Field-serviceable solids-handling vertical turbine pump

Abstract

A vertical turbine pump which operates with its inlet sub-merged in a body of liquid to be pumped employs an impeller provided with two or three equiangularly spaced vanes and a diffuser section provided with three equiangularly spaced stationary vanes. A vertical turbine pump incorporating such a combination of impeller and diffuser vanes exhibits favorable hydraulic efficiency and smooth operation and can effectively handle liquids with entrained solids. The pump bowl bearings are part of a cartridge which is readily removed and installed through the upstream end of the pump to facilitate servicing in the field.

1. A vertical turbine pump comprising:
 a pump bowl assembly including a casing having a bulbous diffuser section between axially opposed upstream and downstream sections which are narrower than said diffuser section;  
 a bulbous diffuser core disposed centrally in said casing diffuser section;  
 a drive shaft extending centrally and axially through said diffuser core;  
 a rotary impeller fastened to an end of said drive shaft and disposed in said casing upstream section adjacent a fluid inlet, said impeller incorporating flared shrouds which are axially spaced from each other and spirally oriented impeller vanes disposed between said shrouds and spaced from each other equiangularly about the axis of impeller rotation;  
 three stationary diffuser vanes spaced equiangularly about said diffuser core, said diffuser vanes extending laterally between said diffuser core and said casing and having upstream ends which curve about said diffuser core and downstream ends which extend generally axially through said casing downstream section; and  
 a bearing cartridge separably fastened within said diffuser core, said bearing cartridge carrying axially spaced bearings which surround and rotatably support said drive shaft,  
 said bearing cartridge being removable from an upstream section of said casing by removing said impeller and disengaging said bearing cartridge from said diffuser core thereby permitting said bearing cartridge to be slid off said drive shaft in an axial direction.  
 
     
     
       2. A vertical turbine pump as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said impeller incorporates three equiangularly spaced impeller vanes. 
     
     
       3. A vertical turbine pump as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said impeller incorporates two equiangularly spaced impeller vanes. 
     
     
       4. A vertical turbine pump as recited in  claim 1 , wherein:
 said bearing cartridge comprises a tubular housing surrounding said drive shaft, and said bearings are fixed within said tubular housing.  
 
     
     
       5. A vertical turbine pump as recited in  claim 4 , wherein:
 said tubular housing is fastened within said diffuser core by a threaded coupling.  
 
     
     
       6. In a vertical turbine pump incorporating a pump bowl assembly including a casing having a bulbous diffuser section between axially opposed upstream and downstream sections which are narrower than said diffuser section, a bulbous diffuser core disposed centrally in said casing diffuser section, a drive shaft extending centrally and axially through said diffuser core and a rotary impeller fastened to an end of said drive shaft and disposed in said casing upstream section adjacent a fluid inlet, the improvement comprising:
 a bearing cartridge separably fastened within said diffuser core;  
 said bearing cartridge carrying axially spaced bearings which surround and rotatably support said drive shaft,  
 said bearing cartridge being removable from an upstream section of said casing by removing said impeller and disengaging said bearing cartridge from said casing thereby permitting said bearing cartridge to be slid off said drive shaft in an axial direction.  
 
     
     
       7. In a vertical turbine pump as recited in  claim 6 , the improvement further comprising:
 said bearing cartridge comprising a tubular housing surrounding said drive shaft, and said bearings being fixed within said tubular housing.  
 
     
     
       8. In a vertical turbine pump as recited in  claim 7 , the improvement further comprising:
 said tubular housing being fastened within said diffuser core by a threaded coupling.  
 
     
     
       9. In a vertical pump as recited in  claim 8 , the improvement further comprising:
 said threaded coupling comprising threads carried on said tubular housing.  
 
     
     
       10. In a vertical turbine pump as recited in  claim 7 , the improvement further comprising:
 said tubular housing being fastened to a tubular adapter which surrounds said drive shaft and axially abuts an end surface of said diffuser core which faces downstream.  
 
     
     
       11. In a vertical turbine pump as recited in  claim 10 , the improvement further comprising:
 said tubular housing being fastened to said tubular adapter by mating threads carried on said tubular adapter and on an end of said tubular housing.  
 
     
     
       12. In a vertical turbine pump as recited in  claim 11 , the improvement further comprising:
 a formation provided on said end surface of said diffuser core which mates with a formation carried on an end surface of said tubular adapter to effect axial alignment and prevent relative rotation between said tubular adapter and said diffuser core.  
 
     
     
       13. In a vertical turbine pump as recited in  claim 12 , the improvement further comprising:
 said mating formations comprising axially extending lugs.  
 
     
     
       14. In a vertical turbine pump as recited in  claim 7 , the improvement further comprising:
 a formation provided on an end of said tubular housing adjacent to said impeller, said formation adapted to mate with a tool for facilitating the removal and installation of said tubular housing through said casing upstream section.  
 
     
     
       15. A vertical turbine pump comprising:
   a pump assembly including a casing;      a diffuser core disposed in said casing;    a drive shaft extending through said diffuser core;    a rotary impeller fastened to an upstream end of said drive shaft; and    a bearing cartridge including an elongated housing having a bearing disposed therein,    said bearing cartridge separably fastened to said diffuser core,    said bearing surrounding and rotatably supporting said drive shaft,    said bearing cartridge being removable from an upstream section of said casing by removing said impeller and disengaging said bearing cartridge from said diffuser core thereby permitting said bearing cartridge to be slid off said drive shaft in an axial direction.   
     
     
       16. The vertical turbine pump as recited in  claim 15 , wherein an only active element removed to allow removal of said bearing is said impeller, and wherein the term “active element” refers to an element that is actively rotated or otherwise actively moved by said drive shaft when the vertical turbine pump is on. 
     
     
       17. The vertical turbine pump as recited in  claim 15 , wherein said bearing cartridge includes an engagement structure integral thereon and said diffuser core includes a reciprocal engagement structure therein for receiving the engagement structure of said bearing cartridge. 
     
     
       18. The vertical turbine pump as recited in  claim 15 , wherein said bearing is a sleeve-type bearing. 
     
     
       19. An apparatus for facilitating servicing of a bearing from an upstream end of a vertical turbine pump incorporating a pump assembly including a casing, a diffuser core disposed in the casing, a drive shaft extending through the diffuser core, and a rotary impeller fastened to an upstream end of the drive shaft, the apparatus comprising:
 a bearing cartridge including an elongated housing having the bearing disposed therein,    said bearing cartridge separably fastened to the diffuser core,    said bearing surrounding and rotatably supporting the drive shaft,    said bearing cartridge being removable from an upstream end of the casing by removing the impeller and disengaging said bearing cartridge from the diffuser core thereby permitting said bearing cartridge to be slid off the drive shaft in an axial direction.   
     
     
       20. The apparatus as recited in  claim 19 , wherein an only active element removed to allow removal of said bearing cartridge is the impeller, and wherein the term “active element” refers to an element that is actively rotated or otherwise actively moved by the drive shaft when the vertical turbine pump is on. 
     
     
       21. The apparatus as recited in  claim 19 , wherein said bearing cartridge includes an engagement structure integral therein and said diffuser core includes a reciprocal engagement structure thereon for receiving the engagement structure of said bearing cartridge. 
     
     
       22. In a vertical turbine pump incorporating a pump bowl assembly including a casing having a bulbous diffuser section between axially opposed upstream and downstream sections which are narrower than said diffuser section, a bulbous diffuser core disposed centrally in said casing diffuser section, a drive shaft extending centrally and axially through said diffuser core and a rotary impeller fastened to an end of said drive shaft and disposed in said casing upstream section adjacent a fluid inlet, the improvement comprising:
 a bearing cartridge separately fastened within said diffuser core;    said bearing cartridge carrying axially spaced bearings which surround and rotatably support said drive shaft,    said bearing cartridge comprising a tubular housing surrounding said drive shaft, and said bearings being fixed within said tubular housing,    said tubular housing being fastened to a tubular adapter which surrounds said drive shaft and axially abuts an end surface of said diffuser core which faces downstream.