Self-cleaning centrifugal pump impeller

Abstract

The self-cleaning type centrifugal pump impeller comprises a wheel disc and a plurality of blades evenly distributed in the circumferential direction of the wheel disc, the tail end of the wheel disc is connected with a connecting shaft through a self-cleaning bin, a water inlet pipe is connected to the outer wall of the self-cleaning bin in the tangential direction, and water spraying openings corresponding to the blades are further formed in the outer wall of the self-cleaning bin; a rotating disc is rotationally installed in the self-cleaning bin, a plurality of radial partition plates are evenly distributed on the side wall of the outer circumference of the rotating disc, a linkage structure is connected to the end, extending into an inner cavity of the wheel disc, of the rotating disc, and a reciprocating telescopic structure is arranged on the periphery of the linkage structure and corresponds to each blade. Each reciprocating telescopic structure is connected with the tail end of the corresponding blade in a one-to-one correspondence mode through a supporting rod. Two cleaning mechanisms of hydraulic flushing and blade deformation are combined, only the connector in butt joint with the water inlet pipe needs to be reserved in the pump shell, the controllable valve is arranged, when cleaning is needed, the valve is switched to be communicated with a flushing water source, cleaning operation can be automatically completed, and operation is extremely easy and convenient.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of centrifugal pump technology, and in particular to a self-cleaning centrifugal pump impeller. Background Technology

[0002] Centrifugal pumps, as widely used fluid transport equipment, play a crucial role in many fields such as chemical industry, environmental protection, mining, municipal water supply and drainage, and agricultural irrigation. During long-term operation, especially when transporting liquids containing solid particles, fibers, or easily crystallizing and depositing media, impurities, scale, or blockages can easily occur on the front and back surfaces and flow channels of the blades. This fouling not only changes the original aerodynamic or hydrodynamic shape of the blades, leading to decreased pump efficiency, increased energy consumption, and reduced head and flow rate, but may also cause increased pump vibration, increased noise, and even mechanical failures such as rotor imbalance, seriously affecting the operational stability and service life of the pump unit.

[0003] Currently, the cleaning and maintenance of centrifugal pump impellers mainly relies on periodic shutdowns, disassembly of the pump body, removal of the impeller, and manual cleaning or mechanical scraping. However, this cleaning method is cumbersome, time-consuming, and labor-intensive. Frequent disassembly and assembly can also damage pump body seals, bearings, and other components, increasing maintenance costs.

[0004] Therefore, developing a technology that can efficiently and automatically clean the impeller without disassembly during pump operation or short-term standby is of urgent need and great significance for improving the intelligent maintenance level of centrifugal pumps, ensuring continuous and stable system operation, and reducing the total life cycle cost. Against this background, this invention proposes a self-cleaning centrifugal pump impeller that integrates mechanical drive and hydraulic flushing functions. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a self-cleaning centrifugal pump impeller to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: A self-cleaning centrifugal pump impeller includes a disc and several blades evenly distributed around the circumference of the disc. The tail end of the disc is connected to a connecting shaft via a self-cleaning chamber. A water inlet pipe is tangentially connected to the outer wall of the self-cleaning chamber, and a spray nozzle is provided on the outer wall of the self-cleaning chamber corresponding to each blade. A turntable is rotatably installed inside the self-cleaning chamber, and several radial baffles are evenly distributed on the outer circumferential side wall of the turntable. One end of the turntable extending into the inner cavity of the disc is connected to a linkage structure. A reciprocating telescopic structure is provided around the periphery of the linkage structure corresponding to each blade. Each reciprocating telescopic structure is connected to the end of the blade one-to-one via a support rod.

[0007] In a further embodiment, the thickness of the blade gradually decreases from the end near the wheel to the end, and the width of the blade gradually increases from the end near the wheel to the end.

[0008] In a further embodiment, the spray nozzle is connected to the interior of the self-cleaning chamber via a water channel that is tangent to the self-cleaning chamber and whose extension end intersects with the blade.

[0009] In a further embodiment, the direction of rotation of the waterway is opposite to the direction of rotation of the blades.

[0010] In a further embodiment, the linkage structure includes a central worm gear coaxially connected to the turntable. A worm wheel is meshed with the periphery of the central worm gear corresponding to each reciprocating telescopic structure. A bevel gear one is coaxially connected to the side of the worm wheel, and a bevel gear two is meshed with the edge of the bevel gear one.

[0011] In a further embodiment, the reciprocating telescopic structure includes a reciprocating screw coaxially connected to the bevel gear, a slide block is slidably sleeved on the reciprocating screw, and a guide pin passes through the slide block. A connecting seat is fixed to the side wall of the slide block, and the connecting seat is connected to one end of the support rod that extends into the wheel disc.

[0012] In a further embodiment, a through hole is provided on the outer circumferential sidewall of the wheel corresponding to each support rod, and a sealing ring is connected to the periphery of the through hole, the inner ring of which is tightly fitted to the outer circumferential sidewall of the support rod.

[0013] In a further embodiment, the axis of each strut extends in the same direction as the radial direction of the wheel.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: This invention combines two cleaning mechanisms: hydraulic flushing and blade deformation. It only requires a pre-reserved interface on the pump casing to connect with the inlet pipe and a controllable valve. When cleaning is needed, simply switch the valve to connect the flushing water source to automatically complete the cleaning operation. The operation is extremely simple and can be widely used in centrifugal pumps that are prone to clogging and scaling.

[0015] On the one hand, the present invention introduces high-pressure flushing water through an external water inlet pipe, and the tangential water inlet drives the internal turntable and baffle of the self-cleaning chamber to rotate, providing centrifugal pressure for the water flow in the self-cleaning chamber, and throwing the cleaning water out at high speed from the spray nozzle at a specific angle, forming a powerful point flushing of the blade surface. The entire process does not require the impeller to be disassembled from the pump casing, which greatly simplifies the maintenance process, shortens the maintenance time, and ensures the continuity of production operation.

[0016] On the other hand, during the rotation of the turntable and partition, the present invention also converts the rotational motion of the turntable into the extension and retraction motion of the reciprocating extension and retraction structure through a linkage structure, driving the support rod of the blade to extend and retract back and forth, so that the blade produces a dynamic deformation similar to fanning. This dynamic deformation effect can effectively destroy the bonding force between impurities and the blade surface, causing the attached substances to loosen and peel off. Combined with directional water flushing, the peeled impurities can be quickly washed away, significantly improving the cleaning effect. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the rear view structure of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the self-cleaning chamber of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the wheel of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a partial cross-sectional structure of the waterway and self-cleaning chamber of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly structure of the reciprocating telescopic structure and the locally linked structure of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the blade and waterway layout of the present invention.

[0018] In the diagram: 1. Wheel; 2. Blade; 3. Connecting shaft; 4. Self-cleaning chamber; 41. Spray nozzle; 42. Water channel; 5. Inlet pipe; 6. Turntable; 7. Baffle; 8. Linkage structure; 81. Central worm gear; 82. Worm wheel; 83. Bevel gear one; 84. Bevel gear two; 9. Reciprocating telescopic structure; 91. Reciprocating lead screw; 92. Slide; 93. Guide pin; 94. Connecting seat; 10. Support rod; 11. Sealing ring. Detailed Implementation

[0019] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are used only for the convenience of describing the invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the invention. In the description of this invention, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0020] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0021] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0022] Please see Figure 1-7 A self-cleaning centrifugal pump impeller includes a disc 1, typically a disc-shaped structure. Multiple arc-shaped blades 2 are welded to the outer circumference of the disc 1, and the blades 2 are evenly distributed circumferentially along the disc 1. Specifically, the cross-sectional thickness of the blades 2 gradually decreases from the root connecting to the disc 1 towards the tip. For example, the root thickness may be 5-8 mm to meet strength requirements, while the tip thickness may be reduced to 2-3 mm. This design significantly reduces the bending stiffness at the tip of the blades 2, making them more prone to significant elastic deformation under radial force. The width of the blades 2, i.e., the dimension in the pump shaft direction, gradually increases from the root towards the tip, thereby increasing the working area at the tip of the blades 2, allowing them to drive a larger area during deformation. The surface is free of adhering substances, while ensuring the necessary structural strength and flow channel performance. On the circumferential sidewall of the wheel 1, a perforation is precisely machined corresponding to the end of each blade 2. The axis of the perforation is strictly pointed to the center of the wheel 1. A sealing ring 11 is embedded in the perforation. The sealing ring 11 is preferably a rotating shaft lip sealing ring with an elastic lip or a specially made polymer material bushing. A support rod 10 for supporting the end of the blade 2 passes through the perforation. The end of the support rod 10 is fixedly connected to the end of the blade 2. The inner hole of the sealing ring 11 is interference-fitted or tightly sliding-fitted with the outer diameter of the support rod 10. Its outer edge is tightly fitted with the perforation of the wheel 1. Its core function is dynamic sealing to prevent the pumped main fluid or self-cleaning water from entering the inner cavity of the wheel 1 and corroding the transmission components.

[0023] The tail end of the impeller 1 is fixedly connected to a cylindrical self-cleaning chamber 4 by bolts or welding. A sealing gasket is set on the connection surface between the self-cleaning chamber 4 and the impeller 1 to seal the inner cavity of the impeller 1. A connecting shaft 3 is welded to the tail end of the self-cleaning chamber 4 for connecting the pump drive shaft. The connecting shaft 3 is usually connected to the pump drive shaft through a keyway. When the pump is working normally, the impeller 1, blades 2, self-cleaning chamber 4 and connecting shaft 3 are integrated and driven by the pump shaft to rotate at high speed. It should be noted that the connecting shaft 3, impeller 1 and self-cleaning chamber 4 are coaxial to ensure better transmission effect.

[0024] Inside the self-cleaning chamber 4, a turntable 6 is rotatably mounted via bearings. The axis of rotation of the turntable 6 coincides with the axis of the self-cleaning chamber 4. The turntable 6 is not directly connected to the connecting shaft 3 and can rotate relative to it. On the outer circumferential sidewall of the turntable 6, several radially extending baffles 7 are uniformly welded or integrally formed along the circumference. The outer edges of the baffles 7 are very close to but do not contact the inner wall of the self-cleaning chamber 4, leaving a very small gap, such as 0.5-1mm, to reduce friction while ensuring hydraulic efficiency. The baffles 7 connect the turntable 6 and the self-cleaning chamber 4. The annular space between the inner walls of the self-cleaning chamber 4 is divided into multiple fan-shaped small chambers. A water inlet pipe 5 is welded to the cylindrical outer wall of the self-cleaning chamber 4. The axis of the water inlet pipe 5 is tangent to the outer circumferential surface of the self-cleaning chamber 4, and its orientation should be such that the incoming water flow can most effectively impact the radial baffle 7 on the turntable 6. The water inlet is located on the side wall of the self-cleaning chamber 4. When installed, the water inlet pipe 5 can extend through the pump casing to the outside of the pump body. The port is equipped with a quick connector and a valve. In the non-cleaning state, the valve is closed and the port is sealed with a protective cap.

[0025] On the cylindrical wall of the self-cleaning chamber 4, a spray nozzle 41 is opened corresponding to the position of each blade 2 in the axial projection. The spray nozzle 41 is usually a small circular hole. Each spray nozzle 41 is connected to the inner cavity of the self-cleaning chamber 4 through a water channel 42 processed in the wall thickness of the self-cleaning chamber 4. The water channel 42 starts from the inner wall of the self-cleaning chamber 4 and extends outward at a certain angle. The direction of its inlet section is consistent with the circumferential tangent direction of the inner wall of the self-cleaning chamber 4 at that point, that is, the tangential inlet. The extended axis of the entire water channel 42 points precisely to the specific area of ​​the blade 2 corresponding to it, which is usually the part of the pressure surface or suction surface that is prone to dirt accumulation. In order to maximize the relative velocity between the flushing water and the surface of the blade 2 and enhance the shearing effect, the rotation direction of the water channel 42 is designed to be opposite to the working rotation direction of the blade 2. For example, if the rotation direction of the blade 2 is to push the fluid clockwise when viewed from the inlet, then the tangential inlet direction of the water channel 42 should be designed so that the water flow is thrown out in a counterclockwise direction, which is equivalent to the flushing water impacting the surface of the blade 2 against the rotation trend of the blade 2.

[0026] One end of the turntable 6 extends into the inner cavity of the wheel 1, and a linkage structure 8 is fixedly connected to its center. Specifically, the shaft of the turntable 6 is sealed to the end cover of the self-cleaning chamber 4 by a rotary shaft lip seal or mechanical seal to prevent water in the self-cleaning chamber 4 from entering the inner cavity of the wheel 1. The linkage structure 8 includes a central worm gear 81 fixed coaxially with the turntable 6, and multiple worm wheels 82 are distributed circumferentially around the central worm gear 81 and mesh with it. Each worm wheel 82 is mounted on an independent short shaft, which is fixed to the housing of the inner cavity of the wheel 1 by a bearing seat. A bevel gear 83 is coaxially mounted on the same short shaft of each worm wheel 82. A bevel gear 84 meshes perpendicularly with each bevel gear 83. A reciprocating telescopic structure 9 is provided for each bevel gear 84. It includes a reciprocating screw 91 fixed coaxially with the bevel gear 84. The reciprocating screw 91 is also fixed to the housing inside the wheel 1 through a bearing seat. A slide 92 is sleeved on the reciprocating screw 91. A guide pin 93 that mates with the threaded groove of the reciprocating screw 91 passes through the slide 92. The guide pin 93 can slide along the threaded groove of the reciprocating screw 91. A connecting seat 94 is welded and fixed to the side of the slide 92. The connecting seat 94 is welded and fixed to one end of the support rod 10 that extends into the inner cavity of the wheel 1.

[0027] Workflow: When self-cleaning of the impeller is required, follow these steps: First, ensure that the centrifugal pump is in a stopped or low-speed standby state. Open the high-pressure water source valve connected to the external port of the inlet pipe 5, release the seal, and inject the high-pressure flushing water tangentially into the self-cleaning chamber 4 through the inlet pipe 5. The tangentially entering water flow has a high tangential velocity and directly impacts the radial baffles 7 on the outer periphery of the turntable 6, generating a tangential pushing force on the baffles 7. Multiple baffles 7 are continuously impacted, driving the turntable 6 to start rotating at high speed relative to the stationary self-cleaning chamber 4 and the wheel 1. When the turntable 6 rotates, it drives the flushing water inside to make a high-speed circular motion. Under the action of centrifugal force, the water is thrown towards the inner wall of the self-cleaning chamber 4 and enters each water channel 42. Since the water channel 42 is designed to be tangent and rotates in the opposite direction to the blade 2, the water flow is accelerated and sprayed at high speed from the spray nozzle 41 onto the corresponding blade 2 surface at an angle with a large relative speed to the surface of the blade 2, forming the first cleaning force, strong fixed-point water flushing, directly rinsing and dissolving some of the dirt; At the same time, the rotation of turntable 6 is transmitted to all the surrounding worm gears 82 through the central worm 81 at its shaft end, causing the worm gears 82 to rotate. Each worm gear 82 drives the coaxial bevel gear 1 83 to rotate, which in turn drives the meshing bevel gear 2 84 to rotate. The bevel gear 2 84 drives the reciprocating screw 91 to rotate. Due to the restriction of the support rod 10, the slide 92 cannot rotate. Therefore, driven by the rotating reciprocating screw 91, the slide 92 carries the connecting seat 94 to make reciprocating linear motion along the axial direction. The reciprocating motion of the slide 92 is transmitted to the end of the blade 2 through the strut 10. When the strut 10 extends outward from the wheel, it pushes the end of the blade 2 to extend and bend away from the center of the wheel 1. When the strut 10 retracts inward from the wheel 1, the blade 2, relying on the tension of the strut 10, contracts and bends towards the center of the wheel 1. This causes the periodic reciprocating extension and bending motion of the end of each blade 2. This dynamic deformation generates repeated stretching, compression and shearing action on the impurities attached to the surface of the blade 2, effectively destroying the attachment structure of the dirt, making it loose and peel off. The peeled impurities are then washed away by the continuous high-pressure water flow sprayed from the nozzle 41. After continuous rinsing for a period of time, close the external high-pressure water source valve, restore the sealing state of the inlet pipe 5, stop the water flow into the self-cleaning chamber 4, the turntable 6 gradually stops rotating, the linkage structure 8 and the reciprocating telescopic structure 9 stop accordingly, the support rod 10 stops at a certain position, and the blades 2 return to stillness. At this point, the cleaning work on the impeller surface is complete. The centrifugal pump can be restarted for normal conveying operations.

[0028] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, and that the invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered in all respects as exemplary and non-limiting, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. Thus, all variations falling within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the claims are intended to be included within the present invention. No reference numerals in the claims should be construed as limiting the scope of the claims.

[0029] Furthermore, it should be understood that although this specification describes embodiments, not every embodiment contains only one independent technical solution. This narrative style is merely for clarity. Those skilled in the art should consider the specification as a whole, and the technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A self-cleaning centrifugal pump impeller comprising a disc (1) and a plurality of blades (2) uniformly distributed along the circumference of the disc (1), characterized in that: The tail end of the wheel disc (1) is connected with a connecting shaft (3) through a self-cleaning bin (4), the outer wall of the self-cleaning bin (4) is tangentially connected with a water inlet pipe (5), and the outer wall of the self-cleaning bin (4) is also provided with a water outlet (41) corresponding to each blade (2), the inside of the self-cleaning bin (4) is rotatably installed with a rotating disc (6), and the outer circumferential side wall of the rotating disc (6) is uniformly provided with a plurality of radial baffles (7), one end of the rotating disc (6) extending into the inner cavity of the wheel disc (1) is connected with a linkage structure (8), and the outer periphery of the linkage structure (8) is provided with a reciprocating structure (9) corresponding to each blade (2), and each reciprocating structure (9) is connected with the tail end of the blade (2) through a support rod (10).

2. A self-cleaning centrifugal pump impeller according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thickness of the blade (2) gradually thins from one end close to the wheel disc (1) to the tail end, and the width of the blade (2) gradually widens from one end close to the wheel disc (1) to the tail end.

3. A self-cleaning centrifugal pump impeller according to claim 1, characterized in that: The water outlet (41) and the inside of the self-cleaning bin (4) are connected through a water channel (42), the water channel (42) is tangent to the self-cleaning bin (4), and the extension line of the water channel (42) intersects with the blade (2).

4. A self-cleaning centrifugal pump impeller according to claim 3, characterized in that: The rotation direction of the water channel (42) is opposite to that of the blade (2).

5. A self-cleaning centrifugal pump impeller according to claim 1, characterized in that: The linkage structure (8) comprises a central worm (81) coaxially connected with the rotating disc (6), the central worm (81) is peripherally connected with a worm wheel (82) corresponding to each reciprocating structure (9), the side of the worm wheel (82) is coaxially connected with a bevel gear (83), and the edge of the bevel gear (83) is connected with a bevel gear (84).

6. A self-cleaning centrifugal pump impeller according to claim 5, characterized in that: The reciprocating structure (9) comprises a reciprocating screw (91) coaxially connected with the bevel gear (84), the reciprocating screw (91) is slidably sleeved with a sliding seat (92), and the sliding seat (92) is penetrated with a guide pin (93), the side wall of the sliding seat (92) is fixed with a connecting seat (94), and the connecting seat (94) is connected with the end of the support rod (10) extending into the wheel disc (1).

7. A self-cleaning centrifugal pump impeller according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer circumferential side wall of the wheel disc (1) is provided with a perforation corresponding to each support rod (10), and the outer periphery of the perforation is connected with a sealing ring (11), and the inner ring of the sealing ring (11) is tightly attached to the outer circumferential side wall of the support rod (10).

8. A self-cleaning centrifugal pump impeller according to claim 1, characterized in that: The axial line of each support rod (10) is coincident with the radial direction of the wheel disc (1).

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