Fluid circulating apparatus
United States Patent Honold et al.  
 14 1 Apr. 1,1975  
 FLUID CIRCULATING APPARATUS Inventors: Ernst Honold; Heinz-Bernd Assignee:  
 Filed:  
 Matthias, both of Frankenthal, Germany; Dusan Florjancic, Winterthur. Switzerland Klein, Schanzlin &amp; Becker Aktiengesellschaft, Frankenthal/Pfalz, Germany Oct. 24, 1973 Appl, No.1 409,335  
 Foreign Application Priority Data Oct. 25, 1972 Germany 2252299 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,685,919 8/1972 Speck et al. 415/53 Primary E.\&#39;aminerC. J. Husar Assistant E.taminer-L0uis J. Casaregola Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Michael S. Striker [57] ABSTRACT A housing which forms part of a heat exchanger has an inlet port for admission of a fluid into a first compartment and an outlet port which communicates with a pressure chamber of the housing. One end wall of the housing has a first aperture through which the fluid can flow from the first compartment into the heat exchanger proper and a second aperture through which the fluid flows from the heat exchanger proper into a second compartment. A pump in the housing serves to draw fluid from the second compartment and to introduce the fluid into the pressure chamber. A dished or hollow conical fluid flow directing member extends between the two end walls of the housing and guides the fluid toward the impeller of the pump.  
 17 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures 7 l I r in //i I L PATEHZ ZU PR 1 I975 SHEET 2 UF 3 FIG. la  
 FLUID CIRCULATING APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to fluid circulating apparatus in general, and more particularly to improvements in fluid circulating apparatus of the type wherein the housing or body forms part of or is directly coupled to a heat exchanger or another aggregate wherein the fluid is conditioned prior to pressurization.  
  It is already known to install a fluid circulating pump directly in or on an aggregate which changes the temperature of and/or otherwise conditions the fluid. The fluid which is circulated along an endless path passes through the aggregate and is pressurized before it reaches a consumer to be thereupon returned into the aggregate. Typical examples of such fluid circulating systems are apparatus for desalination of sea water wherein the pump is mounted in the interior of the heat exchanger so that it need not be provided with a discrete pump body and that one can dispense with discrete conduits which normally connect the inlet and outlet ports of the pump with the corresponding outlet and inlet ports of the heat exchanger. It is also possible to use such built-in pumps in the cooling systems of nuclear reactors.  
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the invention is to provide a relatively simple, compact and rugged housing or body which can serve for reception of a fluid circulating pump and which is constructed, assembled and configurated in such a way that it insures a highly satisfactory flow of fluid to and from the impeller of the pump.  
  Another object of the invention is to provide a housing or body which not only receives a pump but can form an integral part of or is directly connectable to an aggregate which conditions the fluid prior to or after the fluid is pressurized.  
  A further object of the invention is to provide in the housing novel and improved means for promoting the flow of fluid into and from the range of the impeller.  
  An additional object of the invention is to provide a fluid circulating apparatus which embodies the improved housing.  
  The invention is embodied in a fluid circulating apparatus which comprises a hollow housing having inlet and outlet ports and including internal partitions which subdivide its interior into a first or pressure chamber communicating with the outlet port and a second chamber including a first compartment in communica tion with the inlet port and a second compartment, the housing further having a first aperture through which a fluid which enters the housing via inlet port can leave the first compartment and a second aperture through which the fluid, after having left the first compartment, can enter the second compartment, and a pump which is installed in the housing and serves to draw fluid from the second compartment and to introduce pressurized fluid into the first chamber.  
  The apparatus preferably further comprises an aggregate (e.g., a heat exchanger) which includes the housing and through which the fluid flows between the first and second apertures.  
  The partitions preferably include a dished or hollow conical fluid flow directing member which is disposed between the two compartments and serves to direct fluid into the range of impeller vanes forming part of the pump rotor.  
  The novel features which are considered as charac teristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The improved fluid circulating apparatus itself, however, both as to its construction and its mode of operation, together with additional features and advantages thereof, will be best understood upon perusal of the following detailed description of certain specific embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawing.  
 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of an apparatus which embodies one form of the invention;  
  FIG. 1a is a horizontal sectional view as seen in the direction of arrows from the line I-I of FIG. 1; and  
  FIG. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of a second apparatus.  
 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 1a, there is shown a housing 3 having a bottom end wall 6, a top end wall 7 and a cylindrical or tubular wall 10. The bottom end wall 6 is formed with a scalable opening 6a for the shaft 1 of a circulating pump having an impeller or rotor 2 located in the interior of the housing 3 adjacent to the opening 6a. The prime mover which drives the shaft 1 of the pump is not shown in the drawing.  
  The cylindrical wall 10 of the housing 3 has an inlet port 4 for entry of a hydraulic fluid and an outlet port 5 for discharge of pressurized fluid. A dished fluid flow directing member or partition 8 is mounted between the end walls 6, 7. This member can be reinforced by a tubular or annular stiffening or reinforcing element 9 when the pressure of fluid is raised to a relatively high value. The element 9 has openings 9a through which the fluid can flow against the concave side 8a of the member 8. A composite partition or wall 11 in the housing 3 divides the interior of the housing into a lower annular chamber 12 for pressurized fluid and an upper annular chamber which is subdivided into two compartments 14, 15 in part by the member 8 and in part by a vertical partition or wall 13 having two sections flanking the fluid flow directing member 8. Due to inclination of the partition 11 relative to the end walls 6 and 7, the chamber 12 resembles a spiral. The compartment 14 receives a fluid from the inlet port 4 and discharges directly into an aggregate 50 which is rigid with and preferably includes the housing 3. The aggregate 50 may constitute a heat exchanger which receives unheated fluid by way of an aperture 16 in the top end wall 7 and discharges heated fluid into the compartment 15 by way of an aperture 17 in the top end wall 7. Fluid which enters the compartment 15 via aperture 17 flows through the openings 9a of the reinforcing element 9, along the concave side 8a of the fluid flow directing member 8, and into the range of vanes of the impeller 2. The configuration of the righthand side 8a of the member 8 is such that it promotes the flow of fluid into the range of the impeller 2. The latter is immediately preceded by an insert 18 which constitutes a fluid flow accelerating device and can be removed from the housing 3 upon removal of the pump by way of the opening 6a. The member 8 is rigid (and preferably integral) with a guide 19 having vanes or blades 20 which direct pressurized fluid into the chamber 12. The guide 19 can be assembled of several sec tions which can be individually inserted into or with drawn from the housing 3. This is desirable because any damage which occurs is most likely to develop in the region of the guide 19. By subdividing the guide 19 into several sections, one can replace a damaged section and continue to utilize the remaining sections.  
 The operation is as follows:  
  A hydraulic fluid enters the compartment 14 via inlet port 4 and leaves the compartment 14 by way of the aperture 16 to enter the aggregate 50. The latter discharges conditioned fluid into the compartment via aperture 17, and such fluid is guided by the member 8, the right-hand portion of the partition 11 and accelerating device 18 to flow into the range of the impeller 2. Pressurized fluid enters the pressure chamber 12 between the blades 20 of the guide 19 and is permitted to leave the housing 3 via outlet port 5. The fluid passes through a consumer, not shown, and is returned to the inlet port 4.  
 The top end wall 7 of the housing 3 can be provided with two or more apertures 16 and/or with two or more apertures 17.  
 FIG. 2 illustrates a second fluid circulating apparatus wherein all such parts which are identical with or clearly analogous to the corresponding parts of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 are denoted by similar reference characters. The dished fluid flow directing member 8 is replaced by a hollow concial fluid flow directing member 21 having in its upper portion openings in the form of slots 22 which allow a fluid to flow from the compartment 15 into the range of the impeller 2. A substantially frustoconical hollow auxiliary guide 23 is provided in the fluid flow directing member 21 to induce the fluid to flow into the space which is surrounded by the accelerating device 18.  
  The concial fluid flow directing member 21 reduces the volume of the pressure chamber 12. This chamber is fully surrounded by the member 21. A duct 24 connects an opening 21a in the member 21 with the outlet port 5. If the duct 24 is omitted, the pressure chamber includes that space which is numbered 12 in FIG. 2 plus the space surrounding the lower portion of the member 21 at a level below the inclined partition 11. This partition is somewhat simpler than the partition 11 of FIG. 1 due to provision of the duct 24.  
  The structure of FIG. 2 can be modified by replacing the conical fluid flow directing member 21 with a member of similar configuration which extends from the top end wall 7 to the upper end of the auxiliary guide 23.  
  The flow of fluid is similar to that of fluid in the apparatus of FIG. 1. Thus, fluid enters the compartment 14 via inlet port 4 and leaves this compartment to enter the aggregate (not shown) via aperture 16. The aperture 17 admits conditioned fluid into the compartment 15, and such fluid enters the interior of the conical fluid flow directing member 21 by way of slots 22 to flow in the parts 23, 18 and into the range of the impeller 2. Pressurized fluid enters the chamber 12 between the vanes 20 and flows into the outlet port 5 via duct 24.  
  The improved apparatus can be used with advantage in many chemical plants as well as in aforementioned desalination and nuclear reactor plants.  
  Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features which fairly constitute essential characteristics of the genericand specific aspects of our contribution to the art and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of.  
 equivalence of the claims.  
 What is claimed as new and desired to be protected I by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims:  
  1. In a fluid flow circulating apparatus, a combination comprising a hollow housing having inlet and outlet ports and including internal partitions subdividing the. y interior of said housing into a first chamber communieating with said outlet port and a second chamber including a first compartment communicating with said inlet port and a second compartment, said partitions.  
 ment via said inlet port can leave said first compart- I ment and at least one second aperture through which fluid leaving said first compartment via said first aperture can enter said second compartment; and a pump installed in said housing and arranged to draw fluid.  
 from said second compartment and to introduce pressurized fluid into said first chamber.  
 2. In a fluid flow circulating apparatus, a combination comprising a hollow housing having inlet and outlet ports and including internal partitions subdividing the interior of said housing into a first chamber communicating with said outlet port and a second chamber including a first compartment communicating with said inlet port and a second compartment, said partitions including a hollow conical fluid flow directing member disposed between said compartments and having at least one opening through which the fluid can flow from said second compartment into the interior of said fluid flow directing member, said housing further hav ing at least one first aperture through which a fluid:  
 which enters said first compartment via said inlet port can leave said first compartment and at least one second aperture through which fluid leaving said first compartment via said first aperture can enter said second.  
 compartment; and a pump installed in said housing and arranged to draw fluid from said second compartment through the interior of said fluid flow directing member and to introduce pressurized fluid into said first chamber.  
  3. In a fluid flow circulating apparatus, a combination comprising a hollow housing having inlet and outlet ports and including a tubular wall, two end walls at the opposite ends of said tubular wall and internal partitions subdividing the interior of said housing into a first chamber communicating with said outlet port and a second chamber including a first compartment communicating with said inlet port and a second compartment, said partitions including a hollow conical fluid flow directing member extending between said end walls and said housing further having at least one first aperture through which a fluid which enters said first compartment via said inlet port can leave said first comparte ment and at least one second aperture throughwhich fluid leaving said first compartment via said first aperture can enter said second compartment; and a pump installed in said housing and arranged to draw fluid from said second compartment and to introduce pressurized fluid into said first chamber.  
  4. A combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said housing further comprises a tubular wall which is provided with said ports and two end walls at the ends of said tubular wall, said apertures being provided in one of said end walls and said inclined wall being disposed between said end walls, said fluid flow directing member extending between said one end wall and said inclined wall.  
  5. A combination as defined in claim 4, wherein said partitions further include a wall which subdivides said second chamber into said first and second compartments, said last mentioned wall including two sections flanking said fluid flow directing member.  
  6. A combination as defined in claim 1, further comprising a fluid accelerating device provided between said fluid flow directing member and said pump.  
  7. A combination as defined in claim 6, wherein said pump has a rotary impeller and said accelerating device is located immediately upstream of said impeller.  
  8. A combination as defined in claim 6, wherein said housing has a sealable opening for insertion and removal of said accelerating device.  
  9. A combination as defined in claim 1, further comprising aperturcd tubular reinforcing means for said fluid flow directing member, said housing further comprising a tubular wall and two end walls at the ends of said tubular wall, said apertures being provided in one of said end walls and said fluid flow directing member being located in said second chamber between said first and second compartments.  
  10. A combination as defined in claim 9, wherein said reinforcing means includes an apertured portion in said second compartment.  
  1 1. A combination as defined in claim 9, wherein said reinforcing means extends between said end walls.  
  12. A combination as defined in claim 9, further comprising a guide through which the fluid flows between said pump and said first chamber.  
  13. A combination as defined in claim 12, wherein said guide is integral with said reinforcing means.  
  14. A combination as defined in claim 12, wherein said guide comprises a plurality of blades and consists of a plurality of separable sections.  
  15. A combination as defined in claim 2, further comprising an auxiliary guide provided in said fluid flow directing member upstream of said pump.  
  16. A combination as defined in claim 3, wherein said fluid flow directing member surrounds said first chamber and has an opening by means of which said first chamber communicates with said outlet port.  
  17. A combination as defined in claim 3, wherein said fluid flow directing member has at least one opening through which the fluid flows from said second compartment into said member, said pump being arranged to draw fluid from the interior of said fluid flow directing member and said partitions further including a wall which is inclined with respect to said end walls and is disposed between said chambers.