Primer pump assembly and a method of cooling a marine vessel

Abstract

A pump assembly for a marine cooling system, includes a self-priming pump, a check valve and a housing containing the self-priming pump and the check valve.

1 . A pump assembly for a marine cooling system, the pump assembly comprising
 a self-priming pump,   a check valve and   a housing containing the self-priming pump and the check valve.   
     
     
         2 . The pump assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises
 a valve housing portion containing the check valve and   a pump housing portion containing the self-priming pump,   the pump assembly being configured such that a passive flow through the pump assembly may pass solely through the valve housing portion.   
     
     
         3 . The pump assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the pump assembly comprises a pump assembly inlet and a pump assembly outlet, and wherein a passive flow through the pump assembly may enter through the pump assembly inlet, pass through the valve housing portion and exit through the pump assembly outlet. 
     
     
         4 . The pump assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the flow area through the valve housing portion is essentially equal, or larger, than the flow areas of the pump assembly inlet and the pump assembly outlet. 
     
     
         5 . The pump assembly of  claim 3 , configured to provide a straight flow path for the passive flow through the valve housing portion. 
     
     
         6 . The pump assembly according to  claim 2 , configured such that a pumped flow, caused by the self-priming pump, through the pump assembly may pass through the pump housing portion and through a section of the valve housing portion. 
     
     
         7 . The pump assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the check valve comprises a movable valve member that is movable between a nominal position, in which the valve member is positioned when the flow through the pump assembly is a passive flow through the check valve, and a priming position, in which the valve member is positioned when the flow through the pump assembly is a pumped flow caused by the self-priming pump. 
     
     
         8 . The pump assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the check valve comprises a movable valve member that is movable between
 a nominal position, in which the valve member is positioned when the flow through the pump assembly is a passive flow through the check valve, and   a priming position, in which the valve member is positioned when the flow through the pump assembly is a pumped flow caused by the self-priming pump.   
     
     
         9 . The pump assembly of  claim 8 , configured such that the pumped flow may pass through the pump housing portion and through a section of the valve housing portion that is downstream the movable valve member. 
     
     
         10 . The pump assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the pump assembly is essentially T-shaped or L-shaped with the check valve arranged in the horizontal bar of the T or L and the self-priming pump arranged in the vertical bar of the T or L, the movable valve member being arranged where the horizontal bar meets the vertical bar. 
     
     
         11 . The pump assembly of according to  claim 8 , configured such that the movable valve member in its nominal position is positioned away from the flow path through the valve housing portion and in its priming position is positioned away from the flow path through the pump housing portion. 
     
     
         12 . The pump assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the self-priming pump and the check valve are fluidly arranged in parallel. 
     
     
         13 . The pump assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the pump assembly is a primer pump assembly, such as a primer pump assembly for a main pump of a marine cooling system, the pump assembly comprising a primer pump motor that is arranged to drive the self-priming pump. 
     
     
         14 . A marine cooling system comprising the pump assembly of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         15 . The marine cooling system of  claim 14 , comprising a main pump in the form of a centrifugal pump and optionally a main pump motor that is arranged to drive the main pump. 
     
     
         16 . The marine cooling system of  claim 15 , comprising or connected to a controller that is configured to activate the pump assembly to prime the main pump. 
     
     
         17 . The marine cooling system of  claim 16 , wherein the controller is connected to a main pump motor that is arranged to drive the main pump, the controller being configured to activate the pump assembly in case an electric current supplied to the main pump motor is below a current threshold value and/or in case the speed of the main pump motor is above a speed threshold value. 
     
     
         18 . The marine cooling system according to  claim 14 , comprising a seawater inlet, a strainer, a main pump, a heat exchanger, the pump assembly, and a seawater outlet. 
     
     
         19 . A method of cooling a marine vessel by means of the marine cooling system according to  claim 14 , comprising activating the pump assembly to prime the main pump, e.g. upon ignition of the marine vessel and/or upon detection that a flow or pressure of the cooling system is below a flow or pressure threshold value and/or that a temperature of the cooling system is above a temperature threshold value. 
     
     
         20 . A marine vessel comprising a pump assembly according to  claim 1 .