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US-12618412-B2 - Pump for immersion within a fluid reservoir

US12618412B2US 12618412 B2US12618412 B2US 12618412B2US-12618412-B2

Abstract

A pump is provided for immersion in a fluid reservoir, such as a pit or lagoon containing liquid manure, from a position at an edge of the reservoir. The pump may be adapted for connection to a farm vehicle, such as a tractor, positioned at the edge of the reservoir. The pump has a frame, a fluid conduit coupled to the frame, a housing located at a bottom end of the liquid manure pump configured to be immersed in a liquid manure reservoir, a combiner for creating a liquid manure connection between at least two liquid manure outlets of the housing and the fluid conduit, an impeller located within the housing, a drive shaft connected to the impeller, and an agitator nozzle, in fluid communication with at least one of the liquid manure outlets, for directing a portion of the liquid manure outwardly from the pump.

Inventors

  • Ian Nuhn

Assignees

  • NUHN INDUSTRIES LTD.

Dates

Publication Date
20260505
Application Date
20241022

Claims (14)

  1. 1 . A liquid manure pump comprising: a frame; a fluid conduit coupled to the frame; a housing located at a bottom end of the liquid manure pump, the housing comprising a liquid manure inlet and at least two liquid manure outlets, the housing configured to be immersed in a liquid manure reservoir, the at least two liquid manure outlets directing liquid manure tangentially and upwardly of the housing; a combiner for creating a liquid manure connection between the at least two liquid manure outlets and the fluid conduit; an impeller located within the housing; a drive shaft connected to the impeller, the drive shaft providing motive power to the impeller to direct the liquid manure from the liquid manure inlet to the at least two liquid manure outlets; and, an agitator nozzle, in fluid communication with at least one of the liquid manure outlets, for directing a portion of the liquid manure outwardly from the pump, the agitator nozzle comprising a nozzle orientation means, the nozzle orientation means comprising a C-shaped linkage connecting a nozzle of the agitator nozzle to a nozzle body of the agitator nozzle, the nozzle orientation means further comprising an orientation cylinder interconnected by orientation linkages with the C-shaped linkage and the nozzle body.
  2. 2 . The pump of claim 1 , wherein the at least two liquid manure outlets direct the liquid manure upwardly from the housing at an angle of from 20 to 70 degrees relative to a plane of rotation of the impeller.
  3. 3 . The pump of claim 2 , wherein the angle is from 30 to 60 degrees.
  4. 4 . The pump of claim 2 , wherein the angle is from 40 to 50 degrees.
  5. 5 . The pump of claim 1 , wherein the at least two liquid manure outlets comprise three outlets.
  6. 6 . The pump of claim 1 , wherein the impeller comprises vanes and each vane has a curved side profile such that rotation of the impeller causes the liquid manure to follow a curvature of the vane and directs the liquid manure tangentially to a direction of the rotation and upwardly along the vane.
  7. 7 . The pump of claim 6 , wherein each of the vanes comprises a flat portion perpendicular to the direction of rotation of the impeller and a curved portion that is curved forwardly in a direction of travel, whereby the area of the curved portion increases progressively with distance from a center of the impeller.
  8. 8 . The pump of claim 7 , wherein a lower edge of each vane comprises a blocking plate that is perpendicular to the flat portion.
  9. 9 . The pump of claim 8 , wherein, the plate has a curved edge and increases in area towards the center of the impeller.
  10. 10 . The pump of claim 1 , wherein the liquid manure inlet comprises a single inlet in a bottom of the housing.
  11. 11 . The pump of claim 10 , wherein the liquid manure inlet has a diameter at least one third of a diameter of the housing.
  12. 12 . The pump of claim 11 , wherein the diameter of the liquid manure inlet is at least half of the diameter of the housing.
  13. 13 . The pump of claim 10 , comprising a bottom rest positioned against a bottom of the liquid manure reservoir to provide a spacing between the liquid manure inlet and a bottom of the liquid manure reservoir.
  14. 14 . A liquid manure pump comprising: a frame; a fluid conduit coupled to the frame; a housing located at a bottom end of the liquid manure pump, the housing comprising a liquid manure inlet and at least two liquid manure outlets, the housing configured to be immersed in a liquid manure reservoir, the at least two liquid manure outlets directing liquid manure tangentially and upwardly of the housing; a combiner for creating a liquid manure connection between the at least two liquid manure outlets and the fluid conduit; an impeller located within the housing; a drive shaft connected to the impeller, the drive shaft providing motive power to the impeller to direct the liquid manure from the liquid manure inlet to the at least two liquid manure outlets; and, an agitator nozzle, in fluid communication with at least one of the liquid manure outlets, for directing a portion of the liquid manure outwardly from the pump, the agitator nozzle comprising a nozzle orientation means, the nozzle orientation means comprising C-shaped linkages connecting a nozzle of the agitator nozzle to a nozzle body of the agitator nozzle, the nozzle orientation means further comprising hydraulic linkage cylinders connected to the C-shaped linkages, the hydraulic linkage cylinders operable to adjust angular orientation of the nozzle.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/472,696 filed Sep. 22, 2023, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/120,034 filed Mar. 10, 2023, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/886,031 filed Aug. 11, 2022, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/743,610 filed May 13, 2022 now issued under U.S. Pat. No. 11,448,224 on Sep. 20, 2022, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/021,323, filed Sep. 15, 2020 now abandoned, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/053,331, filed Aug. 2, 2018, now issued under U.S. Pat. No. 10,808,707 on Oct. 20, 2020, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/063,566, filed Mar. 8, 2016, now issued under U.S. Pat. No. 10,066,629 on Sep. 4, 2018, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/570,504, filed Dec. 15, 2014, now issued under U.S. Pat. No. 9,488,190 on Nov. 8, 2016, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/038,189 filed Mar. 1, 2011, now issued under U.S. Pat. No. 8,944,758 on Feb. 3, 2015, the contents of all of which are incorporated herein by reference. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to pumps, particularly pumps that are positionable alongside a fluid reservoir for immersion within the reservoir. In particular, the invention relates to agricultural pumps for the pumping of liquid manure from liquid manure reservoirs. BACKGROUND Liquid manure from animal husbandry operations, particularly pig farming operations, is typically stored in a large manure reservoir or lagoon until there is a sufficient quantity available to spread or irrigate onto farm land for disposal. In order to remove the manure from the reservoir, a pump is used that is typically located alongside the reservoir and lowered into the reservoir. The pump can be free standing or attached to a tractor, which is often preferable to provide stability to the pump and a source of motive power for the pump. The volumetric flow rate of fluid handled by the pump is large, typically in excess of 4000 gal/min; accordingly, it is desirable that the pump be efficient in terms of providing the required flow with minimal energy loss. Efficient pumps permit use of smaller tractors for providing motive power and reduce the fuel consumption of the tractor, reducing pump operating cost. In addition, it is desirable that the pump have large fluid openings and generous tolerances in order that solid material in the reservoir can be accommodated by the pump without plugging; this works against pump efficiency and makes it extra important to capitalize on efficiency gains wherever else they might be available. Since the surface of the reservoir is variable in height relative to the side, due to either variation in the degree to which the reservoir is filled or due to removal of manure from the reservoir by pumping, it is desirable to have a pump with a variable depth position and optionally orientation relative to the surface. This is commonly accomplished by lowering the entire pump towards the surface, which often requires the tractor to be positioned dangerously close to the edge of the reservoir and is not suitable for all situations, particularly lagoons with gradually sloped sides or reservoirs with elevated sides. In addition, it is desirable to have some means of surface agitation, either separate from the pump or incorporated into the pump itself, to disrupt formation of a cake or blanket on the surface of the reservoir and/or to prevent foam formation during pumping. The means of agitation often comprises a nozzle for re-directing a portion of the pumped fluid back to the surface of the reservoir; however, these nozzles are typically fixed and lack the ability to be positioned to break up cakes and foam. Accordingly, there still exists a need for improved pumps, particularly pumps that are positionable alongside a fluid reservoir for immersion within the reservoir. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a pump for immersion within a fluid reservoir comprising: a pump body comprising an elongated fluid conduit; a housing located at a bottom end of the pump body, the housing comprising a fluid inlet and at least two upwardly oriented tangential fluid outlets located on opposite sides of the body; a combiner for creating a fluid connection between the outlets and the fluid conduit; an impeller located within the housing having vanes shaped to direct the fluid tangentially within the housing. The pump desirably further comprises a frame that may be adapted for mounting to a farm vehicle, particularly a tractor. The frame may comprise means for mounting to a three point hitch connection of a tractor, a type of connection that is well known in agriculture and permits a frame to be raised or lowered relative to the tractor. T