MXPA06005382A - Fluid transfer using devices with rotatable housings - Google Patents

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention are directed toward systems and methods of transferring fluid using devices that have a rotatable housing (10) . One embodiment of the invention attaches a fluid-drive element (370,350) to a rotatable housing (10) to drive fluid into a conduit (390,381) for transfer. In another embodiment, a pitot tube (310) is attached to the rotatable housing (10) , the motion of the housing (10) driving fluid into the conduit for transfer. Other embodiments of the invention may utilize a pressure difference to drive fluid through a conduit (360,365) . Embodiments of the invention may also utilize baffles (340) to alter circulation of fluid that may be induced by the motion of the rotating housing (10) , to promote fluid transfer through a conduit. Some of the aforementioned embodiments may be especially useful in transporting fluid in a liquid ring pump with a rotatable housing.

Description

TRANSFER OF FLUIDS USING DEVICES WITH ROTATING ACCOMMODATIONS TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to the transfer of fluids between systems and within a system, and more particularly with fluid transfer systems that include a rotary housing.

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND Pumps are common means of transferring fluids within a system or between two systems. The use of pumps, however, has disadvantages. Pumps are typically dynamic devices with a plurality of moving parts that are subject to aging, wear and tear. Thus, the pumps require continuous verification and maintenance, which requires the shutdown of the system and work to service and verify the pump. The pumps also have a finite operating life, even with constant maintenance, sudden failure of the pump without warning may occur. Finally, pumps require continuous power to operate. Such use of power can expend a substantial amount of energy, which substantially decreases the energy efficiency of a process. Thus, there is a need for devices and methods to transfer fluids that reduce the maintenance effort required and the failure rate of the pump devices, while using less power to achieve fluid transport.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION A fluid transfer system, according to a first embodiment of the invention, includes a rotatable housing defining at least a portion of an edge of a first chamber; an element driven by a fluid attached to the rotating housing, and a conduit for transferring fluids. The fluid driven element is configured to drive a fluid through the conduit when the rotary housing rotates. The rotary housing may include an axis to which the fluid driven member is attached, and may also be a portion of a liquid ring pump. Other related embodiments of the invention may fit the first chamber into a second chamber. In such embodiments, the fluid driven element may be a centrifugal pump impeller, with the impeller located outside the first chamber. A pitot tube can be attached to a stationary edge of the second chamber to transfer the fluid. The pitot tube can be threaded through a hollow portion of a shaft of the rotating housing.

In a second embodiment of the invention, a fluid transfer system includes a rotatable housing defining at least a portion of an edge of a first chamber; and a pitot tube for transferring fluids, the pitot tube is configured so that the fluid is directed towards the pitot tube when the rotary housing rotates. The pitot tube may be attached to, or detached from, the rotating housing. The system may further include a partially enclosed channel attached to the rotary housing to hold the fluid, wherein the pitot tube is configured to transfer fluids from the partially enclosed channel, when the rotary housing rotates. The rotary housing may be a portion of a liquid ring pump. The system may also include a second chamber capable of maintaining the fluid, wherein the first chamber is engaged in the second chamber, and a pitot tube connects the first chamber and the second chamber. A fluid transfer system in a third embodiment of the invention includes a rotatable housing defining at least a portion of an edge of a first chamber; a second chamber capable of maintaining the fluid, the first chamber is fitted in the second chamber, and a conduit connects the first chamber and the second chamber, wherein the conduit is configured so that the fluid is directed through the conduit when there is a pressure difference between the first chamber and the second chamber. The rotary housing may be a portion of a liquid ring pump. The fluid can be directed from the second chamber to the first chamber when the pressure in the second chamber is greater than the pressure in the first chamber. A fluid transfer system according to a fourth embodiment of the invention includes a rotatable housing defining at least a portion of an edge of a first chamber capable of maintaining the fluid; a second chamber capable of maintaining the fluid, the first chamber is fitted in the second chamber; a conduit for transferring fluids between the first chamber and the second chamber; and a baffle attached to a stationary edge of the second chamber, the baffle is configured to maintain an opening of the conduit submerged in the fluid in the second chamber when the rotary housing rotates. The rotary housing may be a portion of a liquid ring pump. The system may further include a pump configured to direct fluid through the conduit between the first chamber and the second chamber. In a fifth embodiment of the invention, a fluid transfer system includes a rotatable housing defining at least a portion of an edge of a first chamber; a second chamber capable of maintaining the fluid, the first chamber is fitted in the second chamber; and a conduit connecting the first chamber and the second chamber, wherein the conduit is configured so that the fluid is directed through the conduit by a pump. The embodiments of the invention may also be directed towards methods for transferring fluids between two containers. Such methods include the steps of providing a conduit for connecting a first container and a second container, each container holding a fluid; and rotating at least a portion of the edge of the first container to direct the fluid into the conduit to transfer the fluid between the first container and the second container. Alternatively, a method for transferring a fluid between a liquid ring pump and a fluid reservoir includes the steps of providing a liquid ring pump with a rotating housing; providing a conduit for connecting the liquid ring pump to a fluid reservoir; and rotating the rotary housing to direct fluid to the conduit for transferring the fluid between the liquid ring pump and the fluid reservoir.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The above features of the invention will be more readily understood with reference to the following detailed description, taken with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an isometric view of a liquid ring pump, the characteristics of which may be used in conjunction with some embodiments of the invention; Figure 2 is a side view of several embodiments of the invention including a rotary housing fitted in another chamber, with baffles oriented radially, the housing is attached to pitot tubes for transferring fluid; Figure 3 is a side view of the embodiments of the invention using a rotary housing that includes an axis, the shaft is attached to the element driven by a fluid to move the fluid into a tube to transfer the fluid; Figure 4 is a side view of the embodiments of the invention that include a rotary housing that includes an axis, the shaft is attached to a pump impeller to displace the fluid, and the use of a normal pump; and Figure 5 is a side view of embodiments of the invention that use a tube to transfer fluid from one region to another, based on a pressure difference between the two regions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE SPECIFIC MODALITIES Definitions. As used in this description and the accompanying claims, the following terms will have the meanings indicated, unless the context otherwise requires: Fluid refers to a liquid, a gas, any mixture of a liquid and a gas, or a liquid entrained with gases and / or solids. In many of the embodiments described herein, fluid transfer systems typically transfer liquids, or liquids with amounts of dissolved or present gases as bubbles. The systems, however, are not necessarily limited to the transport of the specific fluids described herein. A conduit is a device capable of directing the flow of fluid in a path from at least one location to another location. Ducts are not restricted in terms of the types of shapes, sizes and materials that can be used. The conduits may enclose the path in which the fluid is directed, or they may be partially exposed to the environment. Non-limiting examples of conduits include pipes, conduits, pipes, channels and grooves. Some embodiments of the invention as described herein, refer to the use of tubes. Such modalities, however, can be practiced with any appropriate conduit, as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art. For example, a pitot tube can be any appropriate conduit for directing a fluid, which can experience convection, from one location to another. In some embodiments of the present invention, a rotating housing is used to direct fluid to a tube to transfer fluid from one location to another. The rotating housing can be part of a larger system. For example, a liquid ring pump 100, as set forth in Figure 1 and described in the U.S. Patent Application. entitled "Distillation of Liquids with Pressurized Steam Cycle" by the inventors David F. Bednare, Jason A. Demers, Timothy P. Duggan, James L. Jackson, Scott A. Leonard, David W. CGill and Kingston Owens, presented in November 13 of 2003 (Serial No. not yet assigned), may include a rotary housing 10 to help improve the efficiency of the liquid ring pump 100. The fluid transfer between a fluid reservoir 30 and an internal chamber 12 is regulated to maintain the proper amount of liquid in each section 12, 30 of the pump 100. In Figure 1, the transfer of fluid between the reservoir 30 and an internal chamber 12 is achieved using a siphon pump 32. Alternately, other types of pumps can be used to transfer the fluid. For example, a centrifugal pump 385 can be used to transfer the fluid, as described in Figure 4. Fluid transfer, however, can be achieved without the use of a conventional pump. Thus, embodiments of the invention can enable fluid transfer without the need to provide a separate head source dedicated to direct fluid flow. In some embodiments of the invention, the movement of a rotating housing is used to move a fluid-driven element, causing the transfer of fluid by driving the fluid through a tube. Other embodiments of the invention connect a pitot tube to the rotating housing, movement of the housing directs the transfer of fluid through the pitot tube. In some embodiments of the invention, the rotary housing can include a shaft of the rotary housing that rotates in synchronization with the external housing (as shown by an element 53 in Figure 1); the pitot tube or the fluid-driven element I can be connected to the rotary housing via the shaft connection of the rotary housing. Still other embodiments of the invention rely on a pressure difference between two containers to direct the transfer of fluid between the containers. Preferred embodiments of the invention include a chamber that fits into another chamber, fluid transfer takes place between the chambers. Some embodiments of the invention demonstrate that the fluid transfer is made with reference to a liquid ring pump with a rotating housing engaged in an external housing, an example of which is described in Figure 1. The use of such modalities, without However, it is not limited to the context of liquid ring pumps or nested containers, as specifically described herein. Some embodiments of the invention are directed to the use of pitot tubes for directing the flow of fluids between the inner region of the liquid ring 12 of a liquid ring pump and a smaller external region of the reservoir 30 enclosing the inner region as described in FIG. Figure 2. Such modalities can be used to replace devices such as the siphon pump used in Figure 1 to move fluid from reservoir 30 to chamber 12. The flow velocity of fluid transport through the pitot tubes is a function of the rotation speed of the housing 10, the length of the pitot tube, the total vertical displacement reached by the pitot tube, and the properties of the underlying fluid. In an embodiment of the invention described in Figure 2, a pitot tube 310 transfers a fluid from the reservoir 30 to the chamber 12. The pitot tube 310 is attached and is stationary relative to the rotary housing 10, so that the tube 310 rotates as housing 10 rotates. The opening 311 of the pitot tube 310 is oriented so that the face of the opening 311 is directed through the fluid of the reservoir 330 as the housing 10 rotates. The fluid is thus pushed into the opening 311, through the tube 310, and out of the other opening 312 towards the chamber of the liquid ring 12. The embodiments of the invention which transfer the fluid from the region of the reservoir 30 to the inner chamber 12 can use one or more deflectors that are attached to the stationary outer housing 25 in the region of the reservoir 30, as shown in Figure 2. The deflectors are configured to break fluid flow induced by the rotation of the housing 10. In a Particular mode of the invention, the baffles 340 are radially oriented to maintain an opening of the tube 311 submerged in the fluid 330, altering the fluid flow induced by the rotation of the housing 10, as described in Figure 2. Without the deflectors, A fluid circulation pattern in the region of the reservoir 30 can expose the opening 311 to a region without liquid, causing the gas to be drawn into the reservoir. The liquid ring or, due to the relative movement of the fluid, the opening 311 would not be directed towards the fluid with sufficient relative velocity to push the fluid up the tube 310. Although the use of baffles is illustrated with the use of a pitot tube As shown in Figure 2, other embodiments of the invention can use baffles to maintain immersion of the tube opening when fluid in the tube is directed by other mechanisms (e.g., pumps). In another embodiment of the invention described in Figure 2, a pitot tube 320 is positioned to project from the chamber 12 to transfer fluid to the chamber 12. A partially enclosed channel 325 is attached to the rotating housing 10 to capture the leaking liquid of the chamber 12 as the housing 10 rotates. The pitot tube 320 is detached from the rotary housing 10 so that the tube 320 maintains a fixed or relatively fixed position, opposite the outer housing 25. The pitot tube 320 is oriented so that the rotation of the housing 10 directs the fluid towards the face of the opening 321. The fluid moves through the pitot tube 320 and out of the other opening 322, to be deposited in the chamber 12. Alternatively, a pitot tube (not shown) located in the upper region of the chamber 12, transfers the fluid from the region of the liquid ring pump to the reservoir 30. Another embodiment of the invention using pitot tubes is described in Figure 3. In this embodiment, an element driven by a fluid 370 is attached to the rotary housing 10 through an axis of the rotary housing 50. Alternatively, the element driven by a fluid 370 it can be fixed to the floor of the rotary housing 10. The rotation of the housing 10 moves the driven element by a fluid through the fluid 330 contained within the reservoir 30, causing the fluid 330 to circulate. The pitot tube 390 is attached to a stationary edge 25 of the reservoir 30. The pitot tube 390 is oriented so that the circulating fluid 330 is directed to the inlet 391 of the pitot tube 390, and out of the trailing end 392, where the fluid transferred is deposited in the chamber 12. Alternatively, a pitot tube 315 can be threaded through a hollow shaft 50, the shaft 50 is attached to the rotary housing 10. Thus, the fluid-driven element 370 directs the fluid 330 towards face 316, fluid exits tube 315 off opposite face 317 and toward the bottom of chamber 12. Pitot tubes may also be configured to direct fluid out of reservoir 30 and into other regions of a system. In a related embodiment of the invention, an element driven by a fluid can be a centrifugal pump impeller that is used to transfer fluids from one place to another. In one embodiment of the invention described in Figure 4, the rotary housing 10 is connected to an impeller 350 via the axis 51 of the rotary housing, so that the rotation of the housing 10 causes the impeller 350 to rotate. Alternatively, the impeller may be attached to the floor of the rotary housing 10. The impeller 350 is housed in a centrifugal pump 380, and is configured to withdraw fluid from the reservoir 30, and move the fluid into the chamber of the liquid ring 12 via the tube 381. Other parts of the centrifugal pump 380 (e.g., the pump housing) can be configured not to rotate with the housing 10. The impeller 350 can have any shape that results in the fluid being withdrawn from the reservoir 30 to the internal chamber 12. A conventional centrifugal pump 385, or any other suitable pump, may also be used in place of the pump 380. Figure 5 describes another embodiment of the invention wherein the passive pressure difference can be used to direct the flow of fluid . If the pressure in the reservoir 30 is greater than the pressure in the chamber 12, a tube 360 can be used to pass the fluid from the reservoir 30 to the chamber 12, the pressure difference directs the flow. The reservoir 30 and the chamber 12 are each sealed, in order to sufficiently maintain a pressure difference between the chambers, the characteristics of the tube 360 and the pressure difference dictate the flow velocity between the two vessels. The tube used to transfer the fluid between the chamber 12 and the reservoir 30 can feed the fluid through the bottom of the rotary housing 10, or through the upper part of the chamber 12, as shown with the tube 365. These modes of The invention can be practiced with or without the rotary housing 10. A pressure difference can also be used to direct the movement of the fluid to other parts of a system. In some of the embodiments of the invention described previously, wherein a liquid ring pump may be used, fluid transfer may be enabled with the liquid ring pump being positioned in various orientations. A) Yes, according to the embodiments of the invention, fluid transfer can take place if the liquid ring pump is placed horizontally or vertically. The precise placement of the tubes, the fluid-driven elements and other characteristics of the fluid transfer systems can be adjusted depending on the orientation of the liquid ring pump. Although the invention has been described in relation to the specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood that it is capable of modifications, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. All such variations and modifications are intended to be within the scope of the present invention, as defined in the specification.

Claims (8)

NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION CLAIMS

1. - A fluid transfer system, for use within a liquid ring pump having an internal chamber within a rotating housing, in a direction of rotation about an axis, and an external chamber, having a volume that maintains a fluid, the fluid transfer system comprises: a conduit for transferring fluids from the external chamber to the internal chamber, the conduit is fixed with respect to the rotatable housing and protrudes in the volume holding a fluid from the external chamber, and an opening in the conduit, directed towards the external chamber so that the fluid in the volume holding a fluid from the external chamber enters the opening in the conduit and is driven through the conduit to the internal chamber.

2. The fluid transfer system according to claim 1, further characterized in that the conduit is coupled to co-rotate with the axis of the rotary housing.

3. The fluid transfer system according to claim 1, further characterized in that the opening of the duct towards the external chamber is placed oriented in a direction substantially parallel to the direction of rotation of the rotating housing.

4. - The fluid transfer system according to claim 1, further characterized in that the conduit is positioned to project towards the volume holding a fluid of the external chamber, in a direction having a component parallel to the axis.

5. The fluid transfer system according to claim 1, further characterized in that the conduit includes a pitot tube.

6. The fluid transfer system according to claim 1, further characterized in that it comprises a deflector coupled to a stationary edge of the external chamber, the baffle is configured to maintain the opening of a duct immersed in the fluid in the chamber external, when the rotating housing rotates.

7. A method for allowing the regulation of a fluid flow from an external chamber to an internal chamber, the internal chamber has a rotatable housing about an axis, the method comprising: providing a conduit for the fixed fluid with respect to the housing rotating, the conduit for the fluid projects towards the external chamber and has a first opening towards the internal chamber and a second opening, so that the fluid in the external chamber enters the conduit after the rotation of the rotating housing; and rotating the rotatable housing, so as to drive the fluid from the external chamber towards the internal chamber, subject to a pressure difference between the first opening and the second opening of the conduit.

8. - The method according to claim 7, further characterized in that it comprises a step of coupling a baffle inside the external housing, adapted to prevent the rotation of the fluid inside the outer housing.