Magnetic drive, seal-less pump

1 . A magnetic drive, seal-less pump, comprising:

a housing having an inlet and an outlet;

at least one impeller mounted for rotation within the housing, the at least one impeller including a common hollow shaft and a plurality of blades disposed axially along the common hollow shaft between the inlet and the outlet of the housing, with each of the blades extending radially outward from the common hollow shaft; and

a magnetic drive having an inner magnet array interior to the housing and coupled to the at least one impeller at distal ends of the plurality of blades of the at least one impeller, such that the inner magnet array circumscribes the at least one impeller and the plurality of blades thereof, the inner magnet array being radially spaced from a central axis of the at least one impeller, and an outer magnet array positioned outside of the housing and surrounding the housing;

wherein the inner magnet array includes a plurality of magnets arranged in an annular configuration, wherein each magnet of the plurality of magnets is linear and extends parallel to the central axis and the inner magnet array is cylindrical in shape and has an outside diameter that corresponds to an inner diameter of the housing;

wherein the housing and the magnetic drive are configured for insertion into a hollow core stator of an electric motor configured to power the magnetic drive;

wherein the hollow core stator includes a first axial end and a second axial end opposing the first axial end, the first axial end and the second axial end each having an opening therethrough into an interior of the hollow core stator, the opening into the interior of the hollow core stator extending from the first axial end to the second axial end;

wherein a portion of the housing including blades disposed on the common hollow shaft nearest to the inlet and the outlet and a portion of the magnetic drive including the outer magnet array extend toward the first axial end and the second axial end of the hollow core stator;

wherein the magnetic drive is configured to transmit torque to the at least one impeller at an outside of the at least one impeller, rather than through the common hollow shaft;

wherein the magnetic drive is configured to transmit torque to the at least one impeller at a location radially spaced from the central axis of the at least one impeller, wherein the magnetic drive is configured to transmit torque to all of the plurality of blades extending radially outward from the common hollow shaft including the blades disposed on the common hollow shaft nearest to the inlet and the outlet of the housing;

wherein the outer magnet array forms an outer casing of the pump, which is directly received within the hollow core stator of the electric motor, the outer magnet array is cylindrical in shape and has an inside diameter that corresponds to an outer diameter of the housing;

wherein the common hollow shaft of the at least one impeller is hollow such that no component of the pump intersects the central axis about which the at least one impeller rotates, the common hollow shaft being supported by the blades of the impeller; and

wherein the at least one impeller includes a first impeller having a first rotatable, hollow shaft portion from which a plurality of blades extend and a second impeller having a second rotatable, hollow shaft portion from which a plurality of blades extend, the first and second hollow shaft portions together forming the common hollow shaft, the second impeller taking up a greater portion of a circumference of the common hollow shaft than the first impeller.

2 . The pump of claim 1 , wherein:

wherein an axial end of the first rotatable, hollow shaft portion of the first impeller is coupled to an axial end of the second rotatable, hollow shaft portion of the second impeller to form the common hollow shaft that is not configured to transmit torque from the magnetic drive extending between the inlet and the outlet of the housing;

wherein the first impeller is a water impeller configured to pump water; and

wherein the second impeller is an air impeller configured to pump air.

3 . The pump of claim 2 , wherein:

the water impeller includes three blades and is positioned adjacent to the inlet; and

the air impeller include six blades and is positioned adjacent to the outlet.

4 . The pump of claim 1 , wherein:

the housing is selectively removeable from the hollow core stator of the electric motor.

5 . The pump of claim 1 , wherein:

the hollow core stator of the electric motor is an induction motor with a stator, the stator configured to produce a rotating magnetic driving field configured to couple to the outer magnetic array.

6 . The pump of claim 1 , wherein:

the housing contains a gas inlet.

7 . The pump of claim 6 , wherein:

in a first state the gas inlet remains closed and only liquid is pumped;

in a second state the gas inlet is opened and only gas is pumped; and

in a third state both gas and liquid may be pumped.

8 . The pump of claim 1 , wherein:

the pump is devoid of seals within the housing.

9 . The pump of claim 1 , wherein:

the outer magnet array is coextensive with the inner magnet array in an axial direction of pump.

10 . The pump of claim 1 , wherein:

the plurality of magnets includes more than four magnets.

11 . The pump of claim 1 , wherein:

the plurality of magnets, combined, occupy a circumferential extent that is greater than a circumference of a circle circumscribing the plurality of blades.

12 . The pump of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the housing that extends out beyond the periphery of both the first axial end and the second axial end of the hollow core stator includes the inlet and the outlet, wherein the inlet of the housing extends out beyond the periphery of the first axial end of the hollow core stator and the outlet of the housing extends out beyond the periphery of the second axial end of the hollow core stator.

13 . A magnetic drive, seal-less, axial pump, comprising:

a cylindrical housing having an inlet and an outlet;

at least one impeller mounted for rotation within the housing about a central axis of the at least one impeller, wherein the at least one impeller includes a common hollow shaft and a plurality of blades disposed axially along the common hollow shaft between the inlet and the outlet of the housing, with each of the blades extending radially outward from the common hollow shaft;

a magnetic drive having an inner magnet array interior to the housing and coupled to the at least one impeller at an outermost radial extent of the at least one impeller such that the inner magnet array circumscribes the at least one impeller, and an outer magnetic array positioned exterior to the housing and the inner magnet array;

wherein the inner magnet array includes a plurality of magnets arranged in an annular configuration, wherein each magnet of the plurality of magnets is linear and extends parallel to the central axis and the inner magnet array is cylindrical in shape and has an outside diameter that corresponds to an inner diameter of the housing;

wherein the housing and the magnetic drive are configured for insertion into a hollow core stator of an electric motor configured to power the magnetic drive;

wherein the hollow core stator includes a first axial end and a second axial end opposing the first axial end, the first axial end and the second axial end each having an opening therethrough into an interior of the hollow core stator, the opening into the interior of the hollow core stator extending from the first axial end to the second axial end;

wherein a portion of the housing including blades disposed on the common hollow shaft nearest to the inlet and the outlet and a portion of the magnetic drive including the outer magnet array extends toward the first axial end and the second axial end of the hollow core stator;

wherein the magnetic drive is configured to transmit torque to the at least one impeller at an outside of the at least one impeller, rather than through the common hollow shaft;

wherein the magnetic drive is configured to transmit, via the inner and outer magnetic array, torque to the at least one impeller at a location radially spaced from the central axis of the at least one impeller, wherein the magnetic drive is configured to transmit torque to all of the plurality of blades extending radially outward from the common hollow shaft including the blades disposed on the common hollow shaft nearest to the inlet and the outlet of the housing;

wherein the outer magnetic array forms an outer casing of the pump, which is directly received within the hollow core stator of the electric motor, the outer magnet array is cylindrical in shape and has an inside diameter that corresponds to an outer diameter of the housing;

wherein the pump is devoid of any seals interior to the housing;

wherein the common hollow shaft is hollow such that no component of the pump intersects the central axis about which the at least one impeller rotates and the common hollow shaft is supported by the blades of the impeller;

wherein the plurality of magnets includes more than four magnets which, combined, occupy a circumferential extent that is greater than a circumference of a circle circumscribing the plurality of blades; and

wherein the at least one impeller includes a first impeller having a first rotatable, hollow shaft portion from which a plurality of blades extend and a second impeller having a second rotatable, hollow shaft portion from which a plurality of blades extend, the first and second hollow shaft portions together forming the common hollow shaft, the second impeller taking up a greater portion of a circumference of the common hollow shaft than the first impeller.

14 . The pump of claim 13 , wherein:

wherein an axial end of the first rotatable, hollow shaft portion of the first impeller is coupled to an axial end of the second rotatable, hollow shaft portion of the second impeller to form the common hollow shaft that is not configured to transmit torque from the magnetic drive extending between the inlet and the outlet of the housing;

wherein the first impeller is a water impeller configured to pump water; and

wherein the second impeller is an air impeller configured to pump air.

15 . The pump of claim 13 , wherein the portion of the housing that extends out beyond the periphery of both the first axial end and the second axial end of the hollow core stator includes the inlet and the outlet, wherein the inlet of the housing extends out beyond the periphery of the first axial end of the hollow core stator and the outlet of the housing extends out beyond the periphery of the second axial end of the hollow core stator.

16 . A pump, comprising:

a housing having an inlet and an outlet;

at least one impeller mounted for rotation within the housing, the at least one impeller including a common hollow shaft and a plurality of blades disposed axially along the common hollow shaft between the inlet and the outlet of the housing, with each of the blades extending radially outward from the common hollow shaft; and

a magnetic drive having an inner magnet array interior to the housing and coupled to the at least one impeller at distal ends of the plurality of blades of the at least one impeller, such that the inner magnet array circumscribes the at least one impeller and the plurality of blades thereof, the inner magnet array being radially spaced from a central axis of the at least one impeller, and an outer magnet array positioned outside of the housing and surrounding a portion of the housing that encloses the at least one impeller and the common hollow shaft therein;

wherein the inner magnet array includes a plurality of magnets arranged in an annular configuration, wherein each magnet of the plurality of magnets is linear and extends parallel to the central axis and the inner magnet array is cylindrical in shape and has an outside diameter that corresponds to an inner diameter of the housing;

wherein the housing and the magnetic drive are configured for insertion into a hollow core stator of an electric motor configured to power the magnetic drive;

wherein the hollow core stator includes a first axial end and a second axial end opposing the first axial end, the first axial end and the second axial end each having an opening therethrough into an interior of the hollow core stator, the opening into the interior of the hollow core stator extending from the first axial end to the second axial end;

wherein a portion of the housing including blades disposed on the common hollow shaft nearest to the inlet and the outlet and a portion of the magnetic drive including the outer magnet array extends toward the first axial end and the second axial end of the hollow core stator;

wherein the magnetic drive is configured to transmit torque to the at least one impeller at an outside of the at least one impeller, rather than through the common hollow shaft;

wherein the magnetic drive is configured to transmit torque to through the at least one impeller at the location radially spaced from the central axis of the at least one impeller, wherein the magnetic drive is configured to transmit torque to all of the plurality of blades extending radially outward from the common hollow shaft including the blades disposed on the common hollow shaft nearest to the inlet and the outlet of the housing;

wherein the outer magnet array forms an outer casing of the pump, which is directly received within the hollow core stator of the electric motor, the outer magnet array is cylindrical in shape and has an inside diameter that corresponds to an outer diameter of the housing;

wherein the common hollow shaft of the at least one impeller is hollow such that no component of the pump intersects the central axis about which the at least one impeller rotates; and

wherein the at least one impeller includes a first impeller having a first rotatable, hollow shaft portion from which a plurality of blades extend and a second impeller having a second rotatable, hollow shaft portion from which a plurality of blades extend, the first and second hollow shaft portions together forming the common hollow shaft, the second impeller taking up a greater portion of a circumference of the common hollow shaft than the first impeller.

17 . The pump of claim 16 , wherein the portion of the housing that extends out beyond the periphery of both the first axial end and the second axial end of the hollow core stator includes the inlet and the outlet, wherein the inlet of the housing extends out beyond the periphery of the first axial end of the hollow core stator and the outlet of the housing extends out beyond the periphery of the second axial end of the hollow core stator.