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A miniature pump with a fluid dynamic bearing

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Abstract

This paper describes the development of a miniature pump having an impeller with an exit diameter of 24 mm supported with the motor rotor by a fluid dynamic bearing. Tests verify that the miniature pump is stable and quiet for rotational speeds larger than 4000 min−1. The three-dimensional turbulent flow in the entire pump flow passage and the laminar flow in the fluid dynamic bearing were then simulated numerically. The average pump performance was well predicted by the simulations. Both the tests and the simulations show that there is no obvious Reynolds effect for the miniature pump within the tested range of rotational speeds. The numerical results also show that the bearing capacity of the fluid dynamic bearing increases with the pump rotor rotational speed and the eccentricity ratio of the journal to the bushing. This pump is very compact, so it is a promising device for surgical use.

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Abbreviations

b 2 :

vane width at impeller exit

c :

average clearance between the journal and the bearing bushing

C ps :

static pressure coefficient, = (p s − p s0)/(0.5 ρu 22 )

C pt :

total pressure coefficient, = (p s − p s0)/(0.5 ρu 22 )

D 2 :

impeller exit diameter

D 3 :

volute casing base diameter

e :

eccentricity distance

f r :

fluid dynamic force coefficient in the radial direction, = F r/(m·g)

F r :

radial force acting on the journal in the fluid bearing

g :

gravitational acceleration

h :

liquid film depth

h′:

relative liquid film depth, = h/c

H :

pump head

m :

rotor mass

n :

pump rotor rotational speed

n s :

specific speed, = \(n \cdot \sqrt Q /H^{3/4} \)

p s :

static pressure

p s0 :

static pressure at the pump inlet plane in the computation domain

p t :

total pressure

p t0 :

total pressure at the pump inlet plane in the computation domain

Q :

pump flow discharge

R 2 :

impeller exit, = D 2/2

R 3 :

volute casing base radius, = D 3/2

Re :

Reynolds number, = u 2 D 2/ν

u 2 :

impeller exit peripheral velocity, = nπD 2/60

α :

angular displacement for the journal

ɛ :

eccentricity ratio, = e/c

ϕ :

discharge coefficient, =Q /(πu 2 D 2 b 2)

Ψ :

head coefficient, = H / (0.5 ρu 22 )

ρ :

fluid density

θ :

angular location

ν :

kinematic viscosity

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Hydro Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China

    XianWu Luo, Bin Ji & HongYuan Xu

  2. Beijing Institute of Control Engineering, Beijing, 100190, China

    BaoTang Zhuang

  3. China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing, 100038, China

    Lei Zhu & Li Lu

Authors
  1. XianWu Luo
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  2. Bin Ji
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  3. BaoTang Zhuang
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  4. Lei Zhu
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  5. Li Lu
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  6. HongYuan Xu
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Correspondence to XianWu Luo.

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Luo, X., Ji, B., Zhuang, B. et al. A miniature pump with a fluid dynamic bearing. Sci. China Technol. Sci. 55, 795–801 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11431-011-4677-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11431-011-4677-5

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