| Centrifugal pump with hydrodynamic bearing and double involute -> Monitor Keywords |
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Centrifugal pump with hydrodynamic bearing and double involuteRelated Patent Categories: Pumps, Motor Driven, Motor Within Rotary Pumping Member, Armature Within Pumping MemberCentrifugal pump with hydrodynamic bearing and double involute description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070077155, Centrifugal pump with hydrodynamic bearing and double involute. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
FIELD [0001] The present invention is in the field of centrifugal pumps. More particularly, the present invention relates to a centrifugal pump with a hydrodynamic bearing and a double involute. BACKGROUND [0002] Electronic devices generate heat during operation. Device designers often utilize thermal management to keep temperature-sensitive elements of an electronic device within a prescribed operating temperature. Failure to properly cool an electronic device can result in overheating, which may cause a reduction in device service life, device failure, or a reduction in operating performance. Historically, designers have cooled electronic devices using natural convection by strategically locating openings in the device packaging or case to allowed warm air to escape and cooler air to be drawn in. The advent of high performance electronic devices such as processors, however, now requires more sophisticated thermal management. Increasing electronic device performance often results in an increase in the heat generated by the device and often results in a smaller size for the electronic device, both conditions of which increase the amount of thermal energy that needs to be handled. As electronic device designs continue to increase in sophistication, these problems will be exacerbated and the need for improved thermal management will continue to increase. [0003] One thermal management solution for high performance processors or other computer system components is the use of liquid cooling. One method of liquid cooling of components is to use a cold plate thermally coupled to the component. In this solution, a pump may pump cooling fluid through the cold plate, allowing heat to be transferred from the component to the cooling fluid through the cold plate, after which the heat is removed from the cooling fluid via a heat exchanger and then returned to the cold plate. Liquid cooling using a cold plate can be more effective than solid conduction cooling methods and can also provide additional flexibility in the size and location of the heat exchanger, as the system can pump the heated fluid to a heat exchanger located in a more desirable location. While a liquid cooling system can be effective at cooling high performance components, it can be more expensive and complicated than previous methods. Because of the cost and complexity of liquid cooling systems, liquid cooling is typically only used on higher end systems. The cost and complexity of pumps to move cooling fluid through a liquid cooling system is a significant part of the cost and complexity of the entire liquid cooling system. Reducing the cost and complexity of liquid cooling pumps can therefore make liquid cooling solutions for heat-generating components suitable for more systems. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0004] Advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the accompanying drawings in which like references may indicate similar elements: [0005] FIG. 1 depicts a side cut-away view of a centrifugal pump with a double involute and hydrodynamic bearings according to one embodiment; [0006] FIG. 2 depicts a side cut-away view of a hydrodynamic thrust bearing of the centrifugal pump of FIG. 1 according to one embodiment; [0007] FIG. 3 depicts a cut-away plan view of a double involute of the centrifugal pump of FIG. 1 according to one embodiment; and [0008] FIG. 4 depicts a flowchart of an embodiment to pump cooling fluid in a cooling system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS [0009] The following is a detailed description of example embodiments of the invention depicted in the accompanying drawings. The example embodiments are in such detail as to clearly communicate the invention. However, the amount of detail offered is not intended to limit the anticipated variations of embodiments; on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims. The detailed descriptions below are designed to make such embodiments obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art. [0010] Generally speaking, a centrifugal pump with a hydrodynamic bearing and a double involute is disclosed. Some embodiments may include an impeller housing comprising a fluid entrance to allow fluid to enter and an impeller located within the impeller housing, the impeller comprising a plurality of impeller blades, a plurality of fluid channels between the impeller blades, and a motor magnet. The impeller may rotate within the impeller housing about a pump centerline in response to an electromagnetic field and the fluid channels may each allow fluid to pass through when the impeller rotates. Embodiments may also include one or more hydrodynamic bearings positioned between the impeller and the impeller housing to support generated loads and a double involute coupled with the impeller housing and positioned to receive fluid exiting the plurality of fluid channels. Further embodiments may include a motor stator to generate the electromagnetic field. [0011] Another embodiment comprises a method for pumping cooling fluid. Some embodiments of the method may include receiving a cooling fluid into an impeller and driving the impeller to rotate about an axis to force the cooling fluid to exit the impeller. Embodiments may also include receiving the exiting cooling fluid at two or more involutes and increasing a static pressure of the cooling fluid in the two or more involutes. Embodiments may also include reacting any loads generated by the two or more involutes and rotating impeller with one or more hydrodynamic bearings. Further embodiments may include after increasing the static pressure of the cooling fluid, passing the cooling fluid to a cooling system. [0012] The disclosed system and methodology may advantageously provide for a centrifugal pump with two or more involutes, such as a double involute, and hydrodynamic bearings. The use of a two or more involutes may reduce radial and moment loads on the impeller and centrifugal pump and may thus allow for the use of hydrodynamic bearings instead of solid element bearing technologies, potentially reducing the cost and complexity of the centrifugal pump. The combination of a multiple involutes with hydrodynamic bearings may also allow for the use of plastic injection molded parts for the centrifugal pump, potentially further reducing the cost of the pump. Reduced cost and complexity for centrifugal pumps may allow for use of centrifugal pumps and liquid cooling in a more diverse set of circumstances and for more types of systems. [0013] Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for pumping fluid. The following description provides specific details of certain embodiments of the invention illustrated in the drawings to provide a thorough understanding of those embodiments. It should be recognized, however, that the present invention can be reflected in additional embodiments and may be practiced without some of the details in the following description. In other instances, well-known structures and functions have not been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the description of the embodiments of the invention. While specific embodiments will be described below with reference to particular configurations and systems, those of skill in the art will realize that embodiments of the present invention may advantageously be implemented with other substantially equivalent configurations and/or systems. [0014] Turning now to the drawings, FIG. 1 depicts a side cut-away view of a centrifugal pump with a double involute and hydrodynamic bearings according to one embodiment. The centrifugal pump 100 of FIG. 1 includes an impeller 106 having a motor magnet 108 housed within an impeller housing 102. A motor stator 104 may be located in or outside the impeller housing 102. When electric power is applied to the motor stator 104, the motor stator 104 creates a magnetic field that may drive the motor magnet 108 of the impeller 106, causing the impeller 106 to rotate within the impeller housing 102 and about a pump centerline 110. Cooling fluid may enter the impeller housing 102 through, for example, a fluid entrance 126. As the axial flow input enters the impeller housing 102 through the fluid entrance (and along the pump centerline 110), it flows into the rotating impeller 106. The rotational speed of the impeller 106 creates a centrifugal force that propels the fluid through fluid channels 114 formed by and between a plurality of impeller blades 112. The fluid exiting the fluid channels 114 may be collected by a double involute 132 at two involute tongues 130. The double involute 132 (as described in more detail in relation to FIG. 3) may then convert the dynamic pressure of the fluid to a static pressure, generating the pressure difference used by the centrifugal pump 100 to drive the cooling fluid. The double involute 132 may generate equal and opposite loads at each involute which cancel out to create a relatively small net radial load. With a double involute 132, the generated loads are equal and opposite when the impeller 106 has an even number of impeller blades 112 evenly distributed around the impeller 106 and hence an impeller blade 112 passes both involute tongues 130 at the same time. A double involute 132 may thus provide a more balanced and lower radial load on the bearings of the centrifugal pump 100 when compared to a single involute. [0015] The centrifugal pump 100 of the disclosed embodiments may utilize hydrodynamic bearings between the impeller 106 and impeller housing 102 to support the rotating impeller 106 and its associated loads within the impeller housing 102. Hydrodynamic bearings (which are described in more detail in relation to FIG. 2) may rely on the gap between a stationary surface (i.e., the inside surface of the impeller housing 102) and a moving surface (i.e., the outside surface of the rotating impeller 106) and viscous effects of its constituent bearing film to handle the net radial force and moment associated with the development of mass flow and static pressure on the impeller blades 112. The hydrodynamic bearings may include one or more journal bearings 122 positioned between the impeller 106 and the impeller housing 102, such as near the motor stator 104, and one or more thrust bearings 124 positioned between the impeller blades 112 and the impeller housing 102. Hydrodynamic bearings may be less expensive than other types of bearings (such as roller bearings, ball bearings, needle bearings or other solid element bearings) but often have less load-bearing capacity than the more expensive bearings. The reduced loads resulting from the double involute 132 may advantageously allow the use of hydrodynamic bearings in the centrifugal pump 100 instead of more expensive and higher capacity bearings, providing for a less expensive centrifugal pump 100. [0016] The impeller housing 102 of the depicted embodiment is symmetrical about the pump centerline 110, completely enclosing the impeller 106 while allowing the passage of fluid into the impeller housing 102 through the fluid entrance 126. The fluid entrance 126 may be an opening (or multiple openings) in the impeller housing 102 or other component (such as a tube or pipe) that allows passage of cooling fluid into the impeller housing 102. The impeller housing 102 may be made of any type of material, including metal or plastic, and may be of any shape adapted to partially or fully enclose the impeller 106. In one embodiment, the impeller housing 102 may be manufactured using plastic injected part manufacturing methods. The impeller housing 102 may be oriented vertically (as depicted in FIG. 1) with a gravitational force oriented downward, horizontally with the pump centerline 110 perpendicular to the gravitational force, or in any other direction. The impeller housing 102 may be part of a larger system or may be coupled to other components, such as a cold plate for a liquid cooling system. [0017] The impeller 106 may include an impeller body 116 in addition to the motor magnet 108. Similarly to the impeller housing 102, the impeller body 116 may be made of any type of material, including metal or plastic, and may be injection molded plastic in one embodiment. The motor magnet 108 may be attached to the impeller body 116 in any fashion such that a rotational force applied to the motor magnet 108 also rotates the impeller body 116 (and thus the impeller 106 as a whole). This allows the impeller 106 to be magnetically coupled with the motor stator 104 through the wall of the impeller housing 102. This eliminates the need to have a shaft or other physical coupling mechanism to connect to drive the impeller 106. This may reduce cost and complexity, as a shaft through the impeller housing 102 to drive the impeller 106 would require, for example, rotating seals, which may be expensive and prone to leakage. In one embodiment, the motor stator 104 is outside the impeller housing 102 and shaped as a concentric circle around the outside of the impeller housing 102. For example, the motor stator 104 may be one or more laminated steel sheets with copper wires wound on it and wrapped around the impeller housing 106 that generates a magnetic field when a direct current (DC) charge is applied to the copper wire. Other motor stator 104 designs may also be used, including solid motor stators 104 or a motor stator 104 that is partially or fully integrated within the wall of the impeller housing 102. [0018] The impeller body 116 and motor magnet 108 may be configured in any way. In one embodiment, for example, the motor magnet 108 may be positioned outside of the impeller body 116 so that the motor magnet 108 is closer to the motor stator 104. This embodiment may maximize the magnetic force created by the motor magnet 108 and motor stator 104 as the motor magnet 108 will be closer to the motor stator 104 and thus in a more powerful part of the motor stator's 104 magnetic field when it is powered. In another embodiment, the motor magnet 108 may be positioned on the inside of the impeller body 116 so that it is closer to the pump centerline 110. In other embodiments, the impeller body 116 may fully or partially enclose the motor magnet 108. In an alternative embodiment, the motor magnet 108 may serve as the impeller body 116, eliminating the need for a separate motor magnet 108 and impeller body 116. [0019] As described previously, the rotational speed of the impeller 106 creates a centrifugal force that propels cooling fluid through the fluid channels 114 between the plurality of impeller blades 112 of the impeller 106. The impeller blades 112, which may be part of the impeller 106, may be any shape or size. Likewise, the fluid channels 114 formed between the impeller blades 112 to allow passage of cooling fluid through their length may be any size or shape suitable to allow passage of cooling fluid. The centrifugal force created when the impeller 106 pushes cooling fluid through the fluid channels 114 from the inside of the impeller blade 112 towards the impeller housing 102 to the outside of the impeller blade 112. [0020] The cooling fluid exiting the fluid channels 114 of the impeller blades 112 may be collected by an involute. An involute may be any geometry that collects fluid exiting the impeller blades 112 and efficiently increases the static pressure of the fluid before it exits the involute. The involute may accomplish the increased static pressure by converting the dynamic pressure resulting from the circumferential velocity of the fluid and converting it to static pressure of the cooling fluid. The involute may advantageously be a double involute 132 having two involute channels 134 over at least part of its length. The double involute 132 may be positioned on the exterior of the impeller housing 102 and wrapped around the circumference of the impeller housing 102. The double involute 132 may have two involute tongues 130 (which may also be known as cutwaters). The involute tongue 130 may represent the closest point of the double involute 132 to the fluid channel exit 114 and as such is the point where the double involute 132 interacts with the cooling fluid exiting the impeller 106. 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