Inducer for centrifugal pump
An inducer for vertical flow, cryogenic liquid centrifugal pumps comprising a stationary outer housing portion having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet located at a lower end and the outlet located at an upper end, the housing further having an inner wall portion with one or more spiral grooves formed in the inner wall portion, the grooves defining a hollow opening in the inner wall portion that spiral in a first direction, and an inner rotating impeller mounted on a rotating center shaft, the impeller having at least one curved blade which defines a curved, helicoid plane surface in which the slope of the plane increases as the distance from the center axis increases, the impeller rotating in a second direction which is in counter rotation to the first direction.
1. An inducer for upward vertical flow, cryogenic liquid centrifugal pumps comprising:
a stationary outer housing portion having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet located at a lower end and the outlet located at an upper end, the housing further having an inner wall portion with one or more spiral grooves formed in the inner wall portion, the grooves defining a hollow opening in the inner wall portion that spiral in a first direction; and
an inner rotating impeller mounted on a rotating center shaft, the shaft having a uniform diameter along its length, the impeller having at least one curved blade which defines a parabolic, curved, helicoid plane surface having the rotating center shaft as a center axis, in which the radial slope of the parabolic helicoid plane increases as the distance from the center axis increases, the parabolic curved blade further having the parabolic curvature continually throughout the entire blade, the impeller rotating in a second direction which is in counter rotation to the first direction.
2. A multistage inducer for vertical flow, cryogenic liquid centrifugal pumps comprising:
a multistage stationary outer housing portion having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet located at a lower end and the outlet located at an upper end; and
a separate, inner rotating impeller corresponding with each stage of the multistage housing with each impeller mounted on a single, axial, rotating center shaft, the shaft having a uniform diameter along its length, each impeller having at least one parabolic curved blade which defines a parabolic curved, helicoid plane surface having the rotating center shaft as a center axis, in which the radial slope of the parabolic curved helicoid plane increases as the distance from the center axis increases, the parabolic curved blade further having the same parabolic curvature continually throughout the entire blade.
3. A multistage inducer for upward vertical flow, cryogenic liquid centrifugal pumps comprising:
a multistage stationary outer housing portion having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet located at a lower end and the outlet located at an upper end, each stage of the multistage housing further having an inner wall portion with one or more spiral grooves formed therein, the grooves defining hollow openings in the inner wall portion that spiral in a first direction; and
a separate, inner rotating impeller corresponding with each stage of the multistage housing with each impeller mounted on a single, axial, rotating center shaft, the shaft having a uniform diameter along its length, each impeller having at least one parabolic curved blade which defines a parabolic curved, helicoid plane surface having the rotating center shaft as a center axis, in which the radial slope of the parabolic curved helicoid plane increases as the distance from the center axis increases, the parabolic curved blade further having the same parabolic curvature continually throughout the entire blade, each of the impellers rotating in a second direction which is in counter rotation to the first direction.
4. An inducer for vertical flow, cryogenic liquid centrifugal pumps comprising:
a stationary outer housing portion having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet located at a lower end and the outlet located at an upper end; and
an inner rotating impeller mounted on a rotating center shaft, the shaft having a uniform diameter along its length, the impeller having at least one parabolic curved blade which defines a parabolic upwardly curved, helicoid plane surface having the rotating center shaft as a center axis, in which the radial slope of the parabolic curved helicoid plane increases as the distance from the center axis increases, the parabolic curved blade further having the same parabolic curvature continually throughout the entire blade.