within a range of about  80 ° to about  86 ° for a downstream face of said vane. 
     
     
       42. The impeller of  claim 41  wherein said first angle is about 82.3° for said downstream face of said vane. 
     
     
       43. An impeller for a regenerative turbine pump, said impeller comprising:
   a hub having an aperture at about the center thereof, said hub being rotatable about a center axis passing through said aperture, said hub having an outer cylindrical surface; and        a plurality of vanes extending from said outer cylindrical surface of said hub, each of said vanes having  ( i )  a V - shape of a first angle relative to a first plane normal to said center axis and  ( ii )  an entrance portion that extends from said outer cylindrical surface of said hub and an exit portion that extends outwardly from said entrance portion to a distal end of said vane, each of said entrance portion and said exit portion being chamfered along a trailing segment thereof, at least one of said entrance portion and said exit portion are disposed at a second angle relative to a second plane passing through said center axis and normal to a direction of rotation of said impeller.     
     
     
       44. The impeller of  claim 43  wherein each of said entrance portion and said exit portion are chamfered along said trailing segment thereof at an angle which lies within a range of about  15 ° to about  45 ° relative to said plane. 
     
     
       45. The impeller of  claim 43  wherein said hub further includes a notch at said aperture. 
     
     
       46. The impeller of  claim 43  wherein said at least one of said entrance portion and said exit portion being disposed at said second angle comprises said entrance portion and said second angle lies within a range of about  5 ° to about  30 °. 
     
     
       47. The impeller of  claim 43  wherein said at least one of said entrance portion and said exit portion being disposed at said second angle comprises said exit portion and said second angle lies within a range of about  15 ° to about  50 °. 
     
     
       48. The impeller of  claim 43  wherein said first angle lies within a range of about  50 ° to about  130 ° for an upstream face of said vane. 
     
     
       49. The impeller of  claim 48  wherein said first angle is about  90 ° for said upstream face of said vane. 
     
     
       50. The impeller of  claim 49  wherein said first angle lies within a range of about  80 ° to about  86 ° for a downstream face of said vane. 
     
     
       51. The impeller of  claim 50  wherein said first angle is about  82 . 3 ° for said downstream face of said vane. 
     
     
       52. An impeller for a regenerative turbine pump, said impeller comprising:
   a hub having an aperture at about the center thereof, said hub being rotatable about a center axis passing through said aperture, said hub having an outer cylindrical surface; and        a plurality of vanes extending from said outer cylindrical surface of said hub, each of said vanes having  ( i )  a V - shape of a first angle relative to a first plane normal to said center axis and  ( ii )  an entrance portion that extends from said outer cylindrical surface of said hub and an exit portion that extends outwardly from said entrance portion to a distal end of said vane, each of said entrance portion and said exit portion being chamfered along a trailing segment thereof, wherein at least one of said entrance portion and said exit portion is curved.