Integrated electric motor and fluid pump

Abstract

A fluid pump including an integrated pumping section and motor section may be achieved by a variety of techniques. In certain aspects, a fluid pump may include an integrated pumping section, motor section, and a control section that share structural components in order to reduce the structural material required for the complete device while simultaneously utilizing the integrated motor controller to enable the pump to operate at varying speeds other than the synchronous electrical power frequency that powers the device.

1 . An integrated electric motor and fluid pump, comprising:
 a pumping section;   a control section; and   an motor section, the motor section comprising a stator, a rotor, and a shaft, the shaft located inside the rotor and rotated thereby; and   an outer housing at least partially surrounding the motor section and coupled to and supporting the pumping section and the control section.   
     
     
         2 . The integrated electric motor and fluid pump of  claim 1 , wherein the electric motor section further comprises a bearing that supports the shaft. 
     
     
         3 . The integrated electric motor and fluid pump of  claim 2 , wherein the bearing is also configured to support the pumping section. 
     
     
         4 . The integrated electric motor and fluid pump of  claim 1 , wherein the control section includes a controller that adjusts the speed of the pump to vary with respect to accommodate and respond dynamically to the load required by the pump. 
     
     
         5 . The integrated electric motor and fluid pump of  claim 1 , wherein the housing is composed of thermoplastics. 
     
     
         6 . The integrated electric motor and fluid pump of  claim 5 , wherein the housing includes integrated non-thermoplastic elements that function as heatsink elements to allow thermal cooling of the electric motor and/or pump components. 
     
     
         7 . The integrated electric motor and fluid pump of  claim 1 , wherein the motor section uses a switched-reluctance stator. 
     
     
         8 . The integrated electric motor and fluid pump of  claim 1 , wherein the shaft comprises a hollow center to convey the fluid being pumped into the pumping section. 
     
     
         9 . The integrated electric motor and fluid pump of  claim 7 , wherein the shaft includes an integral axial flow impeller to convey the fluid being pumped to the pumping section. 
     
     
         10 . The integrated electric motor and fluid pump of  claim 7 , wherein the pumping section includes a centrifugal pump. 
     
     
         11 . The integrated electric motor and fluid pump of  claim 7 , wherein the pumping section includes a pitot-tube pump. 
     
     
         12 . The integrated electric motor and fluid pump of  claim 11 , wherein the pumping section includes a fluid volume housing that is an integral with of the shaft such that the fluid volume is rotate thereby. 
     
     
         13 . The integrated electric motor and fluid pump of  claim 1 , wherein the pumping section includes a pitot tube that is integral with the shaft such that the pitot tube is rotated thereby.