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US-12624793-B2 - Apparatus and method for moving viscous fluid by pressure

US12624793B2US 12624793 B2US12624793 B2US 12624793B2US-12624793-B2

Abstract

An apparatus and a method are shown for removing or moving a viscous fluid such as grease from a first unit such as a bearing e.g. a ball bearing to a second unit via a hose or pipe. The apparatus includes a hose or pipe ( 7 ) through which the viscous fluid is pumped during operation from an outlet ( 11 ) of the first unit ( 1 ) to an inlet ( 10 ) of the second unit ( 2 ), wherein the apparatus further includes a pump connected to the hose or pipe ( 7 ) in such a way that the viscous fluid during operation is moved through the hose or pipe ( 7 ), and the hose or pipe ( 7 ) includes an inlet ( 8 ) for gas such as air, and the flow of gas through the inlet ( 8 ) is controlled by a valve ( 9 ).

Inventors

  • Thomas HOVE

Assignees

  • DANHYDRA A/S

Dates

Publication Date
20260512
Application Date
20230509
Priority Date
20220512

Claims (14)

  1. 1 . An apparatus comprising one hose or pipe ( 7 ) through which grease being a viscous and homogeneous fluid during operation of the apparatus is pumped from an inlet of the hose or pipe ( 7 ) to an outlet of the hose or pipe ( 7 ), the apparatus comprises a pump ( 12 ) and a connection connecting the pump ( 12 ) to the inlet of the hose or pipe ( 7 ) in such a way that the viscous fluid during operation is moved through the hose or pipe ( 7 ) from the inlet of the hose or pipe ( 7 ) to the outlet of the hose or pipe ( 7 ), which connection does not comprise a one-way valve between the pump ( 12 ) and the inlet of the hose or pipe ( 7 ), and the hose or pipe ( 7 ) comprises an inlet ( 8 ) for gas positioned between the inlet of the hose or pipe ( 7 ) and the outlet of the hose or pipe ( 7 ), gas pressure at the inlet ( 8 ) for gas is controlled by a valve ( 9 ) and the opening of the valve ( 9 ) is adjusted when the apparatus is set up for operation, wherein the pump ( 12 ) is a pressure pump ( 12 ) connected to the inlet of the hose or pipe ( 7 ) in such a way that the viscous fluid during operation is moved through the hose or pipe ( 7 ) from the inlet of the hose or pipe ( 7 ) to the outlet of the hose or pipe ( 7 ), by increasing the pressure at the inlet of the hose or pipe ( 7 ) thereby forcing the viscous fluid through the hose or pipe ( 7 ), which hose or pipe ( 7 ) does not comprise a one-way valve preventing flow of viscous fluid towards the inlet of the hose or pipe ( 7 ), at a position between the inlet of the hose or pipe ( 7 ) and the inlet ( 8 ) for gas, wherein the apparatus further comprises a bearing having an outlet ( 11 ) which outlet ( 11 ) is connected to the inlet for the hose or pipe ( 7 ).
  2. 2 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the hose or pipe ( 7 ) comprises two or more gas inlets ( 8 ).
  3. 3 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a first gas inlet ( 8 ) is positioned closer to the inlet of the hose or pipe ( 7 ) than to the outlet of the hose or pipe ( 7 ).
  4. 4 . The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the first gas inlet ( 8 ) is positioned less than 0.3 m, or less than 0.2 m, or less than 0.15 m from the inlet of the hose or pipe ( 7 ), or more than 0.05 m from the inlet of the hose or pipe ( 7 ), or both more than 0.05 m from the inlet of the hose or pipe ( 7 ) and less than 0.3 m, or less than 0.2 m, or less than 0.15 m from the inlet of the hose or pipe ( 7 ).
  5. 5 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, a first, or a second or a last gas inlet ( 8 ) is positioned at the hose or pipe ( 7 ) at a distance of less than 1 m, or in a distance of less than 0.8 m, from an inlet ( 10 ) to a second unit ( 2 ).
  6. 6 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the valve ( 9 ) is a needle valve capable of adjustment or another type of valve capable of adjustment.
  7. 7 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the hose or pipe ( 7 ) extends between the outlet ( 11 ) of the bearing and an inlet ( 10 ) of a second unit ( 2 ).
  8. 8 . The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the second unit ( 2 ) is a separation unit comprising an outlet ( 6 ) for viscous fluid through which outlet ( 6 ) the viscous fluid is removed by a pump ( 5 ) and an outlet ( 4 ) for gas.
  9. 9 . The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the bearing ( 1 ) comprises an inlet for pressurized gas.
  10. 10 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the viscous fluid is grease or another viscous lubricating material.
  11. 11 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the hose ( 7 ) is made of a flexible material.
  12. 12 . A method for transporting grease being a viscous and homogenous fluid through a hose or pipe ( 7 ) comprising at least two inlets, a first inlet for viscous fluid and a second inlet ( 8 ) for pressurized gas, and an outlet for viscous fluid and gas, wherein the viscous fluid is pumped into the hose or pipe ( 7 ) through the first inlet towards the outlet of the hose or pipe ( 7 ), and while pumping, the second inlet ( 8 ) is simultaneously subjected to a continuous pressure of pressurized gas during operation.
  13. 13 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein the hose or pipe ( 7 ) comprises a third inlet for pressurized gas positioned downstream of the second inlet for pressurized gas and both the second inlet and the third inlet are each subjected to a constant pressure of pressurized gas during operation.
  14. 14 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein a pressure p 1 at the inlet of the hose or pipe ( 7 ) is between 1000 to 1 mbar/760 to 0.75 Torr above atmospheric pressure.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for removing or moving a viscous fluid such as grease, being a viscous and homogeneous fluid, from a first unit such as a bearing e.g. a ball bearing to a second unit via a hose or pipe. When removing surplus grease from a bearing or similar space where it is not possible to force the grease out by increased pressure, it has proven to be difficult to remove the grease by suction through a hose or pipe. U.S. Pat. No. 5,001,805 A discloses an apparatus for pumping a viscous fluid from an outlet (port 29) of a first unit (gear train housing 30) to an inlet of a second unit (waste tank 24) through a hose (5). A vacuum pump (21) is connected to the hose (5) via the second unit (24) and the viscous fluid is moved through the hose (5) by suction. The hose does not comprise an inlet for gas such as air. DK 180695 B1 discloses an apparatus and a method for removing or moving a viscous fluid such as grease from a first unit such as a bearing to a second unit via a hose or pipe (7). The apparatus comprises a vacuum pump (3) transporting the viscous fluid through the hose or pipe (7), further the hose or pipe (7) comprises an inlet (8) for gas such as air, and the flow of gas through the inlet (8) is controlled by a valve (9). The object of the present invention is to provide a pumping apparatus which does not stall when pumping the viscous fluid, but instead works effectively and constantly. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an apparatus able to pump grease or similar viscous fluids through a hose or pipe. The objective of the present invention is to provide an apparatus which is cheaper and more robust than previously known solutions. According to a first aspect of the invention, the invention relates to an apparatus comprising a hose or pipe (7) through which a viscous fluid during operation of the apparatus is pumped from an outlet (11) of a first unit (1) to an inlet (10) of a second unit (2), the apparatus further comprises a pump which is connected to the hose or pipe (7) in such a way that the viscous fluid during operation is moved through the hose or pipe (7), and the hose or pipe (7) comprises an inlet (8) for gas such as air, and the flow of gas through the inlet (8) is controlled by a valve (9), wherein the pump (12), which is connected to the hose or pipe (7) in such a way that the viscous fluid during operation is moved through the hose or pipe (7), is a pressure pump i.e. the pump (12) increases pressure in the first unit (1) and thereby forces or pumps the viscous fluid through the hose or pipe (7). According to any embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the apparatus may comprise two or more gas inlets (8), optionally the distance between two neighboring gas inlets is at least 0.2 m. According to any embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, a first gas inlet (8) may be positioned close to the first unit (1), e.g. less than 0.3 m, or less than 0.2 m, or less than 0.15 m from the outlet (11) of the first unit (1), and/or e.g. more than 0.05 m from the outlet (11) of the first unit (1). According to any embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, a first, or a second or a last gas inlet (8) may be positioned at the hose or pipe (7) in a distance of less than 1 m, or in a distance of less than 0.8 m, from the inlet (10) to the second unit (2) According to any embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the valve (9) may be a needle valve or a similar valve capable of fine adjustment. According to any embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the second unit (2) may be a separation unit comprising an outlet (6) for viscous fluid through which outlet (6) the viscous fluid is removed by a pump (5) and an outlet (4) for gas. According to any embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the first unit (1) may comprise an inlet (13) for pressurized fluid such as gas which gas may be air. Alternatively, the fluid may be more viscous fluid identical to the fluid already present in the first unit (1). According to any embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the viscous fluid may be grease or a similar viscous lubricating material. According to any embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the opening of the valve (9) may be adjusted when the apparatus is set up, and then the opening of the valve is constant until e.g. manual or automatic re-adjustment takes place. According to any embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the hose or pipe (7) is made of a flexible material such as a polymer e.g. PVC, polyurethane, Nomex, polyethylene or thermoplastic, which polymer may be reinforced by fibers or similar. According to a second aspect of the invention, the invention relates to a method for pumping a viscous fluids from a first unit to a second unit through a hose or pipe, the viscous fluid being transported from an outlet of the first unit to an